Toren Atkinson’s Absolute Blog

I submitted my first question to Okcupid, thus:

Would you support your spouse/partner even if you didn’t agree with him/her?

a) Only if it is a small issue
b) Always. That’s what marriage/partnership is about
c) Nah. Marriage doesn’t necessarily mean we have to act as one
d) Never. That’s the worst kind of compromise

How would you answer? In my last big relationship, this came up as an issue. I guess I was and am of the opinion that the best kind of union doesn’t require any of kind of compromise of individuality–that two people are never going to agree on everything so why should you have to accept that you pretend to like X or hate Y or whatever. Instead you should accept the fact that you can agree to disagree and work around that, and still be in love and be happy. The other side of the issue was that a relationship is all about compromise and support, and that I should support what she said and did. That seems kind of ridiculous to me, and when it was brought up that she supported everything that I said and did, it still seemed ridiculous - to do that for the sake of a relationship. I don’t want that. And yet I notice from time to time that this sort of things happens in the relationships around me. One half of the relationship will say one thing, and it’s anathema for the other half to contradict or challenge what was said or done. You can see them standing there quietly keeping their peace, decidedly not saying what’s on their mind. That’s the kind of behaviour I would expect from two people who don’t know eachother very well, and are just being polite. The old “don’t contradict me in front of the neighbors/children/klingons” seems terribly outdated to me. I would never expect my girlfriend to be my yes-man. If I say or do something that is wrong, by all means call me on it. Better than pretending everything is fine when it isn’t.

Of course there are always exceptions.

And maybe that’s why I’m still single!

I read on imdb.com that Sam Rockwell, who is one of my favourite actors, is playing Zaphod Beeblebrox in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie. That, sir or madam, is very exciting. I hope they use the music from the original tv series because…well, I guess because it’s in my head right now.

Who are my favourite actors besides Sam Rockwell? Bill Murray (everything). John Turturro (especially Barton Fink, Box of Moonlight with Sam Rockwell). Ian Holm (Brazil, Joe Gould’s Secret, Madness of King George, Alien). Julianne Moore (especially Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Big Lebowski. She was the only saving grace of Far From Heaven. She was in a Lovecraftian movie called Cast A Deadly Spell). Alfred Molina (The Impostors, Chocolat. He’s playing Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man 2 - also very exciting). Tony Shalhoub (The Big Night, Galaxy Quest, and a tv series called Monk). Sigourney Weaver (everything). I also like Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp and Stanley Tucci. And Miranda Otto really took me by surprise in The Two Towers. Oh and Bruce Campbell…for obvious reasons.

Interesting news snippets from last week: President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors decided to move the official start date of the last recession from the generally accepted March 2001 to the fourth quarter of 2000, when Bill Clinton was still president. Scientists found that people are more likely to tell lies when using the telephone. Colin Powell said that the conquest of Iraq was justified because Saddam Hussein would have used weapons of mass destruction if only he had had some. An internal Pentagon report warned that global climate “should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.” Pakistan was preparing for a spring offensive against the Taliban, which was handing out fliers in Afghanistan warning people that they will be killed if they register to vote. Homosexuals were lining up to get married in San Francisco; [New York Times] Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the California attorney general to put a stop to it, and declared that the city was becoming a “risk to civil order.” A black hole was observed eating a star, and astronomers found a crystal the size of our moon in the heart of a dying white dwarf.

Mmm..snippets!

Speaking of movies, here’s my “movies I haven’t seen and want to see” list, sometimes listed with year, actor or director, from whence comes the recommendation, and the imdb rating out of 10. NAR stands for Not At Rogers (by my home). Have a look! Leave some comments! Loan me your copy if you have one! Suggest others!

