Monthly Archive for August, 2005
Imagine the ugliest person (physically) that you know. Now, multiply it by a thousand. Now, drive a truck over it about five times. You’ve got a pretty messed up person at this point, but your still nowhere near the uglinest of the Elephant Man as depicted in David Lynch’s film by the same name.
This tale of the world’s most deformed Englishman is a straightforward parable, frighteningly straightforward for David Lynch, who has managed to turn many a simple story into a hellish acid trip.
I say parable, because the Elephant Man’s deformity and plight has applicability to any number of physical and mental disabilities. It’s also a lesson about human motivation and how charitable we really are when we are acting charitable.
Overall, a rather slow, but not uninteresting black and white film — made in 1980, mind you!
I just collected and went through 8 semesters worth of CDRs and DVDs containing shit varying from completed class projects to snippets of group projects to MP3 archives to half a dozen portfolio revisions. Unlabeled mix CDs, episodes of television shows, various software installers, iPhoto backups and even the entire series (so far) of Venture Bros. I even found a CD with all of the 2004 presidential debates and speeches.
I suppose I’ll never again have such a varied collection of digital clutter.
Michelle and I visited local natural wonder Smith Rock for a several-hour adventure. Basically it’s a 2 or 3 mile loop around very large rocks. The first half requires climbing up several dozen very steep switchbacks to get to the top of one of the rocks. The second half is a long, hot walk around other big rocks.
Smith Rock draws a large number of mountain climbers. There were probably between 30 to 40 people clambering up the sheer rock walls as we walked around the place.
As with our usual adventures, the pictures really tell the whole story. So check them out.
Perchanced to watch “Gaslight” the other day. Finally, not a Hitchcock movie. But similar. It is a murder mystery of sorts, about a woman whose husband is slowly convincing her that she is going mad. But why? What motive would he have to marry a woman simply to drive her into a home? Well, you’ll just have to check it out for yourself.
I know most of you won’t, but if there’s one thing you could do for yourself this week it is rent and watch a movie that wasn’t made in the last 50 years. Some people seem to think that anything in black and white can’t be good.
I happen to think black and white movies are great. That’s why people continue to make them, even into the era where color is ubiquitous in film. “Young Frankenstein.” “Schindler’s List.” “Pi.” “Sin City.” (Kind of counts.) The list goes on, I’m certain. So go rent a black and white movie. Now.
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