Frenzy
Dammit, I missed "Celebrity Mole"!! Oh well, I went to see Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy instead. It's one of Hitch's last movies and it's by far his most graphically violent and sexual, maybe the only Hitchcock film to feature exposed breasts. Sweet!
Hadn't seen the film in at least 10 or 15 years, so it felt like watching it for the first time. It's so disturbingly violent, and yet hilariously funny at the same time. The audience was rolling with laughter throughout. And the humor is quite morbid and dark, as well. This film shows Hitchcock's English sensibilities more than any other, I think. Not surprising, since he returned to London to film the story and he used an all English cast. Great actors, great writing. Really good movie.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Monday, January 19, 2004
Nostalgia
I've become obsessed with the past. Not just "the" past, but specifically my past. It's a strange thing. I don't quite understand it. I've been on an oldies kick the past few weeks since I started compiling a collection of favorite pop songs from the 1980s. I thought this wave of nostalgia had been inspired perhaps by Christmas, since that's usually a time when memories of old get stirred up. But now I realize this started earlier.
A couple of months ago, I went to see Rebel Without A Cause in Hollywood and it got me thinking about James Dean and what a huge fan I was as a teenager. I used to dress like him, talk like him; I wanted to emulate him as much as possible. I fancied myself as an actor in those days so who better to serve as an actor's role model? Well, Brando was the other choice!
Before both of them, my great adolescent hero was Cary Grant. I've been dreaming of him and those days this weekend since it is the 100th anniversary of his birth. What a great character he was. Again, I tried to copy his every move and expression into my personal vocabulary. I watched a couple Cary Grant movies this weekend to celebrate.
Of course my all-time best role model as a little kid was Mister Rogers, who passed away early last year. His death was so upsetting to me, surprisingly so. I really felt like part of me had died with him. He had a profound influence on my life, not just in the words of wisdom and self-esteem that he is so famously revered for, but also for his persona and his tastes. Listening to some piano jazz this evening made me realize that the music on Mister Rogers was perhaps the first jazz music I had heard. No wonder I love cheesy cocktail music so much! I received a little Mister Rogers quote book in my stocking this year. It's been quite fun and meaningful to browse through it.
When I was at the movie store deciding which Cary Grant movie to buy, I came across a couple of my favorites as a kid that I thought had gone out of print since 9/11. First was The Towering Inferno, which features a whole slew of megastars. At the time I was morbidly fascinated by the death and destruction portrayed in that film. It doesn't intrigue me much now, having seen the real thing on TV, but I did feel pangs of nostalgia holding that movie in my hands. I didn't buy it though.
The other one I wanted to buy, but resisted, was the 1976 remake of King Kong, or "the Jessica Lange version" as I've come to call it. I loved that film when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the story, especially the violent ending atop the World Trade Center towers. Those towers were so mysterious and mesmerizing to me. Ironically, that film is now an historical document. I'll probably add it to the collection eventually just for that reason.
Another movie from my youth that I've wanted to see was Frank Langella's version of Dracula from 1979. I loved horror movies back then, obviously, and this one was a favorite. I've been eager to see it again ever since I started reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. I haven't finished the book yet, though it's been a lot of fun to read, and I hope to watch the Langella film again as soon as I finish. I loved Laurence Olivier's Van Helsing in that film. I picture him a lot as I'm reading the original story.
I saw Ridley Scott's Alien a month or two ago and that was another revisit to the past. Also Randy and Heather kindly rented me All Creatures Great and Small a few weeks ago from Netflix. I adored that show as a teenager.
At the video store, I held in my hands so many DVDs of movies I loved as a kid. It took me forever to choose a Cary Grant movie to buy since I knew all of them well, but I had a limited budget to work with. I resisted the temptation to overspend and I put back more than I ended up buying. It was nice to feel that connection with my younger self, if only for a few moments, but I knew repeating something would never be as special as experiencing it the first time.
When I started writing this, I felt a little worried about my recent obsessions over the past. Now I'm not so concerned. I'm not sure if this is just me going through a stage (early midlife crisis?!) or if it's something in the air. In a sense I'm trying to recreate my youth. I guess my life, and the world, is so uncertain these days that one naturally longs for the familiar episodes of the past.
It's nice to relive the glory days every now and again. Then we must put away childish things and keep moving forward. Those "childish things" are symbols, artifacts. They are not memories. They serve as a security blanket to keep us warm in a cold, cold world.
I've become obsessed with the past. Not just "the" past, but specifically my past. It's a strange thing. I don't quite understand it. I've been on an oldies kick the past few weeks since I started compiling a collection of favorite pop songs from the 1980s. I thought this wave of nostalgia had been inspired perhaps by Christmas, since that's usually a time when memories of old get stirred up. But now I realize this started earlier.
A couple of months ago, I went to see Rebel Without A Cause in Hollywood and it got me thinking about James Dean and what a huge fan I was as a teenager. I used to dress like him, talk like him; I wanted to emulate him as much as possible. I fancied myself as an actor in those days so who better to serve as an actor's role model? Well, Brando was the other choice!
Before both of them, my great adolescent hero was Cary Grant. I've been dreaming of him and those days this weekend since it is the 100th anniversary of his birth. What a great character he was. Again, I tried to copy his every move and expression into my personal vocabulary. I watched a couple Cary Grant movies this weekend to celebrate.
Of course my all-time best role model as a little kid was Mister Rogers, who passed away early last year. His death was so upsetting to me, surprisingly so. I really felt like part of me had died with him. He had a profound influence on my life, not just in the words of wisdom and self-esteem that he is so famously revered for, but also for his persona and his tastes. Listening to some piano jazz this evening made me realize that the music on Mister Rogers was perhaps the first jazz music I had heard. No wonder I love cheesy cocktail music so much! I received a little Mister Rogers quote book in my stocking this year. It's been quite fun and meaningful to browse through it.
When I was at the movie store deciding which Cary Grant movie to buy, I came across a couple of my favorites as a kid that I thought had gone out of print since 9/11. First was The Towering Inferno, which features a whole slew of megastars. At the time I was morbidly fascinated by the death and destruction portrayed in that film. It doesn't intrigue me much now, having seen the real thing on TV, but I did feel pangs of nostalgia holding that movie in my hands. I didn't buy it though.
The other one I wanted to buy, but resisted, was the 1976 remake of King Kong, or "the Jessica Lange version" as I've come to call it. I loved that film when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the story, especially the violent ending atop the World Trade Center towers. Those towers were so mysterious and mesmerizing to me. Ironically, that film is now an historical document. I'll probably add it to the collection eventually just for that reason.
Another movie from my youth that I've wanted to see was Frank Langella's version of Dracula from 1979. I loved horror movies back then, obviously, and this one was a favorite. I've been eager to see it again ever since I started reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. I haven't finished the book yet, though it's been a lot of fun to read, and I hope to watch the Langella film again as soon as I finish. I loved Laurence Olivier's Van Helsing in that film. I picture him a lot as I'm reading the original story.
I saw Ridley Scott's Alien a month or two ago and that was another revisit to the past. Also Randy and Heather kindly rented me All Creatures Great and Small a few weeks ago from Netflix. I adored that show as a teenager.
At the video store, I held in my hands so many DVDs of movies I loved as a kid. It took me forever to choose a Cary Grant movie to buy since I knew all of them well, but I had a limited budget to work with. I resisted the temptation to overspend and I put back more than I ended up buying. It was nice to feel that connection with my younger self, if only for a few moments, but I knew repeating something would never be as special as experiencing it the first time.
When I started writing this, I felt a little worried about my recent obsessions over the past. Now I'm not so concerned. I'm not sure if this is just me going through a stage (early midlife crisis?!) or if it's something in the air. In a sense I'm trying to recreate my youth. I guess my life, and the world, is so uncertain these days that one naturally longs for the familiar episodes of the past.
