organized chaos

Senseless bloodbath or gripping history lesson? 

This might seem like the most obscure review you’ve ever read.  Here’s the bottom line.  I liked this movie.  Was there a lot of blood?  Yes.  Too much?  Probably.  But I’m sure it was an accurate portrayal of the fighting within the tribes of the Maya.  Which leads me to my next obscure observation.

I think Mr. Gibson mixed up his history a bit.  This movie did a good thing for me.  I am now very interested in the history of the Americas.  I didn’t get much of this in school.  The only history I really remember is singing “The Yellow Rose of Texas” in Texas, along with a detailed account of all things Texan.  Every year I lived there.

And then in High School it was all about the U.S of A. and our government.  Even that was a bit dry if you ask me.  Mostly I did what was only absolutely necessary to pass.  Which is why I don’t remember much now.

So after watching Apocalypto, My Man borrowed some lectures from the library about the conquering of the Americas.  He likes lectures.  Usually I don’t.  But these I’ve actually watched.  And I’ve learned that the Spanish didn’t come until about 50 years after the first Mayan empire annihilated themselves. So if Mel was trying to portray the Mayan Empire and then had the Spanish show up at the end, he would’ve been wrong.

But that’s ok.  It’s not like he was making a documentary. It’s film. A movie.  Entertainment with enough truth to make me look up the real history.  And that, in my opinion, is a good thing.

But back to the violence for a moment.  I read many reviews that wanted to flush this whole movie down the tubes because it was too bloody for no good reason other than to capture the shock value on film.  Yes, there were a lot of scenes that disturbed me and some that I actually covered my face so I couldn’t see what they would do.  But it was quite a ride.  The whole time I was riveted.  I couldn’t have turned it off if I’d wanted to.

So there you have it or there you don’t.  I’m not going to say, “Go watch this movie right now.”  But now you have my 4 cents and surely you’re life must now be complete.

You know, even movies with raunchy jokes can have a good message. Hear me out.

Last night, My Man and I watched Click with Adam Sandler and while yes, the flick was laced with innuendos and the like, it drove home a point for me.

The main character Michael gets a hold of a universal remote from this guy named Morty who’s hiding out in the very back of Bed, Bath and Beyond. He works in the “Way Beyond” Department. And I have to say, Christopher Walken plays this Morty character and we were bustin’ a gut laughing at his antics through the whole movie.

On a side note: I got one of those universal remotes for 4 or 5 bucks at Wal mart because I found I couldn’t grow a third arm to wrestle all three of our previous remotes. Ever since then My Man complains that it’s too complicated. I try to gently admonish that each button has it’s own function, therefore you don’t need several remotes, but to no avail. Life does imitate art in this case.

Which brings me back to the movie. Michael finds that his remote does some special stuff, one of which gives him the option to fast forward through whatever he wants. He chooses showers, traffic, arguments to name a few. But ahhh, there’s a catch. A couple of them.

Number one, the remote is smart, in that it will remember what you have a tendency to fast forward and will automatically do so the next time you’re confronted with that situation.

Number two, when you fast forward any time of your life, you will have been on autopilot throughout the scenario, whether it be five minutes, or a whole year. You won’t remember conversations or any pertinent details of your life.

Now, here’s the kicker. I do that autopilot thing way too much. No, I don’t have a neon blue remote, graciously bestowed to me by Christopher Walken. He freaks me out a little. But if there’s anything I’m good at, it’s autopilot. Ouch. Becoming way too involved in my stuff and my own thoughts to really connect with my kids all day.

And I’m sure I’ve done it to My Man and to various people in my extended familia. And the consequence of such a thing is to look back after a time and lament over the fact that while time goes faster and faster, you’ve just missed things that you can never get back.

All raunchy jokes aside, this was the thrust of the movie. I’ve noticed Adam Sandler doing these sort of things in his movies lately. 50 First Dates is another example. Something that makes you think at the end.

I’m certainly thinking. I’m thinking I need to get my keister off this internet and connect with my gremlins a little more. When I’m cleaning or cooking, I need to get out of my “zone” and talk to them instead of exploding when their voices bounce off of me like pesky insects. I need to look at them when they’re telling me about “Juney” the June Bug they found outside, and give Commando Demando a kiss for every thirty love notes she gives me a day.

And I need to do these things because in a blink of an eye, my life will be over. Because that is the way of things. And I want to have relationships to show for it.