I've not had this much time off from school or work since I was in high school. taking a two-month paternity leave beginning today to care for Nicholas. is it weird for a man to take leave to care for his child? I dunno, but certainly when I announced my intentions at the office to take the time for Nicholas when Anna returned to work after a sixth-month maternity leave, my decision was met with grumbling, and encouragement.

anyway, I've time for Nicholas, which is important, and in my spare moments to finish a few projects, including an interview with the poet Douglas Blazek. I certainly have time for movies of course, since one can be playing during feedings etc. etc. I do not make summer reading lists, but I do think of certain movies as summer fodder. and tho today's double-feature (not viewed consecutively, of course, but throughout the day since Nicholas needs reading time and playtime, and cuddling time) I do not think of as summer films (such as 60s beach films) they were a good intro to summer viewing.

the movies for today were Lifeforce, directed by Tobe Hooper and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. . .the former is a goofy exercise in special effects and crappy storytelling (in other words, I liked it) from the man who horrified the world with the brilliant, but revolting, Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1974, while the latter is a terrific zombie-styled flick about the end of the world from a virus that causes rage by the director who filmed the wonderfully black humored Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, an adaption from the novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh.

tomorrow's double-feature? perhaps I'll just watch trailers in my spare moments since I've a few disks that are strictly trailers. when I was a kid I'd watch the academy awards not because I cared for who won what, but because these were the days before dvds and vcrs and that was one way to watch trailers and film clips. I'll write about a few of my favorite trailers very soon.