Day 15-16 [pt. 1] (Jan. 27-28): A lazy man's Fight Club

ANSWER: This Ocean current outdoes any river; at maximum flow off the Carolinas, its flow is 3,500 times the Mississippi's.

-Day Fifteen-

What do I mean by part one? As mentioned in the previous entry, I pulled an all nighter. I decided that instead of murking up the line and not knowing when the all nighter ends and the flight begins, I will go until the break of dawn and finish off the series with an entry just about the bittersweet departure (I am probably going to do a retrospective as well, but not until the weekend possibly). As a result, you also will not see the Question for January 28 until then.

Because I went to bed late, I wake up around noon and hang out by myself for awhile. I have grown to appreciate the free time to myself and I cannot just jump into situations. I need to get psyched up for the day. On this day, I was pretty much in a cheerful mood, if just because I picked the right music. When I finally got up, I walked by the living room, where I have been meaning to mention that someone in that family owns a plush version of the dragon from Pete's Dragon. I kind of admired that because "Brazzle Dazzle Day" has been a go to song for cheering me up.

Bambi and Violet were the only two performers left. About six stayed at the house and most left before noon. I had some breakfast and ended up talking to Natalie's mom for a decent amount of time about the origin of our cats. Where did they come from, and what they mean to us. I have been trying to get her cats attention during my brief stay there, and it was unsuccessful. I really derailed conversations quickly whenever a cat entered the room because, well, I wanted their attention. 

Bambi, Alex, and I just began talking about the differences between London and Los Angeles as well as just about life in general. Alex was counting money from the night before and we also got on a little rant on different currency as well. Alex was impressed that I was involved so much with the conversation, but truthfully, things have been odd and I just cannot jump into conversations that feel exclusive, like I needed to be somewhere in order to get something. That tends to be what most conversations were with Alex's friends. Not this one. We were just talking about random things, and yes, I had things to say.

We were eventually all set to go and the four of us headed for the train, and later the boat back to the mainland. Alex spent a good portion of the ride talking about his PR days and how This Is It is not a Michael Jackson scam. Sometimes you have to wonder if Alex was still in the PR gig, what stories he would have to share. I cannot see how anyone would fire him. He really does have charisma and dedication. When we arrived, we said goodbye to Bambi and Violet and took our long trains back to Rye. I have nothing but positive words to say about those two, as I felt like we got along just great. 

During the train ride, I ended up listening to Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. A whole two hour episode, which was very much an endurance test. If these shows were 70 minutes tops, this would be a really solid addition to my weekly listening. I was laughing and just enjoying the stories. However, the longer it got, the more I wanted to turn it off and just move on with my life. However, because the ride was so long, I stuck it out and kind of am back to being opposed to listening weekly as I initially planned. Still, I think that they're more entertaining than I initially gave them credit for last year.

I forget what the rest of the train ride featured. Knowing me, it was probably another Lena Dunham interview. I remember listening to quite a few. Either that, or the Auteurcast. I really forget what it was exactly. We eventually got to Hastings, which was the last stop because there was work being done on the rails between that point and Rye. To compensate, the train company hired a bus to take us the rest of the way.

Alex and I took to the back row, which lead to a lively discussion about where the cool kids sat on the bus. I honestly didn't know because I had a father who loved me enough to drive me to school. After that died down, we started what felt like a lazy man's Fight Club. Basically, we spent the remainder of the trip punching each other in the shoulder. Usually I give up rather quickly, but this time, I stuck it out and part of me regrets it, but I couldn't let Alex win. In the end, I felt that we both lost. My shoulder still hurts like hell.

Once in Rye, we got snacks and began to prepare for the ultimate all nighter. We figured that a few hours of sleep would do us good. We headed to our rooms and I tried to get sleep. However, around 11, I realized that I wasn't quite to that point yet. I caught up on Sundance coverage and watched my favorite Ellen Page compilation Youtube video, which is one set to KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See." It got blocked in the states for some reason, so I abused the privilege. I was at peace.

However, my suitcase was empty. All of my clean clothes were stacked on the floor and nothing had the look of leaving. It became a dilemma of getting everything in its proper place. However, after catching up on all of the Sundance news, it was time to just sit back and enjoy podcasts. That happened until about 2:30 AM, when I finally got up and about and sloppily threw everything together. When I closed everything up, I was listening to By the Way, which had Lena Dunham on.

Let me just say up front that I do not hate Jeff Garlin on Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, I do not like him as an addition to podcasts. His voice just gets to me and he is somewhat of a blowhard. However, his show has had two great guests on, and they have been fascinating subjects. First was Larry David (which is well worth listening to) and Lena Dunham. Somehow, they produce great subjects, but Jeff Garlin just bugs me. It almost makes me wish that it was reverse and that these guests were interviewing him. Larry David is so great, he needs a show. 

I passed out sometime in that period. Where was Alex in all of this? Here is the reality. We were supposed to meet up at 1 AM. I was up doing stuff at that time. When it didn't happen, I began listening to podcasts. Suddenly, I turn off the lights because I don't need it. He's knocking on the door while I am listening to stuff. I don't hear it. Note, I have gone to the bathroom at least two times that night, and neither signified a crossing of paths. I passed out at 6 AM and saw him at 8 AM saying that I had 90 minutes to get ready. Luckily I did actually pack before I passed out.

