Vacation

I haven't written much lately. I've been working on my Fiesta video and have run into many problems editing. iMovie 09 has frozen and ruined my almost completed projects 2xs. After restraining my anger and NOT throwing my computer out the window, I (though my amazingly supportive parents) obtained Final Cut Studio! It's AMAZING.

I wanted to take a break from editing to tell everyone that my vacation has been crazy-go-nuts fun! I just saw a movie ("The Proposal") with like 20 of my aunts, cousins and my Mom, have met some distant cousins from Seattle (who are HILARIOUS), as well as started a much needed tan.

My video will be coming soon and I start my XC trip the 29th with Jeff! I can't wait!

Well that's all for now. I'm obsessed with Nip/Tuck right now and plan on falling asleep after a good episode from Season 5.

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!

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. :)

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!

From Bed

I am sick today--
I am trying to make myself stay in bed. It's a difficult task because I'm more of an "on the go" type of person. I guess this sickness is the Universe's cruel way of telling me to sit the hell down.
Also, the little playground at the mall yesterday could have something to do with it.


See that kid in the background?
Yeah, he's not a kid. He's a little cesspool of germs, probably some spores too. Here's a more realistic picture of hanging out in the playground.

I don't think his melting, leper face is the reason I'm sick... I think it's something I ate. But non-the-less, that kid had a nasty face full of germs.
Some of the kids were being pushy and forceful... not cool. Luckily Julia is more of an observer, so she just got awkwardly close to their faces and checked that shit. The kid was like, wtf? and left her alone. I like her style.
If the kids had pushed her or a mom yelled at her, I would have gone off. I'm not really a confrontational person, but I don't let people mess with the kids I watch. Just ask Ethan... NO WAY José.


I think with my time in my room I am going to watch Rossellini's Open City and Selznick's Gone With the Wind. I haven't seen either film before and everyone likes to give me shit when I talk film but haven't seen GWTW. To all of those people... suck it. I bet you've never seen a Swedish film from 1939 or Rossellini's Europa '51. Yeah, while you were busy watching racism and sexism at it's best I was watching women take charge in Sweden and Italy.
Now that I have that out in the open, I can begin my journey into the seen and the scene. Get it?

I'll probably post a lot today... maybe I'll make a vid... maybe not... depends how I feel... check in again soon!

My Favorite Cartoon of All Time

This is my favorite cartoon of all time: What's Opera Doc.
TCM is showing it on the 24th of March! But for now... here it is on youtube.

9:50 PM	Short Film: What's Opera Doc (1954)
	Bugs poses as a Valkyrie to avoid the heroic hunter Siegfried. Cast: Voices of Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan. Dir: Chuck Jones. C-7 mins,

Kill the Wabbit!

This cartoon once was nearly impossible to find online, but now I have found it.
Dear Youtube,
Leave it alone, just ignore the fact it's on there and let me enjoy this!
Love,
Alexis

I WANT YOU! (to comment on my blog!)

With that said,
Go to the comment link and leave me some sugar.
:)

Things I Liked about Today

This morning there was about 4 inches of snow on my car. Since I don't have a car scraper, I heated up my car and decided that Julia's lacrosse stick would be the best answer to my problem. IT WAS. Not only was it a great solution, but it also was the perfect snowball launcher. I threw several snowballs onto Jeffrey's freshly swept sidewalk as well as at Jeff. YEY!

Snowball launcher!-- Making my morning.


Then, on the way to work, an old lady who was stopped in front of me had this ROCKIN' bumper sticker. I was impressed because she was practicing what she preached... she was old and white...when I saw her later while I was speeding by her old, slow, ass.

Today, everyone was home from school. so the afternoon was pretty easy. Julia was happy to have everyone paying attention to her. She was able to have lunch with Mommy, Daddy and Yeh-ish (the name has altered a little) who was holding baby Katharine (yey for me on holding the baby for a long ass time... that kid can SNOOOOOOZE).
After lunch, Julia and I played outside in the snow. We made snowballs and a little snow man but just before going in she started yelling that she was cold and had burrr hands. She cried for a minute but luckily her Mommy was home and solved the problem by putting socks on her frozen fingers. I apologize to Julia for keeping her out too long, but I didn't know she was cold til she said it... before that nothing but fun and laughter. That being said-- let's talk about how funny it is to see someone with socks on their hands.

