Friday, October 9, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Notions
Every so often, I get these notions. Once, many years ago when I worked at home as a freelance writer, I had this idea that I'd listen to my entire CD collection from A to Z (yes, at one time my CDs were in alphabetical order; they're still sort-of in that order, but not quite): so start with a CD I picked up in Prague at this jazz club (it was a collection of live songs played at the club), and end with John Zorn's incredible Spy vs. Spy. I don't remember how far I got - the optimist in me likes to think that I made it to at least Vic Chesnutt's About to Choke, but I fear I only made it as far as, say, The Beatles' White Album - but it was a futile attempt. Who knows, perhaps I might revive that challenge. (I can always attempt it on my iPod, although I tend toward the shuffle feature when listening to music on it.)
I have a new goal: to watch every film listed on Sight and Sound's top film list from 2002. Quixotic? Perhaps. I could make it easy on myself and confine myself to the Top Ten critics' and directors' lists, but that seems too easy. (I've also seen most of them - just missing Lawrence of Arabia from the directors' list, Sunrise and Battleship Potemkin from the critics' list.) To get me going, I figured I'd rewatch most of the top ten, so I took out the DVD of Citizen Kane from the library. It's been about a decade since I last saw the film, so it was great to revisit. (It also came with the DVD of The Battle Over Citizen Kane, which was interesting.)
So how am I going to attack the Sight and Sound list? Not quite sure yet, actually. I haven't had much success going from A to Z with music, so it's probably not the best approach. I think I'll just do it randomly: print the list out and cross out films when and after I seen them. I'll do it by whim. If all goes well, watch this space for updates.
I have a new goal: to watch every film listed on Sight and Sound's top film list from 2002. Quixotic? Perhaps. I could make it easy on myself and confine myself to the Top Ten critics' and directors' lists, but that seems too easy. (I've also seen most of them - just missing Lawrence of Arabia from the directors' list, Sunrise and Battleship Potemkin from the critics' list.) To get me going, I figured I'd rewatch most of the top ten, so I took out the DVD of Citizen Kane from the library. It's been about a decade since I last saw the film, so it was great to revisit. (It also came with the DVD of The Battle Over Citizen Kane, which was interesting.)
So how am I going to attack the Sight and Sound list? Not quite sure yet, actually. I haven't had much success going from A to Z with music, so it's probably not the best approach. I think I'll just do it randomly: print the list out and cross out films when and after I seen them. I'll do it by whim. If all goes well, watch this space for updates.
Friday, October 2, 2009
TGIF
A rare Friday evening post! I'm actually waiting for the lovely A. to brighten my apartment - she's probably close by now, shifting her way through the rain on the QEW - and since I'm importing some CDs to iTunes (in a google chat conversation with M. this morning, I realized my iPod was missing some essential albums, including John Coltrane's Blue Train and Charlie Parker's wonderful Dial recordings) I figured I'd jot down a few thoughts.
My thoughts, not surprisingly, revolve around my upcoming vacation and trip to Argentina. In exactly one week, we should be at the Miami airport, awaiting our overnight flight to Buenos Aires. (Amazingly, my close friend D. left today for South America, to Bolivia on a trek. And with Rio winning the 2016 Olympics - well, South America is obviously the place to be right now.) A friend said to me the other day, "You always seem to be going away," but I had to remind her that I actually haven't had an extended vacation (ie., anything over a four days) since I was in Portugal last Spring (and when I say "last Spring," I mean 2008.) And that was only for 10 days - this is the first time in many years I'm taking a full two weeks to travel.
A few people have asked, "Why Argentina?" My response: "Why not Argentina?!" I've long been enamoured of the idea of travelling to Buenos Aires, although I can't pinpoint why. It's not like I've read Borges, for example. Yet the city, and the country, has long had a hold on me. Maybe it stems from an article I wrote about 7 years ago on the film industry in Argentina, when one of the people I interviewed said to me, "Come to Argentina!" He said I could get a wonderful steak dinner, replete with a bottle of wine, for about $10. (That was around the time the Argentinian peso was devalued, so my guess dinner is going to be more expensive in 2009 - although I've been told it's still going to be fairly inexpensive. Argentina sounds like a very meat-intensive country.)
Let's face it: I need to get away. The lovely A. probably more so! She says it make take her a few days to decompress (she's had a stressful summer) which may mean a day or so by myself, haunting the various cafes. (We've rented an apartment for the first week, which should help with the decompression.) Not to mention checking out this book store. I'm also going to give this urban running tour a go, even though it seems terribly overpriced. (It's rated #1, however, on trip advisor's things to do in Buenos Aires.)
Those looking for postcards - and really, who doesn't want a postcard written while I'm sitting in some wonderful Buenos Aires cafe, sipping a coffee and/or beer - you know where to find my e-mail to send your address.
The lovely A. is now here, so I will sign off...
My thoughts, not surprisingly, revolve around my upcoming vacation and trip to Argentina. In exactly one week, we should be at the Miami airport, awaiting our overnight flight to Buenos Aires. (Amazingly, my close friend D. left today for South America, to Bolivia on a trek. And with Rio winning the 2016 Olympics - well, South America is obviously the place to be right now.) A friend said to me the other day, "You always seem to be going away," but I had to remind her that I actually haven't had an extended vacation (ie., anything over a four days) since I was in Portugal last Spring (and when I say "last Spring," I mean 2008.) And that was only for 10 days - this is the first time in many years I'm taking a full two weeks to travel.
A few people have asked, "Why Argentina?" My response: "Why not Argentina?!" I've long been enamoured of the idea of travelling to Buenos Aires, although I can't pinpoint why. It's not like I've read Borges, for example. Yet the city, and the country, has long had a hold on me. Maybe it stems from an article I wrote about 7 years ago on the film industry in Argentina, when one of the people I interviewed said to me, "Come to Argentina!" He said I could get a wonderful steak dinner, replete with a bottle of wine, for about $10. (That was around the time the Argentinian peso was devalued, so my guess dinner is going to be more expensive in 2009 - although I've been told it's still going to be fairly inexpensive. Argentina sounds like a very meat-intensive country.)
Let's face it: I need to get away. The lovely A. probably more so! She says it make take her a few days to decompress (she's had a stressful summer) which may mean a day or so by myself, haunting the various cafes. (We've rented an apartment for the first week, which should help with the decompression.) Not to mention checking out this book store. I'm also going to give this urban running tour a go, even though it seems terribly overpriced. (It's rated #1, however, on trip advisor's things to do in Buenos Aires.)
Those looking for postcards - and really, who doesn't want a postcard written while I'm sitting in some wonderful Buenos Aires cafe, sipping a coffee and/or beer - you know where to find my e-mail to send your address.
The lovely A. is now here, so I will sign off...
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