Pithy Yet Degenerate

The 3A Post

2006-01-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

So much for blog posts this month.

The Dead Shark Post

2005-12-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

So I guess I'm obligated to do this thing now - what a cliche.

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

(8 is optional)

(And if you know the reference in the title, 25 points to you. Take that, Joe.)

The Aristophanes Post

2005-11-18T15:33:00.000-05:00

Whirl is King, having driven out Zeus.

The $100 Million Post

2005-11-06T13:12:00.000-05:00

Quick post - this makes me very happy:

New Haven, Conn. — The Yale School of Music has received a gift of $100 million that will allow the school to subsidize fully the tuition for all students, Yale President Richard C. Levin has announced.

Levin said the gift, the largest in the history of the music school, came from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

“This generous gift will enhance the ability of the school to attract the world’s finest musicians and will support a number of important advances at the school,” Levin said. “Everyone who is part of Yale’s standing as a great center for the arts will be inspired to reach new heights.”

The fully subsidized tuition for all students in the school, including those already enrolled, will begin in the 2006-07 academic year. Other benefits of the gift will be realized over the next several years.

Among other advances, the unprecedented gift to the school will allow it to acquire technology making it possible to broadcast events, clinics and special lectures, including the ability to host and participate in live interactive clinics and workshops with colleagues from conservatories and institution around the world.

The school already has relationships with conservatories in Budapest, Mannheim, Beijing, two schools in Seoul and Moscow, and is working to establish others. These relationships involve exchanges of faculty and students, and will involve exchanges of ensembles. The gift to the school will make it possible to accelerate the pace and expand the depth of these relationships.

The gift also will make it possible for the school to expand its presence in the New Haven Community, from the public school system to partnerships with New Haven's professional arts community. The development of other new programs and additional changes in financial aid for music students in future years are envisioned as possible uses of the large gift to the school.

Acting School of Music Dean Thomas C. Duffy expressed gratitude to the donor on behalf of “the school, its staff, faculty and students, the many fans, artists, musical guests and alumni.”

Duffy said that the leadership of Robert L. Blocker, who served as dean of the school from 1995-2005, sustained the interest in the school on the part of the donor and other supporters.

“An event like this does not happen without the complete support and direct involvement of our Yale president, Richard Levin,” Duffy added. “We are fortunate that our president has a deep commitment to the arts at Yale and has demonstrated that commitment in many ways.”

The TCMP19 Post

2005-10-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

Not too much on TCM this week. But October 24-31's a Hitchcock fetival!

My picks for this week:

Thursday, October 13

8:00 PM	Citizen Kane (1941) The investigation of a publishing tycoon's dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life. Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead. D: Orson Welles. BW 120m. CC DVS
10:30 PM	On The Waterfront (1954) A young stevedore takes on the mobster who rules the docks. Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger. D: Elia Kazan. BW 108m. LBX CC

Friday, October 14

10:30 PM

The Country Girl (1954) While trying to help her husband make a
comeback, an alcoholic singer's wife fights her love for another man.
Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, William Holden.
D: George Seaton. BW 104m. CC

Saturday, October 15

9:30 AM	Animal Crackers (1930) Three zanies try to recover a stolen painting during a madcap house party. The Marx Brothers, Lillian Roth, Margaret Dumont. D: Victor Heerman. BW 97m. CC
11:30 AM	Cartoon Alley #15 (2005) Features three Tweety Bird cartoons: A Tale of Two Kitties (1942), Birdy and the Beast (1944), A Gruesome Twosome (1945). 26m. CC
6:00 PM	Forbidden Planet (1956) A group of space troopers investigates the destruction of a colony on a remote planet. Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen. D: Fred M. Wilcox. C 99m. LBX CC DVS
8:00 PM	Swing Time (1936) To prove himself worthy of his fiancee, a dancer tries to make it big, only to fall for his dancing partner. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore. D: George Stevens. BW 104m. CC DVS
10:00 PM	Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) When their older brother marries, six lumberjacks decide it's time to go courting for themselves. Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn. D: Stanley Donen. C 102m. LBX CC DVS
12:00 AM	Doctor Zhivago (1965) Illicit lovers fight to stay together during the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution. Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger. D: David Lean. C 200m. LBX CC DVS

Sunday, October 16

1:30 PM	Going My Way (1944) A young priest revitalizes a failing parish and brings new life to the elder priest. Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Rise Stevens. D: Leo McCarey. BW 126m. CC
4:00 PM	Gigi (1958) A Parisian girl is raised to be a kept woman but dreams of love and marriage. Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan. D: Vincente Minnelli. C 116m. LBX CC DVS
6:00 PM	Swing Time (1936) To prove himself worthy of his fiancee, a dancer tries to make it big, only to fall for his dancing partner. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore. D: George Stevens. BW 104m. CC DVS
8:00 PM	Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2004) Documentary that explores the life and career of Hollywood anti-hero Steve McQueen. BW & C 87m. LBX CC
9:30 PM	Bullitt (1968) When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own. Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset. D: Peter Yates. C 114m. LBX CC
12:00 AM	The Phantom of the Opera (1925) In this silent film, a hideously deformed man haunts the sewers beneath the Paris Opera. Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry. D: Rupert Julian. BW & C 90m.
1:45 AM	Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000) This documentary reveals the secrets of the screen's first great horror star. C 85m. CC

Wednesday, October 19

6:00 PM

Sullivan's Travels (1941) A filmmaker masquerades as a hobo
to get in touch with the little people.
Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, William Demarest.
D: Preston Sturges. BW 90m. CC

The TCMP18 Post

2005-10-05T22:48:00.000-04:00

Not much to pick from this week, but there's a Sidney Lumet feature next Tuesday and a whole big bunch of Marx Brothers movies on Wednesday. No Duck Soup, though...

And you really must see Safety Last.

Saturday, October 8

5:15 PM	West Side Story (1961) A young couple from dueling street gangs falls in love. Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno. D: Robert Wise. C 152m. LBX CC
8:00 PM	To Have And Have Not (1944) A skipper-for-hire's romance with a beautiful drifter is complicated by his growing involvement with the French resistance. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan. D: Howard Hawks. BW 100m. CC DVS

Sunday, October 9

8:00 AM	Casablanca (1942) An American saloon owner in North Africa is drawn into World War II when his lost love turns up. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. D: Michael Curtiz. BW 103m. CC DVS
11:30 AM	The Yearling (1946) A Florida boy's pet deer threatens the family farm. Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman, Jr. D: Clarence Brown. C 128m. CC DVS
6:00 PM	To Have And Have Not (1944) A skipper-for-hire's romance with a beautiful drifter is complicated by his growing involvement with the French resistance. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan. D: Howard Hawks. BW 100m. CC DVS

Monday, October 10

3:45 PM	Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) A quarrelsome couple discovers their marriage isn't legal. Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 95m. CC
4:30 AM	Safety Last! (1923) In this silent film, a small-town boy out to impress his girlfriend scales a skyscraper in the big city. Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young. D: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor. BW 73m.

Tuesday, October 11

8:00 PM	Private Screenings: Sidney Lumet (2005) D: 0m.
9:00 PM	12 Angry Men (1957) A jury holdout tries to convince his colleagues to vote not guilty. Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall. D: Sidney Lumet. BW 96m. LBX
11:00 PM	Private Screenings: Sidney Lumet (2005) D: 0m.
2:00 AM	Network (1976) Television programmers turn a deranged news anchor into 'the mad prophet of the airwaves.' William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch. D: Sidney Lumet. C 121m. LBX CC
4:15 AM	Long Day's Journey into Night (1962) A young writer tries to find himself while his family falls apart. Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards Jr. D: Sidney Lumet. BW 170m.

Wednesday, October 12

11:30 AM	The Cocoanuts (1929) While running a hotel in Florida, three clowns get caught up in the search for stolen jewels. The Marx Brothers, Kay Francis, Margaret Dumont. D: Robert Florey, Joseph Santley. BW 93m. CC
1:15 PM	Horse Feathers (1932) In an effort to beef up his school's football team, a college president mistakenly recruits two loonies. The Marx Brothers, Thelma Todd, David Landau. D: Norman Z. McLeod. BW 67m. CC
2:30 PM	A Night at the Opera (1935) Three zanies turn an operatic performance into chaos in their efforts to promote their protege's romance with the leading lady. The Marx Brothers, Allan Jones, Kitty Carlisle. D: Sam Wood. BW 91m. CC DVS
4:15 PM	A Day At The Races (1937) A group of zanies tries to save a pretty girl's sanitarium. The Marx Bros., Allan Jones, Maureen O'Sullivan. D: Sam Wood. BW 109m. CC DVS
6:15 PM	At The Circus (1939) The Marx Bros. team up to keep a circus from going bankrupt. The Marx Bros., Margaret Dumont, Eve Arden. D: Edward Buzzell. BW 87m. CC
8:00 PM	Jaws (1975) The sheriff of an island town takes to the seas when a bloodthirsty shark invades the local waters. Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss. D: Steven Spielberg. C 124m. LBX

The TCMP17 Post

2005-09-27T22:35:00.000-04:00

Pithy KM: Congratulations! You have won a BIG BEEF DINNER!
enjolras 0: ?
Pithy KM: (No purchase necessary. Some charges may apply. Big beef dinner sold separately. Some assembly required. See our website for details. Website currently out of service. Small parts may constitute a choking hazard for small children.)

My picks for the week:

Wednesday, September 28

6:00 PM

12 Angry Men (1957) A jury holdout tries to convince his
colleagues to vote not guilty.
Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall.
D: Sidney Lumet. BW 96m. LBX

Thursday, September 29

11:15 AM	Random Harvest (1942) A woman's happiness is threatened when she discovers her husband has been suffering from amnesia. Greer Garson, Ronald Colman, Susan Peters. D: Mervyn LeRoy. BW 127m. CC
3:30 PM	Mrs. Miniver (1942) A British family struggles to survive the first days of World War II. Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright. D: William Wyler. BW 134m. CC DVS
6:00 PM	Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939) A cold-hearted teacher becomes the school favorite when he's thawed by a beautiful young woman. Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Paul Henreid. D: Sam Wood. BW 114m. CC DVS

Friday, September 30

8:45 AM	Holiday (1938) An unhappy heiress falls in love with her stodgy sister's freethinking fiance. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Edward Everett Horton. D: George Cukor. BW 96m. CC
4:00 PM	Roman Holiday (1953) A runaway princess in Rome finds love with a reporter who knows her true identity. Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert. D: William Wyler. BW 118m. CC
6:00 PM	To Catch a Thief (1955) A retired cat burglar fights to clear himself of a series of Riviera robberies committed in his style. Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 106m. LBX CC

Saturday, October 1

8:00 PM	The Grand Illusion (1937) French POWs fight to escape their German captors during World War I. Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Jean Gabin. D: Jean Renoir. BW 113m.
11:30 PM	Sunset Boulevard (1950) A failed screenwriter falls into a mercenary romance with a faded silent-film star. Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim. D: Billy Wilder. BW 110m. CC

Sunday, October 2

6:00 PM	The Grand Illusion (1937) French POWs fight to escape their German captors during World War I. Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Jean Gabin. D: Jean Renoir. BW 113m.
12:00 AM	Nosferatu (1922) In this silent film, a beautiful woman risks her life to end a vampire's plague of death and pestilence. Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder. D: F.W. Murnau. 89m.

Monday, October 3

11:15 AM	Red Dust (1932) A plantation overseer in Indochina is torn between a married woman and a lady of the evening. Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Mary Astor. D: Victor Fleming. BW 83m. CC
12:45 PM	Mogambo (1953) In this remake of Red Dust, an African hunter is torn between a lusty showgirl and a married woman. Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. D: John Ford. C 116m. CC DVS

Wednesday, October 5

7:00 AM	Animal Crackers (1930) Three zanies try to recover a stolen painting during a madcap house party. The Marx Brothers, Lillian Roth, Margaret Dumont. D: Victor Heerman. BW 97m. CC
9:00 AM	The Bank Dick (1940) When he foils two robberies in one day, the town drunkard is hired to guard the local bank. W.C. Fields, Cora Witherspoon, Una Merkel. D: Edward Cline. BW 72m. CC

The Mega Post

2005-09-26T22:13:00.000-04:00

I just about started weeping because of the joy I experienced when I landed here.

I am telling you. If you don't click there, it's a box set of the "Warner Classics Mega Collection." That list of movies on DVD proves that there is a god. I believe, as I just told Joe, that I will start a benefit fund so that I might purchase this collection ($2000). Address all tax-deductible donations to:

The Kenneth Miller/Warner Classics Mega Collection Fund
(e-mail me if you'd like the full address)

Here's the list:

42nd Street	Freaks	Objective Burma
Adventures of Robin Hood, The: Special Edition	Friendly Persuasion	Ocean's 11 (1960)
Advise and Consent	Fury	On the Town
Alice Adams	Gaslight	Operation Pacific
An American in Paris	Giant 2-Disc SE	Out of the Past
The Americanization of Emily	Gigi	Petrified Forest
Anchors Aweigh	Glass Bottom Boat	Philadelphia Story Two-Disc SE
Angels with Dirty Faces	Gold Rush, The	Please Don't Eat the Daisies
Anna Christie	Gone with the Wind 4-Disc Edition	Possessed '47
Anna Karenina	Goodbye Mr. Chips	The Prince and the Pauper
Annie Get Your Gun	Grand Hotel	The Prince and the Showgirl
Asphalt Jungle, The	Great Dictator, The	Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex
Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, The	Great Ziegfeld	Public Enemy
Bad Day at Black Rock	Gun Crazy	Queen Christina
The Band Wagon Two-Disc SE	Gunga Din	Random Harvest
The Barkleys of Broadway	Harvey Girls, The	Rebel without a Cause Two-Disc SE
Bells are Ringing	High Sierra	Rio Bravo
Ben Hur 4-Disc Edition	Horror of Dracula	The Roaring '20s
The Big Sleep	House of Wax (1953)	Robin and the Seven Hoods
Billy Rose's Jumbo	Humoresque	Scaramouche
Blackboard Jungle	Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939	The Sea Chase
Blood Alley	I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang	The Sea Hawk
Born to Kill	I Confess	Searchers, The
Boys Town	I Remember Mama	Set-up, The (1949)
Bridgadoon	In the Good Old Summertime	Shall We Dance (1937)
Bringing Up Baby Two-Disc SE	Jezebel	Shop Around the Corner
Butterfield 8	Key Largo	Show Boat
Camille	Kid, The	Singing' in the Rain Two-Disc SE
Captain Blood	Kim	Son of Lassie
Casablanca 2-Disc SE	King in New York/Woman in Paris, A	Stage Door
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	King Kong 2-Disc SE	Stage Fright
Chaplin Revue	King of Kings	Stagecoach
Christmas Carol 1938	Lassie Come Home	The Star (1953)
Christmas in Connecticut 1945	Libeled Lady	Star is Born, A (1954)
The Cincinnati Kid	Limelight	Story of Sea Biscuit
Circus, The	Little Caesar	Strangers on a Train: Special Edition
Citizen Kane 2-Disc SE	Love Finds Andy Hardy	Suspicion
City Lights	Love in the Afternoon	Swing Time
Clash By Night	Love Me or Leave Me	Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Courage of Lassie	Lullaby of Broadway	Tall in the Saddle
Cowboys, The	The Maltese Falcon	Tarzan Collection
Crossfire	The Master of Ballantrae	Taste the Blood of Dracula
Curse of Frankenstein, The	Mata Hari	TCM Archives: Buster Keaton
The Damned Don't Cry	McQ	TCM Archives: Lon Chaney
Dark Passage	Mildred Pierce	That's Entertainment I
Dark Victory	Mister Roberts	That's Entertainment II
Day at the Races, A	Modern Times	That's Entertainment III
Days of Wine and Roses	Monsieur Verdoux	Them!
Designing Woman	Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)	They Died with their Boots on
Destination Tokyo	Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House	They Drive By Night
Dial M for Murder	Mr. Skeffington	The Thin Man Collection
Dillinger	Mrs. Miniver	To Be or Not to Be
Dinner at Eight	Mummy, The (1959)	To Have and Have Not
Doctor Zhivago 2-Disc S	Murder, My Sweet	Top Hat
Dodge City	Mutiny on the Bounty 1935	The Train Robbers
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	My Fair Lady 2-Disc SE	Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The: Special Edition
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave	My Favorite Wife	The Unsinkable Molly Brown
East of Eden Two-Disc SE	Narrow Margin	Where The Boys Are
Easter Parade Two-Disc SE	National Velvet	White Heat
Face in the Crowd	Never So Few	The Wizard of Oz Two-Disc SE
Father of the Bride	Night and Day	The Women
Finian's Rainbow	Night at the Opera, A	The Wrong Man
Follow the Fleet	Night in Casablanca, A	Yankee Doodle Dandy: Special Edition
For Me and My Gal	Ninotchka	The Yearling
Foreign Correspondent	North By Northwest	Young Man with a Horn
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed	Now Voyager	Ziegfeld Girl

The TCMP16 Post

2005-09-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

I was just checking my Now Playing Guide for October - boy, will that be a month on TCM! A Hitchcock festival, a Sidney Lumet night, and, if you can believe it (I can't - they never show it), Safety Last, a genius silent comedy (it's the one with the guy hanging off a clock's minute hand). This week isn't half-bad, either.

Wednesday, September 21

9:30 PM	The Petrified Forest (1936) An escaped convict holds the customers at a remote desert cantina hostage. Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart. D: Archie Mayo. BW 82m. CC
1:00 AM	As Good As It Gets (1997) An obsessive-compulsive writer comes out of his shell to help a struggling waitress and an injured artist. Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear. D: James L. Brooks. C 139m. LBX

Thursday, September 22

10:00 PM	Roman Holiday (1953) A runaway princess in Rome finds love with a reporter who knows her true identity. Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert. D: William Wyler. BW 118m. CC
12:15 AM	His Girl Friday (1940) An unscrupulous editor plots to keep his star reporter-and ex-wife-from re-marrying. Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy. D: Howard Hawks. BW 92m. CC

Friday, September 23

6:00 AM	Citizen Kane (1941) The investigation of a publishing tycoon's dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life. Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead. D: Orson Welles. BW 120m. CC DVS
8:00 AM	The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) A possessive son's efforts to keep his mother from remarrying threaten to destroy his family. Tim Holt, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead. D: Orson Welles. BW 88m. CC DVS
6:00 PM	Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) True story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ. Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Eileen Heckart. D: Robert Wise. BW 114m. LBX CC DVS
8:00 PM	West Side Story (1961) A young couple from dueling street gangs falls in love. Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno. D: Robert Wise. C 152m. LBX CC

Saturday, September 24

6:00 AM	Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men. Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre. D: Frank Capra. BW 118m. CC DVS
8:00 PM	The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) During World War II, a 4F tries to help the woman he loves cover up a surprise pregnancy. Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, William Demarest. D: Preston Sturges. BW 98m. CC

Sunday, September 25

6:00 PM	The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) During World War II, a 4F tries to help the woman he loves cover up a surprise pregnancy. Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton, William Demarest. D: Preston Sturges. BW 98m. CC
2:30 AM	Watch the Skies! (2005) This TCM original documentary explores the history of the science fiction genre beginning in the 1950s. Features interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Ridley Scott. D: Richard Schickel. C 56m. CC
3:30 AM	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Classic sci-fi epic about a mysterious monolith that seems to play a key role in human evolution. Keir Dullea, William Sylvester, Gary Lockwood. D: Stanley Kubrick. C 149m. LBX CC DVS

Monday, September 26

6:15 PM

The Trouble With Harry (1955) A corpse creates a world of trouble
for several passersby who each believe they may have caused the death.
Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine.
D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 99m. LBX CC

The Mr. Dryden Post

2005-09-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

The more I think about Lawrence of Arabia, the more I love it. In the past, I've payed the most attention to the imagery, but when I watched it last (Monday), I realized how great the screenplay is. As you will soon see, Claude Rains (Mr. Dryden) has almost all of the best lines. Some of these quotes are more significant, however, after you've seen the film.

