Movies
Different movies mean different things to me. The movie I am watching can be an indication of my mood. This is a list of movies, with their corresponding moods:
War Of The Roses
I first saw this movie with JJ early in our marriage. We laughed all the way through the movie. Afterwards, we both figured that was how we were going to end up one day.
I watch this movie when I am depressed about my relationship. I rented it during unhappy times in my marriage, and I purchased a copy a couple of months ago when the video store was selling off their VHS tapes. I now watch it when JJ is being a jerk. I have also watched it when I was unhappy with FdM.
Every time I watch it, I am amazed by the behaviour of the Roses. How do two people reach that point where they are actually trying to kill each other?
The movie is comforting in a morbid way: someone else is more unhappy than I am.
(FYI) I am watching this movie while I blog tonight.
Shrek / Shrek 2
I love alternate fairy tales. These two were brilliantly done! (Shrek the Third was disappointing)
Sometimes I watch these movies when I want to listen to music. Other times I watch them because I am lonely.
Shrek is lonely. Fiona feels very much alone when she is not true to her feelings. In the end, they are together.
It gives me hope for the future.
The First Wives Club
Three friends getting revenge on their husbands -- all of whom left them for younger women.
I watch this movie when I am thinking about JJ and want to cheer up. It has a happy ending -- and not just for the wives. One of the husbands has a happy ending, too.
I am not a revenge-seeking person. I would never plot, pursue or procure revenge. I do enjoy watching these women pull it off.
In the end, one of the husbands figures out that he made a huge mistake... and his wife takes him back. He was lucky that his wife still loved him and chose to forgive him.
This gives me hope -- hope that JJ will one day figure it out, too. It is too late for him... I will not forgive and take him back. I just want him to figure it out. I'm not looking for revenge... but I will be pleased to know he realized his loss.
I watch this movie when I am thinking about JJ and want to cheer up. It has a happy ending -- and not just for the wives. One of the husbands has a happy ending, too.
Knights Tale
The under-dog overcoming the odds to achieve his goals.
I am not necessarily in a particular mood when I watch this movie. I like the music. I like the story. If I'm in a bad mood, the love story lifts my spirits. If I'm in a good mood, I really connect with William's desire to be more than he is.
And I like to laugh.
Beauty And The Beast
I was touched by this story more than a decade before Disney got hold of it.
I have always been non-conventional. As a teenager, my friends would be mooning over some actor, going on about how cute he was. I couldn't see it. Generally, if others think a guy is particularly good-looking, I find him bland; ordinary. I am more interested in the unique.
I watch this movie (Disney version) when I am bored, or happy. I identify with Belle... the people around me notice that I am different, too. I like that her compassion and humility allow her to get to know the Beast and befriend him. I don't like shallow, narrow-minded people.
This story always makes me feel good.
The Little Mermaid
She gave up so much for the love of a man.
From the first time I saw the Disney version, I hated it. I saw a movie of this story more than a decade earlier, when I was about 8 years old.
This story had a strong effect on me. It is the ruler with which I measure all emotion.
It starts with the little mermaid rescuing the prince after his ship sinks. She falls in love, and sells her voice for a pair of legs. In the end, the prince marries someone else. One of the mermaids sisters sells her long hair to the sea witch for a dagger which she gives to the little mermaid. If she would kill the prince with it, she would become a mermaid again. She stands over the sleeping prince with the dagger in her hand, but she cannot kill him. Instead, she uses the dagger on herself. As she dies, she becomes a mermaid again.
I would cry every time I watched the movie. I would promise myself I would never watch it again. Then, when it was on TV again a few months later, I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from it.
The idea of a love so intense that she would give up so much captivated me. Not only did she give up a magical life as a mermaid to be with him, she took her own life rather than see him die (I never saw it as her committing suicide because she couldn't have him... I always saw it as her not wanting him to die).
If I'm watching Disney's version, then I am in a strange mood. I will watch the movie, then complain about how the story was changed. It lacks the emotional intensity of the original story. I am likely looking for an arguement. Not to be contrary, but to have a lively discussion.
Any Foreign Language Film
I like to rent foreign language movies when I am alone. The kids don't have the patience to read a movie. It is just as well... they usually aren't suitable for children.
I find these movies intellectually stimulating. I usually can't watch the whole thing in one sitting... it requires too much concentration.
What I like about these films is that they are not white-washed Hollywood fairy tales. They don't shy away from showing a little dirt. A body isn't naked to titilate the audience... it is naked because people are usually naked when in that particular situation.