It's nice to relive the glory days every now and again. Then we must put away childish things and keep moving forward. Those "childish things" are symbols, artifacts. They are not memories. They serve as a security blanket to keep us warm in a cold, cold world.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Happy 100th Birthday!
Today, January 18, 2004 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Archibald Alec Leach. “Who?!” you may ask. Young Mr. Leach or “Archie” as he was known was the only child born to lower-middle class parents in Bristol, England. Though his family’s resources were meager, young Archie’s mother treated him like a prince, always dressing him in the finest clothes and sending him to piano lessons and a private preparatory school. Archie soon learned to be independent, however, when his parents’ strained marriage hit its breaking point and Archie’s mother abandoned the family. Although Archie was told that his mother had gone away to a seaside resort to rest, in fact she had been institutionalized and Archie would neither know the truth nor see his mother again for the next twenty years.
Archie’s morose, alcoholic father withdrew from the boy and Archie was left to fend for himself, making his own meals and getting himself to school on time, though he was often sent to the headmaster’s office for his relentless prankishness. A kindhearted school mentor helped Archie land a job as an assistant at a local theater and Archie immediately fell in love with the stage. The homeless boy had now found a home and because of his good looks and athletic build the 13-year-old soon joined Bob Pender’s Troupe of acrobatic boys as a tumbler, stilt-walker, and mime. When the Pender troupe toured America in the early 1920s, Archie Leach became fascinated by the land of opportunity and stayed behind in New York instead of returning home to England.
Archie found work in the vaudeville circuit as a juggler, a unicycle rider, and as a straight man for comedians. He tried to be a singer and auditioned for the new operetta being produced by Broadway’s legendary Hammerstein family. This success led to more work on Broadway and after several years, Archie had a promising career in theater, earning between $300 and $450 per week! However, the allure of Hollywood soon caught the attention of the young actor and he decided to take his chances in the land of sunny beaches and blue skies.
A few screen tests later, with mixed results, and Archie Leach had a contract with Paramount Pictures. There was only one problem: his name. “Archie Leach” was fine for a comic or best-friend type, but the producers at Paramount saw leading man material in the handsome 27-year-old. Archie chose his new first name from a character he had played on Broadway, and his new last name came from a list provided by the studio.
The former Archie Leach made seven films in 1932, his first year under contract, but it was a year later in the film She Done Him Wrong that co-star Mae West uttered to him that famous line “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me,” and Cary Grant had his first taste of stardom.
And now you know the rest of the story…!
Today, January 18, 2004 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Archibald Alec Leach. “Who?!” you may ask. Young Mr. Leach or “Archie” as he was known was the only child born to lower-middle class parents in Bristol, England. Though his family’s resources were meager, young Archie’s mother treated him like a prince, always dressing him in the finest clothes and sending him to piano lessons and a private preparatory school. Archie soon learned to be independent, however, when his parents’ strained marriage hit its breaking point and Archie’s mother abandoned the family. Although Archie was told that his mother had gone away to a seaside resort to rest, in fact she had been institutionalized and Archie would neither know the truth nor see his mother again for the next twenty years.
Archie’s morose, alcoholic father withdrew from the boy and Archie was left to fend for himself, making his own meals and getting himself to school on time, though he was often sent to the headmaster’s office for his relentless prankishness. A kindhearted school mentor helped Archie land a job as an assistant at a local theater and Archie immediately fell in love with the stage. The homeless boy had now found a home and because of his good looks and athletic build the 13-year-old soon joined Bob Pender’s Troupe of acrobatic boys as a tumbler, stilt-walker, and mime. When the Pender troupe toured America in the early 1920s, Archie Leach became fascinated by the land of opportunity and stayed behind in New York instead of returning home to England.
Archie found work in the vaudeville circuit as a juggler, a unicycle rider, and as a straight man for comedians. He tried to be a singer and auditioned for the new operetta being produced by Broadway’s legendary Hammerstein family. This success led to more work on Broadway and after several years, Archie had a promising career in theater, earning between $300 and $450 per week! However, the allure of Hollywood soon caught the attention of the young actor and he decided to take his chances in the land of sunny beaches and blue skies.
A few screen tests later, with mixed results, and Archie Leach had a contract with Paramount Pictures. There was only one problem: his name. “Archie Leach” was fine for a comic or best-friend type, but the producers at Paramount saw leading man material in the handsome 27-year-old. Archie chose his new first name from a character he had played on Broadway, and his new last name came from a list provided by the studio.
The former Archie Leach made seven films in 1932, his first year under contract, but it was a year later in the film She Done Him Wrong that co-star Mae West uttered to him that famous line “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me,” and Cary Grant had his first taste of stardom.
And now you know the rest of the story…!
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Celebrity Mole
I gotta admit it: I love this show! It really makes me laugh. I have NEVER enjoyed "reality" shows. For the most part they sicken me. Then last fall I saw the first Celebrity Mole and I was hooked.
First of all, it's a pretty cool game. The players must work together to earn money for the pot, but one of the players is a mole who is being paid to sabotage the other players. Great concept -- add entertaining celebrities as the contestants and you've got a hit show!
The first series was great because of Kathy Griffin. She's an hilarious comedienne and she kept me watching that show because of her humor. She also hosted Average Joe which was the only other reality show that I've watched. I loved that show's originality and the dorky guys they found to play the game. There's a new season of Average Joe but it doesn't appeal to me as much as the first one. The novelty has worn off. In fact, NBC hasn't even updated the Average Joe website!
However, the second season of Celebrity Mole is very entertaining. Kathy Griffin is not there, but Stephen Baldwin and Corbin Bernsen have returned and they are very funny. It's a good show.
Can you tell I don't have cable??!!
I gotta admit it: I love this show! It really makes me laugh. I have NEVER enjoyed "reality" shows. For the most part they sicken me. Then last fall I saw the first Celebrity Mole and I was hooked.
First of all, it's a pretty cool game. The players must work together to earn money for the pot, but one of the players is a mole who is being paid to sabotage the other players. Great concept -- add entertaining celebrities as the contestants and you've got a hit show!
The first series was great because of Kathy Griffin. She's an hilarious comedienne and she kept me watching that show because of her humor. She also hosted Average Joe which was the only other reality show that I've watched. I loved that show's originality and the dorky guys they found to play the game. There's a new season of Average Joe but it doesn't appeal to me as much as the first one. The novelty has worn off. In fact, NBC hasn't even updated the Average Joe website!
However, the second season of Celebrity Mole is very entertaining. Kathy Griffin is not there, but Stephen Baldwin and Corbin Bernsen have returned and they are very funny. It's a good show.
Can you tell I don't have cable??!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
What day is it?
All evening I've thought it was Wednesday, when in fact it is only Tuesday!!
That explains why no students appeared in either of my online classes tonight. I sat there with the classroom browser open for two hours waiting for students to appear, but none came. I was dumbfounded.
The next disappointment happened after my (non-) teaching was finished. I turned on the TV hoping to tune into Celebrity Mole but it wasn't showing. They had a crime drama playing instead. I was really irritated by that. Then I checked the ABC website to confirm the schedule. It was then I realized I had the wrong day!
Yee gods....
All evening I've thought it was Wednesday, when in fact it is only Tuesday!!
That explains why no students appeared in either of my online classes tonight. I sat there with the classroom browser open for two hours waiting for students to appear, but none came. I was dumbfounded.
The next disappointment happened after my (non-) teaching was finished. I turned on the TV hoping to tune into Celebrity Mole but it wasn't showing. They had a crime drama playing instead. I was really irritated by that. Then I checked the ABC website to confirm the schedule. It was then I realized I had the wrong day!
