Wednesday, October 06, 2004

So in my asian cinema class we watched Kaidan (1965), a series of ghost story vignettes from Japan, all of which were so deliciously devoid of "special effects" (i.e., C.G.) and yet still more potent than any recent horror film I've seen. Although admittedly I usually avoid them because they're so predictable, puerile, and overdone.

I suppose that's my beef against C.G.I., because instead of subtly supplementing an engaging story in ebbs and flows it smashes in torrents like a shattering tsunami onto a skeletal plotline. Of course, I'm not so big on plot as I am on character development, but that's gone to the dogs nowadays also. When was the last time you saw a so-called blockbuster and cared about the protagonist, or for that matter, any of the characters? Of course, if you felt that Britney Spears did a bang-up job in Crossroads I'm probably preaching to the wrong choir. . . Let me just say in a conclusion of sorts that I relish those movies, many of them typically Asian, that are visually stunning without being sensory shockers.

Oh, and my usual disdain for human company is once again rearing its ugly head. I've come to despise "normal" people. And with the exception of one quiet fellow who rarely shows himself, I don't know how to enjoy my roommates' company or prodding questions, like: "Are you caught up with homework?" or "Are you coming to prayer?" :) I know as I'm being irritated by those questions that I'm clearly in need of therapy. Any takers?

2 comments:

  1. Why do you despise "normal" people? I don't think there's any such thing as normal, we all tend to be a bit weird...

    I feel you on the roommate questions. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to answer or talk to them, either. But at least they care about you. I think that says a lot, considering that they are male.

    If I misunderstood your post, it's because of what I said before: I'm not intelligent enough to follow your elaborate writing.

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  2. Granted, "weird" and "normal" are relative terms, and cannot be identified concretely. However, I'm referring to a distinct demeanor exclusive to Happy Valley, and perhaps, to our religious group as a whole. Honestly? I'm not a positive thinker, and will take some time even trying to swallow some of the cherubic, saccharine sweetness that so many people, my roommates including, exude to excess. I say that I am not normal because I'm only guessing that these lads and ladies grew up in a home w/ two parents who more or less loved each other; they were taught gospel principles in the home and heard parents' testimonies. As such, I speak an entirely different vernacular, even on the "radiating" level (i.e., what we "radiate" to others). In other words, I do not mean "common" when I say "normal." Rather, I mean that most members of the Church, specifically, are so peculiar because they more closely match God's ideal; nor would I suggest that they are "perfect" by God's standard, or profess to know what that is, at any rate. I've just ever felt that I cannot relate to them. I cannot share happy moments from my youth, or discuss other similarly "saintly" details with them. I only have my wackiness, and it's a rare soul that can swallow that screwy pill!

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