Sundance coverage isn't much, but some noteworthy things. Fruitvale is the big prize winner there. It may arguably be one of the possible Oscar contenders for next year. I don't know what it is about, but I know that I probably will see it now. Also, keep an eye out for Escape From Tomorrow, which is a guerrilla style film shot at Disney World and has been described as very David Lynchian. I don't know why, but as Girl Walk // All Day will prove, I just enjoy something about guerrilla style fictional narratives.

It has been a great trip, but it isn't over yet. Got a little bit more time to go before I wish you all adieu. Check out what happened after 8 AM in the next entry.

QUESTION: What is the Gulf Stream?

Day 10 (Jan. 22): "When the f**k did we get ice cream?"

ANSWER: This bluesman's first top 40 hit was 1964's "Rock Me Baby."

-Day Ten-

Today was probably the last of the glorious "We have nothing to do" days for the remainder of the trip. Wednesday would be London, Thursday would be out to see Natalie in the Isle of Wight, and by the weekend, I need to get ready to get out of here. However, as I write this, I realize just how much I cherish the lack of things to do. While the weekend and snow tampered that in an extremist sort of fashion, I do enjoy the idea of being stranded. I don't get that in California more than once every few years. Don't get me wrong, going places is essential, but there is something awe inspiring about nothingness sometimes.

Continuing my trend, I woke up before Alex and was up in my room finishing off the WTF with Marc Maron episode with Dave Grohl. Ever since I was little, I have found myself oddly fascinated  by Grohl. Maybe at first for Foo Fighters, but he just seemed to be so passionate about music. However, I still argue my favorite Grohl moment remains the Queens of the Stone Age song "Song for the Dead" in which he has that ridiculous drum opening. I don't know why, but that is my token rock star song where I grab twigs and bang pillows until I hit in time. Mind you, I only play bass. I also wrote a report on Grohl in seventh grade. He hasn't aged well with me, but I still respect him as a passionate musician.

Downstairs, we regrouped and discovered that someone named John was going to come over to visit. Who is John? For starters, he is a friend of Alex's that has spent a year in Australia. We got down to discussing what we would do when we saw him. It was assumed that we would have access to an X-Box, in which we would be playing games up in Alex's room for a very, very long afternoon. Now that sounded great. I personally didn't want to leave the house. 

Up in Alex's room, I sat on his bed while he tidied up. Cracking a window, he played me this odd band called Violent Delight that makes no sense lyrically. However, one thing that I am going to miss about this trip is being forced to watch Alex rock out to music. He is just so endearing when he does it. He is selling out to some One Direction music (that he swears is for a cover, but if that cover will ever appear is still up for discussion).

I sat reading Alan Sepinwall's book "the Revolution was Televised." To refresh everyone, I have been trying to get into film criticism notably to test my skills. Sepinwall is a big reason for that. Listen to Firewall &Iceberg and you'll understand. TV is a fascinating landscape if you know where to look. He is chronicling the most significant dramas that shaped TV of the last 25 years. I have only read 40 pages, and man, I might as well quit. He is so poetic in how he turns chapters on shows into a historical lecture mixed with significant tidbits. I learn so much.

The fact is, he knows how to write criticism about TV. I don't know the first thing, even if I do it five times a week. Of course, I try to pat myself on the back and say that one year out from film criticism for me was not exactly any more glorious than my first year of critiquing TV. Still Sepinwall clearly evokes passion and is very confident in every single syllable. I could only aspire to be him, though he also knows a ton about TV that I have no idea exists. In closing, he is so convincing as a writer that he makes Oz sound like the greatest show ever. He doesn't use hyperbole at all. It is just how he presents Oz as this risky, ground breaking show that makes you want to watch it. I'm on a chapter about the Sopranos and I cannot wait to get to Breaking Bad. This guy makes the history of TV fascinating. All I do is give the facts. I lose.

John shows up and we're back in the living room. Alex pretends that he is Tom Delonge while playing songs on an acoustic guitar. I cannot help but scream "spaceship" during the breaks to feel like a fitting tribute to where Delonge ended up. Chris disliked it, but Alex being a buffoon is still rather entertaining and man, I am beginning to realize that this is probably the thing that's going to symbolize my trip more than any film, building, or event. Alex playing guitar and singing poorly (semantics time: I only applied that to the LAST one).

John shows up and somehow my first instinct is to play Happy Birthday on guitar because that is one of 10 songs that I know how to play. Nothing phases the moment, and I am forced to get dressed. No problem. Alex and I talked about doing a snack run when John got there. I figured that discussion on hooking up games was planned out while I was gone. I was ready to just go to that store and buy some drinks and have some fun. Really, as many lazy days as we have had, we just haven't had one of those pointless lazy binge days.

We got into John's car. Already odd. We have walked to the market to buy goods many times before now. However, I just roll with it. I notice he misses the turn to the market. In fact, we are soon surrounded by trees and fields covered in snow. We are now over 20 minutes away from the market. We are possibly in another city. It is hard to tell, but the signs give me an impression that the snacks were going to have to wait.

John is a nice guy. Alex and him caught up and I just sat in the back trying to find that moment to chime in. It seemed close to impossible. I knew nothing about Australia or their relationship as chums. I was just a friend who knew John for 30 minutes before realizing we were not going to buy snacks. Also, I have this weird streak of being more of a polite funny man. I can get crass, but the amount of perverted jokes coming from the front seat of the car was intimidating, speaking it almost felt like a code that me saying "Good one, Alex" would somehow make me look like an idiot. I try to be a decent person and sound smart, but I also spend so much time being quiet that I occasionally ponder if I am just not an interesting person in comparison to someone who can talk for an entire car ride and miss the market for snacks.