Yee gods....
Monday, January 12, 2004
The Known Universe
Came across a cool blog today on Blogger. Written by a New York writer/artist type. He's very funny and descriptive and takes lots of interesting pictures.
Wish I could (would) write like that.
Came across a cool blog today on Blogger. Written by a New York writer/artist type. He's very funny and descriptive and takes lots of interesting pictures.
Wish I could (would) write like that.
The '80s Are History
OK, '80s music project is finished. Well, I've stopped anyway. Currently there's 355 songs on the list, equalling one day of music, and 1.5 GB of data.
I realize it would take roughly a decade to listen to all of that music, which seems appropriate since it took about a decade to create all of it. But since I can't go on living in that time, I'll do my best to live in this one. Fun music, though.
OK, '80s music project is finished. Well, I've stopped anyway. Currently there's 355 songs on the list, equalling one day of music, and 1.5 GB of data.
I realize it would take roughly a decade to listen to all of that music, which seems appropriate since it took about a decade to create all of it. But since I can't go on living in that time, I'll do my best to live in this one. Fun music, though.
Friday, January 09, 2004
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Happy New Year
Haven't blogged in ages. Out of the habit I guess. Xmas was OK. A little depressing after the death of my aunt, but my family was all together (Mom, Dad and Stepmom) for the first time since my parents' divorce.
My Dad was so nice to my Mom and very considerate about Aunt Martha. Not long after we arrived at my sister's (for Xmas dinner), he proposed a toast to the memory of my aunt -- everyone ended up in tears -- and at the end of the evening as we said our goodbyes he gave the warmest hug to my Mom. It was nice to see them bond again after a long time. I know my Dad liked my aunt a lot and he's sorry to lose her just like the rest of us.
The drive to Denver was a bit stressful as there was a big snowstorm on the passes in western Utah that I had to traverse in the dead of night. Not fun. I took the southern route on the way back, through New Mexico and Arizona and had a lovely time. No problems at all. Had sweet Chukes with me the whole trip and she was a dream. Never known a dog as nice and sweet and smart as she is. She's almost like a person; she really understands what you say to her.
Been having fun this week compiling a collection of my favorite songs from the 1980s. This started out as just a lark to make a CD of a dozen or more songs from the era. But as I began downloading and listening to these old tunes, I kept remembering other ones from the era. Then I sent an email to potentially interested parties and asked for their favorite tracks from the era. Then I had all these great ideas for songs that I had forgotten, so I've been downloading and searching ever since. So far there are over 100 songs on my list!! There's no way I can make "a" CD to cover all of those, unless I burn an MP3 CD, which I probably will for me and anyone else who wants one and can play them. If only my car would play MP3 CDs....ach!
Well, it has been tremendously fun to hear those old songs again. So many memories came back! It was also very funny at times to hear what was popular 20 years ago. I was expecting a lot of cheesiness and schmaltz, but I've been suprised at the quality of some of the music. A lot of it holds up pretty well. The "cringe factor" has been minimal. Can't wait to get the project finished.
UCLA Extension is in terrible straits -- the lowest enrollment I've ever seen. A lot of teachers are out of work. Tough times for workers who deal with the international community. The government is making more difficult for international visitors to come here; therefore, no students. I've been looking earnestly for degree programs I can get into fast to advance my education. Need to find more sources of income.
Well off to work now....
Haven't blogged in ages. Out of the habit I guess. Xmas was OK. A little depressing after the death of my aunt, but my family was all together (Mom, Dad and Stepmom) for the first time since my parents' divorce.
My Dad was so nice to my Mom and very considerate about Aunt Martha. Not long after we arrived at my sister's (for Xmas dinner), he proposed a toast to the memory of my aunt -- everyone ended up in tears -- and at the end of the evening as we said our goodbyes he gave the warmest hug to my Mom. It was nice to see them bond again after a long time. I know my Dad liked my aunt a lot and he's sorry to lose her just like the rest of us.
The drive to Denver was a bit stressful as there was a big snowstorm on the passes in western Utah that I had to traverse in the dead of night. Not fun. I took the southern route on the way back, through New Mexico and Arizona and had a lovely time. No problems at all. Had sweet Chukes with me the whole trip and she was a dream. Never known a dog as nice and sweet and smart as she is. She's almost like a person; she really understands what you say to her.
Been having fun this week compiling a collection of my favorite songs from the 1980s. This started out as just a lark to make a CD of a dozen or more songs from the era. But as I began downloading and listening to these old tunes, I kept remembering other ones from the era. Then I sent an email to potentially interested parties and asked for their favorite tracks from the era. Then I had all these great ideas for songs that I had forgotten, so I've been downloading and searching ever since. So far there are over 100 songs on my list!! There's no way I can make "a" CD to cover all of those, unless I burn an MP3 CD, which I probably will for me and anyone else who wants one and can play them. If only my car would play MP3 CDs....ach!
Well, it has been tremendously fun to hear those old songs again. So many memories came back! It was also very funny at times to hear what was popular 20 years ago. I was expecting a lot of cheesiness and schmaltz, but I've been suprised at the quality of some of the music. A lot of it holds up pretty well. The "cringe factor" has been minimal. Can't wait to get the project finished.
UCLA Extension is in terrible straits -- the lowest enrollment I've ever seen. A lot of teachers are out of work. Tough times for workers who deal with the international community. The government is making more difficult for international visitors to come here; therefore, no students. I've been looking earnestly for degree programs I can get into fast to advance my education. Need to find more sources of income.
Well off to work now....
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Birthday Present
You'll never guess what I got myself for my birthday this year....a big honkin' zit! That's right, a zit. It's more than just a pimple and it is way too big to be called a blemish. "A third eye" is more like it. This one's been coming on for a few days, positioned very noticeably on the left side of my nose. I wish I had a picture to post.
It was one of those deep pimples that takes a few days to surface. I knew it was coming when the spot on my nose felt tender and sore to the touch. It was just a flat red spot then. Now it's a frickin' Vesuvius with a huge white head capping the top. Lovely.
I'm expecting an eruption later today, probably during class. My students will be sitting there listening, then suddenly everyone will tune out what I'm saying and they won't be able to stop staring at my nose. Then, in that embarrassing, Rudolph moment, I'll think to myself: "Happy Birthday, Scottydude!"
You'll never guess what I got myself for my birthday this year....a big honkin' zit! That's right, a zit. It's more than just a pimple and it is way too big to be called a blemish. "A third eye" is more like it. This one's been coming on for a few days, positioned very noticeably on the left side of my nose. I wish I had a picture to post.
It was one of those deep pimples that takes a few days to surface. I knew it was coming when the spot on my nose felt tender and sore to the touch. It was just a flat red spot then. Now it's a frickin' Vesuvius with a huge white head capping the top. Lovely.
I'm expecting an eruption later today, probably during class. My students will be sitting there listening, then suddenly everyone will tune out what I'm saying and they won't be able to stop staring at my nose. Then, in that embarrassing, Rudolph moment, I'll think to myself: "Happy Birthday, Scottydude!"
Monday, December 15, 2003
Has Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend Lousy?
If so, please tell him to come home! I haven't seen Lousy in at least three days. He often stays out all day and all night, but he usually comes home at least once a day to eat, drink water, and get a few rubs before heading back out into the wild.
He's an adventurous lad and prone to getting into trouble. Last week he came home all messed up with some weird gunk on his head and parts of his body. He was so sick that he stayed home and slept for three days straight. The left side of his face was quite swollen. Then he wandered out one afternoon for a short while but came back in to spend the night. The gunk on his head turned out to be some sort of puss coming from a wound on his forehead. It started to erupt one evening and I had to wipe it off. The next day that spot was scabby and the hair was matted down. But I knew he was feeling better because he had more energy and he wanted to go outside again. I haven't seen him since.
