Rachel to Me: “Look, I voluntarily signed up to be dragged along for whatever mess you get yourself into, and vice versa. And that’s not a bad thing.”
Author: jmlight (Page 7 of 9)
I had the extraordinary good fortune to attend a screening of “Promised Land” earlier this week, and the even greater fortune to schmooze and chat with the filmmakers and actors afterwards.
It’s so refreshing to see a film that addresses a complicated issue but tells a simple, dramatic and compelling story without getting preachy. It’s a powerful film – and very, very clever. I enjoyed it very much, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves when it’s released early next year.
Also, Matt Damon and John Krasinski are two of the most friendly celebrities I’ve ever met. I’ve always been impressed by Matt Damon’s career – he must have to deal with so much bullshit, but he seems to keep his head up and stay focused on the task at hand, and his performances show him to be a sensitive, empathic artist. No matter what I see him do, I get the sense he’s just an actor working to be as truthful to the scene as he can – like any of us. It’s a rarity for a movie star, and it’s inspiring.
And a great conversation was had with Chris Moore, the producer. Everyone involved in this film just seemed like an all-around good person, and I left that party knowing more than ever that this is the kind of work I was meant to be doing. I know I’ll need some luck to make it to that level, but this week at least I was fortunate to meet people that inspire me to pursue it.
So thanks to them. And Matt, I can’t @#$ing wait to see Elysium.
Rachel and I were lucky. We had power, heat, water – we were really, really lucky. So many weren’t, and it’s terribly sad..
The resilience – some would call it cynicism – of the people in this city amazes me, but I think that this event will have longer-lasting effects than people might think. We’ve basically gotten a teaser trailer of what’s going to happen when these storms start becoming more and more frequent. As someone (I forget who) so eloquently wrote: “I can’t believe New York has a hurricane season now.” It’s clear that this city is unable to handle it, and I hope the powers that be are paying attention.
It does make you realize that a city is only as good as its infrastructure. Getting from point A to point B or making electricity flow is completely taken for granted sometimes, and we forget the importance of infrastructure at our own peril. This is an especially important point these days, when the whole idea of any kind of social cooperation that involves pooling funds to create infrastructure is decried as Godless Muslim Socialism.
The bottom line is this: take away our electricity for a few days, and we’re pretty much crippled. It really should make people think about just how fragile our modern ecosystem has become, and just how much we need to change our thinking to guard against future catastrophes.
In light of the George Martin’s death, I’ve decided to re-post this. I think it’s a shame that he’s not had more mention or recognition for what he did, and I don’t think it diminishes George Martin’s genius or contribution to acknowledge that the Beatles would never have found Martin with Brian Epstein.
ORIGINALLY POSTED 2013:
He’s the most famous person you’ve never heard of. I vaguely knew he had something to do with the Beatles..until recently, that is, when a friend of mine introduced me to his life’s story.
I’ve been mired in it since then, and each nugget of information I consume leaves me wanting to know more. Look up his story – Brian reached the height of heights, and then took a long, slow tumble to the bottom. His death (ruled accidental) was front-page news at the time, but people barely know him today, especially on the American side of the water.
This is sad. Brian was a stark example of what happens when people give their all and just don’t feel appreciated for the work they do. Despite his fame and fortune, all Brian really wanted was to give – and receive – love. That he was unable to find love – both because of his circumstances (being gay during a time when it was illegal to be so) AND his destructive tendencies – is a sad, sad thing.
I believe, after reading quite a bit about him, that had he been alive today, modern psychiatry would have been able to help him, through a combination of therapy and medication. He was almost definitely bi-polar, at least mildly, and medication would have helped him with his terrible mood swings. In addition, had he had access to people like my wife, he would have received the help he needed to kick his drug habit, and the tragic combination of pills could have been avoided.
But mostly, all he needed was love.
We were married today. That’s all.
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