I'm watching Death Becomes Her right now and I don't know why I've never watched this movie before. I like it.

I've solved the riddle - I'm watching the Watchmen.

... on TNT, even though I have the extended bluray.

Even after reading the 'graphic novel' I still love the movie.

Just watched Taxi Driver - I think I'm gonna have to watch some more 70's movies now when I'm on my Christmas break, haha.

Also - if anyone would like to suggest things I could touch on from Taxi Driver (as it relates to 70's American Culture) please feel free to do so (in fact I encourage it) since I'm Canadian and might not think of some things that you guys might?

(Things like the Vietnam war, etc.)

Vietnam manifests itself in a variety of ways. Besides Travis' alleged history as a Green Beret, there's the soundtrack, which adopts a sort of militaristic drumbeat whenever he's about to commit violence. As well, the mohawk is an homage to soldiers who would get the same hairstyle.

New York in the 70's, particularly the Times Square area, was very intellectually void, on a cultural level. You can see it in everything from the television Travis watches (soap operas and American Bandstand) to the frequency of porn theaters. As well, one of the cabbies (played by Harry Northup, I forget the character's name tho) brags proudly of his ownership of one of Errol Flynn's bathtub tiles. I don't know what it means, but Travis' feelings toward that show more continued frustration with the absolute cultural wasteland surrounding him.

Ennui is a key component of his violent nature. Originally, Paul Schrader wanted Vietnam to be a red herring, to imply that Travis actually didn't serve. He was sort of MAD when De Niro and Scorsese decided to really implement that stuff, because he wanted it to be the ennui. In the process of writing it, he was in a very lonely state, isolated from the world in his girlfriend's apartment. Knowing that, those scenes of Travis in the apartment gain new power. They already show how incapable he is of meaningful connection.

As with most Scorsese films, any social commentary is hidden in what is a very small, character-based narrative. You could argue the media's lionizing of him in the wake of the shootout is meant to be commentary, but I (along with a good deal of people) think that it's a sort of subjective embellishment, like a lot of the movie is. You're basically seeing the world through Travis' eyes (the only scenes not from his perspective are the scene of Sport and Iris, and Tom and Betsy -- basically the two women in his life and the only men he sees them with) so making any actual social judgments from its portrayal of the times may be faulty. Guess that doesn't help too much!

Captain Phillips. VERY good!

I watched Pee-Wee's Big Adventure because it was on and I needed to kill time while waiting for my laundry to get done (and I love the movie).

Francis is/was so strangleable.

Movie 43 - it was terrible except for its first scene/skit

The Perks of being a Wallflower - very good. the social awkwardness felt tangible

Man on a Ledge - good enough to entertain when bored I suppose!

I refuse to acknowledge November so I watched Lords of Salem and an amazing Chiller movie called Rise of the Dead. Rise of the Dead contained zero zombies, and ended with the mother of a shitty dead demon baby fucking said demon baby out of her boyfriend, as it had possessed him. She then got pregnant again with the shitty baby. Might be the worst thing I've ever seen.

Lords of Salem was kind of cool. It could have done with a less lazy story and it kind of went off the rails at the end (but not so far off that incestuous demon baby fucking was brought in) but some of the visuals were disturbing and neat.

I watched VHS 2 last night. Anyone seen either? Some pretty good segments in this one. All were well made

Side Effects. Really good movie. I had heard really little about it, but it surprised me. Great twists throughout. WATCH IT!

Bad Grandpa - good for some laughs.

This Is The End

:lol:

Loved that movie. Danny McBride rules.

Curtis @ 2/11/2013 6:25

Side Effects. Really good movie. I had heard really little about it, but it surprised me. Great twists throughout. WATCH IT!

I guess I will. solid recommendations mah good ol' ginger pal! captain phillips, this is the end, and side effects it is!