I have to walk by this photo of Sarah Brightman every morning since it's been plastered in my metro station. I'm afraid I can't get a better close up here, because I don't know how to work the graphics program of my Linux operating system (which, don't get me started), so I'll try to describe how it makes me feel.
Scared. It scares me a little. I'm kind of amazed at how Sarah weirds it up more and more with her image at every new album. With her present look, she has achieved a glass-eyed, robot stare, complete with an unnatural sheen on her skin, and, what is she doing? It seems she has been shocked back to life and is stomping awkwardly away from Dr. Frankenstein's castle to her next concert.
I read somewhere that "cable TV is the first to go" in an economic crisis. Well, they must have talked to our cat because that's exactly what we cut just last week. That's right: I'm one step away from shooting the TV!
My decision to cut the cable was partly motivated by a need to save money and partly by a need to decrease my tv watching. Comcast charges way too much for cable, but I also waste too much time watching mindless shows that I do not plan on watching.
Of course, I immediately regretted my decision as soon as it was gone and came very close to calling Comcast to tell them it was a big mistake and ask for them back like a lost lover. Luckily, I remembered my friend with benefits, good ol' Interweb, which offers an abundance of tv, so I think all will be ok. At least until this storm blows over and I pick up a book again.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to adjust those rabbit ears again. PBS has a finicky signal.
I finally saw Tod Browning's 1932 cult classic film, Freaks. Halloween put me in a mood for the scary, creepy, and other-worldly (yeah, more than usual), so I rented it for the holiday but only just now got around to actually watching it.
I thought I'd devote an actual post to my "review," rather than a side bar mini review just because, damn. Fascinating flick, you guys. First off, I will say that it's not near as scary as I anticipated. It's not at all scary, actually, unless you have a phobia of circus "freaks" (which I realize is no longer p.c., but work with me here). The spoilers I had read built it up to have this terrible, twisty, and unfortunate ending, but the outcome feels like more of a denouement. Yes, the protagonist/villain does suffer a terrible, albeit somewhat deserved, fate, but it's not one that will keep you up at night.
The most disturbing facet of this film I found is neither the plot nor the actual sideshow performers who act in it, but rather that much of the original film did not survive. Allegedly, when Browning released Freaks, it was so controversial that he was forced to cut about 30 minutes, reducing the running time to just over an hour and leaving the cut film to be lost. As a result, the final product is choppy and looks as though it was the victim of sloppy editing. The quality of the film also has not been preserved, as the sound is all over the map, and sometimes the picture just looks faded.
What is so controversial about this film? I suppose in the age of movies like Saw and Hostel, it's hard to believe that a film which features real people with deformities and forces the audience to imagine violence might actually be banned for 6 months in the UK. I suppose it was groundbreaking, however, in its ability to open the door to the world of real "freaks" who happen to be regular people capable of love and compassion as well as vengeance and violence.
Freaks inspired me to research the history of sideshows as well as the deformities and conditions with which these performers were afflicted. Among the real freaks are little people (the little people couple is the heart of the film), armless women, a legless man, a limbless man (the human torso), three people with microcephaly, an intersexual, and a woman with Virchow-Seckel syndrome (look it up!). It's sad to think about all these things, but they were rather endearing in the film.
So, to whet your appetite for this film, or perhaps, to suppress it, enjoy the following clip of a freak in action:
I'm seriously considering applying to be a contestant on the Price is Right. This is after an average of 9 hours of sleep in the last two days and successfully guessing prices of furniture in Ikea, but hey! It's a start.
I'm pretty happy that 1. America elected its first black President, 2. He's a pretty wonderful candidate and seems poised for greatness, and 3. the Republicans got their asses handed to them. I'm mean, I'm sorry. I was "raised Republican," if there is such a thing, but that party has gone through such a hideous transformation that is no longer recognizable as the same party once headed by Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower. I certainly don't think the Dems have all the answers, but I have a feeling that Obama may transform the party.