Ironically, I recently learned a Japanese fairy tale from one of my students about a cat who is very happy with his owner and when he gets old and sick, he comes to his owner to say goodbye then goes off alone to die.
If so, please tell him to come home! I haven't seen Lousy in at least three days. He often stays out all day and all night, but he usually comes home at least once a day to eat, drink water, and get a few rubs before heading back out into the wild.
He's an adventurous lad and prone to getting into trouble. Last week he came home all messed up with some weird gunk on his head and parts of his body. He was so sick that he stayed home and slept for three days straight. The left side of his face was quite swollen. Then he wandered out one afternoon for a short while but came back in to spend the night. The gunk on his head turned out to be some sort of puss coming from a wound on his forehead. It started to erupt one evening and I had to wipe it off. The next day that spot was scabby and the hair was matted down. But I knew he was feeling better because he had more energy and he wanted to go outside again. I haven't seen him since.
Ironically, I recently learned a Japanese fairy tale from one of my students about a cat who is very happy with his owner and when he gets old and sick, he comes to his owner to say goodbye then goes off alone to die.
Too Many Movies
There's too many damn movies this year! Every year the studios save their best and brightest films, meaning those that might earn Oscar nominations, for the holiday season in the hopes that these films will stay in Academy members' minds come ballot time.
Two more factors are affecting the glut of Oscar hopefuls in theaters now. First, the Oscars ceremony is being moved up a month earlier next year, which means there is less time for voters to see the films; and secondly (perhaps more significantly), the MPAA has announced that studios will not distribute screener copies of films to critics and award ceremony groups (outside of the Academy) because of piracy concerns.
This deeply affects smaller films that depend greatly on screeners to get their films seen. Some studios have re-released their trophy films into theaters and set up special screenings for award voters who would typically watch the movie in the comfort of their own homes.
I can only hope this means we have an overabundance of good movies out there because there are dozens of "important" films showing right now, and several of the big Christmas releases haven't even opened yet. What's impressive is the wide variety of films in each genre and budget class. There are major studio blockbusters alongside family comedies, human dramas, independent features, documentaries, foreign films, and so on.
I must say this year has been great for little films. Adult audiences seem to have grown weary of the teenage boy shoot-'em-ups that have dominated the multiplexes the past few years. We still have the Matrixes and the Lords of the Rings, but those films seem to have lost a little of their luster in the mass market. The biz seems to be moving toward niche marketing, an attempt to reach every demographic group concurrently.
It's great for people like me who love movies but get sick of all the Spiderman knock-offs. Personally, I found the first Lord of the Rings film to be painfully boring and tedious. How many creepy crawly ghouls can one person handle in a single sitting?! No thanks. I skipped LOTR 2 and have no plans to see the third installment. Same with The Matrix. I LOVED the first one for its unique action and deeply philosophical storyline. It was a great mind-body combination. However, the creators apparently believed their own hype and the series has turned into every CGI soap opera out there since Star Wars Episode I. The second Matrix was passable but uninspiring; the third one looks so disappointing that I haven't bothered.
That's not to say I'm against epic blockbusters, not at all. But nowadays I'm more interested in human stories, not cartoons, and if a human story can be told on a grand scale, a la Master and Commander or The Last Samurai (two movies on my list that I haven't seen), then I'm all for it.
The question now is one of time. What working adult could possibly spare the time, not to mention the expense, to see all or even some of the films out right now, especially during the mad Christmas shopping season? It's infuriating!
Note to Hollywood: There's too many damn movies!!
There's too many damn movies this year! Every year the studios save their best and brightest films, meaning those that might earn Oscar nominations, for the holiday season in the hopes that these films will stay in Academy members' minds come ballot time.
Two more factors are affecting the glut of Oscar hopefuls in theaters now. First, the Oscars ceremony is being moved up a month earlier next year, which means there is less time for voters to see the films; and secondly (perhaps more significantly), the MPAA has announced that studios will not distribute screener copies of films to critics and award ceremony groups (outside of the Academy) because of piracy concerns.
This deeply affects smaller films that depend greatly on screeners to get their films seen. Some studios have re-released their trophy films into theaters and set up special screenings for award voters who would typically watch the movie in the comfort of their own homes.
I can only hope this means we have an overabundance of good movies out there because there are dozens of "important" films showing right now, and several of the big Christmas releases haven't even opened yet. What's impressive is the wide variety of films in each genre and budget class. There are major studio blockbusters alongside family comedies, human dramas, independent features, documentaries, foreign films, and so on.
I must say this year has been great for little films. Adult audiences seem to have grown weary of the teenage boy shoot-'em-ups that have dominated the multiplexes the past few years. We still have the Matrixes and the Lords of the Rings, but those films seem to have lost a little of their luster in the mass market. The biz seems to be moving toward niche marketing, an attempt to reach every demographic group concurrently.
It's great for people like me who love movies but get sick of all the Spiderman knock-offs. Personally, I found the first Lord of the Rings film to be painfully boring and tedious. How many creepy crawly ghouls can one person handle in a single sitting?! No thanks. I skipped LOTR 2 and have no plans to see the third installment. Same with The Matrix. I LOVED the first one for its unique action and deeply philosophical storyline. It was a great mind-body combination. However, the creators apparently believed their own hype and the series has turned into every CGI soap opera out there since Star Wars Episode I. The second Matrix was passable but uninspiring; the third one looks so disappointing that I haven't bothered.
That's not to say I'm against epic blockbusters, not at all. But nowadays I'm more interested in human stories, not cartoons, and if a human story can be told on a grand scale, a la Master and Commander or The Last Samurai (two movies on my list that I haven't seen), then I'm all for it.
The question now is one of time. What working adult could possibly spare the time, not to mention the expense, to see all or even some of the films out right now, especially during the mad Christmas shopping season? It's infuriating!
Note to Hollywood: There's too many damn movies!!
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Ol' Blue Eyes
December the 12th is the birthday of Francis Albert Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board!! Sleep warm, Frank, wherever you are.....
....Dec 12 is also my Uncle Gene's birthday....Happy Birthday, Uncle!!
December the 12th is the birthday of Francis Albert Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board!! Sleep warm, Frank, wherever you are.....
....Dec 12 is also my Uncle Gene's birthday....Happy Birthday, Uncle!!
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Aunt Martha
My dear Aunt Martha passed peacefully from this world early this morning. She had been battling ovarian cancer since 1999. My mother was by her side as she went.
Aunt Martha was the matriarch of my mother's family. A former special education teacher, Martha Barrett went on to become the president of the Texas State Teacher's Union. She spent her life advocating fair treatment and proper working conditions for public school teachers. She was known for her strength and leadership and she never liked to waste time. In fact, it was only two days ago that the doctors told her there was nothing more they could do to treat her cancer. I can just hear her saying, "Well, if I'm gonna die, let's get goin'!"
Aunt Martha is survived by her grown daughter and son, three grandchildren, three younger sisters, and her father. She was 61 years old.
My dear Aunt Martha passed peacefully from this world early this morning. She had been battling ovarian cancer since 1999. My mother was by her side as she went.
Aunt Martha was the matriarch of my mother's family. A former special education teacher, Martha Barrett went on to become the president of the Texas State Teacher's Union. She spent her life advocating fair treatment and proper working conditions for public school teachers. She was known for her strength and leadership and she never liked to waste time. In fact, it was only two days ago that the doctors told her there was nothing more they could do to treat her cancer. I can just hear her saying, "Well, if I'm gonna die, let's get goin'!"
Aunt Martha is survived by her grown daughter and son, three grandchildren, three younger sisters, and her father. She was 61 years old.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Two Years
It's been almost two years since I left my wife and an unhappy marriage in San Diego. I remember the moment I realized it was really over. It was just about two years ago, just before Christmas 2001.
