Eh.

source

At the library, I was looking through the current issue of Entertainment Weekly again, since it has a preview of the Upcoming Fall movies... At the top of my list would be Appaloosa... I haven't read the original novel, but it is supposedly good. I probably should borrow a copy from the library, if there is one available. I 'hope' the movie does well, but for some reason I think it may not live up to the novel. Maybe I don't have confidence in Ed Harris as a director, though I haven't seen Pollock. He is quoted in the EW blurb on the movie that there haven't been many good westerns (recently). I fear that Appaloosa will continue the trend.

Then there are The Road and Tropa de Elite. A movie about the BOPE has some appeal to me, but I already have a bad impression of the government of Brazil. If the reality is that the government has lost control in many areas... well, who needs to watch a movie about that. Sure, there are the police officers who do their best to fight against crime and corruption, but the force of arms can only do so much, when the evil is deeply rooted in a society. afaik the movie asks questions about the rule of law and how much force is justified in such a battle. If it turns out to be too much of a downer I may avoid it.

It would be better to learn more Spanish (or Portuguese) instead... then I could use it to communicate with some of the students. As for The Road... is the portrayal of a father's love enough to balance out the bleak plot? (Does Cormac McCarthy see himself as being of the South? According to his bio, he was raised Catholic. Is he still 'practicing'?)

I wouldn't mind seeing the following with friends, though it is unlikely to happen since they are usually busy: Body of Lies, Quantum of Solace, Traitor. (Pete Takeshi may want to watch Burn after Reading. I still have to watch O Brother, Where Art Thou? What do Southrons think of that movie?) If the last 6 months serve as an indicator of the future, I will probably just see two movies between September and the end of December. I don't really care that much... it'd be better to wean myself off Hollywood. Flipping through the magazine I found that there weren't many movies that I thought were worth watching. It's been that way for a while, so this complaint isn't anything new on this blog. I think though that I'm reaching some sort of tipping point.

I was sitting in traffic on the way back to Milpitas. What kind of life would that be, sitting in traffic for 1 to 3 hours everyday? It was one of those days when the emptiness of suburban life was obvious. But what are the alternatives to the lack of community? There is community in a monastery or a seminary, but one does not enter religious life just for the community.

One can sacrifice and make do with less, for the sake of higher goods like friendship and community. Mr. Culbreath is right though, one needs to find others willing to do so, and it's a non-starter if one can't even do it right with one's family. But how many women are willing to embrace the simple life? (See my post on Eric Brende.)

The laity are not called to follow the example of those religious who dedicate themselves wholly to the active life, and even they have need of the friendships they have through their [religious] communities and so on. Still, if there were an alternate school that could serve Catholic students and provide them with some religious formation, I would consider dedicating myself to that. There are a lot of good kids out there who should be receiving more. Everything else looks rather like a futile enterprise at the moment. If I don't have a family, I should at least do something for the next generation. The current generation seems to be beyond persuasion, and I have doubts as to whether any sacrifice of life or limb would be worth it.

Ah well... bridges to cross when I come to them, and not before.

Related links:
Elite Squad - PAPERMAG
Tribeca Review: Elite Squad - Cinematical
The Shield: Season 7 Primer
More Righteous Kill stills
Dumpster Bust Interviews: Robert B. Parker: Part 1, 2, 3

BOPE - O combate