OK. This isn't really going to be a review so much as my general first impressions. I definitely need to see it again. I was tired after having stood in lines for the greater portion of the evening, and am just tired in general from life being in a general state of chaos.
Here are my preliminary (tired) thoughts:
1. Natalie Portman is the worst thing that ever happened to movies.
2. Hayden Christensen, while still terrible, is a little less terrible that in Attack of the Clones. His acting, like Mark Hamill's, improves over time. Like Luke transitioning from whiney and uncertain farmboy to stoic and confident Jedi, Hayden Christensen is far more believable in this one.
3. The Jedi really have no idea what's going on. Like I expect them to kick more ass, to know what's going on, to be able to predict destruction! I guess the whole thing is that the Dark Side was clouding their visionary abilities and tainting their physical prowess. Right.
4. Yoda, as always, is the best. In fact, as I was leaving I overheard someone say "Yoda is the best."
5. If you need to use the restroom when you see it, please leave any time Natalie Portman appears on screen.
6. Visuals - WOW ZOWIE AMAZING OH MY GOD AMAZING INSANE!!!!
7. The first hour and a half felt like six hours.
8. The last 45 minutes will be burned into my brain for the rest of time. This is some of the best filmmaking I've ever seen.
9. I cried during those last 45 minutes. It was extremely intense. It was amazing.
10. I feel closure.
11. There was an extremely cheesy and inconsistent Darth Vader scene at the end that I am very mad about.
12. Definitely the best of the prequels.
13. Very dark.
14. The opening sequence felt very much like the originals, which was nice.
15. I don't know. Depending on what minute it is, I might say "It was awesome!" or "It wasn't very good." But mostly I'm leaning towards "Mostly it was bad but the payoff was definitely worth waiting 6 years and enduring awful love scenes for. Go see it, but don't wait in line for hours because this movie feels like an eternity."
I'll probably see it again this weekend and will have more coherent thoughts next week.
Now am I going to eat lunch, which I brought.
Friday, May 20, 2005
REVENGE OF THE SITH!!!!
After the Aimee Mann show, I headed uptown to the Ziegfeld to get in line for 9:30 showing of Revenge of the Sith.
I was slightly concerned about the line. When I arrived at the "megastore" earlier that evening, I encountered hundreds upon hundreds of people waiting in line for the 8:15 showing at the Union Square theater.
I arrived at about 7:00 and already there were hundreds upon hundreds of people in line.
These were the people in front of me:
I was excited, because one of the people in front of me was Shandi from America's Next Top Model. You might remember Shandi as the girl who cheated on her boyfriend with a hot male model in Milan and who then experienced all sorts of televised drama that scandalized the entire world:
I was dejected when I first arrived, because I thought "Man, I am at the end of the line. I should have arrived here like four hours ago." The line wasn't a line so much as it was a mob of people in a semi-organized state.
The overall vibe was good, though, and people were excited.
D couldn't take standing anymore and was the only person who sat down:
He was hoping to start a movement that all would follow. I had hope, too, as I wanted to sit down. But I didn't want for us to be the only ones. He kept saying things like "Standing, unlike walking, has no health benefit at all. The only thing it does is help you get better at standing, and, really, who wants to do that?"
After another hour in line, I didn't feel so bad because there were a lot of people behind us:
I overheard someone in the ladies' room say that The Ziegfeld holds 1900 people or something. It's an old, classic theater with velvet seats.
Getting into the theater wasn't as dramatic as I'd feared. It took about 5 minutes to get everyone inside, and it flowed quickly.
We ran up the stairs and decided to head straight for the balcony.
We got seats in the fifth row and couldn't contain our excitement.
I am annoyed because my camera died during my attempt to stealthly take pictures of Shandi, so I don't have any photos of the chaos in the theater.
The vibe was amazing. I said "D, it is so important to do this, because whether or not you want to admit it, we are part of this group."
He laughed and said "Yes. Yes yes."
D had been soliloquizing in the line about identifying oneself with a group - either by ethnicity or hometown etc. and the philosophical assumptions that this self-identification carries and how people will take the good but not the bad assumptions associated with the group they're mentioning blah blah - and I was like "Yes, dear, yes, but can I just watch the people and be excited about Star Wars?"
I admit it. I am a nerd. I am a huge Star Wars nerd and I was proud to be amongst my people.
There were a bunch of Jedi in the audience and two kids that staged a light saber duel at the front of the theater.
It was electric.
