Sunday, October 23, 2005

In your eyes, the light, the heat

I checked out a matinee of A History of Violence yesterday. I loved everything about this movie. First, the cast is amazing. Maria Bello and Viggo Mortenson, as a married couple who go about their workaday lives but still burn and yearn, are spot on. Their son is played by Ashton Holmes. I've never seen this kid before. If he's not a break-out star already from this performance, give it a minute. Oh, and Ed Harris is in it. No surprise, he's smashing. The story is set in a small town in Indiana just like the one that spawned yours truly. You'll find family and love and life and danger and possibly important secrets. My hometown didn't have much of that. We did have a Tasty-Freeze, though. You oughta check this joint out, seriously. It's got a noirish vibe to it, but the sex and violence is decidedly modern. You may also see Viggo's ass (grrrrr). Sold?

Added: They showed a trailer for Memoirs of a Geisha that I hadn't seen before. This is gonna be hot. I'd sex Ken Watanabe. Who else LOVED this book?

PS On the way to the theater, I tossed my spent Crest Whitestrip out the car window and I've been feeling just terrible about it ever since.

21 comments:

Will said...

Why is it always small towns which have the worst kind of murders, mystery and general mayhem?! I don't get it! It's statistically improbable!

But it does make good viewing, I admit. And them corn-fed farmboys are really good viewing.

Michael said...

You must be right about the statistics, wingedman, but I think lotsa freaky shit is going down on the farm. "In Cold Blood" anyone? Oooh, "Capote" should be out about now.

I think one of the questions this movie asks is whether the tendency to violence is in our genes or a function of circumstances. Gosh, I want to see this again. How was it so small and quiet while still being so suspenseful and gaudily violent? OK, I'll stop.

Anonymous said...

michael, re: the crest white strip incident...

'As they say on TV, the mere fact that you realize you need help indicates that you are not too far gone. ...


loulou

The Other Andrew said...

Sharing your bad behaviour with the Internets is the first step in healing.

Plus it makes for our entertainment.

Did you see Viggo in the remake of Psycho? Skinnier than I normally like, but as a lanky cowboy he was teh sexy.

yani said...

I'm totally hanging out for Memoirs of a Geisha... I adored the book (I need to buy my own copy though, since I borrowed it from a friend), and when I heard the movie was coming out I was a very happy boy!

Michael said...

Loulou and Andrew, you'll be seeing me on Dr. Phil any week now. Phil will be looking. Phil will ape his incredulous look to the audience at one point, and they'll avert their gaze from me. I'm guessing.

Andrew, I never caught the Psycho remake. Viggo looks good in this. Nice chest, lightly dusted with hair, greying at the temples, maybe a slight roll around the middle..need I go on?

yaniboy, I LOVED the book as well. It transported me in a way that I love. If the movie is close to what the trailer promises, it should be awesome.

Anonymous said...

A shot of the crinkled, gel-less strip brought up on that screen. You cringe. "Look away! Look away!!" Yeah, I can see that.

Ken Watanabe. He's so toasty and brown and taught, ya know? I admit I bought, yes bought, the Last Samurai just for him . What a smile, and those dark eyes ... and he's tall and kinda lickable. Lick, lick, lick.

Memoirs, I shall definitely see. :D

loulou

The Other Andrew said...

I didn't mind the Psycho remake, but I have only seen the original once and am not as 'precious' about it as some people get. It's not brilliant but I find the idea of making a shot for shot remake kind of cool, plus it had a bunch of my favourite actors in it (I don't include Anne Heche in that - traitor!). Any film with Viggo and big Vinnie Vaughan can't be all bad... plus I heart Julieanne Moore.

Michael said...

I had nothing against remaking it, but I didn't really love the original, so....
Viggo's in it? Hmmmmm.

Michael said...

Loulou,
Ken is eminently lickable. He looks hot in this trailer. All lusty in the eyes.

The Other Andrew said...

Ken Watanabe = oishii desu.

Michael said...

Ja, sehr oishii desu.

The Other Andrew said...

That heady mix of German and Japanese. Yeah, whisper sweet nothings in my ear baby. Watashi wa liebe Nihon-go und Deutsch desu!

Michael said...

Now I'm trying to construct a hot sentence in Mandarin, but all my nouns are household items and my verbs are bodily functions.

The Other Andrew said...

Could still work, depends what you're trying to say though, doesn't it sweetie?

Anonymous said...

*cough* Ken of the dark lusty eyes is taut as opposed to * cough * taught. Idiot childee, loulou.

Well, I'm sure he knows how to do things with that taut bod. Wild and bad and japanese things. Exotic asian-style pleasures handed down in a secret ceremony thru' generations of lovely toasty men.

(I think I was writing while imagining and my spelling went out the window.)

Not enough Ken (in the trailer) but incredibly stylish trailer. Quite edible.


loulou

Anonymous said...

ps I learned to play the koto when I was nine. And I can sing a japanese song while playing… that'd draw him into my web.

Bloody well done deal, really. (slurp)

loulou

Michael said...

Exotic asian-style pleasures handed down in a secret ceremony thru' generations of lovely toasty men.

OK, now I'm sprung. At work.

You play exotic instruments and sing in foreign tongues, loulou? You intrigue me.

Anonymous said...

French and Spanish too. And I've used 'em on the natives to great effect. You know, singin' and speakin' and other stuff. Muy agradable. Très, très merveilleux. Hah!


loulou

Michael said...

loulou,
At this point in our relationship I feel a bit odd asking you this, but you're a girl, right?
Kisses,
Mike

Anonymous said...

Big smoochies right back, Mikey.

Yes. *looks down, adjusts my favourite girls in their underwire* Definitely, and what a lovely question cuz I know just what you mean. You and Andrew, with his words over on Other, both have me blushing.


loulou