About two weeks ago, my schedule was packed! Whether it was work, rehearsals, working out, lunches, meetings, dinners, you name it it was in my planner. Then, as is known to happen in this bohemian existence, all of a sudden everything I had been working on was suddenly concluded, completed, or postponed. All of sudden, I had an unlimited amount of time on my hands and endless possibilities to pursue, but for the first time since the start of the year I decided that taking a breather was more important than any new club opening or happening event and suddenly my room was looking more inviting than any other place! Not to mention, my New Year’s resolution to save more money unfortunately keeps me far far away from any mall. So, for the first time in a long time, I curled up into bed with popcorn and chips and a stack of my favorite movies!
| DVD+Books+Popcorn+Bed=BLISS! |
Over the past few years I’ve discovered that whenever I’m bored, lonely, or worse brokenhearted the one thing that I could always count on to keep my mind off of things was books and movies. Somehow watching or reading about other’s people’s problems always helped me keep my mind off of my own, so my solace, if all my friends were busy, came from cocooning myself in my room with either the latest bestseller or the latest blockbuster.
This past week, I’ve had a little bit of both. Having concluded my foray into Gregory Maguire’s incredible world of twisted fairytale reality (I just finished Wicked and Son of a Witch) I turned my attention to another new novel I came across in the bookstore — Raymond Khoury’s "The Last Templar". In a Da Vinci Code-like manner Raymond Khoury’s novel takes the reader through the much hyped about Templar mystery involving perhaps the greatest unknown treasure of all time be it gold and jewels or perhaps the missing information on Christ’s possible offspring. It’s interesting because, much like the Dan Brown novels, it roots itself in a possible truth so even though you know it’s a fiction novel you can’t help but wonder whether or not some parts of it have some truth in them. After all, there is so much about those times that no one really knows. In either case, I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’ve already learned quite a bit about the Knights Templar (which the geek in me couldn’t help but cross-reference with information on the internet — yeah, yeah, I’m a square!) and I have to admit, it’s some pretty intriguing stuff and so far, the novel’s a page turner.
And when I get too tired to read, I blessed the beautiful little white Philips DVD player in my room and stocked up on movies I haven’t seen and movies I haven’t seen in a while and tossed some popcorn in the microwave. It was hours of uninterrupted movie mania starting with one of my favorite cartoons of the past decade and which I finally got a disc of — Dreamwork’s The Road to El Dorado. Following the adventures or shall I say misadventures of two Spanish conmen Miguel and Tulio the cartoon’s about how they accidentally stow away of the Spanish Expedition of gold hunter Cortez and manage to find the lost city of El Dorado, the city of gold with the help of a mysterious map and a hilarious Spanish warhorse named Altivo. I’ve always loved this movie because the rapport between the two male leads is incredible and what makes this comedy so hilarious. Lending their voices to the two characters are two of my favorite funnymen Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline. Their chemistry is undeniable and their improvisation makes both their characters well rounded, totally alive, and funny as heck!
After that, I popped in another classic and an all-time tummy tickler Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Released after their epic comedy on Arthurian legend, Quest for the Holy Grail, this time the Pythons set their sights on the greatest story ever told! Starring the irrepressible John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin nothing is sacred in this movie as the Pythons tackle the Virgin birth, crucifixion, and blind faith. The result is a hilarious farce that makes everyone laugh every time they see it.
After that, while still on a comedy high and far from succumbing to sleep, I went with another age-old comedy and put in Mel Brooks’ classic The History of the World. Another all-time favorite, History of the World takes us back through time all the way to the beginning from prehistoric times to the rise of Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution and so on. It’s a slapstick that tickles and the funny bone and takes a very lighthearted look at some of the darker times of the past. It’s definitely one of those films that everyone should enjoy within their lifetime!
And finally, after having my fill of laughing I decided to catch my token serious film and re-watched a movie that really touched me the first time I saw it, Miramax’s Finding Neverland. Being a huge Johnny Depp fan, I already had one foot in the door when I caught this film but seeing it again made me remember just how much I loved it. Following in the footsteps of Peter Pan’s beloved author J.M. Barrie the movie shows how his unstoppable imagination brings life back into the family of a young widow and her three sons while he struggles to bring Peter Pan to life as well. It’s an amazing human drama that really touched the heart and makes you believe in magic.
| Sleep: The One Free Luxury |
So, after all the reading and watching my eyes finally decided they needed a break and as I sunk deeper into my bed pulling the covers up under my chin I realized that sleep is probably the one luxury that has been eluding me all week. Perhaps it’s all the knights, and Spanish conmen, and Pythons, and Neverland swimming around in my head but every time I drift off, I seem to fall into dream-filled sleep, which usually sees me waking up just about as tired as I was when I nodded off. Oh well, I can’t complain, it’s been a relaxing couple of days and an interesting few dream-filled nights. Perhaps this weekend I can finally enjoy some real rest!