It’s a great film documenting Laramie, Wyoming’s conversation with itself and the rest of the world following Matthew Shepard’s murder. The gist of it from an IMDB commenter is –

“The Laramie Project” is a film version of the play of the same name, culled from interviews with real residents of the town of Laramie, Wyoming in the wake of the horrific murder of Matthew Shepard. There are a lot of famous faces on hand (Steve Buscemi, Christina Ricci, Peter Fonda, Janeane Garofalo, Joshua Jackson, and many others), but the film’s power comes from its story, not its stars. Presented with the voices of Laramie – and ultimately, of America…

Film did not seem contrived to me — which something like this could so easily be.

Best scenes were –

• A parade that grows with informal people from the town walking together in Matthew’s memory
• Confronting angry “fags are going to hell” protesters by dressing up as angels and standing between them and media — very moving piece of folk art that transmogrifies into high art
• The realization by the cop (and her family) who cut Matthew from the fence post that she’s been exposed to AIDS — her description of forgetting protocol in the immediacy of the moment that she saw Matthew is unforgettable
• The student (not gay) who’s parents would not watch him do a scholarship competition scene of a gay character from the play “Angel’s in America” but had no problem with his portrayal of a murderer in “Macbeth”.

Was struck by how little I note the art that impacts me to me as I browsed our South Rainier in Renton Blockbuster yesterday and saw a copy of “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus” on the shelf.

Saw this one last August at the Northwest Film Forum with my friends the Schlemlein’s — It’s a great film that I did not expect to see in my neighborhood video store (where 50¢ dominates more often than not).

My tendency is to not start things like this unless I can be exhaustive and capture everything in particular detail — which I never really get around to doing — ergo no journal along those lines so far.

So, I am hereby throwing the “exhaustive” aspect out the window — saw some films on DVD this weekend while Jen and the kids are out of town — 3 films that were particularly moving — will note them shortly.

Flickr’d up this photo of the ‘SFTWEJ’ DVD cover via shozu on the mobile phone while I was in the store — man that is a cool program.

About 8 pm somebody mentions that they have to be home by 9, and, secretly, I wonder if they need to be home by 9 for the same reason I need to be home by 9.

Someone else (who is not me because I’m trying to be discreet) asks, “Why 9?”

Sopranos.

Yes! I am not the only one (oh, how that question drives so many of our internal conversations and decisions) — someone else is having the same affair that I am.

There is a nod of unspoken understanding by half the table as it dawns on us there are quite a few of us having the same affair.

Half the table was traveling when last Sunday’s series premier aired and have been anticipating the rerun like INSERT_FAVORITE_LONGING_METAPHOR_HERE.

The other half has seen it and is itching to talk about it. (They agree to keep mum until the AM — minimal extortion is involved).

In the course of the conversation I mention that I lead film forums on the Sopranos and have a handout that I’ve used in the past. I promise to make it available and so here it is — my Sopranos Film and Culture Handout — haven’t updated it in a couple of years (kids you know), but still use it regularly.

Enjoy.