I decided to use the ladies' room, and it was awesome because the line for the ladies' room was about 1/10 the size of the line for the men's room. Justice!
The gender ratio was about 10:1 male:female in the line, and I know all the nerd-boys were like "Dude, we can't miss one second of this movie!"
They showed the previews and people were rowdy. I love a rowdy audience. I love digital projection. I love the way the 20th Century Fox drums sound when you know Star Wars is to follow. I love knowing you are about to have a religious experience.
I love that people starting screaming when the Lucasfilm logo appeared and I love the dude behind me who yelled "Wait for it... wait for it...."
And then: REVENGE OF THE SITH.
I was slightly concerned about the line. When I arrived at the "megastore" earlier that evening, I encountered hundreds upon hundreds of people waiting in line for the 8:15 showing at the Union Square theater.
I arrived at about 7:00 and already there were hundreds upon hundreds of people in line.
These were the people in front of me:
I was excited, because one of the people in front of me was Shandi from America's Next Top Model. You might remember Shandi as the girl who cheated on her boyfriend with a hot male model in Milan and who then experienced all sorts of televised drama that scandalized the entire world:
I was dejected when I first arrived, because I thought "Man, I am at the end of the line. I should have arrived here like four hours ago." The line wasn't a line so much as it was a mob of people in a semi-organized state.
The overall vibe was good, though, and people were excited.
D couldn't take standing anymore and was the only person who sat down:
He was hoping to start a movement that all would follow. I had hope, too, as I wanted to sit down. But I didn't want for us to be the only ones. He kept saying things like "Standing, unlike walking, has no health benefit at all. The only thing it does is help you get better at standing, and, really, who wants to do that?"
After another hour in line, I didn't feel so bad because there were a lot of people behind us:
I overheard someone in the ladies' room say that The Ziegfeld holds 1900 people or something. It's an old, classic theater with velvet seats.
Getting into the theater wasn't as dramatic as I'd feared. It took about 5 minutes to get everyone inside, and it flowed quickly.
We ran up the stairs and decided to head straight for the balcony.
We got seats in the fifth row and couldn't contain our excitement.
I am annoyed because my camera died during my attempt to stealthly take pictures of Shandi, so I don't have any photos of the chaos in the theater.
The vibe was amazing. I said "D, it is so important to do this, because whether or not you want to admit it, we are part of this group."
He laughed and said "Yes. Yes yes."
D had been soliloquizing in the line about identifying oneself with a group - either by ethnicity or hometown etc. and the philosophical assumptions that this self-identification carries and how people will take the good but not the bad assumptions associated with the group they're mentioning blah blah - and I was like "Yes, dear, yes, but can I just watch the people and be excited about Star Wars?"
I admit it. I am a nerd. I am a huge Star Wars nerd and I was proud to be amongst my people.
There were a bunch of Jedi in the audience and two kids that staged a light saber duel at the front of the theater.
It was electric.
I decided to use the ladies' room, and it was awesome because the line for the ladies' room was about 1/10 the size of the line for the men's room. Justice!
The gender ratio was about 10:1 male:female in the line, and I know all the nerd-boys were like "Dude, we can't miss one second of this movie!"
They showed the previews and people were rowdy. I love a rowdy audience. I love digital projection. I love the way the 20th Century Fox drums sound when you know Star Wars is to follow. I love knowing you are about to have a religious experience.
I love that people starting screaming when the Lucasfilm logo appeared and I love the dude behind me who yelled "Wait for it... wait for it...."
And then: REVENGE OF THE SITH.
Aimee Mann at Virgin Megastore
I hate to use the word "megastore." I'd never even been in the "Megastore" (despite using it as a good place to meet people outside of) until yesterday, because I prefer to buy CD's used or from wicked cool places such as Newbury Comics, although I've found no equivalent thus far in NYC.
Aimee Mann was doing an in-store appearance at 6:30. I left work at about 5:15 despite having sauntered in at around 10:05. I wanted to see, dammit! There was no way I'd be able to see if I got there any later than 6:00.
Despite having arrived early, I was still unable to see a thing.
Luckily I had my camera with me (for somebody's going-away lunch and for REVENGE OF THE SITH). Otherwise I'd never even have known what Aimee Mann was wearing.
As always, Aimee Mann was amazing. Her voice is so clear and perfect. She's probably one of the best live performers ever.
She played five new songs and all were amazing. I'd have picked up the new album from the "megastore" and had her sign it had I not had to run to get into the line at the Ziegfeld for the 9:00 showing of REVENGE OF THE SITH!!!!
