The Toronto Film Festival is almost upon us, and I can’t wait to make my way up to the city for a week’s worth of cinematic indulgence. I seem to write the same post every year when we get to this moment; I praise the coming of the autumn (my favorite season by some distance), I mark the passing of another year and I try to somehow articulate my excitement about the great unknown that stands before me. It's dèja-vu all over again.

I am about to embark on seven straight weeks of cinematic discovery, an incredibly condensed period of time when I will sit through more films than most people see in a year. Toronto ends just as Independent Film Week begins, which overlaps with my beloved New York Film Festival, an event that ends just before The Hamptons International Film Festival kicks-off. By the time it’s all over, shirts will be replaced by sweaters and jackets, leaves will have fallen off of the trees, the days will grow ever-shorter and I will inevitably be a little heartbroken, wishing I could live in the cinema forever.

Of course, that’s not possible. As I often say to myself when I get too comfortable in the darkness of movie theaters, life intervenes. This year, with a newborn son bringing a constant sense of discovery to each day, will be easier than most, I suspect, easier to give myself back to the world, to re-engage at the end of what can only be described as a purely luxurious escape into the community of movie madness. This is what the festival experience is all about, this community; the conversations, the partisanship among defenders and detractors of this film and that, the long view of movie history informing each cinematic experience, the way that exhaustion and a mistimed hangover can cloud your perception, making a great film almost intolerable under the circumstances. How can you watch 100 films in seven weeks without going a little bit crazy? I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Here is a list documenting my own path to Cinemania, the films I am most looking forward to seeing (some for a second time) and writing about during my festival season.

A Christmas Tale by Arnaud Desplechin
My favorite filmmaker has made another amazing movie. I was lucky enough to catch a press screening of A ChristmasTale a month ago, and I am still thinking about it. I promised myself I wouldn’t write about the movie until I had seen it again, but rest assured, with screenings at New York and Toronto, I will be seeing it every chance I get.
(Seeing It Again [and again]: New York, Toronto)

Desplechin Delivers: A Christmas Tale

The Class by Laurent Cantet
Laurent Cantet is another of my favorite filmmakers; I consider Time Out to be one of the most important movies of the last ten years, a near-perfect distillation of the anxiety that is produced when the individual runs smack into the bourgeois expectations of the working world. The Class has some serious pedigree (Palme D’Or anyone?), and thematically, it seems like a combination of something like To Be And To Have meets Season 4 Of The Wire. Who doesn’t want to see that?!?
(Seeing It: New York)

Cantet's Lesson: The Class

Disgrace by Steve Jacobs
Strangely, I haven’t heard very much about Disgrace in the run up to Toronto, but if the movie does the book even a little bit of justice, this could be a great film. J.M. Coetzee’s 1999 Booker Prize winning novel about an urban college professor whose affair with a student sends him on a journey to the countryside to reunite with his daughter in post-apartheid South Africa is a book that still haunts me; this is a story about race, sexuality, justice and violence that pulls no punches. Let’s hope Steve Jacobs doesn’t flinch when telling this amazing story. Fingers crossed…
(Seeing It: Toronto)

The Headless Woman by Lucretia Martel
Lucretia Martel is one hell of a filmmaker; both La Cienega and The Holy Girl were knock outs, and advanced word on The Headless Woman promises more of the same. Looking up and down the board at many of the films in these fall festivals, I am really proud to see MY generation of auteurs finally getting their due; Martel, Desplechin, Ceylan, Assayas, Makhmalbaf, Cantet—This is an amazing time to be a cinephile, and I am lucky and proud to have these artists be the voice of my time. This one promises to be special.
(Seeing It: New York)

