Catching Up

So I watched a few movies this past week/weekend, none of them new, and I hadn't gotten around to writing about any of them, hence, "Catching Up":

Jackass 3 (no D) (2010)

Since we watched this at home, there was no 3D, of course. I've generally decided to boycott 3D movies these days, I might make some exceptions, its more of a guideline than a rule. But I would have 1) seen this in 3D and 2) would have enjoyed watching it in the more communal experience of seeing it in a theatre with other people. Watching with Tina was fun though, and it wasn't even my idea she chose to watch this. And, well, its pretty much like the first two, you know before you watch whether its something you want to experience or not. There are disgusting things, pranks, and people hurting themselves and having people laugh at them, and you know whether or not you want to see that. As I mentioned I would have preferred to watch this with a theatre full of people, but it was good quick fix when you wanted the dumbest movie you could find on a Saturday night. 

The Party (1968)

I know I am probably supposed to look through the prism of time to talk about this movie, but I am of two minds about it. Let me explain: Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor who accidentally gets invited to some bigshot Hollywood party, when he was actually supposed to be fired from the movie he was on. Chaos ensues, basically, as the night goes on. Now the two minds: the positive: on the one hand there is some great stuff here by Sellers, some great physical acting and showcases for his talents. On the other hand, I'm sorry, but I can't get over the fact that this is a white man in basically brown face doing a minstrel show imitation of an Indian man. Even though it is actually not so much mocking and it is very gentle, I suppose, its something I can't really get past, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I guess if anyone was going to do it it might as well be Sellers, and I realize it was a different time and yadda yadda yadda but I have to be honest it doesn't sit well. And it makes me think: what is up with Blake Edwards thinking it is so funny to have white actors playing cartoony ethnic roles?

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

I know, right!? Let me explain: I used to be a real hater of this show. But recently the E! channel has been rerunning it and Tina started watching the reruns, and I decided to be more open minded and try watching it too. And to be perfectly honest: it's not as bad as I used to make it out to be. Is it the greatest? Not by a long shot? Does the writing sometimes make me groan and roll my eyes? Oh definitely. But apparently to actual fans of the show, it does this too. So becoming "not too bad" when it once was "the worst" is a big step up. I'm not sure who turned on Sex and the City 2, but I had not seen the first one, and that didn't matter. I wasn't like George Costanza watching Home Alone 2 and being completely lost. It's just so weird that they keep making these movies (well, not so much, they make a lot of money) because really what else is there to tell about these people's lives? What is interesting, and I am not suggesting anyone see this because of this, is that this movie is actually kind of insane. The bookended parts in New York are fairly mundane, but then the ladies decide to go...Dubai? I think? Abu Dhabi? Some Middle Eastern country, and they are walking around in the desert and riding camels. Seriously the middle part of this movie is like a fever dream. And THAT's after Liza Minnelli performs a gay wedding and sings "Single Ladies" with her head perched on top of a CGI body. This is also their own Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan of the series, where they bring back someone from the series to create conflict (in this case Aidan, one of Sarah Jessica Parker's former flames). But its also pretty tone deaf? In that these ladies are rich in their crises consist of needing nannies to help them parent and wanting to catch a plane in time so that they don't have to fly coach? And there is also a scene where they help free the oppressed women of the Middle East. None of that is a joke. Also not a joke: when someone says something about "Lawrence of My Labia". Ugh. I wonder if they'll make a 3rd though? Where could they possibly go with these characters? Into space?

-K