About Schmidt 2002 Jack Nicholson
Always Outnumbered 1998 Drama 7.2 NAR
Anima Mundi 1991 28 minutes Godfrey Reggio documentary 7.8
Barry Lyndon 1975 Historical Drama/Romance/War Dir: Kubric 7.8
Begotten 1991 Fantasy (B&W)5.8
Big Love (Sam Rockwell ) 6.9
Black Hawk Down 2001 Drama/War Ewan McGregor 8.5
Breaking the Waves 1996 Drama/Romance Dir: Lars von Trier 7.7
Careful 1992 (Guy Madden) 7.8
Comic Book Confidential (1988 6.4
Conversation, The 1974 Crime/Thriller Gene Hackman 8.2 NAR
Close-Up 1976 Documentary/Short (France)
Copycat 1995 Thriller Sigourney, Holly Hunter 6.5
Dogville (2003) lars von trier/chloe sevigny
Down by Law 1986 Comedy/Drama Tom Waits(Karen sez) 7.5 NAR
Down and Out with the Dolls 2001 Comedy (VFF) 6.4
Empire Records 1995 Comedy/Drama 6.0
Eraserhead 1977 Fantasy/Drama/Horror 6.8
Evidence 1995 8 minute documentary Reggio 8.3
Fiddler on the Roof 1971 Musical 7.4
First Men on the Moon 1999 Sci-Fi
Gia 1998 Drama Angelina Jolie (TV) 7.2
George Washington 2000 Drama (VIFF) 7.2
Horror Express 1972 Horror/Mystery/Sci-Fi 6.0
House of Yes 1997 Comedy Tori Spelling! 6.6
Igby Goes Down 2002
In on it ???
Jerry and Tom (Sam Rockwell) 6.7
Leolo 1992 Comedy/Drama (Canada/France) 7.1 NAR
Living in Oblivion 1995 Comedy Steve Buscemi 7.4 NAR
Luzhin Defence 2000 Drama/Romance Turturro 7.5
Manhattan 1979 Woody Allen 8.2
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky docu 1992 7.9
May 2002
My Favorite Year 1982 Comedy 7.3
Naked Man 1998 Comedy/Drama Ethan Coen 5.7
Natural History of the Chicken 2000 7.0 documentary
Next of Kin 1984 Dir: Atom Agoyan (Canadian) 6.3
Night We Never Met 1993 Comedy/Romance Broderick 5.9
Opportunists, The 2000 Walken 6.2
One Day in September 1999 documentary 8.0 NAR
Pale Rider 1985 Clint Eastwood Western 6.8
Paradise Lost: Child Murders 1996 Documentary 8.4 NAR
Pennies from Heaven (Steve Martin)
The Pianist 2002
Planet of the Vampires (Terrore nello spazio) Mario Bava) 1965 6.4
Poseidon Adventure, The 1972 Gene Hackman 6.7
Price of Air, The 2000 Crime/Drama/Thriller (VIFF) 2.5
Red Bolshevik ???
Requiem for a Dream
Return of the King, The 1980 Animation/Musical/Fantasy (TV) 5.7
The Score 2001 Crime/Drama/Thriller De Niro, Norton 7.0
Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb 1993 Animation/Sci-Fi 6.9
Secretary 2002 7.3 (Anghold)
Seksmisja 1984 sci-fi 7.4
Session 9 2001 Thriller/Horror (Leif says) 5.8
Sex: The Annabel Chong Story 1999 Documentary 5.9
Shifter ???(VIFF New Zealand)
Singing Detective 1986 (mini)
Somebody to Love 1994 Drama Buscemi/Tucci 5.0
Source, The 1999 Documentary Turturro 7.4
State and Main (Mamet) 2000 7.1 Hoffman
Swingers 1996 7.6
Tales from the Gimli Hospital 1988 horror 7.4
Talk to Her 2002
Terminal Man, The 1974 SciFi/Thriller 5.5
Thin Blue Line 1988 documentary 8.1
Thin Man,The 1934 Comedy/Mystery 8.1
Time Out 2002
Towering Inferno 1974 Action/Thriller/Drama Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway 6.3
Way of the Gun
Waking Life 2001 Animation 8.0