Anyway, Aimee Mann. Awesome. Grab the new album and see her if you get a chance. Actually, I'd recommend seeing an in-store instead of seeing her live, because, unlike her show at Avalon, nobody was making out in the "megastore."
Aimee Mann was doing an in-store appearance at 6:30. I left work at about 5:15 despite having sauntered in at around 10:05. I wanted to see, dammit! There was no way I'd be able to see if I got there any later than 6:00.
Despite having arrived early, I was still unable to see a thing.
Luckily I had my camera with me (for somebody's going-away lunch and for REVENGE OF THE SITH). Otherwise I'd never even have known what Aimee Mann was wearing.
As always, Aimee Mann was amazing. Her voice is so clear and perfect. She's probably one of the best live performers ever.
She played five new songs and all were amazing. I'd have picked up the new album from the "megastore" and had her sign it had I not had to run to get into the line at the Ziegfeld for the 9:00 showing of REVENGE OF THE SITH!!!!
Anyway, Aimee Mann. Awesome. Grab the new album and see her if you get a chance. Actually, I'd recommend seeing an in-store instead of seeing her live, because, unlike her show at Avalon, nobody was making out in the "megastore."
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Revenge of the Sith Activities - Part II
I was so excited after having experienced Star Wars fever in the afternoon that I decided to go back to The Ziegfeld at night to see more!
I knew it would be torture since I did not have tickets to the premier, but decided to deal with the torture since this would be the last time this would ever happen!
When I arrived, The Ziegfeld was prepared for Revenge of the Sith:
There was a spotlight, red carpet, and Storm Troopers loitering:
At one point the Storm Troopers sang "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" or whatever that song is to some girl who was dressed up as Princess Leia. It was adorable.
Here are some photos from the line:
This guy was confused:
At 10:00, they let the people who had been waiting forever walk the red carpet:
All of the costumed people who were part of the original bunch then got to walk the red carpet:
The Average Joe people were going to be allowed to enter the theater at 11:10, but I didn't want to stick around to see them walk the carpet. I had met a lot of them that afternoon, but couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to show my support.
I wanted to make sure I got a good night's sleep so that I'd be completely lucid tonight when I see Episode III!!!!!
YEAH!!!!
I have my camera with me today, so if anything interesting happens tonight, you will get to see.
I knew it would be torture since I did not have tickets to the premier, but decided to deal with the torture since this would be the last time this would ever happen!
When I arrived, The Ziegfeld was prepared for Revenge of the Sith:
There was a spotlight, red carpet, and Storm Troopers loitering:
At one point the Storm Troopers sang "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" or whatever that song is to some girl who was dressed up as Princess Leia. It was adorable.
Here are some photos from the line:
This guy was confused:
At 10:00, they let the people who had been waiting forever walk the red carpet:
All of the costumed people who were part of the original bunch then got to walk the red carpet:
The Average Joe people were going to be allowed to enter the theater at 11:10, but I didn't want to stick around to see them walk the carpet. I had met a lot of them that afternoon, but couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to show my support.
I wanted to make sure I got a good night's sleep so that I'd be completely lucid tonight when I see Episode III!!!!!
YEAH!!!!
I have my camera with me today, so if anything interesting happens tonight, you will get to see.
Revenge of the Sith Activities - Part 1
I had to go for bloodwork yesterday afternoon. It was a beautiful day and I happened to have my camera with me, so I decided to swing by the Ziegfeld on 54th to see if there was any Star Wars related insanity going down.
On my way to the Ziegfeld, I encountered this guy:
I knew I was in for a treat.
The Ziegfeld was busily preparing for the red carpet that night:
There were lots of people camping out:
Some of these people were part of a non-profit organization that was raising money for charity by waiting in line for months. They apparently were going to get into the movie first.
The non-profit people sponsored things for the campers, such as massages:
Geek Squad also had this thing, a Fully Operational Workstation:
The inside of the workstation was set up to look like "the Death Star." A very cute boy told me I could go inside. I don't know if it was open to the general public or if he let me inside because I looked tres official with my camera. Inside they had a bunch of computers with wireless internet connections so the campers could keep in touch with the outside world, as well as what looked like a kitchen.
After the non-profit line was the line of regular people who were hoping to get a good seat:
On my way back to work, I passed a little souvenir shop. It's window looked like this:
I had to go inside. I took some photos:
Because I felt guilty about taking pictures in the store, I bought Star Wars temporary tattoos that we are still showing off today!
