3 posts tagged “austin”

I loved the movie. Loved it!

I told mom on the way up that I was a little worried that I had over-hyped the movie to myself since I've been waiting a year to see it. But I trusted all the good reviews I'd read and knew from Jeff's stories that it would be my kind of flick. And it was.

Sarcastic. Funny. Troubling. Quirky.

Austin Chronicle: Teaching Themselves

Intending to employ a mockumentary style, they mapped out a scene structure with emotional objectives and characters, but left most of the dialogue to the actors.

They even wound up recruiting the second assistant director, Jeff Guerrero, to play a background teacher. (His improvs remain some of the funniest scenes in the film.)

And he was! There's this scene with a kite . . . My mom had to shush me over my laughter at that one. It was just, so, Jeff . . .

Los Angeles Times:

Akel and Mass genuinely like their characters and empathize with their problems. The source of the movie's humor is pain caused by humiliation, loneliness, the feeling of being misunderstood. It's hard to think of a scene as excruciating as the one in which Mr. Lowrey loses the respect of his class right in front of his eyes — or as funny.

It's hard to blame Mr. Stroope, Coach Webb, Mrs. Reddell and Mr. Lowrey for behaving as if they were still in high school because, well, they are. And "Chalk" lets us in on how hard it must be to live an adult life in an adolescent universe, where everything you do, say and wear is just too funny for words.

One of the funniest scenes in the movie is a slang spelling bee for the teachers. As in "bling bling" (no hyphen) and "fo shizzl' " (no e on the end). Absolutely hysterical.

I mean it. If you get a chance. See this movie. If not because of my biased opinion, but to support independent film-makers who can still make a good movie for $10,000.

Today I'm going to see my friend Jeff's movie. You've heard me talk about it forever now, and I am just so excited to see my friend up on the big screen and then do lunch with him after.

Review from the LA Weekly: CHALK Trouble paying attention in class, low self-esteem, hormonal confusion — and those are just the teachers in director Mike Akel’s zippy debut feature about first-, second- and third-year instructors at an Anytown, USA, public high school. Drawn from Akel’s (and star Chris Mass’) own on-the-job experiences, Chalk opens by telling us that 50 percent of teachers quit within their first three years on the job, and then proceeds to show us why in fly-on-the-wall mockumentary fashion, cutting between the classrooms of an introverted first-year history teacher (Troy Schremmer) whose lack of enthusiasm about his subject is contagious; the jovial Mr. Stroope (Mass), who spends more time thinking about the upcoming teacher-of-the-year contest than his own lesson plans (and who, in one priceless moment, kindly begs of one student, “In class, try not to know as much as me”); and a female P.E. coach (Janelle Schremmer) who worries that her job and short haircut will make people think she’s gay. Though Akel and Mass share writing credit, Chalk was actually shot in a loose, improvisational manner in the mode of Christopher Guest’s films, and its best set pieces are like devastatingly effective pinpricks puncturing the Hollywood hot-air balloon of inspirational teacher/coach melodramas. Think of it as To Sir, With Sarcasm. (Nuart) (Scott Foundas)

I hope you'll go see this movie if it comes to your town!

A Prairie Home Companion

Saw Stranger Than Fiction and A Prairie Home Companion today.

I liked Stranger Than Fiction. As an appreciator of writers, the subject really interested me. For once, I liked Will Farrell, the straight man. And, I guess if you really squint, you can see how I might look like Maggie Gyllenhaal if she was having an off day (thanks for that comparison Kinkish, I'm flattered).

PHC was good, but it had a weird angel sub-plot going on that was unnecessary. There's a possibility that I will attend a conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul in May and I will definitely check to see if Garrison Keillor is in town and get tickets for mom and I.

Yesterday I did some block walking for my neighborhood association. I am running for vice president and we were putting out flyers to let folks know the election is tomorrow night.

Yeah, I'm running, but I won't be there because I will be in Austin seeing the Dixie Chicks! Have I mentioned seeing Shut Up and Sing? It's an excellent documentary about the whole, "We're embarrassed the President is from Texas" debacle. Even if you disagreed with what they said, you should see the movie. It might just change your mind.

Whatever, the Chicks rock. As of tomorrow night, Jill and I will have seen all three tours together. I can hardly wait!

I somehow ended up with a ton of vacation days left this year, so I took Thanksgiving week, and will take the week between Christmas and New Year's, and in between I am taking off every Friday.

Last Friday mom and I went to IKEA in Round Rock. We had a great time, although I almost fell over when they rang up my basket at the end of our four-hour tour (no joke)(although we did eat lunch there too).

Poang chair

I've been wanting to create a little reading nook for myself. The couch just isn't right for it, my favorite chair now belongs to the girls and I need to not always be reading in bed. I bought this chair, except mine is red. I also got a little table to go with it and just need to move my floor lamp to pull it all together. I had to move a chair out of the living room area to make it work, and it does, but now I have to decide what to do with the other chair. Into the second bedroom with all the other things I don't know what to do with I guess.

My Uncle has a follow-up with the Detroit doctors on the 15th. I'd say he's doing better, but it really doesn't sound like it. He's walking well, but still unable to swallow. They were going to do a swallowing test last Friday, but the weather was too bad and the appointment is rescheduled for this Friday.

I haven't been back to see my Godmother. I need to, just so I can see where they have her now. Seems the hospice ladies are in every day and really stay on top of things. I am glad for that.

My Godfather told the boys on Thanksgiving what was going on. The older son understands, the younger is still in denial. He keeps thinking there is something they can do, some drug they can find that will make her all better again. I think he is not going to take this well when the time comes. It's sad.

Have I mentioned how Thanksgiving sucked? I started to post about it earlier, but man, I always complain about the holidays. I've disliked them for years. Jill has invited us over for Thanksgiving for years now and we decided this was the year to give it a try. Never again. I almost fell over when we got there and I saw the turkey still in the sink thawing. At noon. Ugh. We didn't eat until 7:50 pm. Needless to say, I was starving! It was just a weird mix of family and friends, we won't be back...   

I hate that I have lost the holiday spirit. Years ago I dated a guy with two kids. When we broke up, Christmas was never the same. Then my Godmother started to falter. I know that's life and all, but I just want to find peace, joy and happiness in my heart this time of year. And it's not there.

Gee, guess I should post more often and not let it all build up into one big Ba-Humbug message, huh?