Pretty damn funny.


Pretty damn cute!
I have had 3 tea times today. 2 of which have included Twining's tea. I have been waiting to blog about this since Christmas.



Every packaged tea bag has a story on the back that goes a little something like this

In 1706 Thomas Twining started selling fine tea in England. Today, Twinings still sells some of the world's best teas from the original store in the Strand, London, and in more than 100 countries throughout the world.

I love the little explaination on the back of the lable. I think it starts out like an incredibly specific story and ends with a really vague statement about nameless countries in which this hot beverage is consumed. I like to make up things about Thomas Twining or name countries... it's dorky, but fun. Try it the next time you drink their tea.

OH! I forgot!
Julia and I painted this awesome painting today... to make the day even better!
I painted the turtle and she did the "purpley-red and blue"



Oh, I didn't get into Tisch... I still have 3 more schools to hear from. I was bummin' last night, but after 2 beers and the Ingrid/Hitch film Spellbound I felt better this morning.

Notorious... It's My Favorite

I'm in a funk and it is making me want to write and reveal.
Here is a paper I wrote about my favorite film of all time: Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film, Notorious.

The paper was for the admissions for Chapman University. It had to be 2 pages in length and incorporate the reasons I adore this film.

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 film, Notorious, is my favorite movie because it combines several elements that I admire. The film encompasses the essence of post-war era film, stars Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, director Alfred Hitchcock, and a clever resistance to the production codes of the time.

In Notorious, Ingrid Bergman plays the part of Alicia Huberman, a woman with loose morals who we first see as promiscuous, drunk, and cynical. Whether it is for her ravishing looks, outlandish partying, or deceitful father, Alicia is the center of attention. This character is a prime example of the female Gothic character (a victim as well as victimizing woman) found within post-war film noir. She is wronged by men (particularly her romantic partners in the movie, T.R. Devlin played by Cary Grant, and Alexander Sebastian, played by Claude Raines) and society (the United States C.I.A. as well as the Germans in Rio) but she also makes them her prey. Alicia is, as she puts it, “the Mata Hari— she makes love for the papers.” She is powerful when she uses her sexuality, street smarts, and looks, but she lives outside of her designated gender role, seeking power and freedom that is not rightfully hers (with in the guidelines of the time). She drinks too much, parties too hard, and yet Bergman portrays her with a sensitivity that makes her loveable and believable. She wants Devlin’s love as well as a normal life that is disassociated with her father’s Nazism and her less than perfect track record. This character is complex. She is funny, hard boiled, sensitive and has feminist qualities. Alicia Huberman is a main character, though not credited as such, without her, there is no conflict and no picture and as far as I am concerned, the same can be said about Ingrid Bergman. She is my favorite film character in perfected by my favorite actress.


Cary Grant depicts T.R. Devlin, a mysterious, handsome C.I.A. agent whose first name is never revealed. He brings a sense of humor to the picture that is not at all flighty; it is dark and sometimes shrewd. Devlin acts as the perfect juxtaposition to Alicia’s character. He is supposed to be a man of high morals, a government worker, who follows and uses the rules to their full potential. He is smart and uptight but a romantic when the mood calls for it. His character appears at first, in a film noir fashion, as a black silhouette. He does not reveal his name for quite a while and he is very quiet. I fall in love with this character every time I watch the film. He says most of my favorite lines, including “Dry your eyes baby, it’s out of character.” and when Alicia tells Devlin, “My car is outside,” he simply responds with “Naturally.” Devlin is statuesque in contrast to Alicia’s fluidity. He says so little yet says exactly what he means and exactly what she wants to hear. Devlin is Alicia’s “dream man” and though he (and the audience) has to wait to take her away from her old life, he ends up satisfying her dream of a life of “daisies and buttercups.”


