Posted May 15th, 2012
Filed Under I just spent half an hour recounting all my results posts. And they revealed a terrible secret.
It’s only Week #19.
I thought it was Week #20. I really did. I’m only one week off… but it mattered so much.
Here’s how Tony Scott put my thoughts in a chokehold this week.
This nineteenth week.
May 6, 2012
7:07pm EST – Somebody at work used the word “clear.” Thought of “Ice, fire or clear.”
7:15pm EST – A weird flashback cluster of “Mighty Wings,” Iceman, and “call the ball” hit in the span of a few seconds.
May 7, 2012
12:55pm EST – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” stuck in head after watching my beatbox vid.
3:00pm EST – In a happy mood. YLTLF stuck in head.
3:17pm EST - YTLF has been phasing in and out since 3. Been humming it. Hearing lyrics. Ridiculous.
4:13pm EST - Little pieces of YLTLF consistently swirling into my thoughts since 3.
4:45pm EST – I have woven YLTLF into the fabric of my thoughts. It perfectly conveys the blend of happiness and sadness that I’m feeling. I don’t want to talk about it. I have to talk about it, don’t I? I knew this would happen.
Here’s a picture of Elisha Cuthbert. Forget what I was talking about.
5:16pm EST – YLTLF string section stuck in head.
5:47pm EST – YLTLF string section.
11:45pm EST – Made a really complicated stupid metaphor about relationships being like leaving your wingman and then shooting at him. Blah, Top Gun.
May 8, 2012
12:10am EST - Stroked lip like Viper during relationship argument. Thought of Viper.
8:29am EST - “Top Gun Anthem” stuck in head waking up.
9:01am EST - Thought of Becca‘s shyness again and heard Viper say “confidence problem” yet again.
Doesn’t she make you want to stroke your lip?
1:55pm EST – Thought of my high school drama teacher mocking the terrible teenage dialogue in The Goonies. Thought of “Buttnose!” being shouted in the locker room scene in Top Gun.
11:13pm EST – Heard “clear” at work and heard “Ice, fire or clear” again.
May 9, 2012
8:00ish in the morning EST - Woke up, tried to think of a movie to watch for a date. Thought Top Gun, didn’t think that counted as a result, brain looped “listening to the radio” 10 times to punish me.
May 10, 2012
10:24pm EST – Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Data’s Day.” Data said “the need for friendship.” Thought of “the need for speed.”
“Captain, I am experiencing a severe lack of velocity.”
May 11, 2012
2:57pm EST – Stupid “into the night” song from the bar scene stuck in head. [It's "Hot Summer Nights" by Miami Sound Machine.]
May 12, 2012
12:33am EST - “Lead Me On” stuck in head right before falling asleep.
9:02am EST - LMO stuck in head immediately after waking up, probably trying to remind me to put the last entry in my notebook.
11:05am EST – LMO stuck in head while writing shopping list.
12:52pm EST - Shopping. Thought song in store was in Top Gun. Wasn’t. Got some song from Top Gun stuck in head anyway. Don’t know what it is. “Feelin’ inside?” Some hair ballad shit. [I believe it's "Heaven in Your Eyes" by Loverboy.]
–END OF NOTES–
So, yeah… kind of an emotional week. And I’ve learned that when I’m getting emotional, the Top Gun mental blocks fall apart. Which hilariously leads to a dramatic Bill suddenly thinking of Tom Skerritt and cutting his argument short to scribble in a notebook. Usually swearing and saying, “We’re not done here yet!”
Anyway, the stuff I didn’t want to talk about will mostly stay that way. Becca and I are sort of… courting someone. Stay tuned. It’s a complicated but wonderful time.
Hey, how about my goofy brain? I really did fall asleep thinking of “Lead Me On,” but was way too tired to dig out the notebook. So I told myself not to forget over and over again, and sure enough, I woke up hearing the song. I completely forgot to jot down the result from last night, but the song was there. And it triggered an action.
So… neat.
