Journal

I've been keeping a journal since I was in high school. I ended up throwing away the first 5 years- it all sounded so dumb. I also threw away another big chunk so now what I have is some notebooks going back to 2005, plus some enries that I made on the computer.

Nowadays I always write on the computer. One problem is that a year ago I had to delete my hard drive and one whole year had to go. It didn't bother me because nothing had really happened. Nothing happens in my life; it's very boring. I guess I'm lucky. In fact, I know I'm lucky.

My family is, for the most part, happy and healthy, as am I. I'm in my mid-30s and both of my parents are still living. Plus I have an enjoyable job and a place to sleep and a little bit of money and I owe less than $300.

I wish, though, that my diary was more interesting (I almost went back and deleted "diary" and replaced it with "journal" but, why bother?).

Maybe I'll start making entries here at RJ Battles instead of on Microsoft Notepad. That'll force me to make them more interesting.

The reason that I've always kept a journal is because I wanted to preserve my memories. My goal was always to record events that happened so that I could go back and read the diary and instantly be brought back to that particular day. It hasn't worked.

So maybe this new way will be better. We'll see tomorrow.

"Lost in Translation"

I was reading Final Girl last night and saw her review of Battle Royale (2000). The name sounded familiar- where have I heard that recently? I know. Online I saw a clip of Quentin Tarentino listing his 20 favorite movies since 1992. Battle Royale was his top pick. He listed some other Japanese movies, including Audition, which Final Girl reviewed recently also. Plus, Boogie Nights, Speed, and The Matrix. A lot of his choice surprised me, especially Lost In Translation. I'll defend Sofia Coppola for The Godfather III, but I'm not crazy about her movies. The Virgin Suicides was good for what it was- it set a mood, which I consider one of the best things a movie can do, but I don't really like the mood that she set. Then there's Marie Antoinette- it doesn't do anything for me.

And then there's Lost In Translation. I'd seen parts of it before. It's just people lying in bed watching TV. That's what I do and I don't want to see that. Boring.

I'm 45 minutes into this movie, I keep waiting for it to wow me but I just wanna go to bed. Is this really a good movie? Really?

"Pumped Up Kicks"

"Pumped Up Kicks"
Foster The People

My friend Amy slept over last night and she woke up before I did so while I was laying in bed I heard some of the songs that were playing on whatever music station she had the TV turned to- probably VH1- and I heard this song and I love it.

It's so cool and so fucking catchy. I've been playing and replaying it on Youtube for the past half hour and I can't get enough of it. Check it out.

Corinne Bailey Rae "The Love EP"

The Love EP
Corinne Bailey Rae
Released: March 13, 2011

I wish more artists would do things like The Love EP. I love covers. Of course, my favorite thing is when musicians cover recent songs, like when Joss Stone recorded The White Stripes's "Fell in Love With a Girl", but I'll settle for an older song.

Here, Corinne Bailey Rae covers Prince, Wings, and Bob Marley, but most importantly, Belly. That was a surprise. Even more surprising was the song choice. It wasn't "Feed The Tree" or "Gepetto" or even "Judas My Heart". She chose "Low Red Moon", the slow, dark track that closes side one of Star.

"Low Red Moon" is the second track here, and it stands in sharp contrast to the song that opens the EP, Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

Here's the full tracklist:

1. I Wanna Be Your Lover
2. Low Red Moon
3. Is This Love
4. My Love
5 Que Sera, Sera

If you like Corinne Bailey Rae, or if your just interested in hearing new versions of these songs, then you should pick up The Love EP, it's a great CD.

David Fincher and flashlights

I've never seen this mentioned anywhere before, but David Fincher seems to be obsessed with flashlights. In Se7en there are some scenes of cops in dark rooms shining flashlights. In Panic Room, Kristen Stewart does Morse Code with a flashlight. Even in The Social Network there's a party scene towards the end where cops show up with flashlights. I'm pretty sure Zodiac had some flashlight scenes too- I can't remember. You can go back to David Fincher's early work- Aerosmith's video for "Janie's Got A Gun" has cops with flashlights searching a car.

Estelle Parsons

I was just watching the last 20 minutes of Dick Tracy. I remember I saw it when I was 14 and I had a really hard time following it.

Anyway, the credits rolled and I was looking over all the big names. When it came to the characte of Tess Trueheart's mother it said "Estelle Parsons".

Why does that name sound so familiar? I looked it up and now I know- Estelle Parsons was Beverly, Roseanne's mother on Roseanne.

Online, I noticed that Parsons starred was in Bonnie & Clyde and I'm thinking that's probably where she met Warren Beatty.

Estelle Parson's was great on Roseanne.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club (1985) directed by John Hughes

A lot of people love John Hughes's movies from the 1980s. And for most people, their favorite is The Breakfast Club. I have a soft spot for those movies too, but my favorite is Weird Science- it's more of a sex comedy and it's very funny (we'll talk more about it some other time).

Anyway, The Breakfast Club was on yesterday and it had been a long time since I'd seen it all the way through so I watched it.

It was hard. The movie has some good scenes- it's like a well written play- but there are certain scenes that I can't even look at. I'm talking about those ridiculous 1985 dance scenes. They seemed out of place back when I saw TBC in the late 80s and now they just seem funny but not in a good way. How about when Emilio Estevez shouts and the glass shatters.

And speaking of glass shattering. Whenever I'm flipping around and happen to catch TBC at the beginning I always forget about the David Bowie quote. It's something from one of his older albums, Hunky Dorey maybe, and remember how the image acually shatters and the pieces fall away like it's a Friday the 13th title sequence?

I just can't take The Breakfast Club seriously. It's a total product of 1985. It's a shame when talented people try to be fashionable instead of trying to be timeless.

I'll say one good thing, though: I love the scene where Judd Nelson sticks his knife into a table or chair or something, and then when nobody's looking Ally Sheedy reaches over and steals it. Perfect. That's better than 10 shattering David Bowie quotes.