Weekly Rochester Events #256: Halfway to the Next Power of 2

Thursday, December 4, 2003

Anyway, I bought the Catching Out DVD from the official website and watched it a couple times in the past week. This is one of the films I didn't get a chance to see at The High Falls Film Festival this year. I did, however, talk with the producer/director Sarah George a few times. It's about the people who hop freight trains, but she described it in the somewhat cryptic phrase, "a meditation on freedom."

See, if someone told you they saw a movie about hopping freights, you might expect to see a bunch of details about the mechanics of the process, like getting past security, where to eat, where to sleep, and how to ride, with some details about several of the people. Catching Out does the opposite and touches on the details only tangentially as it closely examines the personalities of several riders. In some respects, it attempts to answer the question of "why" much more deeply than that of "how."

I guess it's not really "why" that is asked, but what is living?—what is freedom? Most of us just assume that the only way to live is within the gilded cage of society. We're offered limited freedoms and security, and pay with this intangible thing we like to call "responsibility." Before I go off on that too far, let me just ask why do we own anything at all? I mean, consider that you should just be able to go into the woods and make a little shack and eat food that grows in the area—so, to whom, exactly, does your money go to when you pay for your shelter? What exactly is responsibility anyway? Is it worth it?

The film compares the collective knowledge of the audience to the selective experiences of the subjects. That is, most people live life according to the "normal" societal rules (otherwise, everyone would be hopping freights, right?) On the other hand, if you spend your life sitting on freight trains moving from town to town, what's your life like? It's interesting to see the absence of discussion about things that concern the rest of us: money, job, home, career, retirement, taxes, television, movies, etc. Without any of that, what's there to talk about?

I also liked the methods employed. Most of the documentary structure repeats the introduction of another person then alternates between the primary interview and, usually, footage of the landscape out the doors of freight cars. It's unbelievable to see the scenery where there is no reason for commercialization. It's like a "reverse action photograph," in a way: the subject is stationary but the photographer is racing along. There's also several stellar examples of rail-oriented time-lapse photography used to punctuate the segments.

Oh, and the music was expertly selected and top-notch as well.

So anyway, speaking of hopping freight trains, I added a new T-shirt design to the new General Funny section of my CafePress store. Hopefully I'll receive the one I ordered soon ... it's just the "CAUTION: GRAVITY" sign on the back and the JayceLand logo on the front pocket. I think it's pretty funny.

T H U R S D A Y

The Wills Wilde, Infatuating Lena, and Bel Biv Devoivod will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 8:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] RIT's Signatures magazine will be presenting a Poetry Slam at Java Wally's starting around 7 p.m. [source: Java Wally's calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Montparnasse 19 starting at 8. This is a French biopic of the short life of Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani. Short life, poverty ... all the usual artist stuff. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] The Spaces will be at Java's (16 Gibb St.) starting around 9 p.m. [source: WBER calendar] There's a lecture tonight at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) titled The Distanced Mirrors of Memory: Contemporary Artists Respond to Nazi Imagery and Evil presented by Norman Kleeblatt, Susan Rose, and Elihu Rose starting at 7. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] Excellent funk and rock from Astronomical Unit will be at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WITR calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

S A T U R D A Y

O'Bagelo's, 165 State Street, noon. The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing The Animation Show twice: once starting at 5 and again at 8. It features: Katedra (The Cathedral) Mt. Head an excerpt from Mars and Beyond La course à l'abîme (The Ride to the Abyss) Parking Fifty Percent Grey Das Rad (The Rocks) Strange Invaders Rejected Billy's Balloon (upon watching, you will piss yourself it's so funny ... let's hope they really are going to show it.) [source: Dryden Theater calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is eclectic music from GAD, really good modern rock from The Tyrones, hard-working rock-and-roll from The Irthlings, and Darryl Fleming starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] I can't believe I'm again recommending Milestones (170 East Ave.) but they'll be hosting Eddie from Ohio (who come with a strongly positive recommendation from my friend Mike who says they're like Moxy Früvous) and Stephen Kellogg starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: WBER calendar] Tonight at The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) is Jennifer Hartswick Band, and The Trey Anastasio Band starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] Tonight at Downstairs Cabaret (172 West Main St.) is their adult-oriented holiday play The Eight Reindeer Monologues where one of the reindeer accuses Santa of sexual harassment. It looks like it's tonight at 8:30 then starting regularly next week. [source: Downstairs Cabaret calendar] Chasers (151 St. Paul St.) will be hosting Buzzo All-Star Band starting around 10 p.m. I can't even remember what they're like ... I think it's some derivative of groove rock, but they're one of the staple Rochester bands (Geneseo, technically) that have been around forever. [source: WITR calendar] Updated: Over at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is punk-rock with The Beligerants, tight rock-and-roll with Bee Eater, and even tighter punk-rock with The Blastoffs. [source: Bee Eater e-mail] Disco and rock covers from The United Booty Foundation will be at Spenders (1600 Lyell Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Tonight at Alexander Street Pub (291 Alexander St.) is modern rock and covers from Better Days (or click here to skip their irritating Flash intro) starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] Montage Grille (50 Chestnut St.) will be hosting award winning percussionists in Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Montage e-mail]

S U N D A Y

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (half-staff until sunset) The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers starting at 3. Nothing like self-explanatory titles. Oh yeah, and it's in Cinemascope. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] Updated: Starting at 2 today at The All-Purpose Room (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St.) will be a screening of Uncovered: the Whole Truth About the Iraq War You can register for the event through the MoveOn.org website. [source: All-Purpose Room e-mail] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting experimental music with Pealed Hearts Paste, Xela Zaid, and Pillage Sunday starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Dan Liberto (of the The Comedy Company) hosts Open Mic Comedy Night at Duels Café (17 E. Main St.) starting around 7:30 (theoretically.) [source: Duel's Café]

T U E S D A Y

Fascinating spoken-word a capella music and phoenetic effects from F'loom will be at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) starting around 8 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:30 p.m. is excellent beat-driven funk from The Filthy Funk, awesome funk-rock from Astronomical Unit (maybe ... their website only mentions the Krown show on Thursday) and The Best Damn Band. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. For this one, there's no microphones and it's pretty open ended. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing O Lucky Man! starting at 8. A twisted tale of a young man entering the world of business. [source: Dryden Theater calendar] Tonight from 8 to 10 is an Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) While once it was a workshop type of environment, it's now more-or-less a regular open mic ... by default it's still a place to try out new stuff. [source: Daily Perks calendar]