Some samples (via imdb.com):

Club Secretary: I say, Lawrence. You are a clown!
T.E. Lawrence: We can't all be lion tamers.

T.E. Lawrence: I killed two people. One was... yesterday? He was just a boy and I led him into quicksand. The other was... well, before Aqaba. I had to execute him with my pistol, and there was something about it that I didn't like.
General Allenby: That's to be expected.
T.E. Lawrence: No, something else.
General Allenby: Well, then let it be a lesson.
T.E. Lawrence: No... something else.
General Allenby: What then?
T.E. Lawrence: I enjoyed it.

General Murray: I can't make out whether you're a bloody madman or just half-witted.
T.E. Lawrence: I have the same problem, sir.

General Allenby: I'm promoting you Major.
T.E. Lawrence: I don't think that's a very good idea.

Sherif Ali: What is your name?
T.E. Lawrence: My name is for my friends.

Mr. Dryden: A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.

Prince Feisal: Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage, and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution.

[Lawrence has just extinguished a match between his thumb and forefinger. William Potter surreptitiously attempts the same]
William Potter: Ooh! It d*mn well 'urts!
T.E. Lawrence: Certainly it hurts.
Officer: What's the trick then?
T.E. Lawrence: The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.

Sherif Ali: Have you no fear, English?
T.E. Lawrence: My fear is my concern.

Prince Feisal: With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me, it is merely good manners. You may judge which motive is the more reliable.

Colonel Brighton: Look, sir, we can't just do nothing.
General Allenby: Why not? It's usually best.

T.E. Lawrence: So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are.

Jackson Bentley: What attracts you personally to the desert?
T.E. Lawrence: It's clean.

T.E. Lawrence: No prisoners! No prisoners!

Prince Feisal: You, I suspect, are chief architect of this compromise. What do you think?
Mr. Dryden: Me, your Highness? On the whole, I wish I'd stayed in Tunbridge Wells.

Mr. Dryden: Lawrence, only two kinds of creature get fun in the desert: Bedouins and gods, and you're neither. Take it from me, for ordinary men, it's a burning, fiery furnace.
T.E. Lawrence: No, Dryden, it's going to be fun.
Mr. Dryden: It is recognized that you have a funny sense of fun.

General Allenby: I've got orders to obey, thank God. Not like that poor devil. He's riding the whirlwind.
Mr. Dryden: Let's hope we're not.

Jackson Bentley: Is Major Lawrence in there? Is he in trouble?
Mr. Dryden: I would suspect so. We all have troubles. Life is a vale of troubles.

The TCMP15 Post

2005-09-13T21:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of picks last week. I'm sure your lives were less fulfilled, so I deeply apologize.

Saturday and Sunday, TCM's on a roll. Lawrence of Arabia, which has now officially entered my upper eschelon of moviedom (along with Annie Hall, Casablanca, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Fargo, Network, The Third Man, and North by Northwest), Notorious, 12 Angry Men - it's great. Watch them. Please.

Wednesday, September 14

8:00 PM	Blackboard Jungle (1955) An idealistic teacher confronts the realities of juvenile delinquency. Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Sidney Poitier. D: Richard Brooks. BW 101m. LBX CC DVS
10:00 PM	Jaws (1975) The sheriff of an island town takes to the seas when a bloodthirsty shark invades the local waters. Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss. D: Steven Spielberg. C 124m. LBX
2:15 AM	Raging Bull (1980) Hard-hitting biography of middle-weight champ Jake La Motta, whose life was haunted by violence inside and outside the ring. Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci. D: Martin Scorsese. BW 129m. LBX CC
4:30 AM	Scorsese on Scorsese (2004) Director Martin Scorsese discusses his career and film clips in an interview. BW & C 86m. LBX CC

Friday, September 16

6:00 AM	The Big Sleep (1946) Private eye Philip Marlowe investigates a society girl's involvement in the murder of a pornographer. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone. D: Howard Hawks. BW 114m. CC DVS
8:00 AM	Key Largo (1948) A returning veteran tangles with a ruthless gangster during a hurricane. Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall. D: John Huston. BW 101m. CC DVS
12:00 PM	Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall (2005) Lauren Bacall discusses her life and career with TCM host Robert Osborne. C 50m. CC
6:00 PM	Destry Rides Again (1939) A deputy who's sworn not to shoot again takes on a corrupt town boss and a sultry saloon singer. James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Una Merkel. D: George Marshall. BW 95m. CC
10:00 PM	Fistful Of Dollars (1964) A mysterious stranger plays dueling families against each other in a Mexican border town. Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonte, Marianne Koch. D: Sergio Leone. C 100m. LBX CC

Saturday, September 17

4:00 PM	Lawrence of Arabia (1962) A British military officer enlists the Arabs for desert warfare in World War I. Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness. D: David Lean. C 227m. LBX CC
8:00 PM	Out of the Past (1947) A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll. Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas. D: Jacques Tourneur. 97m. CC DVS

Sunday, September 18

:00 AM	Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1941) A scientist's investigations into the nature of good and evil turn him into a murderous monster. Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner. D: Victor Fleming. BW 113m. CC DVS
12:00 PM	To Have And Have Not (1944) A skipper-for-hire's romance with a beautiful drifter is complicated by his growing involvement with the French resistance. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan. D: Howard Hawks. BW 100m. CC DVS
2:00 PM	Notorious (1946) A U.S. agent recruits a German expatriate to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring in Brazil. Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 101m. CC
4:00 PM	12 Angry Men (1957) A jury holdout tries to convince his colleagues to vote not guilty. Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall. D: Sidney Lumet. BW 96m. LBX
6:00 PM	Out of the Past (1947) A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll. Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas. D: Jacques Tourneur. 97m. CC DVS
1:30 AM	Bullitt (1968) When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own. Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset. D: Peter Yates. C 114m. LBX CC

The TCMP14 Post

2005-08-29T21:02:00.000-04:00

The selection this week is great - they're showing Metropolis, so I'm rather impressed. They also almost never show Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein, the best A&C comedy, in my opinion. Also, pay attention to the Marx Brothers and the Bogart. Here they are:

Tuesday, August 31

6:00 AM	Bogart: The Untold Story (1996) Stephen Bogart hosts this one-hour special on the life and career of his legendary father, Humphrey Bogart. Host: Stephen Bogart BW & C 46m. CC
11:00 AM	The Petrified Forest (1936) An escaped convict holds the customers at a remote desert cantina hostage. Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart. D: Archie Mayo. BW 82m. CC
8:00 PM	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) Three prospectors fight off bandits and each other after striking-it-rich in the Mexican mountains. Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt. D: John Huston. BW 126m. CC DVS
10:15 PM	The Maltese Falcon (1941) Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade gets caught up in the murderous search for a priceless statue. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet. D: John Huston. BW 101m. CC DVS
12:00 AM	Casablanca (1942) An American saloon owner in North Africa is drawn into World War II when his lost love turns up. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. D: Michael Curtiz. BW 103m. CC DVS

Friday, September 2

9:00 AM	A Star Is Born (1937) A fading matinee idol marries the young beginner he's shepherded to stardom. Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou. D: William A. Wellman. C 111m. CC
4:30 PM	Saboteur (1942) A young man accused of sabotage goes on the lam to prove his innocence. Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Norman Lloyd. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 109m. CC

Saturday, September 3

2:00 PM	Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Count Dracula plots to put a simpleton's brain into the body of the Frankenstein monster. Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Bela Lugosi. D: Charles Barton. BW 83m. CC
3:30 PM	Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955) Two bumblers get mixed up with Egyptian grave robbers and a murderous mummy. Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marie Windsor. D: Charles Lamont. BW 79m. CC
8:00 PM	Mogambo (1953) In this remake of Red Dust, an African hunter is torn between a lusty showgirl and a married woman. Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. D: John Ford. 116m. CC

Sunday, September 4

12:30 PM	The Palm Beach Story (1942) To finance her husband's career, a married woman courts an eccentric millionaire. Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor. D: Preston Sturges. BW 88m. CC
6:00 PM	Mogambo (1953) In this remake of Red Dust, an African hunter is torn between a lusty showgirl and a married woman. Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. D: John Ford. 116m. CC
2:30 AM	Horse Feathers (1932) In an effort to beef up his school's football team, a college president mistakenly recruits two loonies. The Marx Brothers, Thelma Todd, David Landau. D: Norman Z. McLeod. BW 67m. CC
3:45 AM	Animal Crackers (1930) Three zanies try to recover a stolen painting during a madcap house party. The Marx Brothers, Lillian Roth, Margaret Dumont. D: Victor Heerman. BW 97m. CC

Monday, September 5

12:00 PM	The Magnificent Seven (1960) Seven American gunmen hire themselves out to protect a Mexican village from bandits. Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson. D: John Sturges. C 128m. LBX CC
4:00 PM	Touch Of Evil (1958) A narcotics agent risks his wife's life to investigate a crooked cop. Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh. D: Orson Welles. BW 111m. LBX CC
6:00 PM	Sunset Boulevard (1950) A failed screenwriter falls into a mercenary romance with a faded silent-film star. Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim. D: Billy Wilder. BW 110m. CC
10:00 PM	Singin' In The Rain (1952) A silent-screen swashbuckler finds love while trying to adjust to the coming of sound. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor. D: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen. 103m. CC DVS
1:45 AM	Metropolis (1927) In this silent film, a city of the future is threatened with destruction when a wealthy corporate leader enlists a mad scientist to put down labor reformers. Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge. D: Fritz Lang. BW 123m.

The SAT Post

2005-08-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

I've already taken the SAT and been rather pleased with my score. I'll probably take it once more just so I might improve (I need to register for some subject tests - don't let me forget).

Anyways, I was thumbing through the Internet (can you thumb through the Internet?) and came across the SAT Blog of Boston Test Prep. Well, as I enjoy being linked to, I saw that they were opening a sidebar to student bloggers. So, I placed a comment, and voilà.

The guy who e-mailed me back (it was a man and not a machine - can you believe it?) read my blog. He writes:

Looks like you are quite the movie buff.

I am pleased. And impressed. Although I prefer the title film historian, but I'm anal.

I also liked an article they linked to about the SAT essay.

The TCMP13 Post

2005-08-23T23:00:00.000-04:00

Wow - looking at the TCM schedule, there really isn't much worth watching until Saturday...

Saturday, August 27

6:00 PM	Woman Of The Year (1942) Opposites distract when a sophisticated political columnist falls for a sportswriter. Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Fay Bainter. D: George Stevens. BW 114m. CC DVS
8:00 PM	Adam's Rib (1949) Husband-and-wife lawyers argue opposite sides in a sensational women's rights case. Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday. D: George Cukor. BW 101m. CC DVS
12:00 AM	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) An aging couple's liberal principles are tested when their daughter announces her engagement to a black doctor. Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier. D: Stanley Kramer. C 108m. LBX CC

Sunday, August 28

11:30 AM	The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) The Japanese Army forces World War II POWs to build a strategic bridge in Burma. William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa. D: David Lean. C 162m. LBX CC
10:00 PM	Sunset Boulevard (1950) A failed screenwriter falls into a mercenary romance with a faded silent-film star. Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim. D: Billy Wilder. 110m. CC
2:30 AM	Network (1976) Television programmers turn a deranged news anchor into 'the mad prophet of the airwaves.' William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch. D: Sidney Lumet. C 121m. LBX

Wow - that's it. I'm terribly underwhelmed. The movies Sat. and Sun., though, are truly classics.

The TCMP12 Post

2005-08-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all of your help with the college post (coughs sarcastically). Well, here's what's worth watching this week.

Wednesday, August 17

5:00 PM

The Great Escape (1963) Thrown together by the Germans, a
group of captive Allied troublemakers plot a daring escape.
James Garner, Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough.
D: John Sturges. C 172m. LBX CC

Friday, August 19

4:15 PM	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) A fading southern belle tries to build a new life with her sister in New Orleans. Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden. D: Elia Kazan. 125m. CC
8:00 PM	On The Waterfront (1954) A young stevedore takes on the mobster who rules the docks. Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger. D: Elia Kazan. BW 108m. LBX CC

Saturday, August 20

8:30 AM	The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) International spies kidnap a doctor's son when he stumbles on their assassination plot. James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 120m. LBX
5:45 PM	You Can't Take It With You (1938) A girl from a family of freethinkers falls for the son of a conservative banker. Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart. D: Frank Capra. BW 126m. CC
8:00 PM	The Shop Around The Corner (1940) Feuding co-workers don't realize they're secret romantic pen pals. Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan. D: Ernst Lubitsch. BW 99m. CC DVS
10:00 PM	Vertigo (1958) A detective falls for the mysterious woman he's been hired to tail. James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 130m. LBX CC
12:15 AM	Rear Window (1954) A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building. James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 114m. LBX CC
4:15 AM	Destry Rides Again (1939) A deputy who's sworn not to shoot again takes on a corrupt town boss and a sultry saloon singer. James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Una Merkel. D: George Marshall. BW 95m. CC

That's it. The stars this week aren't all that great.

The College (the 1st, I'm sure, of many) Post

2005-08-13T21:45:00.000-04:00

I saw the 1962 movie version of Long Day's Journey Into Night and I'm really depressed.

Not that the movie was bad; it was first-rate. Andre Previn's piano background music, the fact that they basically used O'Neill's exact words, Sidney Lumet's (12 Angry Men, Network) direction, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards, Jr., Dean Stockwell.

But most of all Katharine Hepburn. Her portrayal of Mary Tyrone, a dope fiend (1912 lingo for morphine addict) who has delusions about her past as a potential concert pianist or nun, is perfect. The only performance of hers that to my knowledge is as good is The Lion in Winter. Sure, she was great in her early comedies, but she has to be the finest dramatic actress that film has ever seen or will see in a long time.

Anyways, on to the meat of my post. I found the greatest website - i-cynic.com. I have always thought of myself as a cynic, and this website confirms that I am one.

But that's not the meat - it's like the second course.

I'm really having trouble figuring out where I want to go to college. Joe did this a few months back, so I'll do it now. I'll list my top few choices (in no particular order):

Lenoir-Rhyne: I've already sent in my application. Their program for sacred music/organ (which is my tentative major - I'll probably end up double-majoring in something or other) is the best in the state, and I don't say that lightly. Professor Jowers, my organ teacher for the past few years, is the best. In addition, I'll probably be able to get a scholarship that covers a lot.
Oberlin Conservatory: I'll definitely apply/audition here. It's a stretch, but they let in a few organ undergrads each year. With the conservatory atmosphere, I'll be in my element (except when I talk to string players - they make me nervous). It's expensive though, and since it is a conservatory, they don't offer music merit scholarships.
Peabody Conservatory: I might apply/audition here. Last summer, I studied for a week under the head of organ studies there (Donald Sutherland, but not the one in Animal House) and was impressed. At this point, it's the least likely option.
Duke: I'll most likely apply for the A.B. Duke Scholarship. Although the likelihood of my receiving it is small, I'm not sure that I'd be able to pass it up. Duke's music program is good and growing, and I'd be able to study abroad for free.
Yale: But it's a stretch. If I got full scholarships to every school I apply to (which, for obvious reasons will not happen), I'd go to Yale. I couldn't major in organ - it'd be my concentration, but my major would be music - but their organ faculty is, with Oberlin, among the best in the nation. Their music library is unparalleled in the Western World (what a cliche, right?), and Professor Jowers went there and loved it.

Well, help me out, will you?

The TCMP11 Post

2005-08-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

My picks for week two of Summer Under the Stars:

Tuesday, August 9: RAY MILLAND

10:00 PM	Ministry Of Fear (1944) When hidden microfilm comes into his possession, an innocent man is drawn into espionage. Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Dan Duryea. D: Fritz Lang. BW 87m. CC
11:30 PM	The Lost Weekend (1945) A writer fights to overcome his addiction to liquor. Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Howard Da Silva. D: Billy Wilder. BW 100m. CC

Thursday, August 11: KIRK DOUGLAS

8:15 AM	Lust For Life (1956) Passionate biography of painter Vincent van Gogh, whose genius drove him mad. Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, James Donald. D: Vincente Minnelli. C 122m. LBX CC DVS
4:00 PM	Out of the Past (1947) A private eye becomes the dupe of a homicidal moll. Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas. D: Jacques Tourneur. BW 97m. CC DVS
10:30 PM	Paths Of Glory (1957) A military lawyer comes to question the status quo when he defends three men accused of cowardice. Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready. D: Stanley Kubrick. BW 87m. CC

Saturday, August 13: CARY GRANT (I realize that I've picked most of the day.)

7:15 AM	Bringing Up Baby (1938) A madcap heiress upsets the staid existence of a straitlaced scientist. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Ruggles. D: Howard Hawks. BW 102m. CC DVS
10:45 AM	Operation Petticoat (1959) During World War II, the crew of a decrepit submarine takes on a team of Navy nurses. Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merrill. D: Blake Edwards. C 121m. LBX CC
3:30 PM	North By Northwest (1959) An advertising man is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase. Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 136m. LBX CC DVS
6:00 PM	To Catch a Thief (1955) A retired cat burglar fights to clear himself of a series of Riviera robberies committed in his style. Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 106m. LBX CC
8:00 PM	His Girl Friday (1940) An unscrupulous editor plots to keep his star reporter-and ex-wife-from re-marrying. Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy. D: Howard Hawks. BW 92m. CC
10:00 PM	Charade (1963) A beautiful widow tries to find her husband's lost fortune while eluding the killers who want it themselves. Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau. D: Stanley Donen. C 113m. LBX CC
12:00 AM	Gunga Din (1939) Three British soldiers seek treasure during an uprising in India. Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Victor McLaglen. D: George Stevens. BW 117m. CC DVS
2:00 AM	Cary Grant: A Class Apart (2004) Documentary that explores the life and career of leading man Cary Grant through film clips and interviews. BW & C 87m. CC

The Harry Truman Post

2005-08-04T22:01:00.000-04:00

I wanted to write a longer post, but I don't really want to now.

