And once again as it is Friday, it's time for the movie report. This weeks stars are Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn and no, Sabrina, the one movie they star in together, is not one of the movies I saw this week (however I have seen it many times and could write about it if asked).
People Will Talk: Okay so this isn't actually Hepburn or Bogie, it's yet another Carey Grant movie. It's a fun movie with some interesting plot twists. I quite liked the part about the trains. It's a fun movie.
How To Steal A Million: I love this movie, it's very funny and in the crime thriller family. Audrey Hepburn plays a French girl who's father forges paintings, much to her dismay. Circumstances occur which force her to break into an art museum to protect her father from going to jail.
High Sierra: One of Bogie's big break through movies. A crime thriller, much more so than the previous movie. Love, crime, mountains, a lovable dog... Not my favorite but alright.
Two For The Road: Another Audrey Hepburn movie. The character she plays in this movie is more on the Holly Golightly side of things than the sweet innocent girls Hepburn quite often played. I liked this movie, I think, but it was very sad, it's the story (shown all out of cronolgical sequence) of a couple thorough their relationship together and their travles. It's a rocky marriage and it made me sad to wonder if many marriages out there are or have been like that and to wonder how being so in love isn't enough it would seem, to keep a marriage going.
Love in the Afternoon: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper, Cooper is a big player. Hepburn's father is a private detective and she uses stories from his files to make Cooper jelous and become a one woman man. It's a cute movie.
Paris When it Sizzles: This movie is funny because of the way it portrays Hollywood, and how accuratly. Hepburn and William Holden. It's kind of a strange movie but that's part of what makes it so funny. It's also a chance to see Tony Curtis play a little bit part.
The Maltese Falcon: I'd heard about this movie, or perhaps the book, for years and I finally got around to watching it and seeing the famed Sam Spade. I though this was a really good movie, good mystery and acting and a very good ending. Another movie with Bogie.
The African Queen: This is only a partial report because the DVD was too scratched up to play the whole movie. I liked what I saw. It stars Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. I haven't seen any movies with Katherine Hepburn for a while and I'd forgotten what a wonderful actress she was. I'll try and get a better copy of the movie and report when I do.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
More Reading
I read the book Love, Stargirl over the last few days. It's another book about, you guessed it, Stargirl. It was a fairly easy book and frankly it ought to be because I believe it's aimed at a pre-teen to teenage audience and I would hope that my reading level as a college graduate is higher than that.
Anyway, it's about what happens to Stargirl after she moved away from Mica, Arizona. It's an alright book but it was not as good or quite cohesive with the first book, that might be expected since this book came out recently and the first book came out when I was about half way through highschool. The charachter of Stargirl didn't seem the same to me, perhaps that's because she was telling not Leo but it didn't feel quite the same. After I read Love, Stargirl; I reread Stargirl. I think that Stargirl was written better, I liked the style better, maybe I could just relate far more to Leo than to Stargirl.
I don't know quite what to make of these books. When I first read Stargirl, I liked it except for the revolt against Stargirl. It seemed so strange to me that a community could be so similar, that diversity could be so frowned upon.
Reading the two together and having had years pass since the first, I just didn't really believe it anymore. I enjoyed the books but I found myself questioning Stargirl more and her motives and whether or not she really was this innocent and untouched girl she was made out to be in the first book. Maybe I'm just more cynical, who knows. Anyway that's what I've been reading and those are my thoughts about it.
Anyway, it's about what happens to Stargirl after she moved away from Mica, Arizona. It's an alright book but it was not as good or quite cohesive with the first book, that might be expected since this book came out recently and the first book came out when I was about half way through highschool. The charachter of Stargirl didn't seem the same to me, perhaps that's because she was telling not Leo but it didn't feel quite the same. After I read Love, Stargirl; I reread Stargirl. I think that Stargirl was written better, I liked the style better, maybe I could just relate far more to Leo than to Stargirl.
I don't know quite what to make of these books. When I first read Stargirl, I liked it except for the revolt against Stargirl. It seemed so strange to me that a community could be so similar, that diversity could be so frowned upon.