WHEN: 9:30pm EST, May 12th, 2012
WHERE: In my room in my apartment in Portland, ME (Alderaan)
FORMAT: DVD on a Phillips 20something″ CRT TV
COMPANY: None
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Feeling a bit off. Had a headache all day. Quite tired.
PROBLEM:
Nothing new to think about. I cannot think of anything new to think about. I keep telling myself that If I just keep watching the movie, something new will jump out at me. But it doesn’t. I am thinking about things like the particular shade of brown that Rob’s chair is. Besides this sort of mundane observation, every thought I have is just a repetition of the same old thoughts I’ve been having for months now. Kevin Banister looks like Gary Sandy. I thought that my second or third time through. I have thought it every time since then.
The charger on Jack Black’s shirt looked like a sandwich for a couple of seconds, but it is only because my eyes are not focusing correctly. Barry still makes me smile. Even this thought is nothing new.
With the exception of the most inane details, there is nothing about this viewing to distinguish it from viewings past. I don’t think I have noticed anything new, or different. All thoughts and observations have been made before. It isn’t as though I have thought all there is to think, or said all there is to say about this movie, it is just that I am not in a frame of mind to think those new and different thoughts. I don’t know how to get into a better frame of mind.
Like nails on a chalkboard. I want to think about something else.
My attention keeps being drawn to other things, I have to wrench it back to the movie. I want this to be over so badly.
Perhaps I can just chalk this one up to not feeling well, but I am not so sure. Perhaps the 20th time I watch High Fidelity this year, things will be better…
WHEN: 6:04pm EST, May 10th, 2012
WHERE: My apartment in Portland, ME (Isla Nublar)
FORMAT: Blu-Ray on a Vizio 32″ LED HDTV
COMPANY: Still nobody. Again.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Just had a great lunch date, then some time with Becca, stomach suddenly hurts like hell, wondering if the gyro from the lunch date is to blame.
REACTIONS OF NOTE:
- Ow.
- Owwwww.
- Ow.
- I just noticed the continuity error on Charlie’s note. The paper has been printed on in a wide shot and is blank in the close-up.
- Ow!
- Oww.
- FUCK. Paused at 7:11pm EST for an unspeakably necessary bathroom break. I hate pausing. Hate it. Resumed film at 7:32pm EST.
- Ow?
THOUGHTS:
So… this sucked.
I was having a great day and felt perfectly fine. I suddenly decide to watch Top Gun and OWWWW. Yeah, I blamed the movie. It’s irrational. Don’t care. And when the movie was over, felt okay again. Coincidence? Yes.
My superfan cancelled again. I’m glad, because I just would have sat there groaning. But Top Gun alone still sucks.
Okay, as you can see, not many notes this entry. I was in too much pain to really focus. Sorry. But here’s a thing: I think I found a way to stop “Mighty Wings” from getting stuck in my head when the movie ends.
That double T-spin was hell.
Yeah, no song, now matter how sticky, stands a chance against the Tetris theme. This shall be my new post-viewing ritual.
WHEN: Started at 9:11am on Thursday, May 10th.
WHERE: At my apartment, commonly known as Alderaan, in Portland, ME.
FORMAT: Blu-Ray on a Vizio 47″ LCD HDTV
COMPANY: Elliot watched for the first half hour while he had his morning oatmeal before work.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Oh, crappy. I called in sick to work and I knew that the very first thing I would have to do with my sick day is watch Spider-Man 3 before I could start having fun being very sick!
REACTIONS OF NOTE:
- Flint Marko just shoved a pile of returned letters underneath his daughter’s pillow and this has brought me to ask a very real, very serious question: Do inmates have access to computers? Could Flint Marko just have sent him daughter an email? I feel like this is 2007 and we should be able to technologically move past the “lost letter or returned letters” cliche now but we simply cannot until inmates can send emails. (EDIT: The quick Google search I made after my rant informs me that yes, they can. So seriously, Movie People, let’s move past this cliche.)