Notorious finds a new genre of drama and humor for Cary Grant, outside of his classic screwball comedy films such as Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, and Arsenic and Old Lace. Both Grant and Ingrid Bergman played characters that were contrary to their public images at the time. In 1946 Cary Grant was seen as a happy-go-lucky kind of guy and the life of every party. in her early career, Bergman was seen as “saint-like” (at the time) due to her previous work in The Bells of Saint Mary’s, Casablanca, and Spellbound. They brought a new authenticity to their acting abilities as well as to Notorious when they starred as Alicia Huberman and T.R. Devlin. Their acting in this film and willingness to break expectations are two of my favorite elements within this classic.

Hitchcock presents several shots which I especially admire. When Alicia is in bed nursing a nasty hangover there is a camera angle that throws off equilibrium with a rotating, first person point of view shot. It attains empathetic, claustrophobic, and nauseating feelings, provided by the character and for the audience. There is a shot on the plane, when Devlin says “…we’re coming into Rio.” Alicia leans over his lap to look out of the opposite side of the plane. He looks directly at her and we see him fall in love in that instant. The shot sets two characters in completely separate worlds: she is focused on the future that lies ahead and he is focused on her. This shot is quick, simple, and perfect. Many transitions in this film are achieved with quick dissolves and fades. My favorite transition of all time is found in this film. The two characters dine at a street café, sitting opposite one another. This is where they discuss love, hate, and all that lies in between. When the mission is set and their bond is put into jeopardy, Devlin is sitting in his chair sipping coffee and Alicia is absent from her chair. The shot then dissolves into a scene at a restaurant where Alicia is sitting on her side of the table, but in a different locale. For a split second, the dissolve looks like the two are sitting together, but as it clears, Alexander Sebastian takes Devlin’s place and the plot ensues. This message is loud and clear but can be missed at first glance. The attention to detail is beautiful. There is one series of shots (though I could go through all of them, if given the chance) that is worth noting. The first is a lengthy shot of Alicia and the tea cup that carries the poisoned coffee. Hitchcock wanted both the cup and Ingrid Bergman to be in sharp focus so he had props make a tea cup three times the size of the original. The tea cup takes on personification that cannot be ignored. The cup’s haunting, human-like presence creates a new suspense that is only enhanced further by what happens next. When Alicia realizes that she is being poisoned and that Alex and his mother know who she is, she becomes panicked and her vision blurs. Alex and his mother become disfigured silhouettes and the sound as well as the lighting becomes distorted. There is nowhere for Alicia or the audience to go and the psychological thriller is fully developed; there is only hope for a rescue. Hitchcock’s resourceful nature comes through in with my last favorite shot. He used a lift that would take his camera, a focus man, and himself to the top of Sebastian’s ballroom for a long shot of the party and would take him down for an extreme close up of Bergman’s hand clenching the wine cellar key. This shot, though elaborately staged, is essential to finding out the weight that this key has for the plot. The key is symbolic of relationships between Devlin and Alicia, the Allies and the Germans, Alex and Alicia as well as others. The ingenuity is amazing and the shot is beautifully accomplished.

Hitchcock’s cunning manipulation of the production code is something I consider very admirable. He found loopholes everywhere regarding morality codes and post-war sentiment, and most famously a kissing scene.


The film writer, Ben Hecht, and he created lines that subtly questioned the pro-American ideals of the time such as: “No thank you. I don’t go for patriotism…waving the flag with one hand and picking pockets with the other. That’s your patriotism.” They cleverly created a movie completely about Nazism and international affairs without ever uttering the word “Nazi.” Also, they defied moral standards by working their way around the rules. The three-second kissing standard made by the Production Code Administration was contrived into a three-minute scene where Bergman and Grant nuzzled and cuddled with a kiss here and there. The kiss was awkward for the actors to shoot, but beautiful to watch. All of these elements combine for a cinematic masterpiece and my favorite film of all time.


Hope you enjoyed it...let me know! :)

Katharine Hepburn Museum

I received a nice comment the other day for my entry about Katharine Carlander and Katharine Hepburn.
The comment read:

Love your post. I wanted you to know that the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theater is opening this summer (2009) in Hepburn's beloved seaside town of Old Sabrook, Connecticut.
We'd love it if you'd link to us and help us spread the word!
http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org

Ann Nyberg asked me to do a write up to help spread the word about the new Hepburn Center and after visiting the page, I feel obligated to!


