Movies Saved My Day

Today was a shit pile of hopelessness. Not as bad as some (keeping in mind any war torn country, anyone in "actual" poverty and of course any shark attack victims--PS ITS SHARK WEEK), but not a great day.

I went to the ATM to get some fresh, crispy, well-earned Hamiltons and much to my dismay I was firmly dissed by the machine. The bank fairies who work behind the ATM told me that I had "insufficient funds" that I was "in the red" (as some might call it) and to "go fuck myself" because I was "S.O.L." Okay, so they didn't actually tell me the last two things, but they mine as well.

Due to my sole nature of the trip--getting some green paper to buy a sweet hair cut, to which I will refer later--I was short on time and heavy on problems. I called the hair salon to postpone my appointment.

Let me tell you something; Growing up, I was the only Alexis I knew. There was never a need for "Alexis M." or "Lexi" or even "Lex" (yes, I used them, but under my own free will, not due to some teacher's need for me to be recognized if punishment be needed). So when I called "Studio S," the hippest, bangin'-est salon in Santa Barbara, it really threw me for a whirl that the lady on the other end's name was in fact, Alexis. Here's how it went:

Alexis: Hello, Studio S, this is Alexis Whatevermylastnamewas, how can I help you today?

Alexis: I need to reschedule my appointment

Alexis: Okay, can I have your name?

Alexis: (in my head) *Bitch you already stole my name.* Alexis Morrell.

Alexis: Okay, Alexis, I [Alexis] have you in for a 1:30. Can I switch you to 4:15

Alexis: Yes, thanks.

Is that confusing? What the fuck!?

So after this adorable rendezvous on the phone with my alter ego who just happens to have my name (that's how freaking awesome my name is) I entered the block, the bastille, the BofA, The Bank of America.

Now the last time I was in the building, I was reporting some fraudulent activity that had come my way. Guess what I was there for this time? The same thing!

I am not a wealthy person. I am not a poor person, well not in my head. But in real life, I am a poor person, I just have well off people around me and I am babysat by LOTS of people. When the money disappears, I have problems. I work hard for those dollars. Julia demands quite a bit of legos, trips to the beach, potty trips, books read aloud and attention spent on her and only her. These hours are wasted when some douche-bag hacks into my shit and steals my dough. NO WAY JOSE~!

I talked to the dude in the BofA and he said I have to wait until tomorrow to do anything! This is BOGUS! So tomorrow, part 2 of the lovely bank activities will continue. Now all of this was unexpected stress. Here, you might say, is where you could criticize me and tell me that "That's not stress, I'll tell you about stress"--well here's what I have to say to you. How about you lose ALL of your money, go into the red and be 3000 miles away from your Mommy! That's stressful brotha. So stick it up your ass. The only way to get away with this-- say it like in Crocodile Dundee "That's not a knife..."

I am lucky in all of this. Because I am a metaphorical 12 year old until January, my surrogate family here in Santa Barbara paid for me to have my hair cut. I think they were nervous that I might do something dramatic or possibly cry. I didn't do either--well I mean the haircut is slightly dramatic-- but it leads into the more positive part of my day!

I saw 500 Days of Summer, again, this weekend. I am in love with this movie. It's my generations The Graduate. Though I know I have already blabbered on about this flick, it's worth it. Zooey Deschanel is in this movie and she is kick ass, across-the-board-kick-ass. I decided, due to my interpretation of the character, my brown hair, blue eyes (not quite Zooey blue, but bugger off!) and my boop-boop nose, that I would emulate the hair cut that Ms. Deschanel has in the film.

My new haircut

Unlike Ingrid Bergman's short hair cut, which destroyed a lot of the women's hair in middle class America in the 1940s, this haircut is a winner!!

Totally made my day to have it come out exactly as I had hoped! One movie saves the day! Oh, wait, there's more.

After a hilarious dinner with the Case/Carlander clan, we watched George Cukor's 1938 classic Holiday starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn; this movie is fantastic. What a great way to end a shitty day! This movie is a hilarious comedy that was transformed from a play to a movie and then remade into this movie. See it. It's worth it.

I took a liking to the drunk brother, Katharine Hepburn's character who is the crazy sister--love it!-- and the people Cary Grant hangs out with and of course Cary Grant's character.

This movie is screwy yet poignant showing conflicts between classes and gender. There is so much that it has to offer. See it.