CLASSIC
Adam’s Rib 1949 Tracy/Hepburn 7.6
Ball of Fire 1941 Comedy/Romance Gary Cooper 7.8
Ben-Hur 1959 Action/Drama 8.1
Best Years of Our Lives 1946 Drama/War 8.4
Big Sleep, The 1946 Film-Noir/Mystery Bogart 8.2
Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961 Audrey Hepburn 7.7
Bringing Up Baby 1938 Romance/Comedy Katherine Hepburn Cary Grant 8.3
Casablanca 1942 Drama/Romance Humphrey Bogart Ingrid Bergman 8.8
Court Jester 1956 Adventure/Comedy/Musical Danny Kaye 8.0
Dark Intruder 1965 Horror/Mystery Leslie Nielsen 7.0
Fail-Safe 1964 7.8
Greed 1925 Drama 8.5
Haunting, The 1963 Horror/Thriller 7.6
High Noon 1952 Thriller/Western Gary Cooper 8.3
Hobson’s Choice 1954 drama 7.9
Intolerance 1916 Drama 8.3 NAR
Invaders from Mars 1953 Sci-Fi 6.3
IT! Terror from Beyond Space 1958 Horror/Sci-Fi 5.2
Lady Vanishes (hitchcock) 1938 8
Lavender Hill Mob, The 1951 Comedy/Crime Hepburn, Guinness (B&W)7.8
Laura 1944 Film-Noir/Mystery (B&W) 8.2
Letter From an Unknown Woman 1948 Drama (B&W) 8.0
Lion in Winter 68 drama/historic 8.1
Louisiana Story 1948 Documentary (B&W) 8.1
M 1931 Crime/Thriller 8.7
Matter of Life and Death 1946 Fantasy/rom
Magnificent Ambersons 1942 Drama
Magnificent Seven 1960 western 7.7
Man Who Shot Libery Valance 1962 western
Matewan 1987 drama 7.6
Midnight Cowboy 1969 Drama Dustin Hoffman 7.9
Mister Roberts 1955 comedy 8.0
My Favorite Blonde 1942 Comedy Bob Hope 7.3
On the Threshold of Space 1956 Drama 7.5
On the Waterfront 1954 Crime/Drama Marlon Brando 8.4
Orgasmo 1968 Drama 6.4
Paths of Glory 1957 Drama/War Kirk Douglas 8.7
Philadelphia Story, The 1940 Comedy/Romance Cary Grant 8.2
Pit and the Pendulum, The 1961 Horror 6.7
Porgy and Bess 1959 drama 8.1
Rat Pfink a Boo Boo 1965 Comedy/Action/Thriller Mick Taylor 3.1
Room at the top 1959 8.1
Searchers, The 1956 Western John Wayne 8.3
Seventh Seal 1957 Fantasy/Drama/Foreign (Swedish B&W) 8.5
Singin’ In the Rain 1952 Musical/Romance/Comedy Gene Kelly 8.5
Sullivan’s Travels!!!! 1942 Comedy 8.4
Sunrise 1927 Drama/Romance B&W 8.5
Suspicion (Hitchcock) 1941 7.4
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? 1969 Drama Jane Fonda 7.5
Trouble in Paradise 1932 Comedy/Romance 8.4
World Without End 1956 Sci-Fi 5.5

