Sunday, February 13, 2011

Day 76 - BELIEVE

Day 76.

As some of you guys may know, last week I was featured on The Guardian's Film Blog, which was pretty fucking cool. Usually, when news outlets write about my blog, they remark on how novel (read: stupid) an idea it is and how I must be some sort of crazy person.


This time, however, Victoria Beale, the author of this Guardian post, offered up the most insightful and intelligent piece of journalism that's probably ever been written about my little stunt blog.

Like, I really want to hate this, but it's just so articulate and well-written (not to mention, somewhat accurate). Damn you, British people. Why must you always insist on outclassing us simpletons over here in the States?
"Dai's motives are obviously more careerist than creative – he's been on National Public Radio and has courted fans and followers with "Feedback Friday". He wants a platform for his writing in the hope he'll one day be able to wax lyrical on something other than Amy Adams, and has cannily espied the cute parallel and capitalised on the brief burst of fame such an easily précised project might bring him."

Cannily espied! Capitalised spelled with an "s!" These are things that I have supposedly done! Like shit, I am sneakily impressive, aren't I? I don't even know what the accent in the word "précised" means, but goddammit, I'll take it! My good friend Jack described Ms. Beale's article as "the most effective takedown of your work I've ever seen" and I have to agree with him. This woman actually took the time to read some of my posts and analyze them/expose me for the careerist I am. For that, I cannot blame her. However, I can blame her for something else she wrote.

Earlier, she writes:
"With his band of loyal (or incredulous) followers, Dai has instituted his own online traditions such as "Random Actor Tuesday" and "Julie Powell Says the Darndest Things". But – and this is a crucial flaw – who can check? Admittedly Dai has to be familiar enough with the film to say something new about it every day, but who can really know that he's dutifully sitting through all 123 minutes in every 24-hour time-frame?"

Who can really know??? Well, for one thing, I can know. You can trust me, right? You can't? Well, what about Netflix? Surely you can trust Netflix.

(Click to Enlarge)
If you still can't see that, please let me make it a little bigger for you.

  

Are you an old man? Let me zoom in on that again. 


And once more, for emphasis.


So Netflix says I have watched 159 hours, 53 minutes and 19 seconds of Julie & Julia. Once I divide that by the running time of 2:03:33, I get...

77.6 viewings of Julie & Julia

That's right. I have officially watched this movie 77.6 times. Also, note that today is day 76, which means I have seen this movie 1.6 more times than I needed to!!! This extra time can be probably attributed to all those instances where I have to go back and re-watch clips/take screenshots for posting purposes. Still, you can't criticize me watching the movie too much.

I know, I know--there will still be skeptics out there. *nerdy internet commenter voice* OMG that is so blatantly photoshopped!!! I assure you, nerds. It is not photoshopped. Since when have I ever posted a photoshopped image on this blog? I don't even have photoshop on my computer.

So this post is for all you doubters out there. Not everything you read on the internet is a lie--just most things.

BELIEVE.

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Julie & Julia Quote of the Day:

Not Mark Ruffalo: "No one will know if you don't do them. It's not like there's, like, the aspic police or something. You could lie."
Julie: "I can't. I just can't."
Posted by at

22 comments:

  1. Hey, speaking of Netflix Watch Instantly... What are you going to do when they stop streaming Julie and Julia on March 8th? Do you have a backup plan?

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  2. I was very encouraged to find this site. I wanted to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.

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  3. Lawrence as one of your blogs regular readers I noticed that today you have given credit to the speakers in the "Julie & Julia Quote of the Day", is this a new thing, or just your chance to reaffirm the fact that, like Julie - Lie, you just can't?

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  4. As a "follower" I love your posts and look forward to reading it everyday. Keep doing what you're doing!

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  5. Do you think Victoria Beale may be related to Jennifer Beals - with slight change of family name (for mysterious reasons). Anyway, if so maybe you should hook up with her, Jennifer Beals still smoking hot and they may have similar genes?? Just looking out for you Lawrence - but not in a creepy way.

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  6. So, since netflix is going to stop streaming Julie & Julia, I assume you will be buying a DVD copy... IF you watch with the commentaries on, will that count for your total?

    A vast richness of new material. i would vote yes

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  7. @A Year on the Grill, I vote yes, too. Too bad there's only one commentary, though.

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  8. Much as I hate to admit it - because hell, I could have started doing the same thing you're doing here, but didn't - I've watched this movie several dozen times (we're probably encroaching on the hundred mark down here on the ranch, actually, as I cycle through movies constantly as background noise since I work from home). I can vouch for the things you're picking up in the movie even if Ms. Beale doesn't seem to want to take the time to do. I must give you mad props though, for sneakily inserting your overarching plan to use this as some kind of career springboard to....something.

    Oh, and if you need a copy of the DVD, let me know. I have an extra around here, I think.

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  9. Cher, dude?
    I mean, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLDIcIrZO8Y

    Or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABSXJiYQFuI


    Or even this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMcRWinGPbc

    But Cher?
    Do you believe in life after blog?

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  11. I'm a believer, Larry!

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  12. A post (or several) about the movie w/commentary would be interesting. Your reactions to the opinions of the commentators would be rather entertaining I am sure!

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  13. Your open tabs are genius and hilarious.

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  14. SHOPPEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
    Your such a phoney face

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  15. Gimp is open source...

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  16. Thank you, Michael. I was wondering if anyone else was going to notice his open tabs. And in google search. "Naked Meryl"

    amazing.

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  17. christ, who could blame you for being a careerist?
    you're a talented writer, but shit the job market is hard, we all need as much help as we can get.
    just cause she has a fancy british internet blogging job doesn't mean we all do.

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  18. I've watched it enough (no life) that everything you note about the movie is definitely authentic to the movie. I believe.

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  19. Best/most relevant Quote of the Day yet.

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    ReplyDelete

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