This Side of Lost

Most combinations of these two things are generally comedy gold in my world, as evidenced by many past posts. The most recent evidence is my frequent and sustained laughter at many images of cats juxtaposed with hilarious captions. (Be warned, some of the captions are of an adult nature.)

Internet phenomena like this fascinate me. Is there a PhD in Internet weirdness? If so, sign me up.

Thanksgiving was good fun. We flew out of LA on Wednesday morning (avoiding the accident and ensuing horrific traffic on the 405) to Georgia. Thursday was spent chilling on Tybee Island with Samantha's uncle Will and his family, having a non-traditional and delicious seafood meal. Friday featured the standard turkey and fixin's courtesy of Samantha's dad. Mix in seeing some family friends and other good restaurant choices (Waffle House, what?) adds up to a delicious weekend and a very successful visit.

We are now definitely into the holiday season. Samantha and I were worried that it would be difficult getting into the holiday mood, what with the being far away from home and the lack of snow and all. So we've pulled out the Mannheim Steamroller and Christmas Fest CDs early, decorated the apartment with what little Christmas stuff we have and went Christmas shopping. I think it worked. That, and the multiple singing gigs have about done it. And it is considerably cooler in the evenings. Enough to wear a scarf, sometimes.

In other news:
* I need to post my last two AFI reviews and a short bit about our upcoming belated honeymoon. Help me remember this.
* Netflixed recently: Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars (pretty fun -- about what I expected after hearing about it from Samantha, who has been a fan since childhood), Auntie Mame (long and fantastic, interesting societal commentary that really holds up well) and Gilmore Girls, Season 1, Disc 1 (addicted already-- it's a good thing I don't actually have television).
* I've found a strange and wonderful webcomic called Dresden Codak. I can't quite put a finger on why I enjoy it so much. I'm actually thinking of fiscally contributing, something that I have never done to any of the webcomics I read.
* Justin Morneau, first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, won the American League Most Valuable Player award -- arguably the greatest single-season achievement a baseball player can attain. Just the capper on what turned out to be a very exciting and memorable season for my hometown team.
* I was required to purchase a more advanced form of formal attire for the Angeles Chorale: tails. They are fun, I recommend them. I now truly feel like a penguin when I put on my concert duds.

Tuesday is the funniest day of the week. Have I posted about that? Okay, another upcoming post! Anyway, time to go to more rehearsal.

For those of you who are unaware, I'm kind of a webcomic nerd. One of the many I read regularly is Diesel Sweeties (found at dieselsweeties.com), written by one R Stevens. It's a distinctive comic, drawn in an unusual style (in low resolution "pixelated" art) and very, very funny. And, wonder of wonders, this particular webcomic is making the rare transition from Internet publication to print syndication. As far as I know, there are very few comics that have done this. It has the potential to be groundbreaking for webcomics in general.

But R needs your help. Papers will not automatically start printing his comic unless someone tells them to. So, if you are a newspaper reader and would enjoy seeing a hilarious, intelligent and saucy comic in your daily paper, read on! If you look at his news page today, he has information on how to contact your local paper and request his comic. He even has a bribe.

I am composing my letter after I finish this post. If you are like me and find that your Sunday comics don't deserve the name "funnies" anymore, here's your chance to make a difference.

In 1956, Edna Ferber's novel was adapted for the big screen by George Stevens. Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor star as Bick and Leslie Benedict in the story of a Texas rancher family across decades. James Dean costars as brooding farmhand Jett Rink.

Giant is exactly the kind of movie I expected to see when we started this project. At 210 minutes, it is indeed giant, but it needs that long to tell the entire story. The plot is rich, engrossing and complex, full of character intricacies, conflict and adventure. Hudson and Taylor are superb in their roles, playing them with elegance and emotion. Taylor looks just as smashing as the young debutante than she does aged 30 years as the family matriarch.

This is the first time I've seen James Dean on film. I must say, I think I understand what all the fuss was about. His style of acting is completely different from Hudson and Taylor -- much more moody and laconic. He's obviously very talented -- truly a shame he died so soon after.

The movie itself is gorgeous. The production values are very high and the sweeping Texas landscapes effectively frame the huge story. The movie makers convincingly bring the characters through different periods of fashion and generations of family.

Most surprising, however, is the social themes that the movie deals with. It must have been shocking to an 1956 audience to see sensitivity to Hispanic immigrants portrayed, even as stereotyped as the characters appear. Add in the effects of oil on the Texan economy and social world and a variety of interfamilial conflicts and you have a movie with important things to say -- things that still sound fresh after 50 years.

I was very impressed by this movie. I didn't even know it existed before I watched it, and now it's one of my favorites of the project.

(See this post if you're confused why I'm reviewing movies.)

We are off to Minnesota today for eight days of sunshine and playing in the surf. Happy holidays to you!