We ended up in Hastings. Parked next to the beach, it was cold as hell and neither Alex nor I was really dressed for the weather. I had a jacket on, but I was still not layered enough for winds or being right next to a beach or rain. Alex was worse off, wearing close to nothing but shorts and no jacket. He also claims that he wasn't wearing underwear, but that was not seen by me, so I won't justify that with a response.

We decided to have lunch at a Wetherstones, where we had round two of a burger. Alex claims that they are good, but I still could not find reason to agree with him. To his advantage, all it took was a different combination for the actual taste to reach my mouth. I liked the results. John and Alex controlled the conversation, so I just enjoyed my burger and waited for the rest of the day to happen. We hit an arcade for one game of air hockey and then we were back out to the car.

Next we ended up at John's house. We played X-Box there. It was some basketball game that I had no idea how to play on top of never playing X-Box before. I played as the WNBA for the first time, and it may be my best round of the few that we played. Still, the highlights was that Alex, the button masher expert somehow beat everyone, and then the computer, but not without taking on grotesquely exaggerated voices and shouting "SHAQUILLE!" and "WHITE MAN!" which made sense in the context, and kept me from really focusing on the game for most of my time. I don't know what happened during that game, but it was probably the funnest thing besides actually getting snacks.

John drove us back to Rye shortly after we finished playing games. He was blasting terrible dance music and talking to Alex. The windows were fogged up pretty bad, so I was forced to have to listen to them or risk one of my sixth senses going insane. When we finally landed back at the house, we took a few moments to get our plan in orders before finally getting snacks, which persisted of Kit Kats, Doritos, and Fanta sodas. 

From there, we popped on my introductory English stand up comedian: Russell Howard. I don't know if Alex has some ulterior motive with his selection, but it seemed like he found one that I connected with quickly. While the references were oh so British, it was a lot of observational humor mixed with some crass, delusional selections that all felt authentic to the author. I worry that the show, which exceeded 80 minutes, may have suffered from my unfamiliar relationship with UK specials. Only legendary comedians who have been around in the George Carlin pantheon can dare go on for more than 80 minutes, which even then seems gratuitous. No lie, Howard can hold a crowd, even though there was a bit of filler. 

I enjoyed it quite a bit and since it is rare, I will mention that I laughed out loud quite a bit. I can only hope that Alex's next few selections can compare. Howard is really funny and I am glad that I discovered him. I'd like to say more, but I cannot think of too much at the moment. I will probably mention him often provided the other material (which I am sure will be great) resonates with me enough. Also, this bodes well with how I may perceive Alex and his stand-up, which I will be seeing soon. You'll probably hear about that shortly after, I am sure.

After an episode of Friday Night Dinner, we called it quits and I enjoyed my ongoing Auteurcast series on David Fincher with the episode on the Game. It may be subliminal, but I really want to see the Curious Case of Benjamin Button when I get home. I own it, so it won't be too hard to manage, but the amount of times that I hear "Fincher is a genius" just makes me want to watch his work over and over. Also, it reminds me that I still need to see Panic Room.

No Sundance news, as I fell asleep before I could get to it. However, random story collection from the past day. ABC has cancelled Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23, so I am simultaneously glad that I won't be too far behind in recaps and sad that I won't get to enjoy the one show that I felt had loads of potential. Also, Louis C.K. has written me (and his e-mail listers) that Louie is coming to the UK soon. Bravo! I will no longer feel like a cheat, even though I wonder if it will translate. However, with the amount of times that Alex says "cynicism," I think that it should.

Other than that, no real news stories. It wasn't much of a day besides being dragged around in John's car. In truth, it was a nice trip because I still do not understand how England's roads work. I have understood the lights for some time, but the road marks are still odd. Speaking that I have spent 95% of my transportation on a train, I haven't had to deal with drivers too often. I have gotten over the issue with different sides, but some of the road marks are still odd, and I felt like screaming "No, you're going to crash!" when he made turns. However, who has the license? The guy who was in Australia for a year. I rest my case.

Then again, will I remember how to drive when I get back to America? That is a serious question. I haven't had to touch a wheel for some time now, and while I am sure two weeks will not necessarily cause impairment, you do wonder if you are somewhat slower. At very least, I feel like if I go back to America and simple quick paced walks gets me out of breath, I need to get in shape. I am not a wreck, but damn does the cold mess with me in times of a rush.

I will try to get my experience in London to you before I leave for the Isle of Wight. Alex has no idea what is happening with that, and I have failed to compensate with plans. Hopefully expect it very soon, but otherwise, I will try to get it to you ASAP. I will admit that the lack of internet connection in public here has forced me to be observant. That is one pro for printed media. You don't need wifi. You just need someone to pay attention.  

QUESTION: Who is B.B. King?

Day 9 (Jan. 21): Blowing up the ranch

ANSWER: In 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. got a Ph.D from Boston University in this, the study of religion.

- Day 9 - 

I woke up rather late today. Around 10 or something like that. After getting ready and shuffling down the stairs, I once again found myself triumphant in beating Alex out of bed. I began to research everything, as I noticed that today was January 21. Since my audience will be dominantly American/cultured, I will just blankly state that it was a rather significant day for a few reasons. Notably, January 21 is Martin Luther King Day AND the Presidential Inauguration. I got a kick out of these two things combating each other for recognition if just because Obama's re-election (which I was in favor of) is brilliant symbolism to how far Martin Luther King Jr. had gone in his existence. 

