All the Real Girls

Team Club convened at its usual time last night, which is to say we staggered into DG's living room between the hours of 7-9pm. Because I happen to be ASD, I can say with absolute certainty that she arrived at 8:00 with half a bottle of mediocre wine stashed in her handbag, and that DG and Ron Ron were already there. While waiting for Senior Senior, we watched TV and chatted, and ASD became irrationally angry at the entire cast of Beauty and the Geek. DG told a gripping story about how he acquired a cat. Ron Ron put on the mandatory Selector Costume and modestly unveiled a glorious container of gummy worms. Senior Senior arrived wild-eyed and breathless after a long day at work.

OUTFITS:
DG: Jeans(?) and a very tight red t-shirt intended for the body of a woman. Lakers hat. Glasses.
Ron Ron: Can't remember. Ron Ron? Oh, wait. Jeans and a black, long-sleeved, zip-up jobbie? Also, a beard. And a belt with a fabulous buckle that he bought off e-bay.
Senior Senior: Plaid as usual, I think. Jeans. These crazy loafers that are called Salamanders.
ASD: Orange skirt, black and white striped shirt (boat necked), and a black cardigan. Effortlessly stunning.

Once The Team had gathered (that is, once they went from being a flimsy triangle to a perfect square), they went out back for their usual pre-film joint. Note: The Team normally uses the front porch for this, but DG was feeling experimental. There, they discussed the following:

1. Should Team Club members be allowed to bring guests on occasion? The verdict: undecided. Will discuss this further next week.

2. In the future, will the Theme Jar be mandatory, optional, or punishment?
The verdict: probably optional.

3. Is that tree dead? It has no leaves. The verdict: probably.

4. What about that tree? I really don't think it was angled that way before. The verdict: We don't know, DG. It's your damned backyard.

Back inside, Ron Ron brilliantly introduced his selection using notes prepared beforehand. DG's awesome girlfriend made The Team some snacks. Senior Senior took some broccoli and declared the hummus to be "delicious." The boys cracked beers and ASD topped up her wine. For some reason The Team talked about Ryan Gosling for a while and then mocked a Philip Seymour Hoffman trailer before settling down to watch All the Real Girls.

Behold the first scene. I know, right? It's pretty sexy. In fact, as soon as that scene ended ASD said, "HOT," and then secretly got sad because she doesn't have a boyfriend (she's currently holding auditions, though, so feel free to tell her a bit about yourself in the comments field). All the Real Girls is full of really hot make-out scenes, and the first half hour of the movie was so charming and real and full of potential that it was pretty devastating when it started to take on far too much thematically and devolved into melodrama. That's the opinion of three quarters of The Team, anyhow. DG is more forgiving, but he's a very forgiving guy. After the film ended, Ron Ron brought out his talking points but announced that they didn't really work with what we had just seen. The Team improvisationally discussed:

a) The awesome guy in the sweater at the party who Senior Senior loved.
b) Was she dumping him in that one scene or not?
c) Narrative structure (or lack thereof- not a bad thing! We liked that it wasn't tidy)
d) Music
e) The unbearableness of some later scenes
f) Was mustache guy a jerk?

In an unprecedented burst of energy and comeraderie, The Team then went arm in arm to the pub around the corner where we professed our love for one another and Ron Ron stubbornly refused to drink.

ASD chooses next week. Three cheers for Team Club.

My First Pick, Another Lessoned Learned

I am fully aware that the foundation of Team Club is not only that we appreciate films but that we also, "appreciate each other".  It is a shared delight in the various souls that comprise this team and club that birthed our four headed beauty and keep us watching movies together. However, as the time came for me to present my offering my palms began to sweat and I could feel my neck getting hot.  I was nervous.  I felt the weight of the evening on me.  The enjoyment of it rested on me.  My pick.  Sadly, my fear blinded me and made me forget the spirit of our assembly and in my head I began to hear a chorus of "thanks for nothing senior senior", between long exasperated sucks on cigarettes.  As we watched I could feel that the posse was into it but I was still insecure: is it dragging, too slow, boring, redundant?  Ha.  What an asshole I am.  The answer to worries is, of course: who cares.  This is Team Club.  We appreciate films.  And each other.  And what a grand thing for me to remember when the movie was finished and I heard things like "you just gotta strap in for the ride with a movie like that."  It was sweet. Since our meeting I have learned a few things about the film we screened. Some connections: I wanted to bring Fitzcarraldo but it was not in at film buff. However, Nastassja Kinski plays the mother in Paris Texas and she is the daughter of this guy and he is the star of Fitzcarraldo.  Also, ASD was sure that I would pick Nashville.  I didn't but the one I did pick stars the most amazing little boy and he is the son Karen Black aka Connie White. And Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith have said it is their favorite movie.  The band Travis was named after Travis. Tomorrow is going to be sweet.  I can't wait to pick again.

