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October 22, 2004 > Arts & Entertainment > Alone in the woods:

Alone in the woods:

The movieman unplugged

By Jonathan Schumann | Thresher Editorial Staff

For me, fall break was all about detoxing. I swore off all my favorite vices — no alcohol, no caffeine, no junk food. But, although I have great affinity for all these vices, there was another, more surprising omission from my break docket — movies. That’s right, this time I decided to go completely unplugged … well, at least that was my intention. I don’t know about you, but even I, the most savvy pop culture enthusiast, gets tired of media-saturated life. We are all constantly bombarded with images of Sarah Jessica Parker and Lenny Kravitz dancing for the Gap on television, images of Paris Hilton boozing in the tabloids and sound bytes of Nicole Kidman discussing her latest movie project on Entertainment Tonight. Now, most of the time, I love the gossip and self-promotion that is American celebrity culture, and willingly and joyfully indulge in it. But sometimes it just gets to be too much. I realized I had been living in wanton excess when I read one Entertainment Weekly article too many about Britney Spears’ quicky marriage and her plans to become a young mother (oh please). So this fall break, I decided to disconnect. That meant no cell phone, no e-mail, no celebrity gossip rags, no television and — toughest of all — no movies. My family’s cabin on Lake Whitney (Texas’ second-largest lake, located in between Waco and Dallas) presented itself as the perfect venue for my Emersonian adventure. Located at the bottom of a canyon and surrounded by trees, it is a great place to relax in solitude. The challenge seemed easy enough at first. After a bike ride and a run, I settled down and had the first of several nights of solid, uninterrupted sleep. It was not until the next morning, when the caffeine cravings set in, that I began to veer from my celibate intentions. Really, what was I thinking when I decided to deny myself coffee? After an hour without java, I reverted to infantile behavior, stomping around the cabin whining, ‘I want it, I need it, oh baby, oh baby.’ So, after deciding it was not healthy to deny myself something I wanted so badly, I indulged in a cup. Well, that started me down the slippery slope. If I was willing to invite coffee to the party, why not music, too? Sure, it violated the ‘no media’ rule, but it would help create a relaxing mood. So Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright and Badly Drawn Boy joined me in my caffeine-enduced stupor. Evening arrived, and somehow caffeine and music were just not enough. Several cups down and albums later, I thought, ‘Well, if I’ve gone this far over the edge, would it be so wrong to forget my silly vow of chastity altogether?’ Conveniently enough, I had picked up several new titles on the way out of town and was set for a mini film festival. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind proved to be even better after a second viewing. Kate Winslet should easily score an Oscar nod for her winning portrayal of the film’s quirky, rainbow-haired heroine. I also rediscovered Woody Allen’s unappreciated gem Celebrity, a wickedly funny attack on — what else — contemporary celebrity culture. The film stars Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis, Bebe Neuwirth, Winona Ryder, Charlize Theron and a score of others as actors, writers, models and newscasters who all live (and live for) a life in the public eye. It was a deliciously ironic selection, considering the celebrity hype I was trying to escape. If I’ve learned anything about my relationship with pop culture from my weekend retreat, it is that we are inseparable. Until someone develops a 12-step program for cinephiles, I’m hooked for life.

Jonathan Schumann is a Baker College junior and arts and entertainment editor.

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