Sunday, December 31, 2006

Movie Log 2006: #108-110
yeah, I'm backdating...
The Prestige - Kirsti didn't care for this much, but I found it very engaging. Does Ricky Jay need to show up in every magic/con man offering?
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny - I enjoyed this a lot, but was still disappointed. It came about two years late, for one thing.
Cars - Admittedly much of the problem here had to do with the dying television I watched it on: the brightness kept fading in and out. Still, it was pretty clear that this was the weakest Pixar feature.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

the start of a new tradition?

We forgot to bring one bag with us to MN. Unfortunately this bag contained nearly all of my gifts to Kirsti, as well as something I picked up for her on Mom's request. So yesterday I boxed and wrapped some random household items and attached notes describing the actual presents. I think this has a lot of potential. It is silly, of course, for us to buy each other gifts at home, travel 400 miles with them, wrap them, unwrap them, and then take them 400 miles back home. Plus, the joy of watching my beloved open a box containing three cans of lawnmower oil is going to be a Christmas sight that's sure to melt the heart of even the Grinchiest Grinch.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Is there a sticker for older listeners?
My grandma is 88 and is more or less in good health for her age. She really likes Johnny Cash. So in finishing up my shopping today I got her his last album, American V: A Hundred Highways. As this was a used copy, I gave it a listen myself. I'm glad I did because three songs in, I'm considering getting her something else. The first track is a Kris Kristofferson cover whose first lines are:

Lord, help me walk
Another mile, just one more mile
I'm tired of walkin' alone


Then later on there's "Down on the 309," the last song Cash ever wrote. It's about taking the pre-emptive measure of getting placed on that last train...

Take me to the depot, put me to bed
Blow an electric fan on my gnarly ol' head
Everybody take a look, see, I'm doin' fine
Then load my box on the 309


Man. Grandma's tough as hell; she still lives at home and works at her town library. Still, I don't know if she needs an album's worth of reminders of mortality from the Man in Black. I mean, I'm pretty healthy and I was getting a little depressed. I'll probably stick with this present, but she can't have so much as a cold when listening to it.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Movie Log 2006 #101-107
I have nothing to say about this batch. Rules of Attraction was the worst of the bunch; it happened to be on IFC when we were at the in-laws'.
The Last Detail
The Year of the Yao
V for Vendetta
The Rules of Attraction
You Can't Take It With You
49 Up
MST3K: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank