I'm not one who is easily spooked. Sometimes it happens, though.
Kris watched Agnes of God yesterday. It's a twenty-year-old film about a nun who may or may not have experienced immaculate conception, a nun who may or may not have killed her immaculately conceived child. The film is ambiguous. Kris never got to see the end of the film, but had to find the script online. Just before the end of the movie, as Agnes was about to provide a climactic revelation, the DVD froze. It refused to play, no matter what we tried, no matter which DVD player we used.
Not so odd by itself, eh?
Next, I continued my exploration of Top Movies by watching The Exorcist. This is a creepy film all by itself, without any outside help. I'm probably the last person in the world to see The Exorcist, but in case you've not seen it either, here are the essentials:
A twelve-year-old girl begins to exhibit strange and disturbing behavior. Medical treatment does not help. Psychological treatment does not help. The girl's mother decides that it's possible the girl has been possessed. She demands an exorcism. Beds shake. Heads twist. People die.
Trust me — it's a lot creepier than it sounds. The film is well made, in an early seventies minimalistic/naturalistic/realistic mode (the director also made The French Connection, which may tell you something), filled with evocative imagery.
Anyhow: this DVD froze not once, not twice, not thrice, but five times, and each time this happened at a scene of possession or demonic imagery. Obviously I believe this is just coincidence (especially given the number of similar scenes where the DVD didn't freeze), but still it's creepy coincidence.
I was freaked out by the end of the film (which was also bedtime).
I've only four films left to see from my list of Top Movies: Persona, Decalogue, The Sting (which is perpetually unavailable on Netflix: "Very Long Wait"), and The Passion of the Christ
My fitness regimen and my fiscal discipline both went well until the middle of the month. I've stumbled on both, but not so much that I'm discouraged. I'll just get back on that pony and ride! Here are my daily averages for the past two months and my goals for July.
| May 2031 calories 67g fat (22g sat) 291g carb (23g fib) 93g pro (19%) 14g alcohol 202# start/194# end (195.6# average) | June 2042 calories 75g fat (26g sat) 242g carb (19g fib) 93g pro (19%) 8g alcohol 194# start/191# end (191.8# average) | July 1600 calories <60g fat (<20g sat) ??? carb (>25g fib) >125g pro (~25%) <7g alcohol 191# start/185# end (<188# average) |
My current favorite song:
Elevator Love Letter (Stars) Her: I'm so hard for a rich girl. My heels are high, my eyes cast low. And I don't know how to love. I get too tired after midday lately. I take it out on my good friends, but the worst stays in. Oh, where would I begin? My office glows all night long. It's a nuclear show and the stars are gone. Elevator, elevator, take me home. Him: I'm so hot for the rich girl. Her heels are high and my hopes so low, 'cause I don't know how to love. I'll take her home after midnight and if she likes, I'll tell her lies of how we'll be in love by the morning. I don't think she'll know that I'm saying goodbye. Her: My office glows all night long it's a nuclear show and the stars are gone. Elevator, elevator, take me home. My office glows all night long. It's a nuclear show and the stars are gone. Elevator, elevator, take me home. Don't go. Say you'll stay. Spend a lazy Sunday in my arms. I won't take anything away. Don't go. Say you'll stay. Spend a lazy Sunday in my arms, don't take anything away...Set iTunes on repeat! My poor coworkers. (If you promise to buy it if you love it as much as I do, you can listen to the mp3.)
On this day at foldedspace.org
2004 — Robot Parade The kids and I grabbed great handfuls of paper and ran across the lawn singing They Might Be Giants' Robot Parade.
2003 — The Year of Reading Proust In which I sleep. In which I read a book that isn't about Proust but should be. In which I watch soccer.
That is funny but no spooky. I rented the original Amityville Horror not to long ago because I could not remember seeing it and a friend told me it was scary. It had the regular and wide screen views. Both sides of the DVD locked up towards the end of the movie (when the dad was coming into the house with an ax, only to start playing again when they are all in the car driving away). When I too it back to the store they said it happens all the time because people watch the ‘bad’ scenes over and over and wear out the DVD.