- Also while we are on the subject of things-I-find-it-hard-to-believe-about-Flint-Marko, were the cops really so far behind when they were chasing him that he had time to de-molecularize? I feel like it should take a lot longer! (EDIT: My quick Google search for “How long does it take to de-molecularize” did not provide an answer as swiftly as my previous inquiry because we do not live in the future.)
- Here I am, getting restless. I am at the exact one hour mark and I can’t believe Peter is *JUST* getting to Chez La Bruce.
- So after killing the Sandman, Peter changes into his normal clothes and walks around a bit in them. This is the scene where he looks at his reflection and fixes his emo hair. But I don’t get why he would change? I feel like he would just websling home and then change, because that makes sense.
- NOT TO MENTION the fact that now that he has his suit off, he is going to have to walk home as opposed to web-sling home. THIS IS JUST A DUMB SITUATION OVERALL.
THOUGHTS:
When I sat down to watch this week, I was really focused and engaged by the Harry Osborn storyline and the Venom storyline. And it made me realize how superfluous the Sandman story is to the whole movie. Imagine that there was a Spider-Man. And say he accidentally erased his ex-best-friend/current nemesis’s memories. This hypothetical “Spider-Man” discovers a symbiote that brings out his own worst qualities and he has to wrestle with his own personal demons. So when his ex-best friend gets his memory back, the darkness that certain Spider-Man (could have been any of them, really) experienced gave him a different avenue to relate to his friend again, and they band together to fight a great evil, Eric from That 70s Show. That would be a really great story! You would read that story! You would give money to your local movie theater to watch that story and walk away not disappointed! You would not say, “That movie was good but it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. Maybe it needed a giant dirt pile fighting for his emotionally underdeveloped daughter.”
One of the biggest complaints people have about Spider-Man 3 is that it feels too jam-packed with characters. I hadn’t really taken notice before, because usually my biggest complaint is that I am watching Spider-Man 3. But it’s totally true; every time Sandman was on screen, I just felt like shouting, “Ugh, get out of there.”
So imagine my science-y delight when I noticed that about 90% of my notes were complaining about the logistics of the Sandman-related scenes, either in terms of story, character development or science. My conscious, analytical mind that said, “Ya know, this might be a better movie if it was a little trimmer, maybe drop this whole ‘sand’ situation,” matched my half-subconscious note-jotting mind that said, “Get this mother-fucking OUTTA MY FACE!” Therefore, I will heartily stand by my conclusion that Spider-Man 3 would have been better without that douchebag.
That is all.
WHEN: 1:15-1:45pm, 4:05-4:35pm, 6:58-7:10pm, and 7:21-8:00pm EST, May 4th, 2012
WHERE:The break room at my place of employment. Starbucks. The number 2 bus.
FORMAT: Digital Download on my iPhone3
COMPANY: None watching with me, many surrounding me.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Varied.
OBSERVATIONS OF NOTE:
- Dick says the album he gave Rob has Sheryl Ladd on the cover. I had been thinking of Diane Ladd.
- Charlie owns a really frightening mannequin.
BREAK:
It is my continuing endeavor to watch High Fidelity under increasingly disparate conditions. This, combined with the fact that I was running out of time during the week to watch High Fidelity, and wanted to watch a 9:30 showing of The Avengers, is what prompted me to watch portions of this week’s viewing while on break at work.
My initial thought, upon putting in my ear buds and starting the movie, was embarrassment. I hoped no one would ask what I was doing. I don’t want people to think that I watch High Fidelity for fun, so I would have to explain the whole experiment. I do not think that the majority of my coworkers would understand. They would think me weird. I don’t much care, but it puts me on edge nonetheless. On the up side, I am still feeling pretty good from this morning’s coffee.
I notice some funny little coincidences. People in the break room are talking about selling a particular type of upgrade to customers while Rob is talking about almost feeling sorry about taking his customers’ money. A co-worker’s conversation about divorce makes me note that it is a very good thing that Rob and Laura’s finances are not merged.
I wonder if Catherine Zeta -Jones’s sideboob is appropriate for work. It probably isn’t. Thankfully, no one was watching. Anytime anyone said the word “fuck,” I kind of jumped a little. My mind must be in clean-speaking work mode. I found myself checking the time quite a bit, to make sure I wasn’t late getting back to work. Before long, I had to pause, put my phone in my locker and get back to work.
