tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60376993169349802292024-02-19T04:55:34.233-06:00Movie Viewing GirlWendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-37502648922448969962012-07-05T13:59:00.003-05:002012-07-05T13:59:37.248-05:00Classic Inpiration: Back to the FutureSometimes when I watch a movie I'm surprised by its similarities to an older movie. I'm not talking about remakes here, just movies that borrow some inspiration and/or pay homage to an older classic. Case in point: <i>Back to the Future</i> has a lot of little things in common with <i>The Absent-Minded Professor</i>.<br />
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Both feature a man working out of his garage:<br />
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With a cute furry dog companion:<br />
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Creating a flying car:<br />
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There's also a kid around named Biff:<br />
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And the general stereotype of the wacky genius.<br />
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Coincidence? I think not. Let's not call it stealing. Let's call it classic inspiration.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-60067418285601511702011-07-21T21:40:00.000-05:002011-07-21T21:40:42.599-05:00LAMB Casting Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnUhv9SEvomHngl7rMiBRY8KaAj99cP-ly5cDOYbx7qG68WhFSqlw7mUM4lTujRTgFcyxgUf84CTizs0nDfQVgTIZ9QEy8JNChiEFMUN8AstYtc8E5_JM4sSMJILU-ILZOK6eg1VNqVnZ/s1600/evelambcastMVG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnUhv9SEvomHngl7rMiBRY8KaAj99cP-ly5cDOYbx7qG68WhFSqlw7mUM4lTujRTgFcyxgUf84CTizs0nDfQVgTIZ9QEy8JNChiEFMUN8AstYtc8E5_JM4sSMJILU-ILZOK6eg1VNqVnZ/s400/evelambcastMVG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Just popping in to... gloat, I guess, over the fact that my picks for recasting <i>All About Eve</i> won! There were some really intriguing choices for who could star in a remake of the movie. But I'm glad mine won, because that means this tricked out photo I made doesn't go to waste. You can read more on the <a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/2011/07/lamb-casting-all-about-eve-results.html">LAMB</a> post.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-65439159924437843442011-06-14T11:07:00.000-05:002011-06-14T11:07:09.264-05:00One, two, three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></div>No, I don't mean the Billy Wilder movie. Just three little things to share.<br />
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</div>One, to go along with my last post on <i>12 Angry Men</i>, I wanted to show this cool pixel art from Andy Rash. He makes <a href="http://iotacons.blogspot.com/">iotacons</a>, low res portraits that are amazingly still recognizable. He has tons on his site representing all different people and characters. I really like his <a href="http://iotacons.blogspot.com/2010/10/hitchcock-iotacons.html">Hitchcock series</a>.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDwYvhibvg7k9xqFxGDmUweinvPK2oJeFWUipvC4tfoV12qNg7Z6Xphb8Wmj51qzxQqYT_6LOXj_npIQuk9s6dXRoVSuxT4gqIGrxwO99GPmjmdm5lw0t85YgvfRwJGX-9gmNjvRtAqoZ/s1600/TwelveAngryIotacons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDwYvhibvg7k9xqFxGDmUweinvPK2oJeFWUipvC4tfoV12qNg7Z6Xphb8Wmj51qzxQqYT_6LOXj_npIQuk9s6dXRoVSuxT4gqIGrxwO99GPmjmdm5lw0t85YgvfRwJGX-9gmNjvRtAqoZ/s640/TwelveAngryIotacons.png" style="cursor: move;" width="364" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnffRjWYbQowHCzLrb72Y2Y5Qm4mrBM_swQ8h7skyju7vi54X6FnJWDwiUMXaS1SfCfTlOzOgw11QmNjbc_PqE-hlGlSRtpNVkU1LlydypwoMCqtW2yIn42R07Q-mIelmKCeoBnMY29YID/s1600/sophiesbeads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnffRjWYbQowHCzLrb72Y2Y5Qm4mrBM_swQ8h7skyju7vi54X6FnJWDwiUMXaS1SfCfTlOzOgw11QmNjbc_PqE-hlGlSRtpNVkU1LlydypwoMCqtW2yIn42R07Q-mIelmKCeoBnMY29YID/s320/sophiesbeads.jpg" width="304" /></a>Two, another link to something neat. I found an Etsy seller who makes charm bracelets with very detailed book covers. I contacted her about making one with DVD covers, and she said she absolutely could, that in fact she has in the past. How cool would it be to have a bracelet with charms for all your favorite movies on it? Maybe all from one director, or in a theme like Film Noir? What a unique piece that would be, and a great gift for a movie lover! Here's<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/sophiesbeads"> the shop</a>, if you're interested.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Three, some LAMB stuff. You may know about the Large Association of Movie Blogs and how right now it's been announcing the LAMMY award winners. While I wasn't nominated for any awards (and didn't expect to be) I did notice that on the list of <a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-lammy-nominations.html">all vote getters</a>, this blog was listed under Best Rating System, Best Classic Film Blog, and Best Blog. Now, that could mean I got one vote in each category, but I was flattered nonetheless. So thanks to whoever of you put my name in for consideration!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also on the LAMB blog right now, there's a chance to vote for LAMB Casting. That's where members are asked to recast a movie with current actors. While I'm not always a big fan of remakes, it is fun to imagine how different a movie would be if it were redone, and who could make the roles work now. The latest recast is for the classic <i>All About Eve</i>, and it's currently time to vote for which imagined cast would do it justice. If you're interested, you can <a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/2011/06/lamb-casting-all-about-eve-voting.html">see the lists and vote here</a>. I did put in a suggestion this time, but I can't say yet which one is mine. There's a lot of interesting choices there. I can't wait to see which redux cast will win!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(OK, so I guess technically that was four things and not three. But there's three pictures so I'm calling it close enough.) </div>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-10824172042782821352011-04-22T15:49:00.002-05:002012-11-06T15:55:21.946-06:0012 Angry PersonalitiesIn honor of director Sidney Lumet (who died earlier this year) here's some thoughts on one of my favorite movies by him: <i>12 Angry Men</i>.<br />
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I've <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/01/month-o-musicals-wizard-of-oz.html">mentioned before</a> how I enjoy trying to pick out different temperaments/personality types when I watch movie characters. Ensemble casts provide a nice opportunity for type matching, and one of my favorite films along these lines is <i>12 Angry Men</i>. Set in the rather claustrophobic confines of a jury room, the movie gives 12 actors a chance to showcase 12 distinct characters with interesting personality differences. I recently rewatched the movie with the purpose of analyzing the 12 personality types represented according to David Keirsey's temperament sorter.<br />
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First, it might be helpful to explain briefly how these types are divided. Each personality type is represented by four letters made up from these possibilities:<br />
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<b>E</b> for Extroversion or <b>I</b> for Introversion </div>
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(sometimes the easiest to spot, outgoing vs. reserved people)</div>
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<b>S</b> for Sensation or <b>N</b> for iNtuition </div>
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(an S focuses on actual, concrete things, an N looks at possibilities and ideas)</div>
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<b>T</b> for Thinking or <b>F</b> for Feeling </div>
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(deciding with head or heart, objective vs. subjective)</div>
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<b>J</b> for Judging or <b>P</b> for Perceiving </div>
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(Js are more organized, scheduled and faster with decisions and tend to see things as more black or white, Ps like to keep options open and are more flexible)</div>
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There are 16 possible combinations from these letters which in turn divide the temperaments into four categories:<br />
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<b>Artisans</b> (SPs) are action types and more impulsive</div>
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<b>Guardians</b> (SJs) are responsible, helpful, steady</div>
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<b>Idealists</b> (NFs) are intuitive, soulful, ethical</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Rationals</b> (NTs) are logical, ingenious, and theoretical</div>
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Confused yet? Don't worry. I'll break it down more specifically for each of our 12 jurors. (When writing out the letters that make up the types below, the capitals are for ones I feel more certain about, while the lowercase letters are ones I am not as sure about, or where the character only leans slightly more to one letter.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2qBC1xVOLxGHuzp7UitaOM4RG4J4kWNGUtZthyJq0fIhLpNH28e38YRE_F4GU0eke-3Nf1hel_SBkWgUo_qS6Ix1zDiRZPseOCC3bd-8dl3xUArmMP2n6LOI1y9XyzDwxcdeDZxMiY5n/s1600/juror1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2qBC1xVOLxGHuzp7UitaOM4RG4J4kWNGUtZthyJq0fIhLpNH28e38YRE_F4GU0eke-3Nf1hel_SBkWgUo_qS6Ix1zDiRZPseOCC3bd-8dl3xUArmMP2n6LOI1y9XyzDwxcdeDZxMiY5n/s200/juror1.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #1 - Guardian (<a href="http://typelogic.com/esfj.html">eSfJ</a> )</b><br />
The foreman of the jury seems like a bit of a natural leader, and turns out to be a high school assistant coach in his regular life. He's organized, making a page to track guilty and not guilty votes, but he's also careful to weigh everyone's opinions carefully before committing to any action. At one point his feelings get hurt, but he rallies before long. Overall, he does his best to keep the rest of the jurors on track, giving weight to tradition and authority, perhaps as a mix of his position and his personality<b>.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EsxCh_CdBP9EwYrPM7RHUYzHJNRfmQzCgf-GngauP2Ij5OOg4o7-Xt99bg7RIVK6p1PrJZ3wpHuu-yamYtkj8UJjQ5Yh2haF7DcWmFYv81-usmLLi_xnwVr2NUDmI_egHMvefkkZRB_p/s1600/juror2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EsxCh_CdBP9EwYrPM7RHUYzHJNRfmQzCgf-GngauP2Ij5OOg4o7-Xt99bg7RIVK6p1PrJZ3wpHuu-yamYtkj8UJjQ5Yh2haF7DcWmFYv81-usmLLi_xnwVr2NUDmI_egHMvefkkZRB_p/s200/juror2.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #2 - Guardian </b><a href="http://typelogic.com/isfj.html"><b>(ISfJ)</b></a><br />
Mild and meek, Juror #2 is a bit too easily swayed. But he's also concerned about what's right, doesn't like when the plans for talking around the table in order change, and is quite happy to help out by timing the recreation of the old man's walk. His occupation (he works at a bank) is a classic Guardian logistical job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHCQjkapbaynNonzD4B_cenJeyGP4rgdCOG-QV_NQt27S8zEBXcyPlCzKANMPktAf1yz032lwa8elATNb1WUx7O7RZbAYrrapJx0wNbNKfFIr16R_fFJoBO-gbRExLhtWLYiOZRi5YJfn/s1600/juror3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHCQjkapbaynNonzD4B_cenJeyGP4rgdCOG-QV_NQt27S8zEBXcyPlCzKANMPktAf1yz032lwa8elATNb1WUx7O7RZbAYrrapJx0wNbNKfFIr16R_fFJoBO-gbRExLhtWLYiOZRi5YJfn/s200/juror3.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #3 - Guardian <a href="http://typelogic.com/estj.html">(EStj)</a></b><br />
While some things about juror #3 had me viewing him as an Artisan at first, breaking it down he seems to be more of a Guardian. This very excitable juror is the last to change his vote, and while his stubbornness could be seen as being based more on emotions than facts, he starts off with his little notebook with facts of the case and tries to insist that he has no personal feelings on the matter. He takes everything about the trial very personally due to being stuck in thoughts of his own past and family, two very Guardian preoccupations. His forceful personality is used to getting its own way and being in control; perhaps this is what he's like in managing his messenger service. He's not very tolerant of other people's viewpoints when they don't match up with his. He also sometimes speaks without thinking, even when it's to the detriment of his own arguments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmzNW4VYLcHyBmCXUX4AkUmp5Lyd40pOG8D5FqT9GD7zzSaTsH3PTKCQjpJXVmZfv-57VYdaQYbKBUgO7m3SvGmn0HBI8MIx5OFXc8A7dbriBALN23uFbtKr3YejmlGo_r26X-Ee9cfef/s1600/juror4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmzNW4VYLcHyBmCXUX4AkUmp5Lyd40pOG8D5FqT9GD7zzSaTsH3PTKCQjpJXVmZfv-57VYdaQYbKBUgO7m3SvGmn0HBI8MIx5OFXc8A7dbriBALN23uFbtKr3YejmlGo_r26X-Ee9cfef/s200/juror4.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #4 - Rational <a href="http://typelogic.com/intj.html">(iNTJ)</a></b><br />
A broker, #4 has very strong opinions and isn't afraid to defend them. He's self-confident almost to the point of arrogance. While others are swayed or influenced by emotional appeals, this juror is only concerned with logic, relying on facts to support his position that the boy on trial is guilty and didn't have a convincing alibi. He's more truthful than tactful and comes across as rather cold, not even seeming to sweat while everyone else is suffering in the heat. He finally is persuaded and votes not guilty when he has a reasonable doubt about the testimony of an eyewitness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0Cg7kM_mWO-145fgHfsS5HAxVqgUmNLyGx457tITAsfK4i09mtDV6lObp3Tmci8S73xopxm9zsLAsUFXNdIQze9nB4Wwuyrvil88_bGblxSzpEBxF6xdTuiTWPWzAfsl4DD9wtFHtfLe/s1600/juror5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0Cg7kM_mWO-145fgHfsS5HAxVqgUmNLyGx457tITAsfK4i09mtDV6lObp3Tmci8S73xopxm9zsLAsUFXNdIQze9nB4Wwuyrvil88_bGblxSzpEBxF6xdTuiTWPWzAfsl4DD9wtFHtfLe/s200/juror5.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #5 - Guardian <a href="http://typelogic.com/istj.html">(iStJ)</a></b><br />
This juror takes a pass at first in explaining why he voted guilty, but eventually opens up with his own ideas and opinions about the case. Despite being defensive about his background, he is not afraid to stand up for himself when he changes his vote. And he's quite certain about how the boy would have handled a switchblade; when he's sure, he's sure. Takes being a juror seriously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRieFP8W6fxbj1AiEf1FIio6U5x-rcxDGq2blmTBIFQxOqPy4EbfWqx2J1gIq3zZsfmYxMIlpCPEOFE29vvacOGuWjbiFq0HZnU6JvuTjNR0K4s1fX30tzSa_IRarh0q5S0YSE8qixQhWf/s1600/juror6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRieFP8W6fxbj1AiEf1FIio6U5x-rcxDGq2blmTBIFQxOqPy4EbfWqx2J1gIq3zZsfmYxMIlpCPEOFE29vvacOGuWjbiFq0HZnU6JvuTjNR0K4s1fX30tzSa_IRarh0q5S0YSE8qixQhWf/s200/juror6.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #6 - Artisan <a href="http://typelogic.com/istp.html">(IStP)</a></b><br />
This juror is not so good on remembering the details and is at first most concerned about motive. As suits an Artisan, he does physical work, at one point talking about a painting job and also explaining he's a working man that lets his boss do the supposing. In general he stays rather quiet, letting more extroverted jurors do a lot of the talking, but when something strikes him he speaks up, occasionally forcefully as when defending the old man. Slow to decide, listens, then acts.<b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwqtTtRHOUrjsrkl7rShtoKC062__NmGlvTL0PnWaXJ8nvnPGX2tH-UJDowOm6xQSdE1o3fT2ggXtwR1rkz6UzniULCAPIC4ZgDEuuR1vWwZBuklOKvxSCr1aA0hwQHiMTKnIJsHNuzcQ/s1600/juror7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwqtTtRHOUrjsrkl7rShtoKC062__NmGlvTL0PnWaXJ8nvnPGX2tH-UJDowOm6xQSdE1o3fT2ggXtwR1rkz6UzniULCAPIC4ZgDEuuR1vWwZBuklOKvxSCr1aA0hwQHiMTKnIJsHNuzcQ/s200/juror7.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #7 - Artisan <a href="http://typelogic.com/esfp.html">(ESFP)</a></b><br />
Impatient due to the ballgame tickets burning a hole in his pocket, Juror #7 blows with the wind, forming strong opinions without needing facts to defend them. He behaves very emotionally, is quick to take offense. He's also quick to talk and sometimes loud, can't sit still and jokes and whistles. He plainly wants to be more active than the restraints of being on a jury would allow. While this marmalade salesman is not above making fun of people, in general he's a people person and feeds off the energy of others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBoswJXfZ2V9cPyxa8cqg0hppCkbpOVQUdE26gWCTW_SclXwq41_ynJcHOiS404Xck7GfnssQwoTrkuKLUeRs9fbO3VTysqiElxb4XHrZdNsH-mgIG-Zu4vr4LDuQZj8-D5ehAdwepXoF/s1600/juror8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBoswJXfZ2V9cPyxa8cqg0hppCkbpOVQUdE26gWCTW_SclXwq41_ynJcHOiS404Xck7GfnssQwoTrkuKLUeRs9fbO3VTysqiElxb4XHrZdNsH-mgIG-Zu4vr4LDuQZj8-D5ehAdwepXoF/s200/juror8.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #8 - Idealist <a href="http://typelogic.com/infj.html">(iNFj)</a></b><br />
Juror #8 has one of the strongest and most interesting parts. While he's quiet and thoughtful at the start, he has to stand on his own and attempt to make a convincing argument to take some time to talk before sending in a final verdict. This architect is definitely more focused on the big picture, making his opening plea almost exclusively about what might <i>possibly</i> be wrong with the case. He's concerned about truth and justice but is also very compassionate.<b></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAqUbRg-tA-6AAqQ6KAKFN2WP656SPCrPUABF7m05Sgk-c5Z0MsgwD1XyOLn8djgnkEER2e9NPaHXBhHSHb_BZJI3kKUqMtWp7qjJ1Qwtc0KQ_kzus0O-Fvsqhm78Nd0rkXl3oP2IGALh/s1600/juror9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAqUbRg-tA-6AAqQ6KAKFN2WP656SPCrPUABF7m05Sgk-c5Z0MsgwD1XyOLn8djgnkEER2e9NPaHXBhHSHb_BZJI3kKUqMtWp7qjJ1Qwtc0KQ_kzus0O-Fvsqhm78Nd0rkXl3oP2IGALh/s200/juror9.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #9 - Guardian <a href="http://typelogic.com/isfj.html">(IsFj)</a></b><br />
This man may be a bit timid in part due to his old age, but his quiet nature also makes him insightful, noticing very specific details about witnesses that many others on the jury missed. He's the first to change his vote to not guilty, mostly to give #8 a chance to make his case and out of respect for his motives in gambling for support. In talking about the older man that gave testimony it's almost as though he's talking about himself, revealing that he wants to be useful and to do something valuable, even if it's just this once as a juror.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mGKmhWN0TO_6MD0mQGBn-6wjVeYQxkp4KBXUk_vJiRbfM2x1ko-8E2Prw193tLLUS20IRLcpQN9ZyPVUyUFnIP3uqnEg6iibJkCfJcjBEGpq-e7aeLFJHnU36edG5J3sMh1tmGzqPy53/s1600/juror10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mGKmhWN0TO_6MD0mQGBn-6wjVeYQxkp4KBXUk_vJiRbfM2x1ko-8E2Prw193tLLUS20IRLcpQN9ZyPVUyUFnIP3uqnEg6iibJkCfJcjBEGpq-e7aeLFJHnU36edG5J3sMh1tmGzqPy53/s200/juror10.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #10 - Artisan <a href="http://typelogic.com/esfp.html">(EsFp)</a></b><br />
