Monday, December 04, 2006

"Wordplay" or "Nerds on Parade"

I love documentaries about people and their obsessions. I think that if you dig deep enough you can uncover the inner nerd in anyone, truly. Someone might look totally "put together" and "hip" and then you might mention something like "Hello Kitty". Then that formerly cool and collected individual might start mouth-breathing and telling you that the latest incarnation of Hello Kitty is far inferior to the collection circa 1982, but I digress.....

I just love that. People are nerds, I, myself, am a nerd. (I also like to use commas improperly.)

So, my latest indulgence was a wonderful movie called "Wordplay". I am a S.A.H.M, so of course I watched it last night in the comfort of my own nerdom on DVD. (JMB and MPB, formerly "a cute couple" do not see first-run movies anymore.) It was wonderful. Sometimes documentaries of obsessed people are a bit slow, but this flick had wonderful pacing and people that you just fell in love with. By the end of the movie you were cheering them on as they competed in their "crossword puzzle-off". Wait, I am getting ahead of myself.

This movie is about people and their obsession with crossword puzzles, more specifically The New York Times puzzle. It has interviews with all sorts of celebrity types and how they fell in love with the puzzle, and then more importantly it follows the highs and lows of being a Crossword Puzzle Celebrity. To give away anymore would be a crime, everyone needs a bit of crossword puzzle drama in their lives.

I bet you thought that I wasn't going to mention the most exciting celebrity featured in this movie.....Puzzlemaster Will Shortz (Google does NOT capitalize this title, but I think that it is appropriate.) He is better to see in person (ok, on DVD) and WAY nerdier than he is on the radio.

I am, right now, speechless, I loved this movie so much.

See it people!

PS
Other Grrrrreat ones are:
Fast, Cheap and Out of control
Mad Hot Ballroom
Supersize Me
---I know of more, but can I bring them up from the useless info recesses of my brain?
We will see....more to follow

5 comments:

Mrs.Kate.W said...

I definitely think you can qualify as a nerd if you make a joke about commma's. Seriously...that made me laugh out loud!

jmb_craftypickle said...

Thank you, thank you, verrrrry much. Best wishes this weekend!!!

Anonymous said...

yes
i'm not sure if i can can qualify as a nerd because i didn't get that comma joke
but i do want to be a nerd
desperatly
(also would love to learn how to spell)

i want to see this!
two other good ones for you:
scrapped
(which i OWN...
oh yes!
maybe i am a nerd after all...)
&
spellbound
(about the national spelling bee
so child nerds!
it's always fun to see them as little sprouts...)

good stuff, jmb
as always...

jmb_craftypickle said...

Oh, you are a nerd....don't even try and deny it.

I loved spellbound, a great movie.

But you are such a nerd!

Yaz and Rob said...

Ok, I will get it this week! I remember listening to the Puzzler on Sunday a year or so ago and they were talking about THIS movie! Full circle. Also, will get the Fast Cheap one.... forgot the title right now, but youuuuu knowwwww. Also, I concur we are all nerds at heart.