February @ MindSay 
- The Amazing Mr. X / The Spiritualist (1948) (Theater) Great viewing!
- Château de ma mère, Le / My Mother's Castle (1990) Great, but make sure to see My Father's Glory first!
- Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki/When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960) Was a very nice surprise. I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much.
- Suture (1993) (Theater)Wow, all I have to say is that David Lynch MUST have seen this before he made Lost Highway. It is a very interesting and yet silly look into the question of identity and I was impressed with it.
- Thieves' Highway (1949) An amazing movie. In the spirit of The Bicycle Thief. Very aggravating, but different. It explores the shallowness of women ;) and the greed of the evil, and the perseverance of the hard-working man.
- Crime de Monsieur Lange, Le (1936) Not a huge fan of Renoir, this one was halfway decent. 6/10
- Evening (2007) Wow this movie was really mediocre and I anticipated things about 5 seconds before they were going to happen, predicted lines and everything. OMG!! The best cast with the worst acting. I guess it was good to see, but I could have missed it...I was laughing so hard at one point that I'm sure it did me much good.
- Gervaise (1956) Not Rene Clement's best film, however it was very good.
- Red-Headed Woman (1932) Pretty cute, but nothing fantastic.
- A Woman Under the Influence (1974) An interesting movie. Nothing special, but worthwhile.
- Katakuri-ke no kôfuku / The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) (Theater) Good, watch, pretty funny.
- Fanny (1932) sequel to Marius, pt. 2 of the series
- César (1936) sequel to Fanny, pt. 3 of the series
- Ornette: Made in America (1985) (Theater) Interestingly filmed documentary.
- Brewster McCloud (1970) Altman - I liked it, but it wasn't that great.
- Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
- Portrait of Jason (1967) (Theater) Documentary.
- The Driver (1978) Nice chase scenes ;)
- The Browning Version (1951)
- Chanel Solitaire (1981) Ok, but strange in several parts when an almost 40 year old Marie-France Pisier plays an 18 year old CoCo Chanel.
- The Secret Bride (1934) An ok Barbara Stanwyck movie. But it has its moments.
- Sukkar banat/Caramel (2007) (Theater)
- Wings (1927)
- Fröken Julie/Miss Julie (1951) Weird movie, ok.
- Heir to an Execution (2004) Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were unjustly executed during the McCarthy era. It is hard to believe that not only were these people put to death, but for crimes they did not commit.
- Horí, má panenko / The Fireman's Ball (1967) I'm not really sure why this was considered a good movie. A good director for sure, but Milos Forman has done much better movies.
- Taxi! (1932) A movie non-intriguing story-wise but James Cagney performs well in this.
- Total Eclipse (1995) Leo DiCaprio gets the chance of a lifetime as an actor. He gets to burp in this movie. Gross.
- Battling Butler (1926) Buster Keaton is always pretty good.
- The Atomic Cafe (1982)
- City Across the River (1949) (Theater)
- The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
- Romuald et Juliette / Mama there's a man in your bed (1989) Daniel Auteuil had bad hair in this.
- Summertime (1955) This movie proved to be pretty good even though I don't like David Lean movies in general.
- Hold Your Man (1933)
- Husbands (1970)
- Don Juan (1926) (Theater) Silent Even though this is a silent, it is the first movie with synchronized sound and you can hear swords clashing and such, but there is no spoken dialogue.
- Dong / The Hole (1998)
- Easy Virtue (1928) Alfred Hitchcock
- Blackmail (1929) Alfred Hitchcock
- Chameleon Street (1989) (Theater) An interesting look into a man that becomes a chameleon to suit his and everyone else's purposes. A little more of what I expected Woody Allen's Zelig to be and very enjoyable to see.
- Communion (1989) (Theater) This movie scared the socks off me!
- Miracolo a Milano (1951)
- Beau Brummel (1924) (Theater) Silent
- The Girl from Missouri (1934)
- The Last Wave (1977)
- Citizen Ruth (1996) A delightful and unnerving film by Alexander Payne. I didn't even know about it until Juno came out and someone referenced it.
