Wanted, Credits, and Fish

Well, I've just (wait, no, that was an hour ago now...my goodness, where DOES the time GO?) gotten back from seeing Wanted. I know I've been talking about movies a lot lately, but I've been going to the movies a lot lately. I used to go all the time back in high school, but have gone less and less over the years. But it's something that I really enjoy, and I just remembered how much I enjoy it, this summer. I went to see Iron Man and suddenly: "Oh yeah, that's really fun. I should do that more often." And, ok, I go by myself most of the time, but at least I'm getting out of the basement (or the "batcave" as I call it).

Anyway, back to Wanted. It was pretty much as I expected: violence packed with little else in the way of storytelling. Sure, there was some plot in there somewhere, and squeezed between the shots of guys getting their heads blown off was the occasional emotional scene between characters. Still, it's really just an excuse to watch things blow up and people attempt to kill each other, all so that we can further numb ourselves to an already hyper-violent world. Gosh that was bleak. I'll try not to be so jaded.

Actually, I had fun watching this movie. There was even a twist that I didn't see coming, which is rare in films like this. Mostly I just wanted to veg out and eat popcorn (why is cinema popcorn so much better than any I make at home?).

One thing that did stand out was the score. It was phenomenal! I actually took a mental break from the carnage for a bit to think, "OK, I've got to remember to look this up on iTunes when I get back, 'cause this is seriously good stuff." And so it came as no surprise when I saw in the credits (I always stay to watch the credits, something that is getting harder and harder to do. So many theaters try to shove you out the door as soon as the movie is over, and most people give in to the looming staff, armed with brooms and dustpans. Almost every time I've gone to the movies in the past month, I have been the last person to leave the theater, and the workers all scowl and sigh and bang their brooms around impatiently, but I am very stubborn. Especially if it's a movie I enjoyed, I like to stay and watch the credits. I even read them. Not every single one, of course, that would be impossible. And it's not like I remember all the credits that I do read, but I like to acknowledge, even for the briefest of moments, the people who put such hard work into something that I liked. There are certain things I always look for, like the assistants: it's interesting to me to see which stars had an assistant during the movie. Some even have two. And then I try to think, well, is so-and-so really a bigger star than what's-er-name? Why then did s/he get an assistant while asexual amoeba did not? Wow, this is the diversion to end all diversions. I've completely forgotten where this sentence was going before the interruption. Might be best just to start again.)

Danny Elfman was the composer for Wanted. Of course, I said to myself, it was music I thought was really good, so NATURALLY it was composed by Danny Elfman. For those of you who don't know, D.E. wrote music for The Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spider-man 1 and 2, Mission: Impossible, Edward Scissorhands, Batman (with Michael Keaton), and many many more.

The man is incredible.

Why does this remind me that there's a video I was making that needs finishing? I have promised to post it for a couple weeks now, and it still isn't finished. GAH!

Next time, I promise. I hope. See, the problem is that making these videos is very time-consuming. I mean, it's fun, don't get me wrong. If it wasn't, I wouldn't do it. BUT (big 'but' here) it takes FOREVER. Especially when you're such a perfectionist like I am. I have to search endlessly for the exact-right-clip to go with this section of the music which is usually only seconds long! And while searching through the episodes for the exact-right-clip I will sometimes get caught up in watching the episode. Working with good material can get you in trouble that way, especially since these episodes all have such compelling stories...

No. I will fish. Er, I mean, 'finish'. Small typo, but I thought it looked funny, so I left it. Clearly a sign that I need to stop blogging now.

Good night all,
Jules