Paris, Texas

Team Club turned to the slow and beautiful last night with the 1984 Palm d'Or winner. The film is considered a Wim Wenders masterpiece and stars Harry Dean Stanton who, interestingly, is linked to one of our favourite Young Guns via Repo Man. Here he is below, missing Emilio something fierce:
This was Senior Senior's pick, and a real shocker too, since all week long we thought he was sure to pick The Film That Changed His Life. An hour before the meeting though, in a bizarre twist, he called ASD from the video store and asked, "have you seen this?" Just imagine the team's shock, then, as he unveiled yet another twist in his selection saga!

The meeting began as usual. DG supplied the venue and the insanely enormous TV. Ron Ron (I think) supplied the weed and then, predictably, got tired and after smoking it. Senior Senior theatrically excavated some Lakeport Pilsner from a comically tattered backpack. ASD, as the only female team member, brought her unrivalled beauty, charm, some homemade cupcakes, and a theme jar which will be used in later weeks to guide the selection process. Four (4) new rules were established as well:

1. The Selector now has to don a brightly coloured costume, which was recently discovered in the bowels of Senior Senior's former roommate's closet. It appears to be a small but important part of a marching band uniform, which is weird because we all know this guy is a (very irritating, it should go without saying) bongo player.

2. Should team members choose to play Rock Paper Scissors in the future, as a means of deciding ANYTHING AT ALL, they must lower their fists THREE TIMES in unison before unveiling their weapon on the fourth beat.

3. Finally, The Selector, in addition to preparing talking points in advance of the meeting, must also take a few minutes to present the film before starting it, defending their choice.

4. No Star Wars.

The Team was unsure of what to expect from Paris, Texas. Our nervousness hung in the air like a fart. Three minutes into the film though, Ron Ron could be heard gasping in pleasure from his corner of the couch. Ron Ron is a thin, bearded, vegetarian who loves good cinematography almost as much as he loves fine vegan cheese, and this pleased him hugely. Paris, Texas is much more slowly-paced than Young Guns, sure, but it's also much more ambitious and knocked The Team straight onto their asses. At one point, some strange dude came into the room and said, "you guys look completely riveted." It was during the car chase (not the type of car chase you're thinking of) scene, and we were too absorbed in it to even bother waving him away. Once the film ended, we wandered out to the front porch and Senior Senior hit us with some talking points. We discussed:

a) What else has Sam Shepard written, and why do we keep confusing him with Tom Stoppard?

b) Did you know that Harry Dean Stanton is in a mariachi band?

c) Would this film have captivated us as much if it hadn't been shot so beautifully? (tough call)

d) Harry Dean Stanton is so awesome, right? What the hell is he doing in that crappy Christmas movie with Ted Danson's wife that was filmed in Meaford, Ontario?

Ron Ron chooses next week. We love our Team Club.

Monday's The New Tuesday (This Week)

Well folks, looks like team club is shakin' it up this week, holding the infamous team club meeting on Monday, May 19th. This will be the first time in its long history that team club will have deviated from their rigid Tuesday Night Schedule (TNS act, 2008). Mark it in your notebooks folks as this is the kind of trivia gold that can stump even the brightest of trivia buffs.

Presenting Monday night is the legendary Senior Senior. The Film Choice Guidelines are wide open this week (FCG act, 2008) and Mr. Senior has kept his choice shrouded in mystery. Team Clubbers are looking forward to the snacks and plasma-grade picture and sound.

Till next week, team on clubbin.
Your's,

Ron Ron

Executive in Charge of Sitting
Team Club Ltd.

Theme Jar, Lessons Learned, etc.

An engaging and accurate account of our first meeting, D.S. I am brainstorming ideas for the theme jar and will doubtlessly arrive with dozens next week. I think it's worth pointing out that the "Dream Quest" scene in Young Guns, while hilarious, also functioned as an important turning point in the movie. Note that Billy the Kid, Doc, Charlie, Chavez, and Dirty Steve, despite not necessarily considering themselves to be "a tribe" or even "pals" prior to the Dream Quest, were fiercely bonded and loyal by the end of it. Note also that uppity, boring Charlie Sheen was the only young gun who abstained from taking the peyote, and he totally got smoked later that afternoon. I think we can all learn something from this: drugs are good for the group. Also, abused young outlaws will always go to great lengths to avenge the death of their molestor.

Young Guns

Team Club blew it up last night with its first official gathering.  D.G. hit it out of the park with his selection, which was not only a fine film but a beautiful symbol for the group.  Billy the Kid had his own Team Club but they were called the Regulators and instead of watching movies they pursued justice as outlaws.  They were boys with dreams, hangups and principals.  They knew the value of pals and sticking together and they liked to party hard, like us.  This scene was one of the great highlights of the evening and will be a good measuring stick for future comedic selections: "it is funny but is it young guns dream quest funny?"

The gathering seemed to find a natural routine on its own: we showed up at our leisure, hungout, got beer, chatted, smoked some grass (all of us), told some stories, relayed memories of Young Guns and then got to the movie watching.  After the film finished D.G. brought out his talking points and we discussed the film.  Topics covered included, what was Billy the Kid's most bad ass moment, what Regulator is each member of Team Club (we're probably (and unfortunately) all Doc), the cinematography , acting, music, mind games and others. 

The evening was joyous and inspiring and worth any sacrifice that was made to be there.  Next week Senior Senior is making the selection.  It has begun.