I'll just share with you this great picture of Lauren Bacall on top of a piano that's being played by none other than Harry Truman. I think it's kind of comical (his expression), and, in addition, her legs look great.

The Return Post/The TCMP10 Post

2005-07-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

So I'm finally posting something new.

Governor's School was tremendous. The Chorus was the best that I've ever worked with. It's hard to describe if you weren't there, so I won't attempt.

I've thought about changing the blog name again. Here's my idea - "Pithy Yet Degenerate." It's a phrase from Manhattan.

Well, August starts tomorrow, and, as a TCM fan, I am very excited. August on TCM means "Summer Under the Stars" - each day is devoted to a movie star. My picks for the week:

Monday, August 1 - LAUREN BACALL

12:30 PM	Bacall on Bogart (1988) Lauren Bacall hosts this extraordinary documentary on her life on- and off-screen with her late husband, Humphrey Bogart. HOST: Lauren Bacall. D: David Heeley. BW & C 84m. CC
2:00 PM	The Big Sleep (1946) Private eye Philip Marlowe investigates a society girl's involvement in the murder of a pornographer. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone. D: Howard Hawks. BW 114m. CC DVS
8:00 PM	Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall (2005) Lauren Bacall discusses her life and career with TCM host Robert Osborne. C 50m. CC
9:00 PM	Key Largo (1948) A returning veteran tangles with a ruthless gangster during a hurricane. Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall. D: John Huston. BW 101m. CC DVS
12:00 AM	To Have And Have Not (1944) A skipper-for-hire's romance with a beautiful drifter is complicated by his growing involvement with the French resistance. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan. D: Howard Hawks. BW 100m. CC DVS

(Tuesday is James Cagney, great gangster-movie star. The only problem - none of his movies are very good.)

Wednesday, August 3 - JOEL McCREA

10:00 PM	The Palm Beach Story (1942) To finance her husband's career, a married woman courts an eccentric millionaire Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor. D: Preston Sturges. BW 88m. CC
11:30 PM	Sullivan's Travels (1941) A filmmaker masquerades as a hobo to get in touch with the little people. Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, William Demarest. D: Preston Sturges. BW 90m. CC

Thursday, August 4 - ALEC GUINNESS (If you've never seen Lawrence of Arabia, paste your bum onto the sofa and watch it.)

4:00 PM	Lawrence of Arabia (1962) A British military officer enlists the Arabs for desert warfare in World War I. Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness. D: David Lean. C 227m. LBX CC
8:00 PM	Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) An ambitious young man sets out to kill everyone who stands between him and a fortune. Alec Guinness, Dennis Price, Joan Greenwood. D: Robert Hamer. BW 106m. CC
10:00 PM	The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) An overlooked gold transporter with twenty years service plots to steal a million pounds of gold. Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James. D: Charles Crichton. BW 81m. CC
11:30 PM	The Ladykillers (1955) An eccentric bandit gang moves into a little old lady's boarding house to plot a major heist. Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Katie Johnson. D: Alexander Mackendrick. C 91m. LBX

Thursday, August 5 - KATHARINE HEPBURN

1:30 PM	Long Day's Journey into Night (1962) A young writer tries to find himself while his family falls apart. Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards Jr. D: Sidney Lumet. BW 170m.
4:30 PM	The Lion In Winter (1968) England's Henry II and his estranged queen battle over the choice of an heir. Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Anthony Hopkins. D: Anthony Harvey. C 134m. LBX CC
6:45 PM	Katharine Hepburn: All About Me (1993) In a rare interview, Katharine Hepburn shares her memories and memorabilia. D: David Heeley. BW & C 70m. CC
10:00 PM	The Philadelphia Story (1940) Tabloid reporters crash a society marriage. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart. D: George Cukor. BW 112m. CC DVS

Saturday, August 6 - JOHN WAYNE

8:00 AM	How the West Was Won (1962) Three generations of pioneers take part in the forging of the American West. James Stewart, Henry Fonda, John Wayne. D: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall. C 165m. LBX CC DVS
8:00 PM	Fort Apache (1948) An experienced cavalry officer tries to keep his new, by-the-books commander from triggering an Indian war. John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple. D: John Ford. BW 128m. CC DVS

Watch these movies. Discuss these movies. Please. Especially the Bacall/Bogart flicks, the Alec Guinness ones, and the Katharine Hepburn ones. I mean really. You're out for summer vacation anyways.

The Weekend Break Post

2005-07-03T22:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm home. I came home yesterday and I go back on Tuesday.

I won't make this post extensive, but I must say that I am really enjoying Governor's School.

Of the new movies that I've seen there, my favorite (besides Seven Samurai, of which I had seen only part before I went) is Koyaanisqatsi. I'll probably do a full review of it when I get back for good.

I'm also glad to know that Tsheilyna is enjoying her Governor's School stay. And that I've actually gotten to know Jordan Roddy beyond a competitive context. And that KT is alive.

I'm watching a documentary on The Wizard of Oz now. I'll check back in tomorrow.

The Sarcasm Post

2005-06-11T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm leaving tomorrow morning, so no meaningless movie banter for a couple of weeks. It'll flow, though, when I get out, because they hold film screenings every week (5 themes - Hitchcock, Godard, Keaton, Kurosawa, and Antonioni - I'm well versed on my Hitch, but I'll B.S. about the others).

Thanks for your help in picking out a movie (sarcasm). I watched The Third Man last night. I'm going to watch Annie Hall now.

Goodnight, comment a bunch while I'm gone, and watch TCM.

The TCMP7, 8, and 9 Post

2005-06-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

Since I leave for Governor's School on Sunday, I want to watch a movie that I know I love before I go off. Help me figure it out. I've narrowed it down to a few choices. Here they are (in alphabetical order - there's no Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb because, well, I don't know why - it just isn't on the list.):

Annie Hall (I've seen this movie so many times that I've almost memorized the screenplay, but I don't care.)
Casablanca (Unfortunately, I haven't seen this one in a while.)
Fargo (Even though I've already watched it twice this week, I can't get enough of it.)
Manhattan (More Woody Allen greatness - and the Gershwin, oh! the Gershwin...)
Network (What's more ironic than watching this movie on a TV set?)
North by Northwest (I had to throw in a Hitchcock picture.)
The Philadelphia Story (Who could ask for better cast chemistry?)
The Third Man (This happens to be leading the pack in my mind. That cat scene - so good.)

These are my picks for the next 3 weeks on TCM (I'll be off on a break over the 4th of July). You better watch all of them (and there better be 100 comments on this post when I get back - unless I post tomorrow night.):

Wednesday, June 15

4:00 PM

Citizen Kane (1941) The investigation of a publishing tycoon's
dying words reveals conflicting stories about his scandalous life.
Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead.
D: Orson Welles. BW 120m. CC DVS

Friday, June 17

6:00 PM

His Girl Friday (1940) An unscrupulous editor plots to keep his
star reporter-and ex-wife-from re-marrying.
Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy.
D: Howard Hawks. BW 92m. CC

Saturday, June 18

6:30 PM	Road to Morocco (1942) Two castaways get mixed up in an Arabian nightmare when they're caught between a bandit chief and a beautiful princess. Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. D: David Butler. BW 82m. CC
8:00 PM	Vertigo (1958) A detective falls for the mysterious woman he's been hired to tail. James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 130m. LBX CC

Sunday, June 19

6:00 PM

Vertigo (1958) A detective falls for the mysterious woman
he's been hired to tail.
James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes.
D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 130m. LBX CC

Monday, June 20

10:15 PM

Casablanca (1942) An American saloon owner in North Africa is
drawn into World War II when his lost love turns up.
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid.
D: Michael Curtiz. BW 103m. CC DVS

Tuesday, June 21

11:30 PM

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Classic sci-fi epic about a mysterious
monolith that seems to play a key role in human evolution.
Keir Dullea, William Sylvester, Gary Lockwood.
D: Stanley Kubrick. C 149m. LBX CC DVS

Thursday, June 23

9:30 PM	Rear Window (1954) A photographer with a broken leg uncovers a murder while spying on the neighbors in a nearby apartment building. James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 114m. LBX CC
1:00 AM	Blow-Up (1966) A photographer discovers a murder in the background of a candid photo. David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles. D: Michelangelo Antonioni. C 111m. LBX CC

Saturday, June 25

8:00 AM

Double Indemnity (1944) An insurance salesman gets seduced
into plotting a client's death.
Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson.
D: Billy Wilder. BW 107m. CC

Monday, June 27

8:00 PM	Spellbound (1945) A psychiatrist tries to help the man she loves solve a murder buried in his subconscious. Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 118m. CC
10:00 PM	Notorious (1946) A U.S. agent recruits a German expatriate to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring in Brazil. Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 101m. CC

Friday, July 1 (The first film is included because of Joe's curiosity.)

6:00 PM	Light In The Piazza (1962) A woman's efforts to marry off her daughter are hindered by a family secret. Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux, George Hamilton. D: Guy Green. C 102m. LBX CC
12:30 AM	The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) A possessive son's efforts to keep his mother from remarrying threaten to destroy his family. Tim Holt, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead. D: Orson Welles. BW 88m. CC DVS

Hope you enjoy.

The Loose Ends Post

2005-06-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

I watched parts of Sideways this afternoon. I've decided to take back my remark from yesterday about Thomas Haden Church. However, I hold to my other assessments, especially the Virginia Madsen comment. I watched her "Life of Wine" speech - tremendous.

Saw Mystic River today. Sean Penn's Oscar-winning performance was too over-the-top for me. Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) should have won. And Tim Robbins? How about an Oscar for Laurence Fishburne? And how did Marcia Gay Harden get nominated? Laura Linney was a lot better. The ending was bad too. It just kind of came from nowhere.

At this point, I'd like to be watching W.C. Fields, but I got home a few minutes after The Bank Dick started, and I'm anal. Of course, I'll be tuned in to see Duck Soup again. You'd better be too. Groucho makes me laugh unhealthily hard, I think.

"I suggest that we give him ten years in Leavenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth." - Rufus T. Firefly

The New Movie/Old Movie Post

2005-06-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

As I told you yesterday, I went to watch Fargo again last night. I love that movie. If there ever was a perfect blending of humor and the grotesque, Fargo is it. The performances - Frances McDormand (who won an Oscar), William H. Macy (who was nominated), Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare - are all great. The background, the accents, the attention to detail, the bird paintings, the realism - where do I begin?

Anyways - a short plot summary. Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) is in money troubles. He devises a dumb scheme in which his wife will get kidnapped, his father-in-law will pay the ransom, and he'll collect part of it. The kidnappers have no sense and kill three people. Marge Gunderson (McDormand), a pregnant police officer, is assigned to the case.

Find the movie. Watch the movie.

This morning, I started watching Fargo again.

Then I saw Being There. Peter Sellers might be better in that than he is in Strangelove, but I think I'm probably getting ahead of myself. He's perfect. The imperfections with the movie - the sexual subplots (which should just be excluded) and the credits (they're bloopers and they totally erase the depth of the last shot) - get on my nerves, but it is, nonetheless, a great film. Sellers plays a mentally retarded gardener whose boss dies. He is left on his own and, through a series of events, winds up assisting a dying man (who just happens to be a big buddy of the President's) and becoming a national phenomenon. All this while nobody realizes that he's retarded.

Sellers, whose career was in the gutter, worked for years to finance this film. It was to be his last film. The film's final line is inscribed on his tombstone - "Life is a state of mind."

Well, tonight, I finally saw Sideways. It was good, but not as good as Joe's hype. Everything was good except for the montage with the split screen (which messed up the subsequent tone), and Thomas Haden Church. Virginia Madsen was the star of the movie for me, though.

It had a lot in common with Fargo, I thought. I mean, it's obviously not as good, but they share an element that makes them better than they would be otherwise. They both make sure that the lives on the screen are identifiable. For example: who doesn't hate those annoying cell phone rings, like Jack's? One conversation in Fargo comes to mind: Jerry has come up with a scheme to buy a parking lot, asking his father-in-law and his business partner to finance him for him. I'm paraphrasing, but his father-in-law responds, "Heck, if I want a bank loan, I'll go to old Bill Diehl at First National." The business partner says, "Bill isn't at First National anymore."

Well, anyways, I'm going to finish Fargo again. And make sure that you watch Duck Soup tomorrow night. For me.

The TCMP6 Post

2005-06-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the lack of recent posting. It's Woody Allen's fault. You see, I hadn't used the Best Buy Gift Card that I won at the CVCC Math deal, so I decided to see what I could find. I found a Woody Allen box set - four movies for $20 - and they were the recent ones that he's released through DreamWorks. I hadn't seen any of them, and I knew they weren't very good, but I got the set because it was "an offer I couldn't refuse."

So, for the past four nights, I've seen four Woody Allen pictures - and Small Time Crooks, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, and Anything Else. None of them had the verbal wit of the Diane Keaton Era or the empathy of the Mia Farrow Era, but they were better than most movies made today.

Well, anyways, on to my picks for the week. I'll have to do a longer post later this week of all the movies that are coming on for the next two months (Governor's School) that I'll unfortunately miss. Here they are:

Thursday, June 9 (a day of movies for sure - W.C. Fields's best and the Marx Brothers' best in a row!)

8:30 AM	Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men. Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre. D: Frank Capra. BW 118m. CC DVS
10:30 AM	Monsieur Verdoux (1947) A man woos and murders rich widows to support his invalid wife. Charles Chaplin, Martha Raye, Isobel Elsom. D: Charles Chaplin. BW 119m.
12:30 PM	The Trouble With Harry (1955) A corpse creates a world of trouble for several passersby who each believe they may have caused the death. Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine. D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 99m. LBX CC
8:00 PM	The Bank Dick (1940) When he foils two robberies in one day, the town drunkard is hired to guard the local bank. W.C. Fields, Cora Witherspoon, Una Merkel. D: Edward Cline. BW 72m. CC
9:15 PM	Duck Soup (1933) When he's named dictator of Freedonia, a con artist declares war on the neighboring kingdom. The Marx Brothers, Louis Calhern, Margaret Dumont. D: Leo McCarey. BW 68m. CC
10:30 PM	Touch Of Evil (1958) An Interpol agent risks his wife's life to investigate a crooked sheriff. Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh. D: Orson Welles. BW 111m. LBX CC

Friday, June 10 (Hitchcock's only flat-out comedy and a Japanese epic - that's 2:15 the next morning, by the way)

8:00 PM	Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) A quarrelsome couple discovers their marriage isn't legal. Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond. D: Alfred Hitchcock. BW 95m. CC
2:15 AM	Seven Samurai (1954) Japanese villagers hire a team of traveling samurai to defend them against a bandit attack. Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Kuninori Kodo. D: Akira Kurosawa. BW 207m.

Some interesting searches that have landed here:

"rear window sparknotes"
"garrison keillor being a lutheran"
"diana christensen" (twice!)
"erskine college blog"
"ihon furniture"
"sparknotes mr. chips"
"return of the blinth"
My personal favorite - "cary grant's teeth"

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch Fargo again.

The Listen Post

2005-06-01T21:18:00.000-04:00

I've seen a couple new movies lately. Today, I saw Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, yesterday I saw Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway, and Monday I saw The Deer Hunter. Also, I didn't mention it last week, but I did get around to seeing Waiting for Guffman.

I really enjoyed The Great Dictator. I mean, I liked all of them, but The Great Dictator was the best. Chaplin should have won the Oscar for the movie, but Jimmy Stewart beat him out for The Philadelphia Story. Of course, the movie makes fun of Hitler; Chaplin plays Hynkel and a lookalike Jewish barber.

At the end of the movie, he gives this speech (as the lookalike) that resonates even though Fascism isn't a problem today. Here it is in its entirety:

I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black men, white.

We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each others' happiness, not by each others' misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another.

In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge as made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little.

More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these things cries out for the goodness in man; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all.

Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say "Do not despair." The misery that has come upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers! Don't give yourselves to these brutes who despise you, enslave you; who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, and use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts!

You are not machines! You are men! With the love of humanity in your hearts! Don't hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it is written that the kingdom of God is within man, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power.

Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people.

Now let us fight to free the world! To do away with national barriers! To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance! Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to the happiness of us all. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us unite!

Hannah, can you hear me? Wherever you are, look up! Look up, Hannah! The clouds are lifting! The sun is breaking through! We are coming out of the darkness into the light! We are coming into a new world; a kindlier world, where men will rise above their greed, their hate and their brutality. Look up, Hannah! The soul of man has been given wings and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow! Into the light of hope! Look up, Hannah! Listen!

