Pig-headed Cures for Pig-hideousness

I think that I am prematurely turning into one of those bitter old cranks that spouts off the saying, "they ain't as good as they used to be" about basically everything. In the case of movies, though, I generally do mean it. Maybe there are still a good number of interesting, novel, and unpredictable plotlines and characters emerging in at least the independent genre, but how often do we ever get to see that stuff? Surely not on a monthly movie night basis. That's how often I'd like to go out to the movies, if I felt it were worth it.

To tell you the truth, I'm not concerned about wasting time or money on movies that aren't very good. Sometimes the bad movies are so entertaining that they happen to be a welcomed use of my time and money. But, that's not what I mean by "worth it" regardless. The issue is, I don't want my standard of what makes a great movie to be compromised.

While I'm on the subject, is it a bad thing if someone pays for your movie ticket (date or otherwise) and you start laughing at how absurdly awful the movie was afterwards? Particularly when you know the other person doesn't agree? Cause, I do that. Sometimes. I'm specifically remembering the incident after the latest Hulk movie. I imagine it must have been better than the previous one...but I honestly can't picture how.

I know what you are thinking, "Why should we listen to someone that loves movies like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?"

And I'd say, "Come on now, you know that is truly Keanu Reeves' best work."

There are a few different things I could decide to go off on regarding what I don't like about a lot of the movies I've seen lately. But today I am irritated by the movies that promote inner beauty and self-acceptance, and then create a physical manifestation of beauty and social acceptance as the reward for having done so. That is clearly ironic, and clearly unintentionally so. And the combination of "clearly ironic" and "clearly unintentional" spells out, "WTF were you thinking?" Then again, that's the current Hollywood scene for you, in regards to romantic comedies at least.


What got me thinking about the inner-beauty moral was a movie I saw recently called "Penelope." It's about a pig-nosed girl that is cursed with this deformity until she gets a blue-blood (old money, aristocratic type) guy to marry her. Interesting thing is (and by that I mean it is entirely uninteresting), the girl is very attractive besides having a snout. So, right away we can see where this is going. The curse will be broken and she'll be beautiful once the prosthetic is gone.

And cliche of cliches, what actually breaks the curse is her own self-acceptance of who she is and what she looks like. That's not a bad cliche, except since this self-acceptance magically caused the problem to completely go away, doesn't that completely defeat the purpose? That's right, your strength of character and confidence in yourself is only good for acting as a mystical potion that dispels your nasty pig-hideousness. After that, you can trade it in for some equally bogus cure for vanity.

Now, we are all familiar with the movies about the pretty girls with low self-esteem who just get a make-over and suddenly they are Miss Awesome. That seems to defeat the purpose of the message that is trying to be communicated, that we shouldn't dismiss the geeky kid, or even the smelly one, because deep inside they are wonderful people. For that "inner-beauty" stuff to ring true, wouldn't the smelly kid have to stay smelly? And we just love him despite the fact?

That's not the crime of the modern film makers alone by any means. How bout that tale of the ugly duckling? A swan?! Oh, please. Why can't the "special" person really be ugly? And stay that way? Is it because wonderful people don't deserve to be ugly? That too tragic for your comedy? Or is it because we can't swallow the self-acceptance tripe we are dishing out? Either way, this trend is the hallmark of a bad movie. It doesn't quite rank up there with the mistake of using monkeys for comic relief in my book, though.

Positively 4th Street

Either I spoke too soon, or Bob Dylan is magical, cause I found "Positively 4th Street." I think that's more of the type of song I was after. The last line even gave me a good laugh.

It Ain't Me, Babe

I will confess right now that I simply don't relate to any good guy-bashing songs. I've never had that kind of bitter hatefulness, feigned or true, that needed that sort of outlet. I'm proud of that. However, some months ago I heard Bob Dylan's version of "It Ain't Me, Babe," and suddenly felt that someone had expressed my personal feelings on the matter of smack-talk just right. I mention it now because it has been running through my head the last few days.

While this song does take some shots at the person (Babe) in question, this really isn't the focus of it. It mainy focuses on what kind of person the singer is, in effect by relating what kind of person he is not. This includes a look at what the nature of love is to him, in that it is not "perfect," and is better off for being so.

Essentially, the feeling that rings true realistically here is that when a relationship ends, the worst and yet the most respectable and amiable reason you can give for it is that the other person didn't (or never will) really love you. That can be both a smack in the face, and a sad but civil truth. And yet there is a bit of hope on the fringes of this truth as well. But wait, this describes a completely different type of song I hadn't considered before starting this blog entry. The bittersweet song. Blast! Now I'll have to retract my statements. It looks like I still don't relate to any guy-bashing songs, or the like. That's actually pretty good news. My pride remains intact.

Anyway, the lyrics to this song really are so simple and melancholy, yet very enlightening and empowering at once. And while I used to make fun of Bob Dylan's sound...I really think I like it now. Afterall, he wrote protest songs with harmonica solos in them. That is boss! At least, I'm sure that's what the kids in the 60s were saying...

Here are the lyrics, which I found on a really awesome website where you can not only listen to this song, but also a bunch of other Bob Dylan songs. In fact, I think it's got his whole collection! Plus I like the site because you get to watch a record turn while the songs play. Yes, I am that simple-minded. Too many years of school have turned my brain to goo. Gray-mattered goo.

I Just Called Myself a "Rotten Idiot"?...*sigh*

I just got off the phone with my mom, who seems to always have two recommendations when I'm feeling down...at least when I feel the need to let her in on the fact: 1) Get a priesthood blessing (which I think is a good idea), and 2) Get some depression medication (which I resent the mere suggestion of). And for some reason she seems to associate those two solutions as well, because the last time I asked my dad for a priesthood blessing, she asked if I needed medication. I actually thought it was incredibly funny, and very unamusing at the same time, if you believe that possible. The way I see it, if you know what is making you feel rotten, you ought to know how to make yourself feel...unrotten.

I'm not knocking these kinds of medications. I just think that they are over-prescribed, and over-sought. Then again, I am a prideful sort of person that would rather feel badly and think it possible to feel better if I really wanted to, than to acknowledge that trying anything beyond will power is worth a go. Or perhaps I've just listened to the Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown" too many times...

Either way, I think that I will always shun the advice, "Go with the flow," no matter how happy or unhappy I am. What does that mean, anyway? It's likely just a useless 60s slogan that my mom is passing off for genuine words to the wise (bless her heart). Why do they call advice "a word to the wise"? Shouldn't it be "a word from the wise," or "a word to the idiot"? Hey, you can give me "a word to the idiot" anytime! Please do, in fact. I'd get a kick out of it, and might even listen.

You're on Candid Phone, Ah ha ha ha ha ha...

I was just thinking that with my little movie maker, I can easily share some Candid Phone! If you thought you were too old for prank calls to be funny, think again. Here are a couple of my favorites. If you like them, let me know and I'll post more. Good old Pat Gray :)