DeMizio's Journal

"Catch Me If You Can"

It was a night of good movies.

Went to see "Catch Me If You Can" with my sister and her boyfriend tonight. It was a good movie: as one of my friends criticized, simple, but simple is a good change of pace from time to time. You need something to cleanse the palate between complex battle scenes with thousands of Orcs versus Elves, Humans and other assorted species and movies that throw that twist at you in the last five minutes that makes the previous 2 hours completely worthless.

The acting was so-so in my opinion: nobody seemed to excel in their roles. Tom Hanks passed off a decent Boston accent. Leo DiCaprio was able to pass off his crimes as cries for a decent family structure. I don't know - I think I might be demanding too much, however, these are two Oscar nominated actors but neither was incredibly stand-outish in their role.

The story is what I praise most: inventive, insane at times, yet seemingly based in fact. What exactly that means, I'm not sure: the film proclaims itself "inspired by true events," but where the truth ends and Spielberg's inspiration begins is up to the viewer. It follows a pretty logical structure throughout - albeit simple - giving background for Hanks chasing DiCaprio.

The only leap that I thought I was making with the story was that so much seemed to depend that DiCaprio's character was committing these acts of fraud solely to bring his family back together. This felt forced at times, and in some aspects, was not given enough background story to seem plausible to my mind.

My other major praises go to the score and the main titles. John Williams (a frequent collaborator with Spielberg) did the score, and without the opening credit to that effect, I wouldn't have known. The score is quirky and seemed to be set well in the sixties and seventies. Williams is frequently known for monumental scores (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, The Patriot, Jaws) and epic orchestrations: This music was toned down and fit well. The main titles were beautifully done, in a style suited for the rest of the film. Too many movies recently have relied on Helvitica Sans on a film overlay: these titles felt refreshing and well done.

And that is what this film felt like to me: it was refreshing and well done, telling a fantastic story in a straightforward way that allowed the events to feel as incredible as they were.

When I got home, Rain Man was playing, unedited, on cable. Without getting too much into it, it was a really good movie. Dustin Hoffman creates his character in such detail that the results are startling and completely authentic.

Thats it for the movies. I'm off for Jersey in the morning.

Work

Picture a stack of paper six inches thick.

That was what was left from tonight's concession sales. The server went down, and so everything was done by hand - all $11,000 in sales, each transaction detailed on a separate piece of 8.5x11paper.

Other than that, it was a quiet night...had an excellent crew, and it became "CHC Alumni Night" and "Hoyt's Alumni Night" at points.

I'm off until Sunday: am travelling with the family to Millville, NJ to visit friends on Friday. As always, I'm working on New Years Eve and New Year's Day...we'd better have the concession server working by then.

More changes...

Switched from blogger to MovableType. I was bored today: this has a good deal more flexibility (comments!) and more customization.

Sorry for the weird font...I'll work on the template designs in a few days.

test

Blah.

christmas

In years past, Christmas began for me at any hour of the morning that I woke up: I have memories of 4am mornings, 5am mornings. I'd get up, run downstairs and check the tree (just to make sure...) and then would run back upstairs and wake my accomplice in crime, my sister. Together we'd wake the 'rents - a monumental task considering the early hour. In more recent years, my sister has had to wake me up on Christmas morning. She's two years my younger, and her birthday is also December 25th, so she still gets as wired as I remember myself being.

I've found that I can never sleep on Christmas Eve: the feeling of anticipation is just so strong that I wind up reading books that I've read before with the radio tuned into Christmas music until 4am. Same thing happened last night - reread some Robert Fulghum books ("All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarden", "Uh-Oh") some short stories, old Wired and 2600 magazines until I fell asleep.

My sister came in at 9am, the most awake I've ever seen her at that hour. I seem to remember the brightest smile that I've ever seen on her face peek over the covers as the protective cocoon I had built for myself over the course of the night was yanked away.

"Matt...get up!" she said, brightly and without any trace of sleep depravation. "Its my birthday!"

"MMmpggh..."I grumbled, and rolled over. She stood there poking me for another minute and went away.

I looked at my watch and got out of bed, realizing that, hey!, it really was Christmas morning, and made it downstairs at about 9:10. Normal progression of events followed, including the familiar sights - normally carpeted floors now covered in wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows, boxes piled in front of the tree in stacks three and four high, both parents with tired smiles on their faces betraying the planning that had gone into Christmas - and another, less familiar sight: snow! It snowed - and I mean, actually snowed! - big clumps of wet white snow, covering everything it fell upon. By the end of the day, we had a good 3-4 inches, and nothing had been plowed so it was all the more pristine.

