I saw The Happening, finally. It was better than The Lady in the Water, but it was, as one review put it, all premise and no plot. There were a bunch of genuinely unnerving scenes, though. I have to agree with the chorus of people who wonder what an M. Night movie would be like if he let someone else write it.

I'd seen NotH before (several times - love it).

Oddly enough, this is my latest movie from Netflix. It's part of my can't-believe-I've-never-seen-it list.

It was my first viewing of The Party, but it won't be my last! Laugh out loud hilarious!

Birdie num nums!

Superfab party house too.

Oddly enough, this is my latest movie from Netflix. It's part of my can't-believe-I've-never-seen-it list.

Dude! Come over and watch it at our house. I can always watch it again.

I've been listening to one of the songs from the movie a lot lately. Not that the soundtrack is available but I loved it a lot and tracked down a fantastic cover. I think you'll know which one I mean after you see it. Actually there are two great songs in the movie, the other one of which Oxford American put out on one of their collections.

I watched two documentaries this weekend.

The Scorcese-directed Bob Dylan: No Direction Home was excellent. Even my wife, who has minimal use for Dylan and has never seen Don't Look Back, loved it. One of the interesting little sidelines was the constant reminder of how recent the Civil Right Movement was. I mean, Dylan's only a couple of years older than my Dad, and there he was at the March on Washington and playing fields in Mississippi. I mean, I know that it was recent - I'm from Alabama, for god's sake - but it's hard to internalize just how incredible it is that when my Dad was a young adult, many Americans - a majority of Alabamans, even! - couldn't vote because of the color of their skin. And now there's a man of African descent who could be the next president of this country. I know this. I've even made this argument to friends. But wow, how incredible it is.

Scorcese got Dylan to discuss his younger self, which is a major change from his cryptic old man persona. It was nice to see the guy smile at his younger self.

The other documentary was Herzog's Little Dieter Needs To Fly, which I saw a few years ago, but had wanted to revisit after seeing Rescue Dawn. What a great movie! Herzog is the man.

A San Franscisco band called The Young People do an excellent noise-skronk cover of one of those Night Of The Hunter songs. I think Jon B turned me on to them.

A San Franscisco band called The Young People do an excellent noise-skronk cover of one of those Night Of The Hunter songs.

"Pretty Fly" is not meant to be a noise-skronk song!

Love NotH!

Leaning... leaning... safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning... leaning... leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning... leaning... safe and secure from all alarms

This is the song OA put out. "Pretty Fly" is the one I got as a cover (by the Stinky Puffs, one of the side projects for John Flansburgh of TMBG. The song is actually credited to Sister Puff as it is three women singing a capella in close harmony).

Both songs, incidentally, though they sound traditional were written for the film by the guy who composed the score.

Both songs, incidentally, though they sound traditional were written for the film by the guy who composed the score.

Interesting, especially since "Leaning" is treated as a traditional song in the movie (when Lillian Gish's singing overwhelms Mitchum's).