Now I'm going to read more of Nathan Rabin's book "The Big Rewind," It's been taking me a bit because I'm pacing as not to have it end. Read it.

Buena Notte!

P.S.

Did you know that Great White Sharks are warm blooded and can therefore beat the ever-living crap out of a Tiger Shark in cold water. That is why Deloris the Tiger Shark's radio tag was beeping from the stomach of a White Shark. R.I.P. Deloris.

Also-- the camera guys and shark experts shouldn't wear black wet suits, they just look like seals.

"Live every week like it's shark week"-30 Rock

The Graduate

I am taking a break from packing for my Fiesta Weekend in NYC to talk about Mike Nichols' The Graduate. This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE films. I am obsessed with the genius that is Anne Bancroft--everything she did. She was also married to Mel Brooks, which makes her even COOLER!



This movie makes a visual presentation that embodies empathy for anyone who is taking a year off or having a lull in their life. The May-December romance is an added dramatic element, but there is so much more to this movie.



My friend Brian and I were just talking, briefly about this movie (that is currently on TCM and sparking this entry). We were actually talking about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and about Robert Redford (<3). Robert Redford was the studio pick for the aimless character of Benjamin Braddock. The book that the film is based on calls for a "surfboard" type, a true California beach boy. Obviously Dustin Hoffman is anything but-- and that was the juxtaposition that Mike Nichols was looking for.



"Robert Redford screen-tested with Candice Bergen for the part of Benjamin Braddock but was finally rejected by director Mike Nichols because Nichols did not believe Redford could persuasively project the underdog qualities necessary to the role. When he told this to Redford, the actor asked Nichols what he meant. "Well, let's put it this way," said Nichols, "Have you ever struck out with a girl?" "What do you mean?" asked Redford. "That's precisely my point," said Nichols." (imdb.com)
I had heard about this from the behind the scenes interview on a DVD but it was nice to chat about it with a future Trojan (Shoutout to Brain Bibbo! Lol!)

I think this movie's mastery is achieved due to the collaboration and combination of various creative pieces that made a glorious whole (haha, glorious whole...say it out loud). Anne Bancroft was a talented theatre and film actress who really blossomed in the 1960s. She had a couple "B-movies" in the 1950s, but made it big in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. She had played the part of Annie O'Sullivan on Broadway, co-starring with Patty Duke, who played Helen Keller.


They made the jump from a successful run in the theatre to a successful, award winning film.
She was a devoted actress who took every moment and filled it with talent. Anne continued to work in film, theatre and television until her death in 2005 from cancer.



Dustin Hoffman was actually only 6 years younger than Anne Bancroft in real life--but in the film, you'd never know. They both played opposite ends of life with incredibly believability. Hoffman wasn't the first pick for this film, but his wits and talent provided him to be the best pick. He improvised certain scenes like when he has to grab Mrs. Robinson's breast-- he was about to laugh, due to the crew's laughter, and instead turned it into frustration and banged his head against the wall. He also invented a slight wimper-cough that he picked up from Mike Nichols. This turned what could looked like a 31 year old playing an 20 year old into a unconfident character, believably 20 year old, goalless, boy-man.



Mike Nichols is a genius. There are so many shots, looks, choices, etc. in this film that add up to a visual gem. I'm going to bulletpoint a couple examples that will hopefully entice you to watch the film for the 1st or millionth time.

• The sunporch scene--the famous one with the leg shot.
• 
• The transitions from black to black when he's going through his routine of sleeping with Mrs. Robinson and his blasé lifestyle.
• 
• The scene when Benjamin tells Elane about the affair--then the hallway shot of Anne soaking wet.
  
• The sunporch when she says "I'm extremely upset Benjamin"
• The hotel--darkness--who would have thought?
• The swimming pool 1st person P.O.V.
• Through the fishtank
• Over the wooden banister at the hotel
• Don't forget the soundtrack!!

  	4. April Come She Will
  	Found at skreemr.com

  
  

The list goes on-- I mean pay attention to what they wear. Mrs. Robinson wears animal print and black.



Benjamin is a prep from the East. The rest all look like "plastic" country club folks.

Watch this movie. It's wonderful.
If you feel like you have no direction, if you're taking time off from work, school or something, it is a perfect film to find empathy or sympathy; whatever you need. I have used it to help me get through and I have studied it over and over. I will continue to do so and once again I urge you to see, listen and feel The Graduate.

