Happy 2009!

For once there is a loss for words

As if pecked away by Hitch's Birds

The year of '08 is over now

What can be said of this year

That diminished our hopes and

Enhanced our fears

Few things brightened the calendar

Such as the election of the

Man of change

Lots darkened the months

Economy! Gas! Life!

But as grim as the year past was

That glimmer we call hope

Still burns within us and

In our children!

My wish to you all is a year of hope and happiness;

May you find your true love;

May your economic wounds slowly heal;

May you continue learning, for this never stops;

And apply your knowledge- old and new- in your day to day appeals

God bless you!

Pray as others pray for you;

Laugh and find joy in all things;

Keep believing and making those dreams

A reality

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow...

A Pleasant Surprise

Not on my "movies to see" list, but at my friend's urging, we went to see Eagle Eye today. I thought it was a science fiction film, but it turned out to be an action-packed thriller. Shia LaBeouf is on his way, in my opinion, to becoming an "A-lister" Hollywood actor. From his humble start in Holes to the big SFX laden films he has graced in the past few years.

The plot involves a super computer who can control lots of things we take for granted. Each time the computer was mentioned, I thought of another great celluloid computer, the wonderful HAL 9000 from 2001: a space oddyssey. Of course, the situations in both films are different, but super computers are a force to be reckoned with, even in films. (Remember Colossus- The Forbin Project? That computer was evil)

So surprise yourself with this film. You will be entertained and enjoy some wonderful performances, other than the leads, by Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis. It's already out on DVD, but as mentioned in yesterday's entry, some movies are worth seeing on the big screen. This one happens to be on that list!

She who must be obeyed!

Michael Rennie Was Ill...

...The Day the Earth Stood Still. I don't know if this film is considered a "remake" or a "re-imagining" of the classic 50s film. But I actually liked it. Of course, the opening scene was missing the Bernard Herrmann music that just gave a certain tenseness to the film. Then again, the original was a product of its time. So, what gives with the new film? A tad more on the violent side; the original Klaatu (Michael Rennie) wouldn't have harmed any life on Earth. Keeanu as "Klaatu" was a bit more serious. Then again, this new film reflects our contemporary and troubled world. We are on a road to self destruction and apparently the powers that be in the galaxy think it's time to eradicate our species. The 50s, with its nuclear fears, was really a naive time; the early 21st century is a fast-paced world where anything goes. Perhaps we are destroying the world little by little. With 2012 around the corner, are we on borrowed time? Will ETs come to earth around that year to see what the fruit of their labors have wrought?

Anyway, the film gave some food for thought. Of course, Gort is now G.O.R.T. "genetically organic robot" or some such thing. As my friends would say, "That's not our Gort!" And the classic line uttered by Klaatu was nowhere to be heard! Unless it was muffled when Dr. Helen Bronson made first contact with Klaatu, and the G.O.R.T went on a simple rampage before being told to halt.

Something was missing, IMHO, and that could have been a climatic speech at the end, such as in the original. But, alas, someone else wrote the script and developed the new storyline.

I got to see the film in an IMAX setting, which made all the difference in the world. It reminded me of the old Cinerama films. I must add that action films, sci-fi and epics should get the IMAX treatment.

Overall, it was an exciting cinema event. And with the technology in the SFX area, anything can be recreated. Amazing!! It is definitely a movie theatre film, unless you have a big screen and surround sound, and great big "tub of death" (aka: extra large popcorn w/butter, lots and lots of it, and a carbonated beverage.)

Klaatu barada niktu.

Massacre? Frenzy? Human Rights?

This was an incredible film. Yes, that is trite, but truly a moving and thought provoking filme. What can be said about a film that depicts a massacre of over 100 inmates in a Brazilian prison. Police riot squads in foreign countries are given a "carte blanche" attitude in the submission of a prison rebellion. "Take no prisoners" is rather ironic...the police brutally killed prisoners as if to get even with justice; the same justice that sent these men into the filthy Carandiru prison.

Through the prison doctor, we meet various inmates and their stories as how they ended up there. All interesting stories that make you realize that life is tough all over, especially in Latin America. I guess the "machismo" is alive and well in the police forces of those countries.

One thing about foreign films- the violence is somewhat graphic and bone-chilling, especially for one who is starting to enjoy the "action" genre of film. Makes one realize about human rights in the world, as well. Yes, criminals get punished and sent to jail, but what really goes on in those places where the law can get a little too, too "rough." Interesting to note is that the prison was much like a small village. Its own laws and on Visitor's Day, entire families were in the courtyard sharing meals, entertaining...much different from what I suspect the American prison system is like on Visitor Days.

