American Beauty is the best movie of the year. Well, duh. eXistenZ, the latest Cronenberg freakout, is a close second - definitely his best yet, quite literally like a cross between the Matrix and Naked Lunch. New Rose Hotel is almost as good - and it's really lame that it went straight to video in this country, considering it's directed by Abel Ferrera, stars Christopher Walken, and was based on a William Gibson story. It's definitely the best near-future mood piece in quite some time, and Walken's performance is incredible. William DaFoe is also great. And, as everyone else has said, yes, Being John Malkovich and Blair Witch were great. My girlfriend says Pokemon was really good too. As far as drugs, for most people that do them, alcohol, marijuana and caffeine are relatively benign compared to all the other shit we put in our bodies in food and the air and the water. Even nicotine - supposedly as addictive as heroin - isn't addictive for everyone. I've been smoking non-filtered cigarettes for four years, and I still never smoke more than a pack or two a week, because I only EVER smoke if I'm out drinking or something. I never "crave" a cigarette, I never smoke at home. I'm far more psychologically addicted to marijuana, something I freely admit - I don't think smoking a lot of pot is any more harmful or shameful than watching a lot of TV or anything else that people do to alleviate boredom (except physically, duh, but it's my own damn body and I'll run it into the ground if I want). np:Pan American, "Starts Friday" -- ...extensive liner notes and make-believe alien languages... Rev. Jack Godsey. http://members.tripod.com/~spill/index.html Spiritual counsel and webmaster for Pegasi 51. http://members.tripod.com/pegasi51/index.html
