LA is a Movie Town

So LA was nice as always, and I got back to Baltimore on Friday, just in time for rush hour. But in the bathroom at LAX I saw what might be the greatest toilet stall graffitti ever written. Luckily I had my trusty camera phone (which I never imagined I would be using in a public restroom):
If you can't make it out (the picture isn't the best), it says "Toy Story 2 was okay." There are many things that strike me as odd about this. First of all, it's about Toy Story 2. Many movies have provoked strong reactions from people- The Passion, Fahrenheit 9/11, but Toy Story 2? I mean, what is so remarkable about this particular film? Evidently, it's okay-ness. I guess I can see taking a sharpie to the wall if you really loved or really hated a movie, but how was someone so forceful with a neutral opinion?

Since the flight from LA to Baltimore takes all freakin' day, I did get to see two movies on the way back. First up was Stranger than Fiction. The verdict? I liked it. It was low-key Will Ferrell, which can be just as funny as Ricky Bobby Will Ferrell. Without spoiling anything, the movie comes down to the writer (Emma Thompson) having to chose between killing off Harold for the sake of the book, or letting him live. Several people weigh in on this, and they seem to agree that the story she's writing is too important (in a very Lady in the Water way), and she should go ahead and bump him off. The only thing is, we've been listening to the story- and it doesn't seem that great. The only interesting part is that Harold can hear the narration, and that's totally external to the book. Not a huge flaw, but it's a little annoying. I definitely recommend the movie.

Next up was Happy Feet. News flash: it was stupid. I understand that it's a kid's movie, but the cuteness can only carry it so far. There was no real "substance." It was kind of like Moulin Rouge, in that it was truly a musical with random music chosen from about the 1970's on. Only instead of actors in highly stylized period dress, you had computer generated dancing penguins- and if that's what you came for, you won't leave disappointed. There were no Christina Aguilera/Pink/Maya/Lil' Kim joints, but it did at least have Fat Joe.

So today I've been doing chores and trying to remember what it's like to go to work at my office. I think I'm here for the week, then gone for two, so I better enjoy it while it lasts. Have a great week everyone!