Tom on Movies and Wrestling

Last month I started making real goals for my life. Two of the things I remembered that I enjoyed were film and pro wrestling.

That's an odd combination. I'm an odd person. I realize this.

Once upon a time I used to fly through my Netflix queue. They used to throttle me I was so fast.

Last year, the discs would sit for ages and I dove into Watch Instantly with my Mac Mini.

That all changed in January. I now try to watch at least one movie a week, more if I remember to get to the library (DTS only, for the time being).

I'm also re-watching old wrestling stuff I have lying around, and I found a few discs at the library. Total Nonstop Action wrestling out of Orlando has launched an offensive against the established World Wrestling Entertainment product.

Mostly, they're using some really offensive product. Not morally offensive. It just stinks.

But wrestling is becoming ubiquitous again, and I remember how much I enjoy the storytelling and the work.

So I've immersed myself back into both worlds. And I'm loving it.

I'll start with the wrestling, as I'm not going too deep into it. Back in December, Amy and I went to the Tables, Ladders and Chairs WWE event in San Antonio. It was fun, but the best work stopped after the first match. It reminded me of old WCW, which is what TNA looks like now. Blah.

Bret Hart is working for WWE again. This in itself is impressive, and it's got my attention. I read Bret's book recently, and he really is one hell of a guy.

His book prompted me to reread Mick Foley's first book, which I do every few years. It fell apart in my hands, but I got through it, and it's still great. I also watched The Best of Cactus Jack in ECW and King of the Deathmatches DVDs to see Mick in his prime. Great stuff.

Why is reread a word, but re-watch has to be hyphenated? Explain, English language!

Sorry. I also watched the WWE DVDs Stars of the 90s and Backlash 2009. Both enjoyable, but they came from the library. I wouldn't have paid for either.

Now, onto the film stuff. You can start reading again.

The best film I saw recently was The Hurt Locker. Wow. I noted after I watched it that I felt it from my head to my toes. It's chilling, it's hardcore and it has some of the most interesting characters I've seen in a war film ever.

I'm going to wait until after the Oscars to discuss this more. Everyone needs to rent it. Today. Walk, don't run to your Netflix queue. If the Oscars intend to mean anything, this one is going home with trophies.

I haven't seen Avatar yet, but I don't see it being a better film than The Hurt Locker. I'm going tomorrow to the Bob Bullock IMAX Theater here in town, and I'll admit on these pages if I'm wrong.

Last month I watched Five Easy Pieces. For the duration, I couldn't figure out why I was supposed to like Jack Nicholson's character. He seemed like a total shitheel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, perhaps it has something to do with drugs and the sixties, but I hated the guy. Still loved the film though.

Something about sweeping sixties films always gets me. The counterculture, the (now primitive) technology, the mannerisms, the slang and the way things unfold. My parents barely teenagers by the end of the decade, so films are all I really have to look to. Hopefully, they're not lying to me. Well, at least Gimme Shelter was a documentary.

Grabbed because it had DTS was a doc called Standing In the Shadows of Motown. I really had fun with this one. The Funk Brothers were the core group of musicians that played the backing track for all the big Motown hits.

Admit it: when you hear a Motown song come on in the supermarket, or in the car, or while you're on hold, your foot starts tapping. If you're shameless like myself, you start singing as well. And these guys are the ones responsible for your foot tapping. Well worth the rent.

The Doors, on the other hand, was hit and miss. Val Kilmer was spot on as Jim Morrison, but the narrative was all over the place. I look forward to Ray Manzarek's upcoming Doors doc for an alternative side to the story.

I also watched Shopgirl with Amy. It didn't do much for either of us. Claire Danes was great, but the story bugged the crap out of us. What did other women think of the film?

That's enough for tonight. I have Inglorious Basterds for tomorrow, along with Avatar tomorrow night. I have to slot in another "classic" film as part of my goals for this month. Any suggestions? And yes, the definition of "classic" can be stretched: AFI/Oscar quality, cult, so-bad-it's-good, box office bombs, etc.