Reading the two together and having had years pass since the first, I just didn't really believe it anymore. I enjoyed the books but I found myself questioning Stargirl more and her motives and whether or not she really was this innocent and untouched girl she was made out to be in the first book. Maybe I'm just more cynical, who knows. Anyway that's what I've been reading and those are my thoughts about it.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Lost Horizon
So about a week or so ago, I watched the movie Lost Horizon and wrote about it here. The movie was based on a book and I quite liked the movie and so I got the book from the library and read it. Lost Horizion was by James Hilton and was apparently the first paperback book ever made. Lost Horizon is fairly similar in both book and movie form. I liked the book because there were more details available and I was able to understand things better, however in some things I liked the movie much better.
This book/movie have really been making me think a lot. In the book a group of people find themselves in Shangri-la the mythical paradise of Tibet. In Shangri-la there is peace and prosperity, long life and great culture to be had at the lamasery there. As I first watched and read I found myself in agreement with the main character who felt himself at home and never wanting to leave. It was boggeling to me that another one of the group would dislike the place and even go so far as to call it hellish. It made me wonder if such a thing could really be possible, that one could find such fault with a place that sounded so perfect to me.
One point in the plot that made me sad to see, was that the main character, after becoming very immersed in life at Shangri-la, is persuaded by one of his companions that the whole thing is madness, that he must be crazy and to leave the place. I wonder how many times people leave happiness or don't do something that makes them happy becase of what others may think or how it may look.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Ballet
So I won tickets to go and see the ballet and it was last night. When I was in middle school/ highschool my dad's work sponsered the ballet and so for a couple years we got season tickets in the fourth row. It was amazing, I got to see so many ballets: Swan Lake, Cinderella, Tameing of the Shrew etc. it was so cool and especially getting to sit in the fourth row. When they have fog on stage, after it drifts off the stage it goes out into the audience, into the fourth row. Fake fog smells a bit weird.
I guess my love of dance started with taking ballet when I was little, til I was in third grade and I quit cause it was too girly. But I still loved dancing, in middle school my best friend was still in ballet and with her and under some sort of delusion, I tried out for the Nutcracker. I didn't make it of course but it was still a fairly cool experience. I've dabbled in dance since then but mostly I like dancing through my living room, or whatever open space is available. I've come to terms with my not being a real dancer but I love to watch it, almost any kind of dance that's done well.
The ballet last night was a bunch of shorter and more contemporary pieces but it was great. There's something very beautiful about the movement of dancers, of the control and discipline they have over their bodies and the blur of white limbs through a dark background. I love it, dancers are artists, but I couldn't help thinking as I watched, that art is different. I can do a painting or drawing and make the final product by myself, but dance and other art forms are group efforts. There is choreography, which is unfathomable to me, as is composing music, I can plan pictures but I can't hold on to whole dances or works of music. Dancers quite often look better together than alone, they must be in sync with each other, they must have complete trust in their partners and fellow dancers as they can hold their lives as they lift and toss. When I have the means I believe that I will do what I can to frequent the ballet. Degas did many paintings and drawings of dancers, last night I understood why.
Okay onto movies
The Importance of Being Earnest: I love this movie, which is also a play by Oscar Wilde. I love Wild's works they are so wonderfully witty and satirical. I think this movie is excellent and has a wonderful cast: Judy Dench, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. It is a very funny movie.
North and South: This movie is a mini series based off of Elizabeth Gaskill's book by the same title. I haven't read the book but I hope to soon. I like this movie, it's a bit like Pride and Prejudice in plot but I think it goes deeper into both pride and prejudice. The North and South are those of England around the beginning of the industrial revolution. It made me think about people and different points of view. I very much liked it.
The Charge of The Light Brigade: This is an old movie with Errol Flynn, and typical of his movies. This movie is about a historical event, one about England's glorious days of being an empire, which I'm not terribly familiar. This movie is about military actions in India and that general area. I have to say that I did not love this movie, I thought is was well made etc. but I disagree strongly with the events that took place and about revenge. I don't know how to tell this without giving away crucial plot so be warned. There was a massacre of mostly women and children and to avenge that 600 men, the Light Brigade, went into almost certian death to kill the man responsible. It made me sick to think of it, of course it was horrible what happened, but 600 men for one man hardly seems worth it, it just seems to me like more needless death.
