The Life and Times of a Midwestern Movie Addict

This past weekend was really wonderful after the past several weeks of rush, rush, rush.  I managed to have three packed weekends in a row and a really tight rehearsal period and it really drained me (as you could tell from yesterday's post), but I was slightly rejuvanated by a weekend spent at home with nothing planned aside from some light cooking and a lot of quality time with my cats (who've been feeling ignored and neglected lately). In my convelescence I also managed to do a hefty amount of catching up in my Netflix instant queue which I hadn't watched anything from in several weeks.  One of the films I watched was one I added last summer while I was bored and seeking some sort of diversion.  It was a horror film (because for some reason I like watching horror films in the summer) and based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, so I figured it couldn't possibly be bad.  Was I right?  Let's think of some choice words to give to this story which is uncanny, UNreal, an...

It appears I may be MIA for a few weeks starting now, as I am entering the final two weeks of rehearsals leading up to the senior play and so my free time is likely going to be limited.  I often find that no matter how much I try to prepare for a production week I am never ready for it...no matter what I do.  I know some of it is my own weaknesses.  Contrary to what people may think, I don't spend every waking moment thinking about and planning for my shows (sometimes, I like to just forget about it and lie on the sofa with the TV playing)...which is a contributing factor I'm sure.  I think if I got a few props every weekend and worked on tickets or the program or posters early on in the production, I'd probably enter these two weeks much less stressed.  Its not like I waited till the last minutes either, but I could have been finished sooner.  As it is, we've probably got more props in place than we usually do and a poster and program that just needs print...

Well, I've been off the grid for several days and haven't had much time to watch too many films to evaluate here for you...largely because I was in New York City watching some pretty amazing live theater.  Films are a wonderful expression of storytelling in sight and sound, and yet still there is something about the up-close and personal element of live theater that we still can't quite get away from.  I'm not going to debate which form is better here today...I'll leave that to people who find the debate important enough to harbor a bias...rather I want to discuss one of the shows that I saw while I was in the Big Apple.  It is a show that I have always been curious about and facinated by due to it's outrageous idea and tremendous failure in it's original form.  I doubt that many people aren't familiar with the first novel that Stephen King published under his real name, and even fewer are probably unfamiliar with Brian De Palma's powerhouse film bas...

I have few things to participate in on Valentine's Day...and no, I'm not about to throw a tantrum about it being stupid, condescending to singles, and driven by greeting card and candy companies.  What I mean is, there isn't a lot for the holiday to offer outside of bright decorations, specially packaged candy, and an amplification of awareness that most of the world is single.  We don't get off school for it, because honestly...no one needs a day off work to spend the day with a loved one.  We don't give gifts, unless we have a friend or significant other that we have made agreements with.  We don't even really do parties for it (I mean grown up parties...the little ones kids do in elementary school don't count) because it's become unattractive to be a part of.  Like the Star Wars prequels (or the whole series if you're as tired of it as I am), it is something that is fashionable to hate because many of us are bitter about being alone and having to ...

It's a very common thing to feel like an outcast, especially in a world where fitting in and being a part of a group is seen as so important.  I see students struggling to fit in every day in school and succeeding and failing about equally in this, and I often wonder if it's something that we really can fix?  I mean think about it?  Most stories that we see nowadays aren't about being an individual but about coming to be accepted by the group.  Some would say this is a positive, but isn't that just giving the masses the permission that it's "ok" to accept people into the assimilation machine?  Where are the heartwarming stories about characters who embrace their individuality and shun the group?  They do exist, but not in enough numbers. Too often we see the outcast embraced and assimilated into the group, sacrificing part of themselves in order to make the transition and we cheer for them not because it is good...but because it is what we all secretly wan...

It's hard following the rules sometimes, especially in something as pointless and demeaning as study hall.  I make no secret about disliking the way study hall is being done this year although I can't say it isn't a better alternative than having regular periods around lunch rather than blocks.  You see, in our school, we have a lunch room that is shared with the middle school and thus requires that certain times be used for lunch and never ever changed regardless of two hour delays or schedules that otherwise don't match.  It leaves a large gap in our day where nothing is happening unless there is a class...or a study hall.  In the past we simply had class before and after lunch (6A and 6B) and certain teachers would either be teaching or at lunch depending on whether they had Lunch 1 or Lunch 2.  Now every teacher has a study hall (X or Y) that coinsides with first or second lunch respectively.  Sadly, it is mainly extended babysitting and kid corralling....

Today hasn't quite turned out like I had expected.  I had planned to use the laptop computers with my speech classes today and then have a nice, relaxing 6th and 8th periods while our guidance counselor went over the specifics of scheduling them for their junior year.  However, even the best laid plans can have hiccups.  First, the laptop cart was taken by the technology dept. and so I had to (in a matter or seconds) reschedule my speech class for the library computers...and then my 6th period was less than relaxing because the only way our sophomore guidance counselor could see all of the English classes was to combine my class (which is not exactly stellar) with another teacher's class (which is comprised of a surprising variety of hoodlums) and thus, it was interesting to say the least.  For the first hour it was fairly quiet and respectful, but I could sense the outbreak simmering below the surface.  Then when she passed out the class choice forms...it was l...

When I think back on my youth, there always seemed to be a class, or a guest speaker, or a test that would ask about your favorite superpower.  In trying to understand how student minds work, someone always asks what ability you wish you had that is supernatural (in fact, I've even done this in my own classes).  A lot of people choose telepathy and mind reading, others choose invisibility, and still others like choosing eternal life.  Me, I was much more simple.  I wanted to be able to fly.  I always enjoyed stories of characters who could fly and it always seemed to me to be a much more practical super power than invisibility or eternal life (although telepathy would be pretty awesome).  If I could fly, I could reach destinations faster and cut down on my gas bill...I could reach the top of buildings and mezzanines in a single bound and never worry about stairs or elevators again.  I could even see the world from a completely new perspective.  My...