If you can ignore for a second this juror's bigotry and his nasty cold, you can see that he's still an outspoken loudmouth with strong opinions. He has an ugly emotional outburst and seems crushed when he loses the ears of the others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnTtlRPvleAcNM_98lWKRAerxB7bz2VC-KjDDd7rPYRxbjPzmWGBhI_FT-FmOnV8ER17zUe346-Xg9G4UX0etsL9LhK7NfZoQQ1dVEkYUQ5-guZ1tJGhEgbvKbCT_QmRjTdzeoceJaWoA/s1600/juror11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnTtlRPvleAcNM_98lWKRAerxB7bz2VC-KjDDd7rPYRxbjPzmWGBhI_FT-FmOnV8ER17zUe346-Xg9G4UX0etsL9LhK7NfZoQQ1dVEkYUQ5-guZ1tJGhEgbvKbCT_QmRjTdzeoceJaWoA/s200/juror11.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #11 - Rational <a href="http://typelogic.com/intp.html">(INTp)</a></b><br />
Even before he votes not guilty, this respectful watchmaker raises questions about whether or not the boy would have come back to the scene of the crime. When called out about it, he says he doesn't believe he has to be loyal to one side or another, he's just asking questions. But he does get very upset when juror #7 changes his vote seemingly without any good logical reason. And he's quick to correct the other jurors when they get their facts (or grammar) wrong<b>.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjzStbLsBU8dwWf2mGQ8KmOfj827B63DHqXSDOMYdZF0A2cKXc9zWCb7IrqbuG1XDihQWy9tHorzd2zOW-fbx4Nyic3Feq1ElU9J3faFZldMMfUkdwGuShW6Zv39vA5x-WAiAFavWhmVo/s1600/juror12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjzStbLsBU8dwWf2mGQ8KmOfj827B63DHqXSDOMYdZF0A2cKXc9zWCb7IrqbuG1XDihQWy9tHorzd2zOW-fbx4Nyic3Feq1ElU9J3faFZldMMfUkdwGuShW6Zv39vA5x-WAiAFavWhmVo/s200/juror12.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Juror #12 - </b><b>Idealist </b><b><a href="http://typelogic.com/enfp.html">(ENFP)</a> </b><br />
An ad man, juror #12 is given to colorful speech, is easily distracted and spends his time doodling, and also seems rather insecure in his opinions, being the only member of the jury to swing back and forth with his votes. He likes to talk, likes coming up with new ideas, decides emotionally and to please people but has some problem with follow-through.<br />
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At one point a juror comments, <b>"Nice bunch of guys, huh?"</b> and is answered: <b>"They're about the same as anyone else."</b> The movie showcases a nice cross-section of people and personalities in one very specific pressurized situation.<b> </b><br />
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We can begin to see these personalities at work right from the start of the movie. The more <b>E</b>xtroverted characters (#s 3, 7, 10 &12) are the ones at the beginning striking up conversations in the jury room before any official discussion starts, while the <b>I</b>ntroverts (like #s 2, 4, 6 & 11 ) are more quiet. The <b>S</b>ensory types (#s 1, 2, 3) are more apt to get lost in specific details, while the i<b>N</b>tuitive ones (#s 4, 8, 11), while perhaps talking about specific parts of the case, are more concerned with the overall ideas and bigger picture. Those making decisions based on <b>T</b>hinking (#s 4, 11) find the emotional perspective and outbursts of the <b>F</b>eelers (#s 7, 10) unconvincing and even annoying. The <b>J</b>udging types (#s 3, 4) feel more strongly that things are black and white, while the <b>P</b>erceivers (#s 7, 12) blow with the wind a bit more, even with their votes.<br />
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Interestingly, the population in general is made up of more Artisans and Guardians, with Idealists and Rationals being a smaller percentage. Assuming my guesses are at least mostly correct, this reality is also reflected in the fictional jury room of <i>12 Angry Men</i>. <br />
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Of course, the characters in the movie also have other aspects of their personalities which are not dependent on temperament types. Juror #3 has strong personal feelings based on his relationship with his estranged son, #5 comes from a bad background and so is sensitive to talk about slums, #10 is openly and obnoxiously prejudiced. There's also variety in age and backgrounds. These traits/experiences are not specific to any type, yet they do have a big impact on character as well.<br />
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Overall, the movie is a great example not only of how the justice system works, but how different personality types relate and interact. As such it has stood the test of time and holds up well even with repeated watchings. I don't suppose that the different characters were made up based on any temperament sorter, yet in representing different types of people the personalities ring true and are quite fun to analyze.<br />
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If you'd like to learn more about temperaments and personality types, I'd recommend checking out these sites: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">TypeLogic</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">BestFitType</a> and <a href="http://www.keirsey.com/default.aspx">Keirsey.com</a>. If you're already into personality types and you agree or disagree with my conclusions, let me know, I'd love to hear another perspective!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-3080673951726466542011-03-24T09:25:00.003-05:002011-03-24T09:30:30.487-05:00Tally for '10Yes, I know we're already a good three months into 2011, but I finally finished copying my movies watched/rewatched list from all my little scribbled post-it notes. For 2010, like <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-movie-consumption.html">2009</a>, I wanted to keep track of all my movie viewings. Here's my results:<br />
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<b>141 movies watched</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzuWreuQR6X1Mw7c2s2Qee6gkp6CIBwNBIDrLzm1UX0Hl_rIDc7_QYKNOGNFOUSZv295lR2Wy9UFLAeYwQ49RDvBJFfWh0zJpLToTuGzPlQWbmQuR1knc8SD78DTcUF_X2K3TRw-RBEJP/s1600/inception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzuWreuQR6X1Mw7c2s2Qee6gkp6CIBwNBIDrLzm1UX0Hl_rIDc7_QYKNOGNFOUSZv295lR2Wy9UFLAeYwQ49RDvBJFfWh0zJpLToTuGzPlQWbmQuR1knc8SD78DTcUF_X2K3TRw-RBEJP/s200/inception.jpg" width="122" /></a><b>Of these, 38 were new or new-to-me</b><br />
<b>103 were rewatched</b><br />
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<b>I only saw 4 movies in the theater:</b><br />
<ul><li><i>Avatar</i></li>
<li><i>Toy Story 3</i></li>
<li><i>Inception</i></li>
<li><i>Tron Legacy</i></li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71uG880d49ueBEeDPeVdeySt8i9L1pALo0G02b_dAhKY3sxbFRRjN_t1QE4oWmF5lp_i0fqzySUWWTL71aqtCvcbnMg71ZSrlXlKd1qj9LVIZaYEvB4L5WMJASqy7B9AcnxK4atFD7AMw/s1600/zenda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71uG880d49ueBEeDPeVdeySt8i9L1pALo0G02b_dAhKY3sxbFRRjN_t1QE4oWmF5lp_i0fqzySUWWTL71aqtCvcbnMg71ZSrlXlKd1qj9LVIZaYEvB4L5WMJASqy7B9AcnxK4atFD7AMw/s200/zenda.jpg" width="150" /></a>(and 3 of those were in 3D!) <br />
<br />
<b>Among the new-to-me watchings included these how-did-I-not-see-it-before classics:</b><br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8NkozgiWpdjRdSFS2lE0MMb7tE78BYKF7BQqA8oX5Tuk4HJ5iXhuhglTyCQAa6DkYo4TkpgTgvAJse3T3PCyAC5QBb9qMbHz_GMsQrKNcu9x1GXLhZh7mLBvY_wKGBX0c9QTUxXecJQX/s1600/fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8NkozgiWpdjRdSFS2lE0MMb7tE78BYKF7BQqA8oX5Tuk4HJ5iXhuhglTyCQAa6DkYo4TkpgTgvAJse3T3PCyAC5QBb9qMbHz_GMsQrKNcu9x1GXLhZh7mLBvY_wKGBX0c9QTUxXecJQX/s200/fox.jpg" width="124" /></a>
<li><i>The Lady Vanishes</i></li>
<li><i>His Girl Friday</i></li>
<li><i>Ball of Fire</i></li>
<li><i>Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</i></li>
<li><i>Dinner at Eight</i></li>
<li><i>Dead Reckoning</i></li>
<li><i>Murder on the Orient Express</i></li>
<li><i>The Prisoner of Zenda </i>(1937 and 1952 versions, 1937 is superior!)</li>
<li><i>In a Lonely Place</i></li>
</ul><br />
<b>And there were 13 titles I (re)watched more than once:</b><br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwFHkL1OC6PHNieCIDPG0nkzoZpcAZC3cqC43RquoSDFUvVLNWb0MmjMXSrqh0_wRhbdxssz5Sjk_5C05j7hlfK9Bwb0cyLA3fYYHo6HMxVHxBLumLz5liwobNFtK1ofoONwOhytmoklV/s1600/mail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwFHkL1OC6PHNieCIDPG0nkzoZpcAZC3cqC43RquoSDFUvVLNWb0MmjMXSrqh0_wRhbdxssz5Sjk_5C05j7hlfK9Bwb0cyLA3fYYHo6HMxVHxBLumLz5liwobNFtK1ofoONwOhytmoklV/s200/mail.jpg" width="136" /></a>
<li><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2010/01/500-days-of-summer-review.html"><i>(500) Days of Summer</i></a></li>
<li><i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i></li>
<li><i>Sense and Sensibility</i></li>
<li><i>Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog</i></li>
<li><i>Tron </i>(in preparation for the sequel)</li>
<li><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html"><i>Star Trek</i></a></li>
<li><i>How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying</i></li>
<li><i>Seven Days in May</i></li>
<li><i>Back to the Future</i></li>
<li><i>The 39 Steps</i></li>
<li><i>Julie and Julia</i></li>
<li><i>Desk Set</i></li>
<li><i>You've Got Mail</i></li>
</ul><br />
Overall, I'm right in line with 2009, where I watched (shockingly) 141 movies also! That was made up of 45 new/new-to me and 96 rewatchings, only 2 in the theater and 12 different multiple rewatched titles. (And strangely, the only one that made the rewatching list both years is <i>You've Got Mail</i>!)<br />
<br />
One thing that did change in 2010 was having Instant Netflix available. I will say that it changed how I watched movies and perhaps influenced which movies I chose, but overall my consumption seemed about the same.<br />
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Now that I know my baseline, this year I'm simplifying by only keeping track of new and new-to-me showings. I'm at 10 so far!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-31393661767061876152010-12-13T16:41:00.004-06:002010-12-13T16:43:57.119-06:00This is Orson Welles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030680834X?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=030680834X" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS7zXB8-OAodG5V00lxShuRhAynFCfwLt-iUqKpEUu1EOWvE1iIJmrYdOMln3gvET72EVOJl4_jLIk3TAn6mxlhIUiGs0xDUZ333694-UI7iR9Tg8WznTNeM6dWuWnjOyzqg6_9pD6zb1/s320/thisisorson.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Has anyone ever asked you to come up with a list of guests, living or dead, that you'd like to invite to your ideal dinner party? If you've ever included Orson Welles on your imaginary list, then this is the book for you.<br />
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Made up of a series of interviews between Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles, the book covers a variety of topics, from Orson's early and prolific radio career to his later projects like The Trial. While PB's questions occasionally grated on me (and Orson, too, apparently, as he sometimes declines to answer) there's still a lot of good information in the conversations. They talk very little about Orson's personal life but instead focus on his artistic achievements (and missteps) and some of the controversies surrounding them. Orson hates to be asked about symbolism, but is quick to defend himself where he feels he deserves credit. <br />
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One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the Appendix: The Original Ambersons. It's a summary of the alterations made from Orson's original version of The Magnificent Ambersons. (I had watched the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">remake</a> a while back hoping to get some insight into what was cut, but this Appendix is a much better way to see what Orson had originally intended.) I must say, I don't think all the cuts made were necessarily bad! While some of the scenes that didn't make it into the film would have added some depth and detail to the story, others (like one where a jealous Georgie imagines Lucy with other suitors) might be better left out. And while the original ending is a little bleaker and might have fit Orson's ideas better, I find the ending in the movie to be sufficiently bittersweet. <br />
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This book is a chance to be a fly on the wall listening to the one and only Orson Welles. For extra fun, you can even imagine his melodious voice speaking the words as you read them. It's as close as you're going to get to the late, great genius.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-46677744233570427462010-08-09T01:01:00.000-05:002010-08-09T01:01:59.142-05:00Movie Swag!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL05ri5zP7FxFhDF6xvJn7DT6uuzF1-9qUpio-_NrOWr5Fdy6QHu8RJlnTX-rcSkPYNPIinHVqVJHgINH3oDc5vKuOuL6HqCu_l6vFBpQpanmk9ZlNukrIG7ynCgsu8zhd173vQLB83F0C/s1600/movieswag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL05ri5zP7FxFhDF6xvJn7DT6uuzF1-9qUpio-_NrOWr5Fdy6QHu8RJlnTX-rcSkPYNPIinHVqVJHgINH3oDc5vKuOuL6HqCu_l6vFBpQpanmk9ZlNukrIG7ynCgsu8zhd173vQLB83F0C/s320/movieswag.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
A good friend of mine sent me a package a while back which included some pretty sweet movie-related gifts. There's a fun classic movie poster coloring book, classic movie stickers, and an item I'd been drooling over for sometime: a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8862933177?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=8862933177%22">Moleskine Passions Film Journal!</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8O7dqW-sQkkuQk0aPFbH65DvJWyw2xzhpBcRhwVSbvhbP5NVPUADPjTQfosYmNbL3EepMmnHAyHbx0zmGyvTc_3YGLyaRzfcI72Du4SoiZodpK-NhTU9fMqX-lpdgXrNx8_E4B12d4dY/s1600/movieswagopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8O7dqW-sQkkuQk0aPFbH65DvJWyw2xzhpBcRhwVSbvhbP5NVPUADPjTQfosYmNbL3EepMmnHAyHbx0zmGyvTc_3YGLyaRzfcI72Du4SoiZodpK-NhTU9fMqX-lpdgXrNx8_E4B12d4dY/s320/movieswagopen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
(For the curious, yes, I have already been doing some coloring-in.)<br />
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It took me slightly longer to get started on the film journal, mostly because I love it so much I've been afraid to ruin it! But I started with putting in my notes from the seriously inferior DIY version I had made myself by printing out the page templates from Moleskine.<br />
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A few words on what I love about the journal, as well as a few nitpicks. I love that it has three bookmarks for quickly turning to various sections. I love how it has an index in the back where you can fill in what you've put on each page by number (again handy for easily referencing your notes). The main page format is nice for keeping track of lots of movie info; it includes divided spaces for title, year, actors, director, awards, quotes, notes, opinions, etc. There's room on the pages or in the back pockets to stick in your ticket stubs too! And also in the back are tabbed sections and blank pages you can organize however you like, perhaps using the fun stickers that come with the journal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVumA_jlY5Fu5YBLzJZV-agtTLMq2w-xvnWoEu6p0jSFQTdfjhodmc-pkFaWKh_bILTafS85YMeZ_OsJiWL_5QhZdXmz8TrofQDMbc0qjDZeN_v2EJML4T1UkvpwKY1tacwUmNRNb2bBst/s1600/moleskineopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVumA_jlY5Fu5YBLzJZV-agtTLMq2w-xvnWoEu6p0jSFQTdfjhodmc-pkFaWKh_bILTafS85YMeZ_OsJiWL_5QhZdXmz8TrofQDMbc0qjDZeN_v2EJML4T1UkvpwKY1tacwUmNRNb2bBst/s320/moleskineopen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A few things I would change if I had the power (I'm talking to you, Moleskine!) would include replacing the line for "title in original language" since that's not information I'm going to be filling out that often. Also, the book has a bunch of Festival info and space to record movie events, which may be great for some but which is not something I foresee using often. My biggest complaint, however, involves the alphabetical tabs. I like the idea of them for keeping track of movies seen/reviewed and finding them quickly, but do we really need the same amount of pages under letters like Q and X? (There are only so many X-men movies, after all.) <br />
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These little comments are pretty minor criticisms; in general I LOVE my film journal. As is typical for Moleskines, the book opens with a space for you to offer a reward to anyone finding and returning your precious book. Here's mine (but don't go trying to steal it to get the reward):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEzVRWhyNZ4xR3SjaIeTEaOG-kX0O6vzNsH69FAvfNzrsweNMvishyphenhyphenq4RNfsTLCQNpSpf8teOqABg8PhVK6U366TO8Hn-WbXayNacOvU4-NtZcrLvJDpNW8-ZIEpJcr-NonJBv4RYGzPO/s1600/passionsreward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEzVRWhyNZ4xR3SjaIeTEaOG-kX0O6vzNsH69FAvfNzrsweNMvishyphenhyphenq4RNfsTLCQNpSpf8teOqABg8PhVK6U366TO8Hn-WbXayNacOvU4-NtZcrLvJDpNW8-ZIEpJcr-NonJBv4RYGzPO/s320/passionsreward.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Jealous? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8862933177?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=8862933177%22">Get your own!</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-87324190937199581442010-05-18T11:53:00.013-05:002010-06-01T13:59:30.578-05:00Why I love Princess Leia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://www.scifidrive.net/p/star-wars-blogathon.html" target="_blank" title="scifidrive star wars blogathon"><img border="0" src="http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/8430/scifidrivestarwarsbloga.jpg" /></a><br />
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Growing up with two older brothers, there was always a bit of a tug-of-war between me wanting to be one of the boys and wanting to be girly. When we played with our LEGO people, for example, I was not at all happy to be told that to go into space, my girl would have to take off her hair piece and wear a helmet. (Mom had to mediate that one.) And, while there were many things we enjoyed with three main characters, it always seemed that I got stuck with the lousy one in our play-acting. Alvin and the Chipmunks? My brothers were easily Alvin and Simon, leaving me... Theodore? <i>Tron</i> was another case where Tron and Flynn suited the boys perfectly, and who was left for me? Ram. (I know what you're thinking: What about Yori? Well, did she have a lightcycle? Exactly.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K_ZHAFRzV8RIQZ-4x9WIvJKSZypPBG8pNVExW7Kw1XNUtAoggKFTEU5McCsWdl80JGl7oSN_6ZzjA2YvtWfly9492H-81LKwYoJvXZPa25TPnyBzyOz-IMNuDlYR9OuJc0LO1ntllT1R/s1600/leiafigurine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K_ZHAFRzV8RIQZ-4x9WIvJKSZypPBG8pNVExW7Kw1XNUtAoggKFTEU5McCsWdl80JGl7oSN_6ZzjA2YvtWfly9492H-81LKwYoJvXZPa25TPnyBzyOz-IMNuDlYR9OuJc0LO1ntllT1R/s200/leiafigurine.jpg" width="200" /></a>But when it came to <i>Star Wars</i>, we could all be happy. We had the figurines (that would have been worth something eventually if they hadn't ended up, with the exception of one Stortrooper and one Ewok, in the garbage) (which, by the way, my mom still gets unfairly blamed for). My brothers could be Luke and Han, or Han and Chewie, or C3PO and R2D2, or Darth Vader and Obi-Wan, or Boba Fett and Salacious Crumb for all I cared, just as long as I got to be Princess Leia.<br />