SECOND BREAK:
I had started getting a little hungry and a little tired. So I cooked myself up some chicken in the microwave while I watched. Chicken makes a person thirsty, so I got a Coke. I did so during the imagined Ian sex scene. For some reason, this felt really appropriate, as though Tim Robbins should be having sex in a Coke commercial.
Enjoy.
There were less people around so I felt less self-conscious about watching.
WAITING FOR A RIDE:
I started in again while waiting for my ride to get off work. Watched a little more. The breakroom seems to be a very good place for me to concentrate on the movie. I think I must be so glad not to be working, that my mind latches onto anything, even High Fidelity.
STARBUCKS AND BUS:
By this point in the day I am very tired. I have been dropped off at the Starbucks where I will wait for a half hour then catch the bus. The music is loud, and it makes concentration difficult. As a firetruck goes by in the movie, I look out the window instinctively. It is almost impossible to hear the background music of the movie in this environment.
When it is time to catch the bus, without pausing, I walk outside, holding the screen in front of me. I pass a wet dog sitting out in the rain. I think it belongs to one of the hobos who frequents the Starbucks. It occurs to me that the sight of this wet dog is sadder than a wet John Cusack could ever be.
I get on the bus, and watch all the way to my stop. Exactly as the bus stops, the credits roll. It is kind of awesome.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
It is a little surprising how a change of scenery can help my ability to focus on the movie. I was easily able to pay attention, something that has been plaguing me for a while now. Of course, this might have been attributable in part to my watching it in roughly half-hour chunks, as opposed to straight through. Segmenting the movie is something that I am planning on avoiding. It seems like a cheap trick. Movies are meant to be watched from beginning to end. Sadly, I don’t have paid two-hour breaks at work.
WHEN: May 3rd, 11:20pm EST, 2012
WHERE: Number 8
FORMAT: DVD on Teletraan 1
COMPANY: None, but I am occasionally trading text messages with a very special lady friend whom I am enthralled with.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Genuinely happy for the first time in a while.
FLAVOR ENHANCER: Arnold Palmer Lite
REACTIONS OF NOTE:
- The actor who played Marlon looks good in The Truman Show. I have mentioned that he is in Warrior, and he seems to have aged a lot in eleven years.
- The doppelganger twins do not seem to be the same height. I know they are brothers from the credits, and even use their real names as the names of their character.
- Truman has a set of dominoes on his desk at the insurance agency he works at.
- Seahaven must be a mystical place to have a coastline like New England and palm trees. You can see some of them near the harbor ferry terminal.
- I would not own a Chef’s Pal.
- The baby book that Meryl is reading reminds me of the type of book that would be available in kindergarten. Something you would read with one of those plastic glitter wand pointer devices
- I would bet that a lot of the younger generations will not know what the devices that the runners are wearing on their heads are, in the scene when Truman sees his “homeless” dad.
- One of these days I will try to figure out what the combination to Truman’s trunk is.
- I know how they film everything , since the cameras are everywhere. How do they get the sound? There must be bugs everywhere.
- If I were to design Seahaven, I would put a trolley system in it.
THOUGHTS:
I am still feeling in a list-type mood after the last post I put up. So here I go again. Here are the top ten things I would actually want to see Truman do, if I watched the show and it was real.
1. Get into a fight. Seeing him trading blows with someone else would be a nice break from the everyday activities he engages in. It would also be nice to see him get the crap kicked out of him. There is just something overly wholesome about Truman.
2. Fixing anything. Watching someone repair something always gives me a better understanding on how to fix it myself. Also, it would be helpful to know what can go wrong with all of the products that are promoted through the show.
3. Learn to do anything. This is similar to him fixing various devices. If Truman is leaning how to juggle it might be easier to do it myself or motivate me take up painting or calligraphy. This falls inline with how shows like Jersey Shore encourage me not to be a walking encouragement of abortion.