The TCMP5 Post

2005-05-30T21:06:00.000-04:00

My TCM picks for the week:

Wednesday, June 1

8:00 PM	Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2004) 87m. LBX CC
9:30 PM	Bullitt (1968) When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own. Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset. D: Peter Yates. C 114m. LBX CC

Friday, June 3

7:30 AM	Modern Times (1936) The Little Tramp tries to build a home with a young slum girl. Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman. D: Charles Chaplin. BW 83m.
12:45 PM	The Great Dictator (1940) A Jewish barber takes the place of a war-hungry dictator. Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie. D: Charles Chaplin. BW 120m. CC

Sunday, June 5

8:00 AM	The Thin Man (1934) A husband-and-wife detective team take on the search for a missing inventor and almost get killed for their efforts. William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan. D: W.S. Van Dyke II. BW 91m. CC DVS
12:00 PM	Bringing Up Baby (1938) A madcap heiress upsets the staid existence of a straitlaced scientist. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Ruggles. D: Howard Hawks. BW 102m. CC DVS

And just because I enjoyed reading Joe's comments about the Best Picture Oscar, here is a list of movies that definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Picture and the films they beat:

1935:

Winner:
	It Happened One Night (1934) - Columbia
Other Nominees:
	Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1934) - M-G-M Cleopatra (1934) - Paramount Flirtation Walk (1934) - First National Gay Divorcee, The (1934) - RKO Radio Here Comes the Navy (1934) - Warner Bros. House of Rothschild, The (1934) - 20th Century Pictures Imitation of Life (1934) - Universal One Night of Love (1934) - Columbia Thin Man, The (1934) - M-G-M Viva Villa! (1934) - M-G-M White Parade, The (1934) - Jesse L. Lasky

1940:

Winner:
	Gone with the Wind (1939) - David O. Selznick
Other Nominees:
	Dark Victory (1939) - David Lewis Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) - Victor Saville Love Affair (1939) - Leo McCarey Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Frank Capra Ninotchka (1939) - Sidney Franklin Of Mice and Men (1939) - Lewis Milestone Stagecoach (1939) - Walter Wanger Wizard of Oz, The (1939) - Mervyn LeRoy Wuthering Heights (1939) - Samuel Goldwyn

1944:

Winner:
	Casablanca (1942) - Hal B. Wallis
Other Nominees:
	For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) - Sam Wood Heaven Can Wait (1943) - Ernst Lubitsch Human Comedy, The (1943) - Clarence Brown In Which We Serve (1942) - Noel Coward Madame Curie (1943) - Sidney Franklin More the Merrier, The (1943) - George Stevens Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943) - Lamar Trotti Song of Bernadette, The (1943) - William Perlberg Watch on the Rhine (1943) - Hal B. Wallis

1947:

Winner:
	Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946) - Samuel Goldwyn
Other Nominees:
	Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France, The (1944) - Laurence Olivier It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Frank Capra Razor's Edge, The (1946) - Darryl F. Zanuck Yearling, The (1946) - Sidney Franklin

1962:

Winner:
	West Side Story (1961) - Robert Wise
Other Nominees:
	Fanny (1961) - Joshua Logan Guns of Navarone, The (1961) - Carl Foreman Hustler, The (1961) - Robert Rossen Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) - Stanley Kramer

1963:

Winner:
	Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Sam Spiegel
Other Nominees:
	Longest Day, The (1962) - Darryl F. Zanuck Music Man, The (1962) - Morton DaCosta Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) - Aaron Rosenberg To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Alan J. Pakula

1966:

Winner:
	Sound of Music, The (1965) - Robert Wise
Other Nominees:
	Darling (1965) - Joseph Janni Doctor Zhivago (1965) - Carlo Ponti Ship of Fools (1965) - Stanley Kramer Thousand Clowns, A (1965) - Fred Coe

1978:

Winner:
	Annie Hall (1977) - Charles H. Joffe
Other Nominees:
	Goodbye Girl, The (1977) - Ray Stark Julia (1977) - Richard A. Roth Star Wars (1977) - Gary Kurtz Turning Point, The (1977) - Herbert Ross; Arthur Laurents

1992:

Winner:
	Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) - Edward Saxon; Kenneth Utt; Ronald M. Bozman
Other Nominees:
	Beauty and the Beast (1991) - Don Hahn Bugsy (1991) - Mark Johnson; Barry Levinson; Warren Beatty JFK (1991) - A. Kitman Ho; Oliver Stone Prince of Tides, The (1991) - Barbra Streisand; Andrew S. Karsch

The Oscar Post

2005-05-28T14:57:00.000-04:00

Since I went through the Time article the other day and had so much fun doing it, I thought I'd do the same with the Best Picture Oscar winners. No commentary this time. You readers should discuss my thoughts with your comments. First, I'll give the year, then the winning picture, then the deserving picture.

1936: The Great Ziegfeld; Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1939: You Can't Take It with You; Grand Illusion
1941: Rebecca; The Philadelphia Story
1942: How Green Was My Valley; Citizen Kane
1943: Mrs. Miniver; The Magnificent Ambersons
1945: Going My Way; Double Indemnity
1951: All About Eve; Sunset Blvd.
1953: The Greatest Show on Earth; High Noon
1957: Around the World in Eighty Days; Giant
1965: My Fair Lady; Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1968: In the Heat of the Night; Bonnie and Clyde
1969: Oliver!; The Lion in Winter
1975: The Godfather: Part II; Chinatown
1977: Rocky; Network
1980: Kramer vs. Kramer; Apocalypse Now
1981: Ordinary People; Raging Bull
1987: Platoon; Hannah and Her Sisters
1997: The English Patient; Fargo
1999: Shakespeare in Love; Saving Private Ryan
2004: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Lost in Translation (Yes, I said it. Whatcha gonna' do now, punks?)

Well, I must say, it was nice to see Joe yesterday.

And now KT knows who the real AP English award winner is.

The Fascinating Post

2005-05-26T14:57:00.000-04:00

I got some more info on Governor's School today. Of course, I've known for a while that I'm going to Salem, but I found out today that I'm staying in Babcock dorm and my roommate is Shaun Trotter from Trenton. It's funny that there's a Trenton, NC. At least the guy isn't from New Jersey. Anyways, he's going for Math. I'm sure he'll be fascinating conversation.

K: So, what'd you spend today doing, Shaun?
S: Derivatives.

See what I mean? Fascinating. No, I'm sure he'll be very interesting, if not fascinating.

A quick Google of "Shaun Trotter" brings up a piece for jazz band. Hmm... maybe this guy will be fascinating conversation after all. Of course, if he Googles "Kenneth Miller," he'll think I'm a professor at Brown.

And get this: we have to pay the laundry service ($75 for the term)! I guess that's better than washing your clothes yourself.

Oh - did I mention - school's out! Hallelujah (or "Alleluia!", however you want to spell it)!

The Time Post

2005-05-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

Joe told me on the tag-board last night that Time released a list of its greatest 100 movies, so of course I had to check it out.

Well, the list is so idiotic that you'd never think that two distinguished film critics came up with it. Granted, it contains the movies that everyone believes are great (Citizen Kane, Casablanca, etc.), but it leaves out a bunch and has a bunch of unfitted films. Here follows a short list of the movies that do not deserve to be on the list and why (remember, this is my opinion - feel free to rebut in the comment section as it pleases you):

The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936): Jean Renoir will always be considered one of the early masters of the art of cinema, but not for this film. He'll be remembered for The Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game.
The Awful Truth (1937): Funny movie, but if you want a funny Cary Grant movie, put in Bringing Up Baby or The Philadelphia Story, which are both not on the list.
Ninotchka (1939): Again, a funny movie, but of 1939, this doesn't even come close to being the best. Try Gone With the Wind (!!!!!), The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, (Kenneth's voice fades to nothingness)...
Notorious (1946): Great Hitchcock picture, but one has to wonder why it's the ONLY Hitchcock picture (apart from the inevitable Psycho) on the list. It's not his best, so why not add in Vertigo, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train...
Ikiru (1952) and Ugetsu (1953): Great Japanese flicks, but they aren't Seven Samurai. Kurosawa don't get no respect.
Persona (1966): Not Bergman's best. Pick The Seventh Seal, for goodness' sake.
Barry Lyndon (1975): Great Kubrick. You just have to wonder why 2001 didn't make it.
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985): Again, nobody can argue with this film's merits. But if you put this Allen movie on the list, why no Annie Hall (!!!!!), Manhattan, Crimes and Misdemeanors, or Hannah and Her Sisters?
The Fly (1986): Do I really need to say anything?
Finding Nemo (2003): If you pick a computer-animated picture, pick Shrek, people!

Well, anyways, that's a short list. I could go on for a while. I must say, though, that my main problem with the list is its attempt to put too many foreign films among the greats. There's no question to me that the creative output of Japanese, French, Swedish, and German film does not equal that of American/(British) film.

Have a good day.

The LMJ/TCMP4 Post

2005-05-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

TCM picks for the week:

Tuesday, May 24

9:45 PM

North By Northwest (1959) An advertising man is
mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.
Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason.
D: Alfred Hitchcock. C 136m. LBX CC DVS

Wednesday, May 25

2:00 PM	An American in Paris (1951) An American artist finds love in Paris but almost loses it to conflicting loyalties. Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant. D: Vincente Minnelli. C 114m. CC DVS
6:00 PM	Charade (1963) A beautiful widow tries to find her husband's lost fortune while eluding the killers who want it themselves. Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau. D: Stanley Donen. C 113m. LBX CC

Friday, May 27

8:00 PM

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) The Japanese Army
forces World War II POWs to build a strategic bridge in Burma.
William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa.
D: David Lean. C 162m. LBX CC

Monday, May 30

8:00 PM

Patton (1970) The legendary general's rebellious behavior
almost costs him his command during World War II.
George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young.
D: Franklin J. Schaffner. C 171m. LBX

LMJ:

Saddam Hussein is writing his memoirs. You know, that's what a lot of incarcerated dictators do. Well, in it, he tells of his relationships with his sons, Uday and Qusay, and his daughter, Uglay.

The Roger Ebert Post

2005-05-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

This is what you get for being talented: four services to play for in one day.

Now that I'm home for a short period of time, I'm looking on the Internet (Is Internet supposed to be capitalized?). Thanks to StumbleUpon, everyone's favorite Mozilla toolbar, I found Roger Ebert's website. So, naturally, I read his review of Dr. Strangelove (and found myself agreeing with everything he says). Here it is:

***

Every time you see a great film, you find new things in it. Viewing Stanley Kubrick's ``Dr. Strangelove'' for perhaps the 10th time, I discovered what George C. Scott does with his face. His performance is the funniest thing in the movie--better even than the inspired triple performance by Peter Sellers or the nutjob general played by Sterling Hayden--but this time I found myself paying special attention to the tics and twitches, the grimaces and eyebrow archings, the sardonic smiles and gum-chewing, and I enjoyed the way Scott approached the role as a duet for voice and facial expression.

That can be dangerous for an actor. Directors often ask actors to underplay closer shots, because too much facial movement translates into mugging or overacting. Billy Wilder once asked Jack Lemmon for ``a little less'' so many takes in a row that Lemmon finally exploded: ``Whaddya want! Nothing?'' Lemmon recalls that Wilder raised his eyes to heaven: ``Please God!'' Kubrick, whose attention to the smallest detail in every frame was obsessive, would have been aware of George C. Scott's facial gymnastics, and yet he endorsed them, and when you watch ``Strangelove'' you can see why.

Scott's work is hidden in plain view. His face here is so plastic and mobile it reminds you of Jerry Lewis or Jim Carrey (in completely different kinds of movies). Yet you don't consciously notice his expressions because Scott sells them with the energy and conviction of his performance. He means what he says so urgently that the expressions accompany his dialogue instead of distracting from it. Consider the scene where his character, Gen. Buck Turgidson, is informing the president that it is quite likely a B-52 bomber will be able to fly under Russian radar and deliver its payload even though the entire Soviet air force knows where the plane is headed. ``He can barrel in that baby so low!'' Scott says, with his arms spread wide like wings, and his head shaking in admiration at how good his pilots are--so good one of them is about to bring an end to civilization.

Another actor, waving his arms around, might look absurd. Scott embodies the body language so completely that it simply plays as drama (and comedy). In another scene, scurrying around the War Room, he slips, falls to a knee, rights himself, and carries on. Kubrick the perfectionist left the unplanned slip in the film, because Scott made it seem convincing, and not an accident.

``Dr. Strangelove'' (1964) is filled with great comic performances, and just as well, because there's so little else in the movie apart from faces, bodies and words. Kubrick shot it on four principal locations (an office, the perimeter of an Air Force base, the ``War Room,'' and the interior of a B-52 bomber). His special effects are competent but not dazzling (we are obviously looking at model planes over Russia). The War Room, one of the most memorable of movie interiors, was created by Ken Adam out of a circular desk, a ring of lights, some back-projected maps, and darkness. The headquarters of Gen. Jack D. Ripper, the haywire Air Force general, is just a room with some office furniture in it.

Yet out of these rudimentary physical props and a brilliant screenplay (which Kubrick and Terry Southern based on a novel by Peter George), Kubrick made what is arguably the best political satire of the century, a film that pulled the rug out from under the Cold War by arguing that if a ``nuclear deterrent'' destroys all life on Earth, it is hard to say exactly what it has deterred.

``Dr. Strangelove's'' humor is generated by a basic comic principle: People trying to be funny are never as funny as people trying to be serious and failing. The laughs have to seem forced on unwilling characters by the logic of events. A man wearing a funny hat is not funny. But a man who doesn't know he's wearing a funny hat ... ah, now you've got something.

The characters in ``Dr. Strangelove'' do not know their hats are funny. The film begins with Gen. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) fondling a phallic cigar while launching an unauthorized nuclear strike against Russia. He has become convinced that the commies are poisoning ``the purity and essence of our natural fluids'' by adding fluoride to the water supply. (Younger viewers may not know that in the 1950s this was a widespread belief.) Ripper's nuclear strike, his cigar technique and his concern for his ``precious bodily fluids'' are so entwined that they inspire unmistakable masturbatory associations.

The only man standing between Ripper and nuclear holocaust is a British liaison, Group Captain Mandrake (Sellers), who listens with disbelief to Rippers' rantings. Meanwhile, Ripper's coded message goes out to airborne B-52s to launch an attack against Russia. A horrified President Muffley (Sellers again) convenes his advisers in the War Room and is informed by Turgidson, bit by reluctant bit, of the enormity of the situation: The bombers are on the way, they cannot be recalled, Gen. Ripper cannot be reached, and so on. Eventually, Muffley calls the Russian premiere to confess everything (``Dimitri, we have a little problem ... '').

Other major players include the sinister strategist Dr. Strangelove (Sellers a third time), a character whose German accent now evokes Henry Kissinger, although in 1964 nuclear think-tanker Herman Kahn was the likely target. Strangelove's black-gloved right hand is an unruly weapon with a will of its own, springing into Nazi salutes and trying to throttle Strangelove to death. Action in the War Room and on the Air Force base is intercut with the B-52 cockpit, ruled by Major T.J. ``King'' Kong (Slim Pickens); when he's told by his radio man that the order to attack has come through, he tells them, ``No horsin' around on the airplane!''

Major Kong was intended to be Sellers' fourth role, but he was uncertain about the cowboy accent. Pickens, a character actor from westerns, was brought in by Kubrick, who reportedly didn't tell him the film was a comedy. Pickens' patriotic speeches to his crew (and his promises of promotion and medals) are counterpoint to the desperate American efforts to recall the flight.

I've always thought the movie ends on an unsure note. After the first nuclear blast, Kubrick cuts back to the War Room, where Strangelove muses that deep mines could be used to shelter survivors, whose descendants could return to the surface in 90 years (Turgidson is intrigued by the 10-to-1 ratio of women to men). Then the film abruptly ends in its famous montage of many mushroom clouds, while Vera Lynn sings ``We'll Meet Again.``

It seems to me there should be no more dialogue after the first blast; Strangelove's survival strategy could be moved up to just before Slim Pickens' famous bareback ride to oblivion. I realize there would be a time lapse while Russian missiles responded to the attack, but I think the film would be more effective if the original blast brought an end to all further story developments. (Kubrick originally planned to end the film with a pie fight, and a table laden with pies can be seen in the background of the War Room, but he wisely realized that his purpose was satire, not slapstick.)

``Dr. Strangelove'' and ``2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) are Kubrick's masterpieces. The two films share a common theme: Man designs machinery that functions with perfect logic to bring about a disastrous outcome. The U.S. nuclear deterrent and the Russian ``doomsday machine'' function exactly as they are intended, and destroy life on earth. The computer HAL 9000 serves the space mission by attacking the astronauts.

Stanley Kubrick himself was a perfectionist who went to obsessive lengths in order to get everything in his films to work just right. He owned his own cameras and sound and editing equipment. He often made dozens of takes of the same shot. He was known to telephone projectionists to complain about out-of-focus screenings. Are his two best films a nudge in his own ribs?

The Hitchcock Cliché Post

2005-05-20T20:57:00.000-04:00

Since I've been giving a presentation on Hitchcock the last two days in class and Joe gave me a link to a forum on Something Awful, I couldn't resist posting this. It's very true, except for the fact that Hitch never used two leading men in the same movie. And I really think that Leo G. Carroll is in every Hitchcock movie. Oh, and it's in VistaVision, everyone's favorite widescreen format!

Oops - maybe not.

http://i.somethingawful.com/inserts/articlepics/photoshop/05-20-05-movies/OgOggilby.jpg

The Dull Post

2005-05-19T22:19:00.000-04:00

Well, tonight was Senior Awards. It was kind of dull, but I guess those things always are. Thankfully, there are so many Junior Marshals this year that I didn't have to serve at the banquet. Congrats KT & Bobby.

Oh, and for some reason, when I presented a scholarship to Julie and gave her a hug, I got an "awww" from the peanut gallery. Why? Amber wasn't even there.

Today, as I'm sure you all know, Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Blinth opened today. Go to the Letterman video clips place and watch the "Top Ten Things Never Before Said by a Star Wars Character."

Well, good night.

The Widor Post

2005-05-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

I found a way to upload some of my music, even though Kytec (thanks for the suggestion, Joe) is temporarily down. It's called ISound and it's relatively easy to use. The only organ piece that I recorded that is short enough to post there is a great Charles-Marie Widor symphony movement.

You can view my page here. Tell me what you think. I recorded it (with the help of Prof. Jowers) at St. John's.

Apparently, the more that you link to other pages, the more often you'll get landed upon after an internet search. That's why there are 5 links in this post.

Oh, and congrats to all my blogmates who won awards at the underclassman ceremony yesterday - Brian, Tsheilyna, Adam, Elise, Hunter, and for some reason, Bobby, even though he's a senior.

And thanks to your votes, you're reading the blog of the de facto leader of the NCHS Student Council for next year.

The Lego Bible Post

2005-05-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

Short post. Just wanted to alert you that I found a great website today.

The Brick Testament

Oh, and the Newton Sesquicentennial was kind of lame.

The LMJ/TCMP3 Post

2005-05-16T22:15:00.000-04:00

The monologue joke of the week (sorry that there wasn't one last week):

"So the new Star Wars movie is coming out. In this one, Anakin Skywalker turns to the Dark Side, sending the Republic into chaos. Then...ah, who cares?"

TCM picks of the week:

Wednesday, May 18: Frank Capra quintuple feature (even though the only good ones are IHON and MDGTT and kind-of YCTIWY, but IHON is really a classic)-

9:00 AM	Lady For A Day (1933) A gangster helps an old apple- vendor pose as a society woman to fool her visiting daughter. May Robson, Warren William, Guy Kibbee. D: Frank Capra. BW 96m.
11:00 AM	You Can't Take It With You (1938) A girl from a family of freethinkers falls for the son of a conservative banker. Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart. D: Frank Capra. BW 126m. CC
1:30 PM	It Happened One Night (1934) A newspaperman tracks a runaway heiress on a madcap cross-country tour. Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Walter Connolly. D: Frank Capra. BW 105m. CC
3:30 PM	Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) When he inherits a fortune, a small-town poet has to deal with the corruption of city life. Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Lionel Stander. D: Frank Capra. BW 116m. CC
5:30 PM	Meet John Doe (1941) A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business. Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. D: Frank Capra. BW 122m. CC

Sunday, May 22: a great Woody Allen movie, which I think I've already recommended:

2:00 PM

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Three sisters deal with
their tangled relationships amidst the wonders of New York City.
Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Michael Caine.
D: Woody Allen. C 107m. LBX

The Favorite Movie Post

2005-05-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

I was thinking:

My favorite genre of movies is Comedy (preferably wit, not slapstick, although a mixture is great).
I think that the best decade of American Cinema was the '40's.
My favorite actors are Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.
My favorite actress is Katharine Hepburn.