However, I didn't notice it until BBC was on and suddenly they announce that they will be doing coverage of the event. It began to hit me. This may be the first inauguration that I have just straight up missed since the 90's. While I fail to find interest in being political, I do feel that there are some requirements in being a proud citizen. One is caring enough about the inaugural speeches. 

I remember in 2009 during my second semester of college. I had an 8 AM class. I am convinced that the teacher was blitzed out of his mind in some form or another. It wasn't long into the semester and he was already just the gawky guy who I felt people took thinking that he was going to be an easy pass. Jump just a few weeks, he mysteriously was replaced by a substitute that eventually became our teacher (and going further, was willing to help me out because she shopped at my store). 

So, on January 20, 2009, we were sitting in the classroom and suddenly the teacher just began talking about the significance of the inauguration. He let us out literally 15 minutes into the class to go out and just experience the inauguration. That was his suggestion to why class was very short. No lie. I immediately went to my car within two minutes, turned on the radio, and they were halfway through the ceremony and 10 minutes away from his inaugural speech. I should have been more aware in the first place, but it was still amusing that he hyped it so much and it was almost already over. As of now, I haven't heard or seen anything from the coverage. If you have any leads of what to look for, please let me know.

As you may have also gotten wind of yesterday, the inauguration brought out the nostalgic side of me. Remembering America as this bright spot on my dark post-high school period. To some extent that was brought up because it was that day and also because there is still some disbelief of being in England (even still, it is like "this is unbelievably cool. How did I get here?"). Also, Alex tends to have fascinating stories and all I have is two years of trying to get back on track mixed with pseudo depression (mind you, I am referencing 2009-2011 roughly). Also, none of the people that I knew were quite as interesting or involved in my life as the people that Alex references.

The other big reason that January 21 was significant was because today was the day that we would finally see Django Unchained. This is easily the only film that I assumed that we would pay to see during this whole trip. In an odd turn of events, it was actually Viv who suggested it, as we are planning a trip to Cirque Du Soleil in London on Wednesday, which was the originally planned day. Just like that, the day was booked.

We grabbed a lunch at the Standard. Up until now, culture shock hasn't necessarily been a perfect word for anything that has happened. I have just accepted that some places don't have Dr. Pepper and others don't have refills. Simple things like that don't bother me. Oddly enough, I experienced the peak of my culture shock in five minutes at the Standard on that day. First came when I asked the waiter for ranch dressing, and I swear he gave me a look that shouted "GET OUT!" but in a polite way. The other is that Adam Ant in the Thin Blue Line is not Errol Morris' the Thin Blue Line. The radio lead me to believe that Adam Ant was somehow involved in a murder mystery until Alex cleared it up. Maybe it is the cinephile in me, but the Thin Blue Line will always be first and foremost referenced as a documentary before a TV show exists.

We just sat around talking about our lives. Alex explained to me the significance of the rave scene that has puzzled me for most of the trip. I mean, it is great in Trainspotting, but it seemed to be more than a junkie's gimmick in the time that I was out there. It is because of the musical influence. We also talked about troubled friends and Alex thoroughly made me understand why Jay and Silent Bob Get Old is worth giving another shot. There are just those friends in your life that you want to help out. I get it. I guess the problem right now is that the episode releases are too inconsistent. 

In closing, the burger had a chilli meat flavor going on. It was fine, but Alex assured me that it was because it was made from a certain healthy breed of cows and made from scratch in the kitchen. Also, the infamous dog that sleeps by the fire kept bugging us during our meal. It was great, if just because I finally got to see the appeal of a dog in a pub. However, it still feels weird that the dog pretty much surveys the place like he's the boss.

We finally left the house in the early afternoon and caught the train to Hastings. I decided to be quaint and listen to a podcast called The Treatment (host Elvis Mitchell probably will be remembered by me for his interview with Joaquin Phoenix in Interview Magazine where Phoenix says that "The Oscars are bullshit." I kind of love Phoenix more just because he is honest, and no, he wasn't strictly referencing the Oscars, but the campaigning process, which fortunately paid off). There was an interview with Quentin Tarantino about his new flick, and he also discussed the significance of food in his movies. I truthfully didn't notice it, but it is quite effective. However, if you want to hear a really twisted interview, listen to his most recent Fresh Air interview in which he says that he can relate to blacks because he grew up in a multi-racial neighborhood. I am fine with it up until his belief that it somehow makes it okay for him to write in a very black way. I have yet to look at Tarantino the same way since.

We made it to the theater in Hastings and everything was gravy. We had about five minutes to kill before the film started. After hearing "Tonight" from West Side Story on the speakers in the lobby, I was in a good mood (notably because yes, West Side Story is factually the best musical film adaptation ever). Alex and I sat around in the theater discussing our opinions on Tarantino. Up until this point, I had no idea what his thoughts were. Alex finds him to sometimes be too compulsive and has too much unnecessary stuff going on. I don't know, but as my review that will come will show, I think that he has reached his peak and needs to be controlled somehow. It really has the same things going for it that pissed me off with Heaven's Gate and that goddamn fucking stupid opening 30 minutes at the college scene. 

I am trying not sound pretentious with what I am about to say. In fact, I am not an expert on western films. I have taken a class and maybe have seen 20 over the course of five months. I understand the basics, sure, but that doesn't mean that I can tell you every single aspect worth mentioning. In fact, I forgot to look for that Shane moment in Django Unchained. I just worry that my broad overview of westerns and my enthusiasm for Sergio Leone's early work isn't keeping me from seeing the bigger picture.