Sargent York: This is another war movie, but where I hated Charge of the Light Brigade, I loved this one. I like this movie because it was not really a glorification of war, the main character didn't want to go to the war, but once he made his decision to go, he did the best he could and in doing so he found himself a hero.
Lost Horizion: I loved this movie, it was based off a book by the same title and I now want to read it. In this movie a group of people find themselves in Shangri-La and begin to adjust to how different things are there. I highly recommend it. An interesting point about the movie, apparently over the years it was cut down and the version I got was a restoration, they found the whole soundtrack of the movie and all but 7 minutes of the film. Because of this though there are some parts that are just stills with sound, others high quality and still others are fairly low quality.
Gunga Din: I haven't read the famous poem but I quite liked this movie. I loved the friendship between the three Sargent. I decided that the resemblance between Douglass Fairbanks Jr. and Carey Ewles is uncanny and that this is one of my favorite roles I've seen Carey Grant in. Carey Grant was wonderful at comedy and this movie proves it to a T. I think this role also works because it's not the typical Grant role of someone suave and debonair, I think it's more like the background that Archie Leach had before he became Carey Grant.
I guess my love of dance started with taking ballet when I was little, til I was in third grade and I quit cause it was too girly. But I still loved dancing, in middle school my best friend was still in ballet and with her and under some sort of delusion, I tried out for the Nutcracker. I didn't make it of course but it was still a fairly cool experience. I've dabbled in dance since then but mostly I like dancing through my living room, or whatever open space is available. I've come to terms with my not being a real dancer but I love to watch it, almost any kind of dance that's done well.
The ballet last night was a bunch of shorter and more contemporary pieces but it was great. There's something very beautiful about the movement of dancers, of the control and discipline they have over their bodies and the blur of white limbs through a dark background. I love it, dancers are artists, but I couldn't help thinking as I watched, that art is different. I can do a painting or drawing and make the final product by myself, but dance and other art forms are group efforts. There is choreography, which is unfathomable to me, as is composing music, I can plan pictures but I can't hold on to whole dances or works of music. Dancers quite often look better together than alone, they must be in sync with each other, they must have complete trust in their partners and fellow dancers as they can hold their lives as they lift and toss. When I have the means I believe that I will do what I can to frequent the ballet. Degas did many paintings and drawings of dancers, last night I understood why.
Okay onto movies
The Importance of Being Earnest: I love this movie, which is also a play by Oscar Wilde. I love Wild's works they are so wonderfully witty and satirical. I think this movie is excellent and has a wonderful cast: Judy Dench, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. It is a very funny movie.
North and South: This movie is a mini series based off of Elizabeth Gaskill's book by the same title. I haven't read the book but I hope to soon. I like this movie, it's a bit like Pride and Prejudice in plot but I think it goes deeper into both pride and prejudice. The North and South are those of England around the beginning of the industrial revolution. It made me think about people and different points of view. I very much liked it.
The Charge of The Light Brigade: This is an old movie with Errol Flynn, and typical of his movies. This movie is about a historical event, one about England's glorious days of being an empire, which I'm not terribly familiar. This movie is about military actions in India and that general area. I have to say that I did not love this movie, I thought is was well made etc. but I disagree strongly with the events that took place and about revenge. I don't know how to tell this without giving away crucial plot so be warned. There was a massacre of mostly women and children and to avenge that 600 men, the Light Brigade, went into almost certian death to kill the man responsible. It made me sick to think of it, of course it was horrible what happened, but 600 men for one man hardly seems worth it, it just seems to me like more needless death.
Sargent York: This is another war movie, but where I hated Charge of the Light Brigade, I loved this one. I like this movie because it was not really a glorification of war, the main character didn't want to go to the war, but once he made his decision to go, he did the best he could and in doing so he found himself a hero.
Lost Horizion: I loved this movie, it was based off a book by the same title and I now want to read it. In this movie a group of people find themselves in Shangri-La and begin to adjust to how different things are there. I highly recommend it. An interesting point about the movie, apparently over the years it was cut down and the version I got was a restoration, they found the whole soundtrack of the movie and all but 7 minutes of the film. Because of this though there are some parts that are just stills with sound, others high quality and still others are fairly low quality.