I went to bed last night around 2:30 am, after a casual get together at an Obama volunteer and friend of a friend's apartment. As soon as his win was announced, we could hear car horns blowing, people cheering, and even fireworks cracking from the streets of DC below. After the two speeches (and: kudos to McCain for his classy concession speech), we all went outside, and Mr. P and I joined in on the festivities, driving around the streets, honking our horn, high-fiving, and finally, parking and walking to the White House. There, at Lafayette Square, was a huge group of people hugging, cheering, waving flags, playing drums. There were a few chants of "No More Bush!" and "Na na na na, hey, hey, hey, good-bye," but mostly, it was a peaceful celebration. It felt like New Year's. It felt like an historic event unfolding.
Some other good things happened overnight, too: abortion rights were protected in South Dakota, marijuana possession was decriminalized in Massachusetts, and even slots were legalized in Maryland (could be good or bad: we'll see). Unfortunately, it looks like gay adoption rights have been blocked in Arkansas, and gay marriage has been re-banned in California. Well, I guess you can't have it all, so we will keep trying.
In the meantime, I'm pleased that the international community will look more kindly on America now, and I'm elated that this election proves that a society can evolve and grow with the times. Does our democracy work? I think so. There are still flaws, but it worked pretty well last night. Congrats, Barack. Keep on doing what you're doing.
I think this may be my favorite movie this year! So sweet, funny, creative, touching, real: all this without taking itself too seriously or becoming too indie or precious. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is super charming, and I couldn't stop thinking how much he reminded me of Heath Ledger! Though less intense. I think he is my newest crush. Zooey Deschanel is also lovely, albeit a bit wicked. I love how the story is told (jumping around in time, while still keeping a line), and I love some of the creative elements of the cinematography. It is a simple story but timeless and relatable (I think that's a word??). And let me tell you, what I relief to watch this after I just saw Revolutionary Road! (Sheesh)
Synecdoche, New York
After I rehearsed the pronunciation of this title and looked up what it meant - shut up; I was not an English major!- I watched this movie with pride in my superior knowledge. And then my brain got damaged. I was not an English major because I may or may not have used Cliff's Notes in high school, and after about an hour of this film, I was seriously wondering if Cliff's Notes existed for Synecdoche. Because I was seriously lost and beginning to resent it. And then, then! - yes, this film is a journey!- I began to realize something. It's all a dream. Have you ever woken up and thought, "I just dreamed that my house was on fire, but I was living in it, and there were a bunch of doppelgangers of me and other people running around, and then I went to an art exhibit and looked at very tiny canvases through a magnifying glass"? If you have, you may have seen this film already. So, I don't know what else to say about it except, if you are thinking about doing drugs, or want to have really vivid dreams, try Synecdoche instead.
He's Just Not That Into You
This movie had so many strikes against it going in: self-proclaimed "chick flick," many famous people in the cast (that rarely works), based on a self-help book (??). I had no interest in seeing it, but a girlfriend of mine convinced me to go with a group of girls (ugh) to see it, and I begrudgingly agreed. You know what? It wasn't half bad. I even laughed out loud, in several spots! Thankfully, this film never takes itself seriously, despite some of the serious plot lines, and there are some good old-fashioned comic moments. Desperate, needy characters are human and even charming, and despicable characters get their come-uppance. As long as you don't take the film seriously, which many critics have - why has no one a sense of humor anymore? - HJNTIY is good for a laugh. It also made me thankful I'm not single anymore.