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So, let's talk for a minute about the coolness of Princess Leia. It hardly seems necessary to explain, but here are some of my reasons for loving her:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52kiRClZ-5jEOIYQyqJEuDGN8BbeNsR4hlqWakbAHtrzL3N195IONuZHzoSoftw8gmLIzWciW8Nj1RTvYzUUaxH0AXXYjTicALfxHsCA3mvq5Mg5C96onpH0wSNb5qKkFIsR4I0McweMo/s1600/leiaIV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52kiRClZ-5jEOIYQyqJEuDGN8BbeNsR4hlqWakbAHtrzL3N195IONuZHzoSoftw8gmLIzWciW8Nj1RTvYzUUaxH0AXXYjTicALfxHsCA3mvq5Mg5C96onpH0wSNb5qKkFIsR4I0McweMo/s320/leiaIV.jpg" width="234" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDmfxP1UBDH5Ssw_3Sc5yPhh421on8DZsM8GlJAiLAaS5TRTPJ3MMeG3_1zdWznsfmxkzsg8UmJZxjSuxj7D1rROxPIhvWq-Jg9SEwPfbZf5mt7sJwLPFQpYm0TAQB-AqEFd9gGRFhhbu/s1600/leiaceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDmfxP1UBDH5Ssw_3Sc5yPhh421on8DZsM8GlJAiLAaS5TRTPJ3MMeG3_1zdWznsfmxkzsg8UmJZxjSuxj7D1rROxPIhvWq-Jg9SEwPfbZf5mt7sJwLPFQpYm0TAQB-AqEFd9gGRFhhbu/s320/leiaceremony.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>"Who is she? She's beautiful."</b> Princess Leia really is a pretty pretty princess, in a non-fussy sort of way. Sure, she spends most of <i>A New Hope</i> in what amounts to a draped sheet with her hair rolled up into what looks like cinnamon rolls. But when she has a chance to clean up, she does it nicely. And she sure knows a lot of fancy hair-braiding tricks that I wish I knew.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>She's got style.</b> Closely tied into the beauty point, I appreciate that Leia has an outfit suitable for any occasion. She's got ceremony style and winter style and visiting-a-city-in-the-clouds style. She's even got bounty hunter style when the need arises. (The slave outfit is a bit over the top, but then, she didn't pick that one out herself. Jabba's taste definitely crossed the line into tacky.) </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LECRuCLtYfCMhep2RN8Yp3ilxZCogx7ck2YVThJ6wvdCbdjV5yZ_hqVh-klIeVeLDp7-qKRXfVQCEXsSc2JUe45-Z_f72P4uApyd1Nkud2lxypjVFbUdLiZtelWCYJj_U9M6E2NWKnFp/s1600/leiahoth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LECRuCLtYfCMhep2RN8Yp3ilxZCogx7ck2YVThJ6wvdCbdjV5yZ_hqVh-klIeVeLDp7-qKRXfVQCEXsSc2JUe45-Z_f72P4uApyd1Nkud2lxypjVFbUdLiZtelWCYJj_U9M6E2NWKnFp/s320/leiahoth.jpg" width="204" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUA5aA7QIkhsQOC11mSjL-K0U2V8XNl-7ZdP-SQ1Vlb8xZbd84Ehr1LNq2qMZmopt27QXmUNVMr4T1Tseja2JNJJxhHYl0sxkZNtFHLjCpKh1zFdui7GPIbKaMf9UcZWuUhsESPGS62J_/s1600/leiabespin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUA5aA7QIkhsQOC11mSjL-K0U2V8XNl-7ZdP-SQ1Vlb8xZbd84Ehr1LNq2qMZmopt27QXmUNVMr4T1Tseja2JNJJxhHYl0sxkZNtFHLjCpKh1zFdui7GPIbKaMf9UcZWuUhsESPGS62J_/s320/leiabespin.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>She's got attitude.</b> She doesn't seem a bit afraid of Vader or Tarkin, at least not until they threaten her planet. Even when she's on death row and woken up in her cell by a Stormtrooper, her first words are a clever remark. And when her would-be rescuers can't save her, she makes her own (albeit stinky) escape route.<b> </b><br />
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<b>She's got a softer side too.</b> Just because she knows how to sass the Imperials doesn't mean she isn't a nice person. Sure, she may be a bit confused about what type of affection is appropriate between siblings, but she's even got a soft spot for scoundrels, and anyone the Ewoks like is OK in my book.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjda1TIejfQaeR4tOZC8Xv7p6UJ8NQxAfUlMvH-mKEPuPBkfn3trv3mwufNNBnyuviStU2lT27sjP4D_pQHxmfiHrsH4dXgoTwldNHMOCoXrXpEM4Vsr4wu_sJ88kHFRgKGCeOQZTiPmyLl/s1600/LeiaBoushh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjda1TIejfQaeR4tOZC8Xv7p6UJ8NQxAfUlMvH-mKEPuPBkfn3trv3mwufNNBnyuviStU2lT27sjP4D_pQHxmfiHrsH4dXgoTwldNHMOCoXrXpEM4Vsr4wu_sJ88kHFRgKGCeOQZTiPmyLl/s320/LeiaBoushh.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNVZFoG1fH2jW003940sle-up6NNuE2LomsGD1OWIAxbIzRGQK8b7rGMKzWulJ93-llKSCvJ0Wo3Y4SfQpHvlMGDp-H8ab0EH1UBM9zEhWqCXzKbC7uFH7un6wsQEotMm_p03rNNxKKIu/s1600/Leia+Ewok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNVZFoG1fH2jW003940sle-up6NNuE2LomsGD1OWIAxbIzRGQK8b7rGMKzWulJ93-llKSCvJ0Wo3Y4SfQpHvlMGDp-H8ab0EH1UBM9zEhWqCXzKbC7uFH7un6wsQEotMm_p03rNNxKKIu/s320/Leia+Ewok.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<b>She speaks Ubese. </b>But then again, so do I."Yatay, yatoh."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Charming to the last.</b> I still want to be Princess Leia.</div><br />
Here's just a few other fun <i>Star Wars</i> thoughts I'd like to share:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li> I'm an original <i>Star Wars</i> purist, which means that I still prefer watching my unaltered VHS tapes to the "enhanced" DVDs. Yeah, I don't like Greedo shooting first, I'm fine not seeing Jabba until <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, I hate the Boba Fett voiceovers in <i>Empire </i>and the vision of young Anakin with old Obi and Yoda at the end of <i>ROTJ</i>, and more than anything else I can't stand the updated music in <i>ROTJ</i>. The changes in Jabba's palace are bad enough, but the closing music at the celebration on Endor just makes me mad. If I hear the new song, I sing the Ewok version as loud as I can over it. "Yub-yub..." </li>
<li> Like many fans, I was disappointed by the prequels. The best part of <i>The Phantom Menace</i> to me (well, after Ewan McGregor) was the kids outside the theater dressed up as Obi-Wan and Darth Maul, acting out a perfectly choreographed duel.</li>
<li>My brother pointed out to me that most of Jabba-speak has the same amount of syllables and inflection as the subtitled dialogue. Now I can't watch it without imagining the English over Jabba's voice in just the same way.</li>
<li>I really enjoy playing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EHD9N8?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001EHD9N8">LEGO Star Wars</a>. If you haven't played it, you should, it's great. Guess who my favorite character is? ;-)</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS4L1D6PYAYsXDilcGs9xMjry7MqsTVK8C4kwQS4lI0ofFqRSFl8ylqiaOu5HQnlwWTHFsmsN23GLFI-z1MAE0eJw7OtFjNG46x1SzVes6aohTYu8fQa7mvOM4kSAUE7ML6uoONrNML03/s1600/leialego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIS4L1D6PYAYsXDilcGs9xMjry7MqsTVK8C4kwQS4lI0ofFqRSFl8ylqiaOu5HQnlwWTHFsmsN23GLFI-z1MAE0eJw7OtFjNG46x1SzVes6aohTYu8fQa7mvOM4kSAUE7ML6uoONrNML03/s320/leialego.jpg" /></a></div>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-61630737337407089452010-04-28T15:47:00.016-05:002010-05-05T08:23:45.306-05:001 Plug, 10 facts, 20 quotes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRXGwA3p2P_YnhJLzdUnu3c0ZSrUTQEhtaMuTWKSLsexwh3ljYUJDf_q_FOYW0EONOU9nsElkCnFsJ7BptiQqJrLDwCTEHCJ6_TVuvfF6OUU-DWufHAAfFtVJDVe5KOnZZVVUzGk6wKF1/s1600/mvgfyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRXGwA3p2P_YnhJLzdUnu3c0ZSrUTQEhtaMuTWKSLsexwh3ljYUJDf_q_FOYW0EONOU9nsElkCnFsJ7BptiQqJrLDwCTEHCJ6_TVuvfF6OUU-DWufHAAfFtVJDVe5KOnZZVVUzGk6wKF1/s320/mvgfyc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
First, a quick <b>plug </b>(or plea) for those of you readers that are LAMBs. You probably know it's time again for the <a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/2010/04/you-are-cordially-invited-to-attend.html">LAMMY awards</a>, and I'd appreciate some nominations in these (and whatever other categories) you'd consider me for. Thanks! <br />
<br />
Next, I've been tagged by <a href="http://www.themovieness.com/">The Movie Ness</a> for the latest meme going around. So here's <b>10 Movie Facts About Me:</b><br />
<br />
1. When I was growing up, I wanted to be Princess Leia.<br />
2. I'm not big on movie snacks at the theater, but if my friends get popcorn I always end up eating some.<br />
3. I don't remember a time when I hadn't seen classics like <i>Citizen Kane, Singin' in the Rain, Some Like it Ho</i>t, etc. I was raised on them.<br />
4. I really hate when people are loud at the theater, talking through a movie. I got mad enough once to tell some people off before moving seats. (At home, though, I don't mind movie talk, as we can always rewind and are often rewatching anyway.)<br />
5. I love spotting character actors from one movie to another. (When I don't know their names, I call them by the previous character name I recognize.) I'm always so pleased to yell out, "Hey, it's so-and-so from whatever-movie!" as if I've just seen an old friend!<br />
6. I still watch my VHS tapes. While I've upgraded a bunch of favorite movies to DVD, I kept the VHS copies and store them in the bedroom (theater 2) for easy viewing.<br />
7. I've never been to a drive-in movie, but I would really like to go. (If only I could find one somewhere!)<br />
8. The only movie I ever went to see by myself was <i>A.I.</i><br />
9. I wish my life could be more like a musical.<br />
10. I'm excited (and trying to prepare for disappointment) about the Tron Sequel. I want this shirt to wear when I go see it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2281/My_Other_Ride_Is_a_Light_Cycle?streetteam=Wendymoon" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="My Other Ride Is a Light Cycle - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever"><img alt="My Other Ride Is a Light Cycle - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.threadless.com/productbanner/2281/banner1.png" width="350" /></a></div><br />
And finally, a little while back (<a href="http://astairwaytothestars.blogspot.com/2010/03/20-film-quotes.html">on a blog that no longer seems to exist</a>) I played a game where the readers could guess the source of <b>20 movie quotes</b>. I found it fun and thought I'd try it here as well. I'd like to say no cheating (as in, no help from google!) and although I can't really enforce it, I trust ya'll. Just comment with your answers for each number and I'll mark them off as they are gotten. (Hint: There's both classics and newer movies represented here.) Have fun!<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>1. Well, here we go, fast and loose. - <i>The Hustler</i></b><b> </b><br />
2. I'll tell you right out, I'm a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk. - <i>The Maltese Falcon </i>(Alex)<br />
3. I like to like what's better to like. - <i>Born Yesterday</i> (NoirGirl)<br />
4. Don't you think that daisies are the friendliest flower? - <i>You've Got Mail</i> (Jess)<br />
<b>5. Lay off 'em, you'll live longer. -<i> The Palm Beach Story</i></b><b> </b><br />
6. No matter what you think you think you think the same as I think. - <i>Adam's Rib</i> (Java Bean Rush)<br />
7. People? I ain't people. - <i>Singin' in the Rain</i> (trulymadlygeeky)<br />
8. It's not a pretty face, I grant you, but underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character. - <i>An American in Paris</i> (Java Bean Rush)<br />
9. I'm fine all over! - <i>The Apartment</i> (Alex)<br />
10. You ate a lonely dinner, then got into the tub to read. -<i> Laura </i>(NoirGirl)<br />
11. Let us be crooked but never common. - <i>The Lady Eve</i> (Java Bean Rush)<br />
<b>12. Sometimes he said I laughed too much. - <i>The Third Man</i></b><b> </b><br />
13. He's just kissing her for you. - <i>Take Me Out to the Ball Game</i> (Java Bean Rush)<br />
14. What care I for colds when there is such a man? - <i>Sense and Sensibility</i> (Jess)<br />
<b>15. Could you say that in English? - <i>Guys and Dolls</i></b><b> </b><br />
<b>16. I've seen detergents leave a better film than this. - <i>The Muppet Movie</i></b><br />
17. I want my two dollars! - <i>Better Off Dead</i> (Alex)<br />
<b>18. Pay the two dollars! - <i>North by Northwest</i></b><b> </b><br />
19. Let's just keep this brain melting stuff to ourselves. - <i>Back to the Future</i> (Alex)<br />
20. There's a double meaning in that. - <i>Much Ado About Nothing</i> (trulymadlygeeky)Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-23530486359621903762010-04-11T05:00:00.006-05:002010-04-11T07:11:10.151-05:00Say kids, have you heard the one about the girl tuba player who was stranded on a desert island with a one-legged jockey?Imagine yourself stranded on a desert island. With a working DVD player. And the foresight to pack 8 DVDs you could watch over and over again. (Stay with me.) What movies would you pick? <br />
<br />
This is the question posed by the <a href="http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/">Fandango Groovers Movie Blog</a> multi-blog event, Desert Island DVDs. I've decided to play along, albeit with my own spin on things. This event happens to give me a push to write about a similar discussion my father and I have had about picking movies for a desert island stay, but with the additional proviso of choosing the work of <b>only one director</b>.<br />
<br />
In a way, I actually find this easier than picking out <i>any</i> 8 DVDs. The field there is too wide. Trying to narrow down my favorite movies to just 8 is pretty painful. Even thinking about what movies I'm happy to watch over and over again, it seems impossible to choose just 8. However, narrowing things down to director, well, now we're getting somewhere.<br />
<br />
It would have to be a director whose work as a whole I enjoy and can watch over and over again. Who did I seriously consider?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0591486/#director">Vincente Minelli</a> or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002045/#director">Stanley Donen</a> - I figure if I were really stuck on an island for the rest of my life, I'd be a bit depressed. Some light movies and musicals might be just the thing to cheer me up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001379/#director">John Huston</a> - Made some of my all time favorites, yet I'm not sure I'd be happy with his catalog of films as a whole. (Similar story with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000080/#director">Orson Welles</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002545/#director">Preston Sturges,</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001328/#director">Howard Hawks</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001008/#director">Frank Capra</a>: moments of brilliance but not enough there to sustain me on an island.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000122/#director">Charlie Chaplin</a> - To be honest, it would be more of a film school island for me if I chose Chaplin's work. I confess I have not seen all of his movies, and being stranded would probably finally provide the push I need. (Although I'm sure I would miss hearing people talk.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/#director">Steven Spielberg</a> - If I had to choose from only modern directors, I might end up picking him, although it would mean I'd end up with movies I <i>like</i> but don't really <i>love</i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002030/#director">George Cukor</a> - Would provide a good variety of films with wonderful performances by some great actresses.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/#director">Alfred Hitchcock</a> - A definite master with plenty of great films to choose from. But I think his paranoia and suspense would not help my stranded-on-a-desert-island mental state.<br />
<br />
<br />
In the end, there's really only one choice for me (and my dad). <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000697/#director">Billy Wilder</a></b>.<br />
<br />
His body of work provides a wonderful variety that I'm sure I would need on a desert island to prevent boredom. (Feel like comedy? Drama? Romance? Noir? Check, check, check, and check.) Mix together some talented actors, witty dialogue, a slightly cynical perspective on people tempered by compassion and a good dose of humor and you've got the Wilder formula for a great movie. If I had to narrow it down to 8 by him, these would be my picks:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MtPwNx-7mPvgOECze_h-K7BiZZ-fF61wC8zdxqsrqsEEGAklBIH8pUpQwb7j8SJ5zHtqlgipO4fYM0_vfSc8NXXyuBRK4bahrvqKJdwYUEFpcoM4wmll5FnSIuEiiCU8xgrIPdO2Tkee/s1600/wildermajorminor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MtPwNx-7mPvgOECze_h-K7BiZZ-fF61wC8zdxqsrqsEEGAklBIH8pUpQwb7j8SJ5zHtqlgipO4fYM0_vfSc8NXXyuBRK4bahrvqKJdwYUEFpcoM4wmll5FnSIuEiiCU8xgrIPdO2Tkee/s200/wildermajorminor.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZqqdC6G4EUogpwWyQEdLxU8MSqT9p3Swy6koJX6Ywr9M00qOpoDqgEp27KV8qJmeFZSsC0fYAn5LjJmYMr-ILECR2Zx1QDOYuk7qHv5fQw65tV0joBgXF3wxV-KmtSu4CRShFzK6J70h/s1600/wildertheapartment.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZqqdC6G4EUogpwWyQEdLxU8MSqT9p3Swy6koJX6Ywr9M00qOpoDqgEp27KV8qJmeFZSsC0fYAn5LjJmYMr-ILECR2Zx1QDOYuk7qHv5fQw65tV0joBgXF3wxV-KmtSu4CRShFzK6J70h/s200/wildertheapartment.gif" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNJUOy7h3jpITG9XLq_EZVpKpV9y6nsYRalsClNFzkSVtC88_aJwhouW9w1BT9L8N93uPK0xu9zKy0PFqBgXemzyjIbFhqtsoCrZm6rzdSRm0bFL8iE3opZY6Wst9mdDaQSQodhQ2OBpx/s1600/wilderdoubleindemnity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNJUOy7h3jpITG9XLq_EZVpKpV9y6nsYRalsClNFzkSVtC88_aJwhouW9w1BT9L8N93uPK0xu9zKy0PFqBgXemzyjIbFhqtsoCrZm6rzdSRm0bFL8iE3opZY6Wst9mdDaQSQodhQ2OBpx/s200/wilderdoubleindemnity.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M327B8AwZMtNJ51kEaJEmxoStwt9NZVAO8vZE5Lytya4quL9oT0tqelO5bkoIbKt0MwAEKGojQmcEXPiQnVvdH_ispLs4D8PeMTBafLYzRlpChUBf7lO9YR9tMjf0UQj-k3XM8BZSxlx/s1600/wilderlostweekend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M327B8AwZMtNJ51kEaJEmxoStwt9NZVAO8vZE5Lytya4quL9oT0tqelO5bkoIbKt0MwAEKGojQmcEXPiQnVvdH_ispLs4D8PeMTBafLYzRlpChUBf7lO9YR9tMjf0UQj-k3XM8BZSxlx/s200/wilderlostweekend.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x4wvHh3606JpqnZDHWGPNOXtCJ7bv1ryGqKNTfcymOHrq4j52IfwzWRSRxi2Km0eVcMgM01CKXtO25shaoEOAjU2K_Q9r7o-mLV3p8HLVbAwPhgWeWIN-NgCZv4z-Ns7lw0VlV_-oKeq/s1600/wildersunsetblvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x4wvHh3606JpqnZDHWGPNOXtCJ7bv1ryGqKNTfcymOHrq4j52IfwzWRSRxi2Km0eVcMgM01CKXtO25shaoEOAjU2K_Q9r7o-mLV3p8HLVbAwPhgWeWIN-NgCZv4z-Ns7lw0VlV_-oKeq/s200/wildersunsetblvd.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPj_DGPWawlVxEqwYXLmOs04VtoVXIaRHUQ-giljfF5qwodkltrpDAFJduJMu8LELCUewd76-rvs6t8RXF2c_JBoYKxagk_H9XyNb4p04BA25gCZnfwn3iyhKpGKjpqHImnyaJLkoA6I3/s1600/wildersabrina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPj_DGPWawlVxEqwYXLmOs04VtoVXIaRHUQ-giljfF5qwodkltrpDAFJduJMu8LELCUewd76-rvs6t8RXF2c_JBoYKxagk_H9XyNb4p04BA25gCZnfwn3iyhKpGKjpqHImnyaJLkoA6I3/s200/wildersabrina.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWeID8kVJ_XmTXDctT4qzPFNycMwiFE84qAHE797oPccjuIKkzhjCHxh14sIv92_7G9OtyFztypWGeqRkFoSzkRdKVFr66Gb3mA0hNUnSXONq2VJwE6HdrcDTtAGa83Su21JujUEqsNax/s1600/wildersomelikeithot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWeID8kVJ_XmTXDctT4qzPFNycMwiFE84qAHE797oPccjuIKkzhjCHxh14sIv92_7G9OtyFztypWGeqRkFoSzkRdKVFr66Gb3mA0hNUnSXONq2VJwE6HdrcDTtAGa83Su21JujUEqsNax/s200/wildersomelikeithot.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsWFVVW0dt2CyROnJzo4l1DEpj_ykHRH97BGrkuKW9NRw3YBDN6HtnKuW1UHhXJrIkDlPBjFkjrObLqTMaDF0k76nYova6WOPRr088EUnWVOsm75FewJUNTFxzHA-rrSH7xQY7JJr3lle/s1600/wilderstalag17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsWFVVW0dt2CyROnJzo4l1DEpj_ykHRH97BGrkuKW9NRw3YBDN6HtnKuW1UHhXJrIkDlPBjFkjrObLqTMaDF0k76nYova6WOPRr088EUnWVOsm75FewJUNTFxzHA-rrSH7xQY7JJr3lle/s200/wilderstalag17.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><br />
