When it finally showed up, I was excited. My curiosity was about to be sated and after months on the hunt, I could not get to my DVD player fast enough. As the opening credits played, I knew I was in for a treat. It is visually stunning and interesting, a constant playing with shadows, colors, and editing. I started watching the movie at around 9:30 PM, all the while sipping a strong cup of coffee, reveling in my first experience with Fellini's cinematic magic.

Boom...mental blackout... last images in my head are of Encolpius waking up on a beach and getting wrangled onto a slave ship. After that it's just fuzzy darkness, brought on by deep slumber.

I was so annoyed with myself. I had been looking forward to this movie for the longest time, yet I could not stay up. The next evening, I started watching the movie again, hoping that I could make it all the way, but, alas it was not to be. The next morning, I woke up with a start at 4:30 AM, still wearing my glasses and my TV screen black with blinking lights. Foiled again!

Third times the charm, as I finally viewed the Satyricon, enjoying it thoroughly. But I have come to realize that no matter how badly I want to see a movie, read a book or watch a TV show, my body is the one running the show and if it says it wants to sleep, nothing, not even Jedi mind tricks, will stand in its way.