- Passing Through (1977) (Theater) A film "made for the revolution" and very hard to see. I liked it, but it wasn't amazing.
- There Goes My Heart (1938) Moderately enjoyable.
Pre-code Movies:
- Hot Saturday (1932) (Theater) Cary Grant was amazingly funny and charming in this. Nancy Carroll was a great lead actress and it's too bad I haven't seen more from her.
- White Woman (1933) (Theater) Carole Lombard was charming in this and she even sang! Charles Laughton played a devious, creepy man. Even though it lost steam towards the end, there were at least two hot men in this. One was a wimp and one was a brave, strong man (hot!).
- Blonde Crazy (1931) Jimmy Cagney and Joan Blondell were great in this and I enjoyed it immensely.
- Footlight Parade (1933) Jimmy Cagney and Joan Blondell again! The beginning proved to be very interesting as it was about the transition from silent films to "talking pictures". BUT- it sort of lost its steam, THEN it had about twto or three great and impressive musical numbers. I was wondering how they were able to film such a great spectable: underwater coreography, etc. :)
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920/I) (Theater) Silent Worth watching and enjoyable.
There are probably more pre-code movies I saw, but this is what I saw in the beginning of the month.
Ernst Lubitsch (had previously seen 6 of his movies):
Good movies. My goal was to see as many of his movies this month as I could.
- The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)
- Cluny Brown (1946) Great.
- Sumurun / One Arabian Night (1920) Silent
- Bergkatze, Die /Wildcat (1921) Silent Good, reminds me of The Oyster Princess visually.
- Eternal Love (1929) (Theater) Silent
- Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
- Carmen/Gypsy Blood (1918) Silent
- Angel (1937)
- Puppe, Die/The Doll (1919) Silent Pretty good and entertaining too.
- Anna Boleyn (1920)Silent Good period piece.
- Design for Living (1933) Delightful Jules-et-Jim-esque movie.
- The Marriage Circle (1924) Silent A silent silent. The VHS version I had was without music or anything. It was ok.
- Ninotchka (1939)
- Broken Lullaby (1932)
- That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
- Lady Windermere's Fan (1925) Silent
- The Love Parade (1929)
- Monte Carlo (1930)
- One Hour with You (1932)
- The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
- So This Is Paris (1926)
- Fidele Gefängnis, Das (1917)
- Madame DuBarry aka Passion (1919)
- A Royal Scandal (1945) Light and funny, I enjoyed this.
- Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin - Von der Schönhauser Allee nach Hollywood (2006) (V) Great documentary. His daughter Nicola Lubitsch provided insight. The documentary also had footage of several of his shorts he directed:
Blusenkönig, Der / The Blouse King (1917)
Wenn vier dasselbe tun / When four do the same (1917)
Schuhpalast Pinkus (1916)
Meyer aus Berlin (1919)
as well as some he acted in:
Doktor Satansohn (1916)
Fräulein Piccolo (1915) Chaplinesque
Hans Trutz im Schlaraffenland (1917)
Robert und Bertram, die lustigen Vagabunden (1915)
Stolz der Firma, Der / The Pride of the Firm (1914)
see: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0907732/movieconnections
Also:
- Prelude to War (1943) Apparently Ernst Lubitsch directed the second part of this documentary on the Nazis and how evil they are
- Desire (1936) Produced by: Ernst, directed by Frank Borzage
- When It Rains (1995) Charles Burnett, rent money
- Magic Yellowstone (Theater)
- Niagara Falls (Theater)
- Prairie Chicken (1917) (Theater)
- Friend Husband (1924) (Theater)
- The Horse (1973) A Charles Burnett short.
- On s'embrasse? /Can We Kiss? (2000) Video
- The Frozen North (1922) Buster Keaton
- The Haunted House (1921) Buster Keaton
- All Jazzed Up (1920) (Theater) An enjoyable slapstick movie where a man on a cart flies all over town.
- Dog Heaven (1927) (Theater) A dog tries to commit suicide after his owner (a little boy) betrays him over a girl.
- Frederick Chopin (1925) (Theater) about his affair with Georges Sand.
