Rome Film Festival Diary - Saturday

I had no intention of waking up today, not at least in the spam of one-digit hours. The party for La scuola è finita went on till 3 am and that meant I had been up and running for 21 hours straight.

Just got too much of a glamorous packed day under my belt so with the new morning (afternoon really) I opted for a strictly-film streak. I started at 4 pm with The Freebie and 6 hours later I was sitting at my fourth consecutive screening. Two of them were also premieres, with cast and director attending: Made in Dagenham and Oranges and Sunshine. So I got my little share of razzle-dazzle out of it as well. The last one was an Iranian movie called Dog Sweat.

By the time the clocked ticked midnight I was out of the theatres and a little confused. That had never happened to me, but I was now roaming the dark, empty parking lot mashing up storylines from the different films, like I very much believed that that was the actual very bulky plot I had just seen. So all of a sudden a couple from Teheran decided to sleep with other people while she went on strike from a car factory and children were deported from England to Australia.

Maybe someone should look into this scenario. Just throwing it out there. Consider it a gift from me. And my deranged mind.

Possibly to blame is the fact that I ran this marathon solo. All alone.

I'm not sure about how I feel on going to the cinema by oneself. That has never happened to me outside of press screenings either now at the festival or before during year round previews. Is it somewhat nerdy? Or rather sad? Regular paying-moviegoer cinema I mean. I would think if you do that, it means you have no friends... But then again do you really need other people to enjoy a film? It's not like you can talk through it anyway...

I am personally becoming accustomed to it and I kind of actually like it. I am a solitary beast after all. I very much prefer shopping by myself for example. I feel free when I’m alone. The kind of freedom I only otherwise experience when I skip around the house naked. I would spend my birthday shopping alone, and have the time of my life. Maybe it’s fair I add going to the cinema on my own to the list of favorite fantasy birthday activities. And who knows, one day I might really do it to celebrate.

One thing is sure. I will never be satisfied with just one movie per night ever again. That splendid feeling you get when you come out of a screening and you know you will be immersing yourself in another totally different brand new world in just a while is extremely lushious. Like a big fat righteous asset you get because you’re too cool for no reason. Intoxicating!

The only downside, and this I did miss that night, is being able to discuss what you think about the movie right on the spot when it finishes, when you’re still permeated by its spell. That is most likely why journalists write reviews in the first place. Because they watch the films on their own and afterwards they need an outlet to unleash their thoughts on them. That’s my very poetic view on the matter for tonight (of course in the real world journalists get to know each other preview after preview as there’s always the same people in attendance, and thus the magic of this idea bursts)…

Chasing this train of thoughts though I had the insane idea of revamping my old review blog and starting writing Rome Film Festival pieces on it. It took me a whole day and I’m already behind on so much stuff but I am an instinct follower, what can I say. It’s in Italian and you may speak it or you may be happy to learn it through your reading, regardless, that’s where you’ll find my movie related opinions.

http://cricci-venividiscripsi.blogspot.com

I carved myself the outlet I needed, so when I do go watch a movie alone on by birthday there’s where I’ll be rambling from.

Homo Deskboundensis

I’m thinking these days I’m spending an awful load of time in front of this screen, and curved on the keyboard typing. That’s why my back hurts so badly lately and I have frequent absurd headaches. I feel a little unhealthy and crumbled, but isn’t that what every 21^st century person experiences?

At the same time I cannot stop. What I am doing alongside my macbook so much is working on my PRs. I have written and replied to more than 5oo e-mails these past week. That takes time. Also I’ve been blogging a lot.

And why is that that we blog?

For me I think it is a desperate need for human interaction. I have a few great friends, but not many. I can’t be bothered with fake superficial relationships. I find blogging to kind of stand in between the two extremes, because it allows you to express yourself with an endless group of individuals - and if you’re persistent enough even get to have someone read what you’re saying - but in the end only those actually interested in your endeavors will spend their time with you. That kind of makes their attachment real and they won't be fake and superficial unless fake and superficial is what you write for them.

Also blogging is helping me to expand my horizons. I get stimulated to write on a variety of different subjects. Having entered the blogosphere pushes me and compels me to read more, and I’m discovering a whole lot of people who actually share my interests and write amazing things about them. Travelling, cooking, fashion, photography, makeup, reviews, geekish stuff, building things from scratch with your bare hands, bedjumping, funhaving.

Nevertheless I should start adjusting the time I spend in front of computers to intertwine it better with the other activities in my life that I am kind of blatantly ignoring at the moment. After all I have no intention of becoming a professional blogger and the road I have to walk through in my line of work is steep, long and dirty. So it needs my devoted attention.

Speaking of which I will go back to my books.

Thank you for visiting my blog and sharing this wonderful time of my life with me!

This post was written to the sound of Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse. Lovely.

Marty McFly (still) is the man of my dreams

Is there something wrong with me? It’s Saturday night and I’ve been asked out by a few different groups of friends. I denied myself. Actually I was kinda scared that if they were going to invite me along more insistently I wouldn’t have been able to fend for my rights.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends. I’m an outgoing people’s person. But I’m just not that much into going out. Tonight for example I was perfectly contempt with staying at home with my parents in my PJs watching AS Roma play Genoa – and we won, eff them we won – while licking my fingers from a saucy mozzarella, tomatoes and raw ham pizza.

I went out with my girls this afternoon, we hung out, I got back at 8, so I’ve had my fair share of social interaction. I don’t feel compelled to get crazy late after dinner and sweat my ass off in cluttered, noisy clubs. I mean I like to let lose occasionally but it’s not my ideal timekiller. Am I missing out on something I will only be able to do at this stage of my life? That I have yet to figure out.

I usually spend most of my nights at football practice. Three times a week I get home at 11.30 pm, exhausted and hungry. To be honest with you when the opportunity presents itself to spend a whole evening at home, like during the weekend, I seize it!

Maybe I can make an exception if you’re taking me to a good movie, but otherwise I have fun minding my own business in my room. Taking care of my job’s public relations, reading my self-teaching books, catching up on films and tv, and writing this blog post.

No one went ahead in this business by waiting for occasions to rain on them. You have to work hard to succeed and sometimes this means homebound time. Personality is called that because it’s personal and not everybody will understand it. Well that is fine by me. Personality is the thing that is taking me places therefore I embrace it!

Then again I get these looks from people like “You’re staying in on a Saturday areyoucrazy?????” and I just don’t get them.

The interior of my house is so much fun. I have food, a macbook, a phone, adsl and tons of books, and that’s really all I need. Thanks to a couple of these in fact I did something I found EXTREMELY enjoyable today.

That is booking tickets to go see Back To The freaking Future back in a freaking CINEMA in ten freaking days!!!!

I waited 25 long years for this. And I’m going to finely taste every single second of it. Starting statim.

Now after that kind of screening, I find it would be a good time for me to go raise hell at some rhythmic ceremonial ritual, and that is exactly what I think I’ll do, but just because I won't be able to be here!!

In all seriousness these guys' initiative is plaudible. Joining terrific fun with a good cause is inspiring and jealous inducing. I would so want to join in. And there's a dress up contest for Doc's sake. I might cry...

Check them out at @weregoingback and weregoingback.com