Movie Swag!

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 Moleskine Passions Film Journal!

(For the curious, yes, I have already been doing some coloring-in.)

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.

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.

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.)

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):

 Jealous? Get your own!

Why I love Princess Leia

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? Tron 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.)

But when it came to Star Wars, 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.

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:

"Who is she? She's beautiful." Princess Leia really is a pretty pretty princess, in a non-fussy sort of way. Sure, she spends most of A New Hope 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.

She's got style. 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.)

She's got attitude. 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. 

She's got a softer side too. 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.

She speaks Ubese. But then again, so do I."Yatay, yatoh."

Charming to the last. I still want to be Princess Leia.

Here's just a few other fun Star Wars thoughts I'd like to share:

•  I'm an original Star Wars 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 Return of the Jedi, I hate the Boba Fett voiceovers in Empire and the vision of young Anakin with old Obi and Yoda at the end of ROTJ, and more than anything else I can't stand the updated music in ROTJ. 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..."
• Like many fans, I was disappointed by the prequels. The best part of The Phantom Menace 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.
• 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.
• I really enjoy playing LEGO Star Wars. If you haven't played it, you should, it's great. Guess who my favorite character is? ;-)

1 Plug, 10 facts, 20 quotes

First, a quick plug (or plea) for those of you readers that are LAMBs. You probably know it's time again for the LAMMY awards, and I'd appreciate some nominations in these (and whatever other categories) you'd consider me for. Thanks!

Next, I've been tagged by The Movie Ness for the latest meme going around. So here's 10 Movie Facts About Me:

1. When I was growing up, I wanted to be Princess Leia.
2. I'm not big on movie snacks at the theater, but if my friends get popcorn I always end up eating some.
3. I don't remember a time when I hadn't seen classics like Citizen Kane, Singin' in the Rain, Some Like it Hot, etc. I was raised on them.
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.)
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!
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.
7. I've never been to a drive-in movie, but I would really like to go. (If only I could find one somewhere!)
8. The only movie I ever went to see by myself  was A.I.
9. I wish my life could be more like a musical.
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.

And finally, a little while back (on a blog that no longer seems to exist) I played a game where the readers could guess the source of 20 movie quotes. 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!

1. Well, here we go, fast and loose. - The Hustler
2. I'll tell you right out, I'm a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk. - The Maltese Falcon (Alex)
3. I like to like what's better to like. - Born Yesterday (NoirGirl)
4. Don't you think that daisies are the friendliest flower? - You've Got Mail (Jess)
5. Lay off 'em, you'll live longer. - The Palm Beach Story
6. No matter what you think you think you think the same as I think. - Adam's Rib (Java Bean Rush)
7. People? I ain't people. - Singin' in the Rain (trulymadlygeeky)
8. It's not a pretty face, I grant you, but underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character. - An American in Paris (Java Bean Rush)
9. I'm fine all over! - The Apartment (Alex)
10. You ate a lonely dinner, then got into the tub to read. - Laura (NoirGirl)
11. Let us be crooked but never common. - The Lady Eve (Java Bean Rush)
12. Sometimes he said I laughed too much. - The Third Man
13. He's just kissing her for you. - Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Java Bean Rush)
14. What care I for colds when there is such a man? - Sense and Sensibility (Jess)
15. Could you say that in English? - Guys and Dolls
16. I've seen detergents leave a better film than this. - The Muppet Movie
17. I want my two dollars! - Better Off Dead (Alex)
18. Pay the two dollars! - North by Northwest
19. Let's just keep this brain melting stuff to ourselves. - Back to the Future (Alex)
20. There's a double meaning in that. - Much Ado About Nothing (trulymadlygeeky)

Say 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?

This is the question posed by the Fandango Groovers Movie Blog 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 only one director.

In a way, I actually find this easier than picking out any 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.

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?

Vincente Minelli or Stanley Donen - 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.

John Huston - 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 Orson Welles, Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks and Frank Capra: moments of brilliance but not enough there to sustain me on an island.)

Charlie Chaplin - 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.)

Steven Spielberg - 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 like but don't really love.

George Cukor - Would provide a good variety of films with wonderful performances by some great actresses.

Alfred Hitchcock - 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.


In the end, there's really only one choice for me (and my dad). Billy Wilder.

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:

 
That's The Apartment, Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, The Major and the Minor, Sabrina, Some Like it Hot, Stalag 17, and Sunset Boulevard. (If you prefer, you could swap in Ace in the Hole, The Fortune Cookie, or Witness for the Prosecution.)

But I'm not the only one getting hypothetically stranded. See what movies everyone else would take.

Who would be your Desert Island Director?

Book vs. Movie: Rebecca

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.

Rebecca, 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.


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.)

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 performance was out of place in Jane Eyre, it was just right in Rebecca. Although some might ask if his mustache is really necessary, 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.

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.

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.

If you've read the book and seen the movie, which do you prefer?