- Stage Struck (1928) (Theater) Felix the cat like character, old man with a flute.
- Several Friends (1969)
- Ko-Ko's Tattoo (1928) (Theater)
- Ko-Ko Smokes (1928) (Theater)
D.W. Griffith Shorts:
Brakhage Shorts:
- Prelude: Dog Star Man (1962) Played with a selection of instrumental songs.
- Dog Star Man: Part I (1962) I tried rock songs for this one. A variety of Bob Dylan, Garbage, Strokes, Connie Francis, Tom Petty. It didn't really seem to work, but sometimes it did.
- Dog Star Man: Part II (1963) played with Bizet - Carmen Suite No. 1
- Dog Star Man: Part III (1964) Played with J.S. Bach - from Suite III, BWV 1063
- Dog Star Man: Part IV (1964) This last one was so short, that I'm not really sure what was playing. But I needed music to keep my interest in the sound-less movies by Brakhage. And I liked the music more than my images, and so I'm not sure what's the point.
- Window Water Baby Moving (1962)
TV:
- Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007) A good film about relatively unknown producer Val Lewton.
- "A Year in Provence" (1993) (mini) Winter and Spring epsidoes only. It was ok, but not good enough to seek out the other episodes.
- Janie (1944) I'm sure this would be an ok watch. Directed by Michael Curtiz, but it seemed like a waste of time.
- Johnny Angel (1945) I watched most of this, but couldn't take anymore. I think George Raft is an interesting person, but he does absolutely nothing for me.
- Crime School (1938) Only able to see part of it, because I get the movies with the Dead End kids mixed up (plus they annoy me). But Bogart was really young and handsome and had a great scene without dialogue. I kept waiting for him to speak but he spoke without speaking. Amazing actor.
- Suzy (1936) Unfortunately, I didn't set my DVR in time so I only caught the last part. Cary Grant is charming and Franchot Tone...two of my favorite men. And Jean Harlow is in it too which makes for an excellent cast.
- The Good Thief (2002/I) The remake of some Melville movie (Bob le Flambeur I think), it is unrecognizable from the amazing original. Nick Nolte (blah) was getting on my nerves and I couldn't take it anymore.
- Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) A tiresome movie, with good stars. I got so bored with it after about 40 mins. that I ffwded to the end. It was a pretty lousy ending too. Not worth it.
- Via del petrolio, La (1967) (TV) (Theater) Actually went to the theater for this one. When Bertolucci is good, he is great. When he is boring...snore. I had too much to do that day and since I was bored I decided that leaving the theater would be best.
- Sunnyside Up (1929) Video Janet Gaynor is one of my favorites. While she is not a great singer, it's kind of a cute clip.
- Big Trouble (2002) My library had this listed under John Cassavetes and then gave me the wrong version after I placed the hold on it. I heard JC's version was SO BAD, but after AN HOUR into this movie I realized that not only was this movie SO BAD too but it wasn't even John Cassavetes. I am planning to ask my library to change the listing so no one else will get the wrong movie.
- Tell Your Children / Reefer Madness (1936) Caught part of this on IFC. Basically, I wasn't expecting to see people from the thirties smoking pot on TV. I only caught a minute before watching something else.
Hello ..... it's been a long, long time....
After my last return, we had the inevitable Holidays, and following those I managed to chip a bone in my foot. We are having a most bizarre winter here in Nova Scotia, warm raining days, followed by freezing ice and snow, melting high temps, then more ice .... as a result we've had record numbers of broken bones in our ER. I happened to be one of them, though minor, I chipped bone in my heal. It had me in bed and literally on ice for a few weeks. However now I am back to work, and other than some pain when I am on my feet to much, am doing better.
