Hop's Thoughts

Ivan's Childhood is Andrei Tarkovsky's first film and in some people's mind's his first half film, as the movie was apparently started and he took over, adding some dream sequences, a love triangle and his ending. It is in fact, the shortest and easiest to swallow of Tarkovsky's films and gave us inkling into what was to come. In many minds, Tarkovsky peaked with The Mirror (often called Mirror) and in from a visceral standpoint, this is true. While watching Ivan's Childhood I kept thinking of Terrence Malick and how this film's simplicity and power matched that of Badlands and how Andrei Rublev somewhat felt like the epic attempt in The Thin Red Line . Innocence and War (inner and literal). Malick's masterpiece, Tree of Life , with all it's heavy symbolism, has scenes that resemble so many I saw in the Tarkovsky's work, especially the mirror. The parallels are just to numerous to ignore. Getting back to Ivan's Childhood , it is importa...

I sleep four hours in the morning and about two in the early evening. That's my new sleep schedule. I like it, but I know it needs to end and reality needs to settle in. The reality is the scariest thing, because being behind the eight ball would be a blessing at this point. This is more like a bowling ball. So used to something small coming along and bailing me out temporarily, but it's always been because of who I knew. I feel at times like I don't know anyone anymore. I laid in bed today, thinking about a BBQ. Three people and the best food and drink ever. Not a single thing mattered that day, but the three people there. I think of all three of us and how far different our lives are. Happier, but alone. Free, but limited. Independent, but tied down by routines we've grown used to, neither in a bad way, nor a good. I think about why we were happy back then and why I don't feel that way about other situations. Honestly, when I think about that day and night, it was...

Still Alice garnered one of my favorite actresses a best actress Oscar. Here's the problem. This was an obvious makeup year, because Patricia Arquette's "supporting" role in Boyhoood was miles ahead of Moore. Moore played someone with a disease though and we know how the academy loves those types. Still Alive is depressing, but it's not poignant and it's biggest failure, is in the irony of its title. Locke is one man show. It is being hailed a great psychological drama and the "eegads" cliche, that even someone close to me used, Tour de Force, is being thrown around recklessly. It's a silly film, with Hardy's restraint being hailed as genius. As someone who believes Hardy is one of the three or four most exciting actors in the world, this film does nothing to embrace his charisma. In fact, the absolute disgrace of the film is that we never feel empathy towards Ivan Locke and that kills the entire movie. Europa Report is one of those films...

You sign on to Facebook and your friend has posted a funny picture of a kitten, you click like. Then you see someone posted a video of their daughter's recital and you click like. Then you see a notice about a man who traveled 200 miles by bicycle to raise money for his neighbor and you click like. Then you see a story about a crime and it's sad, because people died and your friend started their post off with the words "this needs to stop" and you clicked like.  An hour goes by. The comments begin with words like "thugs," "savages" and "animals." One person says they won't say the word, but they want to. It continues, maybe five hours later, there are 30 horrifyingly racist comments. Each comment and like brings it to the top of the news feed. It is trending basically in your little world of people. Everyone has joined this odd crusade against an entire race, because of a single crime.  I sign on an there is the thread at the t...

I got a little frustrated yesterday with people posting about Geek Pride and announcing themselves geeks. They made posts, usually using other people's words, implying they take pride in this label. Everyone should take pride in whatever label suits them, but there in lies the key phrase, "suits them." The real issue I have is that every hipster out there believes they are a geek. A geek is revered in today's culture, because their love for something, usually one thing in particular, is so intense, they exude a mastery of it. Being a geek involves some serious knowledge of said topic, but also realizing that it's not just because it's cool, but because it's not. Guys like saying they are sports geeks, but that's just silly. So many people like sports, that even those, like myself, with extensive knowledge of a particular sport aren't really geeks, they're just super fans. This isn't the same. Neither is liking a band that is popular. So...

Flags and crying eagles will be posted by those who vote for politicians who are keeping our vets from getting jobs, health care and housing. Flying the flag isn't being patriotic, helping others to better the country are. Especially when those in need, made the sacrifice so you didn't have to. My face has broken out again and this might be the worst it's been. I'd thought it was OK and maybe I could get by without going back on the medication, but right now my cheeks look as though I've been attacked by a swarm of bees. I hate this. People love to use the cliche, life is short. I have a challenge for all of those people. If life is short, give up watching television between 7pm and 11pm every single evening for one year. Tell me then if you think life is short. The amount of time we spend, doing nothing is frightening and the mindless devices we use to pass the time, if taken away, leave us with many more hours in the day than we can possibly conceive. Try it f...

I try to be funny, sarcastic, clever, kind, empathetic and sympathetic, but I've noticed as of late, my messages aren't being processed. It doesn't matter if I say them openly, privately, in print or spoken word. They are constantly misconstrued and it's starting to get to me. I'm going to start to dumb down my comment. I like this. I hate this. I like this person or I don't. I'm no longer going to pretend to like someone I don't for another's sake and while that might sound harsh, I sit and read and listen to your BS about "life being too short." Well, life is long and carrying around friends for someone else, is a burden. Since the beginning of the week, I cut three out of my life and I'm not going to lie. I have slept better. There are more to go and this isn't some silly random claim. There are some of you I owe more than this to and I don't ever forget that, but those who have wronged me, distracted me, compromised my happi...