So, altogether, my favorite movie should be The Philadelphia Story. But it isn't. Maybe I should watch it a few more times.

Also, I was wondering if there is a way to upload sound clips to the Internet so that I might post them here. Do you know?

The Bobby Ray Post Post

2005-05-12T22:22:00.000-04:00

I stole this from Bobby's blog. I corrected a few spelling/grammar errors. I hope Bobby's not offended.

***

"No matter where I go,
There I will be"

That quote is by my brother, Philip. We were talking on the subject of people changing themselves so they can fit in. It's sad when I think about it because we all do it, including the best of us. We fight to become part of some collective, a group, a clan. Why? So we can feel like we belong, to feel whole, full, living. But then he said something to me that I will remember. He said, "The Bible says to be in the world but not part of the world. So I believe in myself, and like myself because there is no one that I have to answer to but God and myself. Even if I hate myself, I'm still me. No matter where I go, there I will be." I thought that was awesome. I never thought of it like that but of course if reincarnation is real, he would be part Confucius. But other than him, there are people that I admire in that aspect. They know who they are. I think it's wonderful to be different and not want to be in some group that you don't want to just because it makes you feel better. It always makes me sad to see colorful people turn monochromatic just because they want to be like the Borg. Nature has lots of animals that conform, but humans aren't one of them. So, why do we feel like we have to belong to groups that we know are bad? I know that I associate with people of that nature, but I try to save them. Like Fred. He smokes and he has asthma. WHY??? Why would you want to do that knowing that you have problems breathing already? It doesn't make sense, but he claims he needs to. The Bible says that bad associations lead to bad habits.

Philip brought up another interesting point about people doing things because they don't want to "miss out." He said that if you don't do activities of a bad nature because you know they're wrong, then you aren't missing out. He stated that to miss out means that you tried it one time and then you never do it again on terms that aren't your own. It's true in the sense. So when people fuss at me for not drinking or smoking, then I have every right to tell them that they are wrong in that area. No one makes me do things against my moral standing. I refuse to do things and I'm seen as an enemy, but I do it because I care about people, and myself. The preacher at church last Sunday said something that opened my eyes. He said, " The Bible says your body is a temple; a temple for the holy spirit. You should treat your body well for it is the temple of the holy spirit. Well, if you are smoking, doing drugs, excessively drinking, engaging in unsafe and inappropriate sexual activity, etc then you are destroying the temple. Here is a good rule of thumb: If you can't do it within this sanctuary (the church, of course) then you shouldn't be doing it. Why would you disrespect the temple that God gave you when you want disrepect a simple building of wood and brick?" That is true. Why? Why would some not disrespect anything at the church and then go and disrespect the body that God gave them so their soul can have a home? I can understand that if you aren't Christian or any religion for that matter (even though living is important and its still stupid to cause harm otherwise), but there are tons of hypocritical Christians saying "Amen" in the church and then smoking a joint at home. I don't know - the Bible did say that these were the signs of the end getting nearer. Well, I'll post later then. Sorry for the long wait.
Bye.

B.Ray
Knight of the Cross

***

Thanks, Bobby.

The Heavenly Heaven Post

2005-05-10T21:44:00.000-04:00

A quick post for today. While practicing for the AP Music Theory exam last week, I was listening to a CD prepared by the College Board. There was one number, "Heaven," from Duke Ellington's Second Sacred Concert, that I found particularly enjoyable. The soprano, Alice Babs, was tremendous. The lyrics, inspirational like all of Duke's later stuff, were also great. Since there's no free recording online, here're the words:

Heaven, my dream
Heaven, divine
Heaven, supreme
Heaven, combines every sweet and pretty thing life would love to bring.
Heavenly Heaven to be is just the ultimate degree to be.

The TCM2 Post

2005-05-08T19:49:00.000-04:00

My TCM picks for the week:

(May 10 - Tuesday) 3:30 AM: Woody Allen: A Life in Film - TCM original documentary with Allen speaking about his own films. Very insightful, so TiVo it if you like Woody's movies.

(May 14 - Saturday) 12:00 PM: 2001: A Space Odyssey. 'Nough said. Then keep yourself glued to the tele, because they're showing The Sting, My Fair Lady, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Shadow of a Doubt.

Oh, and KT, I was looking through the Bedford and found "Home-Baked Bread," pg. 769 and "The Joy of Cooking," 797. You could probably do a good compare/contrast with them.

The Poem Post

2005-05-06T22:50:00.000-04:00

The Variety Show went well. And I can't talk about the AP test (yea, right) until tomorrow. So I'm going to post 2 William Carlos Williams poems that have rather enamored me.

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Oh, and get this - Harb let us pick our final projects.
Mine - a critical study of 4 Alfred Hitchcock films.
(North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, Psycho)

The LMJ/TCMP/CL1 Post

2005-05-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

The title stands for Letterman Monologue Joke/Turner Classic Movies Pick/College Letter Post (#1). Hopefully, this will become a regular post on my blog.

First: "You know, it's Graduation season. Most kids in New York are honor students, suprisingly enough. 'Yes, Your Honor. No, Your Honor...'"

Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 4) at 8, TCM is showing 4 Orson Welles movies. If you haven't seen Citizen Kane, watch it, please. Or at least tape it. Then they're showing The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, and Touch of Evil. And if you read this early tonight, they're showing Hannah and Her Sisters, one of the Woody Allen-meister's best, at 10 tonight.

Oh, and I got a letter from Erskine College today. Where's that (I'm too lazy to read the letter or Google it)?

Oh, and I thought I'd add some stats from my counter:

Referrers

blogtemplates.noipo.org 158
enjolras.blogspot.com 19
www.tag-board.com 16
www.google.com 5
www.google.co.uk 5
gopman88.blogspot.com 4
www.blogger.com 2
www.noipo.org 1
search.aol.com 1
carolinabluekt.blogspot.com 1
websearch.cs.com 1

Search Engine Keywords

dso:hiltswaltb 2
dso:hiltswaltb movie 1
d s o:h i l t s w a l t b - movie 1
film dso:hiltswaltb 1
william holden blogs 1
ebonics post 1
such small portions 1
paddy chayevsky 1
turner classic movies ben hur parody 1

The Feature Post

2005-05-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

Look who has a blog (check the sidebar) (if you're too lazy, it's Bobby Ray).

I think I'm going to start a few regular (perhaps weekly) features. Tell me what you think of the possibilities-

-The Letterman Monologue Joke of the Week.
-The TCM Pick of the Week.
-A weekly list of the colleges that I've gotten mail from.

I saw A Mighty Wind today and it was really funny. I also saw The Front over the weekend - it wasn't as good, but I saw Woody Allen in a dramatic role. He was actually quite good. It was all about the McCarthy-Hollywood blacklists.

Sorry for not updating in the past couple of days. I don't really have an excuse. Just apathy, I guess.

The Crossword Post

2005-04-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

So we did the first show tonight. It went soooo much better than I expected.

God, thanks.

Actually (and this is awful), I hoped that we would suck so that Ms. Caldwell would feel bad. You know, she's such a hypocrite. I was talking with Jay Shepherd (Gahiji) after the show, and he said that he wished he could tell her how bad an actress she was and that she can't sing (both of those statements are true).

The other day at rehearsal, she told everybody to turn his/her cellphone off. A cellphone promptly rings. It's hers.

Well, anyways, on to the post. I talked with Mrs. Romanelli before the show because I needed to do something so that I wouldn't get nervous (me get nervous - never) (actually, I always get nervous at math competitions, but that's about it). We talked about Hitchcock and Allen, two staples of conversation for me. I can't believe that she likes The Birds. It's absolute crap. It's the worst Hitch I've ever seen.

Like I said - on to the post. For homework tonight (no English - wow), I had to create a crossword puzzle for French class. I have to apologize for the lack of accents. Most of the answers can be found here. Voila(grave).

Oh, never mind. I tried it and it didn't work.

The Gloat Post

2005-04-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

I just have to gloat once. I was checking my counter tonight and saw that someone came here via Google! The search - "paddy chayevsky." My "The Paddy Chayevsky Post" is on the FIRST page. To be so closely connected with an Oscar-winning screenwriter, I am deeply humbled.

Oh, and come see our play. Tonight's ultimate dress rehearsal was the best we've ever done it by far.

The KT-Copy Post

2005-04-26T22:12:00.000-04:00

I read KT's blog a minute ago and decide to steal this from her:

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:
Kenneth.
Birthday:
21 March.
Birthplace:
Conover, NC.
Current Location:
My Basement.
Eye Color:
Does the color of poop count?
Hair Color:
Blond.
Height:
5'7" or something.
Right Handed or Left Handed:
Right.
Your Heritage:
Deutschland, die Vaterland.
The Shoes You Wore Today:
Those of the tennis variety.
Your Weakness:
A good movie.
Your Fears:
Brian, bad grades, etc.
Your Perfect Pizza:
Something with a bunch of meat that's also spicy.
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:
Compose a major musical work.
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:
N/A.
Thoughts First Waking Up:
I hope the Judge is filling in for Brian (Kilmeade) today.
Your Best Physical Feature:
Umm... my indescribable charm?
Your Bedtime:
It should be now.
Your Most Missed Memory:
Sorry, it's sad. My grandma.
Pepsi or Coke:
That's not even a question, right? Coca-Cola all the way, baby!
McDonalds or Burger King:
McDonald's.
Single or Group Dates:
N/A.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:
Luzianne.
Chocolate or Vanilla:
Tie. But probably vanilla.
Cappuccino or Coffee:
Milk.
Do you Smoke:
No.
Do you Swear:
No - I'm Lutheran.
Do you Sing:
I better. That's why I'm going to Governor's School.
Do you Shower Daily:
Always.
Have you Been in Love:
Nope.
Do you want to go to College:
Of course.
Do you want to get Married:
To use a cliche, I do.
Do you believe in yourself:
Kinda.
Do you get Motion Sickness:
No.
Do you think you are Attractive:
I'm not butt-ugly, if that's what you're trying to imply.
Are you a Health Freak:
Not at all.
Do you get along with your Parents:
Yes.
Do you like Thunderstorms:
Yes. Very peaceful.
Do you play an Instrument:
Where do you want me to start?
In the past month have you drunk Alcohol:
Does Communion count?
In the past month have you Smoked:
No.
In the past month have you been on Drugs:
No.
In the past month have you gone on a Date:
Nope.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:
I think so.
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:
No.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:
No.
In the past month have you been on Stage:
Unfortunately, yes.
In the past month have you been Dumped:
No.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:
No, I'm Lutheran!
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:
Nada.
Ever been Drunk:
No, and I don't plan to ever be.
Ever been called a Tease:
No.
Ever been Beaten up:
No.
Ever Shoplifted:
No, I'm Lutheran, for the last time!
How do you want to Die:
Have you ever seen that one scene in The Meaning of Life?...
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:
Professor (or Senator).
What country would you most like to Visit:
Germany. The Bach tour. Or France. The Cavaille-Coll tour.
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:
Hmm...
Favourite Hair Color:
Hmm...
Short or Long Hair:
Hmm...
Height:
Hmm...
Weight:
Hmm... I guess that the last couple of questions can be answered if you look at a picture of Grace Kelly.
Best Clothing Style:
Comfortable.
Number of Drugs I have taken:
0.
Number of CDs I own:
A bunch.
Number of Piercings:
Nil - I'm Lutheran.
Number of Tattoos:
0.
Number of things in my Past I Regret:
Well, this one time at Band Camp... I mean 0.

The Update Post

2005-04-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

I changed a few things. Adam's blog is now in the sidebar (pic via Addie).

I really want to update the Film Site because I saw Arsenic and Old Lace over the weekend and it was extremely funny. Cary Grant was superb as always. I read up on it and it was originally a Broadway play. I think it should be our school production next year, mainly so I can say that I played a Cary Grant role. Or we could put on The Philadelphia Story, also originally a Broadway play and I could be Cary Grant. But frankly, I'd rather do AaOL because I'd be the bigger center of attention. And maybe since the Wicked Witch will be dead next year, our production might not fly like the Spruce Goose.

The Counter Post

2005-04-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

I love my new counter. It tells me where all of you come from. Like I said yesterday, most of you come from here. Some of you got here from Joe's place, here. Also, several of you got here by clicking my name in various Tag-Boards. And through the Blogger toolbar. Nifty.

But I am proudest of the only person who found me via search engine. Someone searched AOL for "turner classic movies ben hur parody" and guess whose blog showed up on the first page?

I guess that goes to show that the AOL search engine sucks.

So does the word "nifty." And our musical. We've rehearsed for 10 hours this weekend, and I must say that I'm more optimistic now. But certainly not excited.

I've found a few more (Google) searches that will get you here:

"dr. strangelove pour regarder en autobus"
"dr. strangelove widor"
"woody allen tsheilyna"
"dr. strangelove tsheilyna"
"tsheilyna"
"tcm js bach bust"
"kenneth miller tcm" - proud of this one
"such small portions" - proud of this one, too

The Referral Post

2005-04-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

I added a counter yesterday to the sidebar. When I looked at the stats, I found that most of the people that have stumbled on my blog got here via http://blogtemplates.noipo.org/. If you're here from there, I must say that I really enjoy my template. It's easy to use, and I think it looks rather spiffy. And if you're here from there, tell me what you think of my template and any suggestions you have for altering it.

The Letterbox Post

2005-04-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I officially do not have a conscience. When Ms. Caldwell told the Drama Club that her contract wasn't being renewed (sorry, I'm not supposed to be spreading that), the first thing that came into my mind was that song from The Wizard of Oz, "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead." Isn't that just despicable?

Well anyways, on to my planned post - the defense of letterbox format. In English, while we were watching Hamlet (the Kenneth Branagh), I said something to the effect that I wished it was in widescreen instead of fullscreen because I felt like I was missing something. KT said that I was wrong since she hated those little black bars.

Well, I'm right. When you watch something in fullscreen, you really are losing half of the picture. In a film, all of the shots are carefully planned to create some kind of overall mood. The mood is completely destroyed when half of the camera is cut off.

Everone knows the chariot scene in Ben-Hur, but a whole generation has grown up thinking it is sub-par special effects. Pan-and-scan is to blame, for in the fullscreen version, only two horses can be seen at ahy one time. And it's blurry - another serious problem in fullscreen. There are four horses, and Willie Wyler didn't work two years for TBS to mess his masterpiece up.

And musicals. Just imagine a Busby Berkeley show-stopping number cut in half.

Lawrence of Arabia, another of my favorite movies, is royally screwed in pan-and-scan. There's this one absolutely brilliant shot in which T.E. Lawrence is on the left of the screen, his Arab guide is on the right, and a sheikh rides in on a horse in the distant desert. These two images were edited in Paint:

Letterbox:

Pan-and-Scan:

I rest my case. Thank you TCM for showing all epics, at least, in letterbox.

The Film Site Post

2005-04-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

So I started a new blog - "Film Site." It's at an easily-remembered URL - filmsite.blogspot.com. It's all about one of my favorite subjects - Movies. That makes three sentences in a row with dashes - and links. No - four. Six, really - six.

I am opening it up to anyone. Simply post your e-mail address on the site and I'll send you an e-mail that will allow you to become a member.

Since I started it today, it still needs a lot of work. Help me out, here. If you find a great template or feature or logo, please comment and put a link to it there.

The Big Stink Post

2005-04-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

So, this morning was the CVCC Math Competition. As soon as I got done taking the test, I had to go to play practice.

Originally, Miss Caldwell made a big stink about my going to the competition. I explained to her that I had done it every year since 7th grade, yet she wasn't satisfied. In the end, good Mrs. Hefner talked to her and I went to the competition [Miss Caldwell tried to fight her, but if I wasn't allowed to go, I probably would have quit the musical (show in 2 weeks)].

I won and my mom was made to receive my award in my absence. My mother, who holds Miss Caldwell in the same disdain that I do, made sure that she (politely) rubbed that fact into Miss Caldwell's face when she picked me up.

I always feel guilty winning those things because I always place directly in front of someone else from NCHS. Shraddha would have won if I'd have gone to play practice. Joe would have 2 wins under his belt. And I'm sure that I won all three of those because of one question or less.

I skipped Prom tonight to go to a Western Piedmont Symphony concert. They played Beethoven's 3rd ("Eroica") along with a Rimsky-Korsakov overture and the world premiere of a Dan Locklair harp concerto. I like Dan Locklair's stuff, especially his organ works.

In my winnings today, I got a $100 gift card to Best Buy. I figure that I'll allot $25 each to CDs and books and $50 to DVDs. Any suggestions? I thought about Joe's recommendations - M*A*S*H and Sideways - but since I haven't seen either of them, I'm a bit wary.

The Three Things Post

2005-04-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

I responded to Joe's comment on the previous post, but for some reason it still displays that there is only one comment. Why would that be?

I was reading some of KT's old posts and came upon one that was particularly interesting. I filled it out and am posting it here.

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01 | Brian.
02 | The fact that the musical is in 2 weeks and some people don't know their parts.
03 | That religious sect that speaks in tongues.
------------------------------------------------------------

THREE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS CARRY WITH ME:
01 | Glasses.
02 | School ID (only on weekdays).
03 | Memories (that sounds too vaguely sentimental).
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I LOVE:
01 | The organ (as long as it's a pipe organ).
02 | Grace Kelly in the 50's.
03 | Ingrid Bergman in the 40's.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I HATE:
01 | Brian (thanks for being a good sport, Brian - expect some more jokes about you).
02 | Red Sox fans who gloat about one World Series win in 80-some years.
03 | "Saved" used as an adjective (see post below).
-----------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND:
01 | 2001: A Space Odyssey
02 | Why Cary Grant never won a (competitive) Oscar.
03 | Messiaen.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
01 | The Inferno. Still.
02 | CD case of Chopin preludes.
03 | 2003 Desk Calendar.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW:
01 | Watching TV.
02 | Spinning in this chair.
03 | Googling "Messiaen" to make sure I spelled it right.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
01 | Marry and have lots of kids.
02 | Have a film of mine become part of TCM's "The Essentials."
03 | Teach.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I CAN DO:
01 | Critique movies.
02 | Play a few instruments.
03 | Laugh.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I CAN'T DO:
01 | Watch a Buster Keaton film with firm intent (Sorry, I'm just a Chaplin guy).
02 | The Charleston.
03 | Make an A+ in Harb.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO:
01 | Rhapsody in Blue.
02 | Bach organ works (any of them).
03 | Bernard Herrmann's film scores (NxNW, Psycho, Citizen Kane, etc.).
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO EVER:
01 | Jay Leno.
02 | Josh Groban.
03 | Brian.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST:
01 | Yes.
02 | No.
03 | Stop it, Brian!
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE OF YOUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS:
01 | Shell's BBQ.
02 | When it comes to school lunches, definitely the burritos.
03 | A juicy, medium rare, perfectly seasoned slab of beef.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN:
01 | The technicalities of filmmaking.
02 | Latin & Greek & Ancient Hebrew.
03 | What actually goes through Brian's brain (I have a guess, but it's impolite).
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE BEVERAGES YOU DRINK REGULARLY:
01 | Coke.
02 | Milk.
03 | No, that's about it.
------------------------------------------------------------
THREE SHOWS YOU WATCHED WHEN YOU WERE A KID:
01 | "Bill Nye the Science Guy."
02 | "All That."
03 | "Jeopardy." Always "Jeopardy."
------------------------------------------------------------

I've an idea for my sidebar. Tell me what you think. I could take pictures from various movies and put your faces in them, just like my profile picture. I thought I could take the scene from DSo:HILtSWaLtB where Ripper is talking to Mandrake about bodily fluids and put Joe's head on Mandrake and Brian's on Ripper. It would be very appropriate.

