Movies and Mixes

I said to M. let’s go to the Matrix two weeks after it opens — maybe a matinee. She said okay. I was determined not to read any reviews — to see the movie with as fresh of a mind as possible. But many, many people have felt the need to tell me how the movie is. And they all seem to come to the same conclusion more or less… as Chris from LA says, it’s 45 minutes of movie stretched out over two hours. My brother saw the movie on Memorial Day and said the crowds were already light — little more than a week after its release.

So a change of plans. We’re going to Bruce Almighty instead this weekend. That is, if I can convince M. that the money will be better spent on a comedy than overwrought science fiction. I loved the original Matrix. I mean I really, really liked it. But sequels are nothing more than that and often far, far less.

I’m listening to the new mix CD tonight. It sounds pretty good. Mix CD’s are an art that I’ve honed over the past 15 years, starting first with mix tapes, of course. This one is so very close to being done. I’ve got a question mark over track 18 (there’s 20 tracks). It’s a song by the Beautiful South called “The Book.” It just doesn’t seem to fit quite right. Yeah, I guess I’ll probably replace it, but that song is one of my “pets.” It’ll be sad to see him go, but go he must I think. Right now I’ve got track 5 on, which is this great, great song by the Decemberists called “Odalisque.”

[ minutes pass … listening to music … deep in thought ]

Okay, problem resolved. Gone are The Beautiful South and this 2-minute bookend track of african drumming at the end of the mix. With my newly freed up 5-minutes I’ll place a second Decemberists track in the track 18 slot. It’s “Shiny” which is a great little tune by them — not track 5 greatness like “Odalisque” but it’s perfect late in the mix… Ah. The mix is done! [Dan celebrates!] I’ll put the mix online of course, and check here later.