Drama=Melodrama?

For your consideration: Here, you see Frank Sinatra and some guy name Laurence Harvey circa 1962 in the original version of "The Manchurian Candidate." It was on TCM the other night, so Gindo and I watched it. You know something? It was fucking great! I know there's that knee-jerk, "I had so much fun watching old movies with my girlfriend" cliché, but this movie was legitimately cool. It got nominated for an Academy Award that year (Angela Lansbury for Best Supporting Actress). Why not a bigger award? It was up against movies like "To Kill A Mocking Bird," "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Miracle Worker," & "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." And before you make any of the Murder She Wrote jokes that I did, yes, Angela Lansbury has apparently always been old, but in this movie she was positively terrifying.

You know who else was good? Fucking Frank Sinatra! Like Ginny said, it's too bad that all these singers who want to be in the movies now can't act. I'm not saying Old Blue Eyes is the best actor in the movie, but he's not too bad. Unlike a few others in movies these days.

Now, here's what was most riveting about the movie. Go watch it, then I want you to go watch No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. What do they have in common? Yes, they're all three dark dramas. Yes, they're all three well-acted, with interesting (if convoluted) plots. But here's what I liked best about them:

No soundtrack.

No radio symphony providing swelling emotional/musical cues. No studio-rock playing edgy guitars during chase scenes. No insipid pop-covers during montages. No, just fucking acting, drama, and suspense. Both of the latter two movies were a couple of the most compelling films I've seen in a while, and it took me a while to figure it out. But finally, it hit me: the director of the film wasn't trying to tell me how to feel about a certain character or situation through musical cues. Instead, I just got to watch the movie and make up my own mind.

Why can't more movies be like that?

Okay, I'LL post the pictures of plants

Mad plant skillz.

Back!

It's been a while since my last post, and the busy-busy has finally slowed down (at least for a little while). I turned in my keys at the old job yesterday and checked out. The only committments I have left are graduation and a faculty appreciation brunch. The day after that, I've got a faculty dinner for the fine arts department with my new job. Nothing like getting right back into it.

Next, I resigned from the band since my last post. I decided that 48 weekends a year for 10 years was more than enough time. I'm going to play up 'til the "big gig" on July 3rd, then pack it in. There's alot more stuff I want to do, and it will be nice to have a weekend off! Which is not to say that I won't miss it, 'cause I will. Thing is, I think I'm going to miss more what it WAS, not what it is.

I promised new pics of my horn:

It's fucking sweet, by the way.

Now, what else is going on? School's out, and it was a great year. Looking forward to next year at the new job. Resigned from the band, and am looking forward to having weekends off. Also, got both of parents married off in the last month. A bit surreal, but a good thing also. No pics here on the computer, but Gindo knows where they are, so I'll put up one or two of those soon.

Got the garden all planted. Now, I shall issue an edict to my paramour: POST PICTURES OF OUR PLANTS. They are truly impressive, thanks to her gardening skill. Now, I shall venture outside (out of the AC that I have turned on before June 1 for the first time in years) and see about some yardwork.