I always did have a soft spot for the clever movies. Movies where there are great heists that are elaborately planned and involve at least one really cunning switcheroo are especially entertaining--for example, The Thomas Crown Affair has an especially brilliant scene towards the end which I enjoyed immensely. I think in a quite general sense, it's that sudden "a-ha!" that I really like seeing--where everything finally clicks and the plan is suddenly uncovered.

But you know what's even more fun than that? Planning your own heist against a something you just made up. Apparently there have been people telling stories like this for quite some time now. It's really hard to try and plot out both sides of the caper--sort of like playing chess against yourself when you also get to make up the rules. I'm almost--almost--tempted to set up a little LEGO-block Society with little LEGO men, invite some neighbor kids over, and see what they plan and execute. Almost.

I got into a discussion with one of my friends about Betty Boop the other day. Now, I can't really stand the character or the show. Something about it really bothers me. There are a few exceptions, though. For example, Minnie the Mooch. The first half or so is blah, but around 4 minutes (maybe a little later) it starts to get interesting...and QUITE disturbing. Rotoscoped ghosts, Cab Calloway, creepy hollow eyes, and electric chairs. Yeah. I don't think you could get away with that last bit these days.

But whether or not I like Betty Boop is not actually the point. The thing is that there are very few people out there these days that even understand her early cartoons. It's like that with a lot of the old ones, too. They're bizarre and surreal, using language and symbolism that we just cannot fathom. It's rich with context, but a context we simply have no experience with.

This led to a debate about Invader Zim. I maintain that it will turn out the same way. Don't get me wrong, I love the show. But I think that, in its own way, it's utterly off the wall and very context specific. It ties in directly to contemporary speech and gags, while creating some of its own in the mix. And often non sequiters are part if the joy of the show...except that they aren't actually non sequiters because they play off of current trends in humor. I'm pretty sure that, say, 50 years down the line it will be utterly nonsensical to people. My friend maintains otherwise.

Only time will tell! Mind you, I'm not eager to get there.

Unless anyone's got a time machine on hand?