the groundhog day project

For me, the problem isn't singular. Not my problem with Sing Street , by the way. I'm not sure I've got any real problems with the movie. That's why I watched it a gain today, delaying jumping off points for things more unpleasant... Except, I can make anything unpleasant. Anxiety and depression will do that. The opening lines to "Waving through a Window" from Dear Evan Hansen occur to me, now: I've learned to slam on the brake Before I even turn the key Before I make the mistake Before I lead with the worst of me I get that. I get that a little too much. It's like that rehearsing conversations thing I was talking about the other day ; I can plan my interactions and my attempts to accomplish certain things ahead just enough that I can convince myself that success isn't an option. Don't have to fail if you don't have to try. Also, I figure I had my shot. That's a troubling thought. Like no one really deserves a second chance at...

I imagine that Louis (Alex Desert), because I'm pretty sure no one says his character's name [Barry does], is actually Charles from Swingers -- (Because, why not?) --and then things get weird. Because does that mean that Penny's (Joelle Carter) negative experiences with Rob are why she changed her name to Ava, moved to Kentucky, and got involved with more a few men prone to violence? Did Barry leave Kathleen Turner Overdrive for (or change its name to) No Vacancy, change his name, leave Chicago for New York and pretend to be a substitute teacher because music wasn't working out for him? Did Epiphany Proudfoot survive Johnny Favorite, change her name, head north, and take up music in Chicago? Is Charlie Nicholson so odd because she's just a cover identity for Virginia Baker in between heists? For that matter, is part of Sarah Kendrew's ongoing problems stem from Joe lying to her so much when she was Corey Flood? And, how did Rob Gordon also have time to be L...

You know what movies made more recently that are set in the 80s do wrong? They only use the famous and obvious music. "Bit by Bit"--the opening song for Fletch (not to mention Harold Faltermeyer's music) has a definitive 80s sound. Seriously, that song starts and I'm there in the 80s. Just like a lot of the music in Better Off Dead... or Say Anything . There's not a lot of music you'd still hear about on these soundtracks, but if you were there, watching these movies at the time, you've got sense memory of all of them. Me--I'm back in the 80s again when I watch movies like this one. End of May, beginning of June, really. Last weekend, we saw Rambo: First Blood Part II and A View to a Kill . Rambo was #1 last week and will be again this weekend. Fletch will be #2 this weekend. #4 is Brewster's Millions ; we won't see that until it's at a drive-in with A Nightmare on Elm Street a month into that film's run. Whenever that would be...

I think the point to Better Off Dead... is obvious. That thing we call love drives us crazy, for better or for worse. We do stupid, crazy stuff like ski dangerous mountains or fix cars. We step outside our comfort zones to do some weird shit we would never do. Savage Steve Holland, who wrote and directed this movie supposedly really tried to hang himself from a pipe in his garage, but the pipe broke and his mother was mad at him for breaking the pipe. And, when it's gone, life is like Mr. Kerber's math class--it just doesn't make any sense at all. Everyone else is perfectly happy; they all get it. But, you've got a mangled paper in your pocket with gum stuck in it, and all it says is DO HOMEWORK instead of, you know, having any actual answers on it... metaphorically. And, everybody else has books full of answers, printouts, file folders, and an eagerness to participate that seems impossible... again, metaphorically (on those books and printouts, anyway). Better Off...

The thing is, Say Anything , despite what I may have said the last two days , is romantic. In fact, while one could find fault in the immortalization of the boombox scene--because Diane just doesn't respond, so Lloyd's action is a little pointless--but there's a good reason it is taken as an image of romance. While love needs reciprocation, romance doesn't. Romance is like the seeking of reciprocation, but the gesture doesn't lose power simply because the response is limited or absent. (Quick aside: I only just realized that the guy singing at graduation is Joe. But, no reaction shot from Corey? Seems like something's missing.) Lloyd's gesture, standing there with the boombox over his head, aside perhaps from a Mosaic allusion, is powerful because it not only has no guarantee of success but also actually has no success. Lloyd's romantic notions have already lost the fight but he stands there anyway, playing the song. And, whether it works or not...

"This movie features an OTP that is only shippable 50% of the time." - Saer Black Say Anything again. I didn't find yesterday 's entry to be that insightful or particularly interesting. After a week-long return to Groundhog Day , I suppose any movie would have been disappointing. Like the quiet episode of a TV show after the big-budget climax of the season has passed. (Well, unless it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer 's "Restless"--that thing surpassed the climax of an episode earlier by a long shot.) There are moments in this film worth entire entries. Sure, the brief shot of all the parents at graduation with their cameras out would probably just rehash stuff from that one The Sixth Sense entry last year. Sure, talking about those parents would lead to mention of James Court (John Mahoney) not having his camera up when his daughter is on stage, which is a really weird detail. Seriously, this guy dotes on his daughter like crazy, spending his ill-go...

"Get in a good mood. How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood, and then be in a good mood." Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) has an absurdly positive attitude about life in Say Anything . James Court (John Mahoney) has an inappropriately positive attitude about life. Diane Court (Ione Skye) is caught between them but is not all that positive about life despite having everything going for her. (Nitpick: the timeline is a little messed up at the beginning of the movie. Opening scene, before graduation, Lloyd tells Corey (Lili Taylor) and D.C. (Amy Brooks) ????? that he's going to take Diane out again--they sat together in the food court at the mall. That's point #1. Graduation happens, and Lloyd calls Diane but gets her father instead. He specifically mentions that he sat with Diane at the mall "yesterday." This is presumably still the day of graduation. Point #2. Immediately after talking to Lloyd, James Court gets a call about Diane's fellowship. Now, e...