It is a film worth checking out.

A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals.
~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

Farewell Boots 2.0

Today started out as a normal Saturday here in Cathedral City. My friends, JR and Ron and myself were going to Corona, CA to have their pup, Boots, evaluated for doggie training at a k-9 boot camp. Well, the owner of the place evaluated Boots and the evaluation was not good. Apparently, Boots was probably the offspring of in-breeding. This explained his Jekyll/Hyde behaviour. I met the little pup on Christmas Eve and became enamored with him. I was able feel some of his nips and bites; he did not like being handled in certain ways. He would get into a submissive stance, but would growl and bite if you tried to pick him up. Anyway, the man continued to say that the older he got, the more aggressive he could possibly become. The only alternative was to euthanize him...and that is what my friends decided. So, today, after 12 noon, little Boots entered doggie heaven to meet his namesake, Boots #1 who died in November '08. This event has made it a bittersweet vacation. I only experienced his puppiness for a few days. My friends were told not to get too attached to him in this event, but when you saw him, how could you not feel an attachment. By the way, he was in a shelter. A homeless person brought him in and my friends adopted him. Not much was known about him except that the homeless person found him in a gutter.

Thank You

Thanks for adopting me

And letting me experience life- not in a cold gutter,

But a warm, warm home.

Thanks for loving me-

That's something I don't think I'd ever have;

Thanks for playing with me;

It was fun to chase a ball

To have it at a tug of war

To bite my chicken squeeze toy

Again, thanks for playing with me

But most of all

Thanks for being my voice

In a world where my kind are abused

Unwanted

Neglected

You showed me that humans can be trusted

Even though I might not have gotten to trust you

But I know you would not want me to get in trouble

In the future

What you did was best for me

And please know that I appreciated

The little time we shared

Thanks for the care

Thanks for the food

Thanks for the love

Thanks for being my voice

All my love,

"Bootsie"

September 15, 2008-December 27, 2008

And, beloved master, should the Great Master see fit to deprive me of health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest... and I will leave you knowing that with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

By Beth Norman Harris

Christmas Thoughts on I-5

Spent the day driving to Cathedral City on the 24th. Christmas Eve. On an interstate with hundreds of other drivers on their merry ways to celebrate or shop.

Christmas is a bittersweet time of year for lots of people; my mom's birthday was on December 17th and so the holiday season was always in full swing when she was alive. Many fond and warm memories made the drive pleasant...

Remembering Christmas pasts
While driving down the Interstate

Hoping the smiles would last

And happy feelings not abate

Remembering Mama and Tia and those Christmas times
Going downtown to places no longer there...

The Great Big E- The Emporium

Riding roof rides at the holiday fun fair

Ice skaters magically dancing in that small auditorium

Going to St. Boniface to see the living Nativity

The only things alive were the sheep and lambs

Everyone was welcome- no exclusivity

Christmas traffic colorful- even the noisy jams

The day home was special- at least for me

I didn't know I came from a poor family

Mama was offered a Christmas tree

But she always refused- she would get one for me

The gifts that were given to us

Were not from the then fancy places

Such as Macy's or City of Paris

But rather Weinstein's or Newberry's

How I miss those days!

Those years singing in the choir

At good old Mission Dolores

Vocal talents Mr. Bergman would help us acquire

Especially during the holidays season

"C is for the Christ child in a manger born
"H is for holy...
"R is for royal
"I is for infant
"S is for shepherds

"T is for...

"M is for Mary, mother adored
"A is for Angels...

"S is for...

Alas, the words escape me, but this song made
Midnight Christmas Mass even special

There are other thoughts I would love to share

But in this era of speed and less nostalgia

Who would really care?

Anyway, I arrived at Cathedral City in the early afternoon and am currently spending the holiday with my dear friends. I was able to go to Midnight Mass at St. Louis Church. I must say that it was a wonderfully, warm feeling I got at this welcoming parish. The choir sang beautifully, and the Spanish singers were a tad off key, but reminded me of a fiesta where singing from the heart is all that matters. I did start to cry during "Silent Night." As I said, Christmas is bittersweet...I miss my Mom and Tia and those Christmases of long ago. I missed spending Christmas with my bay area families. It will be a new tradition to spend Christmas in the Palm Springs area.