If you click on the banner it takes you to the site. The website is well organized and easy to navigate. They describe the history and mission of the organization as well as the location and reasons for putting the theatre together.

You can visit the "Kate Shop" and donate to the museum. They have options for small donations of $15 or larger ones that can buy you a seat in the house.

I'd write more about the site, but you should really just visit and see for yourself. Contact them if you wish. They are amiable and will write back quickly.

http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org

Baby Katharine

Baby Katharine is spelling her name the same way good 'ole Katharine Hepburn spelled her's.
I feel the need to pay homage to the late, great actress with an opinionated summary of her life and movies.

First of all, let's talk about Katharine Anne Carlander.
Here is a little video I took of the child, by accident, today...



Look at her screen presence! I mean, she's obviously a star!
She's going to have to think that way if she's going to be anything like Hepburn.


Katharine Hepburn was a grad A bad ass. She wrote a book titled Me.
I mean, that title takes cojones. I read the book and now that I'm writing about it, I may just read it again. She was a crazy lady who knew what she wanted, went for it and didn't give a hoot what anyone else thought. Her family was well off and she spent a lot of time at Martha's Vineyard. Speaking of that...my sister HATES when I imitate Hepburn (generally talk about life in MV with a Massachusetts accent while shaking my head), but I don't care because it is one of my favorite accents in the world.
She starred in many films including Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and On Golden Pond. These are just a few of her movies, but they are the ones that I would like to discuss right now.

Bringing Up Baby was not a good movie for Katharine.
Though it is now considered one of the best comedies of all time and a great screwball classic, it earned 'ole Kate a reputation of being "box office poison." This film sent her trekking back to New York City and starring on the stage, which provided great success, but I will get to that in a bit.
BUB is one of my favorite movies of all time and my favorite Katharine Hepburn movie. I love that both she and Cary Grant say the word "leopard" a zillion times in the film. They both have great accents and to hear them fight over a silly kitty is fantastic. I recommend it to anyone at any age.
If you have seen Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, you may note a similarity in the golfing scene between Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett to the golfing in BUB.
Blanchett's characterization of Hepburn is dead on and she must have studied the film to realize the craftiness that Hepburn embodied, beyond the screen. Kate was known for her athleticism and if you doubt it, read her book... she'll change your worldview in a hurry.


Moving on, (as I assume Ms. Hepburn would have) now comes success. When Katharine Hepburn went to NYC, she was in a play called The Philadelphia Story.
She used some sense and bought the rights to the play in order to make some serious cash, if it were a success. Well, it turns out that she and the play did quite well during the run and the movie rights were discussed. Hepburn sold the rights and made a pretty penny off of the deal. It was her play, her movie and her big break. Though she was known, this movie sent her into stardom. She co-starred again with Cary Grant and also James Stewart. The movie is hilarious. It is well done: the acting as well as direction which was crafted by the genius, George Cukor. It is another famous "must see" that has since become a classic. I think this movie proves that Hepburn was an actress but she was also incredibly savvy, intelligent, manipulative and before her time.

When Jeff and I talk about her we always say "I liked to wear pants Howard"-- regarding her love of pantelones and distaste for wearing the traditional skirts. (If you want to know more about that, you'll have to read her book... I'm not even going to try!) She was a woman before her time.

^-- Pants

Jumping ahead to her later years...

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was Hepburn's last film with her long-time sweetheart, Spencer Tracy.

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn

Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy

The movie was released in 1967 and also starred Sindey Poitier and Hepburn's niece Katharine Houghton (just another Katharine!). This movie addressed social issues including interracial marriage and marriage in general. The movie was made when 14 of the 50 states still considered interracial marriage a crime. Katharine was not afraid to push the rules, actually I'd say it was a common theme in her life. Her mother and father were involved in the women's suffrage movement as well as birth-control activism, so it was sure she'd take on an active role with acting! She never saw this movie because she felt the pain from Tracy's death (which was 17 days after they stopped shooting) was too real.

The last movie I'd like to throw at you is On Golden Pond.

Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn

If you have a grandparent who has recently passed or someone who you feel might... or just cry easily... keep the tissues handy. I made the mistake of watching this movie too close to my Pop-pop's death... balled for hours!
The movie is HILARIOUS. Katharine Hepburn co-stars with Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda. It is a film about ageism and bridging gaps to have a good life. Hepburn is in full force in this movie. She plays a woman who I assume is very like the real Kate. She skinny dips, goes for hikes, pushes people around and speaks her mind. She calls Henry Fonda's character an "old poop" which is fantastic when said in her famous shaky, Bryn Mawr accent. The only film better than this in her old age is her documentary that was released around her book release. SEE THEM!

Katharine Hepburn died in 2003... I think she just decided to stop.

Baby Katharine is following in step with the name. Granted, she is really named after her Aunt Katie who also spells the name with an "A," but I assume is takes a special something to qualify.

What Kind of Garden Are You Coming From?

Daisy: What kind of a garden do you come from?
Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden.
Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower?


(CLICK ON THIS PICTURE TO SEE A KICK ASS VIDEO OF ALICE AND THE FLOWERS)

There are two ways many of my friends could take this quote.
One way-- to say I shouldn't quote Alice in Wonderland because I am not one of it's avid fans. I shouldn't desecrate this oh so holy (maybe hole-y... get it Alice falls down a hole) territory.
Another way-- We love that you quoted, now we should watch this movie.

I watched this movie when I was little and I did enjoy it. I enjoyed Alice In Wonderland the live action movie much more. The Disney Channel used to show this and it was so bad that it was GOOD.
It was one of the movies that my sister, Erin, and I used to sit and watch for hours. Another (totally cheesey) movie we'd do this to and my Grandma would allow was Anne of Green Gables. The PBS miniseries... BANGIN'!


All of this Alice talk makes me want to watch the films again. I'm sure I would like them on a
completely different level now, maybe more than one.

I am writing about Alice today* because this is the name of Sarah and Jay's baby, born today*; Alice Katherine Carlander.

I think it's a kick ass name. There are plenty of Alice's out there, but I think it's not an everyday name and it's also a definite name. I mean that it seems like a girl who likes adventure, independence, who's intelligent and a beauty.

I went with Julia and Jay to meet little Alice and Sarah. She was adorable. She looks like her big sister, but has her own aura. It was definitely an extraordinary experience going to the hospital. I was in the, coined, "happy section" of the hospital, but I couldn't overlook the strange paradoxes of life and death being so close to one another.
It was an adventure of sorts to see a newborn and my former professor/friend/employer/mentor/editor/ etc. in a very once-in-a-lifetime type of moment. I couldn't do anything but smile.
When I was waiting, however, it was a different story.
Jay and Julia went into the room to have "nuclear family" time and Julia's first meeting w/ Alice. I stayed in the hallway. I took note of the nurses, the cleaning man, the shiny floors, the kitsch paintings, the wall paper and the gargantuan building around me. I hate hospitals.
I admire the work that nurses do because they are doing something I could never do. They are there in shifts, get paid less than doctors and do more than doctors. I don't like M.D.'s. I think the professionalization of medicine has given them a feeling of hierarchy that they don't always deserve, well that and big Pharma...but that's a whole different blog.
I have only been to hospitals for good things about 5 times. This was number 5 and I need two hands to count the bad visits.
I don't like disease or death. I'm not a big fan of pregnancy...though I like babies. It all freaks me out.
I think you can be "TOO clean" and a hospital is a place that is just that. I like the ideals of saving people, just not the ideas or actions... they are gross and I don't want to go beyond that.

Idea--^

Ideal--^

All in all, today was a great day and eventful. Julia and I lived up the last day of "single child-ness" with scones, yellow pasta and Charlotte's Web. We met a new member of their family and danced to ABBA. SPEAKING OF ABBA!!!!... I said to Julia today "Julia, just wait until you can see Mama Mia!" Then sang, "Mama Mia..." to which Julia sang, "Here I go again!"

Here is a video.




I jumped, grabbed her into my arms and yelled "you're the smartest kid in the world!"
Yep. Just became one of those people for a hot second. The moment was glorious.

