My in-laws have left... visit is over. Now our house is quiet, Doug is resting, the kids are watching "Hey Arnold," and I've finished working on what I can for one of the summer professors without obtaining more material from him. Doug wanted to geocache today, but it looks like at any second the sky will just open up and torrents of rain will fall, so I think we're home based for the day. Good thing. I could use some quiet time.
Anyway, the visit this time was actually lovely. We got to cook for them twice instead of eating out all the time the way we usually end up doing, and Geoff bonded heavily with Grampa, which he hasn't had much of a chance to do. Doug's dad was commenting that it is a treat for them to watch their niece (Doug's sister's baby) on a weekly basis because they can really see how she changes and all, and he was apologetic that he didn't get the same chance with our kids. There was no need for him to be apologetic. We live here, they live there. But I could see that it bothers him because Jessica's his girl, and he loves her deeply, and I think it bums him out. Apologetic isn't the same as regretful. Even though he apologized... there is nothing to apologize for.
I adore my father in law. He likes to talk to me and tell stories. He's got a good heart. He did the dishes here. And I know for a fact he doesn't ever do the dishes at his own house. Not sure what that is saying -- that he wanted to give me a break because for two straight days I cleaned and did dishes and ran around trying to organize life, or if he thinks I'm shit for a housekeeper... hee hee. Regardless, it didn't go unthanked on my part. I kept telling him to stop it. Doug should do the dishes... not you. And he'd wave me off and tell me to go play with the kids. He's a gem, and I enjoy getting to see him greatly.
So they're homeward bound. We may see them again in August at their place as a stop over to Chicago if we are still going to go. I believe we are.
We rented "JASBSB" a few weeks ago, before going camping. I'm a fan of Kevin Smith's work, my favorite of his movies being "Clerks." I like his sense of humor, and his storylines for the most part.
[Sidebar note: I say that I like the storylines, but man! I hated the crisis apex in "Chasing Amy" when Holden says that he needs to have sex with Banky to get him to stop feeling upset that his lifelong friendship with Holden has been usurped by a lesbian (temporarily changing teams to be with Holden). I thought that was awful. It was unnecessary. It made no sense. I hated it. It ruined the movie End Sidebar note].
Anyway. He's funny. He's irreverent. I love that HE himself is Silent Bob (the dude in the white cap with the beard, who never, uh, rarely talks). His characters are people that seem familiar to me, almost I know their trash talking foul-mouthed selves. Except of course in "Dogma" because I'm not friends with any archangels or anyone directly related to Jesus.
JASBSB takes all of Smith's previous movies, brings all the characters back, makes fun of them, wraps his career all up. Hollywood pulled out all the stops to be in this movie, as irreverent as it was. There were very few Smith previous characters missing, such as Alan Rickman and Salma Hayek...But Ben Affleck played himself and Holden, and Jason Lee played two of his prior characters from Smith movies, so there were plenty of characters to choose from here. There were dozens of great cameos, from E news daily stars to Dawson who took time away from the Creek... It was fun to play spot the celebrity here.
The premise is that Jay and Silent Bob get wind of the fact a movie is being made based on the comic book about them which Banky and Holden created ("Bluntman and Chronic"). They get in an internet chat room and find out that tons and tons of people are insulting them, ragging on them, and ripping them to shreds and they take it personally instead of just recognizing that these are punkass kids and they're ragging on the comic book. They are especially angry when they read a rumor that they'll be portrayed by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (not so, they come to find out).
So they decide they need to stop the movie from being made. And the adventures begin.
But I liked it. It made me laugh, because I have seen all the other Smith movies, and I caught all the nods to the prior works, and I thought Ben Affleck was fabulous at making fun of himself, and Jay and Silent Bob are just so stupid they are amusing.
And that, my friends, is all that matters. You don't have to be an art film. You have to get into stupid situations and make me laugh. End. And they sure as hell did. Right from the opening minutes which set up the existance of Jay and Silent Bob and the genesis of their friendship. Will Farrell stole the show as the nature cop, Chris Rock is hysterical as the director of the movie within the movie (he's all bent out of shape because there are no black actors or black employees on the set and he lets everyone know how he's being abused by the Man). Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher do special cameos, which must have been a thrill for Kevin Smith because he's allegedly a HUGE star wars fan. All his movies have references to Star Wars in them.
All told -- I liked it, and if I were to have a Kevin Smith marathon one day, I'd of course save this one for last. I'd probably show "Dogma" first, because the other three films (Amy, Mallrats, Clerks) all lead up to Jay and Silent Bob... and it's a totally different movie than the others, doesn't fit in the general flow of the illustrious Smith career. And I wonder what he's going to do next... hmmmmmm.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back the kind of movie I could never watch with my inlaws... like I'd never watch "South Park" or "The Man Show" with them. You just don't do that. But I'd watch it with you my friend.
And on that note, I need to get some dishes washed. My father in law isn't here to wash them for me... so I've got to return to my domestic duties.
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