Today I saw a preview of the new X-Files movie which may indicate an undiagnosed brain injury in my brain. I should get that checked out. In any case, it was a pretty average affair with a few points of interest for people who may have watched the series until its conclusion but such people are like aliens or leprechauns or Scientologists in that we all suspect that they could exist but have never actually met one. The film doesn't offer any real surprises apart from the altered Facebook relationship status between Mulder and Scully (I'm not sure that it really has an option for their new status but I don't really care either).
There is one truly paranormal moment early on that deserves recounting: our protagonists are walking through one of the countless vaguely defined government offices that seem to populate the show (probably just the studio conference room with some fancy insignias photocopied and pasted on the walls) and at the door they stop to look at a framed photo of George W. Bush grinning idiotically at the camera. The annoying X-Files theme tune pipes in for no reason and they exchange a Meaningful Glance. Then the camera moves to a shot of J. Edgar Hoover and they nod knowingly. It was all completely out of place and reeked of giggling high schoolers including an in-joke in their final assessment project (do it! no, we can't! come on, let's do it!).
I was more disconcerted by an encounter I had while I was waiting outside the cinema. A young dude comes up to me and asks if I have a cigarette. Normal looking kid, maybe 20, white, smart casual.
Me: Uhhh... nah.
(pause)
Me: Uhhh.. yeah.
Dude: (matter-of-factly) Thanks.
(pause)
Dude: So what, are you coming from Uni or something?
Me: No, I'm just going to work.
Dude: Where do you work?
Me: [classified]
Dude: Oh right. So what do you do?
Me: I write stuff. What about you, are -
Dude: So are you satisfied with that job?
Me: Yes.
(pause)
Me: And are you a student?
Dude: How would you describe your writing style?
Me: I don't know.
Dude: Would you describe it as more masculine or feminine?
Me: I don't really know what that question means.
Dude: Well, is it more aggressive or is it more gentle and descriptive?
Me: I don't know. I suppose it's more feminine if those are your labels.
Dude: Right.
Me: What do you-
Dude: Ok thanks, seeya.
And off he strode. It felt like being interviewed. He wouldn't give up anything about himself and he seemed to arrive armed with a list of questions that didn't really suit the conversation.
Which reminds me, I never mentioned a show I recently saw at La Mama. Interviews with Famous People was a great little piece of theatre. It's finished now, so sucks to be you if you missed it. If it has a return season, try to catch it.
It was almost entirely made up of actual interviews between famous people and, well, interviewers, which sounds pretty uninspired. It was much more than that, though, and shed a big old light on the dynamics of conversation and the effects celebrity has on our perception of people. I won't review it properly here since it's finished, but I'll give two thumbs up to director Bob Pavlich for a damn fine piece of theatre.
Here's another celebrity interview I've enjoyed recently.
"One must never underestimate the power of a good hairdo. I'd like to write a song about hairdos. Not about the people under 'em. Then the dos have the power by themselves."
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