i think every night should be movie night.:)

I LOVE film. And I don't think I'm over emphasizing this.:) I come by it honestly; Dad has always been a big movie buff (while Mom didn't really see the point so much:). Luke loves movies too, which makes us a good match (well, that's at least part of it:). Our movie tastes have rubbed off on each other over time. Luke showed me how epic Bruce Lee and other old Kung-fu movies can be and I've helped him to appreciate art films and other foreign films. Together we've discovered several great directors, many genres we enjoy and tons of movies that we will excitedly watch over and over. We seriously watch several movies a week.

This week we saw two good movies. Since Thursday is my day off, we decided to catch a matinee at the Keystone Art Cinema (one of our favorite movie theaters). We love this theater because it shows alot of foreign and art films, as well as movies that are difficult to find at other local theaters. And, I'm not going to lie, we like the fact that they have a lounge where you can buy drinks to take into the theater (although we can rarely afford this luxury:). Plus if you can make it to a showing before 6pm ticket prices are just $6.50 (a far cry from $9.50). Anyway, we decided to go see "the Wrestler". We've been excited about this movie because it's by Darren Arnofsky, a director we really enjoy (Pi, Requiem for a Drean, the Fountain). The movie was quite good, although definitely depressing, in keeping with Arnofsky's usual. His movies can be hard to watch because they are brutally honest, focus on tough life situations and are extremely depressing, but his style and honesty are also a great thing. The people feel very real.

The other movie we saw this week was "Seven Samurai". This is a classic and epic movie, but somehow neither of us had ever seen it. The IMA does a winter movie nights program on the weekends and this was the movie for tonight, so we decided today to go. While the movie is 200 minutes long, it doesn't feel too slow and it is very enjoyable to watch (although you need to be awake as this is one you read). I would highly recommend this movie (if you ever have a spare 3 and a half hours:). We hope to attend more of these IMA movie nights. It's kind of fun to see old classics on a big screen.

I'm sure this won't be the last time you hear from me about movies, as they are a big part of my life and one of my favorite forms of entertainment. I think it's important not just to see them as an entertainment thing though, but to view them as an essential art form. Movies should be viewed intellectually, with intelligence and an open mind.