4. Making anything. I really like the show How it’s Made. This is not just a cheap way of padding the list, since the last three are very similar. I could honestly watch in fascination as Truman made anything.
5. Dating. I am a bit of a romantic. I might not seem it here, but I just do not think of the Sylvia/Truman love story as overly romantic. I find it more creepy. I would like to see how any of his other Christof-sanctioned dates went. For all we know from the movie, Truman talked up Sylvia but ended up marrying the first woman who tripped over him. Literally…
6. Anything illegal. Jaywalking, double parking, spiting on the sidewalk (that was against the law in my home town), anything really. Just to know that he is human. He does not even skip out on work until his breakdown.
7. His breakdown. Seeing him come to terms with the possibility that this is all a show would be interesting to watch. Seeing Truman thinking he is going insane would still be interesting to watch. It creates drama and struggle, two elements that make a show (or any creative piece) interesting.
8. His insurance job. The one time we actually see him interact with a customer at work (the doppelgangers do not count since they are outside of work), he actually seems good at it. Truman seems in his element. I would hope we can hear the person he is talking to on the other end of the phone. If not, I would love to “fill in” the dialogue at home. Talk to Truman, the Play-From-Home Edition.
9. Take up any sports. I grew up playing multiple sports, and still love watching them. I do not get many chances to get out and play anymore, so I live vicariously through the athletes I watch. I do not think that Truman did anything in college since we see him in the band, and that takes a lot of practice to be good. We do see him hitting golf balls with Marlon as well, but that is just for fun. There is no competition. I want to see the competitive side of Truman.
10. His bathroom rants. Those are some of my favorite parts of the movie. I think most people talk to themselves at some point in their life. Truman talks to himself every morning, it seems.
WHEN: Started at 2:05pm on Saturday, May 5th. (Oh, I’m watching it on a Saturday? What a change of pace for me.)
WHERE: At my apartment, commonly known as Alderaan, in Portland, ME.
FORMAT: Blu-Ray on a Vizio 47″ LCD HDTV
COMPANY: No one. Duh. Who is going to have company at this point in the game?
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Sweaty. See “Thoughts” for the reason behind this. (Nancy “The Suspense-Builder” Boucher)
REACTIONS OF NOTE:
- When Peter accidentally raises his hand and Dr. Connors goes, “Parker? You got something to add?!?”, his tone of voice is so accusatory. Which makes me so mad. Peter is Dr. Connors’s star pupil and he’s given him sass. Totally inappropriate.
- How come Mary Jane knows that Peter killed Uncle Ben’s murderer but doesn’t know about Harry? I mean, I understand, sort of, why Peter might not want to tell Mary Jane that her ex-boyfriend and their mutual best friend is slowly losing his mind due to his father’s untimely death and adopting his super-villain moniker, technique, and tools… however… 1) I would want to know. 2) Peter seems to tell her everything else anyway, why leave out this important detail? 3) Why can’t I just accept that Spider-Man 3 engages in poor storytelling and move on with my life?
- My favorite thing in this movie are the kids. Like, the little kids next to Gwen Stacy when she is doing her “Spider-Man makes me go all googly-eyed” speech onstage. Those little kids are just happy to be there, folks!
- In the scene where Sandman attacks everybody in the park, he blows through a ton of people and they just go from being people to being shadowy outlines of people while he is blowing through them. Then the camera cuts away before he is done with his blowing. My question… are they still alive? If they are, then where does his sandy threat lie? And why is sand scary to begin with? Also, how come he can make more sand so he can get bigger? Also WHY DID YOU GET ME STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT SANDMAN?
- NOT TO MENTION the fact that I ended last week’s “Reactions of Note” with all-capital letters expressing disdain, and I LIKE TO KEEP THE PATTERN GOING.
THOUGHTS:
Everyone is always telling us fatties, “Why don’t you just work out sometime instead of shoveling dumplings and wine down your gullet and watching superhero movies repeatedly?” And while normally I respond with a muffled “Why don’t you mind your own SHUT UP” as I leak a little gyoza sauce down my chin*, I have found that physically moving, whether it is pacing, switching room every now and then or shredding carrots… really helps my concentration.