We were living in Oceanside, California where I was the Center Director for a little English school based at a community college. It was a cute little campus on a hill overlooking the mighty Pacific. I loved going there everyday. The views were nothing less than spectacular.
It was a fresh start for Atsue and I with a new job in a new town. I was trying to be a part of the campus community as much as possible and for fun I joined the music department's chamber chorale. It was great fun to sing during my lunch hour a couple times a week. I was at least ten years older than any of the other singers so they looked up to me as something of an elder statesman.
Atsue was very reluctant to support my interest in singing (or anything else, for that matter) and the few times she did come to hear me sing, she did so begrudgingly. We'd had our problems for a long time, almost since the very beginning of our marriage, but I never wanted to give up. I always put a happy face on things and tried harder to please her, hoping that someday she would come around.
School was about to finish for the Christmas holidays. We had our final Christmas concert on campus, which was a beautiful dressy affair set in the dining room with a stage at one end. We also had dessert and coffee for the audience, who sat at tables which the choir had decorated. We spent the whole afternoon before the show dressing up the place with decorations and poinsettias. It was lovely. Atsue refused to come.
A few days later, she dealt me another disappointment by refusing to attend my school's holiday party. I had planned for weeks to make it a special occasion for our students and teachers. Our school was struggling terribly after 9/11 and I was doing anything possible to keep students happy and enrolled. I also knew I would have to lay off a few of my dear teachers after the end of the term so this was something of a farewell party as well.
I had organized the party as a pot-luck dinner in a banquet hall on campus and all of the host families were invited to attend. There was plenty of music, food, and fun. I had prepared my family's beloved broccoli-cheese casserole, which I make every Thanksgiving to much fanfare. However, since I knew I would be at school all day, I left the casserole in the oven ready to heat so that I could swing back home and pick up the hot dish and be back in time for the party. Our apartment was only 7 minutes away from school.
Preparations for the party kept me busy all day and I realized I wouldn't be able to go home in time to bring back the casserole. I called my wife and asked her to heat the casserole and bring it to the party. She balked. After much pleading and cajoling, she finally (angrily) agreed. However, she didn't want to have any contact with the students for some reason. It was weird. She had been in social situations with the students before and since most of them were Japanese, they got along fine. At least it seemed that way. I had encouraged her to make friends with them if possible since she had almost no social life to speak of and I thought having some Japanese camaraderie would be welcome to her. I was wrong.
The party had started and I had been waiting and waiting for her to show up with the casserole. I never saw her. Finally, I snuck out to call home and she was there. She had brought the casserole to school, but instead of bringing to the party, she left it to get cold in my office! After secretly dropping off the casserole where no one would know to find it, she hurried back home to avoid being seen. I was livid!
I went back to the party and entertained the guests, then stayed to clean up afterwards. It had been a very pleasant evening. Many host families came with their kids, and our students had a lot of fun as well.
When I got home, I was very upset with my wife for her childish and inconsiderate behavior and I proceeded to tell her so. She would have none of that, however, and she erupted into a furious and scathing tirade against me and my petty attempts to build a future for us and my pathetic ambitions to be a teacher and school director. She had attacked me many times before, but this was the most poisonous and malicious outburst ever. She was saying anything she could, no matter how outrageous or untrue, just to hurt me.
Certainly I was hurt, but more than anything I was stunned. I couldn't understand where her venom and animosity toward me was coming from. She offered no explanation. This was one of the few times that I had attempted to express my anger and displeasure to her, but she wouldn't allow that and instead exploded with anger at me.
It was at this moment that I had the unexpected sensation of becoming detached from my environment. Suddenly, I was standing outside myself and her slings and arrows had no effect on me. It was as if I were in a bubble that her assaults couldn't penetrate. I sat on the floor against the wall (we had no furniture) and just stared at her as she stood over me, furiously pacing and berating me. I looked deeply into her eyes -- no, into her soul -- and I saw very clearly that this was a person who had no love for me, who had no interest in knowing me or in supporting who I was as a human being. Not only was she uninterested in loving me, she was incapable of loving me, or perhaps anyone.
After three torturous years of living with a tyranical woman and doing everything I could to make the marriage work, I finally realized that it would never ever get any better. It was over. I knew in that moment that I had to get out of the relationship and when I surrendered to that realization, I felt an odd sense of peace. It wasn't a contented sort of peace, but it was the kind of peace you feel when you see the path before you and you know very clearly what you have to do to move down it.
The next few weeks were awkward and uncomfortable. Atsue had planned a trip to Japan for New Year's to visit her family. She would be gone for almost a month, returning in late January. Before that, though, there was Christmas with my family in Colorado. I had told them before we came that my marriage would be ending soon. I told Atsue too on our long drive to Denver, but she didn't really believe me. My darling family were just as warm and gracious as ever. We had a quiet Christmas, then I put her on the plan to Japan.
On the drive back to California, I was alone with my thoughts since Atsue had flown to Tokyo from Denver. Out on the road, in the empty wastelands of the American west, there's plenty of time to examine your life and think things through. I decided I was terribly unhappy with my job and with my living situation and I was resolved to change it immediately.
By the time I got back to Oceanside, I had already decided to quit my job and go back to school. When I got home, there was a notice on our door from the manager saying our rent would be increasing. Our six-month lease had expired and this shitty apartment with inconsistent hot water, bad plumbing, and noisy kids running around constantly was now going to cost over a thousand dollars a month. That was the last sign I needed. It was time to get out of Dodge.
The next day, I turned in my resignation letter to my boss and gave notice to the landlord that we would not renew our lease. When Atsue returned, she begged me to give her one more chance. She promised me that she would quit school and get a job to support me so I could go back to school. We found a delightful little apartment in a wonderful section of San Diego. I really liked being in SD and I was willing (but not optimistic) to give it one more try in yet another new setting.
Unsurprisingly, things broke down within a couple of weeks and I left. She didn't let me go easily, though. There was much screaming, crying, begging, pleading, and finally, clinging and dragging as she physically held on to me as I tried to walk out and she ended up chasing me to the parking lot and flinging herself against the car as I tried to drive away. That was a horrible, insane experience. It was like something out of a bad melodrama. I cried the entire way back to Los Angeles. I knew I could never go back.
It was so hard to end that relationship, the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But I feel much stronger because of it. I don't ever want to go through that trauma again, but I know I could if I had to. It's been almost a year since the divorce was finalized and about a year and a half since I last saw her or had any contact with her. I have no idea where she is or what she's doing. And honestly, I don't much care.
Life is not any easier now than it was then, but at least I'm myself again. I feel so much happier and healthier, and stronger. Most importantly, I'm able to spend time with my friends, who really made my recovery possible. I don't know what I would do without them.
I've had a couple of short-term girlfriends since the end of my marriage. Nothing serious, but it has been fun. Will I ever marry again? Possibly, but I'm not in any hurry. I'm not really interested in dating even. I don't have to be in a relationship to feel good about myself. And I don't feel like compromising my identity in order to please someone else or to earn their approval. As conceited as it sounds, I'm contented to be single and to have my little social life and to enjoy being ME. Like Mr. Rogers always said, "I like you just the way you are!"
It's been almost two years since I left my wife and an unhappy marriage in San Diego. I remember the moment I realized it was really over. It was just about two years ago, just before Christmas 2001.
We were living in Oceanside, California where I was the Center Director for a little English school based at a community college. It was a cute little campus on a hill overlooking the mighty Pacific. I loved going there everyday. The views were nothing less than spectacular.
It was a fresh start for Atsue and I with a new job in a new town. I was trying to be a part of the campus community as much as possible and for fun I joined the music department's chamber chorale. It was great fun to sing during my lunch hour a couple times a week. I was at least ten years older than any of the other singers so they looked up to me as something of an elder statesman.