Haunted Martel: The Headless Woman

Plages d’Agnès by Agnès Varda
I love Agnès Varda. A unique artist, a personal essayist with the movie camera, her career has gone from Clèo From 5 To 7 all the way to Plages, which looks to be another in a long line of playful, thoughtful essays on both the artist and her muse. Someone should program a retrosepctive of her work and juxtapose it with Chris Marker; I wouldn't miss a frame of that! (note to self...) Anyway, who doesn’t love watching her play, watching her mind work with such lovely images? Can't miss.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Religulous by Larry Charles and Bill Maher
I am an unrepentant atheist. I have been waiting the majority of my adult life for a movie like this, a takedown of the polite reverence that is typically afforded to articles of faith. I have long-admired Bill Maher’s commentaries on his HBO program Real Time, and this film, directed by Borat director Larry Charles, promises to finally give our side a chance to confront those who dismiss us. Atheists remain one of the most despised “groups” in America, and I hope that Maher and Charles show everyone what we’re made of.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Summer Hours by Olivier Assayas
A visitor to my home, one not familiar with cinema, might be prompted to ask the question “Who is this Assayas fellow?” That’s because my house features a few posters from his films (Irma Vep, Une Nouvelle Vie for example), and I have been a huge fan of his work ever since I saw Irma Vep a dozen years ago (already?!? man, oh man…). Advanced word on Summer Hours promises a return to his Late August/ Early September-era work and a step away from the industrial espionage thrillers he’s produced of late. Fine by me; the movie looks great.
(Seeing It: New York)

Assayas Returns: Summer Hours

Synecdoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman
I joined a friend for an advanced screening of Charlie Kaufman’s debut film last week, and I sat down and tried to write about it. I am still writing about it, which would probably make Charlie Kaufman smile. I plan on seeing this one again, a brilliant film, full of ideas and messier than most of Kaufman’s scripts because it is so full of personal feeling. Not sure how it will fare in the marketplace or among audiences, but when has that ever mattered? A great movie of ideas (go read Schopenhauer before you see it,...seriously!), and one that needs a few repeat viewings. My schedule will happily oblige.
(Seeing It Again: Toronto)

Three Monkeys by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Climates is another film I would rate as one of the finest in recent years, and now, having seen Distant on DVD (Thanks, Netflix!) I have to confess that Nuri Bilge Ceylan is moving up the ranks of my cinematic pantheon. I love his wry humor, his refusal to take anything too seriously, and his patient, gorgeous camera work. I was happy to see him win the Best Director at Cannes this year, but it comes as no surprise; He is, quite simply, one of the finest living filmmakers today. Three Monkeys looks awesome (look at that picture below!) and the stylistic choices seem to lean toward his incredible work as a still photographer. I’m sold.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Ceylan's Fools: Three Monkeys

Of Time And The City by Terrence Davies
As I wrote on Thom Powers' DocBlog (Thanks for the invite, Thom!):
A "lovesong and a eulogy" to the city of Liverpool, England, Terence Davies' Of Time and the City looks like a gorgeous meditation on the decline of this once-vital industrial epicenter. As a supporter of Liverpool Football Club myself, and hailing from Flint, MI (for me, the American parallel to rusting ship yards of Liverpool), I have a lot of interest in seeing how Davies' expresses the soul of a place I have long idealized and never seen with my own eyes.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Treeless Mountain by So Yong Kim
One of America’s most promising talents, So Yong Kim is a filmmaker I’d like to get to know better. Her In Between Days was a tender story of teenage heartbreak (you had me at hello) and now that she is moving to Korea for her latest film, I wonder how her style will translate to the story of abandoned siblings… well… I won’t say too much more. Either way, when a filmmaker this good is bringing a new film into the world, you know I’ll be there.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Two-Legged Horse by Samira Makhmalbaf
Here we go again with the superlatives, but I think Samira Makhmalbaf’s The Apple (which, for some reason or another, I can’t find anywhere on DVD in this country) is one of the most amazing and underappreciated movies of the last ten years. Her work as cinema’s most socially conscious advocate for an expansive humanism is never given its due, probably because of her father’s status as a founder of Iran’s auteur class. Fuck that; Samira is the one to watch, and her movies are always must-see cinema. Two-Legged Horse is one of those films I’ve been waiting for for a loooong time; Has it been five years since At Five In The Afternoon already? No wonder I’ve never blogged about her before!! Either way, this is near the top of my list. Dying for it.
(Seeing It: Toronto)

Makhmalbaf's Back!: Two-Legged Horse

Wendy and Lucy by Kelly Reichardt
I am proud to say that Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy won the Grand Jury Prize at my very own Sarasota Film Festival back in 2006 and when she and Jonathan Raymond (author of the stories upon which Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy are based and co-writer of both films) came to town with the movie, I got to meet them both and talk politics, movies and Sleater-Kinney laser tag (don’t ask… you’ll be as jealous as I was). I am more than excited for Wendy and Lucy (which, full disclosure, my friends and I can’t help calling Wendy and Lisa) and I am really, REALLY excited that the film will be featured in the New York Film Festival. Maybe Kelly will finally get the notoriety she so richly deserves; here’s hoping!
(Seeing It: New York)

