Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of February 1

Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of February 1

My glowing review of Brokeback Mountain – everyone should see this movie!

I’m just kidding, I haven’t seen it - yet.  But, in the immortal words of Detective Robert Goren from Law and Order – Criminal Intent:  “made you look.”

  Every once in a while I take stock in what I’m doing to creatively express myself.  This would be known as a creative “self doubt” or “self loathing” period.  The twisted thing is that to “writers” its just part of the process – which is a good thing – because according to an ancient Chinese Proverb:    “Great doubts deep wisdom.  Small doubts little wisdom.”
   Every once in a while, my writing gets away from me – I seem aloof and my rants sometimes pedantic – but I don’t realize it until it has already happened.
   I’m not talking about those times when I’m trying to make a statement or being purposely obscure.  There’s meaning in that - at least to me and one other person of course.  I’m talking about other times, when I think I’m being whimsical and supercilious.
    See, there I go again.
    So I guess this is one of “those” weeks for me.  What I mean by that is I let time slip away from me and then all of a sudden its time to write another column.  It’s not so much a chore, because I actually love writing, but the chore part comes in the time portion of the equation.  I need time to slip into my creative mode – to forget about the fifteen hundred things I have to do every single day, seven days a week at work.
    Believe me, that’s tougher than it sounds.
    In the past I would sometimes feel like I was “phoning it in” to paraphrase a former editor of this paper.  Well looking back I say to hell with that kind of talk – that’s arrogance from someone who can’t even write.  It doesn’t matter what I write about – the writing is an expression of who I am, not anyone else.  And to me, that does matter.
     I like making commentary about this and that – sometimes vague and contemptuously sarcastic and other times well defined and abstruse in nature.  Its the readers reaction to what I’ve written that is the creamy filling inside the flaky pastry – that’s the part that gives any writer pleasure from this creative medium.  Making someone react in some way.  I don’t care if you laugh, cry, cringe, get pissed off – it doesn’t matter to me – just react to what I’ve written in some way and I’m happy.
     Seems almost narcissistic, doesn’t it?
     I was thinking the other day about how I’ve been fighting this temptation to go to the powers that be and pitch me writing a multi-part series on the film industry – specifically the various awards shows and venues that have taken place this year from early January until the end of the first week in March.  For example - the Golden Globes were two weeks ago, the ten day long Sundance Film Festival just ended this past Sunday, which that same day also saw the Screen Actors Guild Awards and this Friday will be the Writers Guild Awards.  All this gearing up to the Independent Spirit Awards and the better known Academy Awards – both in just a little over a month from now.
      This time of year is like heaven for someone like me – not just because I know little factoids about the awards, the films, the writers, the studios and other associated things – that crap is great when playing Trivial Pursuit – but because as a lover of the art of film, it is satisfying to me to see that through televised awards shows, film festivals (Sundance, Tribeca, Edinburgh, Stockholm, IFC, Cannes, etc.) and other types of exposure - everyday people can begin to see the entire medium as an art form – not just a once in a while Friday night at the movies or an occasional rental at Blockbuster.
       Speaking of going to the movies – you know that I’ve only been to one regular movie theater in the past two years – to see Batman Begins with my wife and my kids.  I tend to buy movies on DVD and UMD format and if I’m lucky, I get an advanced copy of a movie just released (because a friend of mine is a professional movie reviewer/writer), so I tend to stay away from the loud and dirty mega-movie-plexes because they just don’t have the character of the old movie houses and they’re too damned distracting.
        Hey, I’m not saying anyone should do it the way I do it – I’m dying to see a few recently released films (Brokeback Mountain, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and even Big Momma’s House 2) but for now I will wait.  Soon enough I’ll be able to watch them all, at home, in my car, at work, on my PSP – wherever.  Listen, I’m far from being a cheap bastard, ask anyone who knows me, but I don’t see why I should give a big theater chain a fortune to see a movie once, when I can spend $25.00 and see that movie anytime, anywhere.
          Maybe it’s me.

Comments

[renee martins]

Hey George P. Hassett. Whats the "P" for. Pitiful as in your editing skills or pompous as in "YOU" I got two words for you George they are "SPELL CHECK"

[delusional]

well here we go.....another classy comment from the local mentally impaired, only moderately white trash crew....sweetheart, george didnt write this article, jn did and im sure if jn misspelled something its so you and your progeny could understand it you chimp with boobs......hey listen, someone correct me if im wrong, but isnt what a copy editor does and what gph does vastly different???? hey ill hand it to her though, she signed her own name, but aside from the comment on the wrong article, its probably not good for the family business to put a nasty insult aimed at the editor of the local paper - check the morons email address out.....

[renee martins]

This to Delusional/At least I'm not hiding behind "delusional." Sticks and Stones, BLAH BLAH BLAH I accidentally posted that under Reality Bites. I happen to think that James Norton is a brilliant writer. Save your breath, you'll need it to blow up your date. Your ridiculous little opinion has been noted.

[Tellitlikeitis]

You tell him Renee! Finally a breath of fresh air that is a REAL person not hiding behind anonymity! delusional really IS delusional! And you outted him.

[Johnston]

phplumbing, is that short for Prospect Hill Plumbing? Is it the same company as the advertisement in the paper?

[renee martins]

You Betcha! Of course the view expressed is solely the view of Renee Martins. And by the way I've been talkng to George P. about his editing for quite some time and that comment came after a conversation with him last week. The people who know me (Really know me) not the chimp with boobs, Ha! Ha! know I'm a stickler when it comes to editing. My advice to delusional, double up on those meds. They're not working.

[Male chimp with boobs]

To renee martins: You should post on this site more often! Your hilarious! Loved your comeback on delusional!!! Wow!!!!!!!

[Somerville has one bad police department]

Miss renee of PH Plumbing how do you do? I just can't wait for what your comeback will be when you entangle with "Ron the Newmanator"! You know Ron, the guy that wears plaid on plaid and bumps into walls! After hearing about the Male chimp with boobs, Ron should be along quite shortly!