The subject matter of the films is also different. One that stands out in my mind is a Polish film about security personel in the subway. Can you imagine Hollywood filming an entire movie in the subway?
Use of languages also stands out for me. Many European films freely integrate different languages. It is not uncommon to find two or three different languages spoken in a single film. The more I study languages, the more I appreciate this feature. It is a wonderful experience to realize that I suddenly understand the dialogue... even when it is not in English. It encourages me to continue to learn more... and to rent more foreign langage movies.
When I'm watching foreign films, I'm looking for a unique experience. I'm opening up to the varied possibilities in the world. My mind is fully engaged -- both to keep up with reading the dialogue, and to take in and appreciate how it differs from the pablum that Hollywood feeds me.
Star Trek: Voyager Episodes
I have a dozen tapes of Voyager episodes I recorded. Yes, I am a Trekkie. I enjoy Star Trek in all of its forms.
Sometimes I'm watching Voyager because I want to escape to a different time and place. Nothing odd there... isn't that why people watch TV in general?
FdM likes Voyager. It is one of the first things we did together: watch my Voyager tapes. Now, when I am lonely, Voyager is one of the things I like to watch.
If I am watching an episode I have seen with FdM, it reminds me of when we watched it together. If I am watching and episode he has not seen yet, I think about how much he will enjoy it when he does see it.
So, when I watch Star Trek: Voyager, I am with FdM; whether he is here or not.
Teddy Ruxpin
This is a wonderful adventure series. It is non-violent and still manages to be exciting.
I enjoy watching this cartoon with my kids. It is an extended adventure... each series of events is a part of the whole, larger story. The show proves that it is possible to be interesting and exciting without an adult rating.
I sometimes watch this show without my kids. I am attracted to the friendship enjoyed by Teddy and his friends. They are extremely loyal to each other -- which is an attribute I value highly. It is all so simple for them: Help your friends, and tolerate your enemies. It is nice to have things laid out that simply from time to time.
I am usually in a pretty neutral mood when I am the one to put Teddy Ruxpin in the VCR. The simplicity of the Good VS Evil scenario keeps me in a good mood.
Star Wars The original trilogy
I am nostalgic when I watch these movies.
I was 10 years old when I saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977. I grew up anticipating the next episode.
As I watch the movies, it invokes memories of the first time I saw each of them, memories of the speculation surrounding the "teasers" we read in magazines (Han Solo decorates Jabba's palace -- how many ways can we interpret those words?). We used to write our own radio plays about possible sequels and record them.
When I am watching these three movies, I am longing for a simpler time, when my biggest responsibility was getting the potatoes peeled before dad got home from work.
Nostalgia; I had a great childhood. I had some great friends. It is something worth remembering.
21 Jump Street
A TV teen crime drama.
I don't usually go for drama. I am more of an adventure/comedy personality.
I didn't like the show when it was being filmed. I didn't get into it until it was in reruns a few years later. I now own the entire series on DVD.
I have some favourite episodes, and a list of episodes I would rather skip.
When I am depressed about JJ, I like to watch Johnny Depp. He is one of the (very) few "cute" actors that I think is attractive. I will watch any Johnny Depp show when I am depressed about JJ.
It wasn't until I owned the whole series that I realized how good-looking Peter DeLouise was. Not someone my friends would have swooned over, but I find him attractive -- I just had to get to know his character first.
Now that I have the whole series, I find that Peter DeLouise is much more "real" than Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp has the physical beauty, but Peter DeLouise relies more on his personality, and that is a much better measure of his "attractiveness" than how he looks.
Black and White Movies
I have always enjoyed watching old movies. The old black and whites. Even some silent films.
When it comes to Silent Films, it is an intellectual thing. I am interested in the history of entertainment. So, in addition to being entertained, I want to know what people found "entertaining" a century ago. One of my favourites is Metropolis.
Again, it is a simpler time. Most B&W films are older, from a time when people did not feel the need to lock their doors. They did not feel the need to use violence to catch the attention of the audience.
When I am watching B&W movies, I am looking for wholesome entertainment and insight into the values of the past. Or, I want a good laugh (have you ever watched a B&W Sci Fi film?). I guess the biggest draw of the old B&W films is entertainment. Non-violent, simple entertainment that gives me something to think about (the simplicity of times gone by).
I am likely to add titles or genres to this post in the future. If so, it will appear below this paragraph. For now, this will do. I guess it boils down to: I watch shows to be entertained; or to have my mood lifted or reinforced.
