I don't like romantic movies
I can't lie. I wish I could say "I don't like romantic movies" and if it wasn't for Truly, Madly, Deeply, it'd be true. TMD is not only a romantic movie I like, it is a romantic movie I love. loooove. even wuv
TMD is a love story between she who is here, and he who is not. he dies right at the beginning of the movie. she grieves, and grieves, and grieves to the point of paralysis. she simply cannot go on. and then he returns.
clippage:
NOTE about clippage: there is an abundance of clips in YT. however, the great majority are remixes based on Twilight or worse - so be careful
trailerino
after she and he reunite, what do they do? sing, obvy
Were we always like this?
I wish I could send y'all to watch, but incredibly, TMD is not available on DVD. I just very recently and with much regret, discarded my VHS copy. like she in the movie, I must move on.
... (continued)
"
On Sept. 22, Cook told two of her colleagues at the library about her dilemma, and Beth Boisvert made a decision. She would take the book off hold, thus disallowing the child — or the child's parents — ever to see the book.
On Sept. 23, both Cook and Boisvert were fired. They were told by library director Ron Critchfield the firings were a decision of the library board.
"
not only did ms. Cook broke all sorts of privacy and access rules, but afterwards, when she, as a community member, brought the library a request to withdraw the book in question (as any community member has a right to do), ms. Cook, as a member of the library committee that reviews such requests for withdrawal, had friends and fellows surround her and pray over her while she read the book in question (triple exclamation point here !!!), since she had not read it.
English title: Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Pedro Almodovar had been making movies for over ten years when Women on the verge... brought him worldwide attention, which he has kept for over twenty years.
written and directed by Almodovar, Women on the verge... is a broad farce, centering on actress Pepa (Carmen Maura) who works at dubbing foreign movies in Spanish. Pepa is having a affair with her married co-worker, who has disappeared and his not responding to her messages.
the action mostly takes place in Pepa's gorgeous penthouse apartment - before it's all over, there will be appearances by lawyers, terrorists, girlfriends of terrorists, police detectives, a Jehova's witness concierge, a mambo-crazed taxi driver*, and Pepa's lover, who has kept a few secrets from her. also a ridiculously young Antonio Banderas
* I can't track any clips of the 'mambo taxi', sadly.
trailer
opening credits (Spanish)
a clip (in Spanish) featuring Pepa and her lover's wife, Julieta
Oliver Stone is a blowhard. I think we can all agree there. he's not a very good director, notwithstanding the undeserved Oscar he got for a middle-of-the-road war movie, Platoon. one of the reasons I dislike his movies is Stone's tendency to beat the viewer over and over and over with a story's moral; he doesn't allow for any ambiguity or trust the viewer to get the point - makes most of his works ponderous and boring.
there are a couple of exceptions - rather, 1-½ exceptions: the ½ he gets for JFK, because, let's face it, most of us still can't swallow the 'magic bullet' theory. the other exception is Salvador
based on the experiences of journalist Richard Boyle (played by James Woods), Salvador chronicles the events of 1980-1981 in that nation at the height of the civil war, death squads and atrocities committed by both sides. it is a graphic, brutal movie; I could not turn away from the screen.
it is worth noting another achievement of Salvador: it may be the only movie or TV show ever made were Jim Belushi is bearable to watch - his character, Doctor Rock, accompanies Boyle to El Salvador on a lark and is entangled in the amoral atmosphere of the capital, while Boyle attempts to capture what is happening and get it out.
trailer
another trailer (graphic)
Boyle and an American photographer travel to rebel-held territory
What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
who most likely has seen these already. a drawing of Louise Brooks, daydreaming, by her friend and correspondent, Guido Crepax
M. Crepax was a graphic artist, whose most famous character, Valentina, was based on Mme. Brooks. Valentina starred in a series of erotic comics from 1968 through 1996.
I'd love to read the letters between him and Mme. Brooks.
Valentina
~300,000 starlings, dancing
English title: Aguirre, the Wrath of God. heretofore referred to as Aguirre
the story is based (loosely) in fact: in XVI-century Peru, a Spanish expedition has just crossed the Andes and is making the descent towards the Amazon river. we see them struggle with the jungle, the difficult terrain and the constant rain as they try to make their way, encumbered by their horses, lady-carrying litters, and equipment.
the leader of the expedition decides to send an advance down the Amazon, led by Pedro de Ursia; Aguirre is second-in-command.
once on the river the group is divided into three rafts and begins the journey - there are attacks from hostile indians, internal strife, and a revolt. de Ursia is removed from leadership. food supplies are running out, fever is rampant and arrows continue to fly in from nowhere
the Aguirre soundtrack by Popol Vuh contributes to the dreamlike quality of the trip downriver
the entire soundtrack is in YT: Aguirre I Aguirre II Aguirre III
NOTE: If you want to read about Lope de Aguirre, you can start
at the wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lope_de_Aguirre
De Aguirre’s letter to Phillip of Spain http://www.losttrails.com/pages/Tales/deAguirre
today's movie is brought to you by teh SO, who said "how about The last seduction?"
it has elements of film noir, thriller, psychological thriller, and some damn hot sex: neo-noir, as it is sometimes called.
to movie buffs, The last seduction is also known as that movie where Linda Fiorentino was robbed, as she indeed was. because of an Academy rule, ms. Fiorentino couldn't be nominated for an Oscar for her performance in The last seduction because the film had been released on TV (HBO) before it was in the theaters and was thus automatically ineligible for any Oscar nomination. a shame, since Fiorentino's went for broke in The last seduction playing the driven, amoral, sexually voracious Bridget to the hilt. an amazing performance.
trailer:
some of the story: Bridget is living in New York and married to a doctor. a doctor who she talks into selling drugs to some unsavory characters. she then absconds with the money, leaving dr. husband in a not very good position. he hires detectives to find her; she has moved upstate to some 'cowtown in cowcountry', where she goes through the local male population like to a shark through a school of guppies.
an exchange with Mike, who she meets in the town's bar
Bridget :
Could you leave? Please?
Mike : I haven't
finished charming you yet.
Bridget : You haven't
started.
Mike : Gimme a chance.
Bridget : Look, go
find yourself a nice little cowgirl and make nice little cowbabies and leave me
alone.
Mike : I'm hung like a
horse. Think about it.
[
pause]
Bridget : Let's see.
Mike : Excuse me?
Bridget : Mr. Ed,
let's see.
Mike : Look, I tried
to be nice. I can see that's something you're not...
Bridget : No, I'm
trying. I can be very nice when I try. Sit down.
Mike : OK, maybe we
just got off to a bad start. I know plenty of people -
[
Bridget unzips his fly]
Mike: What are you
doing?
Bridget : I believe
what we're looking for is a certain horse-like quality?
so maybe you want to see what happens after that exchange. the following montage begins there, and moves to other sex encounters including MAJOR SPOILERS. it is also NSFW and graphic.
