come on fhqwhgads

Couple of little notes from the weekend I meant to mention sooner, but got distracted by final Supreme Court class papers and other miscellany:

The Boy and I watched four rentals in three days, and I can heartily recommend two of them. Well, actually, he watched all four; I unrepentantly slept through Click, but he assures me I didn't really miss anything, so I don't feel so bad. The other clunker was The Break-Up, which, eh. Not terrible, and it featured some great scenes of Chicago, but I left wondering what, exactly, I was supposed to take from the film: if your sig other isn't exceeding expectations, don't nag him--dump him and go travel for six months. He'll get his shit together while you're gone and you'll meet breathlessly, accidentally, on the street with rosy optimism for your future? Sure, right. I can suspend some disbelief when called for (see Love, Actually, which I made the Boy sit through a couple weeks ago and which he found wholly unrealistic, whereas I continue to find it cute and charming), and I'll make a lot of concessions for films involving Jason Bateman (Smokin' Aces, anyone...?), but this film wavered too far between escapist and realist to be much of either. (Plus, not a good date movie. No suprise there, I suppose.)

Excellent, however: Syriana. Engrossing though disturbing, well-acted, complex. And even though I knew it was based loosely on a real-life memoir, I didn't realize just how true-to-life the plot was until the Boy explained how much of what was described actually happened. (See this transcription of a 2001 New Yorker article for more of the real-life stuff, though possibly wait till after you've seen the film for context.) Again, not a feel-good film, but one that makes you think seriously about the way things should work v. the way they actually work.

And finally: Wordplay, the crossword puzzle documentary that you may or may not have heard of. It's very interesting, though, and a lot of fun, as it culminates in the 2005 Crossword Puzzle Championship in Stamford, CT, so you're rooting for the various characters you meet throughout the film. Plus, you can't watch the film without newfound respect for Will Shortz, who just has such unabashed love for his work editing the New York Times crossword and running the yearly championship. If you're a puzzle nut, or if you appreciate a compelling documentary, definitely check this out.

Anyway, one of the contestants in Wordplay is a 20-year-old student at RPI who is shown several times wearing a Trogdor t-shirt. I commented on this and received a blank stare from the Boy, who apparantly missed out on being introduced to the joys of Homestar Runner by a college suitemate. So, of course, after the film I walked him through the intro, and a couple strong bad emails, then a teen girl squad or two (which didn't go over nearly as well as I'd hoped, and at which point I think he started to get a little scared). I also totally forgot how much fun the Trogdor game was, though I do distinctly remember the role it played in my almost not finishing my senior essay. *coff*

I was just honestly surprised that there were still folks out there (even folks with whom I associate regularly!) unacquainted with this particular site, which has brought me such joy lo these four years.

(...plus, my Limozeen shirt is probably the best shirt ever.)