Different movies mean different things to me. The movie I am watching can be an indication of my mood. This is a list of movies, with their corresponding moods:
War Of The Roses
I first saw this movie with JJ early in our marriage. We laughed all the way through the movie. Afterwards, we both figured that was how we were going to end up one day.
I watch this movie when I am depressed about my relationship. I rented it during unhappy times in my marriage, and I purchased a copy a couple of months ago when the video store was selling off their VHS tapes. I now watch it when JJ is being a jerk. I have also watched it when I was unhappy with FdM.
Every time I watch it, I am amazed by the behaviour of the Roses. How do two people reach that point where they are actually trying to kill each other?
The movie is comforting in a morbid way: someone else is more unhappy than I am.
(FYI) I am watching this movie while I blog tonight.
Shrek / Shrek 2
I love alternate fairy tales. These two were brilliantly done! (Shrek the Third was disappointing)
Sometimes I watch these movies when I want to listen to music. Other times I watch them because I am lonely.
Shrek is lonely. Fiona feels very much alone when she is not true to her feelings. In the end, they are together.
It gives me hope for the future.
The First Wives Club
Three friends getting revenge on their husbands -- all of whom left them for younger women.
I watch this movie when I am thinking about JJ and want to cheer up. It has a happy ending -- and not just for the wives. One of the husbands has a happy ending, too.
I am not a revenge-seeking person. I would never plot, pursue or procure revenge. I do enjoy watching these women pull it off.
In the end, one of the husbands figures out that he made a huge mistake... and his wife takes him back. He was lucky that his wife still loved him and chose to forgive him.
This gives me hope -- hope that JJ will one day figure it out, too. It is too late for him... I will not forgive and take him back. I just want him to figure it out. I'm not looking for revenge... but I will be pleased to know he realized his loss.
I watch this movie when I am thinking about JJ and want to cheer up. It has a happy ending -- and not just for the wives. One of the husbands has a happy ending, too.
Knights Tale
The under-dog overcoming the odds to achieve his goals.
I am not necessarily in a particular mood when I watch this movie. I like the music. I like the story. If I'm in a bad mood, the love story lifts my spirits. If I'm in a good mood, I really connect with William's desire to be more than he is.
And I like to laugh.
Beauty And The Beast
I was touched by this story more than a decade before Disney got hold of it.
I have always been non-conventional. As a teenager, my friends would be mooning over some actor, going on about how cute he was. I couldn't see it. Generally, if others think a guy is particularly good-looking, I find him bland; ordinary. I am more interested in the unique.
I watch this movie (Disney version) when I am bored, or happy. I identify with Belle... the people around me notice that I am different, too. I like that her compassion and humility allow her to get to know the Beast and befriend him. I don't like shallow, narrow-minded people.
This story always makes me feel good.
The Little Mermaid
She gave up so much for the love of a man.
From the first time I saw the Disney version, I hated it. I saw a movie of this story more than a decade earlier, when I was about 8 years old.
This story had a strong effect on me. It is the ruler with which I measure all emotion.
It starts with the little mermaid rescuing the prince after his ship sinks. She falls in love, and sells her voice for a pair of legs. In the end, the prince marries someone else. One of the mermaids sisters sells her long hair to the sea witch for a dagger which she gives to the little mermaid. If she would kill the prince with it, she would become a mermaid again. She stands over the sleeping prince with the dagger in her hand, but she cannot kill him. Instead, she uses the dagger on herself. As she dies, she becomes a mermaid again.
I would cry every time I watched the movie. I would promise myself I would never watch it again. Then, when it was on TV again a few months later, I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from it.
The idea of a love so intense that she would give up so much captivated me. Not only did she give up a magical life as a mermaid to be with him, she took her own life rather than see him die (I never saw it as her committing suicide because she couldn't have him... I always saw it as her not wanting him to die).
If I'm watching Disney's version, then I am in a strange mood. I will watch the movie, then complain about how the story was changed. It lacks the emotional intensity of the original story. I am likely looking for an arguement. Not to be contrary, but to have a lively discussion.
Any Foreign Language Film
I like to rent foreign language movies when I am alone. The kids don't have the patience to read a movie. It is just as well... they usually aren't suitable for children.
I find these movies intellectually stimulating. I usually can't watch the whole thing in one sitting... it requires too much concentration.
What I like about these films is that they are not white-washed Hollywood fairy tales. They don't shy away from showing a little dirt. A body isn't naked to titilate the audience... it is naked because people are usually naked when in that particular situation.