Tomorrow is USC

Tomorrow morning, at "sparrows fart," as Adi likes to say, I will be flying to Los Angeles for USC School of Cinematic Art's "Admitted Graduate Students Weekend." I am extremely excited to go and I will be going to screenings of short films as well as the Friday night screening of Forest Gump. Say what you want about FG, I have always enjoyed the film, just ask anyone who knows me. Robert Zemekis, Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise will all be at the screening to field a Q&A session at it's conclusion. Zemekis is a graduate of USC and the new building complex, just completed and opening this month, is named after him. George Lucas put $175 million into the place and now it will be at my fingertips this coming fall.

I cannot believe the luck I am having. It has struck me dumb. Well, no it hasn't, I still talk. Mostly about the luck.

Though I was rejected from NYU, which did bum me out for a good 1/2 week, I was accepted to the #1 film school in the United States (NYU and USC are tied at #1, UCLA is #3...haha).
I was put on the wait list, but it was not a "No" and it was also a small blessing or fantastic timing (depending on your beliefs). I'd say the timing was a miracle, to cover my bases and my beliefs. I would never be able to get there in the Fall. I would have had to defer a year to find the cash. Going in the spring of 2010 gives me the option of having the time and getting the money to move to L.A. and go to this preeminent arena of film and academia.

Other luck has happened in little bits, not really mentionables, just going well.

There was another monumental lucky strike-- winning the Ford Fiesta Movement! I am glad to have had one of my videos actually pull through and have a reward on the other side. It is arduous work to make a film, edit, remaster, and put it out there to be slammed by other people. Your esteem, ego and taste are all put to the test and most often, deminished, even if it's slightly. It's part of the job. You try to put up a tough skin, but it's not always easy. If it were, it wouldn't be worth it.
This win, and the reward have motivated me further. I am on my train track to success.
Now I must refer to my hero, Ingrid Bergman. There is a documentary that Ingrid's daughters put together to tell their mother's story as well as to show her success and motivators.
Her daughter, Pia Lindstrom, described her mother as a (and I paraphrase) train on a track. When her mind was made up, there wasn't any changing it.
I think, out of all of Ingrid's qualities, for which I admire her, this is my favorite. I want to be like that. "I want to go to there." As Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon, said on 30 Rock, not too long ago. I want to be successfull, work hard and achieve success. Mostly, I want to work.

I hope that these adventures with the Fiesta Movement and USC allow me to make film, write and be out and about or in a studio (or bedroom with a laptop editing system in front of me...same dif...lol) doing what I love. Making and viewing film.
I will die if I am put in an office. I don't think my mind could take it.
(Put some melodrama music to my last comment, it really enhances the theatrics!)

I hope to blog from my weekend. I will take pictures and I'm like 99.99999% sure I'll have stories to tell.

For now, I must pack and hope that the floor doesn't fall from under my feet. Everything has ups and downs. I'm nervous for the downs that may occur, but perhaps right now is my window to get things started and really make something of my life's story.

CHOO! CHOO!

Women/Men in Film Videos

These videos are KICK ASS!
The morphing is incredibly well done.

"Women in Film"
Women In Film


"Men in Film"

Men In Film

Too Shy To Stop

Through an old comment about an entry I posted I came upon Peter Ricci. He is a writer for an online magazine called Too Shy To Stop.
The blog entry he was commenting on was about It's A Wonderful Life... It was called "Now You Notice That It's a Wonderful Life" and how I felt that people were just cluing into the idea that it was close to the recession of now.

Anyhow, I'd like for everyone to go read his entry and comment!

The Wonderfully Misinterpreted It's A Wonderful Life

DO IT. :)

My Grocery List is Recession Proof Son!

1000 words.

Ingrid Bergman Blog

I have finally done it, I have made an Ingrid blog.

http://ingridbergmanfilms.blogspot.com

The blog will discuss all things Ingrid Bergman. I will analyze her films, life, work and how it relates to me, society, history, film, etc.

I am very excited about it and I hope you all take a bit of time to occasionally check it out...also feel free to follow any of my blogs! Sign up for blogger...it's easy, free and you don't have to blog if you don't want to!

Classic Film Starter Kit

My friend Leah asked me in a recent comment:

"reading your blog makes me want to watch old movies. where should i begin? there are so many!"

So I am now going to write a starter kit for classic films... a canon, but because I think most canons are BS, it's only to get ideas (also based off of films I enjoy).

