Vampires In Training
It’s 3AM and I’ve finally convinced Rodney to stay up with me.
I’ve always been a nocturnal person. Even when I was a kid, I would adjust to an evening schedule during the summer when I was out of school. My parents always hated it. They would say “But Nathan, you should get your sleep.” I would try to explain, in the best way a child could, that it makes no difference what time you go to bed as long as you get your rest. Even to this day, they make a big deal about it, and I have no idea why. I get the same amount of sleep as everyone else, just at a different time. Oh, well.
One thing I’ve often wondered is whether or not my schedule is internal, or if it is affected by light. Let’s say I went to a different country where my sleeping patterns aligned with their time zone. For example, I usually go to bed at 6AM here. So what if I went somewhere that would make it 10PM when I went to bed? Would I just stick to my regular schedule, or would I once again re-adjust my sleeping patterns to go to bed when it’s 6AM there? I hope that makes sense. It does in my head.
Anyway, I’ve been trying to convince Rodney to stay up with me, and he wouldn’t go for it. He likes to be an early riser. But I’ve finally convinced him, and little by little, he’s been doing it. Tonight, he proudly announced he was going all the way and staying up until 6AM.
He also admitted that it’s really nice being up late. The world is so quiet and peaceful. You get a lot of work done at night. I would say that everybody should try it, but that would defeat the purpose, now wouldn’t it?
Speaking of nocturnal, we just finished watching Twilight for the second time. I love that movie. I can’t put my finger on why. On the outside, it’s just another vampire themed movie, this time geared at younger audiences. But there’s something so dark and romantic about it. I think everybody loves a good vampire story because of the symbolism behind it. The ability to live forever. The mystery of hiding your true identity. And as with all vampire movies, there is the tragic love story between mortal and immortal.
And besides, I think Robert Pattinson is just dreamy. 
Sex and the City Sequel Confirmed
Get your cosmos ready because the Sex and the City sequel has officially been confirmed! Director Michael Patrick King will begin filming this summer in New York City with a planned release date of summer 2010.
What would you like to see happen in the sequel?
My First Love Was the Phantom
I was 10 years old. It was a Friday night and I was staying over at my friend David’s house. With his mother’s supervision, we made pizza with english muffins and sat down to watch a “classic” movie he’d told me about called The Phantom of the Opera.
Filmed in 1925 as a silent motion picture, it told the dark love story of Erik, a disfigured man who lived in a private world underneath a Paris opera house. This “angel of music” secretly gave a young woman named Christine vocal lessons. She was his obedient student until Raoul came along and ruined the whole thing. It’s then that we discover Erik is no angel at all, but instead, a violent and jealous man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Despite his rage and cruely, there is something lovable and pitiful about Erik that you can’t help sympathizing with.
It was a love story that has stayed with me always.
In 1995, I had the great pleasure of seeing the musical version of The Phantom of the Opera in St. Louis. I was moved by the experience. Haunted by it.
I recently learned that Andrew Lloyd Webber has written a sequel, called Phantom: Once Upon Another Time. Fans are pretty upset about it, saying the whole thing sounds ridiculous and will ruin the whole story.
I disagree. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber is smart enough to know this has to be a solid piece. It isn’t as if he’s going to write it haphazardly. I’m sure many revisions will be made before the public sees it and that all details will be carefully considered. It debuts in London in November 2009.
I’m certain the next chapter will find its way to America too, and someday, I look forward to seeing it. Until then, I’ll always have “the music of the night”.
Getting ‘Sex’ Tonight
12 more hours until we meet up with our favorite fag hag to see Sex and the City. I can’t wait!
The reviews have been negative, but you know what they say about sex… even when it’s bad, it’s still good.
Netflix Woes for Nashville
If you’re a customer in the state of Tennessee, and maybe even surrounding states, you might be in for a long wait for your favorite titles on Netflix.
I knew something wasn’t right when I visited my Queue yesterday and noticed that only 3 out of 22 of my chosen DVD’s were available for shipment. In the past, I’ve hardly ever had that happen. Even new releases usually arrive on the day they come out.
Next I tried to e-mail their customer support. Good luck with that, by the way. All you’ll get is a vicious cycle of FAQ pages. Just when you think you’ve found a link to write someone, you end up on yet another FAQ page. I finally gave up and just called them.
The man I talked to was very nice, and pulled up my account.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed. “I’ve never seen that many titles unavailable on one page!”
That’s encouraging. He investigated the matter and found out Nashville just opened a new facility before Christmas. He said that it usually takes them a little while to get everything sorted, so that’s probably why I was running into delays.
I asked him if there was any way to re-route my deliveries to come from Kentucky, where they used to be shipped from. He said there wasn’t, as the system is set-up to deliver from the nearest location.
So if you’re in the Tennessee area, be forewarned that it might be slim pickings for awhile if you’re in a rush to catch a new DVD that’s out. I’ll go ahead and stick it out, though. I’ve been with them for 4 years and always had great results. So I do have faith that they will resolve it.
Sex and the City Movie
The first trailer for Sex and the City is out. I’m really looking forward to seeing it. I miss that show. Those were good times.
Is it too late for a Golden Girls movie?
Putting Me in My Place
Sorry to sound like a scrooge, but I hate movie theaters.
I hate paying $20 for two tickets when I can rent the movie through Netflix if I just wait 6 months.
I hate paying $10 for a watered down soft drink and a stale box of popcorn.
I hate the crowds, the lines, the people talking, the uncomfortable seating, and only having a small divider between me and some stranger for 2 hours.
