Cuplog

October 2008 was the sixth anniversary of my cessation of cigarette-smoking. In six years I have not smoked a single cigarette! In that time, however, I have had numerous dreams in which I have found myself smoking, cursed myself for ruining my record, and then told myself, “What the Hell, I may as well finish the pack before I quit again.” Eventually, I awaken thinking I really did smoke a cigarette, but in a short time I realize it was just a dream and breathe a sigh of relief. Well, in the real world my record is intact, and I am still only a very occasional smoker of pipes and fine cigars. If I were still a tobacconist I would probably be smoking four to twelve pipes or cigars a day. These days I don’t even smoke that much in a month and sometimes I don’t smoke that much in a span of several months. (I don’t think I smoked at all between the middle of November and today, the first of January.) My conscious cravings are very rare and easily conquered, which is in stark contrast to the notorious early days of my cigarette-quitting misadventures. The memory of those days only fortifies me against the temptation of ever starting again. I hereby celebrate my sixth anniversary of emancipation from cigarette dependency.

It is 42 minutes too late for the Eastern Time Zone in North America, but here is the Cuparium’s annual link to the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne: the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne. For this we honor the memory of the Scottish Bard, Robert Burns.

Be seeing you…

Well, I actually caught The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian at the local dollar cinema and was suitably entertained. I do wish I had a cell phone silencer, though, for those idiots who lack the common sense to turn theirs off when they are attending a movie, play, concert, lecture, wedding, funeral, etc.

In other news: Gargoyle Gang Defeated Again by Giant Robot!

I saw Get Smart and Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D this week. Get Smart was funny and enjoyable, but I couldn’t help thinking it could have been just a little better. Journey to the…3D was acceptable although unexceptional for what it was. (In other words, just about any Ray Harryhausen or Hammer adventure film is more entertaining, but it wasn’t bad.)

In my latest cinema-going update, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Mongol are both very good summer movies. See them whilst they are still on the big screen. I ought to write something on each of them, but I’m not sure I’ll find the time before they are gone.

As for the Joker movie masked as a Batman movie, I plan to miss it and no amount of hype-mongering bluster or whining can change my mind.

There is a good chance I’ll see Get Smart today.

Here is another update of things I have been watching, renting, buying, and reading.

I saw Indiana Jones and the Something About a Crystal Skull. I thought there was a possibility it might be almost as good as the first movie, but it really amounts to Indiana Jones: The Theme Park: The Movie. Not exactly my cup of tea. On the other hand, it had Cate Blanchett, so it wasn’t a total loss.

I recently read Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death by Deborah Blum. It was an engaging read that made me regret it wasn’t twice as long. I’ll need to write more on this later.

Recent movie rentals: Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924), My Best Girl (1927), The Good Fairy (1935), Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), Samurai Rebellion [Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu] (1967), Kill! [Kiru] (1968), Red Lion [Akage] (1969), A Very Long Engagement [Un long dimanche de fiançailles] (2004). (The best of the above are My Best Girl, The Good Fairy, and Kill!.)

Other movies recently seen (thanks to the public library): Werewolves of London (1935), Bullitt (1968), Hard Times (1975).

Currently, I am reading Goldfinger by Ian Fleming, and I am about to watch episodes 6 and 7 of John Adams.

Movies I want to see immediately: Mongol and Get Smart.

Movies I missed: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (oh, well).

Be seeing you…

;-)
:-?

I awoke this morning with a cold, which is the natural result of sleeping with the window open and a fan blowing on me, but it was too hot to sleep otherwise. I’m not feeling well, and I’m not accomplishing anything today that doesn’t involve an Internet connection — at least, not yet. Danny Boy and I might work on sculpting some puppets later today.

The last two movies I saw at the cinema were Iron Man, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and Speed Racer, which I enjoyed with some reservations. (The reservations pertain to excessively jerky camera work during the racing scenes.)

I finished reading The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue. I’ll comment on it at greater length in the near future.

DVDs I have been renting lately: The Little Fugitive (1953), The Great White Hope (1970), Flamenco (1995), Salomé (2002), La vie en rose a.k.a. La Môme (2007), Amazing Grace (2006).

Television shows I watch nowadays (although some are between seasons): Reaper, Boston Legal, Heroes, Samantha Who? and Coronation Street (yes, I’m on that wagon again… for now). I’ll also be renting HBO’s John Adams, which will be released on DVD on the tenth.

I suppose I’ll be watching the new Narnia and Indiana Jones movies, but I’m only mildly interested in them. Still, if they are any good at all, they are probably best viewed on the big screen.

Partially as research for some puppets I am making, I watched The Wolf Man (1941), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Revenge of the Creature (1955), and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). The only good movie among them was Creature from the Black Lagoon. It truly was a terrific monster costume and a fairly good movie overall.

I’ll post again when I’m feeling (and thinking) better. Be seeing you… :-?