FOREIGN
8 1/2 (Eight and a Half) Dir. Fellini 1963 Drama 8.0
Abra Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) 1997 8.1
Aguirre: The Wrath of God 1972 Adventure 8.0
Attack the Gas Station aka Juyuso seubgyuksageun 1999 Comedy (VIFF South Korea) 7.9
Amarcord 1974 Comedy/Foreign (Italian) Dir. Fellini 8.1
Avventura è l’avventura, L’ 1972? Adventure/Comedy/Foreign (France/Italy) 7.3 ??
Atanarjuat,The Fast Runner 2001 Canada Inuit 7.6
Battleship Potemkin aka Bronenosets Potyomkin 1925 Drama/War/Foreign (Soviet Union B&W Silent) 8.4
Belle noiseuse, La 1991 Drama/Foreign (French) 7.5
Betty Blue/37’2 Le Matin 1986 Comedy/Drama/Foreign (French) 7.0
Bicycle Thief aka Ladri di biciclette (yes Bicycle) 1948 Drama/Foreign (Italian) 8.6
Bride with White Hair (pramas)
Brighter Summer Day, A aka Guling jie shaonian sha ren shijian 1991 Drama/Romance/Foreign (Taiwan) 6.8
Burning Paradise 94 (pramas)
Cabaret Balkan (Bure Baruta, 1998 Yugoslavian) (Serbo-Croatian) 7.1
Children of Heaven (Iran) (Bacheha-Ye aseman) 1997 7.4 (yvonne)
Dersu Uzala 1974 Adventure/Drama Akira Kurosawa 8.1
Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The 1972 Comedy/Drama (French) 8.1
Diva 1996 Animation (Portugal)
Dragon Gate Inn (pramas)
Drifting Clouds aka Kauas pilvet karkaavat 1996 Comedy/Drama (Finland) 7.5
Encounters of the Spooky Kind (pramas)
Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro o, kimi ni aka End of Evangelion 1997 Animation/ Fantasy (Japanese) 7.6
Festen 1998 aka The Celebration 1998 Drama (Denmark) 8.4
Fireworks (Hana-bi) 1997 7.6
Flowers of Shanghai 1998 (Taiwan) 7.8
Friend (vff 2001 selection, south korea)
The goddess of 1967 (angela)
Gojoe senki 2000 Action/Foreign (Japan VIFF) 7.0
Goya in Bordeaux 1999 Drama/Foreign (VIFF, spain) 6.1
Hana-bi aka Fireworks 1997 Comedy/Crime/Drama/Thriller (Japanese) Kitano 7.7
Hero (Japanese) (marlo, yvonne)
Hidden Fortress 1958 Kurosawa 7.8
In praise of love (eloge de l’amour) (angela)
Indochine 1992 Drama/Romance (French?) 6.9
Insomnia 1997 Thriller/Foreign (Norwegian) 7.0
Intacto 2001 (italian) 7.3 VIFF
Irréversible 2002 french VIFF 7.1
Kings of the Road aka Im Lauf der Zeit 1976 Drama/Foreign (Germany B&W) 8.3
L’eau Froide 1994 Foreign/Drama ??
Legend of Zu (anime)
Moment of Innocence aka Nun va Goldoon 1996 foreign 8.4
Mimi wo sumaseba aka Whisper of the Heart1995 Animation/Romance ghibli (Japanese) 8.9
Mr Vampire (pramas)
New Legend of Shaolin (pramas)
Nouvelle vague 1990 Drama (French) 6.9
No Man’s Land (Bosnia) 2001 8.1
Ohayo (Good Morning) Japan 1959 8.2
Once Upon a Time in the West aka C’era una volta il West 1969 Western Henry Fonda (Italian) 8.5
Our Lady of the Assassins (angela)
Persona aka Kinematografi 1966 Drama (Swedish) 8.2
Princess and the Warrior (angela)
Raise the Red Lantern (marlo, yvonne)
Ran 1985 Drama/War (Japanese) 8.4
Rules of the Game (French) 1939 8.2
Sanjuro 1962 Action/Adventure/Foreign (Japan B&W) Dir: Kurosawa 8.0
Sanshô dayû aka Sansho the Bailiff 1954 Drama/Foreign (Japan) 9.4!!!
Santa Sangre 1989 7.0
Sátántangó 1994 Drama/Foreign (Hungarian) 6.9
Shi Shen (God of Cookery) 1996 7.4
Sonatine 1993 Action/Drama/Crime (Japan) 7.5
Subway 1985 Crim/Rom/Thril/Foreign (French) Dir:Luc Besson 6.3
Swept Away 1974
Swordsman II (pramas)
Tai chi master (pramas)
Tender Place ??? (2001 vff selection japan)
A time for drunken horses 2000 (angela)
To Live! (japanese) (marlo, yvonne)
Tokyo Drifter 1966 7.3
Tokyo Story aka Tokyo monogatari 1953 Drama/Foreign (Japanese) 8.3
Town is Quiet (La Ville est Tranquille) 2000 Drama/Foreign 8.0 More stuff in Italian version
Triumph of the Will (nazi propaganda film) 1935 7.4
Ugetsu Monogatari 1953 Drama/Foreign (Japanese B&W) 8.4
Vive l’amour aka Aiqing wansui 1994 Drama/Foreign (Taiwan) 7.4
Wings of Desire aka Himmel über Berlin, Der
1987 Foreign/Fantasy (German/French) 8.0
Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (pramas)