All the things I've never seen - movie edition.

I admit it - I am passionate about movies and have always been somewhat hypnotized by them.

And yes, I remember saying I wouldn't be sitting around watching Princess Bride and Top Gun over and over, but one thing that's been an ongoing pursuit of mine since I was about 16 and worked my first job at a movie theater, is catching up on the movies that I haven't seen. Not all the movies, mind you, just the good ones. While I try to stay semi-current on the more recent movies in the genres I like, sometimes one slips by me and I need some help figuring those ones out, you know? So I thought maybe I'd post some of the genres and movies I like and then if anyone, perhaps, had any suggestions I could watch them while everyone else is at work. I do realize that Netflix attempts to do this for me but the results are neither as interesting nor as reliable.

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Action, etc.
Cars - Two-Lane Blacktop vs. Gone in 60 Seconds - original or remake because neither had a story. Bullitt over French Connection.
Chase movies involving lots of different vehicles as in the Bond films, Mission Impossible's and any spy related movies.
Occult - Race with the Devil, Susperia (and the ensuing trillogy).
Gangster-esque films like Donnie Brasco and Ghost Dog but Infernal Affairs over Departed easily.
Asian-y - Old Boy trillogy (especially the Lady Vengeance one), Public Enemy, The Host, Battle Royale, Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, Hero and House of Flying Daggers but NOT The Ring(s).
Bruce Lee is the man of my dreams - why are the good ones always dead?
Train movies and travel stories like Darjeeling Limited, Mystery Train, Road Trip and Euro Trip.
Comedy/Dramedy - Clerks etc., Amelie, 40 Year Old Virgin, Office Space, Half Baked over Pineapple Express, Almost Famous and the kind of movies that make you feel like you can be something important like a groupie, Breakfast Club, Young Guns 1 and 2, Repo Man, anything with an Estevez/Sheen, Cruz, Pitt, Diesel, or Wolverine except the obvious or the obviously unwatchable.
Any indies, brightly colored or where color shifts are part of the narrative, or with an amazing soundtrack. Jarmush, Godard, Van Sant, Wes Anderson, most Gilliam and Lynch and Gondry.
Sci-fi (space movies vs. hobbits) and superhero movies when done well and the story doesn't suck, animated is ok if there is little or no talking like Triplets of Belville, Wall-e, Spirited Away.
NO period movies, NO musicals, NO chick-flicks.

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I think that's a good outline though not-at-all comprehensive so I promise not to shoot you down if you suggest one I've already seen. Keep in mind I'm not a total couch potato either - I'm also extremely busy with my more physical pursuits: swimming and soaking up lots of beautiful sunshine (while wearing and re-applying sunblock), shameless self-promotion in an attemt to find work, and carving the keys of the baby grand piano I'm making! More photos to come but for now..

The stutter-start...

Only out of work for just over a week now and while I know I've promised all these projects and good-times yet to come, I have to admit that there is a lot more that goes into it than just wanting to do all this stuff and actually doing it.

After cleaning out my garage, I tackled my tool box: if your work and your life have to co-exist, they may as well do it neatly, right? This little chore reminded me that packaging is excessive.



Once that was done, I was finally able to relax a bit and focus on the really important issues: movie nights with friends, exercise and breakfast with friends, etc...



And here's a preview of some things I hope to do more of if, in fact, I do still have the time:

Step One: you gotta clean yo' garage!

I know, you thought we'd get right to the fun stuff but no one likes a woman with BAGGAGE, right?! Plus this is my main work-space outside of the kitchen and bedroom so the last thing I need are reminders of all the other old shit I've stored up to this point in my life. If there's one thing I've learned from all the fiction novels I've read and movies I've seen, you never really want to have too much stuff.

So where to start...? I approach cleaning in much the same sense that I regard my old tax records. Which means that after every new year that I file taxes and hold on to the supporting documents, I toss (you should really shred your old tax records but the trash or Goodwill is probably better for the garage) the oldest year that I've got on file. When you apply this complex formula to garage cleaning (or closet purging, or life...) it translates roughly to mean that if I'm bringing home boxes of mementos and such from the old office, I've gotta dump the ex's case of motor oil into the sewer and give the former-boss his tools back.

antes:

después:

Why yes I do have a chalk outline of the former band Hardstark on my wall...

Down below, I also demonstrate the benefits of cleaning with music set against the backdrop of the other side of the garage (or, what happens to women who don't clean theirs), how to mostly get into those creepy little corners, and how to organize things by size and category.



So... who's in this with me!?! Hands together now! Let me know where you like to get busy. Garage? Backyard? Porch? That's about all I got, I live in an apartment...