This week's paper piece
Aaaaaand the director's cut:
"Oh to have been lurking under the desk when this one was being pitched to the Hollywood execs. Might the scene have unfolded like this?
The writer creeps into the enormous boardroom and begins his spiel: 'I'm thinking Keanu Reeves....' – Mr. Burns-type reaches a bony finger towards the button marked "TRAP DOOR" - '.... as a super-sleuth FBI detective who goes undercover to apprehend a gang of uncatchable bank robbers'. The money-man taps the button and the screenwriter disappears through the floor. Hmm, perhaps a different approach was required: How about 'Keanu Reeves as a surfer. Gary Busey as a fat guy. Patrick Swayze as a hairy guy. Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers front-man) as a guy who hops around?' [Dramatic pause] 'SOLD'. And there we have Point Break.
There are those who may attempt to intellectualize this film in order to justify its presence on their top 10 movies of all time list and they are foolish to do. Check out the tag-line: "100% Pure Adrenaline". Anyone who sits down with the DVD expecting their thoughts to be provoked and their synapses to be stimulated is more than a little naive. While there is the suggestion of depth and "message", this is nothing but the quintessential action movie - heavy on visuals and light on meaningful dialogue - NOT Mulholland Drive. And no less than perfect for it.
PB does indeed see a fresh-faced Reeves - in between Bill+Ted movies, perfect timing - as all-star college athlete-turned Federal Agent Johnny Utah (you really can't make this stuff up, although obviously SOMEONE did). He dons a wetsuit and grabs a long-board as he hunt down a gang of rubber mask-wearing wave-riders, calling themselves "The Ex-Presidents", ruthlessly robbing banks and pursuing "the endless summer".
It's simple. It's dumb. You gotta love it.
The surfer-role was one Keanu Reeves was surely born to play. When his character is summoned in to the field office to report on his progress, with the level of dead-pan none but Mr. Reeves is capable of, his response is simply: "I caught my first tube today... sir".
Through his immersion in the hedonistic world of boards and babes Utah finds himself torn between business and pleasure, falling not only for a foxy surf chick - an unnecessary tag-on that perhaps serves to counter all the testosterone on display- but for the life of the adrenaline junkie. He is drawn increasingly closer to his quarry until he's suddenly at the center of the action as a ruggedly studly Bodhi (a post-Ghost Swayze) and his crew take bigger and bigger risks. Supporting characters are disposed of and impossibly cringe-worthy lines are delivered: "Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true." a particularly amusing example.
120 minutes of exhilaration: surfing, skydiving, bank robberies, car chases and Messr Keanu going "Dude, woah, shit!". With all these political movies out Point Break is the perfect antidote; as deep as a puddle, as undemanding as can be and for me, as satisfying and straight-forwardly fun as cinema gets. Maybe I'm too young to say this but, they just don't make 'em like they used to."
Friday, March 24, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
St Patrick's Day Shenanigans
The progression from dusk til dawn.
Guinness Float. Seemed like an ingenius idea at the time but was in fact the ruin of a paerfectly good pint and a perfectly good scoop of ice-cream. Will stick to Guinness-dipped Oreo cookies in future.
Grrls. In Green.
Flashing. Harsh.
Pitchers of green pictures.
Guinness and Oscar. Legend. And not scary.
Different grrls up a tree.
"St. Patrick's Day celebrations end in tragedy: intoxicated Briton falls from tree" Reassuringly not the headline Georgetown is waking up to today. Climbing trees definitely up there with operating heavy machinery and using one's telephone as activities that should only be performed entirely sober.
Guinness Float. Seemed like an ingenius idea at the time but was in fact the ruin of a paerfectly good pint and a perfectly good scoop of ice-cream. Will stick to Guinness-dipped Oreo cookies in future.
Grrls. In Green.
Flashing. Harsh.
Pitchers of green pictures.
Guinness and Oscar. Legend. And not scary.
Different grrls up a tree.
"St. Patrick's Day celebrations end in tragedy: intoxicated Briton falls from tree" Reassuringly not the headline Georgetown is waking up to today. Climbing trees definitely up there with operating heavy machinery and using one's telephone as activities that should only be performed entirely sober.
Friday, March 17, 2006
It may be bullshit but who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory or two? Or even an 81 minute documentary full of 'em.
Check this out: 911 Loose Change
Check this out: 911 Loose Change
Monday, March 06, 2006
Belle+SebastianRule/I Heart B+S/Belle and Sebastian make the world a better place
The gig tonight was a delight.