Atsue was very reluctant to support my interest in singing (or anything else, for that matter) and the few times she did come to hear me sing, she did so begrudgingly. We'd had our problems for a long time, almost since the very beginning of our marriage, but I never wanted to give up. I always put a happy face on things and tried harder to please her, hoping that someday she would come around.
School was about to finish for the Christmas holidays. We had our final Christmas concert on campus, which was a beautiful dressy affair set in the dining room with a stage at one end. We also had dessert and coffee for the audience, who sat at tables which the choir had decorated. We spent the whole afternoon before the show dressing up the place with decorations and poinsettias. It was lovely. Atsue refused to come.
A few days later, she dealt me another disappointment by refusing to attend my school's holiday party. I had planned for weeks to make it a special occasion for our students and teachers. Our school was struggling terribly after 9/11 and I was doing anything possible to keep students happy and enrolled. I also knew I would have to lay off a few of my dear teachers after the end of the term so this was something of a farewell party as well.
I had organized the party as a pot-luck dinner in a banquet hall on campus and all of the host families were invited to attend. There was plenty of music, food, and fun. I had prepared my family's beloved broccoli-cheese casserole, which I make every Thanksgiving to much fanfare. However, since I knew I would be at school all day, I left the casserole in the oven ready to heat so that I could swing back home and pick up the hot dish and be back in time for the party. Our apartment was only 7 minutes away from school.
Preparations for the party kept me busy all day and I realized I wouldn't be able to go home in time to bring back the casserole. I called my wife and asked her to heat the casserole and bring it to the party. She balked. After much pleading and cajoling, she finally (angrily) agreed. However, she didn't want to have any contact with the students for some reason. It was weird. She had been in social situations with the students before and since most of them were Japanese, they got along fine. At least it seemed that way. I had encouraged her to make friends with them if possible since she had almost no social life to speak of and I thought having some Japanese camaraderie would be welcome to her. I was wrong.
The party had started and I had been waiting and waiting for her to show up with the casserole. I never saw her. Finally, I snuck out to call home and she was there. She had brought the casserole to school, but instead of bringing to the party, she left it to get cold in my office! After secretly dropping off the casserole where no one would know to find it, she hurried back home to avoid being seen. I was livid!
I went back to the party and entertained the guests, then stayed to clean up afterwards. It had been a very pleasant evening. Many host families came with their kids, and our students had a lot of fun as well.
When I got home, I was very upset with my wife for her childish and inconsiderate behavior and I proceeded to tell her so. She would have none of that, however, and she erupted into a furious and scathing tirade against me and my petty attempts to build a future for us and my pathetic ambitions to be a teacher and school director. She had attacked me many times before, but this was the most poisonous and malicious outburst ever. She was saying anything she could, no matter how outrageous or untrue, just to hurt me.
Certainly I was hurt, but more than anything I was stunned. I couldn't understand where her venom and animosity toward me was coming from. She offered no explanation. This was one of the few times that I had attempted to express my anger and displeasure to her, but she wouldn't allow that and instead exploded with anger at me.
It was at this moment that I had the unexpected sensation of becoming detached from my environment. Suddenly, I was standing outside myself and her slings and arrows had no effect on me. It was as if I were in a bubble that her assaults couldn't penetrate. I sat on the floor against the wall (we had no furniture) and just stared at her as she stood over me, furiously pacing and berating me. I looked deeply into her eyes -- no, into her soul -- and I saw very clearly that this was a person who had no love for me, who had no interest in knowing me or in supporting who I was as a human being. Not only was she uninterested in loving me, she was incapable of loving me, or perhaps anyone.
After three torturous years of living with a tyranical woman and doing everything I could to make the marriage work, I finally realized that it would never ever get any better. It was over. I knew in that moment that I had to get out of the relationship and when I surrendered to that realization, I felt an odd sense of peace. It wasn't a contented sort of peace, but it was the kind of peace you feel when you see the path before you and you know very clearly what you have to do to move down it.
The next few weeks were awkward and uncomfortable. Atsue had planned a trip to Japan for New Year's to visit her family. She would be gone for almost a month, returning in late January. Before that, though, there was Christmas with my family in Colorado. I had told them before we came that my marriage would be ending soon. I told Atsue too on our long drive to Denver, but she didn't really believe me. My darling family were just as warm and gracious as ever. We had a quiet Christmas, then I put her on the plan to Japan.
On the drive back to California, I was alone with my thoughts since Atsue had flown to Tokyo from Denver. Out on the road, in the empty wastelands of the American west, there's plenty of time to examine your life and think things through. I decided I was terribly unhappy with my job and with my living situation and I was resolved to change it immediately.
By the time I got back to Oceanside, I had already decided to quit my job and go back to school. When I got home, there was a notice on our door from the manager saying our rent would be increasing. Our six-month lease had expired and this shitty apartment with inconsistent hot water, bad plumbing, and noisy kids running around constantly was now going to cost over a thousand dollars a month. That was the last sign I needed. It was time to get out of Dodge.
The next day, I turned in my resignation letter to my boss and gave notice to the landlord that we would not renew our lease. When Atsue returned, she begged me to give her one more chance. She promised me that she would quit school and get a job to support me so I could go back to school. We found a delightful little apartment in a wonderful section of San Diego. I really liked being in SD and I was willing (but not optimistic) to give it one more try in yet another new setting.
Unsurprisingly, things broke down within a couple of weeks and I left. She didn't let me go easily, though. There was much screaming, crying, begging, pleading, and finally, clinging and dragging as she physically held on to me as I tried to walk out and she ended up chasing me to the parking lot and flinging herself against the car as I tried to drive away. That was a horrible, insane experience. It was like something out of a bad melodrama. I cried the entire way back to Los Angeles. I knew I could never go back.
It was so hard to end that relationship, the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But I feel much stronger because of it. I don't ever want to go through that trauma again, but I know I could if I had to. It's been almost a year since the divorce was finalized and about a year and a half since I last saw her or had any contact with her. I have no idea where she is or what she's doing. And honestly, I don't much care.
Life is not any easier now than it was then, but at least I'm myself again. I feel so much happier and healthier, and stronger. Most importantly, I'm able to spend time with my friends, who really made my recovery possible. I don't know what I would do without them.
I've had a couple of short-term girlfriends since the end of my marriage. Nothing serious, but it has been fun. Will I ever marry again? Possibly, but I'm not in any hurry. I'm not really interested in dating even. I don't have to be in a relationship to feel good about myself. And I don't feel like compromising my identity in order to please someone else or to earn their approval. As conceited as it sounds, I'm contented to be single and to have my little social life and to enjoy being ME. Like Mr. Rogers always said, "I like you just the way you are!"
Monday, December 08, 2003
Beauty Over Bucks
So Melana chose her Average Joe in tonight's series finale. I kind of had a clue during her last interview with the host, Kathy Griffin (whom I love by the way), when she said she picked "a diamond in the rough." The beautiful model guy she picked is a young waiter/student, while the average looking other guy is a rich Wall Street tycoon.
Still, when she first started talking to Jason and she looked very serious, I thought, just as he did, that he was about to get the brush off. But she surprised both of us with her choice. And who can blame her? He's gorgeous! And I loved their comments afterward, like "I'm looking forward to getting to know her more deeply this weekend," meaning "I can't wait to bang her!!" :-)
Poor rich Adam. Who knew he was a millionaire the whole time?! He was a nice guy, but kind of a goof ball. I bet he's fun to hang out with, but he didn't seem to have much sexual chemistry with her like she obviously had with Jason. She and Jason seemed ready to hump each other the moment they first met.
