Don't Run With Scissors: Today is Ben Dietz's Birthday!

We took a trip down to the Bucks County Neshaminy Mall AMC Theater to see Running With Scissors. After paying our fare and getting a small drink and a small popcorn, the total was at 26 big ones.

It's hard nowadays to see a movie in the theatre with netflix allowing us to save movies that are presently out in the theatres to our queue. A lot of competition. By the way, try spelling queue aloud.

As far as psychologically interesting characters and a storyline that at least keeps you guessing, this movie has adequate resources.

The thing that makes the movie worth watching (on DVD!) is the set and costume design.
Everything in Deirdre Burroughs's house was that decadent but ugly seventies retro hip, yet housewife motif. I now want to hang marigold everywhere, and glaze things in marigold, too. I want to wear gypsy scarves around my head and set up a faux microphone to prepare myself for the reading I make after I get accepted into the New York, and any other fantasies that apply to RWS.

Yesterday I dressed up like a pirate in tribute to Running with Scissors. That was one way the movie affected me.
It also affected me because it was that "I want to be a writer and I'm way cool and experimental, but unhealthily self-obsessed and weird in a way that makes people uncomfortable" narrative, told both through the son and the mother.

Pete's grandmother has the book and he will likely read it and say, "What?" All in all, this movie deserves three bananas.

For Your Consideration

In any case, the good news is that Christopher Guest is finally coming out with another movie, that I realized embodies not only the Postmodern conundrum: a movie that signifies other movies that signify nothing, etc., but also the solution: which is to participate in making fun of ourselves in a way that makes us think AND makes us laugh and tricks Hollywood into paying a shitload of money to make fun of themselves. It stars all of the usual suspects, and is written by Eugene Levy, a man who can play opposite Samuel Jackson as a Dentist is a terrible movie The Man, which I couldn't even bear watching ON DEMAND with Tara.

Anyway, the movie is due out November 17th, 2006. Come with me!