Titanic: A Confession

I am embarrassed to admit this, but when Titanic was first released in movie theaters back in 1997 I saw it more than once. More than two times, even. Actually, I can't remember how many times I paid to see it when it was in the theaters, although the number five sticks in my head. The real answer though is way too many.

But it gets worse. Eventually it was released to video and I bought a copy. And watched it. Again and again and again.

Somehow I got it all out of my system (or, more probably, I met and married Joe and he refused to watch it) and my copy got shoved to the back of our video cabinet. I had not watched the movie in eight, almost nine years until last night. Last night TBS (or was it TNT?) was playing the movie and since Joe was busy pouring over legal paperwork I decided to watch it and see if it still held the same magic it once did to my college-aged self.

In a word, NO! Oh my goodness-- what was my college self thinking? That movie is just awful! The acting was decent, but the scriptwriting! Ew, ew, EW! Who thought it would be a good idea to write lines like "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets..." or "They've got you trapped, Rose, and sooner or later that fire that I love about you..."? And what possessed Winslet and DiCaprio to utter such trite, poorly written words? And the writing of the characters; could they possibly have been more stereotypical? Ooooh, the rich fiance who is selfish, mean and controlling, or how about the poor boy trapped in third class without one flaw to mar his character. How groundbreaking!

I remember being annoyed with Hollywood that year for sneering at Titanic and for holding their noses when its director James Cameron accepted his award for Best Picture at the Oscars. Now I can only sympathize with them and hold my nose right along with them.

The only upshot of last night, besides prompting me to confess my ridiculous obsession to all the world and see the error of my ways, is that now I can finally clear out some space in our video collection.

Move Review, X

Superdad and I were lucky enough to watch two great movies this past weekend. Saturday night we watched The Aviator. Since this movie has been out on video for eight million years and anyone who wanted to see it has already seen it, I'll spare you my thoughts and simply say that if you're as lame as Superdad and I are about seeing movies promptly and missed this, go see it. It's good.

Oh, and if you're wondering, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio before he visibly hits puberty; in fact, I think it was his last role where he looked bizarrely adolescent despite his adult age.

Friday night we watched another moving starring the lovely Leo (post-adolescence-- look at that-- real facial hair!) and Superdad and I both loved it.


I went into the movie knowing very little about diamond mining or the civil war in Sierra Leone in the nineties and I came out knowing very little more, but feeling like I did and I was ready to swear off all future diamond purchases (not like I'm in the market very frequently anyway). I've since learned a lot more and was happy to realize a lot of the problems shown in the movie have been addressed and some even dealt with.

But oh, such a well acted, moving film. I was absolutely engrossed in every second of it.

Not that I care about being proven right or anything.....

In my very first blog post on August 25, 2006 I used Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson's marriage lasting to illustrate something else not likely to happen. Well, well, well, it occurs to me (eons after the fact) that a scant three months after making that prediction they announced their break-up.

What does this prove? Absolutely nothing. But I was right and, darn it, someone should know.

And I don't want to hear anyone whispering that it was an obvious, easy call. Hush! Does this help bulk up my credentials as a bona fide oracle: I also predicted the demise of Britney Spears and K-Fed.

No?!

New York, II

I love New York. I love visiting. I love racing up and down subway steps imagining, for just a moment, that I’m part of the hustle and bustle; that I too have someplace so important to be that I couldn’t dream of merely walking down the stairs. I love the sounds of the trains screeching on the tracks. And the chorus of honking taxi horns when you step up from the subway. I love the idea that someone is upset because someone else's pace (hit the gas pedal a half a second BEFORE the light turns green! Don't walk to slowly on the subway stairs! Push the revolving door faster!) might push them a millisecond behind schedule. Superdad calls NY driving "Combat Driving" and I think it's an appropriate title.

Hurry, hurry, rush, rush!

And all that rushing always has New Yorkers on the cutting edge of everything in America, it seems. Some of it good, some of it not, but what's good is so enjoyable to take part. I love watching what people are wearing in NY. It almost seems as if I'm looking at a photo spread in Vogue; people are so well dressed. I love eating out in NY. The restaurants are unique and amazing but, like everything else, ever changing.