Reichardt's Forest: Wendy and Lucy

The Wrestler by Darren Aronofsky
Ok, ever since I’ve been reading about this film I’ve been dying to see it. The reasons are many; I know a thing or two about professional wrestling (Shakespeare on steroids!) and I am a long-time admirer of Darren Aronofsky’s filmmaking. I got to interview Darren at the Apple Store for indieWIRE back when The Fountain came out, and he was a great guy. We talked a little bit about his use of close-up, and lord knows that Mickey Rourke’s face is a story in and of itself. I expect this movie to shatter everyone’s expectations and to be the talk of the town when it closes the New York Film Festival this October.
(Seeing It: New York)

Aronofsky's Hero: The Wrestler (P.S.- Love Love LOVE the 'Necrobutcher Sucks a Fat Dick' sign in the background! Can't wait to see who runs this press still...)

I will do my best to keep up with the screening schedule on the blog… I can’t wait to write about these films and all of the surprises and heartbreaks that lay ahead. More from Toronto…I’m off to pack my bags.

What can you say about Michael Phelps? This week has been incredible, with more drama per second than any film you could imagine watching. Eight Gold Medals?!? A victory of .01 seconds? Jason Lezak's comeback touch against the French in the 4x100 Freestyle Relay? The Phelps story had it all, and his humility and charm only adds to his legend. Get your endorsement contracts ready, folks; America has a new hero.

In case you didn't know, Michael has spent the last four years at my alma mater, The University of Michigan, preparing for this Olympics with his coach Bob Bowman, who took over the U of M Swimming program. Phelps, because of his endorsements after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, was ineligible to compete for my Wolverines, but he was instead a volunteer assistant coach, all the while training for Beijing and going to school. I am sure that Baltimore will welcome him with open arms when he returns home to swim for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club with Bowman, but I am proud that Mr. Historic enjoyed his time in Ann Arbor.

In the entire week of coverage, my favorite piece was NBC's look into Phelps' eating habits, featuring his 10,000 calorie-a-day diet courtesy of some of my favorite old haunts in Ann Arbor (what, no Zingerman's?!?)...

Congratulations to Michael Phelps on his historic Olympic achievement and GO BLUE! What an amazing week.

Director Zhang Yimou's Opening Ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics have restored my belief in the power of spectacle. The evening's performance was a mind-blowing mixture of history, culture and the latest in technology, all of it choreographed with unbelievable precision I have always admired Zhang's films, but even the spectacle of his recent epics like House of Flying Daggers and Hero could not match the raw power of this presentation. For me, it was the scale of having the cast of thousands mixed with the modernity of the stadium's architecture and technology that was so captivating. I have read some criticisms of the Ceremonies, all of which seem rather irrelevant to me...Let me pull a quote, too:

"But despite the beauty of the spectacle, the conscious decision to create a narrative that rewrites both Chinese history and reality and presents a sugar-sweet sunshine portrait to the world is alarming -- but the fact that the NBC commentators unquestioningly went along with it is downright appalling...it's unacceptable for NBC to be, or appear to be, in the Communist Party's pocket. This is about more than routine criticism about commentators being trite. There is a lot more at stake right now, and we must vigilantly demand that Olympic coverage is never compromised."-- Katherine Goldstein, Huffington Post

Who in their right mind thinks the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics is the proper place to express dissent? Did announcers covering the Atlanta or Los Angeles Olympics highlight the absence of a discussion of our nation's shameful history of slavery or our treatment of Native Americans? Should the Super Bowl Halftime show have raised the issue of detainees in Guantanamo Bay? I don't need Matt Lauer and Bob Costas to spend their time during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics to share their thoughts on the history of Chinese political oppression; We've heard, and continue to hear, that story. Instead, all they did was parse the actual event itself in the simple terms of Zhang's own symbolism without commenting on that symbolism itself. More than enough, I think.

