Tuesday, November 06, 2007

And I didn't even have popcorn...

As mom pointed out, it’s no longer Friday – which I think was a nice way of saying, “update your blog already!” Hey, I do a better job than SOME people… (Nick and Cindy, I’m lookin’ at you… :))

So I made the mistake of watching the last little bit of “United 93” on HBO this weekend. I have, up until this point, successfully avoided every movie made about September 11 – but it was almost over, and whatever was on next apparently interested me, so I thought, “eh, I’ll just catch the last few minutes…” And of course it’s the LAST FEW MINUTES that are the worst, because the movie ends with the passengers storming the flight deck and the image of a green field filling the windows as the plane spirals toward the ground. All this movie did was remind me that I am STILL completely unable to watch any sort of 9/11 stories without dissolving into sad tears. And I NEVER cry over movies… but I have immense problems with watching the final moments of crashing planes, or even the ASSUMED final moments of the people on flight 93. There’s that part of your brain that KNOWS when something is “just a movie” or when it’s real – and I still have a problem with the 9/11 movies because they’re too real…

Isn’t it weird how prolific technology has become – to the point that terrible disasters can be watched live, in vibrant color, on everyone’s television sets? September 11 was horrible enough, but what made it even worse was the live news coverage. There are so many cameras out there now – even on cell phones – that someone not only “accidentally” caught footage of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center, but the second plane was recorded from every conceivable angle possible thanks to all the news cameras in the city being on the scene. That’s probably why it’s so much harder for me to watch a movie about it now – because I SAW it happening in real time. I KNOW it was real. Whereas I can watch, say, “Titanic,” and not be quite as dismayed by the images. I mean, the Titanic disaster was definitely real – but no one was there to film it and replay it over and over again. I wasn’t watching that ship sink as it was happening… so it’s easier to feel more removed from it…

Fortunately, my brief depressing movie-viewing was countered by a couple really funny movies. Rick and I watched “Knocked Up” and “Meet the Robinsons” this weekend. Two very different movies, yet both were hilarious. If you’re under the age of, oh, I’ll say forty-five, and haven’t seen Knocked Up yet, you have to see it. (Or if you’re OVER the age of forty-five and don’t mind a movie with bad language, rampant drug use, and a reminder that forty-five year olds aren’t automatically admitted to the “cool” night clubs anymore, you should also check it out… :)) And Meet the Robinsons was great – I think I liked it more than Rick did, because there were a few parts where I was laughing hysterically and Rick was staring at me with a look of confusion on his face. Okay, so maybe not everyone will appreciate the humor as much as I did. But it’s a REALLY funny movie, and appropriate for all ages… under forty-five, over forty-five, whatever…

Well, I should go add some steps to my pedometer… I had over 18,000 steps yesterday – it was a good walking day. But I have yet to hit 2000 today… I’d better get moving…

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I did enjoy both movies, but didn't get some things and didn't find some things as funny as you did... but that's ok. Everyone has a different sense of humor. I LOVE the Family Guy. It's just about the funniest show I've seen, but you definitely have to have a quirky sense of humor to enjoy it!