Let us get down to the basics. The first 80 minutes is excellent. He honestly feels like he crafted a great revisionist film. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx are badasses in a fresh way. The pace is moving and while it feels more slapdash than his other films, this feels like a true western, but with a spice of Tarantino. To be broad without spoilers: everything before Calvin Candie feels like a true western. There is the sense that Django is out for revenge and he is doing it well. It flips the genre on its head, but still manages to pay homage.

Everything post Calvin Candie is troublesome. I will admit that the idea of rescuing his girlfriend is a necessary element. However, the second half IS NOT A WESTERN! It is indulgent and is just an excuse for Tarantino to give his patented long conversations that feel more bogus this time and come across like "Hey, I read 'the Three Musketeers.' Look at me!" I know it is wrong to hate on a film just because it isn't entirely a western, but even then, there are two films here that just don't mesh well. You have the first half, which is a slapdash heroic fantasy and the second, which is a negotiation film that could be summed up in under a half hour as opposed to almost what feels triple that. If they had edited it down, I would feel like maybe this film could maintain its western credibility.

Using Ennio Morricone scores and shoving Franco Nero in for a cameo was nice, but the western take just fell apart in order to try and add more significance to the romance than what was essentially needed. Like I said, it was necessary, but it felt heavily bloated and tried to show Tarantino style, as done through the eyes of slavery. The humorous first half was ruined by the second half, which really had too much going on and didn't serve much of a purpose in advancing the plot. The whole mandingo thing was nice, but it went nowhere. This is oddly the first time that I can honestly say that I probably was bored during a Tarantino film upon first viewing. 

It was also grating that it was trying too hard to be cutting edge. It addressed racism rather nonchalantly, but otherwise, was completely overblown. Also, the music cuts were poorly used. Even the Rick Ross song, as anachronistic and pointless as I found it on the CD, didn't boost the momentum of the scene. There isn't that much of the "reinventing a song's purpose" going on with this soundtrack. I don't think any old song will be referenced to as "that song from Django Unchained." I pray that this gets people to watch Django, though.

On a side note, Christoph Waltz is great and more deserving of that Oscar than Leonardo DiCaprio. Also, I LOVED the Duck You Sucker reference. I even kept myself from ignoring the film by noticing where all of the tropes fit in. Congrats, he hit almost every mark.

After an unceremonious ride back on the train set to the Auteurcast's episode on Se7en, we walked to the house. Chris and Viv told us that they might be out. However, it never clicked with anyone to give us the keys. We ended up sitting at the pub across the street, the Queen's Head, in which we chatted with the barman about the movie. Another odd moment is that Alex not only used a lot of cursing, but felt no need to hold back using the word nigger when referencing dialogue from the film. While I admire the need to quote sources properly, America has wussed me to just call it the n-word. I don't even try to say it because of reverence for a time passed that seems to be best summed up in Minor Threat's "Guilty of Being White" song. Yeah, I try to avoid being racist at most costs, but you know, that also involves respecting the right not to use certain words.

We also discussed fantasy film team-ups. It started with Kubrick and Hitchcock and quickly evolved into other selections. This immediately got derailed by talk of how shitty Sucker Punch was and if Guy Ritchie was a quality filmmaker. We also tried to discuss who was under appreciated comedians of the modern era, though mostly settling on Aziz Ansari. Also, bad mentions to Paul Rudd and Michael Cera (though as I said, Crystal Fairy is going to be one for the ages). 

We finally located Viv and Chris and got the keys to the house. We went inside and out waiting for us was chilli. Alex pulled out the cheese and we began serving it up. I noticed that it was meatless and very heavy on onions. I only later discovered that this was because that it wasn't chilli, but was pasta sauce for pasta. Viv made us pasta, and I am kind of bummed that I didn't realize it until after I thought that I had a decent bowl of chilli with cheese on it. Alex also tested me with how much cheese I wanted to use on the "chilli" by saying that I could take as much as I want. He almost immediately regretted it.

The rest of the night was uneventful, as we just sat around talking until I went to my room and finished off the Auteurcast episode. I also caught up on Sundance news. However, nothing more exciting than the premiere of the trailer for the East. 

You guys, Ellen Page is back! I admit that this sounds like a non-sci-fi version of Branded, but still. Love to hear Page talking again, and more significantly, acting in movies again. Dumb thing to say... again, speaking that she hasn't skipped a year with a release in quite some time. But... gah! I am easily amused.

Also realized that I missed the last four days of Stargroves Vlog, so I worked on that until eventually going to bed at 2:30. I know, it is late, but I was up on time the next day. I think it isn't jetlag anymore. It is my normal schedule telling me that I can do whatever I want when I want. However, it was quite a day to experience all of this, and notably find that the Imposter was on sale in the market. This feels like a big deal because, well, I don't think that any market around where I live of that scale would sell a documentary.

However, I must admit that I find it odd that I am becoming a bogus film fanatic. People loved Pitch Perfect and Django Unchained, and I disliked both for critical reasons. Kind of sad, I guess, but it is still interesting to notice how I change from year to year. I mean, I really don't want Tarantino to make any more revisionist history revenge flicks. It feels really stupid now. It is also odd that my most watched movie of last year was Girl Walk // All Day. That says something, though notably that the Master is not out on DVD yet.

