Bear Droppings

The fun started on Friday when czar_wolfhound showed up to spend the night with us. He had been doing some research in the state and needed a place to crash before heading home. scritchwuff also showed up as well as Kitty's friend. I grilled up a bunch of steaks for everyone. Dinner was slightly delayed because we finally had a good true monsoon storm blow through with pounding rain, thunder and lightning (including a few *flash**booms*), and pea-sized hail. The added benefit was that it lowered the temps about 20 degrees, so what was hot and muggy turned into perfect weather to sit out on the patio, yerf, and drink bourbon.

We said our goodbyes to Czar on Saturday after a nice breakfast. Then it was time to just do a little shopping and relax. I had to get yet another windshield put on my car since a crack had spread across the entire thing. I think that's my second one in 2 years. We were treated to another good monsoon storm that evening although it was a little less intense.

I had mentioned to Kitty that "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was getting some really good reviews. She took that to mean that I really wanted to see it, so she bought us tickets for Sunday. I must say that it was a very good film. I can easily see Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Brad Pitt and Leonardo Dicaprio for Actor, Quentin Tarantino for Director, and whoever did Cinematography. It's very much like "Inglorious Basterds" where history gets turned on its head. Hollywood loves movies about itself, so that's why I'm thinking it'll be a front runner for Best Picture. We shall see.

In other movie news, we watched "Arctic" over the weekend as well. I had read a review about the movie, and it sounded interesting. A bush pilot crashes in the middle of nowhere and has to survive until rescued. There are only 3 people in the entire movie and one dies right away. Another is in a coma for most of the movie. So if you like a lot of dialogue, forget it. On the good side there is a murry purry polar bear. "I'm not here for booty. I'm here to eat ya!" Mads Mikkelsen deserves an Oscar nomination for his acting. I thought I never heard of him before, but he played the title role in the TV show "Hannibal." He was also a Bond villain in "Casino Royale." The movie is kinda in the vane of "All is Lost," the 2013 movie with Robert Redford where he's lost at sea by himself. That was a good movie. We also saw the recent stinker by him, "The Old Man and the Gun." If that's what we wants to end his career with, it's a whimper not a bang.

Last night Kitty and I went to see "Brokeback Mountain." I would have waited for it to come out on DVD, but I feel it is important to send a message to Hollywood that there are people interested in alternative theater and that they don't have to keep sending us the same old shit in order to make money. I think that message will come through loud and clear with this movie since the theater was almost sold out and the showing after ours WAS sold out. It sucked major balls that we were stuck in the 4th row, but those were just about the only seats left.

Now I have read a few reviews on my friends' pages that have ranged from "best movie of the century!" to "OMG! That sucked!" I will be somewhere in between, but definitely more towards the "it was a very good movie."

I definitely think that Heath Ledger will get a nomination for Best Actor for his role. I also think that Michelle Williams will get a nomination for her role as Ennis' wife. The scenery was gorgeous and made me miss Wyoming. I spent a Summer there in '86 for geology field camp.

There were a lot of plot points that hit home and many that missed. Having worked a few Summers in a small farming and ranching community in eastern Oregon, I could also identify with the sense of isolation of being different in a small town. I can appreciate the plight of my 2 dear lesbian friends that lived 100 miles apart in redneck country. I could also identify with the trials and tribulations of an LDR as seen so often with my friends on LJ. I know what it's like to "go through the motions" to make the world think you're normal. I know there are several people on my friends list who went through sham marriages while keeping their gay side firmly in the closet until they couldn't stand it any longer. So in that sense I know that the movie portrayed events that can and do happen in every day life to many of us.

I had a real problem with the development of the love story between the 2. It seemed too Hollywood that 2 people meet and the next minute are having sex. There was no buildup to the relationship. Just because 2 men live together alone in the woods for a few months means they're going to get gay with each other. Did they both have gaydar and know that the other wanted each other? There was nothing to suggest that either of them wanted each other. Perhaps I missed something. I just thought it was too rushed without any sign that there was a love developing. And the brief sex scene was ruined for me by a bunch of giggling teenagers in back of me. That didn't help.

Where I think the movie hit on a great theme was the fact that not only were the men affected by their LDR but their wives were also caught up and their lives shattered by the love affair. Overall I thought it was a terrific drama. I'm not sure if it would be worthy of Best Picture, but it will definitely be nominated.

I guess I'll add my 2 cents to the pot regarding Narnia. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a nice fantasy movie that I would put in the same category as "LotR." I was able to suspend reality for 2 hours and enjoy myself. There was no deep thinking involved and there were very few plot holes which tend to ruin things for me. About my only complaint would be the including of tigers on the Witch's side during the battle. Why would one group of animals side with her? Was there a rivalry like that in "Father of the Pride" and the tigers felt slighted that a lion was head honcho?

I did MST3K 3 scenes:
When they were on the train from London: "Get your robes on, everyone! We shall be at Hogwarts soon!"
When the children see the lamp post for the 1st time: "I double dog dare you to stick your tongue to it!"
When Santa presents Peter with the sword: "Is this a Hatorri Hanzo blade?"

Question: How much does it cost to change a light bulb in the Bear Den?
Answer: $142. $140 to buy a ladder tall enough to reach the light on the vaulted ceiling and $2 for a light bulb. Oh well. At least I have a nice new ladder. And in a spurt of cleaning I also have clean light fixtures throughout the house.

Kitty and I went to go see a couple of art films on Sunday. "Primer" is a low-budget time travel movie that I compared to "Lathe of Heaven." It's an interesting movie, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the director can do in the future with a real budget. The plot got so twisted that I was lost toward the end. The other movie was "Tarnation." This was a total p.o.s. It is a film autobiography of a fucked up film student and his fucked up family. I found it extremely pretentious. Why should I be interested in essentially someone's home movies? Just because it's filled with angst and drama? Shit. I get that and more every day in reading LJ.

I have figured out what's wrong with my Outlook Express but I am still looking for a way to fix it. It is treating every message as an attachment. That's why the message is blank when I open it. Anybody know what setting I need to change to fix that? I am at an end.

Pretty much all of the furry art I have collected over the past year and a half is now proudly displayed on my walls (including a slightly yiffy Rog Minotaur). Kitty and I ran all over the house moving pictures around until everything fit. You all need to stop by the Bear Den to see my gallery. Have a great week, and to those on the East Coast, snuggle down with a mate or a plushie and ride out the storm. *warm bear hugs*