A couch potato’s holiday, part 2
Yesterday … er, two days ago (see, I’m still in a post-holiday fog), I posted the first half of what I watched over the break. Here’s the rest.
8. Little Children As a Kate Winslet fan, I was really looking forward to this one. But by the end, I was disappointed and even a little annoyed. The characters seem to create their own problems and not really learn anything from their experiences. And I’m not sure Winslet was the right choice for the role – not that I minded seeing her naked!
Here’s a clip of Winslet shocking the other moms at the playground:
9. Things my girlfriend made me watch on the History Channel: Modern Marvels (chocolate, candy), The States, How the Earth Was Made
Ever wondered how a candy cane gets bent or how a truffle gets its creamy center? Me neither, but my girlfriend finds Modern Marvels fascinating, and I got drawn in too. The States was occasionally a yawn, but How the Earth Was Made was a terrific 4.5-billon-year ride.
10. CNN coverage of the Benazir Bhutto assassination It goes without saying that the assassination is a tragedy. The news coverage that dissected the exact moment and cause of Bhutto’s death only made it worse.
11. Stranger Than Fiction I raved about this when it was first released, and it was just as good the second time around. Emma Thompson is so very gifted, and this well-written film is a gift – especially if you like movies that stretch your brain.
12. Elizabeth I saw this in the theater in 1998, but had forgotten a lot of it. It’s a beautiful and engrossing film. Now I’m ready to see The Golden Age. Did Cate Blanchett shave her hairline for that one too?
13. Clips from 8 Women Because Fanny Ardant and Catherine Deneuve are hot hot hot, and because the movie cracks me up. I love camp!
14. I Am Legend More like I Am Lackluster. The scenes of NYC were cool, but otherwise I was unimpressed, even though I saw it at an IMAX theater. I did like the Emma Thompson cameo though.
15. Jesus Camp I’d been warned about this look at Pentecostal kids and their pastors, but I wasn’t prepared for it at all. It made me squirm. But it did give me a perfect quote for my holiday: “We can’t just sit around on the couch all day because Satan will be after you … Satan’s not sitting around.” Too bad; he might have enjoyed this documentary if he’d been on the couch next to me! I bet he’d be fond of the “praying over PowerPoint” scene.
16. News coverage of the big civil union ceremony in New Hampshire Thirty-seven couples celebrated the new state law legalizing civil unions. This was the perfect antidote to No. 15.
That’s it! Whew; I need to get out more.