I have enjoyed movies from a young age. Now, reading has it's own pleasures, as Billy once noted in the comic strip Family Circus:
TV puts stuff into your mind with pictures and sound. You don’t even hafta think. Radio puts stuff into your mind with just sounds and words. You make your own pictures. Books are quiet friends! They let you make up your own pictures and sound. They make you think!
Or, as a character in the book Against the Wind says: "We get lost in books, we’re essentially loners and books are easier than the world sometimes; certainly more alive." [I wrote that down once some time back ... the book is not really notable.] And, there is always reading about movies. More on that in a bit. But, let me toss in that the guest blog entry by Suzanne Vega in the NYT (the link to the first one is also worthwhile) is much appreciated. She has such a down to earth flavor that is also expressed in her songs.
Anyways, reading about film is kool too. There was an article in today's paper about the movie Love, Actually. A perfectly British title. The article notes that it is a good holiday movie, even if it is imperfect (sure enough -- it is a collection of stories, a couple great, a couple amusing/touching, a couple a bit tedious, a couple that probably shouldn't have been included), but one that made him smile. He thinks USA has missed the boat by only showing it twice this month. (Cf. Enchanted, which Starz is showing repeatedly) I am a great believer in the imperfect but charming (touching etc.) film, it being a neat trick to pull off. So, thanks for that. The Whole Nine Yards, not a holiday film, also belongs in this category. It was just on ... love it!
It is unfortunate that the NY Daily News has decided to pull back their review quotient, especially respecting lesser known films, and those that are released to reviewers late (or at odd times). These can be the best films to review, if one has the proper verve. I am annoyed when the likes of Roger Ebert get all snotty about some of these films. The U.S. has a glut of films, many (probably too many) not very good. But, many are good enough to deserve a bit more than some reviews offer. In fact, too many are downright lazy, tossing out bits that don't even match the film's plots.
Let me toss out there that I caught some more of True Blood, and found it a bit boring, though Anna Paquin still has a great character (and is hot). Also, a recent Tina Fey appearance on David Letterman is being replayed tonight. I caught it on You Tube -- recommended. Finally, Ice Princess has been on again recently. Good film. The lead also has an interesting face.