RandomCha

Irma Vep [1996]

1. Dropping the necklace from the rooftop in the rain.
2. When Maggie Cheung is sneaking around in the costume, you can hear the rubbery sound of it squishing together. That would be dubbed out in a Hollywood movie.
3. The Altmanesque feel of the dinner party, everyone gathered around the table talking at once.

We picked up Andy’s dad from Megabus last evening and then walked east to the Exchequer, where a large deep dish with pepperoni and black olives was joyfully consumed. We got home just as it started to rain. No worries. Then we sat around and chatted for awhile, and I played the recording of “Jingle Bells” by Fred Waring that officially launches Christmas. Our tree glowing in the corner looked lovely.

Today we have a long day of eating and lounging planned, beginning with Andy making homemade biscuits and me making an enormous pot of coffee. Andy’s dad brought the game Acquire for us to play (which we did last Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed). We’re certain to watch a few movies too. The wind is whipping around outside and rattling all the storm windows. I’m very happy to stay inside. 

Happy Christmas Eve-Eve everyone!

Someone who bought 100SP at the Renegade has written it up in a blog. Whereby I discover an interesting bit of trivia: there’s a copy on eBay going for $19.99.

It’s macabre of me to be reading The Collected Stories of Patricia Highsmith during Christmastime, but I am. And I’m loving it. They’ve all been pretty great so far but two in particular have really blown me away. “One For the Islands” and “The Terrors of Basket-Weaving.” It’d be dull of me to describe their plots. What it boils down to is that they’re both quite short and concrete yet mysterious. That’s so hard to do well. Alberto Moravia manages to do the same things in The Fetish. The Highsmith stories are melancholy, but it’s a sort of chaotic melancholia. A disruption of identity. 

One day you look around you and you don’t know how to relate to the familiar objects and people that have surrounded you for so long. Is there anything scarier than that? I think it’s even more frightening than being forced to confront the unknown. Because it’s the known becoming the unknown. One of the things that affects me strongly when it comes to Cronenberg and his stuff. I read that his first novel will be published next year.

Christmas Vacation [1989]

1. Clark watching the old home movies in the attic. I couldn’t help it: lump in the throat.
2. The eggnog mugs with moose antlers.
3. Mae Questel’s fabulous Christmas outfit. I love it! So stylish, so hip! What a hat!

Head [1968]

1. Wow, this movie really was rated G. Despite lots ofvintage Vietnam war footage, including several repetitions of an onscreen execution. 
2. I think arguably my favorite song is “As We Go Along.” The schmaltzy montage of everyone wandering through idyllic pastoral locations actually works.
3. “I’d like a glass of cold gravy with a hair in it, please.”

Good gravy. My boss went on vacation today and will be out of the office until January 2nd. Beforehand he had a meeting with our offfice manager, outlining a total of three top-to-bottom system/workflow overhauls that he’d like us to start working on RIGHT NOW. Yeah. Right now. Now that’s he’s out of the office. Sure, whatever. 

I know you’re all tired of hearing this but once again I am reminded that I need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. 

OK, I shall now try to soothe my soul by listening to Dean Martin croon “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.”

Andy is done with school for the year! Hooray! No one could be happier, except perhaps Andy himself. I’m so proud of him for sticking it out. I know firsthand how excrutiating this last month was. 

This weekend we celebrated with many martinis and, Friday night, a delivery from Art of Pizza. Thankfully they seemed to have solved their delivery problems and we received our large deep-dish pepperoni/black olive pizza in less than an hour. It was better than sex.

Yesterday we wrote every single one of our Xmas cards, as per usual listening to Xmas music all the while. It seemed to take less time this year. Not sure why. I mailed them all this morning so hopefully they’ll get to their destinations in time. Though I’m not holding my breath. It’s been TWO WEEKS and we’ve yet to receive our newest batch of greencine DVDs, and there are also a few packages I’m expecting that haven’t gotten here yet. USPS in Chicago is just plain terrible.  

Tonight I’ll be seeing Bird Ate My Donut @ Subterranean with Joey, with a little cocktail beforehand at the Violet Hour. Trying to convince Andy to go see I Am Legend tomorrow. Guilty pleasure time. So sue me.