While resting in my forced break, I was reminded of the "pain" of daytime television. What pitiful stuff to have to watch when there is little else to do. I read as much as I could, and without a lap top could only spend a little time on the computer. I napped, I talked to the dogs, phoned people not working, but until my 14 year old came home from school, for the most part I was stuck with the TV for "entertainment". As the days went by I grew less and less tolerent of what is being projected as entertaining. Other than "Oprah", it all seems to be conflict - conflict with other people, conflict with our own bodies, conflict with the law, in politics, with religons, in schools, with loved ones. Dr. Phil, who I used to enjoy on occasion had almost every show about "conflict". I wondered, since when did "conflict with the world" become the norm ? Did I miss that decade? What happened to good manners, kindness, compassion, and just plain common sense ? Maybe that's why most days I feel like I'm "just not getting it", because conflict is a rare thing in my life, and when it happens, I try to resolove it quickly, or after a little venting make a concious choice to let go, but rarely do I hold onto it for very long. Certainly not long enough to take to court before Judge Judy, or to Dr. Phil, or to really even mention to anyone in particular. My conflict belongs to me, I either caused it, or am part of the cause if I am involved in it, so it's up to me to my part to fix conflict, not take it elsewhere and make it bigger.
Perhaps that's why so many people look outside themsleves for help. As children, at least in my "generation", just past the baby-boom, we didn't have particularly good role models for conflict resolution, and didn't pass it on to the Yuppie's, the X-generation, and whatever we are calling it these days. The model now seems to be to spread it as wide and far as you can, or blame thyself, or take it to a public forum, or fight it out on TV ....and the list goes on. Maybe that's why everyone in my workplace ... grown adults and professionals, were to attend a "conflict resolution" one day seminar. Imagine! Since all I do all day is help resolve conflict, I could abstain from the 1200.00 a day "consultant's" program ... oh I have to laugh, or cry .... aha- a conflict!! LOL!!
So now it is the middle of February. That awful month, short but snotty!! One never knows what February brings in my part of the world, it's unpredictable and like my now 15 year old (on Feb. 11), is forever changing it's mind and clothes. I think February must be an adolescent, glum one day, overjoyed the next, dealing with constant changes, funny, annoying, lovable yet will drive one to drink!!! Oh well, it'll soon be March ... and I turn 50 in March...accckkkk. That's a whole other blog, but I am actually celebrating it with lots of fun, friends, sex, and a great photoshoot I just had for that little Vaudevill/Burlesque Troop/Mae West thing I am doing. (See new pic on Blog).
Here's hoping my blog buddies will know I am still alive, and now kicking again. Stay off the ice, and I'll be back soon.....
Namaste
Heather
I'm not sure where I got this mentality. It's sometimes helped along, because I'm in a rather transitional phase of life and don't have much certainty about what the next decade will hold. For much of high school, I was planning on becoming a marine biologist. During my senior year, I was all about joining the National Guard. For the first few years of college, I was strongly interested in music education, planning to do culinary arts once my kids were out of school (oh yeah, I was thinking I'd be getting married in there somewhere). I was also adamant about joining the Peace Corps as soon as I had my degree. August of last year, I switched the plan around, decided to do culinary arts as my major, and if I was still interested in music education, I could pursue that degree while having some sort of solid career. Two or three months ago, I was adamantly planning on joining the Navy (in part because I CAN work as a chef and an officer (y'have to understand that the euphemism is only going to hold so far) and if I managed THAT, I could go almost anywhere with my experience). Then the Navy fell through, but I still wanted to be a chef, so I'm reviewing my list of schools now and figured out where I really want to be, though I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for it.
This is largely why my mom worries about me. I think. You could call this progress - eliminating what won't work and zeroing in on the plan - or you could call it a lack of commitment.
Anyway, the point is that, at several points in there, I was planning on signing some serious commitment of my time and life over to someone else. So, I have things that I want to get done before that happens. I had a lot of things planned out for before Navy happened (among them, roughly three or four weeks before I took off, letting Knuter and a few other friends know what I was up to - I'm trying to override this quirk of mine).
This isn't actually a case of "Bucket List". I HAVE a Bucket List, and that actually started back when lilr and I watched A Walk to Remember. A lot. This is more, really random things that I haven't done before.
So. Saturday nights, I'm usually over at lilr's. We hang out, sometimes watch movies, we've started teaching her husband Scrabble (a mistake on both our parts - we're literary, he's math. Scrabble, despite its appearance, is just a numbers and combinations game). And of my various articles of footwear, two are sandals, four are acceptable for this weather but for one reason and another can't be worn tonight, one is dress, one is jazz dance, and I still haven't figured out why someone as outdoorsy as myself owns calf-high high-heel boots.