<br />
That's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010AN7Z4?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0010AN7Z4">The Apartment</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JNG5?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JNG5">Double Indemnity</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000549B1?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000549B1">The Lost Weekend</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012GVMIU?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0012GVMIU">The Major and the Minor</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EXE300?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001EXE300">Sabrina</a>,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005A06N?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005A06N"> Some Like it Hot</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CNESN0?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000CNESN0">Stalag 17</a>,</i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EXE2ZG?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001EXE2ZG"><i>Sunset Boulevard</i></a>. (If you prefer, you could swap in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PKG6OE?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000PKG6OE">Ace in the Hole</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000056HEF?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000056HEF">The Fortune Cookie</a></i>, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005PJ6Z?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005PJ6Z"><i>Witness for the Prosecution</i></a>.)<br />
<br />
But I'm not the only one getting hypothetically stranded. <a href="http://wp.me/prVbF-17I">See what movies everyone else would take</a>.<br />
<br />
Who would be your Desert Island Director?Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-25837145367059444452010-03-04T13:50:00.004-06:002010-03-04T13:58:14.159-06:00Book vs. Movie: Rebecca<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D8W7EU?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001D8W7EU"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQPb7jk2Qj9Yextduak-FVZKrKxlDHYPdACF5NxiNR2y0QrX8mK-U-Ar-laYiZToMkMPjmd9rA_K88ydPV1MKLARg7uuoOH1cChsDrmn-QlrBOPqFU6twXr0VLFeEC-BiG4PX7ZDIVta0/s200/rebeccadvd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444860058535987058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GH2YPG?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000GH2YPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UX41CnAoxYeGYs7LoBMwXPlkg5xGELP3HNKLrDFpmzNwXC1jsMeL0RIMV5gl3WcmOTvmqOFQfIoBfbk0c7R-AJdS1MFgdshVo7jO9n8_9uTexWAH1GaE3Rnz8vGwixaEsI_-GTB5q4NV/s200/rebeccabook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444860149871502706" border="0" /></a><br />When my husband saw me reading this book, he asked (a bit derisively, I must say) if it was some romance novel. I admitted there was some romance to it, but went on to explain that Hitchcock had made a film version of the story. He concluded that if Hitchcock was involved, there must be something more substantial there.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rebecca</span>, a classic in either book or movie version, tells the story of a young, naive woman who falls in love with (and quickly marries) one Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter. When he brings her to his estate, the imposing Manderley, their happiness is overshadowed by the presence (not literally) of his first wife, the titular Rebecca. Her memory is kept very much alive by Mrs. Danvers, Manderley's housekeeper, who is still devoted and loyal to the deceased Mrs. de Winter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkuDjbO4uyfn8fpYoGFOsOaheEBopC7_YvT2509tpaoaVjhRYN3nOCfQPQSUgbtR2tG6ihhbINKLIMTwtGUOcPVNCBsWHmUNB8vTmQ1rP2AtRMTpOqeDsbptb5gQrUmwq8cPRRgsylbG_/s1600-h/rebecca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkuDjbO4uyfn8fpYoGFOsOaheEBopC7_YvT2509tpaoaVjhRYN3nOCfQPQSUgbtR2tG6ihhbINKLIMTwtGUOcPVNCBsWHmUNB8vTmQ1rP2AtRMTpOqeDsbptb5gQrUmwq8cPRRgsylbG_/s320/rebecca.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444864305784142274" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>For the most part, while condensing things a bit, the movie stays true to Daphne du Maurier's novel. Some changes include a different ending for Mrs. Danvers and slightly different circumstances surrounding Rebecca's death. The book also spends more time with some of the minor characters and presents the second Mrs. de Winter's thoughts in greater depth. (While this sometimes helps a lot in understanding her character, in some cases the book gets a bit long-winded.)<br /><br />The movie's strength owes a great deal to the perfectly cast actors. Joan Fontaine plays insecure and shy extremely well, and while this same type of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8er1i9JlN3EiiYDzirJT7gDj2700UGexWxAKsXLIxcBQxHmSiSjmvSOc4lej1UKiogCD0yvJclwOziqf8FtyYdb8ot4qnMpaOOyVny7B63pZWHeZOlg7Wf4rmsCu3_PDT7tlv6aEpbubo/s1600-h/olivier.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8er1i9JlN3EiiYDzirJT7gDj2700UGexWxAKsXLIxcBQxHmSiSjmvSOc4lej1UKiogCD0yvJclwOziqf8FtyYdb8ot4qnMpaOOyVny7B63pZWHeZOlg7Wf4rmsCu3_PDT7tlv6aEpbubo/s200/olivier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444864054454210274" border="0" /></a>performance was out of place in <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-vs-movie-jane-eyre.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jane Eyre</span></a>, it was just right in <span style="font-style: italic;">Rebecca</span>. Although some might <a href="http://silentsandtalkies.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-that-mustache-really-necessary.html">ask if his mustache is really necessary</a>, Laurence Olivier hits upon the necessary mix of qualities for Maxim: romantic, mysterious, and troubled. George Sanders, while a different physical type than the description of his character in the book, is perfect as Rebecca's slimy cousin, Jack Favell. And Judith Anderson is deliciously creepy as Mrs. Danvers.<br /><br />Rebecca herself works best without appearing in either the book or movie. I'm not sure she would be completely believable as a flesh-and-blood character, but as an overbearing presence imagined or remembered, the character works. There's one part in the movie that's particularly effective where the camera tracks along an empty space as Rebecca's past actions are narrated.<br /><br />Book or movie? Both are worth a look. I personally saw the movie before reading the book, and so had a clear picture in my head of the characters as I read, but I was still quite caught up in the story even knowing the eventual ending. There's enough minor differences from one to the other to keep each version interesting. And, while it's not perhaps one of Hitchcock's finest, this is one that fans of the director shouldn't miss. It did, after all, win the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1940.<br /><br />If you've read the book and seen the movie, which do you prefer?Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-51173196099916831672010-02-19T16:38:00.000-06:002010-02-19T16:38:42.652-06:00Creative and Over the Top!Recently I had two awards kindly bestowed upon me. One was the Creative Blogger (aka Kreativ Blogger) Award, passed on to me by Sally of <a href="http://flyingdowntohollywood.blogspot.com/">Flying Down to Hollywood</a>. Thanks, Sally! I'm choosing to interpret the rules for this one creatively (since that is the name of the award after all) and to start off I made my own logo. (Have you seen the other one? Really.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fV68qv-hIIUnXMg8BAXY2M8N5n3pTBSZ8q__yY3kX7UL7i1f2fU3ZavCTEIlLucR9cZqv6Bc-NcNQ_TbGINKd16QN0YEolDRna3WmEmw2seUsRiN5ZCy0DLfEbmxJ0dODZy9lFM4nqwe/s1600-h/kreativupdated.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fV68qv-hIIUnXMg8BAXY2M8N5n3pTBSZ8q__yY3kX7UL7i1f2fU3ZavCTEIlLucR9cZqv6Bc-NcNQ_TbGINKd16QN0YEolDRna3WmEmw2seUsRiN5ZCy0DLfEbmxJ0dODZy9lFM4nqwe/s200/kreativupdated.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440010247740848578" border="0" /></a><br />I'm also supposed to name 7 interesting things about me. But since I just wrote 5 things about me with <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2010/01/feeling-fabulous.html">the last award I got</a>, I choose to add on only two more here:<br /><br />6. I just brought home a pet parakeet and have named him Bogie. I'm <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K3ATjVeqv_Bjy_L-fjT6FqXzAofHQ-P18Qsnfjlb6vY1o28bAN-0jjYOp76BZ8qNwVYlDuLEziitw7Jfs3SeYadzB2R5HXdgq1oRS4Ky7pSSzgME1M3bBQ4ql8ZYWJUUX3I-NKxY5ooh/s1600-h/bogiebacall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K3ATjVeqv_Bjy_L-fjT6FqXzAofHQ-P18Qsnfjlb6vY1o28bAN-0jjYOp76BZ8qNwVYlDuLEziitw7Jfs3SeYadzB2R5HXdgq1oRS4Ky7pSSzgME1M3bBQ4ql8ZYWJUUX3I-NKxY5ooh/s200/bogiebacall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440011270917669378" border="0" /></a>hoping to teach him to talk eventually. Maybe I can get him to say "Here's looking at you, bird." or even "We'll always have parrots." (I can't help myself.)<br /><br />7. I actually do think of myself as a creative person. I love to draw, sew, knit, etc. When I was younger, my mom and I sewed up a black and white houndstooth number that looked just like Lauren Bacall's suit in <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFJYA2?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FFJYA2">The Big Sleep</a>. I wish I still had it (and that it fit me).<br /><br />8. OK, I lied, I'm adding on one more thing: I have a separate blog for my crafty/creative side. You can find it here: <a href="http://wendymoondesigns.blogspot.com/">Wendymoon Designs</a>.<br /><br />And now, in lieu of nominating more "Kreativ" bloggers, I invite anyone who's already received this award to steal my logo for it. (Just say I made it, if you please.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">---<br /></div><br />On to award number two. This one is the "Your blog is Over the Top!" award which was given to me by Caitlin, Princess <a href="http://fireandmusicmovies.blogspot.com/">Fire and Music</a> herself. Thanks so much!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dl3ukFyePTxpOuzMSkJCYqOab5WTGFQ_i-seOqNCkeVNtfAFCsQjtq9PoloX64b7vytamQfK3wceEYV4UyPWMe1iR4bf1-qhqQDhfBKSye9z62b_eBwy_Y9-2TPRvzFz379uhrAxCQ83/s1600-h/overthetopaward.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dl3ukFyePTxpOuzMSkJCYqOab5WTGFQ_i-seOqNCkeVNtfAFCsQjtq9PoloX64b7vytamQfK3wceEYV4UyPWMe1iR4bf1-qhqQDhfBKSye9z62b_eBwy_Y9-2TPRvzFz379uhrAxCQ83/s200/overthetopaward.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440010254092687266" border="0" /></a><br />While I take this as a compliment, I don't know that I really have an over the top kind of blog. So, since I'm also creative, I decided to skip the questionnaire that comes along with this award and instead highlight what I consider to be real Over-the-Top-ness with a top five countdown of over the top movie performances/characters.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1grqrCEhvEkp7dq3jEfBzsekjhOatMfrVz9ySAMdzA5qYA5lPcAMnQBmA7euZ0_7KnAwdOu8wVE-5_DiNehkSYqpYXCOb5DFtwyew12Dd-coJqtMa2gYlzd3ywMyHWSO-L4QRyytq-P5/s1600-h/7days.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1grqrCEhvEkp7dq3jEfBzsekjhOatMfrVz9ySAMdzA5qYA5lPcAMnQBmA7euZ0_7KnAwdOu8wVE-5_DiNehkSYqpYXCOb5DFtwyew12Dd-coJqtMa2gYlzd3ywMyHWSO-L4QRyytq-P5/s320/7days.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440014970978377858" border="0" /></a>5. Burt Lancaster as General James Mattoon Scott in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058576/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Seven Days in May</span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I tend to think that Burt Lancaster is always a bit of a ham. But his total commitment to the single-minded purpose of the sneaky general really works in this film. (Although he plays unlikable so well, it's a bit hard to see where the character's support would come from. Oh, well.)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvblTF_lw3aIVr8eEU3yyDy73bQs1EWQZF6owJoMd03eks9J4TgwUpdWZ1E9ztoyJJJLtpyfIy3sLEN7YuLtVNTJGGUcX1Mr5G_L6U94-QuWnAH4nKe9PhZ5VXT9P4bJGfxMykM2iR0sfX/s1600-h/longhot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvblTF_lw3aIVr8eEU3yyDy73bQs1EWQZF6owJoMd03eks9J4TgwUpdWZ1E9ztoyJJJLtpyfIy3sLEN7YuLtVNTJGGUcX1Mr5G_L6U94-QuWnAH4nKe9PhZ5VXT9P4bJGfxMykM2iR0sfX/s320/longhot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440014976896984914" border="0" /></a>4. Orson Welles as Will Varner in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008MTW2?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00008MTW2"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Long Hot Summer</span></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><br />Will Varner's a growling, yelling, bombastic guy played to perfection by Welles, whose physical bulk adds to the larger-than-life feeling of this big daddy.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsQTMzaNznEop_V8DCh5z8QHk9FOmDbJdQghrsqMG8aGu0CHkOVOtQTAstDzX-JwveYqweLr7j2ET94QxnYe8dO5NWPa_mmIN8s_kwdGtAezPLCha-Mtq7sLbr98JG73UhCGpFvunJJla/s1600-h/morganscreek.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsQTMzaNznEop_V8DCh5z8QHk9FOmDbJdQghrsqMG8aGu0CHkOVOtQTAstDzX-JwveYqweLr7j2ET94QxnYe8dO5NWPa_mmIN8s_kwdGtAezPLCha-Mtq7sLbr98JG73UhCGpFvunJJla/s320/morganscreek.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440014985585007042" border="0" /></a>3. William Demarest as Constable Edmund Kockenlocker in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009W5J78?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009W5J78"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Miracle of Morgan's Creek</span></a><br /></div><br />A case could be made for Betty Hutton (and/or Eddie Bracken) in this movie as well, but Demarest holds nothing back with his broad physical comedy here and that earns him a spot on my list.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_1Djo7Ty-mfDq9Rl6YWOAL_pTRbQyJz38a3h0k47Owxf4v8jOczamGkmiI6Ul37XNvKJ7TNDwBGrlhDQUl9FBzd1PktQNEZndSLCtfn7H1EN17DjMPO4pzRoXRg4nE9t2w1FgJKjnRqk/s1600-h/strangelove.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_1Djo7Ty-mfDq9Rl6YWOAL_pTRbQyJz38a3h0k47Owxf4v8jOczamGkmiI6Ul37XNvKJ7TNDwBGrlhDQUl9FBzd1PktQNEZndSLCtfn7H1EN17DjMPO4pzRoXRg4nE9t2w1FgJKjnRqk/s320/strangelove.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440014982919159074" border="0" /></a>2. George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000055Y0X?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000055Y0X"><span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Strangelove</span></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The word is that director Stanley Kubrick always asked George for one over the top take, and Scott wasn't happy when those were all the takes that got used. But it makes for an attention grabbing performance that stands up to (and even outshines) Peter Sellers.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV7iq7zaAO44gFNjNnZup4ou8Kp-KV5hx-wbYgSYqEVeMktG6BpX9wPomB-RDmUxy2yW0vXWJOaZFzw8GfRIctKqvy7whDfNsk3VUrsUnw0HN59ZronfzNQHs9NAW7OUk3vXc9Xz-DsX9/s1600-h/madworld.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV7iq7zaAO44gFNjNnZup4ou8Kp-KV5hx-wbYgSYqEVeMktG6BpX9wPomB-RDmUxy2yW0vXWJOaZFzw8GfRIctKqvy7whDfNsk3VUrsUnw0HN59ZronfzNQHs9NAW7OUk3vXc9Xz-DsX9/s320/madworld.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440014988646392450" border="0" /></a>1. The entire cast of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CBY1C?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000CBY1C"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World</span></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Let's face it, this whole movie is over the top. The title might have been cut back from having a "Mad" for every star in it, but there's still a powerful group of actors here doing lots of crazy things. There's nothing subtle in how Jimmy Durante kicks the bucket, or Jonathan Winters destroying the service station, or any moment with Ethel Merman. Delightfully excessive and the top of my over the top list.<br /><br />Anyone who wants to take this idea and run with it is welcome to the Over the Top! Award from me. And now, back to our regularly scheduled movie blogging.<br /></div></div>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-39827653055465410602010-01-22T12:50:00.022-06:002010-01-22T15:25:17.556-06:00(500) Days of Summer (Review)Right from the get-go, the somewhat annoying narrator of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/">(500) Days of Summer</a> warns us not to expect a love story. Someone should have told Tom Hansen. Oh wait, someone did. The girl of his dreams, Summer Finn, makes it clear up front that she isn't looking for a boyfriend, that she doesn't even believe in love. (Her following actions could be said to send a bit of a mixed message, though.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgCYQwaRkg-kmr4LkxhC3th3oytpAX5VDRABpQcaZXE1o0wQDZXrmzunIkz-wvKghm6hBHlfXsuJ-anh721LC_t0kh8iGcmT61uhxbtyTMh9doSGdiE5_t7gZzeijSgT9xgcsC0CtMN_l/s1600-h/summer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgCYQwaRkg-kmr4LkxhC3th3oytpAX5VDRABpQcaZXE1o0wQDZXrmzunIkz-wvKghm6hBHlfXsuJ-anh721LC_t0kh8iGcmT61uhxbtyTMh9doSGdiE5_t7gZzeijSgT9xgcsC0CtMN_l/s320/summer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429625190088010306" border="0" /></a>The movie takes a unique, non-linear look at the relationship between these two, showing the ups and downs of their time together as Tom tries to make sense of their break-up. Most of his memories of the past idealize Summer, but a shift in perspective later makes us question all we've seen through his eyes. (We should have known better than to trust someone who misinterpreted the ending of The Graduate.)