The New Pornographers are a lotta fun and Carl Newman is an entertaining fella who didn't have a set list tonight and just played songs the crowd shouted at him. I don't know them all that well but plan on picking up their new album sooner or later,
B+S are genuinely one of my favourite things in the entire world. Stuart Murdoch is a funny little man in a funny little band that are truly undislikable (except by Ned Raggett who thinks they suck but he is wrong).
9:30 Club rules and working there is da shit. Free drinks is a wonderful thing, particularly in a place where the prices are exorbitant and you don't get a true pint.
I plan on posting pictures form tonight, as well as from many other gigs, when I am more sober.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
I'm Irish
No, I'm really not. But my claim to Irishness is certainly stronger than that of most people here who, in their brazen mid-West drawl, make such a claim. (And BTW, the statement is very much, "I am Irish" not "I have Irish heritage/roots")
Everyone you meet here is Irish and they attribute an infinite number of different personality traits to that "fact". I've gotten myself in numerous arguments with people about it as I endeavour to persuade them that if they have never known anyone who has known anyone who has known anyone who lived in Ireland, the claim to the Emerald Isle's effect on their character is a somewhat weak one. A pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day does not count! Three pints of the stuff on a Tuesday morning?..... maybe.
I'm reminded of a Have I Got News For You when Paul Merton is trying to wind up Ian Hislop who is refusing to acknowledge his Welshness, despite the fact that he was born there, admantly asserting himself to be English. Paul Merton then says "Fine, if you're English then I'm Swedish!" to which Angus Deayton asks: "Were you born in Sweden?". The reply.... "No, but my furniture does come from there." Okay, so it's not that funny and maybe not even that relevant but to me, your identity is a product of your environment and upbringing and the people in your life. To claim such a strong relationship with a country to which you have never been and from where you know no-one is ridiculous.
It's an interesting attribute and perhaps I shouldn't be irritated by it but, well, I am. Maybe it stems from a lack of American history and the belief that an affiliation with an exotic (ha!) country makes them that much more special. Maybe it's from a general insecurity about being American. And I do get the sense that the American national identity is a fairly insecure one. With national anthem's sung all the goddamn time and stars and stripes everywhere (standing in the middle of the National Mall, at the foot of the Washington Monument, in one 360 degree panorama, me and Chris counted 14 flags and we probably missed a few), like the Subways last night, it strikes me that maybe they're trying too hard. In other words, the more, and more vehemently, someone says something the less convincing it seems.
That probably sounds meaner that it should. I don't think America or Americans have anything to worry about. This is a great country with a lot of great people and with really very little to be worried about. I love it here and have had some awesome experiences that I couldn't have had anywhere else. So I say to y'all yez Yankees, be proud of being American but step away from the shamrock....
Everyone you meet here is Irish and they attribute an infinite number of different personality traits to that "fact". I've gotten myself in numerous arguments with people about it as I endeavour to persuade them that if they have never known anyone who has known anyone who has known anyone who lived in Ireland, the claim to the Emerald Isle's effect on their character is a somewhat weak one. A pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day does not count! Three pints of the stuff on a Tuesday morning?..... maybe.
I'm reminded of a Have I Got News For You when Paul Merton is trying to wind up Ian Hislop who is refusing to acknowledge his Welshness, despite the fact that he was born there, admantly asserting himself to be English. Paul Merton then says "Fine, if you're English then I'm Swedish!" to which Angus Deayton asks: "Were you born in Sweden?". The reply.... "No, but my furniture does come from there." Okay, so it's not that funny and maybe not even that relevant but to me, your identity is a product of your environment and upbringing and the people in your life. To claim such a strong relationship with a country to which you have never been and from where you know no-one is ridiculous.
It's an interesting attribute and perhaps I shouldn't be irritated by it but, well, I am. Maybe it stems from a lack of American history and the belief that an affiliation with an exotic (ha!) country makes them that much more special. Maybe it's from a general insecurity about being American. And I do get the sense that the American national identity is a fairly insecure one. With national anthem's sung all the goddamn time and stars and stripes everywhere (standing in the middle of the National Mall, at the foot of the Washington Monument, in one 360 degree panorama, me and Chris counted 14 flags and we probably missed a few), like the Subways last night, it strikes me that maybe they're trying too hard. In other words, the more, and more vehemently, someone says something the less convincing it seems.
That probably sounds meaner that it should. I don't think America or Americans have anything to worry about. This is a great country with a lot of great people and with really very little to be worried about. I love it here and have had some awesome experiences that I couldn't have had anywhere else. So I say to y'all yez Yankees, be proud of being American but step away from the shamrock....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)