Anti-social.

I’ve never understood why people assume that going to the movies is a social event.

Cinema-going is not a task that can be done effectively with others. Far from it. Going to watch a film (especially a good one) is an activity best pursued alone and independently.

Call me a film snob if you must, but watching a movie at the cinema does not involve what most people would call social activities. Cinéastes usually frown upon loud discussion and boisterous movement during the film, limiting most types of social interaction.

Conversation and discussion is of course necessary, but usually best-placed after watching the movie and not during the film itself. The initial appraisal of the film is a solitary effort — the extended appreciation of it comes from post-film exchange.

Going to the movies is neither “totally awesome and confidently badass” nor “sad and pathetic.” It is, in essence, the best way to appreciate the craft on the screen.

Speaking in tongues

I recently joined the cast for a small community theatre production. As part of my role, I need to spend a good chunk of the production speaking in a Central Asian accent.

If you’ve never tried to adopt a realistic foreign accent before, you’d be surprised how hard it is to learn.

These links came in handy, at first:

• Speech Accent Archive
• International Dialects of English Archive

In the end, however, the best way to pick up an accent is to become completely immersed in the language and culture.

A few nights ago, I went out to a Persian nightclub right after rehearsal and met a new ‘friend’. Some may call it unnecessary salaciousness; I call it character study.