Not actually dragged behind a truck.

[mrissa]

In some ways being diagnosed with pneumonia is a relief, because I was feeling really run-down and sort of fuzzily disconnected from all the stories I want to write. They all sounded like a good idea for someone to do, and I just couldn't make the connection that that someone should be me, and it's nice to know that that's because I am genuine real-life verifiably sick and not because something has gone haywire with the creative wiring.

I spent the vast majority of today reading on the library couch, and I didn't really get to the point where I was sick of reading on the library couch and wanted to get up and do something different. There were bits when I wasn't sure reading on the library couch wasn't going to be too strenuous. I think I will be making a dedicated effort to nap tomorrow. That is my fascinating plan. If I don't get back to you on something, I promise it's not you, it's pneumonia, vertigo, and cramps doing their lovely dance upon me. This is not the kind of fun you want to have, and if anybody comes around asking, tell them no thanks.

I decided that as I am unlikely to feel 100% immediately, I can be indulged in some things, and so I ordered four Reginald Hill novels from the library. So there.

timprov and I watched a movie tonight, and I would like to talk more about it, but I don't have the energy left, so I will merely ask: has anybody else seen The Brother From Another Planet? We knew it had Joe Morton. We like Joe Morton. We did not realize it would have David Strathairn. It is one extremely weird movie. But we agreed it was probably the best First Contact movie either of us had ever seen, and neither of us remembers hearing anybody talk about it ever. So I thought I'd ask.

(Aaaaah, how did I miss Straithairn playing J. Robert Oppenheimer??? MUST FIND. And what is apparently a Sacco and Vanzetti movie? Seriously? Oh my.)

Comments

[ellarien]

I did see that once, a very long time ago, late one night on TV. Maybe as far back as my late grad-student or early postdoc days in the late 80's, when I first had access to TV. I don't remember much about it; a gentle wordless guy with spiky hair and strange feet, and a lot of rain and dark-blue night-time cityscapes? It was indeed very strange, but all TV was strange to me in those days.

I hope you feel better soon.

[stfg.livejournal.com]

I have also seen it and have very limited memories of it. I'm thinking I saw it in high school, and I graduated from high school in 1986. I have one snapshot image in my head of the main character coming out of the sea and putting one large foot on the dock as he pulled himself up. I remember it as being an exceedingly weird movie as well.

[sdn.livejournal.com]

yeah, i saw brother from another planet when it first came out. very, very odd and very, very cool.

[elsue.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I was looking up Passion Fish on Wikipedia yesterday (another John Sayles movie, which I saw years ago and liked) and browsed around to mention of Brother. Haven't seen it, but vaguely remember hearing good things once upon a time.

[talimena.livejournal.com]

Adding a nap into the mix sounds like a very cunning plan. And I did see Brother From Another Planet years ago. I have good but vague memories of it and keep thinking I'd like to see it again sometime, so thanks for the reminder.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it, but you remind me of my favorite "first contact" movie" Earth Girls Are Easy. (I am half-serious: it's silly as SF, but I love it.)

[redbird]

I haven't seen Brother From Another Planet but I remember Le Guin writing favorably about it, I think the tone was "finally, someone has made another science fiction movie, not just another adventure with painted-on space backdrops."

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I love Brother from Another Planet--and agree that it's a great movie, but also now want to see it again--I saw it at least 20 years ago, and mostly remember the gentleness and the feet. Sayles is a brilliant filmmaker. It upsets me that another great movie of his, Men with Guns (Hombres Armados) is not available from Netflix--glad that Brother is.

I know what you mean about lying on the couch.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I first saw that movie just a couple of years ago. It just proves that you can never go wrong with John Sayles.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We are now looking for more. Same guy did this and Lone Star and Eight Men Out? Huh. Yes, "more" is the right answer there.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

Wait, does this mean you have never seen "The Secret of Roan Inish"?!? YOU MUST SEE THIS FILM NOW.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Indeed I have not. Can it wait until I have access to, y'know, someone who can drive? Or is it more urgent than that?

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it's pretty urgent; but I suppose it could for up to 24 hours.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

I spent the vast majority of today reading on the library couch, and I didn't really get to the point where I was sick of reading on the library couch and wanted to get up and do something different.

When I was in hospital for a week having clever doctors operate on my thumb over and over, to prevent its falling off etc? I basically spent a week reading books - Anathem to start with, and then The Stratford Man - and never reached the point where I was sick of lying in bed reading books. It's the being-sick thing, you revert to [person] 1.0, and for some of us the default position is just lying down and reading. I hadn't done it like that for thirty years, but the body remembers...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I think of it as electron shells rather than version numbers, but yes, exactly.

[arkuat]

Yes, I saw /Brother from Another Planet/ a couple of times, but the last time was many years ago, as it seems to have been for most other commenters. I'm astonished to learn that you can't get /Men with Guns/ from Netflix; it's also a great movie, although to call it very sad would be an understatement.

[carbonel]

I've seen The Brother From Another Planet because there was a time when Will Shetterly and Emma Bull (before they became gunkies and moved away) were exhorting everyone to do so, much in the way that Steve Brust used to evangelize for the good parts version of Tombstone.