Well it appears when I hold off on the blog, I have a lot to release. Please leave some comments on how this one read. Thanks! :)

* Today is referring to 2/4/09... I finished the blog on 2/5/09

Svensk Filmindustri

There is an article in today's New York Times about the struggle between a theatre in Aspen Colorado, The Isis Theatre, and Svensk Filmindustri in Sweden.
Here is where you can find and read the article, for further reference.

Seeking Bergman Film Rights? Try Aspen

The article discusses the 8 year legal battle between the two and whether or not anything is actually being solved.

I am personally extremely interested to see where the battle goes due to my love of Swedish film, Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman.

The film rights to Ingmar Bergman's (who died in 2007) movies are up in the air.

Due to Svensk Filmindustri's weak financial support and other problems, I feel like they should sell to someone who is either respectful of the native film practices or someone who will benefit them by distributing worldwide.
The internet has made a market place for movies that have a specific audience with highly defined needs. Some people are satisfied with the Dvd's and movie sales that consign their pop culture needs. There are those of us who are looking for a film like Dollar, the 1938 Swedish film starring Ingrid Bergman and directed by Gustof Moleander and have yet to have needs (aka wants) met.

I would love for foreign, classic films to be at my finger tips.
It would prevent me from watching Italian films that are shot in English, dubbed in Italian, subtitled in Spanish and bootlegged in China.

For now, steep.

Tears of a Clown.... well not a clown. Clowns are creepy.

I am currently listening to and occasionally looking at the commentary of Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata.

(Liv Ullman and Ingrid Bergman)

This film was Ingrid Bergman's last feature film. She was sick with breast cancer when they shot this film.
This movie is a perfect wave good-bye from Ingrid. The movie brings me to the edge of sadness every time I watch it. I think about the way she talked about it in her autobiography and the fact that she wrote her autobiography because she knew her time was short. I think of her biography and how Liv Ullman (who played her daughter Eva in the film and was Ingmar Bergman's baby mama) talked about the powerful, long scenes that they had to film. She reflected upon Ingrid's strength when Ingrid had to lift her arms above her head while laying on the ground. She had had a mastectomy and lifting her arms that way was painful and seemingly impossible. She did it. She acted through it. I believe it's because she wasn't sick when she was playing Charlotte. I can't remember if it were she who said, or someone else who said that she wasn't herself when she was in character. I think it may have been Isabella or Ingrid Isotta (her twin daughters, that's Isabella Rossellini) who discussed how their mother was so tired after a show and had so much prep time before the show because she had to completely become the person she was portraying.
Autumn Sonata, it seems, is Ingrid's way of showing and acting through her own imperfections. The story runs closely to what happened with her daughter Pia Lindstrom, who she was forced to abandon when she chose to stay in Italy with Roberto Rossellini. She did not see Pia for 6 years, which is very similar to the character. Charlotte-- the character -- is a concert pianist and much like Ingrid with acting, she chose to play instead of be a housewife and stay at home mom with her children.

I admire Ingrid for this.
Her children may have had rough times and had to deal with difficulties, but they were cared for by others and finacially were well off. Ingrid talked about how she always wanted her children to be okay. Isabella mentioned that her mother was just so in love with acting, it was her passion.
Passion like that cannot be ignored.

I hope to be like Ingrid. I don't want to abandon my child...if I have one. I don't want to face heartache after heartache (though if I do, it will just happen). I want to live my dreams and my passions. I want to be immersed in various cultures and languages and be well versed in the world.

I have all the support I could ask for. I guess now it's just time to keep watching the movie and figure out my next step.

(Funny how this turned into being about me...)

A Quest

(Drawing of Ingrid by Adi Price)

Due to my fanaticism for Ingrid Bergman, I have set out on a quest.
I have decided to collect or view all of her films.