Adam was a real class act, I thought, and a good sport about the whole thing. He was obviously disappointed, but he was a gentleman about it. And no doubt he'll get plenty of offers from young female viewers of the show. He's rich; he can buy a new girlfriend.
I must say that I found Melana (the unsuspecting cheerleader searching for her Prince Charming) to be extremely pretentious. I mean, how couldn't they all be a little pretentious knowing that the camera was always watching, but she seemed especially phony as the weeks went on. How pathetic do you have to be to go on a TV show just to get a date? There's no promise that they'll stay together after the show -- naturally she picked the hot guy she wanted to screw more than the dorky guy.
Of course there will be Average Joe 2 coming in January! A new batch of dorks and a new superficial supermodel: what could be better? The previews of the new series reminded me of what I loved about the beginning weeks of Average Joe 1: the hysterically dorky nerds and dweebs that got picked for this show! They're endearingly pathetic. It's so funny when they look at the hot girl and instantly fall deeply in love with her. It's like "Revenge of the Nerds" all over again...Can't wait!
So Melana chose her Average Joe in tonight's series finale. I kind of had a clue during her last interview with the host, Kathy Griffin (whom I love by the way), when she said she picked "a diamond in the rough." The beautiful model guy she picked is a young waiter/student, while the average looking other guy is a rich Wall Street tycoon.
Still, when she first started talking to Jason and she looked very serious, I thought, just as he did, that he was about to get the brush off. But she surprised both of us with her choice. And who can blame her? He's gorgeous! And I loved their comments afterward, like "I'm looking forward to getting to know her more deeply this weekend," meaning "I can't wait to bang her!!" :-)
Poor rich Adam. Who knew he was a millionaire the whole time?! He was a nice guy, but kind of a goof ball. I bet he's fun to hang out with, but he didn't seem to have much sexual chemistry with her like she obviously had with Jason. She and Jason seemed ready to hump each other the moment they first met.
Adam was a real class act, I thought, and a good sport about the whole thing. He was obviously disappointed, but he was a gentleman about it. And no doubt he'll get plenty of offers from young female viewers of the show. He's rich; he can buy a new girlfriend.
I must say that I found Melana (the unsuspecting cheerleader searching for her Prince Charming) to be extremely pretentious. I mean, how couldn't they all be a little pretentious knowing that the camera was always watching, but she seemed especially phony as the weeks went on. How pathetic do you have to be to go on a TV show just to get a date? There's no promise that they'll stay together after the show -- naturally she picked the hot guy she wanted to screw more than the dorky guy.
Of course there will be Average Joe 2 coming in January! A new batch of dorks and a new superficial supermodel: what could be better? The previews of the new series reminded me of what I loved about the beginning weeks of Average Joe 1: the hysterically dorky nerds and dweebs that got picked for this show! They're endearingly pathetic. It's so funny when they look at the hot girl and instantly fall deeply in love with her. It's like "Revenge of the Nerds" all over again...Can't wait!
Sunday, November 23, 2003
The Doctor
There's another significant (to some) anniversary this weekend. Today, Sunday November 23rd, marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Doctor Who on BBC television.
While this may not be big news to most people, it is special to me since this was my favorite childhood TV program. I was a devoted fan of the show for several years. Tom Baker was my favorite Doctor, followed by Jon Pertwee (who preceded Baker), and Peter Davison (whom I also loved on All Creatures Great and Small), the fifth actor to play the Doctor. By the time programs from the earlier two Doctors and the last two Doctors aired on American television, I had kind of outgrown the program, so I didn't get into them as much.
Although production of the TV program ended years ago (it became too expensive), the characters surprisingly live on amongst a hardcore cult of fans around the world. There are books, radio programs, CDs, even an online animated version that continue the adventures of the Doctor and his companions. There's still an annual Doctor Who fan club gathering here in LA that lasts a whole weekend every February. I've been meaning for years to attend, but never quite seem to make it. Maybe next year??
What I loved about Doctor Who, besides the time-traveling science fiction setting of the show, was that his character loved to travel, he had a tremendous thirst for knowledge, he stood up for justice and equality for everyone, and he was extremely open-minded and non-judgmental. It didn't hurt that he had a bevy of beautiful babes accompanying him in his spacecraft!!
To celebrate, I might dig through my video tapes and see if I've a few old episodes to throw on the VCR. A nice cup of tea and few jellybabies would fill the bill....
There's another significant (to some) anniversary this weekend. Today, Sunday November 23rd, marks the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Doctor Who on BBC television.
While this may not be big news to most people, it is special to me since this was my favorite childhood TV program. I was a devoted fan of the show for several years. Tom Baker was my favorite Doctor, followed by Jon Pertwee (who preceded Baker), and Peter Davison (whom I also loved on All Creatures Great and Small), the fifth actor to play the Doctor. By the time programs from the earlier two Doctors and the last two Doctors aired on American television, I had kind of outgrown the program, so I didn't get into them as much.
Although production of the TV program ended years ago (it became too expensive), the characters surprisingly live on amongst a hardcore cult of fans around the world. There are books, radio programs, CDs, even an online animated version that continue the adventures of the Doctor and his companions. There's still an annual Doctor Who fan club gathering here in LA that lasts a whole weekend every February. I've been meaning for years to attend, but never quite seem to make it. Maybe next year??
What I loved about Doctor Who, besides the time-traveling science fiction setting of the show, was that his character loved to travel, he had a tremendous thirst for knowledge, he stood up for justice and equality for everyone, and he was extremely open-minded and non-judgmental. It didn't hurt that he had a bevy of beautiful babes accompanying him in his spacecraft!!
To celebrate, I might dig through my video tapes and see if I've a few old episodes to throw on the VCR. A nice cup of tea and few jellybabies would fill the bill....
JFK
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, Texas. There was a fair amount of coverage in the media to mark the anniversary, but I actually felt underwhelmed by the amount of coverage I saw. Maybe it's because I don't have cable so I wasn't aware of myriad programs on the various channels or maybe Michael Jackson's arrest trumped old news like Kennedy. After all, Kennedy has been dead almost as long as he was alive! Still he casts a long shadow on American politics and culture.
The one TV program I did see was Peter Jenning's ABC special, The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy. I found it to be very interesting and compelling support of the lone gunman theory. They showed a lot of evidence about Oswald's personal history, and Ruby's as well, that I had never seen/heard before. They also spent an unexpected amount of time and attention debunking the myths and misinformation presented in Oliver Stone's "JFK."
It seems very likely that Oswald was just a mixed up young failure, desperate for attention, who finally snapped and found his 15 minutes of fame. Ironically, Jack Ruby went through almost the same process. I was surprised to see the similarities in the characters and personalities of the two men. Ruby also seemed to snap at the last minute and took the law, and history, into his own hands. The scene of Oswald's murder on live television in the basement of the Dallas police department is truly terrifying.
In fact, I never cease to feel chills whenever the topic of Kennedy's assassination comes up. The violent images of two real-life murders, the panic and chaos following the assassination, and the dark uncertainty of the motives for the crime and its perpetrators: it is one of the most frightening stories I've ever heard.
To me, what makes it different from 9/11 or other tragic pieces of history is the very intimate human aspect of the story. The situation involved basically three men, none of whom knew each other, each following their own motives and desires for power and attention of varying degrees. There is no mysterious, evil villain to hold responsible, a la Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. None of the characters are larger-than-life. These were men, each complex in his own way, and each pursuing his own ideas of justice and doing what he felt was the right thing.
I had never realized before seeing the program that the conspiracy theories became prevalent in American discussion so soon after the assassination occurred. I assumed that was a more recent development, which reached its peak in the Oliver Stone film. However, it's now obvious that the initial assumption by authorities and the pubic, and certainly by LBJ, was that of a conspiracy to assassinate the President, conducted either by Communist Russia, Castro's Cuba, the American mob, or, finally, by forces within the U.S. government itself.