<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is slightly emo but earnest, sweet and so clueless that he relies on his little sister for relationship advice. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is quirky and cute, sometimes maddeningly contradictory, but with an aura about her that (almost) justifies Tom's obsession. (Maybe it's her amazing eyes, highlighted by the signature shades of blue she surrounds herself with even in her apartment.)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-Ud6BLVQVhiFoMzHSzAq2Ocg8-jX0_8DGsSGkh3IIsNxJaqvKtYZ6qjnfMMhvAMvNn1CztXxUAcMEmyO-Bw3bO6-m74x76sF4gLVEnc56kK3imqeFb0zU6390dwH1MPO6_1dAkBuOJ_u/s1600-h/summerblues.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-Ud6BLVQVhiFoMzHSzAq2Ocg8-jX0_8DGsSGkh3IIsNxJaqvKtYZ6qjnfMMhvAMvNn1CztXxUAcMEmyO-Bw3bO6-m74x76sF4gLVEnc56kK3imqeFb0zU6390dwH1MPO6_1dAkBuOJ_u/s320/summerblues.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429613973541341058" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The movie utilizes nontraditional ways of telling the story, including animation, putting a grieving Tom into foreign films, and, perhaps most effectively, a split screen segment emphasizing the vast gulf between Tom's expectations and reality. The music, good throughout the film, is especially excellent at this moment. ("Never ever saw it coming at all...")</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For all its protestations about not being a love story, (500) Days of Summer is still a story about love. And, through its characters, it has some interesting things to say about it. Summer questions the meaning and reality of love, pointing out how most marriages end in divorce. Tom, on the other hand, asserts that you know love when you feel it. (While Tom and Summer seem to exchange viewpoints for a time, in the end they are still who they always were: an idealistic guy and a girl that does whatever she wants.)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If we can't quite see ourselves on one side or the other of this story, as either the hopeless romantic or the fiercely independent personality, we can probably recognize the types and why they make an uneasy match. Tom tries so hard to put Summer into a box as "the one" that he can't see she doesn't really fit. His wise-beyond-her-years-sister sees it: "Just 'cause some cute girl likes the same bizarro crap you do? That doesn't make her your soulmate." (Fair enough. But what does?)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdj-DEIMOWcdEg38yBKbKg-3-JB0KJwC6lS1s9fapr3kfR3Izn9PEulLw5a02PGsojVW5Mv3BoWeIO6SJpw0b_XB7fAS3BmI2caEJa0yb5kgDx4aNY3CwTq5tQ2tCKTENQiRT53-TlwIi/s1600-h/summermusicbubbletoo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdj-DEIMOWcdEg38yBKbKg-3-JB0KJwC6lS1s9fapr3kfR3Izn9PEulLw5a02PGsojVW5Mv3BoWeIO6SJpw0b_XB7fAS3BmI2caEJa0yb5kgDx4aNY3CwTq5tQ2tCKTENQiRT53-TlwIi/s320/summermusicbubbletoo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429634225543162418" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At one point Tom goes on a tirade against greeting cards, movies and pop songs and the way they keep people from saying what they really feel while creating unrealistic expectations. But ultimately (500) Days turns into one of these movies, with an ending that promotes the ideas of fate and soulmates. (While it's not the happily-ever-after of your typical love story, the ending's still blindly optimistic, and maybe a little too cute.)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">(500) Days of Summer is unique and fresh, an intelligent and unusual romantic comedy. (It's just not as brave as it pretends to be.)<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UV4XUG?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001UV4XUG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGMayvADvI-toFMWarwvS91aG9QT9kS_7mJft_JJFcKcMerqF0IisusUrSX8C-riBqF-Ohw1ddVl83LlIPH0POJK4h4PL9MkyehnlsR7oLtl2xSLlDrgsp8154tluFzBMY1hVXGzdGV7i/s200/summerdvd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429648296136799362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movie:</span><br /><rating4 title="4/5 Wings" alt="4 out of 5 wings">Rating:</rating4><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">(Although I could do without a couple of scenes and would probably like the TV edit.)<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BAODSC?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002BAODSC"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3c8umSBetxN1jvYrmIKCzsyvoo8L5MC_LGXXG_nzr-wh2uthRGEgMurszWdJj8AzGIhxM3ycTE1bZylFM7N3vvY60mjAXOC5h7qlr4aHET1LH-XpJiWPCc6X_O3SM-PlNp5aMAeN6CNwv/s200/summersoundtrack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429647857842622290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soundtrack:</span><br /><rating5 title="5/5 Wings" alt="5 out of 5 wings">Rating:</rating5><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">("Bad Kids" is the only real clunker.)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I leave you with a music video, not from the movie, but with its two stars dancing to Zooey's song "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" from her band She & Him. (I can't watch this without smiling.)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rtVh8kVZ_XM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rtVh8kVZ_XM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed><br /><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-36010884471878077822010-01-18T10:33:00.001-06:002010-01-18T10:47:34.174-06:00Feeling Fabulous!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4tHZtAv6tD-2nSzvicnQfC7TAvwEDlY_YP2KKLW2eqIuTPIvXY-IB6XNbjfNU17UrNGo6BJRUuTE4DB9ZWjTMssM0Gl4Jf9zu9oIxxnXHu2cpq8h5bUNdSF69QORpMEl-AXUHQ3RRkYZ/s1600-h/fabulousblogaward.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4tHZtAv6tD-2nSzvicnQfC7TAvwEDlY_YP2KKLW2eqIuTPIvXY-IB6XNbjfNU17UrNGo6BJRUuTE4DB9ZWjTMssM0Gl4Jf9zu9oIxxnXHu2cpq8h5bUNdSF69QORpMEl-AXUHQ3RRkYZ/s320/fabulousblogaward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428115657841315074" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">An embarrassingly long time ago, Clarabela at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://justchickflicks.com/">Just Chick Flicks</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> tagged me for the Fabulous Blog Award. I am grateful, though slow to react, and now in honor of award season I'm here saying thanks (I think Just Chick Flicks is fabulous, too!) and passing it on. The rules (there's always rules to these things, you know) are to link back, post, write 5 random things, tag 5 more people...</span><br /></span><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">So here's those 5 things you may or may not be interested in knowing about me:<br /></span></p><ol style="font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Like the person who tagged me, I look younger than I really am. When I was a teen getting kids' menus this bothered me more, but the older I get the more OK I have become with still getting carded. ("Let's just say I'm old enough to know what to do with my young feelings.")<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">I love cheese. I've never met a cheese I didn't like. But I do love some more than others. One of my favorites is Manchego. Yum!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">I graduated high school a year early. Not so much because I'm so smart, but because I had the credits and was ready to get out and move on with the rest of my life.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> I stink at real bowling, but I'm really good at Wii bowling.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">I have this strange thing about numbers, being comfortable with some and uncomfortable with others. Like, say the number of blogs I'm following is 30, or 33, or 35, that's all good. If it's 38, it really bugs me, and I seriously consider unfollowing 3 or adding on 2 more. (I said it was strange!)<br /></span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">And here's my tag-you're-it picks:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Kate Gabrielle of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://flapperdoodle.blogspot.com/">Flapperdoodle</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (Who is currently having an unfounded crisis of confidence in her art, as well as an awesome sale.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The other girls keeping my Chain O' Movie Reviews going:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">KC at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://classicmovieblog.blogspot.com/">Classic Movies</a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Amanda Cooper of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://noodleinahaystack.blogspot.com/">A Noodle in a Haystack</a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">and Sally, who's </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://flyingdowntohollywood.blogspot.com/">Flying Down to Hollywood</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (I only recently discovered this blog, but I love it!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And, to round out the 5, (good thing it's 5 and not 6, which would bug me) a blog I've enjoyed reading for a while but have only recently gotten around to following:</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://insightintoentertainment.blogspot.com/">Insight Into Entertainment</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">That's all, folks. Feel free to talk about awards in general, or the Golden Globes in particular (Avatar? Really?) in the comments.</span></span>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-35009237633757087122010-01-06T13:09:00.006-06:002011-03-24T09:04:13.384-05:002009 Movie ConsumptionAs I mentioned previously, in 2009 I decided to keep track of every movie I watched during the year. Now that we're a few days into 2010, I've had time to process that list. Here's the results:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Number of movie viewings in 2009:</span><br />
141 (45 new and new-to-me, 96 rewatchings.)<br />
<br />
What's included in this number? See below (links are to my reviews).<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Old movies I just discovered (or finally managed to sit down and watch all the way through):</span><br />
<ul><li style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Anna Karenina</span> (1935)</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Asphalt Jungle</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Easy Living</span> (1937)<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Farmer Takes a Wife</span> (1935)<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">I'll Be Seeing You</span> -- Watched while I was on a Ginger kick. Crazies on vacation find each other and fall in love, the moral being that if you settle for second best, it may just turn out to be first best. This movie includes what just may be the worst advice ever given by an aunt. The rather pedestrian script is elevated by the acting, especially Joseph Cotten's tender performance.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Idiot's Deligh</span><span style="font-style: italic;">t</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>-- I'd seen the clip of Clark Gable singing "Puttin' on the Ritz" before, but it was neat to finally watch it in context.</li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyOLhjXbVU3NCHXAwybayQtFgZkUaFNMH6-e61ax90fWrH7qHHYeBlxOX2hsylD0XOMobSzPRYp4WRZdX0C1v1bYLRGPISIL7NyFdnN05e3tHYeJ6rR-Zt8YhgwU0r1RpVjGg89SlIoKZ/s1600-h/key-largo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423697966780185378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyOLhjXbVU3NCHXAwybayQtFgZkUaFNMH6-e61ax90fWrH7qHHYeBlxOX2hsylD0XOMobSzPRYp4WRZdX0C1v1bYLRGPISIL7NyFdnN05e3tHYeJ6rR-Zt8YhgwU0r1RpVjGg89SlIoKZ/s200/key-largo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Key Largo </span>-- How did I never see this wonderful film before? I liked seeing a more subdued side of Bacall.<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html">Kitty Foyle</a></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Lady From Shanghai</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Man Who Knew Too Much</span> (1934)<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Meet John Doe</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html">Modern Times</a></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Ninotchka</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Random Harvest</span> -- I was surprised at first by how much the movie differed from the book, but really the plot twists in the book would just not work on film.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Secret Garden</span> (1949)<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Scarlet Pimpernel</span> (1934) -- Loved Leslie Howard, not so keen on Merle Oberon. Favorite lines: "It rhymes!" "Oh, yes, it's a poem!"<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Son of Paleface</span> -- The enjoyment here was not so much from watching the movie as from making fun of it.<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/03/whats-better-than-witty-woman.html">Stage Door</a></li>
<li><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/08/women-movie-chain-review-1.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Women</span> (1939)</a></li>
</ul>(Guess I'm slowing working at rounding out my 1930's movie knowledge.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">A surprising number of documentaries:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Business of Being Born</span> (recommended for anyone expecting or thinking of having a baby)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Following Sean</span></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/01/review-man-on-wire.html">Man on Wire</a></li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Maxed Out</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Seven Up</span> (a few in the series)</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Word Wars</span> -- Fascinating look at the world of competitive Scrabble, I watched this after I read the book <span style="font-style: italic;">Word Freak</span>. The one moment that sums it all up is the interview of a young boy playing in a lower division of a tournament. When asked if he wants to make it to the top division someday, he explains how he doesn't want to become super obsessed to the point of not having a job (like the characters we've been following all along). Ouch.</li>
<li>And from Ken Burns: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jazz, The National Parks, Lewis & Clark</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movies made in 2009 that I actually managed to see in 2009:</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddadhmrpY__CK5ppBAuyyy8SUCv2AVanS_HtSgtJpOWMNMW3NGCqC1PkjxzZHg_v8wb_2lu2SDxTrJmMOhlct9mul-iLo-Z52kjTGpbbk9x7GKpob6xHQyxtevu5uVR26ftTjDIZZ92bA/s1600-h/up.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423697823211154402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddadhmrpY__CK5ppBAuyyy8SUCv2AVanS_HtSgtJpOWMNMW3NGCqC1PkjxzZHg_v8wb_2lu2SDxTrJmMOhlct9mul-iLo-Z52kjTGpbbk9x7GKpob6xHQyxtevu5uVR26ftTjDIZZ92bA/s200/up.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 137px;" /></a><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">He's Just Not That Into You</span></li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span></li>
<li><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Up</span> -- I love how Mr. Fredricksen looks like Spencer Tracy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</span> era. The brilliant visual storytelling that sets up the background of Carl and Ellie is the best part of the film, and leaves me teary-eyed every time.<br />
</li>
</ul>(Of these, only <span style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> were actually seen in the theater.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Some other new-ish movies I watched:</span><br />
<ul><li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html">Chicken Little</a></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/05/movie-reviews-in-brief.html">The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</a></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Flash of Genius</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Last Chance Harvey</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Metropolis</span> (2001 anime)</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Music and Lyrics</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Radio</span> -- Touching based-on-a-true-story movie.<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Worst Movies I saw in 2009:</span><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/08/nothing-magnificent-about-it.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span> (2002)</a></li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist </span>-- I hated this film. Perhaps I'm just not the intended audience, but this movie has the distinction of being the only movie this year I couldn't even watch all the way through. I didn't think it was at all charming but instead found it gross and vulgar and turned it off. (I weep for the future.)</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlqXZWHCpyrTYmqyD-V5yhfYr1inkeqoXx6fZqMaFaMc_UuOX_AKDLmLNw5ZiX5VfS2xKHSbnt6rJNnHfpFboJEoYGVG2invWHj0HB4BZKKIPWiKJjFTsswSoVQr5UH565bfvf6TPDzRj/s1600-h/benji.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423697454578479298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlqXZWHCpyrTYmqyD-V5yhfYr1inkeqoXx6fZqMaFaMc_UuOX_AKDLmLNw5ZiX5VfS2xKHSbnt6rJNnHfpFboJEoYGVG2invWHj0HB4BZKKIPWiKJjFTsswSoVQr5UH565bfvf6TPDzRj/s200/benji.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 126px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movies I hadn't seen in a while that I was really happy to rewatch in 2009:</span><br />
<ul><li> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Absent-Minded Professor</span> (1961)<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-style: italic;">Benji </span>-- I'm a sucker for cute dogs. And "I Feel Love" is such a great 70's theme. </li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Breaking Away</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/01/overlooked-musical-its-always-fair.html">It's Always Fair Weather</a><br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Double Rewatched:</span><br />