On my way to the Ziegfeld, I encountered this guy:
I knew I was in for a treat.
The Ziegfeld was busily preparing for the red carpet that night:
There were lots of people camping out:
Some of these people were part of a non-profit organization that was raising money for charity by waiting in line for months. They apparently were going to get into the movie first.
The non-profit people sponsored things for the campers, such as massages:
Geek Squad also had this thing, a Fully Operational Workstation:
The inside of the workstation was set up to look like "the Death Star." A very cute boy told me I could go inside. I don't know if it was open to the general public or if he let me inside because I looked tres official with my camera. Inside they had a bunch of computers with wireless internet connections so the campers could keep in touch with the outside world, as well as what looked like a kitchen.
After the non-profit line was the line of regular people who were hoping to get a good seat:
On my way back to work, I passed a little souvenir shop. It's window looked like this:
I had to go inside. I took some photos:
Because I felt guilty about taking pictures in the store, I bought Star Wars temporary tattoos that we are still showing off today!
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Jawas
Why is it that every time you're applying a Star Wars tattoo at work your boss appears at that very second and shrieks, in alarm, "What happened? Are you OK!??!?!" At first you are confused. You then have to say "Oh? You mean why am I sitting here hunched over while holding a wad of wet paper towels against my arm?" If you are Bench Buddy you then say "Because, oh really, its nothing, I just, its minor... it's a... it's a small gash..." And then, if you're me, and you assume that everyone in their right mind is scrambling for an opportunity to apply a Star Wars tattoo at work, you start giggling like a maniac and offer Bench Buddy's extremely conservative and hardworking boss a Princess Leia tattoo which she refuses.
The Jawa tattoo on my forearm is awesome.
I know. Try not to be too jealous.
The Jawa tattoo on my forearm is awesome.
I know. Try not to be too jealous.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Collective Sigh of Relief
You can all sleep well tonight knowing that my laundry, all of it, has been returned to me without issue.
It is all there and it is oh so clean.
And miraculously compressed into 1/8 its original size, so I didn't break my back carrying it this time.
They folded everything into amazing little square packets. My clothes have never looked so beautiful!
People in New York say "Once you drop off laundry you'll never do your own laundry again! You will be hooked! Don't do it!!!" I thought "How uptown girl! I'll never drop off my laundry! I will never be that person!" I determined that it was acceptable to drop off my laundry this one time since I just moved and am without clothes or free time to do laundry but dear god! My clothes are all little squares! It's fabulous!!! Not only do you not have to do laundry, but it takes 1/10 the time to put it away because it is already folded, and folded professionally in a way that I can never even hope to duplicate.
I think I am addicted.
Drat.
It is all there and it is oh so clean.
And miraculously compressed into 1/8 its original size, so I didn't break my back carrying it this time.
They folded everything into amazing little square packets. My clothes have never looked so beautiful!
People in New York say "Once you drop off laundry you'll never do your own laundry again! You will be hooked! Don't do it!!!" I thought "How uptown girl! I'll never drop off my laundry! I will never be that person!" I determined that it was acceptable to drop off my laundry this one time since I just moved and am without clothes or free time to do laundry but dear god! My clothes are all little squares! It's fabulous!!! Not only do you not have to do laundry, but it takes 1/10 the time to put it away because it is already folded, and folded professionally in a way that I can never even hope to duplicate.
I think I am addicted.
Drat.
Ex-Factor
I have another question for you, dear readers.
Is it completely irrational to feel unsettled about your significant other spending time with his/her ex?
I feel that it is irrational, but only slightly.
Is it normal not to want to meet your significant other's former lovers? I can't believe I just wrote "lovers." I am a dork.
Ah, to be secure. It's hard to explain these sorts of issues to someone who is completely secure.
I feel like I'd be thinking, the entire time, "You slept with my boyfriend!" and "I wonder what they were like together" and "She's way hotter than me" and "Why is he looking at her like that?" and "What are they saying to each other?" and "They seem to share something that we don't have!" and "Damn, she is infinitely cooler than me."
Secure people would think "What a nice girl" and "I'd like to be her friend" and "Isn't it nice that my boyfriend has such a hot friend who he's not interested in at all, even though they used to sleep together constantly, because he loves me!"
Right.
How do you just become secure? What needs to happen? What snaps that allows you to be like "Nothing can jeopardize this"?
I don't know. I don't know why I'm uncomfortable with the idea. I guess its because I've had many sordid encounters with various ex-es and I don't trust ex-es one bit.