And, my Aqua Socks. So, in the spirit of individuality, randomness, new experiences, and being free to make my own choices, I wore my Aqua Socks over to lilr's. Yes, it's February. Yes, earlier that day it'd been snowing to a point of very decreased visibility, but it had cleared up.
And I report that in a pinch, they do well. In a pinch. I'd never worn Aqua Socks in the snow before. I'd never worn Aqua Socks with socks, either. I didn't go galumphing through big drifts, as is my tendency from time to time - just what I'd need to get from my house to my car, driving, my car to their apartment. Note: Driving with Aqua Socks is a bit unusual. You're slightly more sensitive to how fast you're going, and as a result you find yourself doing 45 on the highway for no good reason.
But yeah! Now I'll have to find something else fairly random with which to occupy meself. Pity so many of my adventures are right after work - I could have some serious costume fun, otherwise.
Seems like an odd gift, right? No, it was a perfect gift. But before I explain why, I suppose it's about that time to tell you about my two new novels, huh? Well, alright, let's get started:
1. The Fall of Paris - I consider this little diddy a memoir. That is, if I were older, fatter, already married, and if I had been held hostage on the top of the Eiffel Tower.
The first half is a romantic dramedy about the failing marriage of a former cop and his wife. Their interactions are taken from realistic (and sometimes actually real, as in they happened to me) scenarios, and many of the character traits belong to both myself and my fiancée. A wild crop of support characters pop up as well, inspired of course by my own dear friends. And unfortunately for me, they did not need embellishing to become interesting and wacky characters.
Then, transforming into a Shakespearean tragedy of sorts, the second half finds poetry in violence when the couple end up at the top of the Eiffel Tower as a mysterious group of men in blue uniforms take it hostage, ruthlessly slaughtering people to prove that they are for real. My favorite aspect of this book (besides the fact that the coupe fall back in love based on true feelings that I share for my future wife) is the depiction of the villain. He is fully fleshed out, and the reasons for doing what he is doing (hopefully) make perfect sense. In fact, you may even find yourself sympathizing with the guy, especially by the emotional end.
There is action and suspense in this book; it does take place, after all, on the Eiffel Tower, giving me great opportunities to create elaborate action set pieces. But this is not an action story, it is a love story. The suspense comes from the characters, and they are the crutch of the story. They are what make it come alive. They are what make me like this book and think it has a chance in the publishing world.
2. The Untitled New Work - Yes, my latest tome is untitled. It started with one, but I decided to scrap it, and haven't replaced it yet. But regardless, let's get to the important stuff.
All four of my novels have had a completely different style - as I've written about before, a writer needs to experiment to find his or her style - and I think I have found mine with this, my shortest work. The prose involves long, sweeping sentences that (again, hopefully) flow like a river pushing downstream. I tried to make the narration a vivid, living entity, and I think it brings a sort of beauty and urgency to what is happening.
And that's important, because not much happens. My first three novels have been all about the dialogue and action (and of course the characters, as I've mentioned above), but this one is really about the writing. Yes, there is a plot, and I absolutely love it and find it gripping, with an intense climax. In fact, it has some very surprising moments, and I don't really want to give much away here. Suffice it to say a 24-year-old falls in love with a woman only to find out that she's underage, and consequences arise from this.
But more than the story, this book is about the writing. I went for long, beautiful blocks of prose that blossom almost into poetry, making objects come alive and words literally materialize as they leave the characters' mouths. It's abstract and odd and turns mundane car rides and hot showers into artful events. At least, that's what I was trying to do. It will be up to the readers to decide if I succeeded.
But here's the real crux of this novel, the reason it was an experiment for me: It's a modern telling of the musical version of Les Miserables.
Wait, why does that name sound so familiar? Is that the play that was mentioned at the beginning of this blog post? With something about a weird gift from a fiancée? Absolutely.