Quite a day of trying to appreciate how civil rights have progressed in America through the sight of Martin Luther King, Obama, and Quentin Tarantino. It was an odd day, if just to experience the growth of America through British culture. Also, I still am weirded out by how fine Alex is saying certain words, though within perfectly referenced context. In ways, it was that moment where you realized that we were in a more progressive period. However, I still argue that Hairspray (either one, really) was a better portrayal of respecting minorities. 

I don't have much else to say. It has been one week in England, and it has been something. Sometimes I feel like I still am in the middle of a gag and that I am going to drive 20 minutes back home. As much as I enjoy England, you occasionally feel like home is very close. I am not suffering homesickness, but I do have that sense of disbelief occasionally. Notably, I just don't want to screw up my time with Alex by worrying. So far, so good.

QUESION: What is Theology?

Pictures!: Rye and Hastings

Rye Train Station

Rye Train Station Interior

Hastings Train Station

Cold weather

Teaser: In the next entry of photos, we visit Brighton, or do we?

Day 4 (Jan. 16): Hastings Gonna Haste

ANSWER: This name was shared by English pirates Dampier and Kidd.

-Day Four-

I am just letting you know that I probably will be posting pictures in an additional post today, as I do not have them readily available upon writing this post.

I was about to say that today was the most uneventful one in the stay so far. That is saying something when you consider that yesterday peaked at 2 PM and never quite picked up after that. It was a lot of television after 2 PM, and somehow, I was still willing to call it more eventful than today for the sole reason that it almost seemed like nothing happened. That is, until the sun went down.

Trying to catch up on sleep, I was up late until 4 AM. Tonight's soundtrack seemed to feature a heavy rotation of Pete's Dragon song "Happiest Home in These Hills." Somehow, the black humor and irony of contrasting love with brutality was so adorable at 4 AM. I listened to that song at least six times before I admitted that I was probably tired. Also. I checked out the latest installments of Anne Marsen's video blog called Stargroves Vlog, including the episode about IKEA that made me love her so much more. I am almost convinced that I will psychologically pick a girl who is brunette and adores tabbies. It may not be more than unintentionally subliminal, but I get the impression that it may happen.

Also, I forgot to talk about something that I teased on Facebook. How will I end up on Operation Kino this Friday? They have a lightning round section where they ask for Twitter submitted answers to questions vaguely associated with that week's news. This week was all about what foreign director should make a big Hollywood blockbuster. My main fear is that I posted an hour or two after the post, but I still have that joy in me that I'll be referenced on something eventually, especially since I feel like I have been sneaking onto their radar in the last two months. My answer? Gaspar Noe. I mostly just want to hear if David Ehrlich can do something with that. Of course, Noe is a ridiculous selection just because he has a film called Irreversible, which deals with... ahem, rape.

That was actually from Tuesday, but I felt like I was being mean not to bring it up. Otherwise, the rest of the sleep was uneventful and I woke up around 11. I admit that even in America, I want to be up early so that I at least feel psychologically productive. Good news, that just happened today. Been up since 7 and was listening to the next Analyze Phish episode while getting the room in order (Alex insists that there's a guest that will be using the room for the night).

Alex wasn't too far after. We basically sat around playing an acoustic guitar for awhile. Of course, being in the same room as someone who can play guitar makes me feel inferior. I like what they're playing, but then you pick up the guitar and all you can do is play a really beginner's version of Devo's "Mongoloid." Of course, that song is awesome no matter where you play it. I snuck in some "Freedom of Choice," but that was more because I remember the bass line. Truthfully, I don't know if it is time away from playing, but I cannot play too much bass on a guitar, even if it is just note-note-note.

Alex and Chris got my rail pass stuff taken care of and we were ready to roll by 1 PM. Alex and I went down to the train station to get everything in order. For the most part, no complaints. Just like the DMV in that you get in pay a price, and you're set. Change two weeks to two minutes and you have how I got my rail pass in a nutshell.

Looking at times, we decided to hold off on going to Hastings at that moment. We were going into town to see Gangster Squad, which I jokingly claimed was an odd way of reminding me of what Los Angeles looked like. There wasn't any showing that matched the train and our arrival, so we held off until the evening.

Instead, Alex bitched about wearing shorts in freezing cold weather that also featured a slick patch of ice. He admired the way that I recovered after my foot caught the edge of one. I think my limber nature from bagging all of these years is the one thing that I will take when I quit my job (Side note - don't take this as anything more than "you know I want to quit, so don't look shocked. I won't leave until I find a decent paying writing gig"). But still, that guy wore shorts for the entire time, bitched about it, and then claimed to be too proud to change. Mind you, he had two hours when we got back to the house to fix this, but no... he was too proud to even take advantage of free time to change his pants. He decided that "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" was a better call. Hope the irony isn't lost on you.

We caught the trail around five to go to Hastings. See? I told you that the day was uneventful. We practically wasted time in those two hours, and I caught up on some much needed writing. At the train station, we finally got going and Alex assures me that he likes to be incapsulated with much when he is on moving transportation. I sat next to a guy that was playing Against Me! for the entire 20 minute journey. Hope the irony isn't lost on you.

We swiped our cards to leave and suddenly we were in Hastings. Dark outside, and Alex occasinally bitched about wearing shorts and no underwear. I will admit that I felt some odd juxtaposition from the stereotypical England that I felt like Rye was. This place actually felt modern. Alex assures me the place sucks, but I was still in an odd appreciation and suddenly I wanted to see if he'd take me to where Attack the Block was filmed. Of course, I can't stand the risk of mugging, so I never brought it up.

