It’s been a good 5 years since the last time I saw “Independence Day,” the ultimate bloated, middle-of-summer popcorn flick.
The best thing I can say about it now is that, on its own terms, it’s a successful movie, which is probably why the movie made a killing at the box office to the horror of many a film snob. And while watching it by myself in the dead of winter is not the ideal circumstance, I still noticed a few things worth sharing.
It’s been a great year for the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan); earlier this year, their film “No Country for Old Men” took home five Oscars, bringing some industry legitimacy to the quirky duo.
And it’s been an even better year for their fans; with “No Country” a critical (if not box office) success, the brothers decided to stick to their roots and made “Burn After Reading,” a comedy filled with mainstream stars and greeted with generally positive reviews.
But Coen Brothers, this has not been a good year for you and me. In fact, I think this will be the year where I decide that we just have to go our separate ways.
Joel, Ethan, I’ve tried to like your films. I even own one (“O Brother, Where Art Thou), although I haven’t watched it since I bought it. I’ve approached them, good and bad, with a generally open mind and the whimsical spirit required, but it’s just not working out.
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So, yeah, I’ve been neglecting my blog for a little while now; my other project, The Dead Protagonists Society e-zine, just launched its second issue (shameless plug moment: send me an e-mail at deadprotagonists@gmail.com if you’d like a copy), and I spent most of November working on that. Add in a holiday trip to visit my family, and it’s been a very busy month.
But, it’s a brand new day (and my one-year anniversary, whoo-hoo!), so I’m back. Let’s get started.