I Like to Watch - and miscellaney
To clarify a couple things from my last post, probably obvious to everyone: while I was doing work on Las Vegas and Tacoma Friday night, I was doing it from the relative comfort of my couch. So, yeah, I was up until 4:30, but afterward I could just walk upstairs to bed rather than driving home from the office.
Generally I've been dragging myself into the office late, at about 9:30 or 10:00, even later a couple of days, where I'd usually prefer to get in by 9:00. Then I wind up staying at the office until 7:00, maybe 8:00, though I'd just as soon be out by 6:00. We'll see where things go this next week. I have the hotline this week, so some of my hours at office will depend on if I get stuck on a call before leaving for home. The hotline is noon to midnight (with the other hours handled in the UK), so if they call me a 5:30 I'll probably still be in the office at least couple hours later.
And, yeah, I'll have the hotline during the Super Bowl. That's OK, I'll probably just be plopped in front of the TV here.
Speaking of which, this is actually my TV/movie post:
And with the long hours in front of my laptop, I've had the Tivo going for noise as much as anything, but caught up on a couple things and watched a couple movies I hadn't before.
First, my favorite show of this season is now clearly "30 Rock". The episodes have a lot of re-watchability, and I've been picking up some new bits each time. I leave these on the Tivo for a while, and have been rewatching three or four times. This is the same I used to do with "Arrested Development", my old favorite.
I'd never seen "Men in Black II" before this weekend, where I had it on in the background like three times while doing other things. I can't get enough of the train station locker scene! I also wound up re-watching "Men in Black" this afternoon before that third showing of MIB II. And, for that really late night shift on Friday, I watched "Mars Attacks" for the first time, which is kind of cute and mindless-funny, but ultimately leaves one saying "What the Hell?".
And finally, for background movies, I finally watchd all of "A Mighty Wind", which I'd seen parts of a few times and has been sitting on the Tivo for a couple months. Another fun movie, which I have to remember to pick up copies of all of the Guest/Levy/ensemble movies eventually (right now, I only own "This is Spinal Tap".
That's been the movies on TV. Ellen and I were thinking of going to a movie last night, but there was absolutely nothing out that we both really wanted to see. Any suggestions? I know "Pan's Labyrinth" is supposed to be good, but I've also heard the violence is pretty graphic, which means Ellen probably won't want to see it. I could have resorted to "Epic Movie", which I'm sure is stupid but I least I know most of the material they're trying to parody. Nothing else at all struck the fancy of either of us.
Instead, we just went to dinner and came back home. At least that got me to bed early for a much needed 9.5 hour sleep.
Generally I've been dragging myself into the office late, at about 9:30 or 10:00, even later a couple of days, where I'd usually prefer to get in by 9:00. Then I wind up staying at the office until 7:00, maybe 8:00, though I'd just as soon be out by 6:00. We'll see where things go this next week. I have the hotline this week, so some of my hours at office will depend on if I get stuck on a call before leaving for home. The hotline is noon to midnight (with the other hours handled in the UK), so if they call me a 5:30 I'll probably still be in the office at least couple hours later.
And, yeah, I'll have the hotline during the Super Bowl. That's OK, I'll probably just be plopped in front of the TV here.
Speaking of which, this is actually my TV/movie post:
And with the long hours in front of my laptop, I've had the Tivo going for noise as much as anything, but caught up on a couple things and watched a couple movies I hadn't before.
First, my favorite show of this season is now clearly "30 Rock". The episodes have a lot of re-watchability, and I've been picking up some new bits each time. I leave these on the Tivo for a while, and have been rewatching three or four times. This is the same I used to do with "Arrested Development", my old favorite.
I'd never seen "Men in Black II" before this weekend, where I had it on in the background like three times while doing other things. I can't get enough of the train station locker scene! I also wound up re-watching "Men in Black" this afternoon before that third showing of MIB II. And, for that really late night shift on Friday, I watched "Mars Attacks" for the first time, which is kind of cute and mindless-funny, but ultimately leaves one saying "What the Hell?".