Forty years after the events of November 1963, it seems highly unlikely that some piece of evidence or personal testimony proving the conspiracy wouldn't have surfaced by now. Secrets that big are just too hard to keep for that long. It reminds me of the theories of Elvis faking his death. Some stories are so upsetting that we create fantastic explanations to deal with a tragic loss. Like Peter Jennings articulated, we don't like to think that a single human individual is capable of committing such an evil act that would change the world so dramatically.
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, Texas. There was a fair amount of coverage in the media to mark the anniversary, but I actually felt underwhelmed by the amount of coverage I saw. Maybe it's because I don't have cable so I wasn't aware of myriad programs on the various channels or maybe Michael Jackson's arrest trumped old news like Kennedy. After all, Kennedy has been dead almost as long as he was alive! Still he casts a long shadow on American politics and culture.
The one TV program I did see was Peter Jenning's ABC special, The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy. I found it to be very interesting and compelling support of the lone gunman theory. They showed a lot of evidence about Oswald's personal history, and Ruby's as well, that I had never seen/heard before. They also spent an unexpected amount of time and attention debunking the myths and misinformation presented in Oliver Stone's "JFK."
It seems very likely that Oswald was just a mixed up young failure, desperate for attention, who finally snapped and found his 15 minutes of fame. Ironically, Jack Ruby went through almost the same process. I was surprised to see the similarities in the characters and personalities of the two men. Ruby also seemed to snap at the last minute and took the law, and history, into his own hands. The scene of Oswald's murder on live television in the basement of the Dallas police department is truly terrifying.
In fact, I never cease to feel chills whenever the topic of Kennedy's assassination comes up. The violent images of two real-life murders, the panic and chaos following the assassination, and the dark uncertainty of the motives for the crime and its perpetrators: it is one of the most frightening stories I've ever heard.
To me, what makes it different from 9/11 or other tragic pieces of history is the very intimate human aspect of the story. The situation involved basically three men, none of whom knew each other, each following their own motives and desires for power and attention of varying degrees. There is no mysterious, evil villain to hold responsible, a la Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden. None of the characters are larger-than-life. These were men, each complex in his own way, and each pursuing his own ideas of justice and doing what he felt was the right thing.
I had never realized before seeing the program that the conspiracy theories became prevalent in American discussion so soon after the assassination occurred. I assumed that was a more recent development, which reached its peak in the Oliver Stone film. However, it's now obvious that the initial assumption by authorities and the pubic, and certainly by LBJ, was that of a conspiracy to assassinate the President, conducted either by Communist Russia, Castro's Cuba, the American mob, or, finally, by forces within the U.S. government itself.
Forty years after the events of November 1963, it seems highly unlikely that some piece of evidence or personal testimony proving the conspiracy wouldn't have surfaced by now. Secrets that big are just too hard to keep for that long. It reminds me of the theories of Elvis faking his death. Some stories are so upsetting that we create fantastic explanations to deal with a tragic loss. Like Peter Jennings articulated, we don't like to think that a single human individual is capable of committing such an evil act that would change the world so dramatically.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Fuck! I just wrote a blog entry and then tried to post it but the text simply disappeared....I guess it's gone. Damn Blogger! Oh well, I'll try to recreate some of it:
Jammin with Heidster
Heidster came down again tonight with her guitar. We've found a fun new thing to do on Friday nights. We usually meet for coffee or a movie. Now we've started our own band: Spackerson!
It's fun to practice with someone else, and Heidi's pretty good. She's learning fast and she has a great musical sense. We spent the first 30 minutes tuning (!) then we played for a couple of hours until our fingers just wouldn't take it anymore. Most of our songs were in the key of D major tonight. Now that I've shown her how to make a B7 chord, maybe we can try some songs in E major next week! :-)
Besides sore fingers, I'm also getting a sore throat this evening. It started shortly after dinner. There's been some crap going around school this month; hope I didn't catch it. Crap! And I've been washing my hands every ten minutes too....shit.
Good thing I went to the grocery store today. Got plenty of fruit and fruit juices. I've already started with the orange juice and it looks like I'll be sucking down the juice all day tomorrow if this sore throat doesn't clear up.
I'd better get to bed. I've got to be up in 9 hours to start my online teaching job. That'll be fun: all day on the computer with sore fingers and sore throat. Nice.
Night night, Bloggy.
Jammin with Heidster
Heidster came down again tonight with her guitar. We've found a fun new thing to do on Friday nights. We usually meet for coffee or a movie. Now we've started our own band: Spackerson!
It's fun to practice with someone else, and Heidi's pretty good. She's learning fast and she has a great musical sense. We spent the first 30 minutes tuning (!) then we played for a couple of hours until our fingers just wouldn't take it anymore. Most of our songs were in the key of D major tonight. Now that I've shown her how to make a B7 chord, maybe we can try some songs in E major next week! :-)
Besides sore fingers, I'm also getting a sore throat this evening. It started shortly after dinner. There's been some crap going around school this month; hope I didn't catch it. Crap! And I've been washing my hands every ten minutes too....shit.
Good thing I went to the grocery store today. Got plenty of fruit and fruit juices. I've already started with the orange juice and it looks like I'll be sucking down the juice all day tomorrow if this sore throat doesn't clear up.
I'd better get to bed. I've got to be up in 9 hours to start my online teaching job. That'll be fun: all day on the computer with sore fingers and sore throat. Nice.
Night night, Bloggy.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Two Days
Just got back from a movie with Heidi. She got passes to a screening of a new film called Two Days which was showing at the AFI Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. I do love that theater! (See my review of Rebel Without A Cause from Nov 3rd for details.) The director was there to introduce the film and he and one of the lead actors answered a few questions after the screening.
Two Days is a quasi-mockumentary (is there such a thing?) about a 30-year-old frustrated actor in Hollywood (played by the truly wonderful Paul Rudd) who decides to commit suicide and make a documentary film about the event.
I really loved this movie. It's very funny, sweet, and surprisingly emotional. Paul Rudd is excellent in the lead role and the supporting cast are quite good as well.
Because this film deals with the Los Angeles film scene, it probably wouldn't be very appealing to a mainstream audience. Also the subject matter is quite dark and a few people walked out of the screening. Ironically, the people who left did so just as the main character suggests that anyone in a movie theater watching his story would probably be running for the aisles at this point because people don't like to think about dark subjects like this!
I won't reveal the ending, but it was quite suspenseful. If you like offbeat comedies and have any sort of appreciation for caricatures of Hollywood personalities, you would probably enjoy this film.
Just got back from a movie with Heidi. She got passes to a screening of a new film called Two Days which was showing at the AFI Film Festival at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. I do love that theater! (See my review of Rebel Without A Cause from Nov 3rd for details.) The director was there to introduce the film and he and one of the lead actors answered a few questions after the screening.
Two Days is a quasi-mockumentary (is there such a thing?) about a 30-year-old frustrated actor in Hollywood (played by the truly wonderful Paul Rudd) who decides to commit suicide and make a documentary film about the event.
I really loved this movie. It's very funny, sweet, and surprisingly emotional. Paul Rudd is excellent in the lead role and the supporting cast are quite good as well.
Because this film deals with the Los Angeles film scene, it probably wouldn't be very appealing to a mainstream audience. Also the subject matter is quite dark and a few people walked out of the screening. Ironically, the people who left did so just as the main character suggests that anyone in a movie theater watching his story would probably be running for the aisles at this point because people don't like to think about dark subjects like this!
I won't reveal the ending, but it was quite suspenseful. If you like offbeat comedies and have any sort of appreciation for caricatures of Hollywood personalities, you would probably enjoy this film.
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