What the Heck did I just watch?

Yesterday, I ran out to do a bit more scouting of my elk hunting territory.  After perusing several maps, I tried a few different roads into the area, and I was able to get higher into the area than I was on my trip last weekend, and I actually got out and did some walking.  I didn't see many animals(only 3 does) but, I found a couple of promising looking areas.  Now that I have been in in the middle of the day, and figured out what roads go where, and which ones I can drive on, and which ones I shouldn't, I think my next trip will be right after work one day so I can see what is moving around at twilight.

I only stopped at one brewery on the way home, coming home with one 32oz growler as opposed to cases of beer and wine. 

Bale Breaker Brewing is located just outside of Yakima, and it's tough to find a place with fresher hops.  As befits their home in the middle of a hops field, they are big on Pale Ales and IPA's, which aren't always my favorite...but their Topcutter IPA was pretty tasty...flavor and not just cling to your tongue hops.

Upon arrival back at the house, my wife was just settling in to watch The Master on Netflix.  I was in the room for the whole movie, even if I wasn't always 100% focused on it...and I have to tell you, I have NO idea what the heck it's about, or what the point was of the movie.

Theoretically, from reviews, it is supposed to be about the early days of Scientology, and the character that Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays is supposed to be L. Ron Hubbard. That seems likely.  The story follows a alcoholic(mixes paint thinner and photo developer chemicals) sex-fiend sailor after WWII, played by Joaquin Pheonix who is having issues mixing back into society. Somewhere along the way, he runs in to Lancaster Dodd(played by Hoffman), who takes him under his wing, and makes various attempts to adopt him into The Cause.

So...yeah. That is the basic plot...but, it's just STRANGE.  And doesn't seem to have a point.  I am not dumb, and I am fairly literate and have a understanding of symbolism in literature...I just didn't get anything out of this movie.

Here is what I do know...it's not the actors fault's.  Hoffman, Pheonix and Amy Smart disappear into their roles.  Joaquin Pheonix does an amazing job of building this broken, broken man, while Amy Smart plays Dodd's true believer wife, who has just as much to do with pushing The Cause as he does. 

I don't know...maybe I am not as smart as I think I am.