It’s tricky, because I have to be more careful that I’m not missing a scene. If I want to make the two-foot long jump from where I can see the T.V. to my mini-fridge where I cannot, I have to pause the television set. I have to be a little bit more conscious of those things. So I think this extra focus, where I have to double-make-sure I’m not missing anything… makes me more engaged.
So, I decided to be *that* kind of girl, who fetters her lovely relaxation time with working-out. But it was great! During my viewing, I did lunges, squats and even some push-ups, although those were difficult to accomplish effectively because a) it’s hard to face downward and still pay attention to how Lt. Stacy needs someone to get Edison on the phone and b) um, push-ups are just super-hard anyway.
What is great about super-hero movies is that they inspire you to be a super-strong lady too. I don’t know about you guys, but every time I am working out, I am thinking, “Someday I will be as tough as Batgirl.” So watching Spider-Man…as lame as he is in this film… swing ass and kick around (whoops, I accidentally wrote that reverse, but “swing ass” is too cool of a phrase to ruin, so it stays), it reminds me that if I want to do kickass (or “swingass,” if you will) stuff like that too, sometimes I have to be sweaty. And not in a sexy way.
So, I started working out. It was good! It was a little weird to pause while dripping sweat to jot down a note about why does Mary Jane know some things but not other things, but that is a small price to pay for coming out of insanity relatively sane.
Also, happy 25th birthday, Venom!
*- Wow, that was viscerally self-deprecating, even for me. Don’t worry, I’m a beautiful babe, everyone!
Hey, look who came to visit, Notebook!
It’s your Junior Movie Science Cadet friends!
Okay, guys, Notebook isn’t feeling so well (“last legs,” if you catch my meaning), so… try and enjoy the time you’ve got.
Here, remember these precious moments from Week #18 of the Top Gun branch of the Cinema 52 experiments? That was a good week.
Apr. 29, 2012
7:43am EST – Woke up with “Mighty Wings” stuck in my head.
Apr. 30, 2012
8:05am EST – Was thinking of Trailers from Hell. Thought of “Goose, you see a trailer?”
1:47pm EST – Bus driver looked like Tom Skerritt. Thought of Viper’s voice. He did not speak like Viper.
3:54pm EST – Came very close to texting a woman a line from Top Gun before I realized it was from Top Gun: “I guess when I see something, I go right after it.”
If she shows up in more results, I texted the right thing.
May 1, 2012
9:55am EST – WTF? Watching the third episode of Spy. They spoofed the “data on the MiG is inaccurate” scene. Thought of it. THIS IS THE SECOND TOP GUN REFERENCE IN ONLY THREE EPISODES. I fought through the first one in the pilot.
2:19pm EST – A Kraft cheese commercial had music with lots of strings. Thought of the string section of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
9:06pm EST – “Mighty Wings” stuck in head.
May 2, 2012
3:35pm EST – Talked about cashing in a booty favor. Thought of Stinger talking about your ego writing checks your body can’t cash.
5:26pm EST – Watching The Exorcist with John. Thought Regan’s doctor looks like the guy with the tray in Top Gun.
And Regan sort of looks like Kelly McGillis.
10:07pm EST – Drunkenly sang “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
May 3, 2012
7:42am EST – Woke up. Started humming YLTLF.
12:11pm EST – Was thinking of Becca‘s shyness and thought of Mav’s “confidence problem.”
12:32pm EST – THAT STUPID FUCKING “LISTENING TO THE RADIO” SONG AT THE END STUCK IN HEAD.
May 4, 2012
11:53pm EST – During an agument, paused while I tried to compose my thoughts. Was reminded of Iceman pausing while trying to comfort Mav.
–END OF NOTES–
Well, we’re up from six last week. I still wonder what I was doing right then.
