Movies and Music

Posted Sun Jan 13, 2008 in Music

When this posts, I’ll be en route to DC for a set of meetings. It’s been an interesting week, all right. But, I spent some time on myself this weekend, watching a few movies and messing around. This album found its way to my iPod for the trip. Wife bought this recording would be good for me because my taste is so eclectic. (She’s pretty proud of herself too.)

It’s good. I’m listening to it as I write this Saturday evening. I’ll pack in a few minutes, which won’t be hard, and hit the rack fairly early. The aircraft leaves RNO at 0730, so I’ll have to be on the road north by 0530. I’ll listen to this on the way and probably write some as well. I still have to throw together a presentation for Monday afternoon, but I’ll get it done. It’s only a twenty-minute talk and I could probably wing this one. It’s familiar material. But, I won’t.

I had four movies from Netflix and watched them all over the last couple of days. I need to revisit my queue and reorder it. Lady in the Water was panned by the critics, as I recall. But, I ordered a copy anyway because what do the critics know? I was pleasantly surprised, as I often am by Shyamalan’s films. The movie is deeply emotional, even if it is a fairy tale. He has a knowledge of the human emotional condition that is amazing and is able to construct stories that work at a deep emotional level.

Or, perhaps you have to be a raving romantic to get his material. I always find things there that surprise me — not in the horror sense, although he has a knack for the deeply horrifying as well. No, he manages to draw me in to his stories and reach me on a emotional level. It’s good and his stories remind me of good things.

I watched 20 Million Miles to Earth, which is a late 50’s SciFi movie. Harryhausen was a genius for special effects and it shows. While the movie is dated in many ways, and the cold-war references are too clear, it was still entertaining to watch.

It was a good day and I’m thankful for it. I pray for safe travels this week and hope to be home Thursday evening.