Slumdog Millionaire
This film is getting a lot of hype lately, but it's justified. It's everything a film should be: inspiring, touching, and exciting. If you don't yet know what the film is about, take advantage of your ignorance and just go see it. I don't know what else to say about it except that it is the best movie I've seen in a while (since Man on Wire, actually), and I hope it sweeps the Oscars. A big win (or wins) for Slumdog would prove that life imitates art, and it would also hand it to Hollywood, who hasn't come up with something this good in a long while. Film bonus: don't expect "Bollywood" here, but there is a Bollywood dance at the end. I think they just couldn't resist.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: mini review
I went to see this because I thought Marley would be too depressing on Christmas. (And: Team Brad!). Turns out, B.B. is the third most depressing movie I have ever seen (can you guess the other two?). They took a lovely, interesting short story and inflated it with a big ol' bike pump till it almost burst with drama. The entire set-up of the story - the way it is "told" - is entirely unnecessary, and one sub-plot could have ended up on the cutting room floor and not made any difference. Still, I liked the film. The acting is all very good, the cinematography picturesque, and the story makes you think; but, here's the thing: you start to really think about it and you get really, really sad. So, bring kleenex, or, if you don't need a good cry, skip it.
Man on Wire: mini review
Again with the French! If you were alive in 1974, you may have remembered a man tightrope walking between the two World Trade Center towers. He did it without a net or harness, and he walked back and forth eight times. I won't tell you if he survived it (although you can just as easily look it up), but I will say that the man, Philippe Petit, was one crazy dude. This film is a documentary about his dream to string a cable a 1/4 mile up between the towers, which were not even built yet when he read about them and got the idea, and his six years of planning the stunt. The film includes artistic dramatizations of past events - the ones not captured on film - and present-day commentary from some of his co-conspirators, helpers, and friends. It is amazing and inspiring. Fun fact: he made his "walk" the day before Nixon resigned, so it's possible it would have been an even bigger story if the Prez hadn't immediately eclipsed it.
Elegy: mini review
Ben Kingsley is getting around with the ladies quite a lot recently, no? I blame his agent. Elegy is really just a photo album of Penelope Cruz, who wears three (!) distinctive hairstyles in this film to depict the passing of time. Also, her boobies play a supporting role. Kingsley is a sleazy (but not supposed to be, I think) professor who sleeps with his students and doesn't like marriage. The only interesting part of this film is Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Kingsley's ratty, snooty, spoiled son with an impressive amount of snoot and sneer. This movie made me weary, and now I am weary of this review.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona: mini review
Thank you, Woody, for restoring my faith in American cinema (even if you had to do it in Europe). If you're a fan Mr. Allen, and if you like Spain, you'll love V.C.B. Of course, it should go without saying that if you like girls, you'll love the promise of a Cruz/Johansson threesome, and if you like boys: Bardem, baby. He smolders! He seduces! He's not psycho! (But his ex-wife is) Seriously, though; V.C.B. is entertaining at the least, provocative at most. Plenty of Allen-esque neuroses coming out of the mouths of the characters, and plenty of comedy, plus a dash of pathos, just to keep it grounded. Most enjoyable are the scenes between Bardem and Cruz, especially when he badgers her to "speak English!" for the sake of his new lady. Rebecca Hall also turns in an interesting performance.
Tell No One: mini review
Tell No One marks the third French thriller I've seen this year. The first one I saw, Roman de Gare, was stunning; I really need to write a little review. Tell No One, on the other hand, is a fun, twisty thrill ride. Like Roman, you never know what's going to happen next, and the characters could be dark or light, innocent or guilty; they are constantly changing and keep you guessing. A pediatrician whose wife is murdered (or is she?), a richer-than-God politician, a complicated police officer, Kristen Scott Thomas as a beautiful, French lesbian, an adorable dog (who is also an important role), and a timeless love story all make up this intelligent mystery. Word to Hollywood: France is burying us this year in cinema.
The Dark Knight: mini review
As a fan of Batman - though not a completely geeked-out fan - I was so thoroughly satisfied by this film. It raises the bar. It blows other superhero movies out of the water. All the performances are good, but Heath Ledger's Joker is out of this world. You wonder how much that role cost him, and you suspect too much, seeing as how things ended for this wonderful actor. I heart Christian Bale, but I would have been very happy watching the Joker for 2 hours.