So far I have viewed the following:

Die Vier Gesellen
Kvinnas ansikte, En
Intermezzo: A Love Story
Rage in Heaven
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Casablanca
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Gaslight
Spellbound
Saratoga Trunk
The Bells of St. Mary's
Notorious
Arch of Triumph
Under Capricorn
Stromboli
Viaggio in Italia
Elena et les hommes
Anastasia
Indiscreet
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Goodbye Again
Hedda Gabler (Which I'm going to see the new rendition with Mary-Louise Parker in January!!)
The Visit
The Yellow Rolls-Royce
The Human Voice
Cactus Flower
Walk in the Spring Rain
Murder on the Orient Express

These account for a little more than half of her pictures.
My goal is to see them all. I really love her early Swedish work and foreign (or shall I say not Hollywood) work.
She sought after directors and actors with which she would gain a great experience. She chose people and scripts that were relevant to her and said no to people who were just trying to BS her.

I have been doing a lot of research on Ingrid, due to a project I'm working on and my constant admiration for the woman. The more I find out about her, the more human she becomes and the more real her story.

I feel a disconnect from some actors who have died before my time, but not with Ingrid. Ms. Bergman is still alive and well as far as I'm concerned.

I would recommend any of these movies to anyone.
I've already made friends sit through them, and so far... not really any complaints!
:)

Troll

Today I am locking myself in my room to do nothing but write and watch movies.

So far, so good.

(George Cukor)

I watched George Cukor's Gaslight and now I'm onto George Cukor's My Fair Lady . Maybe it's more of a Cukor day... I guess this means I'll have to watch The Philadelphia Story next. Lol.



Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in Cukor's 1964, My Fair Lady

Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in Cukor's 1944, Gaslight

James Stewart, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in Cukor's 1940, The Philadelphia Story

I'm working on a 4 minute piece that has to be set in an exterior setting w/o dialogue or camera angles.
The camera angle thing is easy, because you shouldn't do that until later in production (as far as I'm concerned) and the no dialogue has become a slight issue. I am just going to have plenty of description and action.

Well I should get to it.
:)

Not Getting Married TODAY

(Picture of my guilt for depriving my readers [reader])

So, I am truly going to finish the Sexism in Spellbound post at some point... I promise... but in the mean time, I couldn't let some things go by...

There is an article about Steven Sondheim's work today in the  New York Times. Steven Sondheim is a playwright/composer who has been working and writing for decades. 

Some of his work includes the more famous plays: Into the Woods, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company,West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy.

 I am a big fan of his work, and there is one performance I would like to note here... It's Madeline Khan playing Amy in Company. She sings "(Not Getting Married) Today." This song is hilarious and intellegent not to mention Khan's singing and acting are superb. 

Click on this image and it takes you to the performance... just stay with it, it's funny.

Madeline Khan died in 1999 and it was quite sad. I love her work in other movies, especially her work in Mel Brooks films. I was actually just turning off Young Frankenstein at my birthday party, that year, when the news said that she had passed away from cancer.

Paper Moon

"Miss Trixie's gotta winky tink."

High Anxiety

"What's your sign?

--Sorry, it's unlisted"

History of the World Part 1

"Virgins! Put on your no entry signs!"

Young Frankenstein

"Taffeta darling

--Taffeta sweetheart

No the dress, it's taffeta, easily wrinkled."

Clue!

"Being killed is pretty final wouldn't you say?"

Blazing Saddles

"A wed wose, how womantic"

My earliest memory of Madeline Khan was from her appearances on Sesame Street. She was part of one of my favorite songs, "Put Down the Ducky." She also did several other famous Sesame Street performances as well as appearances on the Muppet Show. 

Click the ducky to play the video!

One last performance that would place Madeline Khan high on my priority list of heros would be her Saturday Night Live hosting.

She did a famous skit with Gilda Radner that was making fun of speech impediments and Barbara Walters... TOO GOOD!

Click on this image to see the skit.

Well it makes me sad that both of these women have passed on. But they left a mark on the comedy and dramatic worlds which is inspirational to women, like myself, who are trying to be funny and get away with shit.

Steven Sondheim's work is also a must have, so if you haven't seen some of the work on stage, you can rent movies like Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp is in it) or West Side Story (Natalie Wood is in that one... she was also in Miracle on 34th Street with another hero of mine... Maureen O'Hara... oh and Santa Claus).

Check it out! CULTURE YOURSELF!

:)