I got the tickets on December 25, but Saturday was the day of our play, and Kristina took me into New York City to enjoy a stunning Broadway rendition of Les Mis. It was the perfect conclusion to my most recent string of writing, because my latest book is a modern retelling of this story originally put to paper by Victor Hugo, and it was amazing seeing the visualization of the music I've been listening to and living with for so long.
Calling it a modern retelling is actually sort of false. It's a modern variation of the story of Marius and Cozette, two characters of the musical who meet and fall in love. In the play, as is the case with most plays, they eye each other and instantly fall in love. My book stretches this out, shows why they fall for each other, and transforms Cozette's father from the hero of the play, Jean Valjean, into the scummy, abusive Thernardier. This creates some serious dramatic problems for my Marius, and some very tense moments for the reader. And in case you were wondering, the names have been modernized and Americanized along with the story.
My story is very different from the play's, but I take the characters and their traits and sculpt them into a new vision. So it's its own interesting tale, which should be fine, right? Sure. But here's the thing: it's constructed like a play. It's broken into two halves and then divided into acts and scenes, and the dialogue rhymes. Yes, you read that correctly. It's subtle, and I tried to make it sound realistic, but the dialogue rhymes as it would in any musical.
Does that work? I'm not sure. That's why this was an experiment. But I don't want to just consider this book something I did for myself, because I think it's the favorite of all the ones that I've written. I love the new writing style, I love the abstract life I bring to every situation, and I totally love what the story slowly becomes. Plus, I love that Kristina helped this idea of mine become a reality. She knew I was writing this story, and she crafted her Christmas gift for me around that, and I find that so touching and loving and amazing. It makes this book so much more important to me, so much more than words on paper. It makes writing this book one of the greatest memories I have.
But that doesn't mean it's sellable, which is why I am bringing this to you. From the beginning, I wanted this blog to be interactive, I wanted you to have a part in my quest, to make an aspect of this journey your own.
You have been following this story, you have become invested in this tale, so you should have a say in it, as well. Therefore, which of these two books, if any, do you think I should start pitching to agents and publishers? And, once that decision is made, what type of information should I include in the query letter?
I have some ideas, but I want your input. You've been with me from the beginning. You should have the chance to help me through to the end. And sweet Jesus do I hope this will lead us toward a good end.
I'm a little cranky at the moment. I've just discovered how much I owe in taxes. It isn't a hideous amount. But it's an extra few hundred dollars I'd prefer to spend on, say, much needed car maintenance. I never truly appreciated the idea of tax credits for being a dependent and a student before. Now I miss them.
At least I can be proud that I've done my taxes. All by myself.
In other news, I had a fabulous time yesterday. I woke up this morning perplexed as to why my throat felt sore and my voice a little hoarse, then realized just how much and how hard I laughed yesterday. Ahhh... the joy of having witty and amusing friends. The football and commercials were merely pawns in our evening o' fun. [Plus, I've been promised another Wii-extravaganza soon!]
I am honestly stunned that it is February. January was merely a blip. Perhaps this month will follow likewise, but I have a sneaking suspicion it shan't be so. The shortest month seems to be the one that is crammed with activities and excursions. Next weekend I will be in the mountains for a retreat. Next-next weekend I will be down south for a retreat. Next-next-next weekend I will be a few blocks away for a retreat.
Yesterday's meeting and this morning's phone conversation have given me the sensation that I'm swiftly being catapulted into the position of Head Honcho's Right Hand Woman. Recent discussions with others have shed light on the fact I actually know him and his agenda better than they do (which is astonishing, because I feel like I'm the last to hop on board this crazy cruise ship).
Apparently my heel-dragging isn't enough of a deterrent to the boost-kicking. Goodbye, "someone else will take care of that." Hello, "why is everyone looking at me?"
I am discovering the idea that good relationships require excellent communication isn't merely cliched tripe. I point no fingers (if I did, I would surely end up pointing to me). But let's just say it will take something better than our current communication skills to prevent a future flare-up. I don't know what that means, exactly. It's just a hunch.
That's the view for Februrary.
See you in March.
It was in the mid-fifties today AND sunny. Now that's how a Colorado winter is supposed to be...
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