Busy busy busy and NANOOK OF THE NORTH (33)

I'm heading to Walla Walla, home of my alma mater next Tuesday for a second, and final round interview for a chance at teaching in China next August. In preparation I'm trying to cram as much information about modern China in to my thick man-brain as quickly as possible. This has pretty much left me completely and totally f'n busy. Because of this, I'm not watching many movie, but I at least have a back stock of nine or ten more to keep me going until I can get back on the wagon.

To prove that I'm busy and prevent you contentious bastards from judging me, here's a brief look at just what I have to do before my fateful meeting on Tuesday:

1. Read two books on China. This is great, though impeded slightly by the aforementioned curse of destruction winding it's way through the house right now.

2. Buy new, dressier clothes. As much as my 8th grade t-shirts and holey jeans have been known to impress potential employers, I think it might be time to invest in a tie of my own.

3. Compose giant "LIST PROJECT" for the record label I work for. This is basically me taking lists, formatting lists, adding pictures to lists for five to seven hours a day. I like to refer to it as "soul-killing".

4. Write family X-Mas letter. As much as I enjoy doing this, it always seem to end up being due the one week of the year when I actually have something to do. Thus, it's due this week.

5. Watch two hour documentary on China as recommended by my friend Jordan who is currently in China. Just cram this brain full of CHINA!

6. Continue writing three blogs a day on various subjects for various sites. This is for you my friends, my loyal loyal friends.

Busy see? Busy as a polygamist.

Oh Nanook of the North (33) you're I believe what those at Criterion refer to as a "historical" entry in to the catalog. The story of Nanook, a Native Alaskan living in the wild, supporting his family through sheer ability to hunt, is considered to be one of the first real documentaries (though later on in life the director, Robert Flaherty, admitted that much of it was staged). And for that, maybe you who are interested in a 1920's documentary shot in the Great White North, might give it a chance. Otherwise, you less dedicated Criterion Questers could probably move past this scant little picture. I mean, yes, you do get to see fat Native Alaskan children chortling over food and there is a pretty brilliant scene where old Nanook builds an entire igloo (a task that is much harder than you'd imagine) and if you're really dedicated you can watch the fifty minute interview with Flaherty's, somehow still living wife that pretty much cements him as a story teller not a documentarian. But, I'm just telling you, you're not missing that much if you chose against viewing this one.

Thursday: The horrors of Andrei Rublev (34)