(I did a lot of rewatching of old favorites as always, but I revisited these movies more than once in the year.)<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> (1951)<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Apartment</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/06/on-love-and-duty-themes-in-casablanca.html">Casablanca</a></li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Double Indemnity</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Gone with the Wind<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">Laura</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Maltese Falcon</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">North by Northwest</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Third Man</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">The Treasure of the Sierra Madre<br />
</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">WALL-E</li>
<li style="font-style: italic;">You've Got Mail</li>
</ul>That's it for my list. I'm glad I kept track of the movies I watched in '09, and now I'm already two movies into 2010! This year I'm sure I'll keep rewatching my favorites while supplementing with Netflix, and maybe I can catch a few more flicks while they're still in theaters. Hopefully it will be another good year for movies... and Moviewings!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-11596122969379136262009-11-06T12:26:00.006-06:002009-11-06T13:34:07.700-06:00I bet you watch that movie every year...This year, I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm keeping track of every movie I watch.<br /><br />I've always saved my ticket stubs when I've gone to the theater, but I've never actually written down every movie I've seen in a year. But at the end of 2008 when everyone was blogging about what movies they had seen over the course of the year, I found myself trying to remember, and guessing, and wondering about my movie log. This year, I'll know for sure.<br /><br />And as I've been keeping track, I've confirmed what I thought last year anyway: while I like to watch new and new-to-me movies, most of my film time is spent revisiting my favorites. Yep. I'm a Rewatcher.<br /><br />I've started wondering if others fit this pattern as well. Do you find yourself returning to familiar favorites often? Introducing them to friends, or thinking of some quote and then feeling compelled to watch the whole thing? Does some event or circumstance go along with a certain movie for you?<br /><br />For me, some favorites that get a lot of play include the movie from which I've taken (and modified) my post title. In <span style="font-style: italic;">You've Got Mail</span>, which I tend to watch when autumn comes around (Don't you love New York in the fall?) or anytime it's replayed on TV, Tom Hanks says "I bet you read that book every year" about <span style="font-style: italic;">Pride and Prejudice</span>. (The BBC film version of which I happen to turn to whenever I am really sick, along with <span style="font-style: italic;">Laura.) </span>I also seem to go on a Civil War kick maybe once a year, which leads to reviewing the whole <a href="http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/">Ken Burns' documentary</a>, often followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">Gone With the Wind</span>, which occasionally leads to the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385073/">The Making of a Legend</a>.</span> Add to all that the frequent plays of other <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-top-50-film-favorites.html">favorites</a>. And somehow I'm never bored with them.<br /><br />I know there must be people out there like me, but I'm sure there are other movie watching types as well. Here's a few profiles I've sketched out:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rewatcher: </span><br />This type is content to watch the same movies over and over again. If the film was great the first time, why wouldn't it be great to watch again? Perhaps this person is comforted by the familiar, viewing favorite movies as old friends. Maybe he or she is delighted to discover new insights or nuances in the films that got worn out in the VCR. (And yes, this person still has a VCR. And doesn't want to re-buy everything on Blu-ray.) Maybe in an unsure world, the Rewatcher is pleased to know that some things always remain the same. This doesn't mean you will never get a Rewatcher to sit through a previously unseen film, but you'll probably have the most success if the new movie features actors he or she already loves. And if the Rewatcher likes the movie, it will quickly be added to the replay queue.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Explorer:</span><br />Polar opposite of the Rewatcher, this type thrives on always finding something new to watch. They have no trouble at all picking up a random rental, borrowing from friends, or trusting that anything on TCM is worth adding to the DVR. This type is found waiting in line on opening night, wanting to be the first to see and review anything new. While this doesn't mean that the Explorer has no standards, he or she is probably pretty open-minded, finding something to like in almost any film. This type has a never-ending, out of control Netflix queue, and would usually prefer seeing something fresh, or something not watched in a while, instead of viewing the same favorites month after month.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Picky Viewer:</span><br />Here's someone who doesn't mind waiting to see what the consensus is about a film before watching it. This person doesn't want to waste time on junk. He or she may take a chance on the recommendations of friends, if they haven't been burned by being disappointed in their taste before. Perhaps they rely on Netflix Movies You'll <3, or a critic they tend to agree with, or perhaps they only rely on their own judgment, being able to tell from the previews if a movie is worth their time. And if they don't like a movie? Look out. This type is critical. But that just may be the only pleasure the Picky Viewer can derive from watching a sub-standard film.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Movie Date:</span><br />This is the most passive of movie watchers, content to go along with more opinionated friends and family when choosing movies. This doesn't mean that Movie Dates always like everything, or that they don't have their favorites, but in general they are the quiet ones more easily entertained, happy watching whatever as long as everyone else is happy.<br /><br />What do you think, do you fit into one of these categories? Or are you a hybrid of the above, or perhaps in a category I didn't come up with yet?Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-87986616413308250112009-09-30T11:15:00.004-05:002009-09-30T12:09:03.788-05:00Happy Anniversary to me!Today marks the one year anniversary of the start of moviewings. This blog came out of a combination of events: Paul Newman had just died, and I found myself saddened and thinking about what the star and old movies meant to me. A good friend of mine had recently begun blogging, and while I knew I didn't want to create an online diary of my personal life (who'd want to read that, anyway?) I began to think about what I would enjoy writing about. If I wrote about movies, I thought, I would have plenty of things to say. So <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-am-sad-about-paul-newman.html">my first post</a> came out of a desire to express my feelings on Paul Newman's death while opening up a creative outlet for me to talk about my love of movies.<br /><br />One year and almost 70 posts later, I pause to look back. Finding the <a href="http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/">LAMB</a> helped me not to feel like I was alone and talking to myself. A major makeover changed the look (but not the spirit) of the blog. In this year, I've learned a lot, like the fact that I'm not the only person who loves classic movies. (It turns out that many people are even more obsessed than I am, although classic film bloggers still seem to be in the minority.) I've had a lot of fun, especially highlighting some of my favorite <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/search/label/Overlooked%20Oldies">Overlooked Oldies</a>, doing some silly lists and memes, participating in the <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/search/label/Lit%20Flicks">Lit Flicks</a> challenge, and declaring January to be a <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/search?q=month+o%27+musicals">Month O' Musicals</a>. One thing I haven't liked is feeling sometimes that watching movies has become homework instead of entertainment (I don't always want to take notes and think of criticism as I watch a film.) But the blog has also moved me to widen out in the movies I've seen, and I've found some great new-to-me movies that way that I might not have gotten to otherwise.<br /><br />So where do we go from here? The blog doesn't have an expiration date, but it also is not the only or most important thing in my life. It's very safe to say that I will continue watching films. And whenever I am so inspired to share my thoughts about what I've viewed, especially on the movies that give me wings, this is where I'll do it. Thanks for reading.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-75417433917272245962009-09-25T11:14:00.007-05:002010-01-22T14:27:22.296-06:00The Women -- Movie Chain Review #1Chain chain chain... chain of reviews...<br /><br />I've had this idea in my head to start a Chain O' Movie Reviews. What does that mean, you ask? Well. Often for home film festivals I'll create my own movie marathon by chaining together films with a common link. It's kinda like TCM does with a day or month dedicated to one star, but instead of sticking to just one actor I'll chain together film after film with different links in between. Say I start with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Philadelphia Story</span>, then I might move on to <span style="font-style: italic;">Notorious</span> (Cary Grant is the Link) and then I might move on to <span style="font-style: italic;">Casablanca</span> (Ingrid Bergman as the Link). It doesn't just have to be actors as links, either; you can chain directors or even themes back to back (ex: movies with a lot of rain, or perhaps a movie and then the remake). Anyway, I thought it would be fun to carry this habit of linking movies to the blog world. How will it work?<br /><br />I'll kick things off here with a movie review, the first link in the chain. If you want to join in, after that you'll have to:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">1. Call dibs on doing the next review in the comments. First one to speak up gets it, others will have to wait to join up to the next link in the chain! (Chains usually only link one at a time, after all. It's not a movie review tree.)</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />2. Write your own review of another movie (it should be one not yet used in the chain) and post it on your blog. Make sure the link to the previous review is made clear and that you link back to the <a href="http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2009/08/women-movie-chain-review-1.html">original post</a> where the chain began (so we can keep track of how the chain grows). The link can be an actor or actress, director, or something more creative (like a theme).</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />3. Include the rules of how to continue the chain, and let someone else continue it!</span><br /><br />Simple enough, right? Let's get it started!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008ENICU?ie=UTF8&tag=movviegir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0008ENICU"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzckNLb_DEBH1uA6uyHiBQ-4TTmf85TVJFBiIvFTJbvJlTvrYIKTdYvyAfYAw64bkjnMw7yXDdfGYSL1eVbnnGYvK7uJD-hjS1C-si8TnEV2zplrfvQ6ht04BwKLJUpi860DYOP755wcV/s200/womenmovie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385431098890567106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movie Chain Review #1:</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032143/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Women</span> (1939)</a><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Link: </span>First link in the chain, not connected to any reviews (yet).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Review:</span> I found the opening credits of this movie so helpful. As the actresses are introduced, each is paired with an animal that represents her character. So right away you know who's the deer, who's the fox, and who's the old cow. I think more movies should do this.<br /><br />The word at the beauty parlor, where <emred>"Jungle Red"</emred> nail polish is all the rage, is that Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) has a husband who's stepping out on her. When Mary's friend (I use the term loosely here) Sylvia (Rosalind Russell) hears about this, she relishes the gossip and eventually sets things up so Mary will hear the rumor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ3PJmG9gNqOJURnOe72Nb_g1twhQWfmj6J1jh43Q2HxScMTf1oF1QvkIC1xfhjzfyHc55L5ROEFQqR93yGN3kFslHBusqaK1bk8cTniDLKpClELBHprjbff86N4ypqJMJ4pQ7VdWIYc0/s1600-h/womennails.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ3PJmG9gNqOJURnOe72Nb_g1twhQWfmj6J1jh43Q2HxScMTf1oF1QvkIC1xfhjzfyHc55L5ROEFQqR93yGN3kFslHBusqaK1bk8cTniDLKpClELBHprjbff86N4ypqJMJ4pQ7VdWIYc0/s320/womennails.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385430258006472450" border="0" /></a><br />Mary has been blissfully happy in her marriage to Stephen and as mother to Little Mary (Virginia Weidler). Can she just pretend that nothing is going on and continue her life? Not once she has met the other woman, Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). The two have a showdown and Mary, choosing pride over love, ends up on a train to Reno. Mary's sweet friend Peggy (Joan Fontaine) is surprisingly also along for the ride, as well as two other women getting divorces: Miriam (Paulette Goddard) and the often-married but still-romantic Countess Flora. The women bide their time at a dude ranch (!) while waiting for their divorces to become final. (Is it wrong to say I was a little happy when Sylvia showed up there as well?) Who will reconcile, who will move on, who will fall in love again? I'll leave the final twists for you to discover.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tilGz94jEDxnt9O20B7LyPvaYIcbIkxZj0nw700akuCEGlLe6qpSQN35Q1_HoSmyygxnpxj8AutKct6KvUMgYFQAXzCklg3hFKcUf-X1gpqzp_tsqjUrcwsQoTP_zKsgnV9I9DPD5H4y/s1600-h/womenlamour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tilGz94jEDxnt9O20B7LyPvaYIcbIkxZj0nw700akuCEGlLe6qpSQN35Q1_HoSmyygxnpxj8AutKct6KvUMgYFQAXzCklg3hFKcUf-X1gpqzp_tsqjUrcwsQoTP_zKsgnV9I9DPD5H4y/s320/womenlamour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385430446459839522" border="0" /></a><br />The joy of the movie for me was not so much in the plot as in the performances. Director George Cukor is completely in his element here with a dialogue-heavy, all female (even the dogs and horses?!?) production. (Interestingly, Cukor was only available for this movie because he was replaced as director of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gone With the Wind</span>. Paulette Goddard too would have only been available here since the one-time frontrunner for the role of Scarlett O'Hara lost out to Vivien Leigh.)<br /><br />While the actresses are all great in their roles, I was particularly taken with Norma Shearer. How could anyone leave her for Joan Crawford? Impossible.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpLdqw8OOAYclY5ong7vMZhRfLXqqel88ayLz9nVzE6wPjlxTxh4je0kYIXpeT3OVzlqhkYfg3yCCGUF14a9ubihVlt_bVbOpJ_9FVceDx0rMfCpPzJUpaUj1a7R784tjjUN_Yuv4Me31/s1600-h/womencast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpLdqw8OOAYclY5ong7vMZhRfLXqqel88ayLz9nVzE6wPjlxTxh4je0kYIXpeT3OVzlqhkYfg3yCCGUF14a9ubihVlt_bVbOpJ_9FVceDx0rMfCpPzJUpaUj1a7R784tjjUN_Yuv4Me31/s320/womencast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385430439384553010" border="0" /></a><br />One thing I didn't really like about the movie was the idea of giving up your pride for love. Maybe occasionally one has to choose, but then, that wouldn't be the case if people just behaved better. Which brings me to what I really didn't like about the movie: the way it portrays female relationships. Maybe it's true that women can be a bit catty, even toward their friends. This movie certainly highlighted that! We've got "friends" gossiping about each other, men-stealing, gold-digging, and dubious advice getting passed along (even from mother to daughter). While all of this does make for an interesting story, I found myself wishing more positive aspects of female friendships could have been included as well. Maybe the estrogen overload just started getting to me after a while. I missed the men.<br /><br />Final analysis: see it for the great actresses/performances, but don't model your life/love/friendships after it.<br /><br /><rating4 title="4/5 Wings" alt="4 out of 5 wings">Rating:</rating4> (Although I'm kinda wishing I had made half wing ratings, because this feels more like 3.5 to me.)<br /><br /><br />Now, what movie will be the next review in the chain? There's plenty of links here to pick from!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-16195876987790470072009-08-14T10:57:00.005-05:002009-08-22T18:57:45.640-05:00Nothing Magnificent about it.Although I'm a big classic movie fan, I'm not such a purist that I object to any attempt to redo an old film. I try to give remakes a fair shot. Sometimes I'll even find things I like better about the newer version of a movie, perhaps enjoying how things have been updated. But sometimes, as in the case of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span>, I just really hate remakes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT98B2WA9FQiNUShiPNTlSegfMwr9tIB1Tw7JtxkOSYGw_BgKNYYANzc5NSOVSjvNpKwmxdCsPedEXJeSEsoToXuLpOij3F916t4uboUmNEReMgO8ELBaum1ehLjRe6v2HVItSRQ2m5G3/s1600-h/ambersonsold.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT98B2WA9FQiNUShiPNTlSegfMwr9tIB1Tw7JtxkOSYGw_BgKNYYANzc5NSOVSjvNpKwmxdCsPedEXJeSEsoToXuLpOij3F916t4uboUmNEReMgO8ELBaum1ehLjRe6v2HVItSRQ2m5G3/s200/ambersonsold.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369841268575474434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbdkQRl3X436UE6nOznaKBF2wt0nGioBC3WV7gh42hLVYNZRVNYEeCPDD8lWq5VUhiKtTvdsrgvAzQiN075ys96l0pHwiWwvsUcolA2yuO1Fjlw9QE-CuFS2zNJteqo4tbxAwb_lt5osN/s1600-h/ambersonsnew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbdkQRl3X436UE6nOznaKBF2wt0nGioBC3WV7gh42hLVYNZRVNYEeCPDD8lWq5VUhiKtTvdsrgvAzQiN075ys96l0pHwiWwvsUcolA2yuO1Fjlw9QE-CuFS2zNJteqo4tbxAwb_lt5osN/s200/ambersonsnew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369843335075295778" border="0" /></a>Perhaps my love for the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035015/">1942 <span style="font-style: italic;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span></a> predisposed me to being biased against the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252147/">2002 made-for-TV movie</a>. But it claimed to be based on the Orson Welles screenplay, and since his film was edited (some say butchered) without him, I hoped at least that the new movie could provide some insight into what got lost. Now, I'm not sure, but I seriously doubt that Orson Welles' grand vision included a weird birth scene filmed from an inside perspective. Nor do I think he intended to show a death scene including some inappropriate tango dancing, or an overly-dramatic car accident scene with a person flying through the air in slow motion.