Winter continues to reign here in Saratoga Springs, where we got nearly half a foot of snow yesterday. It looks and feels like January all over again, shining sun aside. After coming in from walking the dogs this morning, the 9 degree air temperature, with a Feels Like of -5°, made my fingers numb through my leather gloves. Gotta bust out those glove liners again. And there’s no end in sight. Now through Saturday the snow should continue. I love the snow, but it will be nice to go outside again without bundling up in layers of clothing and big winter boots. As I’ve always said, living here really makes one appreciate sunny days. The seasons keep things interesting.
Last night I watched Jamie Foxx in his Oscar-winning performance of Ray. Though it was on the long side (two-and-a-half hours), I enjoyed the movie and caught myself getting a bit teary-eyed. Foxx’s performance was well deserving of the Oscar.
I opted for the theatrical version of the movie, even though the DVD I rented had an extended version with an extra 25 minutes. It reminded me of a conversation I once had (with Ben, I believe) about extended versions versus theatrical versions. Which is the “real” movie? Is the extended version a different movie? My argument at the time was that both versions are the “real” movie because the director made both of them for different reasons. Though I still believe that and am a proponent of more content (if only because I really enjoy movies), I opted for the theatrical version last night because I wanted to see the version that won Foxx the Oscar.
That said, I do own the extended versions of the first two Lord of the Rings movies, and plan to add the extended version of Return of the King to my collection at some point. Of course, I’ve also seen the theatrical versions of all three movies, so had I not, I would probably want to see them before watching the extended versions. It’s also fun to keep an eye out for new scenes.
The odd duck in this conversation (in many ways) is Donnie Darko, one of my favorite trippiest movies. I do own that DVD (the original version) and have been meaning to watch it again. The director has recently released a director’s cut with added scenes that “complete the story” (follow link at your own risk; I haven’t actually read that interview yet, but know it contains that phrase). Some might argue that that’s cheating and that it’s a whole new movie. Is it? Or is it merely the director’s filling in the blanks of the story he originally envisioned? Is it possible to figure out what the hell’s happening in Donnie Darko without seeing the director’s cut? I’ll watch it and report back.
Seen yesterday on Jordan’s blog:
“I’ll quit coffee. It won’t be easy drinking my Bailey’s straight, but I’ll get used to it.”
– Megan Mullally
