Love my sister

As I trudge away here in the Big Apple, my sister is in Salt Lake workin' hard. She recently got promoted and is learning more and getting lots more responsibility. I think she's amazing, her bosses think she's amazing, and so does everyone else. She rocks and works harder than anyone I know. I just want her to know that I'm proud of her and, for how much she hates things changing, she's doing really great so far. And that I miss living with her.

October Weather Perfection..for now

With it snowing in Utah, I thought I would tell everyone how beautiful it's been here in the Big Apple the past couple of days. I would dare say it's even been perfect. I mean, it's the beginning of October and it's so nice outside that I don't even need a jacket or a light sweater. It's just so nice to walk around in the city when the weather is perfect like this. It almost makes me forget how miserable the summer was with the heat and humidity and constant moistness and wetness of my clothes. I want it to be this way forever. But before long it will be cold and miserable. And I'll be longing for summer again. How is it that my memory can be so forgetful and selective? I've probably just jinxed it now by talking about it, so if you all could knock on some wood after reading this, that would be great.

Take the Cannoli: Part II

I'm just gonna put it out there: I didn't like Part II, and it was not better than the first. Maybe the expectations were too high, but when everyone from critics to regular ol' movie lovers say it's better than the first one, I had reason to have high expectations. And yes, I've suffered from the too-much-expectation-that-can-never-be-lived-up-to before, but let's not forget that I went into The Godfather with those sames expectations and came out of it being amazed and wowed beyond what I even thought possible. How could this one have fared so miserably beside its counterpart? How could I have been waiting for it to end, shuffled in my seat numerous times, almost fell asleep, let my mind drift to thoughts of my lost barrette?

First off, it was excruciatingly long. It started at 8:40, had a fifteen minute intermission (at which point I was told the first half was just set up for the amazing second half and I said, "Two and a half hours of set-up?! It better be a darn good pay off!" It wasn't.), and ended at 12:20. I can handle long movies, as long as I'm not feeling every minute of it. I felt every second of Part II.


I kept waiting for something to happen. Something as amazing as Don Corleone being gunned down in the street, Michael going to the hospital, Sonny and his curly hair, Michael coming out of the bathroom, Connie and Carlo fighting, Sonny getting gunned down on the road. But nothing but a lot of talking, and more talking, and positioning, and an occasional scene of excitement, followed by more talking. I waited four hours for something to make me as excited, scared, on-edge, nervous, awed as I was by The Godfather. It never happened.

I get what the story's doing in Part II--the whole paralleling of Vito and Michael and how the power corrupts Michael into destroying both his families while Vito kept the family intact--but it just wasn't compelling enough for me. Plus confusing editing and a score that was loud and in-your-face and a distraction. And no emotional core, no great arc. Maybe I just want something more than the subtleties of power corrupting one man. Like some shoot-outs, some blood, some excitement, moments that make me gasp out loud.

But Robert De Niro as the young Vito Corleone was a revelation. His flashback scenes were beautifully photographed and had depth. Man, was he young!
My, "Eh, Part II, I could take it or leave it," look after the movie.

Take the Cannoli

On Friday night I did the coolest thing I've ever done in the city. I talked Marky Mark and Maria into going to Film Forum with me to see The Godfather. I was a film major, so you can see why this would be such a momentous occasion for me. I've heard the talk about it being a classic, a masterpiece, a must see, and I was a little bit afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations (as is the case with most every thing that I get super-excited for).


It was amazing! I don't know how I made it thru school as a film major having never seen it! It truly is a classic. The cinematography! The editing! The direction! The acting (Al Pacino, James Caan--I didn't realize it was them til halfway thru the picture, and didn't realize it was Diane Keaton til the credits rolled!)! The music! Everything was perfect.

And to get to experience it for the first time not on a tv by myself sitting on my couch but in a picture-house with a full audience! One of my dreams is to build a time machine (or use someone else's) and get to travel back to experience Star Wars and other great classics for the first time on the big screen. I can't believe that I got to experience that with The Godfather!

Do you know how many classic quotes have come from this picture? "Leave the gun, take the cannolis", "Take it to the mattresses", "I made him an offer he couldn't refuse", "Sleep with the fishes". Plus classic scenes and sequences--the opening wedding sequence, Don Corleone with the cat, Michael coming out of the restaurant bathroom, the horses head in the bed, the christening scene. It's just an amazing picture (back in the day they used to call movies pictures; I think it's kinda cool).

I had a film teacher once who said that a good film is marked by at least three great scenes and no bad ones; this film has not one bad scene. This film was made in 1972 and it's ten times better than a lot of stuff that comes out now with supposedly better technology. I love that it was shot on film, that the scenes don't look perfectly lighted and slick, and that the blood and gore looks tame (and that's a good thing) when compared with The Departed and other recent gangster films. I could go on an on about this film and how amazing it is, but will stop film-nerding out and say that it has changed my entire outlook on movies, and will direct you to Roger Ebert's review, because he has a way of explaining things better than me, especially about the cinematography and actors and is a film critic I truly respect.


I clapped at the end of the movie. It was such an amazing experience that I can't wait to get to see Part II later this week. I hear it's better than the first one...

Day Four

And the elevator is fixed!! I got home tonight after seeing The Godfather (which I will write about extensively later when it's not time for me to go to bed) at Film Forum and was pleasantly surprised to not have to walk up the stairs.


Later that day that I took this picture the 2 had been written over with a 3 with a black marker.

Day Three

Bad news on Day Three: the elevator's gonna be out of commission for another day. I guess there were more repairs needed than they originally thought. What's that saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Day Two

So Day Two really wasn't that bad. In fact, it was a lot like Day One--just one trek up the six flights of stairs. Wednesday's are really busy days for me. I leave the house at 9:30 (or so, it usually ends up being around 9:45) headed downtown to work for the Tribeca Film Institute. From there I leave straight for the Crew around 5:30, where I work until 10:30/11:00, followed by a train ride home. Sometimes that takes an hour and sometimes it takes thirty-five minutes, you just never know. And yeah, it's nice to be able to ride the elevator up, but I guess the stairs aren't that bad. It's not like exercise or using your heart is a bad thing.