Wednesday, February 9, 2011

I Did Not Save Any World

It’s good to have a night at home. I was going to go to the gym, and I was going to run errands, and I was going to go out, but instead I opted to stay home and watch a movie all by my lonesome. I had heard some good things about Scott Pilgrim Versus the World so my decision was easy as it was the first thing that came to mind anyway.

The movie was, indeed, good. It was good for a couple of different reasons, each one striking a different chord in me.

1. The movie took place in an alternate videogame/reality world. What I mean to say is that the common events of the videogame world collided with real life and all the characters accepted this as fact to their reality. I grew up as an avid gamer so it was fun for me to hear the old video game themes and see the old power ups.

2. The movie focused on the effects of a past relationship and the impact it can have on a future relationship. A lot of movies attempt to do this, but they never really succeed without seeming trite. This movie did a brilliant job by just being real about the awkwardness of the entire thing and showing that love does not need a grand gesture or overdone romance to regain one’s footing.

3. In true ancient Greek fashion the hero, Scott Pilgrim, must perform a catharsis before he can overcome his enemy…himself. It’s interesting to see ancient Greek themes woven into current stories.

4. One message in the movie is that everyone has a past and that while you can never forget your past you can move on. It’s something I have been wrestling with for some time now. I’ve accepted my past and I have learned from it and now I am ready to move on with my life. For whatever wrongs I’ve done I know I have atoned for them and that justice has been served.

The movie was better than I was expecting it to be and it’s because I never know what to expect from Michael Cera. He always plays the same character which is the weak and timid guy that is too afraid to do anything for his own benefit and constantly puts his feelings aside for what he perceives as the greater good. I can empathize with his characters because unless I am drunk that is exactly what runs through my mind. I watched a about a fraction of Youth in Revolt, so after watching Scott Pilgrim Versus the World I really want to go back and finish it.

I don’t think I will have the time for that until next week perhaps. Given my constant juggling of two jobs and saving what little time I have in between for a social life I do not typically have nights like this. As a result my writing and my motivation to write has greatly suffered. This week I have to close the bar Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Friday night I am going out with some co-workers to Scottsdale to do my annual dress up like the tool I was in college and pretend to enjoy Scottsdale Socialite Company for the evening trip. I actually really like the people that are going out but I loathe the environment; I got enough of it in college. Saturday morning (at 8-fucking-AM!) I have a work meeting at my bar which means forced cleaning while simultaneously being hung-the-fuck-over, drunk and tired. Then that same afternoon I have a five hour tattoo session followed by me closing at work that night. I realize after writing this that I will most likely not want to do anything Sunday, so maybe I will finish the movie then.

Found some new tunes this week that I am really really enjoying during the day at my office. Some of the albums that are in my current rotation:

1. Cut/Copy – Zonoscope

2. Cold War Kids – Mine is Yours

3. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

4. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

5. Discovery – LP

6. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

7. Neon Indian – Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms

8. Snake! Snake! Snakes!! – Self Title

9. The Love Language – Libraries

10. Gospel Claws – C-L-a-W-S

An entry with two lists! Never thought I’d see the day.