Thursday Night at the AFI

I saw Stranger than Paradise last night, one of the offerings of the AFI's Jim Jarmusch restrospective. I'd tried to watch several of the early Jarmusch films back in college, and I don't think I made it through this one.

It's cool to have the opportunity to see these on the big screen.

Jarmusch is certainly an aquired taste. I admire the risks he takes with pace.

He.




Takes.



With.



Pace.

Fortunately, I was in the mood for it last night. The crowd was an interesting mix. A middle aged couple to my left - very Silver Spring - he with a beer, she with a glass of white wine. They were very vocal during previews but settled down as soon as the movie started. The two middle aged women friends to my right, however, got revved up as soon as the movie began. One had an extremely distinct, resonant laugh (read: cackle) that she made no attempt to surpress. Which is fine. What was interesting was that the formerly animated couple to my left suddenly got very put off by the increasingly vocal couple to my right and kept staring at them to prove their point.

Somehow it was fitting, for a Jim Jarmusch film.