What we've been watching

Holiday reviews (so far)
My last work day before winter break was Dec. 18, and let me say that having a winter break from a job is a great benefit. Aside from all the x-mas frenzy of gift-wrapping followed by visits to the Post Office, it's been calm. We've been getting some rather obscure videos from the Public Library and local indie video stores. Aside from a wine video from John Cleese, a short stack of Doctor Who videos from the 70s and 80s (which are new to us), we got music stuff like Cocksucker Blues and White Stripes: Under Blackpool Lights.

Cocksucker Blues is a backstage documentary of the Rolling Stones' 1972 Exile on Main Street tour. It's like watching rough-quality home movies that happen to show quite a bit of skin (including Mick's) and band/groupie antics. "Debauchery" is the word used most often to describe the goings-on. There's concert footage too, which includes Stevie Wonder. I believe this disk is a bootleg (was not legally released) but you can find it if you want it. I saw 2 shows from that '72 tour (on the same day).
Cocksucker Blues on Subterranean Cinema

The White Stripes disk is a rare and out-of-print one. It's shot on grainy film but captures the energy of the show. Jack White is amazing. I have missed a couple of opportunities to see him live, need to remedy that.

On the 24th, we went out to the IMAX theatre to see Avatar in 3-D. Stunning, awesome, incredible. Here I am standing out in 30-40° with strong winds, waiting in the line. That's about as much cold as we have to endure down here in the daytime, but it was so worth it. I am not going to present plot spoilers here, but I strongly encourage you to see this in 3-D and at an IMAX if possible.
{I think I look like Darth Maul's granny in that getup}

The next day (Christmas Day) we went to the Alamo Ritz to see Sherlock Holmes, and even though Avatar was a hard act to follow, we really enjoyed this one too. It's an action movie and period piece with good acting (rapidly becoming a Robert Downey Jr. fan here) and a puzzle or two to solve - and all set up for a sequel. I wouldn't mind that either.

My friend wanted to join us at the sold-out showing, so she found a man on craigslist who had 5 tickets to sell, tracked down the woman who bought the 5 tickets from him, found out that she only needed 4, so we met up with her at the theatre and bought the spare. Now that's Tenacity with a capital T.