The Religious Discourse Post

2005-04-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

Caution - this post should not be read if the reader wants to read something light. If you want to read something light, just scroll down a bit. Not that this post is especially deep, it's just deeper than normal.

On the way to our restaurant of choice tonight (Shell's BBQ), I saw one of those small Baptist churches that meets in a doublewide. Nothing against doublewides, though. I just think there are better uses for them than Baptist churches (see what I mean - not so deep).

The sign said "TO BE ALMOST SAVED IS TO BE COMPLETELY LOST."

That, my friends, is the essence of heresy.

Saved used as an adjective is heresy. Saved in a religious sense is only applicable as a verb in the past tense, i.e. "God saved all sinners." And even then, it isn't entirely true, for God saves us - present tense - because we still are in a path of sin. God didn't recuse himself after Calvary.

The adjective saved implies a one-time arrangement, that once one is "saved," he is competely finished with his spiritual development. It's almost reminiscent of the indulgences of sixteenth-century Rome. Just watch Channel 7 (WHKY, local). It's always "I've been saved," while the non-heretical reaction, "I am saved by Jesus," serves as the only correct assertion.

Faith is continuous. There is no single moment of enlightenment. If there is, what is the point of life? What development is possible in life if it is consumed in some vague "saved" moment? Fulfillment is in the saving part of life. God works in all people, strengthening faith over time through church and study and witness and life.

God does not seek entropy in human lives.

Life is progress.

Well, there it is - my mad Lutheran raving for the day.

The Ralph Bellamy Post

2005-04-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

I updated some more. I have more links in the sidebar - Elise and Hunter (and a new picture for Joe). If I knew Addie, I would link to her permanently, but as it is, I stole her pictures. As soon as she posts here, she'll get a permanent link, but as it is, I shall give credit where credit is due. Here's her blog.

Saw two hilarious movies over the weekend - Duck Soup and His Girl Friday. The first, of course, is classic Marx Bros. I have always thought that Karl is the funniest Marx. I mean Groucho (or maybe Chico - he doesn't get enough credit, but probably Groucho). By the way, Chico's name is always mispronounced - it's Chick-o, not Cheek-o. And the movie has Zeppo Marx, the least funny brother who wasn't in very many movies because the movie execs at Paramount soon realized that my previous assertion is true.

The latter is classic Cary Grant (and Rosalind Russell not as much). There are innumerable hilarious gags. One I especially remember involved a crack at Ralph Bellamy, the third-billed star and straight man extraordinaire. Cary Grant tells one of his newspapermen to find him. When the guy asks for a description, Grant says, "He looks like that movie actor, umm, you know, that Ralph Bellamy."

We had a water gun fight in Stage Band. It was fun. Smith was just a little bit of a coward.

Bellamy (center) with Grant and Russell in HGF.

Just for KT, I'm reproducing the entire "To be..." soliloquy from the Ebonics Hamlet:

To be or not to be. Yo, dat be da question
Is it better to put up wit' all dis s---,
Or jus' cap yo'self an' get it over wit',
Yo, to cap yo'self-
Naw-even tho' cappin' yo'self
Ends all da dumb s--- in life
And dat's all good
Yo, if you cap yo'self
You gots to deal wit' da s--- after death
Dat be some f---ed up s---
Cuz who knows what s--- be dere
Dats what makes livin' s---
Cuz who would go through life
If it weren't for da unknown s---
Da afterlife dat f---s us all up
And makes us keep to our own s---
And not help other fools
So life makes us all b----es-
Yo, hold up. Dere be Ophie. Tight.

The Profile Post

2005-04-08T22:50:00.000-04:00

I changed a few things, most notably my profile pic. I replace Grant in the infamous crop-duster scene in North by Northwest. And because I'm on our old computer, I used Paint.

If you heard me talk about the Ebonics Hamlet in English, the link is below.

Not much else, except I'm singing in The Messiah tomorrow at LR. The choruses we're singing are not of the particularly annoying type ("Great was the company of the preachers..."), so je suis content.

The Ebonics Post

2005-04-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

If you haven't taken the quiz yet, the link's in the post below.

If you wonder what that 'Yankee Doodlin' song in band is supposed to sound like, click here.

In class today, KT and I agreed that it would be funny to have an ebonics Hamlet. Wouldn't you know- someone's already done it. Here.

Some samplings:

"Frailty, you be a ho."

"Yo, sumfin' be stank in Dizzenmark."

"Don't borrow no s***, and don't be lendin' no s*** neither."

"To be or not to be. Yo, dat be da question. Is it better to put up wit' all dis s***, Or jus' cap yo'self an' get it over wit'?"

"Good night, sweet dawg. Let da angels fly you up to Heaven."

If this isn't dumb, I don't know what is. But it's funny.

The Miss Caldwell Post

2005-04-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

I'm trying something new today. Try this quiz and tell me what you think as well as your results (my guess is that Joe's will be DSo:HILtSWaLtB, if you know what I mean).

Which Classic Movie Are You?

So the musical is coming up in a couple of weeks and there's no way we're going to get it together in time. I think we should quit now so that we don't make fools of ourselves. We don't have the songs down and we certainly don't have the lines down. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how to teach tone-deaf kids to halfway sing, make a master recording of the background music, and analyze Hamlet.

In response to Joe's post about being straightforward, I plan on telling these things to Miss Caldwell tomorrow.

Thank goodness that I don't have a picture of her to post here.

Go Yankees.

The Such Small Portions Post

2005-04-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I changed the name again. I'll fill you in on New Orleans tomorrow (after I read Act V, Scene II of Hamlet).

Good night, sweet prince, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, or something like that.

And go Carolina (I never thought I'd say that). There're 15 minutes left and they lead by 2.

The Martin Landau Post

2005-03-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

I've resolved to simply require that my post names start with 'The' and end with 'Post,' but I'll try to use movie people as often as I find convenient. Like today.

I finished Crimes and Misdemeanors yesterday. And it was really good. I read about it on IMDB and found that it got many awards in Europe but few in the US. That reminds me of something Woody Allen said once, and I'm paraphrasing here- "The French like my films better because they believe that movies that lose money in America are worthwhile to them."

The best performance in the movie was given by Martin Landau. He plays an opthalmologist whose mistress (Anjelica Huston) plans to release the details of their affair to his wife. He chooses to contact his brother (the late Jerry Orbach), a man involved with organized crime, to 'clean up' the situation. All the while, Woody Allen's character makes a documentary about Alan Alda (who is also really good in the movie)'s character, an idiotic TV exec, just for the money and falls in love with (guess who?) Mia Farrow's character, a producer that Alda seems to be falling for as well.

It's not foremost a comedy; it's really a drama about guilt and religion and self-identity. There's also this deeply symbolic character played by Sam Waterston- a rabbi who grows increasingly blind (and is the only character present in both Landau and Allen's plots).

Landau got nominated for an Oscar that year in the supporting category. I don't get it- he was first-billed.

Well, enough with my ramblings. Nobody responded to my name change request, so I will wait for responses. Or response. Because at this point, I have one faithful reader, Joe. If you're new here, which I seriously doubt, visit his blog (link in sidebar).

Stage Band leaves for New Orleans early tomorrow morning. I'm bringing along Annie Hall, North by Northwest (which also features Landau as James Mason's henchman), and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb pour regarder en autobus. And some organ music (Widor's 5th, in particular).

The 'Second Name Change' Post

2005-03-24T23:25:00.000-05:00

I changed the layout a bit. Now there are pictures of Joe and Brian (the horror!) and I added a link to Tsheilyna's blog because she was kind enough to comment here. I also put it on top of the link to Brian's, for obvious reasons.

After Joe considered changing his blog name, I did a Google search of 'I'm Ready For My Close-Up." There are at least 30 other blogs with the same or a similar title. I need something original, yet still movie-related. Joe helped me come up with the current name, but I have a problem with consistency. How about 'Small Portions'? It comes from this Annie Hall joke:

Alvy Singer: Two elderly women are at a Catskills mountain resort, and one of them says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know, and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life. Full of loneliness and misery and suffering and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly.

Or "A Kafkaesque Experience" (from the same movie). No need for explanation.

Or "Dysentery":

Alvy Singer: I'm so tired of spending evenings making fake insights with
people who work for "Dysentery."

Robin: "Commentary."

Alvy Singer: Oh really? I had heard that "Commentary" and "Dissent" had
merged and formed "Dysentery."

Or "The Eggs." If you've seen the movie, you know the joke, but I don't want to reveal its bittersweetness in the film. I guess that means it's probably a bad title.

Well, it's Maundy Thursday and I must say that I really enjoy all of the Holy Week services. Luckily I don't have to play for any until Sunday. And then Monday we leave for New Orleans. And I get to read Hamlet. What fun.

The JS Bach Post

2005-03-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

As promised, my sixteenth birthday was a day not particularly outstanding. Not to complain, but Chase was the only person at school to remember. A few people ended up finding out, but unlike some, I refused to tell everyone I saw or bring it up in every conversation imaginable. When other people do that, it really gets on my nerves, because I realize that most people don't care whose birthday it is.

I had requested for my birthday that my set of Bach organ works be completed, and they're being ordered and sent, but I woke up and saw a wrapped present. Upon opening it, I found perhaps my most interesting birthday present to date- a bust of JS Bach himself, among other things.

I've always appreciated the mathematic aspect of Bach's works, and I found out at a young age that I shared his birthday (with Modest Mussorgsky and others), so I think I'm prone to like his music.

I found out that I was accepted into Governor's School, so there will be few posts during the summer months. That was a nice birthday present, too.

Well, I'm tired, so you can just stop reading. Sorry that there was nothing interesting about movies. I'm in the middle of one now- Crimes and Misdemeanors. I really have a Woody Allen problem. I'd probably watch a documentary about Brian Murphy if it was directed by him.

The Vin Diesel Post

2005-03-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

I changed a few things on my blog, especially the way comments work. It's now a pop-up window. I find it easier to read.

Well, Quiz Bowl didn't go as well as we would have liked, but everyone I've asked says the questions were unfair, so I don't feel so bad.

My sixteenth birthday is tomorrow. It promises to be anti-climactic. After school, we have QB practice and Stage Band. Because of that, I had my birthday dinner tonight at Carrabba's. The meal was good, but their 'special' birthday dessert was a copout- just ice cream. And they couldn't sing 'Happy Birthday' in Italian to save their lives.

I guess that means wasting a bad actor today...

The Ed Norton Post

2005-03-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

I played for the Chorus's Dinner Theatre tonight. It went pretty well. I didn't hit all of my notes correctly, but nobody ever seems to notice. We have regional QB tomorrow, so wish us (Kendall Hemker, Brian Murphy, Bill Mallett, Chase McAllister, and me) luck.

Since my last post, I've seen 2 new movies- Fiddler on the Roof and Everyone Says I Love You. I'm sure you're familiar with the former, but frankly, I enjoyed the latter more.

It's typical Woody Allen, so I probably see it through tinted glasses (much like Fred in Band today). And it's a musical.

But not the typical musical. All of the actors (save Drew Barrymore, because she's tone deaf) sang their own songs live on the set, so it seems as if these people just naturally go into song. In most musicals, you think, "OK, now it's time for a big production number," and I don't want to shun Busby Berkeley, but I like this style of musical better. Because it's real voices, the singing isn't perfect (in fact, Woody had to tell Goldie Hawn to sing worse than normal) and the characters are more accessible. The songs are nice, too. They even use an Itzhak Perlman cameo as the butt of a joke.

And it makes fun of tree-hugging, prison-reforming liberals, which I like. But the final joke of the movie makes more fun of conservatives...

It's a toss-up for my title today. I guess it will be 'The Ed Norton Post' because his singing sounds the nicest. And he plays a Woody-esque character better than most.

Since you mightn't have heard of this musical, I'll link to a trailer. The Alan Alda line is spoken right after he has a political debate with his conservative son. And watch the camera movement in the shot of Woody Allen. It's one of Allen's tricks that I always find funny.

2005-03-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

I thought I was having a really good game of Solitaire when I looked at the bottom of the screen. Now I'm not so sure. No joke. Well, you should comment on the post immediately below this one. I think I should call this one 'The Mephistopheles Post.'

The 'I'm Ready For My Close-Up' Post

2005-03-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

I updated the look of the website with some edits to the HTML. My new logo is my own doing, and I am irrationally proud.

On the image (clockwise from left):

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
Joe Cotten and Orson Welles in The Third Man
Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest
Peter Finch in Network
Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove
Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia Story
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca

Tell me what you think about it.

And if you haven't read the Garrison Keillor bit, it's worth checking out.

The Garrison Keillor Post

2005-03-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

We got back from D.C. earlier than expected. On our way back, we listened to the ACC games. The radio just doesn't provide the same experience as the TV.

Unless you're listening to Garrison Keillor, who occupied our radio with The Prairie Home Companion for a good while after the games. It was funny, because the radio station was running its pledge drive and nobody called for the first hour, when one person called. That was it.

Guy Noir and the Lutheran jokes- instant classics.

I was introduced to Keillor's dry wit several years ago, when my grandma let me hear "The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra." I reproduce it in its entirety:

To each person, God gives some talent such as comedy, just to name one, or the ability to suffer, and to some persons God has given musical talent, though not to as many as think so. So for a young Lutheran considering an orchestral career, the first question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a genuine God-given talent, or do I only seem talented compared to other young Lutherans?" Because most Lutherans aren't musicians, they're choir members. Mostly altos and basses. And they can be sure that their gift is God-given, because who else but God would be interested? Nobody goes into choir music for the wrong reasons. But orchestra... do you know what you're getting into? You're getting into opera for one thing. Don Juan and Mephistopheles, pagan goddesses screeching and being strangled and thrown off balconies. And even if you stick to concert music, where are the Christian composers? Modern ones are existentialists, the romantics were secular humanists, the 18th century was all rationalists, and the 17th were Italian except for Bach. And you can't make a living playing Bach. In the Bible, we read about people singing and playing musical instruments, including the harp, the last trump, the cymbal, the psaltery. But in the Bible, music was in praise of the Lord, not for amusement. We don't read that our Lord Himself ever played an instrument or enjoyed hearing other people play theirs. The apostles did not attend concerts. They weren't in the arts--maybe there's a reason for that. You play in an orchestra, you're going to be devoting your life to music that sort of swirls around in spiritual mystery. Searching for answers that people could find in the Epistle to the Romans if somebody just showed them where it is.

But if you're determined to play in an orchestra, then you ought to ask yourself, "Which instrument is the best one for a Lutheran to play?" Which instrument would our Lord have chosen, assuming He played an instrument? And assuming He was Lutheran.

Probably not a French horn: the French horn takes too much of a person's life. French horn players hardly have time to marry and have children. The French horn is practically a religious belief all by itself. In some orchestras, the horn players are required to be celibate--sometimes by their wives. Because they think about the horn all the time anyway.

Should a Lutheran play the bassoon? Not if you want to be taken seriously, I don't think so. The name kind of says it all: bassoon. It's an instrument that isn't playing with a full deck of marbles. Maybe it's something you'd do for a hobby ("Hey honey, let's go bassooning this weekend!"), but not as your life's work. Some bassoonists filling out applications for home loans just say "orthodontist."

Many Lutherans start out playing clarinets in marching band and think of it as a pretty good instrument and kind of sociable. You pick up a clarinet, and you feel like getting together with other people and forming an "M." But the symphonic clarinet is different: clever, sarcastic, kind of snooty. It's a nice small town instrument that went to college and after that you can't get a simple answer out of them. It is a French instrument, you know. Ever wonder why there are no French Lutherans? Probably the wine wasn't good enough for them.

The oboe is the sensualist of the woodwind section, and if there is one wind Lutherans should avoid, it's probably this one. In movie soundtracks, you tend to hear the oboe when the woman is taking her clothes off. Also a little later when she asks the man for a cigarette. You start playing the oboe, you're going to have babies, take my word for it.

The English horn sounds Christian, maybe because we think of it as the Anglican horn, but it's so mournful, so plaintive. And so are English horn players. They all have deep complicated problems. They're all down in the dumps, especially at night, which is when most concerts are. Maybe because they want what oboists have, I don't know.

The flute is the show-off of the wind section, the big shot: Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway--both millionaires. (How many millionaire bassoonists can you name real fast?) Well, that's fine. Everybody knows it's the hardest, blowing across a tiny hole with your head tilted all your life: it's like soloing on a pop bottle. The problem with the flute is that it vibrates your brain, and you start wearing big white caftans and smocks and eat roots and berries. You become a pantheist and sit in meadows, and you believe that all is one and God is everything--God is a column of air vibrating--and you know that's not right.

The last member of the woodwind family is the flakiest and that's the piccolo. It's never in tune. Never has been, never will be. All you can play with it is the blues. Which, being a Lutheran, we don't have anyway.

We come now to the string section. Strings are mentioned in scripture and some young Christians are tempted to become string players. But you want to be careful.

Bass, for example. A very deliberate instrument, the plow horse of the orchestra: and bass players do tend to be more methodical, not so spontaneous or witty or brilliant necessarily, but reliable. Which makes the instrument appealing to German Lutherans. And yet bass notes do have a certain texture and a tone, a darkness, a depth that--my gosh, when you see those guys pick up their bows back there, doesn't it make you think the same thing that I do? And if we do, just think what they're thinking about....

The cello section seems pleasant, and cellists seem like such nice people. The way they put their arms around their instruments, they look like parents at a day care center zipping up snowsuits. They seem like us: comfortable, mid-range, able to see both sides of things. And yet, there's something about the cello that's hard to put your fingers on. It just doesn't seem right. Maybe, it's the way they hold the instrument the way they do. Why can't they hold it across their laps? Or beside themselves? I'm only asking.

