I DON'T WANT TO BE A WAITER!!!

Okay, so this week was somewhat odd. Monday night, Sarah called me up and was like "Hey, let's go to Seattle and see Mirrormask because it's only playing this week." Doing some thinking, I said, "Sure, let's do that." I called up my old friend Ethan (a current Seattle resident) to see if he would like to see the movie with us, but instead got his dad, Jean. Jean and I talked for about 45 minutes about the perils of trees as they pertain to photography, and the unfortunate link between Kool-Aide and the Jonestown Massacre. Wendesday rolls around, and Sarah and I depart from the hellhole that is Spokane. We get in around three-ish, where my dog snubs me for leaving him. However, he instantly bonds with Sarah, which is good. Feeling the need for serious shlock cinema, we find Silver Hawk at the local Blockbuster (fans of Gen Y Cops might enjoy it). We watch and mock the eternal slo-mo fight sequences. Mom makes dinner and apple pie, and it is good. I call Ethan again to see if he wants to come with us to the movie. I get his mom, who promises to pass on the message. Either he didn't get the message or he didn't want to go, because he wasn't at the theatre. In the meantime, Sarah and I stop in to a bar next to the Varsity and grap a couple pints of Guinness. We then go back outside and meet up with Brandt. We then go see the movie. It's entertaining. When we get home, I discover my old MST3K tapes (including my old chestnut, the rarely-seen Russian/Finnish co-production of Jack Frost). We then retire to our respective quarters. In the morning I wake up refreshed and eat breakfast. Sarah wakes up later and drinks coffee. After some random misadventures we go to the Wallingford area hoping to meet up with friends. I hope for Ethan, Sarah hopes for her friend Anne. One of us does not get his or her wish (and it isn't Sarah). We eat lunch with Anne, who works at the Mafia branch of BoA. We then hit a few thrift stores. Upon returning, Mom and Dad take us out for Chinese. We return and watch the newly-recovered Jack Frost, a film that dares to ask the question "Will he catch the dwarf?" We then retire once more. In the morning, breakfast, and preparation to leave. We head out at about 11:00 AM. We drive all the way across the state, and here I am, tired and stiff.
Now, on to the meat and potatoes of the post. Mirrormask is indeed quite good, though one should go in with the expectation that it will be a primarily visual treat. The artistic design is fantastic, and definitely matches David McKean's original designs. On the downside, though it is written by beloved fantasist Neil Gaiman, the story is rather barebones and the characters are not as fully-developed as they could be. Gaiman obviously wrote this one in a hurry, and it shows. Thankfully, it is not without his characteristic dark wit and clever dialogue. We just don't get enough of it. At any rate, the story and characters are swallowed by the beatiful visuals, which really serve as the primary stars of the show. While it is far from perfect, it is also a most entertaining romp through an imaginative fantasy world. If you know what you're getting into, it can be most enjoyable, but don't expect a detailed and elaborate story.