I hate 30 minutes of previews for movie’s I’ll never go see.
Anyway, Rodney really wanted to go to “Bee Movie” today. Opening day. Can you imagine how many screaming, crying kids will be there? Ugh.
I do want to see the film. I love animation, and I love Jerry Seinfeld. You can’t go wrong. But still… I could wait for the DVD.
So Rodney and I were discussing it, and I was naturally trying to talk him out of it. Rodney usually gives in and caves, but this time, he put me in my place…
Nathan: “I really don’t want to go, especially when it’s just opening.”
Rodney: “Sometimes it isn’t about you.”
Nathan: “I’ll go buy the tickets.”
sweet dreams are made of this…
It’s rare that I post anything about “hot guys” because I’m not one to speak openly about a guy’s attractiveness. There’s nothing wrong with it, but as a person choice, it just feels superficial to speak of a guy based solely on his appearance. People are so much more than that.
But there is one guy I have to talk about after seeing him in a movie this weekend. His name is Derek Magyar and he is much more than just a pretty face. He is a very talented actor, and he’s smoldering with sexuality in the film “Boy Culture“.
I wasn’t even familiar with the film, but it’s actually won a lot of independent film awards and received raving reviews. Derek stars in this story of a hustler who falls in love with his roommate, played by Darryl Stephens (“Noah’s Arc”). Wow, when I typed that out, it sounds like a really lame plot. But trust me on this… “Boy Culture” is a must-see, filled with a very talented cast and very well executed plot and direction.
There are many elements that make a good movie, and I think everything came together in harmony for this one. But Derek is what makes it a winner. If you’ve ever heard the term “makes love to the camera”, Derek has mastered it. His mannerisms and subtle gestures are right on target. When the story calls for vulnerability and emotion, you can feel it just from his eyes.
The only thing I hate is that Derek is a breeder boy off camera. It shouldn’t really matter, right? Acting is acting. But there is something refreshing when an actor actually is gay, especially a hot one. Then you can really imagine him having sex with another guy. Ah, well…
In any case, Derek is about the hottest actor I can think of. It’s not just appearance, it’s the depth of his acting skills that really make him special. Check out “Boy Culture” if you get a chance. It’s on DVD.
Hitchcock Marathon
If you’re a fan of Alfred Hitchcock like I am, prepare yourself for a Hitchcock overload this coming week. Some of his greatest works are going to be playing on AMC, starting this Sunday night!
All times are Eastern:
The Birds
- Mon, Sep 17, 8:00 PM
- Tue, Sep 18, 5:30 PM
Dial M for Murder
- Sun, Sep 16, 10:30 PM
- Mon, Sep 17, 3:15 PM
Family Plot
- Fri, Sep 21, 10:15 PM
Frenzy
- Wed, Sep 19, 10:45 PM
- Thu, Sep 20, 2:15 PM
The Man Who Knew Too Much
- Thu, Sep 20, 7:30 PM
- Fri, Sep 21, 2:45 PM
Marnie
- Wed, Sep 19, 8:00 PM
- Thu, Sep 20, 4:45 PM
Psycho
- Sat, Sep 22, 8:00 PM
- Sun, Sep 23, 8:30 AM
Rear Window
- Sun, Sep 16, 8:00 PM
- Mon, Sep 17, 5:30 PM
Rope
- Mon, Sep 17, 10:30 PM
- Tue, Sep 18, 3:45 PM
Saboteur
- Tue, Sep 18, 10:45 PM
- Wed, Sep 19, 3:00 PM
Torn Curtain
- Thu, Sep 20, 11:00 PM
- Fri, Sep 21, 5:15 PM
The Trouble with Harry
- Fri, Sep 21, 8:00 PM
- Sat, Sep 22, 3:00 PM
Vertigo
- Tue, Sep 18, 8:00 PM
- Wed, Sep 19, 5:15 PM
- Sat, Sep 22, 5:15 PM
- Sun, Sep 23, 1:00 AM
Disturbia: not very disturbing…
It’s rare that I comment on a movie, but I did feel compelled to write about “Disturbia” due to the constant comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic “Rear Window”. The DVD of “Disturbia” came out this past Tuesday.
The basic premise of both stories is that a person is confined to his home and takes up voyeurism to pass the summer days, only to discover that his neighbor might be a murderer. In Hitchcock’s film, this character was a grown adult with a cast on his leg. In this movie, it is a young teen who is on house arrest.
“Disturbia” starts out really strong by opening with a sensitive father-son scene that puts the audience in a vulnerable, sensitive emotional state. It’s all warm and fuzzy, you know. Then we get shocked when the scene takes an unexpected turn of events. I have to give credit because this formula often fails. It worked well in this film.
As we get into the film, the plot does get pretty intense at times, and I did find myself genuinely scared. But I felt the movie fell apart in the final scenes, which are supposed to be the meat of any thriller. I get soooo tired of the same old tricks that film-makers play on audiences.
Have a chase scene with lots of yelling, kicking, and screaming. Break down some doors, shake the camera up, create a lot of quick angles that make your head spin… all to the give the illusion that something wild and scary is happening.
I feel like movies are dumbed down when they do that. Sure, it does give you a quick rush of adrenaline. But that quickly wears off and after the film is over, there isn’t anything of substance left that really makes you afraid to go to sleep at night… other than motion sickness.
So all in all, I felt “Disturbia” was only mediocre. It’s marketed as a film for adults, but I would say it’s better for teenagers. I just feel that most adults will be too sophisticated to fall for the same-old tricks.