Okay, about that episode of Spy. We’re going to break that down. So the secret service head honcho is explaining stuff about computers and his information is intentionally incorrect to see who will speak up. And our main character speaks up, possibly actually saying, “the data on the [computer] is inaccurate.” I started to think, “Oh shit, that’s like Top Gun!” Then the computer head honcho says, “That’s why you’re our top gun!” Which, of course, made me think, “Oh shit, that’s intentionally like Top Gun!”
Now, here’s what I find fascinating… I was a little angry that they included the line about him being their “top gun.” It’s like having Cliff’s Notes on a joke. If your parody works, you shouldn’t need a footnote. However… I wouldn’t have laughed at that scene a year ago. I would have needed the push towards the reference. But, because I’m watching Top Gun every week, I made the connection instantly. What an intriguing bit of stimuli.
Token science word!
I also couldn’t help but notice the use of angry caps lock… in a notebook. I think I’m breaking out the shouty words when I’m overtaken by surprise; things that I never expected to remind me of Top Gun, or elements of Top Gun that eluded my memory until now. Seriously, that “listening to the radio” song at the end? That’s practically the only line of it that gets into the movie. I don’t even know if it’s on the soundtrack.
And I’m afraid to check.
What if it never leaves?
WHEN: 9:44am EST, May 3rd, 2012
WHERE: My apartment in Portland, ME (Isla Nublar)
FORMAT: Blu-Ray on a Vizio 32″ LED HDTV
COMPANY: Nobody. Again.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STATE: Cranky. Hung over. Just walked home from Cinemanaut John‘s place. Would like very much to crack open the Blu-Rays I’ve purchased but haven’t watched this year (Bullitt, Speed, Drive, How the West Was Won, The Searchers, The Wild Bunch, Pulp Fiction, Secretary) or the DVDs I’ve purchased but haven’t watched this year (Guns, Arena, Lucky Number Slevin, Crank, Superfly, Risky Business) or the movies I’ve borrowed from friends (No Country for Old Men, Escanaba in da Moonlight) or the movies my mother swiped from my father before he moved out (Batman Forever, Frogs, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3), but no. It’s time for Top Gun.
FOCUS OF THIS WEEK’S STUDY: Why Does Anybody Watch Top Gun Alone (Besides Science)?
DESPERATE PLEAS FOR COMPANIONSHIP: I was planning to watch with a Top Gun superfan who contacted me on Facebook. Unfortunately, she was feeling ill. So I texted a work buddy who’d never seen the movie. No response.
REACTIONS OF NOTE:
- I started recording my loneliness on my FlipCam, then deleted the video and turned it off because that’s woe-is-me bullshit.
- Work buddy texted back. He’s at his other job. Sad.
- I was annoyed that James Tolkan’s performance is bogged down by exposition. Like, he angrily says, “I’m gonna send you up against the best!” We, the audience, are happy for Mav and Goose, but Stinger has to get across this inspiring news while he’s pissed off… all the emotion rests on him and it comes out weirdly.
- I just noticed Sundown borderline strangling a guy on the right side of the screen at the beginning of the singalong scene. Yeah, I’ve seen this 20 times in my life and I’m still noticing new things.
- I thought a fan was a boom mic for a second. I really wanted it to be a boom mic.
Big time.
- WHAT THE FUCK IS “PLAYING WITH THE BOYS” REALLY ABOUT?
- They totally dubbed in the second time Charlie says “the MiG” over dinner. Did they think we would forget what they were talking about if that dramatic pause was a little too long?
- Out of nowhere, I got really scared that if I do Die Hard for the potential Movie You Love year of Cinema 52, I will eventually hate it. This made me sad.
- I dig Charlie’s Sally Jessy Raphael glasses. Have I mentioned that before? Probably. I must be telling the same ten “buzz the tower” jokes every week, but I can’t be certain because my concept of time is boned by now.
- They deliver the “need for speed” line like they had a huge fight with the director over it. “What? Fuck you, we’re not saying that. Wait, in unison? Seriously? I… okay, alright, whatever. I’ll do it, but I am not happy about this.”
- I tried to make out what comic Goose’s kid is reading. I could not.