But the place looked decent. However, we didn't even cross the street before Alex decided to take advantage of photo ops (I am officially convinced that me bringing a camera isn't too eventful). He took a photo of a truck that he claims looks like Optimus Prime. Maybe you'll see the photo later, but I still have no idea what he is talking about. He left me at the corner just so he could get a better shot.

When he finally returned, we bought our tickets from the movies and went to have a snack. I am still confused on why my stomach has been oddly empty, full, or congested at odd hours, but I am sure that it is just adjustment. We went into a McDonalds, and it almost felt like going into a familiar place. The crowd had that typical vibe and it was loud as hell. Of course, in an odd fashion, the first thing that I cracked out European money for on this trip was a chicken nugget meal. Truthfully, it was a little dryer than I am used to, but I felt like I needed food.

Alex assures me that the portions are smaller. In fact, I can easily say that the American equivalence to a large is a medium. In a sense, I have tried to eat better/less anyways, so I wasn't too offended. I got a large meal and pretty much was fine after that. However, the one thing that bothered me more than anything is that there are no refills. I have almost curbed bad food habits, but I am a heavy drinker (which may contribute to why I try to steer clear of alcohol on top of other personal reasons) and I tend to overdo it. If you gave me a 2 liter of soda, I'd probably would have drank half in the short time that we were there (though do acknowledge that I am trying to cut down on soda, but this is just for comparison in terms of my thirst).

An odd thing about the McDonalds is that Alex doesn't like it, but not for the reasons that I assumed. In our time there, he noticed two lesbian school girls, but my eye was more fixed on the amount of preppies that came in. It really felt like I was back home, in an odd way because, well, McDonalds was always full of school kids when I was there.

We finally went back to the theaters and walked right in. I was honestly confused because the place felt like a hole in the wall. You enter, and it was flight of stairs after flight of stairs. I want to note that I am fine taking stairs and that my choice to call yesterday as a struggle was more because the stairs were ancient and at odd angles. These just ridiculously went on forever and even after getting to the ticket taker, we had stairs to go. The theater was also rather small, and about three times smaller than the ones that I am used to. However, I do admire any theater that features a gimmicky curtain that rises when the film starts.

The trailers were interesting, if just because I saw an ad for the green berets. Not exactly world shattering, but the subtle different in foreign trailers really impressed me. Even split cuts in some to slightly more provocative images seemed like an interesting call. Of course, this was a Rated R movie. Don't get me wrong, we get that treatment in the states. It is just that I felt like everything was more openly accepted. Of course, I just want to say that the Place Beyond the Pines trailer looks even more gorgeous on the biggish screen. If you haven't seen Blue Valentine, you are missing out on a masterpiece that justifies why I think that this will be one of the best of the year.

The one thing that is not exactly different, but initially annoyed me was people talking. True, it was a hole in the wall cinema to begin with, but I still am that cinephile who respects the right of silence during a film, no matter how hole in the wall the cinema is. There was a group behind us that I feared was going to bother me more than they did. It was two chicks that were talking loud for the first five minutes of the movie and then continued in a more hushed tone. Also, random parties were talking, admittedly brief, during the picture. In America, or at least in classier picture houses (yes, let's see how many synonyms I can shove in this mother), they would have been yelled at by now. Alex assures me that this is not a fair representation of English theaters, but we'll see when we finally get around to Django Unchained, which is the next on our roster.

The film itself was an odd choice that I wonder how it would have played in summer. As the guy who was anticipating it when it was initially supposed to be released, I tried to see it with the same hype and not the January shit-pile that usually bestows the cineplexes. Really, the psychology that has been instilled in me with that mindset is still rather established, though I argue that it has gotten more lenient in recent times. I am just wondering if it would have played better in September when it was initially supposed to be out.

I am also wondering where the infamous scene had to be removed. It honestly made no sense where a theater shooting fit into that film. Also, I am convinced that remaining footage from that unfortunate footage made it into the final trailers, as you can see glimpses of gun shots in front of movie posters. I am convinced that those are relics of the original footage. However, I do not know how much of a difference the edits were. I mean, they do shoot up a night club and Chinatown. If it wasn't for James Holmes, I would argue why the edit needed to be made. As it stands, I felt like they could have easily been fucked if someone shot up a night club, Chinatown, or hotel.

I will try not to derail with talk of censorship, but I wondered a few things. Gangster Squad received shit for having a theater shooting scene. Django Unchained, being an alternative western, was somehow accused of promoting violence in relation to the Sandy Hook story. However, I haven't heard anyone make any accusations about Inglourious Basterds, which saw a cinema burn to the ground at the end. As I was talking to Alex, blaming the media is dumb. I mean, nobody became a capitalist because of Monopoly.

Of course, Gangster Squad was smart to be moved. It was nonstop action, punching, and shooting. It is violent and while not gorey, it would seem problematic to release it after the James Holmes affair. It really is one of those movies that promotes violence to a ridiculous degree. The question after that is how you like your violence. If it is over the top, you'll at least find something to admire about this story.

However, the reason that I was excited was because of two reasons. Besides my lust to see anything that Ryan Gosling is in, it is also another film by Ruben Fleischer, whose filmography includes 30 Minutes or Less and Zombieland. Technically both should clue you into the graphic nature of Gangster Squad, but as a casual fan of both of those films, it only made me more excited.

