I just watched two movies that I found interesting. First was Anything Else, which is significant because it is the only Woody Allen film I’ve viewed in its entirety. It’s the one with Jason Biggs from American Pie. He is a Jewish comic writer and he is dating this aspiring actress, played by Christina Ricci. I guess Allen is known for creating these highly neurotic characters. It does get a bit grating sometimes, but to me it’s mostly amusing, probably because I am quite neurotic. (I’m sure that statement is quite shocking!) The NYC setting enticed me. So many great panoramic views of the island from many different vantage points. Allen played another comic writer who doubles as Biggs’ sort of older life-mentor guy. He’s crazy and bashes in some brute’s car window because the brute stole his parking spot. Ricci can’t have sex with Biggs anymore because she is having some psychosocial drama all of the time, but he is obsessed with her. Jimmy Fallon has a bit part as her ex boyfriend. Danny Devito plays Biggs’ agent. It ends with Biggs leaving NYC to pursue his career in LA. Ricci says to him, upon hearing the news, that people who are big losers in NYC often become millionaires out in LA. Something else happens at the end too, predictably perhaps, but I do not want to spoil the entire ending. Another good line, I thought, was when Biggs tells his shrink that he has so many problems that committing suicide would not solve them all. Stockard Channing is pretty amusing as Ricci’s mom too, snorting coke off of Biggs’ laptop. Biggs really pulled off his role, considering how he is known for much fluffier films. I enjoyed it.

Then I watched House of Sand and Fog, with Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. All of the actors were good. That movie fucked me up. It’s a tragedy in the modern sense, I guess. Commentary of what happens when people get too wound up about material possessions, but goes deeper than that. Whites mistrust Middle Easterners, Middle Easterners stereotype and scorn Whites. Very very intense, complex stuff. So much about race relations, longing, despair, the human need not to be alone, the need to provide for one’s family, the need to change one’s dull life. So much stuff. It’s subtle too. The ending is very dramatic, and perhaps a tad unnecessary. I do not wish to spoil it though. This is one of those films I could really write about. It really moved me. I cried for fuck’s sake!

I am going to watch State and Main with SJP and William H Macy next. I think that’s the one where Macy goes full frontal, but maybe not. Seemed like an interesting cast. I remember hearing a lot about it. I never get to be sloth like and just lounge and watch movies like this, and it’s a bullshit dreary day, so I’m going to milk it.

New Year’s Eve was ok. I did not experience or invite drama, so really, it was a success. Dinner with four friends, three of whom I am quite comfortable with, and a lot of vulgarity and titty flashing and picture posing. Passing the time in a fun and affordable way. Nothing wrong with that. I did not feel anything when the clock struck midnight though. I just worried that I would not be able to finagle my car out of the Chicago style parking spot I lodged it into. Fucking Brady St area. Dick Clark was a joke. We watched him for about five minutes. Due to his stroke, his voice is all fucked up. Not to be harsh, but it’s really time he retired. Around 1am I stopped by Foundation to see TC and DiNO and to see who else was there. The Plumber oddly was sitting with them, and two other people I knew were sitting in the same bar stools they were sitting in about 6 hours earlier. No interesting men in sight, but DiNO informed me that she has some freaky tattooed friend that she wants me to meet, which is very nice. I stayed there for an hour and went home. To my cat. Not all that bad, I guess.

On New Year’s Day, I hung out at this cool, spazzy and snazzy couple’s house in Riverwest all afternoon. They put out a great spread of food, such as quiche, smoked salmon and whitefish, bagels with all of the fixings, sweet potato stuffing, shrimp and grits, made to order waffles, fresh fruit and fresh squeezed orange juice and this wonderful, light praline cake topped with fresh whipped cream and raspberries. They had tons of cans of Pabst and bloody Marys too. A very good crowd of people, adult people, socializing and eating. I quite enjoyed it. When E. and her friend arrived, they announced that a guy they knew had gotten punched out by a woman in a bar on New Year’s because she was so sick of him arguing with her about the amount of hours she said she worked at a cranberry farm. That’s pretty funny. The Plumber had gotten surly with me because he drank too much and was lonely and needy. Let New Year’s get the best of him. Then WCZ arrived and told us that he had just seen some guy peeling himself off of the pavement at a local park. Hope he understands the significance of the fact that he is still alive and smartens up. Ah, New Year’s. Gotta love it!