I have such mixed feelings about Von Trier. What he produces is so brilliant and so unlike anything else out that that I have tremendous admiration for him as a filmmaker.

On the other hand, if Nicole Kidman and Emily Watson got together and had him quietly murdered in his bed, I wouldn't shed any tears.

That's certainly how I've felt about him lately (though I don't think I've seen anything of his since Dancer...). However, I do unreservadly love Zentropa (aka Europa).

The only movie my grandfather saw in a theater in the last 30 years of his life was Boys Don't Cry. He lived in Nebraska when the Brandon Teena murder happened, and thought his story needed to be told. I loved my grandfather because he was my grandfather, but he was also an extraordinary human.

When he left the theater, he drove home and called me to tell me that it was my generation's responsibility to make sure stories like Brandon Teena's ("and that poor kid who got left on the fence post in Wyoming...")were remembered and honored and that we "eradicated that hatred off of the Earth."

I know...In one way, it was so great, and in another, I'm completely relieved that I never have to look at it ever again if I don't want to.

Wow. Your grandfather was evidently the polar opposite of my grandmother.

::applauds GrandJava::

Fay, I'm not even exaggerating. He wasn't perfect, but when it came to compassion for humanity, he had few equals.

I watched Evil Dead with my mom, thinking it was going to be funny like Army of Darkness. We turned it off after a woman got raped by a tree.

THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST PARTS!

Okay, not for watching with your mother. But frankly, even though Army of Darkness was funny, it's not something I'd suggest watching with your mother.

And yes, the original Evil Dead was much subtler in its humor that the sequels.

When he left the theater, he drove home and called me to tell me that it was my generation's responsibility to make sure stories like Brandon Teena's ("and that poor kid who got left on the fence post in Wyoming...")were remembered and honored and that we "eradicated that hatred off of the Earth."

I'm now in love with your grandfather, javachik.

javachik's grandpa made me cry! He sounds like a lovely man.

Thanks Sophia and Sean. I need to write a long entry into LJ about him, and when I do, I'll share the link.

Watching The Piano at the theater with my mom was my most uncomfortable movie experience.

Though a former co-worker of mine snuck out with her brother to see Fritz the Cat as teenagers, and once there spotted their parents in the audience. I think that experience tops mine in humiliation potential.

I rented Fired Up this week and found it a surprisingly enjoyable watch. Even if Eric Christian Olsen is the least convincing high school student since Amy Sedaris.

I'm enjoying finally having a DVD player again and watched Nobel Son and Rachel Getting Married this weekend.

I enjoyed Nobel Son more than it deserves, probably because of the caper element, but the writing was pretty good and the cast was great.

Note: the opening scene is not for the squeamish. Between that and the cutesy intros of everyone, I almost turned it off.

Rachel Getting Married was well done for what it was (i.e., one of those slice-of-depressing/dysfunctional-life films with no real plot or point). Anne Hathaway did a good job with it though.

As an antidote to the doom and gloom, I watched Charade.