(that one art guy)

I realized somewhere between my first review and this one that IMDB would be a more appropriate place to share a link for more info about the movie.  With that correction in mind…the IMDB page for Flannel Pajamas:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432290/

This is, truly, a very unique film.  The first 5 minutes of it I was half tempted to turn it off while bitching and moaning to myself that it was another shitty independent film…I could not have been more wrong.

Flannel Pajamas is a story about Stuart and Nicole falling in love, their lives intertwining and then slowly unraveling over time.  The concept sounds like it’s been done before, but recently I’ve been on this “studying material” kick watching romance film after romance film looking for the kind of serious and real take on a relationship like what these two have.  There is real chemistry, real complications, and the reality that these characters are far from perfect along with the consequences imperfection brings us all.

What’s neat about this film is it isn’t so much about the plot points…there are no major stingers that pop up anywhere or shocking surprises, really you kind of get to see where everything is going well ahead of time as any outsider can when looking through the window at a relationship.  The many honest moments they have with each other echo quite a few (of course tweaked to some degree) experiences we have all had in any relationship, and I rather like that they show both of them are the problem instead of making just one character be the jerk (though I tended to think Stuart the idiot myself)…they both succeed and fail in different ways and it’s the beauty of that portrayal that really shines.

MAJOR SPOILER…

The ending was jarring.  I’ve plenty surprise moments, shocking moments, scared moments and disturbing moments watching films throughout my 31 years on this planet.  Never, ever have I felt so violently jarred out of a film than I did when this movie ended.  You don’t see the ending coming at all–and no, I’m not talking about a surprise ending.  I mean, literally, the film ends.  It left me sitting there, mouth open a little bit from the blow, and it took me awhile to decide how I felt about that.

Ultimately, the ending was the perfection finishing touch to the film.  Perhaps I am reading into this, but my own interpretation was it was meant to be so jarring because it was the end of a relationship.  You almost get to feel the full force of the character’s problems right then and there.  Perfect.

Definitely recommend watching this.  It’s a wee bit slow at times, I was in the perfect mindset for watching it so I was sucked into it the whole time…make sure you are too.

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I wrote poetry tonight for the first time in years.

By years, I am quite literal in my choice of words…it’s been over 5 or 6 years since I have done something like that. First time as a non-smoker, that much is quite certain. I didn’t think I had it left in me to be totally honest.

I picked up a writing pad for my desk the other day, however, along with a pack of pens as I am constantly finding myself needing paper to write on or something to write with. As I put the PC on standby for the night it caught my eye, and I followed through with the weird urge I had to bring it to bed and write “something” in it.

Three poems later, I’m a little shocked and trying not to sound all wannabe-clever blogging as I find the words want to play here as they did on the page. It’s a little like finding an old friend again (odd as that may sound).

The inspiration is nice though.

Goodnight.

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It has been a crazy past week at Red Fly, though in the best way…it kills me not being able to say what the game is we’re working on, but hopefully reading this 6 months from now it’ll be known and reassuring for any fans (of the game).

So, like I said, it’s been a rough week but in the best way possible. We’re all just so passionate and pumped about thus project that everyone is giving it everything they have. I myself have been pushing a level of detail and attention I have never been able to do before now! For example, today I went in to work and created visual effects for a wall breaker (hurt the walls of this area and they become damaged, dented, messed up). The effect is just one, but it can randomly call other “meta” effects (sort of like linking to another effect inside of it) so that you can blow three of these walls up and they will all look different. Small example, but it’s a lot of work and a first.

It certainly does wear down on ya though. I’m not very good at the kind of extended hours others do–which is to say the late shift–and I have an easier time putting my extra hours in during the morning. It’s always a good idea to mix it up though, fact of the matter is most stay late instead of in early and it doesn’t make ya look so good to never stay at night, regardless of how many hours you may have done.

Hehe, guess I’m starting to grasp this concept of politics in the civilian world, go figure. Only took me 6 years!

Anyway, I meant to sleep over an hour ago and so I must. G’night.

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