I also watched Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. At the beginning of the film, Herzog remarks that he makes a point to cook at least once a week, and that “cooking is an alternative to filmmaking.” These acts are contrasted with commercials/talk shows (against which Herzog wishes to declare holy war) and fast food joints like KFC. There is a labor in cooking and a labor in filmmaking, and in this particular film the two arts combine. Herzog noted that he came to the realization that he'd gone an entire year without cooking for himself due to working so much, and that it was absurd that a grown man should not make himself a meal at least once a week. This unconscious privileging of creative work over everyday necessity (like eating good food) is interesting to me, as is Herzog's theatrical demonstration of devotion. He promises to eat a shoe, throw himself into a cactus, to show others how committed he is to the craft. It's a substantial reminder of what it takes to be an artist.

I recently re-watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, reveling in how dark and surreal this children's movie is. Amid all the sweetness, and the heavenly expanse of the factory, Wonka is this quietly terrifying figure who doesn't seem to care when the children disappear/die due to their greed/stupidity. There's a comically obvious lesson here: if you're greedy you won't get anywhere in life, but if you're quiet and kind of a pushover, and you don't make any show of wanting anything, you'll have everything given to you. Hmmm. Also, as a kid I was not only drawn to the awesome rooms of sugar but also to the creepier parts of the film...it seems that movies for kids these days aren't half as scary as this one, and it's a shame!