<br /><br />The scenes in the remake that probably did get cut from the original version include a bit with George as a boy bullying his friends to make him president of their club. There's also more hints about the changing town and the family's changing fortunes, like in a scene where George objects to rental homes being built on the Amberson grounds (when Grandfather's just trying to make some much needed money). There's also some extended information about the trip George makes his mother take, and a scene where George looks through a book of the town's history and can't even find the Amberson name. It's also made clearer in the remake how the Morgans with their new money are becoming the next magnificent family in town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9DQZzSk6LNGfi_eMVwORRXYHuqeuAGhZquZBfbb2IZt7M1xSj7sB0_2sX10nFAd7eGpc4yDZr7mp-oJ1vVnomjft5gWYWMWX82i61ZkXmc64gNU0PmMt_D4hyMIbX2lKUYnUyXx4coMe/s1600-h/ambersonmansion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9DQZzSk6LNGfi_eMVwORRXYHuqeuAGhZquZBfbb2IZt7M1xSj7sB0_2sX10nFAd7eGpc4yDZr7mp-oJ1vVnomjft5gWYWMWX82i61ZkXmc64gNU0PmMt_D4hyMIbX2lKUYnUyXx4coMe/s320/ambersonmansion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369842971156350306" border="0" /></a><br />What's strange is what got cut from the Welles script. For example, there's no beginning narration and setup for the times and family. Instead, the newer movie begins with the ball at the Amberson mansion and later backtracks, using flashbacks to show the history with Eugene and Isabel as well as Georgie as a wild kid. In the original, the town "prophetess" clearly, quickly, and amusingly explains how Isabel ended up with Wilbur instead of Eugene (a man any woman would like a thousand times better) and how this lack of feeling for her husband will lead to Isabel having the most spoiled children. In the remake, it is hinted that the unnaturally close bond with George and his mother comes from him being an only child, but it's not made satisfyingly clear why George is such a terror or why Isabel caves into him. The new version also shows some full mouth kisses between the two, which is just unnecessarily creepy.<br /><br />Even the things that made it from the original screenplay, like a lot of the dialogue, are mangled in the remake. For example, there's a sweet scene in the original with Eugene getting teased for how things ended with Isabel, and he says there's one thing that makes him forgive how things turned out. At that moment his daughter happens to be walking by, and he says her name. In the remake, while the words remain the same, it's all delivered with everyone sitting around a piano, and everyone oohs and ahhs about how charming this sentiment is. But all the nice subtlety of the original is lost.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEini4rhLwiMc1xQDQcMP_ZMlBJ9OoTh_7uiAW66YVeaSwY9eDiL8xYeJ4Pes9L5r6FACXJE5o1997X1CkOHUZBfX3lN08l7hdw0PJlX6ScqBUv3dSRBYTkKgLV3pR3ecj__K9hv70pwNFv4/s1600-h/ambersonslucy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEini4rhLwiMc1xQDQcMP_ZMlBJ9OoTh_7uiAW66YVeaSwY9eDiL8xYeJ4Pes9L5r6FACXJE5o1997X1CkOHUZBfX3lN08l7hdw0PJlX6ScqBUv3dSRBYTkKgLV3pR3ecj__K9hv70pwNFv4/s320/ambersonslucy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369841579562094546" border="0" /></a><br />As far as the acting in the remake goes, for the most part it is adequate but not extraordinary. James Cromwell does a good job as Major Amberson. But Jonathan Rhys Meyers as George and Jennifer Tilly as Aunt Fanny are both pretty terrible. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQBlCEFmqkaGxpVys01VaRmvkR-C4Y4xQ2o59lFaqf6TEQtGKC9jw3dqT1b6i4TR0glu8D4Ma79dduAaTgPT6wQKVH8uQb5epYQA6MUaiVRx9zoA1KaLQ_QVO0JK8qqkfgF5v0i8EFrQ8/s1600-h/ambersonsemogeorge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQBlCEFmqkaGxpVys01VaRmvkR-C4Y4xQ2o59lFaqf6TEQtGKC9jw3dqT1b6i4TR0glu8D4Ma79dduAaTgPT6wQKVH8uQb5epYQA6MUaiVRx9zoA1KaLQ_QVO0JK8qqkfgF5v0i8EFrQ8/s200/ambersonsemogeorge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369842272947924818" border="0" /></a>Yes, George is supposed to be a spoiled brat and not very likable, but Meyers plays him as a tantrum-throwing, foot stomping, growling man-child that it's pretty impossible to care about. (Tim Holt at least had a bit of innocence, humor, and idealism thrown in to temper the obnoxiousness of his character.) Tilly seems to be doing her best impression of Agnes Moorehead, but she lacks the talent to make crying and self-pity sympathetic, and when she's not being shrill and/or weepy she's pretty amazingly dull. The worst is when the two act together; the scenes are painfully long and even ridiculous, like when George is trying to calm his hysterical aunt and ends up crawling full on top of her while someone watches, crying, through the window. (What is up with the incestuous undertones in this movie?)<br /><br />Also inferior in the newer movie: the music. And instead of the gorgeous deep focus photography? Extreme close-ups, and to-the-camera delivery of the contents of correspondence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1zjjPdX-5cqxHyfWqWK1xMeB1zmIHeAh4jESgwf3acVywvzw3y_pQp-hcuKsxVXF1PIiCWDXGKXdCsxG9v_oGDrhD2z_acOsYdQa8LRcWb-S2COG5-1riL8KBLptL2wYTanlkjsxytcz/s1600-h/Ambersonsdeep.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1zjjPdX-5cqxHyfWqWK1xMeB1zmIHeAh4jESgwf3acVywvzw3y_pQp-hcuKsxVXF1PIiCWDXGKXdCsxG9v_oGDrhD2z_acOsYdQa8LRcWb-S2COG5-1riL8KBLptL2wYTanlkjsxytcz/s320/Ambersonsdeep.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369842201779770338" border="0" /></a><br />Needless to say, I don't recommend this remake. Unless of course you enjoy something so bad it's laughable at times. Or if you want to commiserate with me on how awful this was. In that case, go ahead and watch it. And hope it doesn't taint your viewing of the much superior original version of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span>.<br /><br />Original: 5/5<br /><rating5 title="5/5 Wings" alt="5 out of 5 wings">5/5 wings</rating5><br />(Even edited, and especially in comparison to the remake, this is a great movie.)<br /><br />Remake: 1/5<br /><rating1 title="1/5 Wings" alt="1 out of 5 wings">1/5 wings</rating1><br />(Although I seriously considered giving it 0 wings.)<br /><br />If you want more on the original movie, here's some great links my father passed along to me:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.filmsite.org/magn.html">Summary and analysis of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span> at filmsite.org</a><br /><a href="http://wellesnet.com/Ambersons.htm">Information at Wellesnet.com, includes writing on the un-making of the movie</a><br /><a href="http://ambersons.com/">A site with lots of images, memorabilia, and information on <span style="font-style: italic;">Ambersons</span></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-42511743711348444332009-07-17T16:39:00.003-05:002009-07-17T16:44:54.929-05:00Top 5 Classic Movies to Sleep toIn my family, it is not unusual to pair a nap with a good movie. Are we such multitaskers that we have to have something going even when we sleep? Are we so lost in the movies that we want to spend every possible moment (waking or sleeping) on good films? Are our favorite movies so familiar and comforting that they make it easy to drift right off to dreamland?<br /><br />I'm not sure. But I do know that some movies are better to sleep to than others. Musicals and films with lots of explosions are (for obvious reasons) not the best choices. And while there are some good newer movies to put on when you want to sleep, as usual I tend to lean toward older films.<br /><br />Here's my list of five great classics for sleepy-time:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZivov_NB_74bg2MXKPKCNQM8m8Z5BAMINCjk5CcAn9qETKyvKubTLnZZPDX49zqWRXfIBl1-b5b8bMA_SOgi5yRzpfShewRnSF3o2f8Uo20WFwWgdRMjEeP0ULOs6m1OwfibGXGuSDDT/s1600-h/sabrina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZivov_NB_74bg2MXKPKCNQM8m8Z5BAMINCjk5CcAn9qETKyvKubTLnZZPDX49zqWRXfIBl1-b5b8bMA_SOgi5yRzpfShewRnSF3o2f8Uo20WFwWgdRMjEeP0ULOs6m1OwfibGXGuSDDT/s200/sabrina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359527866885510834" border="0" /></a>5. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=16295"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sabrina</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> (1954)</span> </a> - Like most of the best bedtime stories, it begins "Once upon a time" and has a happily-ever-after ending. The fairy tale story in between features a charming Audrey Hepburn in some fantasy princess-like outfits. As a bonus, if you fall asleep to this one, you just might dream of Billy Wilder's first choice, Cary Grant, playing the Bogart role.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe_DJ7Lov9AWFuHKyqbZNQR6Tgg8JTyr5s3XQo1EZ3_pyH6XcEFvxMQx67casheNwJJ17TYerdJ0cCsuysQF0b_SIG0-oS9qyDj1O8JOo_elQpgXnonU3dPOAnqSBjPaImOLOLDmoYbyi/s1600-h/magnificentambersons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe_DJ7Lov9AWFuHKyqbZNQR6Tgg8JTyr5s3XQo1EZ3_pyH6XcEFvxMQx67casheNwJJ17TYerdJ0cCsuysQF0b_SIG0-oS9qyDj1O8JOo_elQpgXnonU3dPOAnqSBjPaImOLOLDmoYbyi/s200/magnificentambersons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359536915175734882" border="0" /></a>4. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=683"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Magnificent Ambersons</span></a> - Even if you only catch the beginning of this one before nodding off, you'll get an idea for some of the themes. The lovely Orson Wells-narrated opening illustrates the changing times with Joseph Cotten trying on a variety of mens' fashions. You'll soon get introduced to the bratty Georgie and hopefully wake up in time to see his comeuppance at the end.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgCVMnreGmvufXvnxwCNkmBhv5P5bcTO62tefy3fpCttZARXR0P4xPUTKgKIqlkwhV_rPsAkBQ-IKEKW-1x6izLxbayHNvFN1f1-W-Sc5fBjnezrM8Hk6Rjl-8bb2-EcSP-GWIjB0L3OG/s1600-h/north-by-northwest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgCVMnreGmvufXvnxwCNkmBhv5P5bcTO62tefy3fpCttZARXR0P4xPUTKgKIqlkwhV_rPsAkBQ-IKEKW-1x6izLxbayHNvFN1f1-W-Sc5fBjnezrM8Hk6Rjl-8bb2-EcSP-GWIjB0L3OG/s200/north-by-northwest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359538771013997282" border="0" /></a>3. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=1036"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">North by Northwest</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>- The exception to the "no explosions" rule, as the loud bits of the movie (usually signaled by the stirring Bernard Herrman music) are thrilling and fun and worth waking up to see. If you have your eyes open before the gunfire in the scene where Eva Marie Saint does some shooting, check out the kid in the back who (eerily) seems to know what's coming.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77HZojtEKSdUNOXJMUchuLEY0xNpda6ol5JWdSMepu7fLSsbf8Il3oISgJrSVrgcKzMDQoGHSDeh8Wv24OvA79ZXEvTos8Yqj4aN6WZaVBUo6pWSwS4rH7sdl2fjW3axb5CBNzs9ouTUL/s1600-h/thirdmanzither.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77HZojtEKSdUNOXJMUchuLEY0xNpda6ol5JWdSMepu7fLSsbf8Il3oISgJrSVrgcKzMDQoGHSDeh8Wv24OvA79ZXEvTos8Yqj4aN6WZaVBUo6pWSwS4rH7sdl2fjW3axb5CBNzs9ouTUL/s200/thirdmanzither.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359540473377874002" border="0" /></a>2. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=92904"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Third Man</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>- Because zither music is so soothing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And the number one classic movie to sleep to is....<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqk825jWwwrBfVIG5MGCxSvYvtZKu0tlbIB9eD0qi5ByFdtFLedARvyk3OOt9ndeWOy1ntA-dS801o8w-MWbI0z5Sikts6nE2CQW1obBycysVK8yMvb6SFrduLnuY_33xHytjV29sx6rys/s1600-h/thebigsleep.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqk825jWwwrBfVIG5MGCxSvYvtZKu0tlbIB9eD0qi5ByFdtFLedARvyk3OOt9ndeWOy1ntA-dS801o8w-MWbI0z5Sikts6nE2CQW1obBycysVK8yMvb6SFrduLnuY_33xHytjV29sx6rys/s200/thebigsleep.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359541174410876418" border="0" /></a>1. <a href="http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=45"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Big Sleep</span></a> - It's not just the title that wins this one the top spot. Thanks to all the detectin' being done, there are plenty of quiet follow-the-guy and examine-the-evidence moments that are very conducive to napping. The rainy mood is also great for making those eyelids heavy. And the convoluted plot is not much more understandable even if you stay awake and alert through the whole thing. So just let the banter between Bogie and Bacall lull you right off to sleep.<br /><br />*Please note, if there's any of these movies you haven't seen yet, I'd recommend staying awake through them at least one time first. Then, the next time you are dealing with insomnia, or when you just need a mid-day snooze, try one of these fabulous sleep-friendly classics.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-14616129738344275152009-07-14T15:53:00.004-05:002009-07-14T16:03:52.873-05:00Guest post on Ginger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2574835105_7365687091.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 216px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2574835105_7365687091.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you haven't seen it yet, check out <a href="http://silentsandtalkies.blogspot.com/2009/07/ginger-rogers_14.html">my guest post on Ginger Rogers over at Silents and Talkies</a>. Kate has created a wonderful drawing of Ginger to go with my ramblings. Without wanting to take anything away from the genius of Fred Astaire and the amazing work the pair did together, I wanted to focus on Ginger and all her hard work and talent. Enjoy!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-71334212015277987602009-06-29T10:10:00.001-05:002009-06-30T07:58:02.826-05:00On love in CasablancaEvery time I see <span style="font-style: italic;">Casablanca</span> I enjoy it. It's one of those great classics, rewarding to watch no matter how many times you've seen it before. After you've viewed it once and know the ending, you'd think the love triangle would get less interesting, but I find myself fascinated by it still. Of course I know who Ilsa will end up with. I don't even wish things would go differently -- Victor Laszlo is Ilsa's husband, after all, so it's only right for them to be together. Rick has to make the big sacrifice, being the sentimentalist that he is at heart. Besides, crossing Laszlo in any way would be akin to siding with the Nazis, and our hero can't do that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxRPPlUy-y2SAnOCfNE0NqQVJPA4jqyyMHwiMXaaH5U4oQNiIebEIJqw_r8ijebUWNFKNYlPK698Ab6s3sAWOZPhiixeA7cZdCHIWC8cyIT-D2yAGCZSQMQkE4wR4b-Cjs73rqMmO-knP/s1600-h/casablancatriangle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxRPPlUy-y2SAnOCfNE0NqQVJPA4jqyyMHwiMXaaH5U4oQNiIebEIJqw_r8ijebUWNFKNYlPK698Ab6s3sAWOZPhiixeA7cZdCHIWC8cyIT-D2yAGCZSQMQkE4wR4b-Cjs73rqMmO-knP/s320/casablancatriangle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352761140637881682" border="0" /></a><br />So, while I don't question who Ilsa will be with, or even who she should be with, I find it quite interesting thinking about which of the two men she really loves more. On the surface it would seem to be Rick, right? In their scenes together in Paris, she obviously adores him. We never see her kiss Victor in the film, only Rick. And she also only speaks the words "I love you" to Rick. Her main emotion involving Laszlo seems to be fear: she tells him repeatedly to be careful and that she's afraid for him. And, while the guy is certainly admirable, courageous and fearless for his cause, there doesn't seem to be a lot of chemistry there. Ilsa basically admits as much to Rick, telling him the story of herself as a girl meeting this great man, looking up to him, worshiping him, with a feeling she supposed was love. Case closed, she doesn't, couldn't really love him, right? I am not so sure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq0Y7Xnx22GkrLy1cFMUaDxMXup8ilj2-xfKhb-HK68DDE3INDK6a19tZ4RzonFx2ygzqiqNRwz1vpvuhSzwtyvghqbZ0TsFGKFIbN9eJXTkfZUTSOpYku_QGOiiCX1T8M0y5RPEbSYWX/s1600-h/bulgarian.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq0Y7Xnx22GkrLy1cFMUaDxMXup8ilj2-xfKhb-HK68DDE3INDK6a19tZ4RzonFx2ygzqiqNRwz1vpvuhSzwtyvghqbZ0TsFGKFIbN9eJXTkfZUTSOpYku_QGOiiCX1T8M0y5RPEbSYWX/s320/bulgarian.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352761143475091170" border="0" /></a><br />Let's look at the way the movie itself defines love. In the scene where the young Bulgarian girl comes to Rick about Captain Renault, to learn if he is a man of his word, she ends up asking him questions about love. "If someone loved you very much" she says, "so that your happiness was the only thing that she wanted in the world, but she did a bad thing to make certain of it, could you forgive her?" Rick's answer? "Nobody ever loved me that much." Really, Rick? Not even Ilsa in Paris?<br /><br />I think he's right. Ilsa certainly loved him, but not that much, as Rick says. Otherwise she would have done the bad thing -- staying with him and forsaking Laszlo. Does she leave out of her love for Laszlo, or does she make the sacrifice for love of the cause, doing her duty? Either way, Rick loses out. She loves him enough to lie to him, making sure he will leave Paris safely, but not enough so that his happiness is all that matters.<br /><br />Let's apply this same idea of love moving someone to do a bad thing to the relationship with Ilsa and Laszlo. When Ilsa comes to Rick for the letters of transit, she certainly seems ready to do a bad thing, pulling out a gun and threatening to shoot Rick. He makes it very clear what is at stake, telling her that if Laszlo and the cause mean so much to her, she won't stop at anything, taunting her to go ahead and shoot. He's really testing her love for Laszlo here: does she love him enough to do this bad thing? Apparently not, because she lowers the gun. Her love for Rick seems to have won out, as she tells him she couldn't stay away and can never leave him again. Should he believe her? Should we?