So I have nothing really to do at night these days, which is good in a lot of ways because I've been running every night and watching movies with my mom and cousin Simone (long story...she's my dead German cousin's daughter...but she's like 36...and has a 14-year old and 11-year old daughter...she's here for a month or so visiting). Yesterday we watched Shanghai Knights and tonight The Shawshank Redemption. Some more music and movie-related thoughts:

Movies I've seen in the past couple weeks:

Pirates of the Caribbean - fucking great movie, Johnny Depp is GREAT, the chick is drop-dead gorgeous and it's just a really enjoyable movie.
Terminator 3 - I was very pleasantly surprised...the plot and way it ties into the other movies is really nicely done, the action is fun without being too gratuitous, and Kristanna Lokken is the hottest mass-murdering machine ever. I still don't know why Claire Danes gets as many roles as she does, but I did like Nick Stahl taking over for perennial fuck-up Edward Furlow in the John Connor role.
The Italian Job - I hadn't been too hyped to see this movie but I thought it was really fun...the Ocean's Eleven analogies are pretty accurate...it's a remake that's got big stars and guilt-free laughs and action. I badly wanted the white/blue Mini Cooper S they have in this flick...I went through a couple day "How much would it cost me to get that car?" phase that I spent on www.miniusa.com. Actually not too much...a little over 22k, but a few months wait and good luck digging it out of the snow.
Laurel Canyon - I had really wanted to see this movie because it's a Christian Bale flick and I've loved all things CB since Am. Psycho came out. This is the second film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, who's one of those buzzworthy young directors out there. Francis McDormand plays Bale's mom, the stoned/free-loving record producer yin to Bale's straight-laced Harvard MD yang. Kate Beckinsale (who is beautiful) is his equally square fiancee, and they wind up having to share a house and blah blah. I really liked this movie, the ending isn't conclusive and it's aims are a little too lofty you could argue, but there's something really true about the characters. Maybe I'm biased, but Bale was great...it's a drama but there are some funny moments as you learn just how "perfectly" Bale and Beckinsale live their lives. There's a final confrontation that really rang true for me...not that I could relate, but it all made sense, I really felt "pulled in." Definitely worth a look, I'm tempted to buy it.
Undercover Brother - I had wanted to see this so I was pumped when Ishan and Dawid said it was good. I mean, you kind of know what you're getting yourself into when you see the cover of the DVD, but it's just your basic very watchable spoofish comedy. Eddie Griffin's good, Dave Chappelle is still funny, Denise Richards is wowee-wee-wow-wow, and Doogie Fucking Howser himself Neil Patrick Harris plays the token white intern in the all black "Brotherhood." Nice.
2001: A Space Odyssey - So yeah, you can rent movies for free from the public library; Blockbuster selection it ain't, but as the Colonel would say, the price is right. I figured as a fan of cinema I should see this movie, but it was pretty arduous. It's a tremendous film technically and thematically, perhaps a bit heavy-handed in hindsight, and I can't imagine how amazing this film would have been to see in 1968. What really bothered me was the lack of soundtrack; the theme (which you've heard a million times, trust me) is the only song I can remember being in the film. Otherwise, you hear exactly what the characters would hear (ie heavy breathing, or nothing at all). I can see why Kubrick chose that, but it didn't make the viewing experience any more enjoyable. Plus, the first 20 minutes consist of missing link apes screaming at each other. Fun!