(Leah)

A good place to start would be to look at the AFI top 100 Movies list (if the link doesn't work, you may have to register at their site, but it's free!)
This list provides a range of movies and most of them are relevant in everyday pop culture. Not everyone agrees on these, I don't agree with a lot of them, but they are good movies to see. I have seen 56 in their entirety, 78 at least 1/2 way and 85% I can refer to and know what I'm talking about.

Depending on taste, you may find this helpful.

Next step: Classical Comedy Basics

Duck Soup -- Marx Brothers --The Marx Brothers are HILARIOUS. Check out any of their movies but one of the most recognizable and available is Duck Soup

Bringing Up Baby-- Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn-- A 1938 classic that was doomed in the box office at the time, but has found new life in the genre of Classic film. This movie is to die for and makes me laugh every time. I have written about it before. The first usage of the term "gay," the way we use it today, is found in this film. Also you get to hear Hepburn and Grant say "leopard" a lot.

Arsenic and Old Lace--Another Cary Grant film-- This movie is based on a play. Cary Grant's character has two old aunts and a crazy uncle who kill carpetbagger/traveler types. GREAT FILM!

His Girl Friday-- Cary Grant and Rosailind Russell-- Yes, he's quite the screwball comic, but trust me, these are all popular for their own reasons! This movie is famously funny and the social implications of the time are not to be ignored. Pay special attention and you'll see how much has changed yet stayed the same!

The Odd Couple--Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau-- Hysterical comedy that was later made into Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men. Neil Simon wrote the play and screen play.
Another Neil Simon play/movie to check out-- Barefoot in the Park with Robert Redford (eye candy) and Jane Fonda (eye candy again)

Some Like it Hot--Jack Lemon, Tony Curtis and Marylin Monroe-- I'm not a Marylin Fan, but this movie is a must see. Partying, drinking, trains, trannies, music, laughs and love. See it.


Okay... if you would like any other suggestions or want something from a different era... let me know!

Moving on to Drama:

Citzen Kane is a strong #1 for the AFI list. If you're not accustomed to Classic film this movie may be a little long and heavy for you (that's what she said).

Cassablanca is a good start--granted I'm biased. Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart lead a cast of recognizable faces in this war time adventure. The film is a pop icon and lives on very timelessly. You'll recognize quotes, people, scenery and shots. A very good start for any novice.

Notorious/The Birds/Psycho/To Catch a Theif/North by Northwest--I would say that of all the Hitchcock films, these are probably the easiest to get started and finish when you've never seen his style. They have beautiful characters, recognizable and understandable plots, scenary you'll like and villains to hate (but also recognize). They are all fantastic flicks and keep with true Hitchcockian values of suspence and beauty.

The Quiet Man--John Ford was famous for westerns and working class stories (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Grapes of Wrath). John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara star in this Irish classic about a couple trying to get thier love right in a culture clash situation. The movie is beautifully shot, in color (for all of you anti-b&w fools), and is dramatic and funny. John Ford painted pictures beautifully with the camera and this is an easy one to love.

The Wizard of Oz--Victor Flemming did it right and we all know it. Judy Garland and friends make it easy to take a journey into a fantastic classic hit. PS I love the b&w/technicolor transition in this film, plus it's shorter than the other work he did with Gone With the Wind...wouldn't suggest that for a first timer.

From Here To Eternity--Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, Bert Lancaster, Montgomery Cliff-- This movie is about Pearl Harbor, the war and love. The film is funny, has music (not a musical by any means), dramatic and heartfelt. Donna Reed won the Oscar for this film by portraying a horribly named prostitute (slight change from where most know her It's a Wonderful Life, another easy to watch classic, and The Donna Reed Show).

Any film from 1967. The most popular are The Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Heat of the Night and Dr. Doolittle.



Musicals:
I'm just going to list these because if you're a musical fan you should see these anyway.
Many are remmakes (this happened/happens a lot with musicals, so I'll just name a few)
42nd Street
State Fair
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
Show Boat
Funny Face
Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
Guys and Dolls
Victor Victoria
Oklahoma!
Fiddler on the Roof
West Side Story
Any Disney
Singin' In The Rain
Anything with Fred Astair in it or Gene Kelly... famous classic film dancers


There are so many classic films that I could recommend. If you are curious about any, feel that any were rejected... I could do a "feeling rejected blog" or just want to know any more films that I have seen, let me know.
COMMENT!


Remember-- these were according to my taste... also they were the basic building blocks to accepting the BEST genre of film hahahaha!