So, now that I have bored you with preamble, what did I think of the movie? It was definitely ridiculous and had a formula that seemed to feature almost every conversation ending with someone getting punched in the face. It really was a straight forward excuse for people to get hurt. It also felt subtly cartoony and Sean Penn looked just that way. It was quite peculiar how dark and over the top it chose to be.

But without going into too much, I felt like it was solid. Not amazing, but it definitely was nonstop violence and felt like a Quentin Tarantino-inspired excuse for excess. Ryan Gosling was a little bit odd. He talked in a sweet tone, but his dialogue at times felt a little clunky and weird. However, kudos on Michael Pena at least trying to stop playing those dumb gangster roles. So basically, the film isn't exceptionally great, but good enough for an afternoon flick. Has enough fun stuff going for it and I ponder if it would have been better received in a world isolated from James Holmes, violence, shootings, etc.

On the train ride home, we had another interesting adventure. We got on the train after talking about Beavis and Butthead and why it only came back for one season. We also made a lame Schindler's List riff. Alex also found my soft spot, which is somehow doing riffs in which Jason Statham is his typical self, but as James Bond. It isn't very elaborate, but it is so amazingly fun to listen to.

But on the train, we're sitting towards the back and this guy asks me for a bottle of water. He claims that he wants it so that he can wipe cocaine off of his credit card to pay for a ticket. The bathroom is tied up with someone also hiding from the ticket taker. After telling the guy that I didn't have any water, I pretty much stopped talking to him. I was confused, and as it stands, I only understand 90% of what people are saying on this trip anyways.

I heard shout outs to grass and other stuff, like maybe he was drunk or something. I stayed quiet and let Alex take care of all of the interaction. From what I piece together, when the ticket taker came around, the druggie accused us of putting cocaine on his credit card. Smart man, the ticket taker didn't believe him. Later on, the guy even suggested that he pay to get us a drink at the pub in Rye. Great, this guy is getting off in Rye.

So from there, I continued to keep myself free of discussion. However, conversation soon got on Pulp Fiction and that one scene involving a gimp and some sex. Nothing more. He claimed that it was the only part that he remembered. He felt like pulling out money in the middle of the night would feel like getting raped by a man. He later claimed that he wasn't into gay sex, but somehow still defended the scene. It was pretty odd. I tried to politely excuse myself when the train docked and to hopefully keep him from following us, we went to the nearby market to buy soda and chips. However, I saw him get in a car with a guy named Jethro (at least that is the name I collect from asides), so I felt like 10 minutes in a market would put us in the clear.

Back at the house, we watched some Threesome and contemplated the day ahead. We have found that the nights are the most problematic aspect of the trip. We have nothing to do. I suggested games, but that was misconstrued as video games. Either way, we're trying to get that straightened out. I have no idea what will come of it.

We also briefly chatted with Natalie over the internet. I saw Alex play her a song and somehow Alex doesn't have to try hard to make me laugh. He can play guitar and sing in a wonky register, and that will get me every time. I didn't really get to know Natalie, but continuing my theory that I will marry a cat person, I did see her cat and that was far more interesting than anything else I saw in her room. I actually did that dumb swooning thing.

Eventually Viv got home and we just stayed up chatting about the future. We got to the point that we changed the plans for the next day from London to Brighton, which Alex assures me is a better choice. I mean, anywhere that produces Fatboy Slim can be better than London? Yeah, if you're jamming inside a large octopus.

It was overall an odd night of me just noticing subtle differences. For some reason, I was fascinated by how long everyone talked about the things that they disagreed on. The burgers were oddly the tip off that I needed to say something. All that did was make Viv address it as being normal. Of course, she used my whole name, which always makes me feel weird. As much as I am fine with people calling me Thomas, Willett has always been an odd place that made me feel like I was about to be punished. It felt like the family being disowned in some way.

Don't get me wrong, the conversations were fun and I am getting a lot to enjoy about the evenings. However, I guess just that they talk about the good and bad of burgers for more than 20 seconds seems weird to me. Of course, I blame my father for that. He and my sister are very much uninspired when it comes to having an extended conversation on defense against their dark arts. It actually feels good. Usually I only have these rants with my mother, and I find it more cathartic than a brief "we like homemade soup, deal with it."

I went to bed and fell asleep a half hour later. However, something that has become an obsession with me is reading reviews for movies that I just saw. I decided that /Filmcast was a good call. I tried to listen to it, but I passed out at some point. Also, I want to take this moment to promote the Downcast app. Katey Rich tipped me off to it months ago, and I bought it just for this trip. It updates my shows every hour and it is so efficient. I cannot see me going back to the dumb Podcasts app. There is just so much more efficiency in this whole brouhaha. The searching is also easier.

So yeah, not much else to report on. It wasn't really an eventful day besides getting to see how Alex recommends violent movies to the women in his life. I don't know Viv's tastes all that well, but I feel like the motherly types in my life are not quite into shoot 'em ups. That was probably the most interesting thing. Alex recommending Gangster Squad to Viv. My mom would have shut it down quickly. Also, I need to see the Untouchables now. I like Brian De Palma films, but I haven't seen that one. I just feel like there are similarities. I did see L.A. Confidential, before you wonder why I don't say the more obvious similar one.

Anyways, that's probably it for right now. Pictures will be resurrected eventually. Keep an eye out for that stuff. Otherwise, today should be a lot of fun. I'll be talking at you later.

QUESTION: What is William?