Morning, Mon Amour
Emmanuelle Riva as the Girl from Never in “Hiroshima, Mon Amour.” Thought she looked beautiful in these shots. Loved that she’s wearing a yukata. She’s just radiant in the morning.
Quote of the Day [11.17.09]
Cold coolin' at a bar, and I'm lookin' for some action
But like Mick Jagger said, I can't get no satisfactionTone-LOC, "Funky Cold Medina"
A Serious Man
One thing can be said about the Coen brothers latest film, A Serious Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1019452/), it sure is Jewish. What seems to be a reflection at being Jewish, A Serious Man, is, if anything, another of their head scratching efforts. Or at least, it will take you some time to figure out what it is the Coens are driving at in their movie. Again, the Coens make you leave the theatre quietly in reflection.A Serious Man opens with a Jewish parable. A man meets a neighbor on the lonely road home and invites him for some tea. Before the neighbor's arrival, the man's wife tells him that the neighbor isn't all that he is. He is a demon reincarnated after he died. Or he could just be a resilient man who survived. The wife takes it upon her to show her husband that she is right leaving the neighbor injured and dying. Or is he a demon and will survive? Are they blessed or cursed?The rest of the movie follows Larry Gopnik, a college professor, as he goes through trials and tribulations that Job would have found hard to get through. His wife wants a divorce to marry a divorcee friend. His children don't really care for him. His students are annoying. His brother is troublesome. And his neighbors are either racists or bored, free spirit housewives. Larry has to deal with all this even though he doesn't know why it is all happening to him.He tries to see a rabbi who will tell him what to do and what it all means. Yet, can you trust the advise of the religious? For example, the parking lot. Or for another example, Jefferson Airplane. It's all meaningless. So Larry is left to ponder how one is left to the fates. He is lurched from bad to good all the while helpless but persevering. When it all works, is he blessed or cursed?The Coens always make a film that you have to ponder about. This one makes me think of Barton Fink. I thought A Serious Man was penned by Barton Fink. Both films protagonists are afloat in the world that seems to have it against them, and they are powerless to effect change. It is fate, god, Hashim that animates their world, but why does He seem to be leveling pain and suffering. Perhaps, to the Coens their Jewish-ness is inherently un-understandable. What is it about their religion that motivates the Jews to be put upon? And should they stand for it?Finally, what is it with the Coens and Asians? Whenever an Asian is in their film prepare for a bizarre characterization. It'll make you cringe.3 of 5 stars.
Mt. Vernon Ghost Walk
Somethings are better written in the light of day. It is better writing about creepy, spooky, frightening things in bright sunshine than in the dark of night. The spooks and frights are less convincing when the shadows in the corner are gone.
Halloween was a few weeks ago, but we wanted to stretch out spook season for a few more days, so we went on the Mt. Vernon Ghost Walk Tour. It’s an offshoot of the Fells Point Ghost Walk, and it leads you around the haunted places of Mt. Vernon, Baltimore. It also gives you a nice history lesson of Baltimore for what are ghosts stories, but tales about a place — it’s history. But that isn’t so memorable, so let’s make it scary and you’ll remember the story.
That’s what’s was great about the ghost walk, the stories. Ghost stories are better in the first person whether that be P.O.V. or by spoken word. P.O.V. being me telling you my ghost experience. Spoken word is the ghost story being told out loud. And the story teller of our ghost walk was first rate. They really do a good job of telling the story.
Now, Baltimore is a great town for ghosts. It’s because of our second rate status. We are a small city trying to live big. We are south but never got a chance to secede. We are in between worlds just like ghosts. We have a chance to go between worlds.
There were great tales on the walk. It was a fun night. I liked it. I was spooked at times. I was surprised at times. I like ghost stories. You’ll have fun if you go.
0-for-5 all swinging strikeouts
I was wanting to hit some baseballs for the last few days, so I stopped by the batting cages at Grand Slam, my home park, after work. I bought the usual 6 tokens for $8 which is 96 balls. I stepped into the medium pitch cage. I was feeling it. Everything was pulled and sometimes I was hitting it off the end of the bat. But I was feeling it. Hitting line drives from both sides of the plate. Nice.So I saved a token for the fast pitch cage.Nothing but swinging strikes. I did have three foul tips, but I could barely lay a bat onto the ball. I saw the ball exit the pitching machine, watched it zoom towards the plate, but I was swinging at air. My timing was all wrong stuck on the medium pitch and barely fast enough to catch up to the fast. It wasn't as bad as when I moved from the slow cage to the medium. My first time in the medium I didn't even see the ball. I was just swinging blindly. This time, I was really late. Maybe if I'd had the lowered the pitches so that they were low strikes then I would've done better. Maybe. But it will be fun to try the fast pitch cage again. 80+ mph. Don't get scared of the ball.
