So you may have heard about the Chilean miners who are stuck .5 mile underground perhaps for 4 months. NYT has an article about how psychologists are concerned for their welfare and the kind of media they may watch:

“Movies are possible,” said Ximena Matas, a local city councilwoman. “But the psychologists will decide what movies they will see. It’s up to them if something like ‘Avatar’ would be too upsetting.”

I am above ground and I haven't seen Avatar, judging it too upsetting (but perhaps for different reasons that Matas might fear).

It is so stupid that I would only watch it again stuck in a trench.

It is so stupid that I would only watch it again stuck in a trench.

This would be what we call a trenchant criticism.

thank you...it might be just what the miners are...no, probably not. Big, scary technology tearing up a planet doesn't seem like a good choice.

I had my Barcelona film-fest tonight, and I liked both movies more than my Budapest movies.

Barcelona was really good! Very funny, Woody Allen-esque. Now I want to watch Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco. What's up with this Whit Stillman guy? He made three movies in the nineties and then quit?

Vicky Cristina Barcelona was also really good! I was a little iffy on the narration at first (because the narration in Barcelona felt unnecessary), but I liked the way it made the movie feel like a short story or novella, where so much more could be written about the inner lives of the characters. I found the main characters fascinating. I feel kind of bad for Rebecca Hall, though. She's a titular protagonist, and she was great, but all the attention went to the actresses with bigger names. I was surprised that Penélope Cruz didn't show up till halfway through the damn movie; there was so much hoopla about her. And then she gets on the cover instead. It's not her story!

Barcelona was really good! Very funny, Woody Allen-esque. Now I want to watch Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco. What's up with this Whit Stillman guy? He made three movies in the nineties and then quit?

I read an interview with him in the Village Voice a few months back, and he's been trying to get things made, but they keep falling through. I think he did take some time off completely to travel, though.

Also, Metrolpolitan and Last Days are both worth seeing. Very similar in tone to Barcelona.

I thought Last Days was by far the most enjoyable of the three. (Actually didn't enjoy watching Metropolitan, though I give props for actually getting that sort of film made.)

I actually think Barcelona is the least of the three Stillman films. Last Days of Disco is my favourite. Such a fun cast, full of now-familiar faces. Kate Beckinsale is awesomely, hilariously bitchy throughout (this is up there with Cold Comfort Farm as the best of of KB IMO, before she got fossilized into the wooden action-heroine mode), Chloe Sevingy is fairly believable as an ingenue, and it's got the post-Dead Poet, pre-House Robert Sean Leonard, playing a douchebag (against type)! And Chris Eigeman, of course, 'cause this is a Walt Stillman movie after all. Oh! And here is Young Matt Kessler (a.k.a. The Middleman), with the Disco Will Never Be Over!! speech.

The soundtrack to the movie is FANTASTIC. Still one of my all-time fave OSTs.

See, I think Barcelona was my favorite of the three, but all three have some great lines.

"Playing strip poker with an exhibitionist somehow takes the challenge away."

"You are far weirder than someone merely into S&M. At least they have a tradition. We have some idea what S&M is about. There's movies and books about it. But so far as I know, there is nothing to explain the way you are."

"There's something really sexy about Scrooge McDuck."

"You are far weirder than someone merely into S&M. At least they have a tradition. We have some idea what S&M is about. There's movies and books about it. But so far as I know, there is nothing to explain the way you are."

I laughed out loud at that one. And various other things Fred said. And Ted's bit about ant politics.

Such a fun cast, full of now-familiar faces.

I know! It is in the Netflix queue, and Metropolitan is on Instant.

Also, Metropolitan and Last Days are both worth seeing. Very similar in tone to Barcelona.

I liked the tone. Sly, understated. A loose narrative without feeling plotless.