Holy Wood

[jsbowden]

Since robeli's parents were here over the weekend, we got to get out for a bit. We went to see a movie. More specifically, we saw A History of Violence. This was an odd film.


I could see the path the story was taking before it got there, but not all the way to the end. I could easily see the next three minutes of film for the most part, but not beyond. This didn't bother me at all. I hadn't seen or read anything spoilerwise on this, not because I was avoiding them, but simply because I hadn't gotten around to it. I knew Tom wasn't who he said he was when he got stabbed in the foot. He doesn't scream, he doesn't start flailing madly, he calmly turns around, looks at the man who stabbed him, and shoots him. I could have sworn that role was played by Lance Henriksen. Apparently he's got someone who could be a brother. When Ed Harris shows up calling him Joey, we have no doubt: he is Joey. I liked the movie, a lot. But then, I've liked most of what Cronenberg has made. The ending is abrupt, but the movie that continues from that point forward isn't the same one, and I don't think Cronenberg is up for that sort of film. He might be able to make it (it's not his style of film at all, so I have my doubts), but I don't know that he'd want to even try.


Overall, I'd more than happily recommend this movie, but be forewarned, Cronenberg started life making B grade horror flicks, and he's not afraid to show graphic visuals when they fit.

Comments

[turnberryknkn.livejournal.com]

reDon'tNeedLuck: Many thanks for your encouragement, and your good thoughts. I actually have a close friend of mine from college, a fellow pre-med, who believed the same thing. He never wished folks "Good Luck", especially before the vicious pre-med exams, he'd wish them "Good Skill", for much the same reasons you point out.

He later graduated with high honors both from our engineering program, then from UCSF Med, and finally won appointment into one of the nation's most competitive surgical specialties -- and at Stanford, to boot -- so obviously his philosophy served him well. :-)

Of course...

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

There is no luck, there is only skill coupled with opportunity, and opportunity is amazingly something that can be created as well as found. You could have responded in your journal, and I'd still have hunted it down to reply.

I'm assuming you defended successfully then? (I seem to recall a posting to that effect, but my brain may just be tapioca.)