<br /><br />It is possible to interpret it that Ilsa really has given in to her love for Rick. But I think it is really a sign of her love for Laszlo. She is willing to do the bad thing, leaving him, being with Rick, so that she can make sure of Victor's safety and happiness. Also, when she left Victor earlier that night, he says he loves her, and while she doesn't say it back, she does begin to ask him "whatever I do will you believe that I..." he tells her she doesn't even have to say it. The implication is clear. She is off to do a bad thing, but she wants him to know she loves him.<br /><br />Besides, at this point in the movie, I don't see how Ilsa can possibly still love Rick. There may have been some lingering feeling there when she first saw him again. But after she came to explain things to him and found him drunk, she has lost her respect for him. And respect and love go hand in hand for Ilsa, as she explains in her story about her first feelings for Laszlo, as we see when she looks at him admiringly as he stirs up the crowd in the cafe. In contrast, she looks at Rick with contempt and disgust at what he's become. And surely part of what she loved about him in Paris was the record hinted at throughout the film, the deeds which make him wanted by the Nazis, too. She's a sucker for an idealist.<br /><br />Even after saying she can't leave Rick again, her concern for Laszlo is foremost. "You'll help him now, won't you?" she begs Rick. When they meet the next day, she remains agitated about Victor. The show of surrender to Rick has been just that, a show. So the story Rick spins at the end for Laszlo about Ilsa only pretending to still love him, that all that was over long ago (which Renault says is a lie, and which may have been a lie for Rick) really seems to be the truth about Ilsa. But what Rick says about Paris is also true, that they had lost it and had gotten it back, although I don't think it's exactly how he says it is. Maybe he got it back that night Ilsa came over, but she gets Paris back when Rick sends her off with Laszlo. Because now she has her respect back for Rick, she can look at him admiringly again and remember those days in Paris fondly. She leaves him with the same words she left him with in Paris: "God bless you."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO12MSx3McZoRNrwZoc_xSSsqZoXf9XPN5lZh_8HI2qgVMBEPXWgxk-sJFZ0LR6jghugyVm5doiXaSq9YdXJKRA9lsINcY9SYu1PgQ3dlC7s1tHyiCb90kkikInCMfo-Jt6vJ1tS2p42fz/s1600-h/casablancaend.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO12MSx3McZoRNrwZoc_xSSsqZoXf9XPN5lZh_8HI2qgVMBEPXWgxk-sJFZ0LR6jghugyVm5doiXaSq9YdXJKRA9lsINcY9SYu1PgQ3dlC7s1tHyiCb90kkikInCMfo-Jt6vJ1tS2p42fz/s320/casablancaend.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352761149601750930" border="0" /></a><br />You can also flip this idea of love in <span style="font-style: italic;">Casablanca</span> to test the men's love for Ilsa. Rick is willing to do a bad thing for her, more than one actually. He ends up killing a man to make sure Ilsa gets away safely with Laszlo, making her happy at his own expense. Laszlo also is ready to do a bad thing, at least as bad as he gets, telling Rick to use the letters of transit to take his wife away. "Yes, I love her that much." he says.<br /><br />Not to be overlooked is the love all three have for the cause. All have done bad/illegal things and/or made sacrifices for the cause. But I don't think the characters are motivated solely by their love for right. While the problems of three people may not amount to a hill of beans in a crazy world, they still amount to something, and of course impact the way each character acts. Rick loves Ilsa. Victor loves Ilsa. Ilsa loves them both, but in the end, she seems to love Victor more.<br /><br />The balance of love and sacrifice, ideas of honor and duty verses selfishness, all these themes make <span style="font-style: italic;">Casablanca</span> endlessly interesting, its finale wonderfully satisfying. These are just some of many things that make this movie great and keep me coming back for more.Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-77165845304262384082009-06-01T13:55:00.006-05:002009-06-01T16:02:30.042-05:00What the well-dressed (classic) movie lover is wearingHave you seen the <a href="http://turnerclassic.moviesunlimited.com/boutique.asp?CurrPage=1&section=Apparel&shopref=Navigation%3AApparel">15th Anniversary TCM shirts</a> ? The stuff that dreams are made of, for sure.<br /><br />But I think I may be even more taken with this new Threadless release, "That Old Movie Magic". The film projector is pretty fabulous all on its own, but wait, there's more, in glow-in-the-dark ink! Makes perfect sense... the lights dim, the film rolls, and magical things happen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.threadless.com/product/1857/That_Old_Movie_Magic?streetteam=Wendymoon%22%20title=%22That%20Old%20Movie%20Magic%20-%20Threadless,%20Best%20T-shirts%20Ever"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 595px; height: 789px;" src="http://www.threadless.com//product/1857/zoom.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Check out that Casablanca nod. Sweet!<br /><br />If you're so inspired, you might want to pick up a t-shirt or two. Or three or four, and send the extras my way. :-)Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-27927423772260124872009-05-30T14:32:00.008-05:002009-05-30T14:51:30.131-05:00That's "Mrs. William Holden" to you<img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNDM3MTE3NzE1MTUmcHQ9MTI*MzcxMjExNTMxMiZwPTExMDk5MSZkPU1hc2glMjBHYW1lJmc9MSZ*PSZvPWIxNmIzYjQyODU2MTQxNmFhZDU3MDMyOTg*YzFjNDkxJm9mPTA=.gif" width="0" border="0" height="0" />This silliness began over at <a href="http://asleepinny.blogspot.com/2009/05/sex-with-richard-conte-on-gray-spring.html">Asleep in New York</a> with Mrs. Richard Conte, and pretty soon everyone was playing along. (Well, the girls anyway. Guess you guys didn't play this game growing up or something.) Anyway, here's my results:<br /><br />(Don't know why there's all this space here. Must be spoiler space, since it is a glimpse into the future.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.espin.com/index.php?trip=833" title="eSpin the Bottle"></a><br /><table style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px; background-image: url(http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_bg.jpg); background-repeat: no-repeat;" width="350" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><a href="http://www.espin.com/index.php?trip=833" title="eSpin the Bottle"><br /></a><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><a href="http://www.espin.com/index.php?trip=833" title="eSpin the Bottle"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_ext_title.gif" alt="Behold... My Future" title="Behold... My Future" width="350" border="0" height="150" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td colspan="4" align="center"><br /></td></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /><td width="100" align="right"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_crush.gif" width="50" height="50" /></td><br /><td style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px;" width="193">I will marry <b>William Holden</b>.</td><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /><td width="100" align="right"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_live_city.gif" width="50" height="50" /><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_live_house.gif" width="50" height="50" /></td><br /><td style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px;" width="193">After a wild honeymoon, We will settle down in <b>New York</b> in our fabulous <b>House</b>.</td><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /><td width="100" align="right"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_kids.gif" width="50" height="50" /></td><br /><td style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px;" width="193">We will have <b>12 kid(s)</b> together.</td><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /><td width="100" align="right"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_car.gif" width="50" height="50" /><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_color.gif" width="50" height="50" /></td><br /><td style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px;" width="193">Our family will zoom around in a <b>puce Studebaker</b>.</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /><td width="100" align="right"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_money.gif" width="50" height="50" /></td><br /><td style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 2px;" width="193">I will spend my days as a <b>detective</b>, and live happily ever after.</td><br /><td width="25"><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><td colspan="4"><br /></td></tr><br /><tr><td colspan="4" align="center"><a href="http://www.espin.com/mash-game.php?trip=833" title="whats your future"><img src="http://www.espin.com/images/mash/mash_what_yours.gif" alt="whats your future" width="163" border="0" height="33" /></a></td></tr><br /><tr><td colspan="4"><br /></td></tr><br /></tbody></table><br />I was a bit relieved to have dodged Joel McCrea (wouldn't want my 12 kids having his nose) but I was rather sad not to have ended up in Casablanca.<br /><br />Who else has a fun movie fantasy future? <a href="http://silentsandtalkies.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-future.html">Mrs. Dana Andrews</a> (yes, we're all jealous), <a href="http://classicforever.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-strange-future.html">Mrs. Tyrone Power </a>, <a href="http://byjingobygee.blogspot.com/2009/05/being-silly.html">Mrs. Rudolph Valentino</a>, <a href="http://caseykoester.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/frivolities-the-mash-game/">Mrs. Robert Taylor</a>, and <a href="http://oldhollywoodislove.blogspot.com/2009/05/good-old-mash.html">Mrs. Gower Champion</a>.<br /><br />I'd like to see some of you men try it... doesn't someone out there want to be Mr. Marilyn Monroe?Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037699316934980229.post-11211807638260438172009-05-25T12:23:00.008-05:002009-09-25T11:27:50.657-05:00Movie reviews in briefAlthough I haven't been posting much lately, I have still (of course) been watching movies! Instead of doing individual posts for every movie I've seen recently, I thought it might be fun to share some brief thoughts on the films I've been watching.<br /><br />Two classics are first:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6REvNGUcsOMbk3bTUFUiVkVgyldX3mkT9AJXRQMwfxnWPubIoPMssmvQl_H-MQr3r10p3AZwsqnjF2O-NwoOSt5qzQRKXoXMEJzr8uVA_FArdJ9ndFU-GqQCPIoEnE-rIWZ_R6XD037QD/s1600-h/moderntimes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6REvNGUcsOMbk3bTUFUiVkVgyldX3mkT9AJXRQMwfxnWPubIoPMssmvQl_H-MQr3r10p3AZwsqnjF2O-NwoOSt5qzQRKXoXMEJzr8uVA_FArdJ9ndFU-GqQCPIoEnE-rIWZ_R6XD037QD/s320/moderntimes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338313541315318258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Modern Times</span><br /><br />Another one from my mostly seen movies list. Some familiar gags (Charlie getting fed by one machine and caught in the cogs of another) were still quite amusing on re-watching. But my favorite part was a bit I had never seen before, with Charlie as a dancing and singing waiter. Watching as he pulled himself around by the seat of his pants had me laughing so hard I was crying. Chaplin is great. And Paulette Goddard is just so cute!<br /><br /><rating5 title="5/5 Wings" alt="5 out of 5 wings">5/5 wings</rating5><br /><br /><br /><br />As a side point, watching this movie made me realize why it's so hard for me to get into silent movies. Since I love to multi-task, I often put a movie on in the background while I'm doing other things. This works great for revisiting favorite classics where I know what's going on, but silent movies demand more of my attention, so I watch them less frequently. <span style="font-style: italic;">Modern Times</span> reminded me why I should spend more time on movies without dialogue.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflAQSF7Z1pt2I5uqJ2nS3MA3MbsD5iJCtX5YpHWh39ZhJ0l5ZJc4HKNfhwXiEpo8St199NB_qQfjpDps81uzjWOHwMZaenUmIboAQeIw8K1tyUH1fPuYTj5IFmCcpnBti3K6vXsr7rzlX/s1600-h/kittyfoyle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflAQSF7Z1pt2I5uqJ2nS3MA3MbsD5iJCtX5YpHWh39ZhJ0l5ZJc4HKNfhwXiEpo8St199NB_qQfjpDps81uzjWOHwMZaenUmIboAQeIw8K1tyUH1fPuYTj5IFmCcpnBti3K6vXsr7rzlX/s320/kittyfoyle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338313538365711186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kitty Foyle</span><br /><br />The film (particularly the dialogue) does feel a bit dated, but it's worth watching if only to see Ginger Rogers in her strong, Oscar-winning performance. Kitty Foyle is a white-collar girl (the costumes reflect a very literal interpretation of this) facing an important decision: to marry one man or run away with an old flame.<br /><br />The conclusion to the central dilemma of the story, which man Kitty will end up with, is not really a shocker, but it's an emotional journey nonetheless. I only wish there were more options out there for the heroine. Wyn is fun, rich, romantic, and a coward. Mark is steady, stable, thrifty, and (let's be honest here) rather dull. Are there really no other men in Kitty's acquaintance? In the movies, there is no middle-ground. The choices are love, passion & heartbreak vs. friendship, stability, & boredom. I think Kitty should have held out for door three.<br /><br />(I'm tempted to give it 3 wings, but I'm weighting it higher as a classic and for Ginger.)<br /><br /><rating4 title="4/5 Wings" alt="4 out of 5 wings">4/5 wings</rating4><br /><br /><br /><br />Now for two new-ish movies:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzQgZ9Xgf09Sh4QihJ0L7ZVWxhE_Jv6ojDrXN7y-A5rVRBRWYXZLwWr8nrAHtxH4dKEsaQuAzGA0cFbymVT4-kpGTUpsPkqQBMJ7se66o6WvW3tAP95yrSsnGu-LWaJfp5nJjaNaQIip9/s1600-h/chickenlittle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzQgZ9Xgf09Sh4QihJ0L7ZVWxhE_Jv6ojDrXN7y-A5rVRBRWYXZLwWr8nrAHtxH4dKEsaQuAzGA0cFbymVT4-kpGTUpsPkqQBMJ7se66o6WvW3tAP95yrSsnGu-LWaJfp5nJjaNaQIip9/s320/chickenlittle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338313543885918146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chicken Little</span><br /><br />Fun family movie that drags a bit toward the end. The very cute Chicken Little really needed a cuter voice. But the vocal stylings of Joan Cusack and Steve Zahn were quite delightful. And Fish Out of Water was just too cool.<br /><br /><rating3 title="3/5 Wings" alt="3 out of 5 wings">3/5 wings</rating3><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfQpq0zDo-zsQcvSfT1AOuMBng5tXh_tKLvNaHE06xB-msY_eb5jaMpfReOR8kjKJ0zQVxS-GuH-r8wlxM5G5UpEdzi8ljcMP3tY4XTGN1_pwj-5NsMeCWiz4iQ_GOPv8UKwdU-mxHWvL/s1600-h/benjaminbutton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfQpq0zDo-zsQcvSfT1AOuMBng5tXh_tKLvNaHE06xB-msY_eb5jaMpfReOR8kjKJ0zQVxS-GuH-r8wlxM5G5UpEdzi8ljcMP3tY4XTGN1_pwj-5NsMeCWiz4iQ_GOPv8UKwdU-mxHWvL/s320/benjaminbutton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338313531998051282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</span><br /><br />What I liked: The aging effects, the man with the backwards clock, the guy who got struck by lightning, and very little else.<br /><br />The comparisons to <span style="font-style: italic;">Forrest Gump</span> are justified. And while I'm no big fan of that movie, I think I did like it a bit better than <span style="font-style: italic;">Benjamin Button</span>.<br /><br />If you take away the gimmick of a man aging backwards and the few interesting things that arise from this, you are left with a very mundane tale. Whether you like it or not then may depend on the strength of the love story between Benjamin and Daisy. While I did sympathize with Benjamin, particularly at the beginning of the movie with his earnest innocence shining through the body of an old man, I personally did not care for Daisy at all (and didn't get why Benjamin did).<br /><br />What is the message of this meandering movie? That even if your life seems disjointed, it's OK. Maybe you were just born to live a disjointed life. The idea that life is only about what is thrown at you and not what you make of it is not a theory I subscribe to, sorry.<br /><br />(Would be 1 wing for story alone, but for Pitt's performance and for the effects I'll add on one more wing.)<br /><br /><rating2 title="2/5 Wings" alt="2 out of 5 wings">2/5 wings</rating2><br /><br /><br /><br />Now, a movie I actually saw in the theater! (It's been a while.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiu8o1tNI3snLslSrD94KKJqVDO0xopw-UmUtdGNRTUt6uOxUk8mvqj42nXLCrkGZajWSORbIl6ETymRkIj0vSCAr9gvLTM2St8gVyAoFagP3TVyySNRC0JGv3-Nu68t2QzkaE6x98Q-b/s1600-h/startrek.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiu8o1tNI3snLslSrD94KKJqVDO0xopw-UmUtdGNRTUt6uOxUk8mvqj42nXLCrkGZajWSORbIl6ETymRkIj0vSCAr9gvLTM2St8gVyAoFagP3TVyySNRC0JGv3-Nu68t2QzkaE6x98Q-b/s320/startrek.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338313532910885026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span><br /><br />Well, there's definitely things to nit-pick if you want to. Stuff I didn't like: the uninteresting bad dude, what they did to the Romulans (tattooed heads, now?) and a plot that was a bit weak if you thought about it too much (though all time-travel stories seem to unravel if you think hard about them).<br /><br />But the movie was more about reintroducing the characters and giving their stories a spin, and I thought that was done well. (Although I've never been a huge fan of the original Star Trek, I prefer TNG & DS9, so they could have changed things really dramatically and I wouldn't have minded or maybe even noticed.) It was visually cool and super entertaining. And I think it found a good balance between pleasing Trekkies and finding a new audience (and setting up for some sequels).<br /><br />A couple leaving the theater just ahead of my group did not agree. Old enough to have been fans of the show when it was first on TV, they did not seem to appreciate the changes at all. The wife was particularly distressed about what had been done to Spock's mother. The husband's complaints were more about movies in general, how the world is so bad that people just want flashier entertainment to distract them. You know, he's got a point there.<br /><br />(The movie's not perfect, but for sheer entertainment value it gets 4 wings from me.)<br /><br /><rating4 title="4/5 Wings" alt="4 out of 5 wings">4/5 wings</rating4><br /><br /><br /><br />By the way, if you are wondering what happened to the Vulcan James Dean, I retired him so he wouldn't be in your face every time you loaded the page here. But if you want, you can <a href="http://www.trekyourself.com/">Trek Yourself</a>. It's fun to do with actors and famous movie lines!Wendymoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06682746267032008981noreply@blogger.com8