The subject matter of the films is also different. One that stands out in my mind is a Polish film about security personel in the subway. Can you imagine Hollywood filming an entire movie in the subway?
Use of languages also stands out for me. Many European films freely integrate different languages. It is not uncommon to find two or three different languages spoken in a single film. The more I study languages, the more I appreciate this feature. It is a wonderful experience to realize that I suddenly understand the dialogue... even when it is not in English. It encourages me to continue to learn more... and to rent more foreign langage movies.
When I'm watching foreign films, I'm looking for a unique experience. I'm opening up to the varied possibilities in the world. My mind is fully engaged -- both to keep up with reading the dialogue, and to take in and appreciate how it differs from the pablum that Hollywood feeds me.
Star Trek: Voyager Episodes
I have a dozen tapes of Voyager episodes I recorded. Yes, I am a Trekkie. I enjoy Star Trek in all of its forms.
Sometimes I'm watching Voyager because I want to escape to a different time and place. Nothing odd there... isn't that why people watch TV in general?
FdM likes Voyager. It is one of the first things we did together: watch my Voyager tapes. Now, when I am lonely, Voyager is one of the things I like to watch.
If I am watching an episode I have seen with FdM, it reminds me of when we watched it together. If I am watching and episode he has not seen yet, I think about how much he will enjoy it when he does see it.
So, when I watch Star Trek: Voyager, I am with FdM; whether he is here or not.
Teddy Ruxpin
This is a wonderful adventure series. It is non-violent and still manages to be exciting.
I enjoy watching this cartoon with my kids. It is an extended adventure... each series of events is a part of the whole, larger story. The show proves that it is possible to be interesting and exciting without an adult rating.
I sometimes watch this show without my kids. I am attracted to the friendship enjoyed by Teddy and his friends. They are extremely loyal to each other -- which is an attribute I value highly. It is all so simple for them: Help your friends, and tolerate your enemies. It is nice to have things laid out that simply from time to time.
I am usually in a pretty neutral mood when I am the one to put Teddy Ruxpin in the VCR. The simplicity of the Good VS Evil scenario keeps me in a good mood.
Star Wars The original trilogy
I am nostalgic when I watch these movies.
I was 10 years old when I saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977. I grew up anticipating the next episode.
As I watch the movies, it invokes memories of the first time I saw each of them, memories of the speculation surrounding the "teasers" we read in magazines (Han Solo decorates Jabba's palace -- how many ways can we interpret those words?). We used to write our own radio plays about possible sequels and record them.
When I am watching these three movies, I am longing for a simpler time, when my biggest responsibility was getting the potatoes peeled before dad got home from work.
Nostalgia; I had a great childhood. I had some great friends. It is something worth remembering.
21 Jump Street
A TV teen crime drama.
I don't usually go for drama. I am more of an adventure/comedy personality.
I didn't like the show when it was being filmed. I didn't get into it until it was in reruns a few years later. I now own the entire series on DVD.
I have some favourite episodes, and a list of episodes I would rather skip.
When I am depressed about JJ, I like to watch Johnny Depp. He is one of the (very) few "cute" actors that I think is attractive. I will watch any Johnny Depp show when I am depressed about JJ.
It wasn't until I owned the whole series that I realized how good-looking Peter DeLouise was. Not someone my friends would have swooned over, but I find him attractive -- I just had to get to know his character first.
Now that I have the whole series, I find that Peter DeLouise is much more "real" than Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp has the physical beauty, but Peter DeLouise relies more on his personality, and that is a much better measure of his "attractiveness" than how he looks.
Black and White Movies
I have always enjoyed watching old movies. The old black and whites. Even some silent films.
When it comes to Silent Films, it is an intellectual thing. I am interested in the history of entertainment. So, in addition to being entertained, I want to know what people found "entertaining" a century ago. One of my favourites is Metropolis.
Again, it is a simpler time. Most B&W films are older, from a time when people did not feel the need to lock their doors. They did not feel the need to use violence to catch the attention of the audience.
When I am watching B&W movies, I am looking for wholesome entertainment and insight into the values of the past. Or, I want a good laugh (have you ever watched a B&W Sci Fi film?). I guess the biggest draw of the old B&W films is entertainment. Non-violent, simple entertainment that gives me something to think about (the simplicity of times gone by).
I am likely to add titles or genres to this post in the future. If so, it will appear below this paragraph. For now, this will do. I guess it boils down to: I watch shows to be entertained; or to have my mood lifted or reinforced.
posted by Tempeste at Saturday, October 27, 2007
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