Besides, the visual power of this piece was so overwhelming, it seems to stand above these minor critiques and, somehow, has redefined the nature of human spectacle. This was pure theater, above and beyond anything we've ever seen before; Bigger than any opera, larger than any film, pulled off by thousands of peformers in perfect harmony with one another. I was riveted, dying to see what was next.

The relationship between cinema and the Olympics is nothing new; Leni Riefenstahl's brilliant Olympia redefined the way we look at the athletes and the Olympic games forever. She practically invented modern athlete worship; I can't watch a Nike commercial or NFL Films presentation without thinking of her. But Zhang's Opening Ceremonies were beyond the limitations of sport, using the moment to reimagine the relationship between sport, culture and spectacle. Step aside, Leni Refenstahl; You've been topped. We have a new Olympia for a new century.

(Photo/ AFP Joe Klamar)

(Photo/ AFP Olivier Morin)

(Photo/ Getty Images, Adam Pretty)

(Photo/ Getty Images, Clive Rose)

Since I am at home, enjoying our first week with the Boy and the Mrs. here at the house, I haven't been able to watch a single film in almost ten days. That must be some kind of record for me. And since it is unlikely that I am going to make it to many films in the coming few weeks, you should! A few items in brief, most of which you've probably read about elsewhere...

-- Add another to the "good things happening to great people" file; David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express opens today. I met David when he directed a staged reading of A Confederacy Of Dunces at the Nantucket Film Festival a few years back, and he is a really great guy and a Director who continues to delight and surprise me. I was in birth mode during his recent BAM retrospective and missed Pineapple, but I am interested to see the film and watch how it performs in the marketplace. I'll be honest here; I find drug humor incredibly boring, but if anyone can transcend the limitations of the genre, it's David. Can't wait to catch it...

-- Speaking of BAM retrospectives, next week's Azazel Jacobs retrospective at BAM promises to be my must-see/ probably can't-see event of the summer. I may sneak off to a screening of The GoodTimes Kid on Monday, but who knows. Aza brought Momma's Man to Sarasota this year and we were so proud to be able to share the film; Don't miss this chance to catch up with Aza's films in what is fast becoming my favorite venue in the city.

-- Two belated congratulations;

Congrats to David Redmon and Ashley Sabin on the recent launch of their Carnivalesque Films DVD label. Their first film on the label is Mardi Gras: Made In China, a must-see. There are several other films in the works, many of which I know very well, and I can't wait to watch the Carnivalesque label grow... so much promise! Be sure to "Add" Mardi Gras: Made In China to your Netflix queue or get a copy today from David and Ashley's website.

Also, a big congrats to Matt Wolf for the recent acquisition of his terrific film Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell by Plexifilm. I have written rhapsodically about the film before, but now that the film has a release date of September 26 at the IFC Center in NYC and the ICA in London, I am really excited to hear what everyone thinks about this wonderful movie. Matt was gracious enough to allow us to host the film's US Premiere in Sarasota (not that you'd know it from reading indieWIRE...grumble...) and I am really happy to see that the film is taking off. Much deserved!

-- Finally, one week before the Boy was born, I was able to catch a press screening of Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale here in NYC. The movie exceeded my expectations, a shaggier, more deeply-felt film than any Desplechin has made before. I've decided I must see it again (in Toronto and at the NYFF) before writing about the movie in detail. Needless to say, I have a ton of thoughts on the movie and can't wait to watch it again. Expect a full reaction this autumn; In the meantime, circle your calendars and do NOT miss the film when it opens at the IFC Center and on-demand on November 14 (the week of my birthday... coincidence? I think not.)

No blogging of late as we welcome our son into the family... He arrived safe and sound and mother and child are both in great shape. You live your whole life listening to parents describe this moment, but it is something one must experience for themselves to truly understand. I have been overwhelmed with so many feelings since he arrived, but I won't bore you by describing them. Just know that I will return to blogging after the family gets home from the hospital on Thursday. I promise not to turn this into a baby blog, but a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who passed along their warm wishes (tongue in and out of cheek, both very much appreciated). Your thoughts mean a lot to all of us.

Nicolas Eamon Hall
July 28, 2008
9:08 AM
5 pounds, 11 ounces
19.25 inches

As Baghead opens in NYC today, just a quick post to wish Mark and Jay Duplass, Greta Gerwig, Ross Patridge and the whole team behind the film the best of luck with their big city opening weekend. The film has been open in Austin for a while now, but now that it has landed here, I am really excited to take the Mrs. to see it as it will probably be our last movie before the baby arrives on Monday (that's right, folks!).