I'll try not to dwell on the presents that I recieved: being with family was ten times the plastic, paper and other material objects piled beneath the tree. Big item this year was a Sony Playstation 2, and 3 games, the Lord of the Rings boxed book set, a leatherbound journal (think "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"...the journal Dr. Jones, Senior had) DVDs, and the usual socks.

I love Christmas. I was finally able to get into the mood after reading to all of the Christmas carols in the morning...I was afraid that it wasn't going to happen this year. I was walking through the Towson mall when I realized that the only place that felt like "Christmas" was the mall that morning, and I was afraid...somehow, something changed, and home felt like it this morning, just being with the people that were around, while the snow fell onto the grass, trees, and everything else.

It was a very peaceful and serene Christmas.

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

Thursday plans: I have to work at five...and thats about it.

domain transfers & christmas

First off, Merry Christmas to everyone! Have a great holiday, and a great New Year!

Secondly, parts of demizio.com may be funky for the next 2 weeks. The domain was transferred to an actual hosting company. The DNS went through today, but a lot of the images have to be uploaded here and may take a while to do.

Merry Christmas!!!

my job and i

My job and I have a love/hate relationship. My job and I tend to become synonymous towards the middle of any work week. My job and I, for this break, are inseperable, but thank God for days off.

I am an assistant manager at a Hoyt's Movie Theater. What that translates into is to handle anything that any member of the floor staff cant: customer service issues mainly...we get too many of them, especially when the cost of an adult evening ticket is $8.75. I've worked there for about 4 years now, on and off, and tend to enjoy the benefits and the perks of free movies, and thats what keeps drawing me back.

I've had my share of jerks over the years: people that I just couldn't help, and that didn't want to be helped, that have instead decided to make the job a living hell for the brief time period that they inhabit my theater. I had one of them on Wednesday night...its an interesting story to tell, but not worth going into here. Suffice to say, I wasn't able to fix his problem, and neither was the other assistant.

I need to distance myself from the job somehow...its not my life, despite the hours I spend there, and despite how I may talk about it to other people.

Today was roughest: LOTR was selling out at noon for the evening shows, and all of Baltimore County's public schools let out every single child into the theater at about 3:30 today. Blah...

But other than that, its good to be back...

I need some sleep.

break

I'm at home after the semester that kicked my ass. Home is wonderful because of the sameness of it all: loving parents, comfy chairs, good food, friends, a job...

I started back at work tonight. One of the things that I've discovered is that change is universal. However, the theater that I work at defies that principle: stuff stays like it was when I was there a year ago. Theres something comforting in that, I guess...I'll always have a good paying job there, doing managerial tasks and the random odd job. It was actually really nice tonight: a super slow Monday night, with nothing exciting happening at all. Brendan, my best friend from high school, was there, which was awesome: haven't seen him in months. Got out at 12:30am, same old same old.

I'm excited because we're not doing a midnight show of LOTR tomorrow night. I'm not even working! I'll go see it with some friends though, which will be fun.

My parents' 25th Wedding Anniversary is tomorrow. They're still one of the cutest couples I know...

Anyhow, thats pretty much it...working Wednesday through the weekend I hope.

semester

The past semester felt like the hardest fought semester that I've had so far. Never have I felt so beat up after finishing schoolwork - it was physical as well as mental. The grades will probably be good, and I'll be pleased in that regard.

It was also one of the most disappointing semesters for me personally...I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to the people that mattered to me most It had been a regular occurrence the last two years: going from room to room, giving hugs, giving cards, getting hugged, getting cards...it just didn't happen. I think that I may be reading into it too much: I am exhausted, but it feels like theres something there.

I'm heading home tomomrrow (Saturday) for a little less than a month of break. I'll be working at the theater again - which I think I'm looking forward to. Shannon and Aymee are supposed to come down in January, which will be incredible if it works out.

I'm so tired right now, feeling so beat up...

I guess, if I didn't see you, Happy Holidays. See you soon in January.

thursday night...

CLASS:	Work Assigned:	Work Completed Thus Far:
Fiction Writing Catholic U Journalism Autobiography Medieval Lit	15 - 20 Pages 8 - 10 Pages 0 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 8 Pages (Exam)	14 8.5 0 23 8 Pages (exam done!)

Total left: DONE.
TOTAL Written this week: 53.5 pages...thats a lot of paper...

Its 5:30am...this is my first all-nighter...I'm going to bed. Exam at 12:40. G'Night!!!

thursday night...