Memories are made of this
I was watching a night of Grace Kelly on TCM. I can't get enough of her and of watching TCM. There's something I really like about the old-timey movies on that channel. Is it the uncomplicated innocence of the era? Is it the actors before there was an idea of celebrity? Is it the stories? Or am I just nostalgic about things?I am nostalgic and sentimental, but this post isn't about movies on TCM. It's about a dream this morning. *Groan* I know I've trod this path before. And I know I promised not to. But you know what? I like to make Google index my brain. So I'll write this dream down, let Google store it in its hive mind for eternity.This dream was probably driven by Grace Kelly She's from Philly. The girl I dreamt about is from Philly. The Phillies lost the World Series. I lost contact with this girl.So S., I meet her somewhere. I forget where. We did stuff around and end up at my Mom's. My Mom's house, circa 1995 around the time I met S.. Next, thing I know I'm waking up and dressing for something important. I'm wearing something a little more adult and I pull on a blazer. My brothers are dressing up as well. I'm thinking, "Where's S.?" Where did I leave her? She came home with me? Is she still asleep? Yes.She's still asleep in my brothers room. I'm getting changed as she wakes up. Now, S. was super pretty: brunette, hair to her shoulders, freckles — enough to see, but not enough to get in the way. She's just getting up. Naked, but wrapped in the bed sheet. Like this doesn't make me happy. She takes a shower. She's dressed.The dream moves forward in the disjointed way dreams do. We end up at some wedding shower! Hosted by my Tita! How does she know S.?! Of course, she knows S. She knows everyone! And the wedding shower is for her. I'm saddened by it all. There she is sitting front and center, looking pretty and amazing. She's seated next to a picture of her with curls! Curls? Is G. getting in on this dream?I'm thinking, "She's been in Baltimore all this time?" How come I didn't meet her againg? How come Tita didn't mention it? This is just awful to meet the girl in your dreams again on the day that she is celebrating being betrothed to another. Que lastima!Anger for missing this opportunity. Sadness for missing this opportunity. Resigned that this is my life. In a dream, I still don't catch any breaks.
Quote of the Day [11.12.09]
"An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."Thomas Paine, "Dissertions on First Principles of Government"
The Men Who Stare at Goats
The Men Who Stare at Goats (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/) was a movie I knew nothing about before paying my $8, plopping myself in a seat at a Sunday matinee, and getting to see a pleasant surprise of a movie. Of course I've seen the trailers and commercials, but I didn't bother to read the movie reviews. You see, I usually like to know what it is I'm getting myself into. When I don't know anything about the movie, I'm usually sceptical about how good it would be. I prepare for the worst. Most of the time, the movie is better than I expected. This one is one of the ones that turned out to be such. It must be because of the movie type, the actors involved, and the time of year. Thrillers and non-fictional fiction turn out for the better. Action and comedy turn out for the worst. George Clooney: yes. Jim Carey: no. The serious Oscar season of late fall and winter works. Silly summer movies doesn't. As you can see, my mindset entering into this movie was susceptible to liking the film. So, entering the theatre for The Men Who Stare at Goats, I had low expectations. I left liking the movie. First, George Clooney is always decent in a movie. I've not found him unlikeable in any of his recent outings. Also, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges are also likeable in this film. McGregor, an actual Jedi Knight, investigating Jeff Bridges' New Earth Army of Jedi Knights. They're just a wink-wink, nudge-nudge reference to previous roles. And also, a cameo by my favorite, Stephen Root. I was waiting for his Milton to show up.The tale is also intriguing. Is it real? Did the US Army really create a unit of psychic warriors? Possibly. Anything goes with this army. If they can torture, why not ESP? The plot boils down to be a Mulder revelation, an explanation of the unexplainable. It'll leave you laughing and crying about our US Army. Finally, I couldn't help but be amused by the fact that a few weeks ago an internet meme was running through twitter, one letter movie titles. It's taking a movie and transforming it by adding or changing a letter to the movie. "The Men Who Stare at Goats" became "The Men Who Stare at Goatse." I'll leave that as an exercise to the reader to find out. I apologize in advance.3 of 5 stars.
Link of the Day [11.12.09]
The Smithsonian holding a retrospective on Tazuka? Hmm. Maybe, I should go for a bit.