- Cracked open some Cheez-Its at the 1:14 mark. That’s the number on Maverick’s plane. Oh, God.
- The number on Maverick’s plane keeps changing. It’s mostly 114, but if they need a quick, exciting close-up, they don’t care what number’s on it.
- I keep beatboxing during the movie.
Like so…
If they remove this for copyright, I think it was a pretty funny parody of hip-hop in a post-Top Gun world. And it was fairly used.
THOUGHTS:
Alright, I’m making an assessment: Top Gun was not made to be watched alone. I mean, no popcorn movie is, right? It’s designed to draw tears and sighs and cheers from the viewers, and that’s weird when you’re the only one watching.
I have a problem with being alone. No, really. I can’t be in an empty room for more than a few hours before I have to call somebody to make sure that people still exist. I grew up watching The Twilight Zone; I think it affected me.
“What if your friends are actually YOUR TOES? Quick, shoot them! You’ll need this!”
Another problem: the people who watch movies with me are Becca and the Cinemanauts. (DO NOT take that band name.) Becca, being a cohabitating girlfriend, has been avoiding Top Gun (even though she’s a fan) every time it’s on. And the rest of the Cinemanauts are already sick of watching the same one movie over and over; why make it two? John positively refused to see Top Gun again this week. The day before this viewing, he proposed that, if I’m really that lonely, I can watch Top Gun on his phone with earbuds… while he watches Bang the Drum Slowly on his TV.
Yes. So close to a Yo Dawg viewing.
I’ll be honest… I almost wish I had accepted. Almost.
The short version of this… rant (?) is that I work weekends and nobody is available to watch Top Gun with me every week. That’s all, boo hoo, get a new job, let’s move on.
This isolation sent me down a broader path about what makes you enjoy a movie. Having friends with you is just one of those factors. Has anybody ever told you that you can’t watch Napoleon Dynamite or Superbad alone? I’ve done both solo, but also with friends. Napoleon was better, and Superbad was one of the best nights of my life. But it’s the same movie. It doesn’t change. We do.
I’d better stop before this becomes a beacon for hipster emotion porn.
Guess what I just dug out of the laundry hamper?
Whoa.
Yeah, the notebook is looking pretty beat up these days. (No, she didn’t go through the wash. I saved her.) I think she has two weeks left on her, if I don’t watch the second disc of Carrier any time soon. For comparison, here she is during Week #1:
“I look forward to this year of memories!”
Damn. I’ll miss you, Old Blue. Yeah, sure, that’s a good nickname. Whatever.
Until then, here are all the times Top Gun set up camp in my thoughtspace for the seventeenth week of this year.
Apr. 22, 2012
11:05pm EST – During a news story on the secret service sex scandal, thought of Jester introducing Charlie. Not sure why. Maybe they mentioned the Pentagon?
Apr. 23, 2012
11:26pm EST – Saw NASCAR highlights. Thought of Days of Thunder. Just assumed that “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins is in it.
What if we set Top Gun on the ground?
2:35pm EST – Listening to “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. All the little sound effects reminded me of the clicking sounds Maverick’s plane makes when he “hits the brakes.” [Kick-a-da-chonk! Kick-a-da-chonk!]
6:54pm EST – Thought somebody said “Duke” on TV. Heard Goose calling Mav “Duke Mitchell’s kid.”
9:04pm EST – Used the word “tag.” Thought about “T.A.G. Rep,” Charlie’s title.
Apr. 26, 2012
11:46pm EST – Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Remember Me.” Data mentions that there are 114 crew members. Thought of Stanley Kubrick, then thought of the “114″ on Maverick’s jet at the end.
–END OF NOTES–
HOLY SHIT. Just six? What am I doing right?
If my Inception dream-blocking entry is correct, I think I may have re-wired my brain.
Or, to quote Dr. Emmett L. Brown, it could just be an amazing coincidence.
Oh, if only I could afford brain scans for this experiment.
“What’s this about brain scans?”
Wait. I know something different this week. What if my hat is magic?
Movie Science, Movie Magic, whatever.
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