Writing a movie is hard work!: The Baghead gang...

Listening to Ross, Mark and Greta today on WNYC's Leonard Lopate show, I didn't realize that Mark and Ross had met at the 2005 Nantucket Film Festival, where I programmed The Puffy Chair and where Ross attended with Triggerstreet for a staged readering of the script 9/11 Kevin. That was the year Mark and his then-soon-to-be-Mrs. Kathryn taught me and my later-to-be-Mrs. how to play Big Buck Hunter, which was a game that revolutionized my relationship (ok, not really, but it was fun!) So, Mystelle Brabbée and I get points for using some Reese's Peanut Butter Cup magic, accidentally uniting two great tastes that taste great together! I didn't even know this was the case until Ross gave a shout out to Nantucket during the interview, so I learned something about MYSELF today... and isn't that the most important thing?

Here is my reaction after seeing the film at Sundance in January... Grab a ticket and support this terrific film this weekend!

Baghead

Jay and Mark Duplass' genre-hopping romantic horror comedy Baghead is the story of four people, heart-sick Chad (Steve Zissis), studly Matt (Ross Partiridge), jilted Katherine (Elise Muller) and flirty Michelle (Greta Gerwig) who decide, after seeing a shitty independent film at a film festival screening, that they should make their own movie. On the spur of the moment, the team decides to head to a rustic cabin for the weekend in order to collaborate on their own script, and suddenly, something like Woody Allen's A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy ensues; Attractions are declared and rejected, romantic intrigue abounds and plenty of alcohol is consumed. But when Michelle has a dream about a stalker with a paper bag covering his face, the plot quite literally thickens; The group decides that a horror film about a man with a bag head would make the perfect script and, before too long, all hell breaks loose.

Baghead is a complete blast, a meta-exploration of the creative process, genre and relationships that gets just about everything right. Most excitingly, the film's tonal shifts between comedy, romance, horror and drama all feel completely natural and earned, which is no small feat. The film's visual style, with Jay Duplass' signature zooms and pans between closeups, works wonders with these actors, all of whom turn in winning performances; Greta Gerwig's work here, shifting between flirtation, fear, anger and compassion, cements her status as a rising star, and Steve Zissis' winning performance as Chad is a riff on the lovable, put-upon mensch he played in the Duplass' terrific short The Intervention. The film's shifting tone really works in concert with the performances, and because the story and the acting are so light and nimble, the film never bogs down in any one style. I was excited to see that the film sold and will be receiving distribution; I think, with the proper marketing and a good run of festival dates, the film could be a real hit with younger audiences who are looking for new stories that take chances and deliver the fun. The film is a true independent and while it won't be for everyone, it is comforting to know that there are filmmakers like the Duplass Brothers out there making us laugh, giving us the willies, breaking our hearts and telling stories that can't be categorized in a single sound bite. Or can they?

Congrats to the team at indieWIRE on their recent sale to SnagFilms. I am going to be honest here; One never knows how an acquisition will fit or how the day to day will work out. Change is never a guarantee. But I trust everyone involved that they have done the right thing and have been justly rewarded and financed for 12 years of exceptional, hard work. I hope that the next dozen years are as meaningful and exciting for everyone involved.

I do know that, for me personally, indieWIRE is homebase for the independent film community. I got my first job in NYC in 1997, working as a Manager for New Media at IFC; I literally don't know what the independent film world would be like without an indieWIRE in it. I also know that the team who has produced the site are great people who have been tireless in their advocacy and reporting on the independent and foreign film community. Without indieWIRE, I don't know how I'd stay in touch with my community. It is essential.

May indieWIRE continue to thrive content in the knowledge that there is now economic stability and more support on the way to realize some of your greater ambitions. My only advice? Don't go on some nonsensical dot com spending spree! You don't need pinball in the office! Stay true to your mission and you cannot fail. Congrats, guys!

