August and the Summer of '69

I turn my back a minute and already August is gone! I’ve missed so many details I meant to record on this blog. So many conversations about Quentin Tarantino. I’ll never remember any of it. This is why I wish my movie man husband would keep a movie blog. He has so many connections, so many asides and ways of looking and seeing when it comes to movies.

Here is the list of some of the movies we’ve watched this August.

• Sword of Trust Mark Maron stars and stars and stars, ridiculous but with the hilarious premise that there exists a group who believes the South won the Civil War.
• The Darjeeling Limited Because I love Wes Anderson and have been wanting to re-watch this for a while. I loved it again; Joe fell asleep. And oh is Adrien Brody the cutest, with his bare feet and beads!
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s time.
• American Experience: Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation I highly recommend this to folks who think they’ve seen it all. It helped clarify some of the timeline confusions and other logistical misunderstandings I’ve accrued in my lifetime.
• Woodstock We had a few folks over to see the movie on the anniversary, including two of our three daughters because we try to be good parents. Joe Cocker is always a highlight for me, and Jimi lighting up the morning makes me cry. Sigh. We played the hilarious Bad Lipreading version of Joe Cocker’s performance, and John Belushi’s imitation as well.
• Hard Eight Not long ago we went on a P.T. Anderson binge. I don’t know how we missed this one. I enjoyed it, a nice little romance, some crime in Vegas, and an appearance by Phillip Seymore Hoffman if you look closely.
• Paris is Burning 1990 documentary on the New York drag scene. We learned a lot about things we knew nothing about, including “balls” and “families.” Our young friend who is in the know assures us this scene is going strong in Atlanta. This movie tugged at the heartstrings and caused Joe to comment, “Those guys are no more men than I am a woman.” We watched this one because I saw it on a list of documentaries that “Everyone Should See!!!”
• Jackie Brown Just too much fun, so much in one little movie! We were trying to catch up on Quentin Tarantino after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I’ve never seen Samuel L. Jackson look so ridiculous and still he’s terrifying. Pam Grier, though, Pam Grier! She just steals the show in every scene. Mesmerizing. Loads of fun!
• Wonder Boys I was so exhausted after this movie. Sort of like watching Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe in that I just wanted everyone to go to sleep! I have friends who’ve watched this caper over and over. I give it bonus points for the soundtrack and the New England setting. And dang, everything Frances McDormand touches is gold.

It’s hard to have the words “Movie” and “Blog” in the same title without talking about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t been said. Joe, who has seen it twice and is willing to see it again, as I am after seeing it once, seeks out podcasts and interviews of folks chatting about this movie. He comments to me about what he hears, how wrong they are, how right they are, what they missed, what they got right, etc… To which I reply, why aren’t YOU doing a podcast about movies? Why aren’t YOU keeping a blog?

As I’ve said, I’m not writing about movies. I’m writing about being married to a man who should be writing about movies. Instead, he is, right this moment, sitting downstairs waiting for me to join him. He probably has the remote in his hand, the screen loaded and ready, and I have no idea what’s on for tonight.

One last thing: Leonardo DeCaprio was off the charts in Hollywood.

Update: Joe’s calling me on my phone to join him. I was right as rain.