Television News, Eraserhead, and More
I don't watch television news. In fact, if I read any news at all, I get it from the internet, usually respectable sources like the New York Times or the Washington Post. When I want to be filled with righteous indignation, I turn to alternet or cursor.org, but I don't think these are feeding me wrong information, just very liberal-biased information. In contrast, the local news seems to consist of seven components:
- Lead off with the scariest and or most most angering, vaguely political story. Gas prices rising! Avian flu on its way! Traffic usually horrendous! Offer no discussion about the political forces behind the event, or the possible strategies to combat it. Unless it's Fox, in which case, it is somehow the liberals or Bill Clinton's fault.
- Turn to local news, which consists of the most affecting news from the police scanner. Rape, murder, abuse, bonus points if there are children involved.
- The mandatory parent freak-out. What are your children doing when you're not supervising their every minute? SEX! DRUGS! EATING SUGAR AND BECOMING OBESE!
- Throw in the biggest "news story" concerning a celebrity.
- Helpfully summarize or offer commentary on a non-news program on the same channel, like American Idol, Lost, or Desperate Housewives.
- Sports
- Weather
The only thing on that list that I am usually interested in is the weather, and it's much easier and less revolting to turn to weather.com. Thankfully, I also miss many of the commercials that way.
So Mike and I watched David Lynch's Eraserhead last night, and I am not sure what to say about it. I don't know if I actually enjoyed the experience of watching it; most of the time I was thinking, "This dude is seriously f---ed up." But in the end, I am glad I saw it. While watching the movie, I just knew that Lynch had become a father right before he did it, and I later found out on the internet that was true. And I still maintain that the scene with the vaporizer is one of the funniest moments in movie history. This movie is definitely for: hardcore Lynch fans (I-loved-Lost-Highway style); anyone who likes surrealist film; and anyone interested in the use of sound and lighting in film. This movie is NOT for: people who like realistic settings, rational plot, and dialogue; new parents and pregnant women; and anyone freaked out by worm-alien babies that Lynch will famously not reveal how he created.
Also, Deflated Soda Cup Guy!!!