Why, if you are a person with millions of friends, must you keep your ex around?
In my experience, people keep their ex-es around for one of three reasons:
1. source of comfort
2. source of self esteem
3. as a backup
If you're in a good relationship, why have your ex be a presence?
Unless you dated a million years ago. Fresh ex-es are scary.
Unless the ex was substantial. Then again, if the ex is super meaningful then you're tied together forever, which also makes me nervous, and is another reason the ex should not be in your life.
Unless the ex is insubstantial. Then again, if the ex is insubstantial, then the ex should not be in your life if it is a cause of stress to your significant other. What's the point?
I suppose you are supposed to trust the judgment of your significant other to know what is and is not a good idea for the relationship.
D said "I don't care if you hang out with Former Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend" and I was like "It's not a good idea." He didn't understand why. I said "Because, Former- Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend and I had something really special, whatever it was, and when I talk to him I am reminded of it and it's not good for the relationship I am in now. This relationship is more important to me than having dinner with Former-Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend." D's like "But I don't care if you do" and I had to say "But I do and you have to just accept it."
D said "But it's important to me that I show my support to Ex-Girlfriend" and I wanted to be like "Doesn't she have other people to get support from?"
Why is this so important?
Blah. I am an irrational loser.
What do you think?
Is it completely irrational to feel unsettled about your significant other spending time with his/her ex?
I feel that it is irrational, but only slightly.
Is it normal not to want to meet your significant other's former lovers? I can't believe I just wrote "lovers." I am a dork.
Ah, to be secure. It's hard to explain these sorts of issues to someone who is completely secure.
I feel like I'd be thinking, the entire time, "You slept with my boyfriend!" and "I wonder what they were like together" and "She's way hotter than me" and "Why is he looking at her like that?" and "What are they saying to each other?" and "They seem to share something that we don't have!" and "Damn, she is infinitely cooler than me."
Secure people would think "What a nice girl" and "I'd like to be her friend" and "Isn't it nice that my boyfriend has such a hot friend who he's not interested in at all, even though they used to sleep together constantly, because he loves me!"
Right.
How do you just become secure? What needs to happen? What snaps that allows you to be like "Nothing can jeopardize this"?
I don't know. I don't know why I'm uncomfortable with the idea. I guess its because I've had many sordid encounters with various ex-es and I don't trust ex-es one bit.
Why, if you are a person with millions of friends, must you keep your ex around?
In my experience, people keep their ex-es around for one of three reasons:
1. source of comfort
2. source of self esteem
3. as a backup
If you're in a good relationship, why have your ex be a presence?
Unless you dated a million years ago. Fresh ex-es are scary.
Unless the ex was substantial. Then again, if the ex is super meaningful then you're tied together forever, which also makes me nervous, and is another reason the ex should not be in your life.
Unless the ex is insubstantial. Then again, if the ex is insubstantial, then the ex should not be in your life if it is a cause of stress to your significant other. What's the point?
I suppose you are supposed to trust the judgment of your significant other to know what is and is not a good idea for the relationship.
D said "I don't care if you hang out with Former Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend" and I was like "It's not a good idea." He didn't understand why. I said "Because, Former- Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend and I had something really special, whatever it was, and when I talk to him I am reminded of it and it's not good for the relationship I am in now. This relationship is more important to me than having dinner with Former-Favorite-Ex-Boyfriend." D's like "But I don't care if you do" and I had to say "But I do and you have to just accept it."
D said "But it's important to me that I show my support to Ex-Girlfriend" and I wanted to be like "Doesn't she have other people to get support from?"
Why is this so important?
Blah. I am an irrational loser.
What do you think?
Legs
Does anyone know why people cross their legs while sitting?
Is this something that's been socialized or does it provide some sort of biological function?
D argues that it's biological. I think its social. He said "But I cross my legs when I am by myself." I said "But why?"
He said nothing.
Anyone? Anyone?
Is this something that's been socialized or does it provide some sort of biological function?
D argues that it's biological. I think its social. He said "But I cross my legs when I am by myself." I said "But why?"
He said nothing.
Anyone? Anyone?
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sheets
I nearly broke my back this morning dropping off 20 pounds of laundry for someone else to do for me.
All I need now is a small dog to put in my bag and the transformation to New Yorker will be complete.
More to come when my brain has resumed normal functionality.
All I need now is a small dog to put in my bag and the transformation to New Yorker will be complete.
More to come when my brain has resumed normal functionality.
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