Ever wondered whether you could live your day without TV? Well, I've had the pleasure of living life without the proverbial idiotbox, quiet successfully I must admit, for the past 6 months or so. Going from 2 TVs in the house to none is a welcome break and I read a lot more and listen to much more music and radio :) Not only has it gotten me back precious time in my life, but, it has cleared up the evenings for something more meaningful.
Some days, like today, when I have the time and the urge to watch something to relax (or kill some time), I turn to Hulu. This site is slowly, but surely adding more movies and shows for free on the Net. Ofcourse, the movies are interspersed with ads (so far, not annoying) - most of the ads, I admit are actually short and sweet and of much better quality than the TV ads!
I have seen some really amazing movies recently. To name a few : The Secret of NIMH, All dogs go to Heaven, Sideways, Koyaanisqatsi, Groundhog Day and many more!
Groundhog Day - Being an immigrant to this country, I'm yet to understand all of the traditional nuances and lore of the country. Watching movies like Groundhog Day and Secret of the NIMH just opens up the possibility to learn something new. Groundhog Day in particular was very thought provoking and educational while it was funny, artful and refreshing. Even if I had watched this movie before, I'm sure I would have enjoyed watching this today.
Wikipedia, as usual, has a wonderful page on Groundhog Day and also on The Secret of the NIMH. Rewinding as far back as Tom & Jerry (Fred Quimby, William Hanna & Joseph Barbera) and beyond, the evolution of the animation film industry in the US is as enthralling a story as it gets, one that fascinates even a lukewarm moviegoer like me to appreciate Hollywood and its history. No, I would still like to skip the daily theatricals of the who-is-who in Hollywood, but its not all made of glamor and shims. One has to just wipe the trash off of the top and look beneath it all...