We had quite a week; An amazing, unforeseen 11th hour intervention allowed us to escape delivering our baby early and now we're day to day, waiting for news on when we're going to give birth. One thing we know for sure; He's coming in the next ten days or so. A little early, but as long as he's healthy, we don't mind at all; we're very excited. Anyway, it has been quite a learning experience for us, and I have had almost no time to even think about film, let alone write about all the movies I haven't had time to see. That said, I have had one film on my mind all week long; Abby Epstein's The Business Of Being Born. Having spent 24 hours in a Manhattan hospital with the specter of a premature birth by Caesarian section looming over my wife's head, the issues raised in the film have been haunting me, forcing me ask a LOT of questions. In our case, while we both really believe that the medical concern for the baby and my wife's health are legitimate, we don't believe that her condition has ever reached the moment when we needed medical intervention. In our opinion, and thankfully, that opinion was shared by our OB-GYN, we understand the variables, the symptoms and the signs of trouble, and we haven't reached the point where delivery is necessary.

But man, try telling that to the staff at the hospital.

From the moment we walked in the door, we were surrounded by people looking for the opportunity to intervene in my wife's pregnancy, looking for a reason to deliver the baby. We went to the hospital for a rountine sonogram, but that soon turned into a 24-hour ordeal; doctors and nurses who wanted the baby out because it was the easiest thing to do given the ciurcumstances. We knew that my wife has a pre-existing condition that puts her at risk for a certain pregnancy complication called Pre-eclampsia; we understand that this condition is not easy to diagnose, and that it can be dangerous. But the funny thing is that no one cared that we were negative for four of the five symptoms; they saw one symptom and made the long leap to emergency delivery. Time to get the baby out. Except it wasn't. We knew it wasn't time. When our OB-GYN finally let us go home the following morning, we felt very frustrated by the experience of being pushed to the finish line when we should have been enjoying the journey. I know their intentions were good and I also know the baby would have been fine either way, but when you are stripped of choices in moments like that, well, you want to stand up for yourself. Not that we did anything special; we simply asked questions and asked for more time. Thankfully, as of this writing, we're still enjoying that time.

We have been home for five days since that day and I have been thinking about the cultutre of maternity care in our hospital, and about the reality we face that, like so many women, my wife probably won't be giving birth under natural circumstances. Her condition (and the saftey of the baby) currently preclude a natural birth (at the moment, he's breach), and we are completely fine with that; the health of the two of them is by far the most important thing to everyone involved. But who knows what can happen in a week? Two weeks? The fact that no one wanted to listen, that only our OB-GYN would give us the chance to try and delay a premature birth (we're so lucky to be working with her), well, it makes you wonder how people less informed (and, in this case, vocal) than my wife and I would ever be able to deal with important medical choices. The problem? In our case, until the very last moment, nothing was presented as a choice at all. How do you trust people who don't know your name, who see you as a collection of data? Where were the conversations, the consultations? None of that happened. I had never experienced that powerlessness before, that sensation of being in an institutional environment where very little communication is going on and incredibly important life decisions are being made for you by strangers. It is absolutely frightening.

On the other hand, all of the doubt that was sowed in me came from reading the literature on Pre-eclampsia and watching The Business Of Being Born. I've never had the experience of watching a documentary and then pretty much living something exactly like it (Roger & Me being the obvious exception), but this was a case where, having seen the film, I felt completely aware of the mindset of those at the hospital and, while not adversarial to them (because we all want the baby and the Mrs. to be healthy), it was interesting to see how their interpretation of her condition differed so radically from ours. The fact that all is well shows me we did the right thing by pushing back; we got some new medicine and her condition has stayed stable here in the relative comfort of our home, but most importantly, we got time for the baby to grow. I have the movie to thank for that, because without having felt empowered by the film's message of unnecessary hospital intervention, we probably would have allowed the panic of the unexpected to silence our concerns. And while we may not be giving birth naturally anyway (but again, there may be time now), the baby is still safely inside the womb, growing fine with a heartbeat like a champ. The coming days will bring him into the world, and we're hoping to make our way to a full term of 37 weeks, at which point I think we'd be satisfied. If he has to come sooner, that's fine too; We want nothing more than health and happiness. But the days since our hospital stay have taught me a valuable lesson, one I consider my first as a parent; Always ask questions and say what you think. Sometimes, there is no other choice.

Off to make room for baby. Blogging resumes as soon as is possible; In the meantime, feel free to visit Hammer To Nail for my recent review of A Walk Into The Sea: Danny Williams And The Warhol Factory, an excellent film and a must see.