CLASS:	Work Assigned:	Work Completed Thus Far:
Fiction Writing Catholic U Journalism Autobiography Medieval Lit	15 - 20 Pages 8 - 10 Pages 0 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 8 Pages (Exam)	14 0 0 23 8 Pages (exam done!)

Total left: one paper, between 8 and ten pages.
I've had four cups of coffee tonight, and I feel really weird. My body seems to be floating while my stomach does somersaults. One last thing to do before I sleep; it'll all be over soon. I've written 45 pages so far, the last 8 will be a breeze.

I just hope the coffee doesn't leave me delusional for the paper...

after a massive push forward...

CLASS:	Work Assigned:	Work Completed Thus Far:
Fiction Writing Catholic U Journalism Autobiography Medieval Lit	15 - 20 Pages 8 - 10 Pages 0 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 8 Pages (Exam)	0 0 0 23 8 Pages (exam done!)

Total left: Somewhere between 26 and 35 pages.

It was an extraordinary attempt today. The autobiography is complete, along with a reaction. I'm going to start work on the Fiction Writing rewrites now.

update: updated!

CLASS:	Work Assigned:	Work Completed Thus Far:
Fiction Writing Catholic U Journalism Autobiography Medieval Lit	15 - 20 Pages 8 - 10 Pages 0 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 8 Pages (Exam)	0 0 0 11 8 Pages (exam done!)

Total left: Somewhere between 38 and 47 pages.

updated: worked on my autobiography. It flowed according to my outline like butter.

It's gonna be easier than I thought...

planning ahead for break...

What I want to do with my winter break:

• Read the following:
  
  
  
  • Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain
  
  
  • The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner
  
  
  • Look Homeward, Angel, by Thomas Wolfe
  
  
  • Lord of the Rings trilogy
  
  
  • Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
  
  
  • You Shall Know Our Velocity, by David Eggers
  
  
  
  (thats a partial list...)


• Work


• Write at least one one-act play.


• Write at least one short story.


• Get together in Baltimore with La Salle people


• ...and so on...

I saw "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" today downtown. It was an incredible movie, more of a movie experience than anything else. The visuals are stunning: slow pans across vast landscapes, computer-generated battles that look real...The story was great; this one was more action-based than the first. The filmmakers seemed to play some more stuff for laughs too, although that might just be me. We arrived 20 minutes late for the screening, and got right back into the story at once. This one is just over three hours long, and every minute feels good: not stretched, or boring, or annoying. So, in short, thanks Greg and WEXP

I'll (hopefully) see the movie another couple of times when I get home next week and start working at the theater again. It'll be worth it: I need to read the books too, to get every little piece of this movie.

Today was sleep day: we got back from the screening about 2:00, went to lunch, and then I dropped off my paper. Came back to my room about 3:30 and slept on and off all afternoon. It felt good. The screening was at 10:00am, we left here at 9:00am, and I had been up last night until four.

I guess this entire entry is just thematically liked to winter break: it can't come soon enough!

Current Work Count:CLASS:Work Assigned:Work Completed

Current Work Count:

CLASS:	Work Assigned:	Work Completed Thus Far:
Fiction Writing Catholic U Journalism Autobiography Medieval Lit	15 - 20 Pages 8 - 10 Pages 0 Pages 24 - 26 Pages 10 Pages (Exam)	0 0 0 5 0

Total left: Somewhere between 52 and 61 pages.

Hooray for snow!

links

Click here, and join another pointless online game (and help me out in the process).

Click here, for what we're all praying for during the day tomorrow (hint: Starts with S, ends with W, has NO in the middle...)

Click here, for a really cool poem by Keats.

I was up until 4am last night getting my Medieval Lit paper done last night...it was turned in okay, and was decent. Thank God the books came through.

So, what's left:

Fiction Writing: 15 - 20 Pages
Catholic U: 8 - 10 Pages
Journalism: 0 Pages
Autobiography: 24 - 26 Pages
Medieval Lit: 10 Pages (Exam)

so tired...

Like everyone, I'm incredibly tired. I had big plans of finishing my medieval lit paper tonight, having just gotten another source through interlibrary loan and feeling really good about it. Instead I read and slept, with an emphasis on the sleeping.

Why do breaks in college always make you more tired than when they began? It really doesn't make sense; its fairly universal; and I swear I've asked this before

There are about 12 days left now until I go home: 1 class is done (except for the final portfolio). 2 more classes end tomorrow, and 2 more on Wednesday.

Not much else happening.

If I could only get through this week...