May 17th, 2002. Friday
 

 

    Last night I got called off from work. It ocurred to me that, at 26 years old, I still have a job where I can get "called off." That seems kind of ridiculous. When you're 17, and working as a dishwasher or waiter or even a cashier, it's perfectly acceptable to be called off and not have to go to work. But when you're solidly in your mid-twenties, it just seems to me that you should probably have a more reliable and stable source of income. And I do. But the night job still makes me feel like I'm 17. It's like my day job is school, and the night job is, well, the night job. The only plus is, i don't have any homework.

    So I got a call from Matt on my way home, and he had just gotten tickets to see Star Wars Episode II. I'd totally forgotten it opened on Thursday. Not that I was keeping track. I wasn't that excited to see it, but of course I was going to see it anyway, as just about everyone in the world must, so it seemed like a good night to go. So I met Matt and Jen down at Matt's apartment, and we took a cab to the Court St. theatre in Brooklyn. So... what to say about it? Well, it was certainly better than Episode I. A lot more action, a little better plot, and just faster paced in general. The acting, again, was terrible. I don't know what it is about Anakin Skywalkers, but they're two for two in terrible performances. It's funny that the whole movie they talk about how "gifted" he is, because you never really see it. All you really see is what an ungifted actor he is. He's really terrible. I wouldn't mind seeing the movie again, but all in all it wasn't very good. It was entertaining. But theirs nothing about the movie that you feel compelled to love. It's kind of like watching a basketball game. It's entertaining while you're watching it, but you don't really want to see it again. You wouldn't mind seeing the highlights on Sportscenter though. There's no character that's really engaging, while the original movies had several. And what I really, really, hate, is how they put American cultural references into the movies, like the New York-accented droid diner waitress. One interesting note is that the scene on Tatooine is shot on the exact same set as the scenes in the first movie. It's the same little domed building and the same hole in the ground. They never tore it down, and the local residents in Tunisia just maintain the set. Maybe there's just not a lot to do in Tunisia.

    As for the weekend, tonight I'm going to the Sleater-Kinney show at Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It should be rockin'. Certainly better than the Le Tigre show a few months ago. And I'm hoping the crowd is a little better this time out. First, I have to go back to Brooklyn and pick up my rental car. My brother Galvin is graduating from college this weekend. Goddam, I'm old. So Geoff and I are driving down on Sunday morn. Also, i'm debating whether or not I want to put some money on the Preakness this weekend, after my modest success in gambling on the Kentucky Derby. All shall be known in time.

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