Confessions of a Pop Fan

Friday, August 13, 2004

I CAN ONLY DISAPPOINT U

So, I am a bad citizen. Or, at least, a lazy one.

I walked down to the waterfront for the Kerry rally, arriving 45 minutes after the gates were supposed to open. From what I could see, there was one line that circled an entire city block. I walked towards the end of it, seeing zero movement as I did, and got about a quarter onto the Hawthorne bridge before I gave up. I couldn't see the end of the line, and there was a procession of equal length walking ahead of me, also looking for the end--so people I would be behind once we got there. In the time I was walking, the queue had maybe--maybe--moved the length of five people. I could also see that once it got around the block going to the other way, it snaked under the bridge, and who knows for how far.

I had showed up ready to play. I really did. I even put on sunscreen before I left the house. I was planning to make a day of it. But this was too much, so I bagged it.

Probably a good thing. I get a sort of tourettes in crowds, and it was starting to come to the surface. As I crossed the street, a family of three was coming towards me, walking as a wall, not giving me any room. As the mother edged me out into traffic, I called her a filthy name that my female friends would disown me for. The problem with swear words is they are generally one syllable, and they take no time to say. So, when they come out unnannounced, there is no reaction time to grab it and shove it back in. And this word was particularly sharp and would have probably cut my hand anyway. My thinking is, had I stuck around, someone would have likely beaten me up.

Since I was already downtown, I went to see Takeshi Kitano's new version of Zatoichi. I have to say, I was underwhelmed. Everyone I know that has seen it has been loving it, but I just felt eh about it. The film had moments, but in between those, it simply dragged. Also, I can't believe I've not read of anyone panning the horrendous digital effects. How distracting is it to be watching a samurai movie and a computer-animated sword slides through someone's body, splattering super-red computer-animated blood? Is this what technology has taught us? How to fake things so they look fake, thus shattering the illusion? There is also a moment at the end where two characters morph from their younger selves to their older selves that is pathetic. I can't believe someone didn't say, "You know what, Beat, just write that off as a loss and use an old-fashioned fade. Better to waste the money and toss out the effect than look bad."

Not to mention a final shot that just made me scratch my head. I really didn't get it. I mean, I understand what was going on, but I am not sure what Kitano hoped it would convey. One last attempt to make me say "whatever"?

Current Soundtrack: Blondie, Parallel Lines