Crazy Weekend

This past weekend was quite an adventure. I've been to Atlanta and back twice, presented a paper at the SAMLA conference and had some time left over to spend with the family and watch some movies.

1. SAMLA Conference: A professor here at UGA organized a panel entitled "Digital Poetry and Poetics:  Definitions and Explorations". Being that I was in his class last fall that dealt with the topic, he asked me to present. Me, along with three colleagues presented on such things as technopoetry, machine poetry and flash poetry. We were happy that about six people showed up to listen. I was less nervous than expected and the panel was a success.

2. My Laptop: After driving home from Atlanta along with the family (1 1/2 hour ride each way) I realized that I had forgotten my laptop at the hotel. I was forced to drive back the next morning to pick it up.

3. Vision Video: One thing I really enjoy about Athens is that here the independent video store still exists. Hollywood video and Blockbuster are long gone but Vision Video, a local favorite is still going strong. True, most things are now available either through Netflix or your local public library but the experience of a traditional video store is something I really enjoy. What makes this store especially good is that you can tell they put a lot of care in choosing their inventory. Their selection of foreign films and documentaries is top-notch and their "director spotlight" highlights 'auteur' cinema. And of course, like all traditional video stores they have their employee picks. The prices are pretty good as well. Here's what we picked up last week: Emma (BBC), Community (Season 1 Disc 3), Que he hecho yo para merecer esto? (Almodovar - for class), The Sleep Dealer (Alex Rivera)

Touchdown!

Yes, our little guy is a big football fan. He wears his Georgia red with pride and loves to raise his arms for touchdowns. Now, we just got to get him to like the real 'futbol'. 

They Don't Make Movies Like They Used To

I don't consider myself "old" but I have come to the point where I think I can say that "things aren't what they used to be" or "In my day this or that was so much better than it was now". Sometimes I feel this way when watching movies that are way before my time. When I watch certain films they create a certain displaced nostalghia for things I never lived or things never seen. I felt this way a few weeks ago while watching Alexander Mackendrick's Sweet Smell of Success. 

A noirish inspired film that deals with a columnist's desire to break up the relationship between his sister and a jazz musician. The columnist (Lancaster) hires a press agent (Curtis) to smear the reputation of his sister's love. It is a simple plot accompanied by excellent acting by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. As I watched I kept thinking to myself "Could a movie with such a simple plot be made today?" I concluded that it's definitely possible but not likely. Nowadays we are bombarded with convoluted plots and over-the top special effects that lack the simplicity of their predecessors. This is the case not only with Hollywood cinema but also with so-called Art Cinema that praises ambiguity in plot and form. Of course there are examples of taking a simple plot and action and creating something special, but these are few and far between. Can anybody think of any? I certainly struggle to think of any.

Should we expect more from movies today? I believe so. And if we continue being presented with these types of movies then we need to look back and experience cinema when it was at its most simple and at its best.