I just wanted your eyebrows to get some exercise, Hec.

I'm the kind of person that's always going to know the consensus, canonical pick, and I value that you bravely stomp off into the critical jungles without a guidebook and make your own calls.

I will note this: Miller's Crossing rewards rewatch more than almost any other Coen Bros. film. (With the possible exception of Barton Fink, and Lebowski, though that pays back on a different rewatch strategy).

I value that you bravely stomp off into the critical jungles without a guidebook and make your own calls.

I know I'm supposed to think it's an A++ movie, but we all have our own standards.

I will note this: Miller's Crossing rewards rewatch more than almost any other Coen Bros. film.

I can buy that. It may be better appreciated when you know what's going on.

(With the possible exception of Barton Fink,

Barton Fink always makes me think of Milhouse.

and Lebowski, though that pays back on a different rewatch strategy).

Watch while drunk? The first time I tried to watch it, I was very tired and I fell asleep. The second time, I was with a whole group of people who loved it, and the atmosphere was just right for me to enjoy it.

I'll second that Miller's Crossing rewards multiple viewings. When you start trying to figure out who knows what when, you may end up giving yourself the high hat.

Just watched Tokyo Story tonight. My first Ozu!

Watch while drunk?

That doesn't hurt.

The first time I tried to watch it, I was very tired and I fell asleep. The second time, I was with a whole group of people who loved it, and the atmosphere was just right for me to enjoy it.

That's more what I meant, though. Some comedies have an odd rhythm that works or doesn't work depending on the context in which you watch them.

My first Ozu!

You should have battle of quiet, still, muted directors. Bresson v. Ozu for the silence!

Went to Trek premiere in London last night. It turns out the publicity manager for it is the old Serenity publicity manager, so, of course, I yelled her and cashed in my Serenity chips. Hopped onto the red (well, blue Star Trek in this case) carpet and spent 20 minutes messing about with people, then went to see film.

It's really awesome. Really hardcore Trekkies may have issues I suppose, I don't know: I'm not one. But it's a real reboot which reminded me more than a little of Serenity. Zach's really good in it as Spock. The biggest asset it has is the script.

Some comedies have an odd rhythm that works or doesn't work depending on the context in which you watch them.

See also Repo Man.

Really hardcore Trekkies may have issues I suppose

I know I do.

That JJ Abrams guy is the guest editor of the current issue of Wired, so there's some Trek stuff in there. Including this short comic (When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge) which is a kind of prequel to the movie. (It ends: "To be continued... in Star Trek!") So I dunno - does that make it spoilery? I say 'no', but....

eta: Kevin (who's seen the movie) says its a bit spoilery.

So with Wall-E in Matilda's movie rotation it's been playing regularly at Chez Zmayhem.

When I first saw the movie the subtext I most noticed was the satire of rampant consumerism represented by Buy 'N Large. But with the repeated viewings I'm seeing that life on the spaceship is really more a satire of a socialist paradise gone awry. They're not buying anything on the spaceship. They're still consumers, but it's not capitalism.

In other words, it's another variation on the Rand-Lite undercurrents you get from Brad Bird's movies (specifically The Incredibles and Ratatouille). On the spaceship all needs are met and everybody is taken care of by a paternalistic figure (Auto/Otto). And it's disastrous. It's another critique asserting that pushing for equality can be a force for a dampening equalization.

The Captain's reassertion of will is really a comic Fountainhead moment, but I think Pixar is slipping Randian libertarian principles into our children's brainpans.