And finally, for background movies, I finally watchd all of "A Mighty Wind", which I'd seen parts of a few times and has been sitting on the Tivo for a couple months. Another fun movie, which I have to remember to pick up copies of all of the Guest/Levy/ensemble movies eventually (right now, I only own "This is Spinal Tap".
That's been the movies on TV. Ellen and I were thinking of going to a movie last night, but there was absolutely nothing out that we both really wanted to see. Any suggestions? I know "Pan's Labyrinth" is supposed to be good, but I've also heard the violence is pretty graphic, which means Ellen probably won't want to see it. I could have resorted to "Epic Movie", which I'm sure is stupid but I least I know most of the material they're trying to parody. Nothing else at all struck the fancy of either of us.
Instead, we just went to dinner and came back home. At least that got me to bed early for a much needed 9.5 hour sleep.
posted by TT at
1/28/2007 11:11:00 PM
6 Comments:
I can't recommend Epic Movie unless you're prepared to operate at the mental level of a not particularly bright 10 year old. It has its funny spots, but almost innumerable opportunities for parody were wasted in favor of the lowest and bluntest. Once it hits cable and I can casually rewatch it I may find some parts more entertaining, but when I and my 14 and 16 year old sons left the showing Saturday we each had a sense that we needed a shower. They had a healthy handful of deserving targets to parody and they squandered nearly all of the opportunities by aiming low. It left me unsure whether I should feel insulted by or sorry for the filmmakers. They did over $19 M at the box office this weekend, though, so they're likely happy with the opening weekend especially since they were #1.
Pan's Labyrinth is one I've been thinking of seeing for the past three weekends -- since it went into somewhat wider release -- but schedule and at least one poor choice have seen me putting it off. As it returns to the Spanish Civil War era (this time the oppressive aftermath) - obviously a matter of great interest to Del Toro (it was also the historical backdrop for The Devil's Backbone) - and the girl's retreat into fantasy is in reaction to the real world horrors going on around her, I was a little worried about some of that, too.
It's odd how that works for me, as I don't mind even grisly horror when it's being perpetrated by some truly inhuman monster, but human to human sadism, torture and the like is too disturbing for me, and I know there's at least a touch of that in the film based on the trailer.
I've been avoiding any reviews of it, though, as I'm sure I'll be seeing it eventually.
By
Mike Norton, at 1/29/2007 8:33 AM
I assume you've already seen Happy Feet. I think the Pursuit of Happyness also looks good, but I don't know what you like.
Could always rent a movie.
By
Anonymous, at 1/29/2007 11:31 PM
Mike - yeah, I did figure Epic Movie would be bad. They can't even pull enough funny material together to make a commercial. But "mindless" wasn't necessarily a bad choice this past weekend.
Narf - No, we actually haven't seen Happy Feet yet. We would have chosen that, but it was only playing as matinees (latest start 4:05; Ellen got home at 4:10).
By
TT, at 1/31/2007 10:17 AM
Oh, and it's not like we don't have plenty of viewing choices. I haven't rented a movie in a couple years. Ellen just signed up for Netflix, but it's so she could easily get some movies she needs to watch for a class -- the membership may not last past a trial period.
The idea was to get out.
By
TT, at 1/31/2007 10:20 AM
I didn't mind Epic Movie that much, but I guess thats because I went with a large group of college guys and our expectations were very low. It was neither Epic nor much of a movie though, clocking in at just over 80 minutes, but we did enjoy mocking it and just having a fun time. It could have been the best movie of the year had they only mentioned the dress (something no one reading here will understand).
Pan's Labyrinth is supposed to be really good. "The group" is going to go see that tomorrow night, although I won't be able to join them, however, since I will be at Techfront while they do so.
We are watching The Invincible Iron Man tonight, a DVD movie that just came out.
By
Matt, at 2/01/2007 12:28 PM
Also, Netflix is pretty cool, but you gotta actually be able/want to watch the movies that you get to be able to return them not too long after you get them, or it quickly becomes not worth the subscription fee.
Make sure to remember to cancel your account before the Free Trial is up if you don't want to pay, because it will automatically roll you over to a paid account when it expires. If you get the free trial and then cancel, after a few months they will start sending you offers for cheaper than advertised rates if you come back.
By
Matt, at 2/01/2007 12:35 PM
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