The viola section is no place for a Lutheran and here you have to take my word for it, because I know violists and they're okay until late at night, they like to build a fire in a vacant lot and drink red wine and roast a chicken on a clothes hanger and talk about going to Mexico with somebody named Rita. Violists have this dark, moody, gypsy streak, especially when they get older, and they realize that their instrument for some reason cannot be heard beyond the stage. You think you hear the violas, but it's really the second violins.

The first violin is a problem for a Christian because it's a solo virtuoso instrument and we Christians are humble and decent people. The first violins see the maestro look to them first, and most of them believe that he secretly takes his cue from watching their bows go up and down. The maestro, who has a great nimbus of hair and is here on a temporary work permit, is hypnotized by listening to the violins and forgets which page he's on and looks to the violins to find out what's going on--this is what most violinists believe in their hearts. That if the maestro dropped dead, the orchestra would just follow the violins while his little body was carried off into the wings, and nobody in the audience would notice any difference except that now they would have an unobstructed view of the violin section. Is this a place for a Lutheran to be? Did our Lord say "Blessed are they who stand up in front and take deep bows for they shall receive bigger fees?" No, He did not.

The second violin section is attractive to Lutherans because these people are steady, supportive and helpful, but look who it is they help--they help out the first violins. You want to play second fiddle to that crowd? (No, I hope not.) One thing you may not know about second violins is that the parts are so easy they never practice and they wind up staying out late in singles bars on the freeway near the airport and dancing with software salesmen. But I guess that's their way.

Let's be clear about one thing about the brass section. The rest of the orchestra wishes the brass were playing in another room. So does the conductor. His back is toward you so that you can't see what he's saying to them but what he's saying is, "Would you mind taking that thing outside?" The brass section is made up of men who were at one time in the construction trades. They went into music because the hours are better and there's less dust. They're heavy dudes and that's why composers wrote so few notes for them. Because after they play, you can't hear for a while.

The tuba player is normally a stocky, bearded guy whose hobby is plumbing. The only member of the orchestra who bowls over 250 and gets his deer every year and changes his own oil. In his locker downstairs, he keeps a pair of lederhosen for free-lance jobs. Anyway, there's only one tuba in the bunch and he's it.

The trombonist is a humorist, sort of the brother-in-law of the orchestra. He carries a water spray gun to keep his slide moist and often uses it against his neighbors. That's why they duck down back there. He's nobody you'd ever want to see become artistic director; you just hope he doesn't sit right behind you.

The trumpet is the brass instrument you imagine as Christian, thinking of Gideon and Gabriel, and then you meet one in real life, and you realize how driven these people are. They don't want to wear black tie; they want to wear capes and swords and tassels; they want to play as loud as they can and see mallards drop from the ceiling. Of the people who've keeled over dead at orchestra concerts, most of them were killed by a long trumpet passage. And most of them were glad to go.

There are two places in the orchestra for a Lutheran and one is the percussion section. It's the most Christian instrument there is. Percussionists are endlessly patient because they hardly ever get to play. Pages and pages of music go by when the violins are sawing away and the winds are tooting and the brass are blasting, and the percussionist sits there and counts the bars like a hunter in the blind waiting for a grouse to appear. A percussionist may have to wait for twenty minutes just to play a few beats, but those beats have to be exact, and they have to be passionate, climactic. All that the Epistles of Paul say a Christian should be--faithful, waiting, trusting, filled with fervor--are the qualities of the good percussionist.

The other Lutheran instrument, of course, is the harp. It's a good instrument for any Christian because it keeps you humble and keeps you at home. You can't run around with a harp. Having one is like living with an elderly parent in very poor health: it's hard to get them in and out of cars, and it's hard to keep them happy. It takes fourteen hours to tune a harp, which remains in tune for about twenty minutes, or until somebody opens the door. It's an instrument for a saint. If a harpist could find a good percussionist, they wouldn't need anybody else. They could settle down and make perfectly good music, just the two of them.

* * *

If you're still reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please help me with my sidebar issue.

The Gallagher Post

2005-03-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the sidebar appearing at the bottom of the page. I don't know what's happened. Please help.

I won't be posting for the weekend- we have to take A.B. up to D.C. for some leadership conference-thingy.

I must tell you further about that nap I had the other day- I had a dream that Murph did the Napoleon Dynamite dance...

I did some thinking, and I figured out another great (and silly) idea for a musical- The California Recall Story or a comparable title. It would have some great characters in it.

I did some research and found that Gallagher, yes- that Gallagher, the watermelon-smashing comedian, ran for governor. This post is for him.

The Douglas Rain Post

2005-03-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

I took a long nap yesterday. I very rarely take naps, and this one lasted two hours. I fell asleep after one hour of Midnight Cowboy. I watched another forty-five minutes today (I'm not quite done yet) and I'm beginning to like it, although it's told using some very strange flashback sequences and effects- almost in a disconcerting way. Needless to say, it probably will not become one of my favorites.

Dustin Hoffman as a big sleaze-bag does seem strangely appropriate, though...

But I don't know about the hustler Jon Voight...

Before I begin my (rather abbreviated) praise of a cinematic masterpiece, I must say that I am offended that Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is being remade under the title Guess Who. Why does Hollywood like to remake movies that were great the first time? And the actors they picked- Bernie Mac as Spencer Tracy (or Katharine Hepburn, I'm not sure) and *Ashton Kutcher* as Sidney Poitier. To say that I am offended is a supreme example of litotes.

Well, after my nap yesterday, I couldn't get to sleep at the normal time. I resorted to watch TCM. They played 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was the second time I saw it, and I think I began to understand it last night. I certainly didn't get it after the first time, but I did recognize the genius direction of Stanley Kubrick and the interesting, satirically trite screenplay of Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke.

It raises a plethora of questions about human existence, among which are:

What will happen when AI becomes as intelligent as humans? Will computers develop emotions?
What is the next step in human evolution?
What is mankind in the entire scheme of the universe?

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the whole movie is HAL 9000, his identity (a red light) and his voice. It's the kind of voice that disturbs the viewer for weeks. After some research, I found out who voiced HAL- Douglas Rain. I'd never heard of him and I don't know what he looks like, but his voice is conjured in my head when I think of the movie or ponder the questions the movie raises.

To listen to some sound clips of HAL 9000, click here.

If you've never seen the movie, find it and watch it as soon as possible. It will change the way you think about life or at least make you question your previous thoughts.

If you have any answers to those questions, please tell me.

Oh, one more thing. If you take the letters in HAL and add one (as in G becomes H and I becomes J), it becomes IBM.

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."- HAL 9000

The Gary Coleman Post

2005-03-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about what would make an interesting musical- I tend to like those musicals that just seem totally absurd (eg. the Monty Python's Flying Circus musical episodes). I came up with one- Rasputin- the Musical. Or The Martin Van Buren Story. Have any ideas? Any lyrics?

I really like that "Blame Canada" song.

Anyways, I saw the Oprah movie last night- Their Eyes Were Watching God. It's the best TV movie I've seen in a while, but I had a few issues with it, since it was a detailed topic of discussion last semester. I just didn't like the Halle Berry narration. It took away from my memory of the 3rd person narrator's lyric voice. And they left out an important scene, but I won't ruin it for those who haven't read the book.

Well, I don't want to talk about real movies today, just made-for-TV ones. Strange that the first two bad actors I think of both ran for California governor...

The Kate Winslet Post

2005-03-03T22:22:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a couple of days because I've had a deal of English homework and I like sleeping. AP English, nonetheless, is still my favorite class and is probably the reason that I just used 'nonetheless.' I am really beginning to enjoy the major piano work that I am learning right now- Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussourgsky (in ten movements and several promenades). Once I polish it (which, at this rate, will be after summer begins), I will have about an hour's worth of music under my fingers.

What is this with the E! Channel Michael Jackson deal? It looks very strange.

I have an idea. You know the 'Channel Return' button on your remote? They should have it so that it goes to the channel you had two channels ago. Many times I find myself going between three shows, and I have to type each channel in. Very tedious...

I told myself that I would try to stick to older (or dead) actors/actresses/directors/composers/producers/etc. for my posts, but since I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Monday, I can't get Kate Winslet's performance out of my mind. I began watching it again, and I can't find any flaws in it. There's one scene in which she wakes up. She heavily blinks her eyes just like I tend to do whien I wake up. It's just terrific. I don't know how good Hilary Swank is in Million Dollar Baby, but I tend to think that Winslet's is the type of performance that should win Oscars or at least beat Bening for Golden Globes.

And is Eternal Sunshine a comedy? It fell under that category in the Golden Globes, but isn't it primarily a drama? North by Northwest certainly has more comedic aspects, but it was considered a drama by all the awards people. Make no doubt, Jim Carrey is a comedic actor, but this certainly isn't the typical Carrey film.

Maybe not. What do I know when you consider all there is to know about film? Maybe a little bit...

More than most teenagers, anyways.

"My embarrassing admission is I really like that you're nice, right now."- Clementine Kruczynski

The Harold Russell Post

2005-02-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

So we were out of school today. I don't know why.

I watched the Oscars last night. As promised, it was a meat parade. Awards in the aisles!? Not starting with Best Supporting Actor!? Miss America-style technical awards (and yes, they still are technical awards)!? Totally unfunny Chris Rock!?

High ratings!?

Oh, and I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind today. How did it get (virtually) nothing last night? It's brilliant. And not even an editing nomination (the editing was stunning- some of the best I've ever seen). They just gave it Best Original Screenplay. You know, the screenplay awards (given to that and Sideways last night) seemed to be the "Sorry you didn't win anything else, but here's this" award.

That's my soapbox. On to a subject I promised yesterday- The Best Years of Our Lives.

Great movie (even better than Eternal Sunshine, although I can't complain because it got 7 Oscars). And the best performance (or as Penelope Cruz said last night- preformance) was by a man who had never been in a film before or taken acting lessons at all (even during the filming). He was spotted in a documentary by director William Wyler (who also did Ben-Hur) and immediately cast. He was chosen because of his injury in the war (the loss of both of his hands), but his acting speaks apart from his handicap. The scene where he plays "Chopsticks" with his uncle is great, as are all of his scenes.

He remains the only actor ever to win 2 Oscars for the same performance- a competitive one for Best Supporting Actor and an Honorary Oscar for "bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans."

I don't know much about his life, but I do know that you should watch him at work. I thought at first that he was acting- that he really did have his hands- but when I found out that he was wounded, I was really inspired. I don't want to sound overly sentimental, but I know I am...

"It is not what you have lost but what you have left that counts."- Harold Russell

The George C. Scott Post

2005-02-27T21:29:00.000-05:00

In honor of the Academy Awards tonight, I honor George C. Scott, the first man to refuse an Oscar. His reason- "The ceremonies are a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons."

That's not entirely true today, though. They're now a four-hour meat parade.

But hey, I'm still watching them. Scott stayed home and watched a hockey game on TV, so that's not an option for me.

He's a great performer (I still stand by my assertion that he steals Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, even though Sellers is at his best). Of course, he won the Oscar for Patton. When Goldie Hawn opened the envelope, she was stunned because he had already rejected his nomination.

I saw a couple good movies this weekend, chief of which was The Best Years of Our Lives. It was great, perfect even. I'm sure tomorrow's post will have something to do with Harold Russell (who, contrary to Scott, accepted both of the Oscars he won for his performance).

I hope The Aviator doesn't sweep it- it looks that way now- but I don't care. It's just a meat parade.

The John Ashcroft Post

2005-02-25T19:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry- no actor today.

Just check this out.

Thanks, John [and Dave (Letterman)].

I'm going to watch The Sting now. And you can comment on "The Cary Grant Post."

"Let the mighty eeeeeeeeagle soar!"

The Charlton Heston Post

2005-02-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

Today I stayed home again. Who knew that not having teeth caused more pain than having them? I'm still bitter at my mom for not asking the surgeon if I could keep them...

I didn't do much today, kind of like yesterday. I did get through a new movie today- The Magnificent Ambersons. It stars Joe Cotten, Tim Holt, and Delores Costello (and is directed very finely by Orson Welles). It has that nice Welles quality to it- very dark.

And I wrote music to a poem by Joe (see his blog- link in sidebar). It got my creative juices flowing a bit, so the day wasn't a total waste.

Now, since I think I'm caught up for my triumphant return to school tomorrow, I'm watching Ben-Hur again. I just love that TCM. "31 Days of Oscar"- it don't get no better than that. I'll probably fall asleep before the chariot race, but I have it on tape, so I don't care. If you ever watch it on TV, make sure it's widescreen- I saw the chariot race in fullscreen once, and it's just awful- you can only see two horses at a time.

I was visiting the TCM website today and found an hilarious video; it's a parody of Ben-Hur. You can find it here. It's under the title "Ben-Hur Parody (TCM Promotional Spot)." On that same site, you can see Slim Pickens ride the bomb in Dr. Strangelove (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb), some It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World promos, and the crop-dusting scene in North by Northwest (among other things).

So, Ben-Hur stars Charlton Heston, the first real Hollywood conservative (three cheers) and former President of the NRA. He's a great actor, but only in Biblical epics like this one and The Ten Commandments. He won the Oscar for Ben-Hur, and rightfully so- he gives an amazing performance in an amazing movie.

Turn your dials to TCM if you are reading this on Wednesday- up next, two really good movies in their own rights- On the Waterfront and An American in Paris.

Let me know about that musical, Joe. I think we could pull it off. Just think- double premieres in Cary and Newton (granted the Cary one would be much better) as our Senior blowout. It'd be kind of nice to have that on a college admission- "currently writing and starring in a school production..."

Alright, I'm going to get back to the movie. Comment on "The Cary Grant Post." Please.

Judah Ben-Hur: Almost at the moment he died, he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Even then, and I felt his words take the sword from my hand!

The Judy Garland Post

2005-02-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

(I added some links to my sidebar.)

So I wasn't at school today- I got my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. Somehow, I don't feel as wise as I have in the past.

I did absolutely nothing today (unless you consider watching TV, swallowing large pain pills, eating soup, slurping applesauce, and starting musical compositions that I'll probably never finish to be something).

Lucky for me, however, there was a sub today in AP English, so I just missed a dicsussion. Hopefully, I'll be able to go to school tomorrow, even though I look like an ape with my swollen lower jaw.

Speaking of apes...

Or maybe not.

I started watching A Star is Born (the Judy Garland one, not the Barbra Streisand one) again today. Judy is great, most certainly. From The Wizard of Oz to A Star is Born, she certainly matured. Groucho said that her Oscar loss for her performance in that movie was "the biggest robbery since Brink's." I've already mentioned who beat her (Grace Kelly in The Country Girl), but I tend to think that Judy deserved it a lot more than Grace, although Grace should have at least won for Rear Window.

She, like so many other icons, had her personal problems. Too many marriages- Vincente Minnelli, Sidney Luft, David Rose, etc.

OK- I need to finish- The Best Years of Our Lives is getting ready to start on TCM.

Comment on "The Cary Grant Post."

"I am Mrs. Norman Maine..."

The Paddy Chayevsky Post

2005-02-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

In lieu of a traditional post, I have decided to bring you a list of great quotes from Network. These are from the Oscar-winning pen of screenwriter Paddy Chayevsky. Thanks, IMDB.

Diana Christensen: Hi. I'm Diana Christensen, a racist lackey of the imperialist ruling circles.
Laureen Hobbs: I'm Laureen Hobbs, a bada** commie n*****.
Diana Christensen: Sounds like the basis of a firm friendship.

Howard Beale: [shouting] You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, G**d***it! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, 'I'M AS MAD AS H***, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as h*** and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as h***, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis.

Diana Christensen: By tomorrow, he'll have a 50 share, maybe even a 60. Howard Beale is processed instant God, and right now, it looks like he may just go over bigger than Mary Tyler Moore.

Diana Christensen: I watched your 6 o'clock news today; it's straight tabloid. You had a minute and a half of that lady riding a bike naked in Central Park; on the other hand, you had less than a minute of hard national and international news. It was all sex, scandal, brutal crime, sports, children with incurable diseases, and lost puppies. So, I don't think I'll listen to any protestations of high standards of journalism when you're right down on the streets soliciting audiences like the rest of us. Look, all I'm saying is if you're going to hustle, at least do it right.

Howard Beale: Good evening. Today is Wednesday, September the 24th, and this is my last broadcast. Yesterday I announced on this program that I was going to commit public suicide, admittedly an act of madness. Well, I'll tell you what happened: I just ran out of bulls***. Am I still on the air? I really don't know any other way to say it other than I just ran out of bulls***. Bulls*** is all the reasons we give for living. And if we can't think up any reasons of our own, we always have the God bulls***. We don't know why we're going through all this pointless pain, humiliation, decays, so there better be someone somewhere who does know. That's the God bulls***. And then, there's the noble man bulls***; that man is a noble creature that can order his own world; who needs God? Well, if there's anybody out there that can look around this demented slaughterhouse of a world we live in and tell me that man is a noble creature, believe me: that man is full of bulls***. I don't have anything going for me. I haven't got any kids. And I was married for forty-three years of shrill, shrieking fraud. So I don't have any bull*** left. I just ran out of it, you see.

Howard Beale: Television is not the truth. Television is a g**d***ed amusement park.

Diana Christensen: We're kidding ourselves. Full-fledged messiahs don't come in bunches.

Mr. Jensen: I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, to preach this evangel.
Howard Beale: Why me?
Mr. Jensen: Because you're on television, dummy.

Read the whole list here.

(Couldn't find a picture. If you can, please comment. And nobody has yet commented on "The Cary Grant Post." That means I'm still offended.)

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Post

2005-02-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

I have an All-District Jazz Band thing all day tomorrow and Saturday (concert at 2 PM- P.E. Monroe) and I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out Monday. Unfortunately, the homework hasn't stopped- I have more essays to revise and re-write over the weekend (albeit extended weekend).

Since I don't really want to post much, I don't want to waste a good actor/actress/director.

Isn't he an awful actor? I hope his legacy as governor is longer-lasting and more positive than his acting legacy.

None of you have commented about "The Cary Grant Post." I feel offended. I put a lot of words in that post. Please comment on that- save this post for another question: if you had a choice, who should I post about? And a question I raised in "The Charlie Chaplin Post"- what should I make a film about?

The Cary Grant Post

2005-02-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

If you have set out to read this entire post, I wish you good luck. As Cary Grant is mon acteur préferé, this will be rather lengthy.

So I went home today, watched Letterman, went to choir practice, and returned home to complete my homework. While typing a revision for English, I popped in North by Northwest.
That movie is almost as perfect as they come. Hitchcock's best, most certainly. And, dare I say, Cary Grant's best as well. His acting style is summed up in that crop-dusting sequence, I think. He runs, worried, getting dust all over his three-piece suit. When it's over, he gets up and dusts his suit off as if nothing happens. And that phallic joke at the end- great. It's a wonder that half the things in the movie didn't get censored.