Well, that is all for now. When you read this, I hope you recall your favorite Christmases; the special people in your lives; the gifts that made your eyes open with imagination waiting in the wings.

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Keep Christmas in your hearts 24/7 365/12!

Until the next posting...

"And I need a little angel

Sitting on my shoulder

Need a little Christmas now"

Superstar's Birthday

As I sit at my workplace, I'm listening to the 2007 recording of Jesucristo Superstar. Each time it's heard, the realization that this controversial-for-its-time recording was made in 1970. Yours truly was a freshman in high school, and each incarnation was followed as a true devotee to its authors, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. And as seen on many websites, Jesus Christ Superstar has been an international sensation. The Madrid versions are quite interesting, especially the original 1976 recording. The lyrics definitely are very reverent and reflect a Roman Catholic Spain. The 2007 recording is a more contemporary translation, reflecting the newer English incarnations of the rock opera.

JCS may be the Easter story, but for a few years in the early 70s, Christmas Eve would be the time radio stations would play it, either at 10 PM or midnight. I recall this being played on KFRC-610 AM and since then it's been a traditional Christmas alternative when doing cards or attempting to decorate a tree.

Not as groundbreaking as The Who's Tommy but definitely a musical theatre innovator, JCS is a must listen, whether the original concept recording, or the 1973 movie soundtrack. And if you have the patience for foreign languages, attempt the Spanish recordings. You will enjoy the orchestrations.

Today's posting is nothing more than a nostalgic musical trek down memory lane, and hopefully introducing you to some "new" music. Enjoy!

"Could we start again, please?"

The Trouble With What?

What other film can be added to the canon of winter holiday films...let's see.  How about The Trouble With Angels starring Rosalind russell and Hayley Mills?  It's a classic film to introduce to kids who have seen everything.  Of course, it is not laden with special effects, but a story film.  You know, with dialogue.  Very few films have the "power" to keep a young audience enthralled, and this film is one of them.  Hayley Mills as "Mary" and June Harding as "Rachel" are a wonderful team as they get into some interesting, if silly, situations.  But then again, it is a movie where anything can happen.  Half the fun of this film is showing it to a group of kids for the first time and watching their reactions.  Boys tend to laugh during the "binder shopping" scene, whereas the girls retort with maturity that it is normal and natural for girls to go shopping for bras.  And the scene at the retired folks home at Christmas is great for a teaching moment about never forgetting our elderly.  Of course, the silly moments include cutting swimming class and its consequence; "convent tours;" and replacing sugar in the sugar bowls with bubble bath and the sisters, during tea, having a very Welkian moment.

Touching scenes include:  the story of Sister Ursula; the death of one of the sisters and the commencement scene where a surprise announcement is made.  Great entertainment from beginning to end.  Sequel?  Well, stick to this one first.  In some future blog we'll explore it.

What else can be said of a film made in 1966, directed by Ida Lupino and a nice score by Jerry Goldsmith...probably not everyone's cup of tea, but a nice trip back to a time when such films were classic matinee fare.  BTW, in her biography, Rosalind Russell (Reverend Mother) mentions that this film was not a pleasant experience, especially dealing with Haley Mills.

  Of course, if you are a product of parochial schools, this film is a nostalgic throwback to "Yes, S'ter!" and the strict, but loving, disciplinarian ways of Catholic Schools.  Check the film on DVD or if it is shown on TV.

"I've got a scathingly brilliant idea!"

First Entry...be nice!

Wow!  A blog.  I suppose it had to happen that this 50+ year old would start a blog.  Of course, being a novice, blogging is going to be something to look forward to, I hope.  What to write about?  Apparently, blogs are about everything under the sun.  And what do I hope to write on this blog?  Oh, anything, but primarily movies and other types of entertainment.  But movies, primarily...the classics, the not so classics, the B-list movies and the culty ones.  And what about those foreign films.  And of course those screen legends...including the infamous Ramona and Trixie...glamour from a bygone era.  The films to be blogged about are what's on DVD as well as what's playing at the multiplex.  I don't know how often one writes in a blog, but learning is half the fun.  So, entry number one will be short.  Until the next entry and the first movie to be blogged.  Ciao!

"As to humans, I've disecc- I've examined hundreds.  But until now I've only discovered two who could talk, in my life. 

"Where we come from, apes talk- humans are dumb."