Here are my trip highlights: a fun visit with my aunt (check out Sixty-Five's blog for some more tidbits about my trip), a trip to the Museum of Modern Art, a Bobby Flay and Stephanie March sighting (they were at the MoMA too!!!), three extraordinary meals at Bar Americain, Mesa Grill and Lombardi's Pizza and countless hours logged drooling over clothes, bags, jewelry and accessories in one glamorous store after another.

It was a fantastic, too short trip, and I can't wait for the next.

Top Yahoo Searches

The number one most searched person on Yahoo this year was Britney Spears.

All I can ask is why???

Jessica Simpson, Part II

It seems entirely possible I was being way too generous in suggesting that Jessica Simpson and John Mayer's relationship might make it 'til New Years 2007.

Seems they're already cooling off.

Anyone surprised?

Awwww; Tom and Brooke Make Nice

It's so bizarre to me that, for whatever reason, certain celebrities feature very predominantly on different peoples’ radars. I don't know why, I don't see the logic behind it and, frankly, I'm sort of embarrassed by the celebrities that interest me. But, nonetheless, certain celebrities and their strange antics fascinate me. Ever since Tom Cruise lost it last year (was it only last year!?) on Oprah's sofa he's been catching my attention all over the place.

Well, I'm sure you all will be thrilled to know that Cruise and Brooke Shields are no longer feuding. They've kissed and made up. Phew.

"She's Never Been Happier"

"She's never been happier."

So Jessica Simpson's friends are saying of her new romance with John Mayer. Wow, bringing out the big guns pretty quickly, aren't we guys? I mean, what will you say when they break up in the not-so-distant future and she dates someone new; that's she's never been happier... except for that time a few weeks ago?

I don't know why I let Simpson annoy me so much.


UPDATE: Oh! She's in love! Really? After what, a minute? According to the article:

they bumped into each other again in June at the New York City nightclub Double Seven, where a source tells PEOPLE Simpson was "flirting up a storm" with both Mayer and actor Jared Leto.

Wow, June, huh? Want to start taking bets as to when they'll break up? I give 'em until New Year's Day 2007. Max.

Where is Suri?

Does Suri Cruise exist? Does it matter?

I have never be a huge Tom Cruise fan and, truth be told, I’m still pretty blasé about him.

I have never been a huge Katie Holmes fan. I think she’s a cute actress and I moderately enjoyed her performance on Dawson’s Creek.

In the scheme of things that matter to me, the existence of their daughter doesn’t rate too high on my list. But I’ll admit it; the fact that she’s yet to be seen months after her birth strikes me as bizarre. And I’m hooked. Where is Suri? How is it possible to hide a baby?

April 18, 2006: Suri Cruise is born at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Mother and daughter head home after twenty-four hours. [1]

Mid- July 2006: King of Queens star Leah Remini, a friend of Cruise and a fellow Scientologist, reports having met Suri. [2]

Late July 2006: Jada Pinkett Smith comments on meeting little Suri Cruise.[3]

Early August 2006: Cruise ex-girlfriend Penelope Cruz reports having met Suri. Her comments about the mysterious baby are vague.[4]

August 10, 2006: Vanity Fair is rumored to have landed photo rights to the yet un-photographed almost four-month old.[5]

There is so much more that could be posted here. Google Suri’s name and hundreds of thousands of websites appear. Conspiracy theories abound. So, what’s the truth? I don’t have a theory. I assume she exists and is as normal as is possible for any baby being raised by Hollywood movie stars. But I only assume that because I can’t possibly fathom two people being deranged enough to create a mythical baby for publicity purposes. It’s so Days of Our Lives.

I will admit to being interested and hopefully this latest report about a Vanity Fair photo spread is true and we can all see Suri, confirm that she exists and move onto more important celebrity issues, like who’s more heartbroken: Nick Lachey or Jessica Simpson?


[1] http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18827,00.html
[2] http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1216577,00.html
[3] http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1219552,00.html
[4] http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1222895,00.html
[5] http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/10/people.cruise.reut/index.html