Of course, it's hard to limit Cary Grant to one movie, one scene, for Cary Grant is the perfect actor. He's great in Howard Hawks' screwball comedies- Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, and the like. He and Kate Hepburn had such perfect chemistry in those early films, especially The Philadelphia Story. He is so funny, yet so suave. You know, he's the only man who could have knocked Kate Hepburn down deliberately and gotten laughs. Genius.

In addition to Kate, he also starred in a romantic comedy (Charade) with Audrey. Their age difference- 60 and 25- makes for an interesting movie.

On the same note, Jesse Royce Landis, who plays Grant's mother in North by Northwest, was younger by a year than Grant. Commenting on that interesting fact, TCM's Ben Mankiewicz said, "Who cares? It's Cary Grant."

Many people believe that Ian Fleming based James Bond on him, and I can't say that I disagree. In his films, he seems to be that exact person- witty, cool, and composed under pressure.

Few people know this, but he was into LSD pretty badly (this, of course, before the government made it illegal). He would often speak of its usefulness in medicine until he found out about its negative effects.

Even better than his pairings with Hawks and the Hepburns are his Hitchcock movies- the afore mentioned North by Northwest, Suspicion, Notorious, and To Catch a Thief. All of them are great- who knows if it was Grant or Hitchcock that made them that way, or some combination of both.

A reporter in search of information once wired Grant's agent, saying, "HOW OLD CARY GRANT?"

Grant happened to read the message himself, and wired back "OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?"

That's who he was- an enigma- a witty enigma.

"Everybody wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."- Cary Grant (I sympathize)

The Leonard Bernstein Post

2005-02-15T21:35:00.000-05:00

(For today's post, I am resorting to a play in Joe's book- the musical discussion.)

I wrote another essay tonight in English.

While doing so, I watched West Side Story again. The "Cool" number always makes me laugh. I really should stop watching it, because "America" ends up in my head for days... 1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6- boy is it catchy. And funny.

Of course, the ending isn't so funny, but it is based on Romeo and Juliet. Leonard Bernstein is a genius. The music is some of the best in all of musicaldom. And I can never figure out- is it more jazz or classical? Bernstein weaves them so fluently together. The lyrics are by Sondheim- I think it's his best work (Assassins, A Little Night Music- puh- they pale in comparison).

Did you realize- and I didn't until I IMDB'd his name- that he scored On The Waterfront? "I coulda bena contenda..." I'm sure Brando will come up sometime later in my posting.

The Chichester Psalms, Jeremiah, Candide, what great music.

But I digress- those aren't movies.

I really like that song "Maria." I'm not as much of a fan of Natalie Wood, though.

The Grace Kelly Post

2005-02-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

Brian told me his computer is down. This week, you'll have to read my blog instead of his (Joe's is still up, by the way.) .

In English today, we had 2 papers due, one a revision, the other a first draft. The revision was fine, but we went over what she wanted on the first draft and nobody had it. After Stage Band and a major re-writing/re-vamping, I can now post my daily tirade/love letter.

In honor of Valentine's Day, today's will be a love letter.

I was watching To Catch a Thief today and came to a realization of what I thought I knew for a long time- I am really in love with Grace Kelly. If only I had been born Monacan royalty in the twenties...

She was only in thirteen movies (three of them Hitchcock), but she seems like such a big figure in American cinema. I guess that's because I've never seen her give a bad performance- she won an Oscar (The Country Girl) and was nominated another time (Mogambo).

She has a different style on the screen, somewhat minimalist- kind of like life. She doesn't try to give big gestures or overdo it. She's the epitome of that '50s kind of cool.

And High Noon- who can even start to talk about High Noon? Great movie, great performances, best Western ever.

She was also in a remake of The Philadelphia Story called High Society. For more on the original, see "The Jimmy Stewart Post."

"Well, if there's one thing I know, it's how to wear the proper clothes."- Lisa Fremont, Rear Window

The Jimmy Stewart Post

2005-02-13T19:38:00.000-05:00

(Note the name change. Thanks for the help, Joe.)

I finished my English homework this afternoon and decided to treat myself to some Hitchcock. One of his that I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to see again was Vertigo. It has Jimmy Stewart in one of his best performances (and Kim Novak, too). Many call it Hitchcock's best, and although I prefer North by Northwest, Vertigo is great. It's deeper than a lot of Hitchcock's other stuff- it actually has a SparkNotes page for film students. The Herrmann score is great, as in all of his films (like Citizen Kane, Psycho, and North by Northwest).

More about Jimmy Stewart- he's one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, mainly because he has a sort of everyman quality. He won only one Oscar, for The Philadelphia Story (hilarious in the midst of Kate Hepburn and Cary Crant), beating one of Chaplin's best performances, The Great Dictator. Some say it was a mercy vote because he lost the previous year to Robert Donat's Mr. Chips in spite of his great Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Those (the 1940) Oscars were strange- Gone With the Wind was, of course, the big winner of the night, but Clark Gable didn't even come close to Donat or Stewart.

Stewart did end up with an Honorary Award in '85, even a TV Golden Globe (for "Hawkins"). I like his stutter- very human.

"You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that."- Jefferson Smith

The William Holden Post

2005-02-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

So I auditioned for Governor's School today- it's a shame that all that mess happened with your application, Joe. We got on the road at 5:30 and ate breakfast at a Biscuitville in Orange County- highly disappointing. The conversation turned to movies (as it oft does with me) and the rare phenomenon of two Oscar wins in a row. The only two best actors to do so are Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump) and the great Spencer Tracy (Captains Courageous, Boys Town). I was talking about Hanks and asked my father who the other double winner was, knowing that he probably wouldn't know. His guess- William Holden.

It's a shame that William Holden only won one Oscar (for Stalag 17) and was only nominated two other times (Sunset Blvd., Network). He should have won both of those, but I can overlook the second one a bit because Peter Finch won (posthumously) for the same film and category. Holden carries the movie, but Finch's character is great as well. You can pretty well guarantee that those two films will appear often in my posting- I've already mentioned Sunset Blvd. and Network is definitely in my top ten.

It's said that art imitates life, and Network certainly represents the worst of life. Howard Beale (Finch) is a news anchor who's just been fired. He manages to stay on because he says that he's going to kill himself on the air and his rating skyrockets. The programming exec Diana Christiansen (Faye Dunaway, in an Oscar-winning role) fights to re-format the show with Howard Beale billed as "the mad prophet of the air waves" and trying to push her network out of fourth place with racy programming, chief of which is The Mao Tse-Tung Hour. Max Schumacher (Holden) is the head of the news division trying to hold her back. And that's without mentioning Beatrice Straight, who won Best Supporting Actress for a role (Mrs. Schumacher) that lasts about five minutes. And Robert Duvall, in the only Oscar-snubbed acting category (what a shame).

Now I'm starting to sound like the preview voice-over guy...

Just watch the movie. It's too bad that I didn't mention it before, because it was on TCM late last night.

By the way, Holden died because he hit his head on the nightstand in his bedroom after he was out drinking the night before.

'I'M AS MAD AS (edited by poster), AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!'- Howard Beale

I post this movie poster because I didn't exclusively focus on Holden. Sorry, Bill. [That's him on the left. Finch is #3.]

I'm thinking about a possible blog name change. Something like "As Time Goes By" or "Here's Looking at You, Adolescent (because you're not really a kid anymore and you're definitely not an adult)" or "Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready for My Close-Up" or "You Can't Fight in Here- This is the War Room" or something else movie-related. Any suggestions, or should I keep "My Pathetique Life"?

The Arthur Miller Post

2005-02-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Tommorrow, I am going to Meredith to audition for Governor's School (as a tenor). I recorded an accompaniment track to play while I sing in front of the judges. While listening to it the other day, I decided that I should re-record it at a brisker tempo.

I went to St. John's to record it this afternoon (because our piano at home is desperately out of tune) and the tape was eaten and the recorder wouldn't work. My mother went out to buy a new recorder, but my dad called and told us to go to First Methodist because he could use the sound equipment there. When he couldn't find the right breaker, I used my video camera to record my playing. I made a tape off of that.

When I came back home and clicked on the blue E in the corner of my screen, I saw the headline- Arthur Miller has died. I was saddened, because I am a huge fan of Death of a Salesman.

In my endless searches on the IMDB, I saw Miller's movie dossier. He has a writing credit for 55 films, including several adaptations of Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and All My Sons, as well as scripts written straight for the movies, like Marilyn Monroe's The Misfits.

I made a comment on someone else's blog (I think probably Brian's) that I didn't like The Crucible. In hindsight, I realize that the real reason that I have never found the play appealing is the awful Winona Ryder adaptation.

"We're free and clear. We're free... We're free..."- Linda Loman, Death of a Salesman

The Ingrid Bergman Post

2005-02-10T21:11:00.000-05:00

I was looking in the mirror today when I saw what looked like a large piece of snot in my nose. I grabbed a Kleenex and tried to get it out. It wouldn't come out. Under closer inspection, I found that it was a large, pus-filled sore. I grabbed a needle and popped it and pus just gushed out.

And then I found ten dollars.

After Stage Band tonight, I tried to figure out who to mention in my post today. Kat recommended Audrey Hepburn, but she just isn't one of my favorites. I've always prefered Katharine (for her acting, not her looks, obviously).

I tried to think of my favorite actress, and, to my thinking, nobody quite compares to Ingrid Bergman. She, as an actress, is brilliant in every role I've seen her in. Of course, all of my real thoughts about her end up going back to Casablanca, easily her best performance, even though she's great in so many films. The tension of Ilsa Laszlo's character is evident in every frame that contains her beautiful face or her delicate hands. An interesting story is told about this- the writers didn't know who Ilsa should fall for at the end of the movie until the last week of shooting. Bergman kept asking who she should love, and she wasn't told until the scene was getting ready to shoot.

She's good in Spellbound and Notorious and I could go on and on about her.

She really chose her roles well.

Her friendships were rather notorious as well. She was great friends with Cary Grant and one of her love affairs inspired the Stewart-Kelly relationship in Rear Window. She also saved Casablanca by cutting her hair for For Whom the Bell Tolls; the producers wanted to reshoot several scenes to cut out "As Time Goes By" for copyright reasons, but they couldn't because she didn't look like Ilsa.

Thanks, Ingrid.

Oh, and did I say she's beautiful?

"Here's looking at you, kid."

The Billy Wilder Post

2005-02-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

In English today, Katie told us a story about how she knocked off her side-view mirror while in the McDonald's drive-thru. I made the comment that the only interesting thing I did last night (save the PRIDE deal) was watch The Third Man again. Immediately, I began to talk about how Cotten, Welles, Reed, Karas (the zither-player), and the film were skipped over at the 1950 Oscars. I forgot who won that year and couldn't figure it out all period, even though it constantly bugged me. It was All About Eve. I can't believe I forgot, but I did remember that Sunset Blvd. was nominated for Best Picture along with All About Eve and The Third Man.

Being the researcher that I am, I looked at the IMDB's best film-noir list. Numbers one and two, Sunset Blvd. and Double Indemnity, respecTIVEly, are both directed by the same genius, Billy Wilder; The Third Man is third. Wilder, directing only 27 movies, is a great figure in almost every genre. In addition to noir, he's got comedy covered with the genius Some Like it Hot, romance with The Apartment, drama with The Lost Weekend, and war with Stalag 17.

His personal history is just as fascinating. Born a Jew in Germany, he made a few films before moving to the US when Hitler came into power. Peter Lorre got him a job and taught him some English. He became a writer and the rest is history. Watch Double Indemnity and see his genius at work. And Sunset Blvd. too- the story is genius and Gloria Swanson will give you strange nightmares.

"Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."

The Joe Cotten Post

2005-02-07T16:15:00.000-05:00

I had a normal day at school, French, English, Band, Music Theory, Quiz Bowl, etcetera.

One exception- no homework. I have decided to do something constructive with my time. That something constructive is rewatching The Third Man (1949), a brilliant comedy/mystery/noir. It's directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene, and stars Joe Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles, in a role just as memorable as Kane. His most famous line ever (save "Rosebud") is featured in this movie:

In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance.

In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace,

and what did that produce?

The cuckoo clock.

So with that in mind, I set out to watch what many call the best British-made film ever; it's number 40 on the IMDB list.

Anyways, Joe Cotten is great in this one and has recently become one of my favorite actors. I thought he was great in Citizen Kane, but I recently saw Shadow of a Doubt. Boy is that a great movie! Hitchcock almost at his best (North by Northwest is the best of his), but Alf was quoted as saying that Shadow was the best film he'd made.

I can't believe that I've gotten this far without mentioning the music. It's perfect for the movie, played only on a zither. Creepy, too, along with the cinematography- always at a disturbing angle.

"Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities. Bombed about a bit."

The Stanley Kubrick Post

2005-02-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

I am watching the pre-game show. I await the game. Right now, it is somewhat annoying listening to epigrams like "Reverse the Kearse (sic)." Currently they pronounce it Ter-rell, but I remember the day when it was Ter-rell. Which is it?

You know, now that I think, this is the only time I can remember that I hope Rush is wrong.

Watching Bush-41 and Clinton together is kind of strange, but interesting...

It's taken me 40 minutes to write this much while watching the TV. It's almost like the script of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie is about two-and-a-half hours long, but contains only forty minutes of dialogue. I looked up Kubrick in the dictionary- it says genius. That and Dr Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb are two great films (and others as well, but these are his best). Kubrick takes such strange topics and makes them work. A farce about nuclear warfare?

He should have won the Oscar for Strangelove, but Cukor won for My Fair Lady. Can you believe that Rex Harrison beat Peter Sellers? Or that George C. Scott (who gives the best performance in the movie) wasn't even nominated?

I'll get off my soapbox to keep watching Terry Bradshaw act like an idiot.

"War is too important to be left to the generals"- Georges Clemenceau

The Charlie Chaplin Post

2005-02-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

After watching Napoleon Dynamite, I have realized that even I could write, produce, direct, and star in a feature film. I just don't have any ideas. I got a digital camcorder for Christmas with the intent of creating something. As of today, still nothing.

I need inspiration. Any ideas? I'd give you a credit, like Orson Welles and Monsieur Verdoux.

That's another story, but since I have nothing better to do, I'll tell you now.

Charlie Chaplin, when making his first full-talkie, was looking for ideas. Welles suggested a modern-day Bluebeard, a man who married women and murdered them for their money. He made the movie and didn't give Orson any credit.

The critics panned it, and Chaplin made an executive decision: Welles was given a credit and people didn't hate it as much.

I think the movie is dreadfully funny, but it isn't Chaplin's best.

(Chaplin is at his best when he's eating a shoe in The Gold Rush and getting spit out of a machine in Modern Times.)

Still not as good as Woody Allen, though.

The Woody Allen Post

2005-02-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

I mentioned To Catch a Thief yesterday, but no detailed movie analysis can begin without a case study of Annie Hall, the best film ever. Witty, biting sarcasm is in its prime in all of Woody's stuff, but this is the pinnacle.

And boy, I really like Diane Keaton in it. She won the Oscar that year (I'm sure in a landslide) and deservedly so. I wish more women would wear the loose-vest-and-tie chic; maybe that'd help to cure the Abercrombie syndrome...

My favorite line- "I would never join a club that would accept someone like me for a member."

Oh, and "Why don't you get William F. Buckley to kill the spider."

And "I'm standin' with the cast of The Godfather here."

So many great lines- read them here (I like the IMDB).

It's genius. Why aren't there more like it? I guess because it can't be recreated.

Ted Turner owns the rights to it now. Every now and then they'll show it on TCM on a Saturday night.

Comment. Tell me about your favorite movie. I always like a good movie discussion.

By the way, it won Best Picture '78 (over Star Wars). And rightfully so.

Links

2005-02-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

By the way... visit BMurph's blog and Joe's, too.

If I know you, I'll probably link to you, unless I really don't like you. Just comment.

2005-02-04T21:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks Brian, but I don't compare to your utter nerdiness.

I only got a 28, and I can't figure out how to use the HTML.

2005-02-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

Go NCHS Quiz Bowl. Boo the fact that nobody on the team knows anything about literature.

2005-02-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the school computer lab, trying to figure a few things out before English (3 cheers). I need help with this poem by ee cummings.

my sweet old etcetera
aunt lucy during the recent

war could and what
is more did tell you just
what everybody was fighting

for,
my sister

isabel created hundreds
(and
hundreds)of socks not to
mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers

etcetera wristers etcetera, my

mother hoped that

i would die etcetera
bravely of course my father used
to become hoarse talking about how it was
a privilege and if only he
could meanwhile my

self etcetera lay quietly
in the deep mud et

cetera
(dreaming,
et
cetera, of
Your smile
eyes knees and of your Etcetera)

2005-02-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

It seems that teenage life is strange.

When I awoke this morning to be told that school was on a two-hour delay, I went back to sleep.

The night before, I pledged to wake up and watch a movie- To Catch a Thief. I've had it on my ReplayTV for a few days now, and I'm a big fan of king of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, the guy I'd like to be like, Cary Grant, and the eternally-beautiful icon, Grace Kelly. I slept instead.

When I awoke for the second time, I prepared for school and watched the beginning of Napoleon Dynamite while I ate my granola bar.

French III consisted of conjugating plenty of verbs for my verb notebook.

In English, we discussed "Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister," a Browning poem that consists of a monk yelling at a fellow monk, telling him that he lusts too much. The irony was that in critiquing his brother, he admitted his own faults. Then I began my presentation on a short story, "Soldier's Home," a Hemingway piece that focuses on disillusion after WWI.

Band was Band, except that the Tenor Saxes were not as loud as usual. Thanks for cutting down on the honk, Brian.

Music theory- secondary dominants and chord modulations. Come to the band auction- Saturday at CVCC.

Drama club was canceled (what a surprise), so I went home and chose to watch NapDyn instead of the usual- last night's Late Night.

In piano lessons, she said that my Beethoven suited her mood. Although it was a strange comment, I am glad that she has connections. I'm now a substitute organist at Mount Zion. That's a great organ.

Now I post blather. Thank you for reading this far.

2005-02-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

I now officially promote Mrs. Harbinson to deity status. AP English is the best class I've ever taken. Even though I feel like an idiot compared to her when it comes to her subject, there's no question that I have learned more in four weeks than I learn in the standard semester. Right now, Hemingway; next week, Melville. It's incredible.

Post the First

2005-02-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

Beethoven wrote Sonata Pathetique in 1798. He was deaf.

I have great hearing, and my compositions sound like Beethoven the dog.

While I sit here watching O'Reilly talk about the ACLU (again), typing this message, and playing solitaire in another window, I wonder if my life will step beyond the pathetic and into the Pathetique.