Gunga Din: I haven't read the famous poem but I quite liked this movie. I loved the friendship between the three Sargent. I decided that the resemblance between Douglass Fairbanks Jr. and Carey Ewles is uncanny and that this is one of my favorite roles I've seen Carey Grant in. Carey Grant was wonderful at comedy and this movie proves it to a T. I think this role also works because it's not the typical Grant role of someone suave and debonair, I think it's more like the background that Archie Leach had before he became Carey Grant.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
art and geometry
In the last few years I have become fascinated by geometry, not the class you took in high school (I found that one painful) but what is also known as sacred geometry, that deals with the shapes not the numbers. I learned that using geometry you can say more through your designs than you might arbitrarily, there is a sort of a language of geometry and design that we all know on some level. There are archetypes in geometry through certian shapes that influence people and how they view things. In looking at one of the paintings of one of the great old masters, say Rembrandt, what makes the work so great? It's quite often the design behind the painting, the use of archetypal shapes underneath. I wanted to have such greatness in my own works, so I have been learning about these archetypes, about sacred geometry and it is so fascinating! Through this study I was also lead to geometric designs, patterns and Islamic designs and patterns. It's a bit mind boggling once you start, just how far reaching it's influence is and how much of a difference you can see. Last hear I heard a speech given by Lynn Truss, the author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Ms. Truss talked about grammar and correct punctuation and how one day she was filming all the grammatical errors she could see with a crew and that by the end of the day the crew were noticing the errors along with her where they hadn't before. This is perhaps a stretch of an example and is also making me self conscious about my own iffy grammar, however I experienced the same sort of phenomenon as the crew, once you see these things, you wonder how you ever missed them before.
Anyway, that's a lot of what I've been working on. Perhaps now I should actually read Eats, Shoots and Leaves, and work on improving my grammar.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I took a Shakespeare class my sophomore year of college because I love Shakespeare, what was cool was that my teacher, Professor Shakespeare, is a descendant of the bard himself, I thought that was really cool. He had a very odd knack of being both painfully boring while very interesting at the same time, I'm not sure I've seen it done before or since. The man knew his stuff though and I really enjoyed the class. The pictures above are the text book from the class, the complete works and I kept the book after the class was over. Last night I was wanting to read but not sure what, and then I remembered the beast (said textbook). I started reading The Taming of the Shrew, I can't remember if I've read it before, but I've seen it and it's such an awesome play. I'd almost forgotten what a joy it is, or at least can be, to read Shakespeare. I might try to tackle reading his complete works...I wonder how long that will take...but I have already read a lot so maybe not so long.
More movies, like I said I have been seeing a lot of Carey Grant movies.
To Catch a Thief: I usually am a big fan of Hitchcock but this one wasn't my favorite. I think sometimes Hitchcock gets undermined by all the people who came after and have run with what he did so well. I remember watching Rear Window (which is the basis for Disturbia) after hearing all about it, but I remember being quite bored with it, part of that might have been from my watching it at home, in my basement with the lights on, however I think most of it is due to all the suspense movies I've seen since, all the people who were inspired by Hitchcock. Anyway, To Catch a Thief, you'd have to decide for yourself.
I Was A Male War Bride: I liked this one, a pretty good comedy and fairly witty in parts. One of the funniest things might have been seeing Carey Grant in drag, now some men can pull that off, but Carey Grant was not really one of those, just himself in a dress. I recommend it even if just for that.
That's all of the Carey Grant I've seen lately but there's probably more waiting for me at the library.
Sunset Boulevard: I think this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, very well crafted, a work of art. This movie is also very creepy, or maybe more along the lines of strange or unnerving. I watched the little thing on the DVD about the making of the movie and things got creepier, errie how close characters were cast in some cases. I liked it but I don't think I'll be watching it all the time, it's hauntingly close to some realities. I think everyone should see it once.
Roman Holiday: I have absolutely loved this movie from the very beginning, from the very first time I saw it. Roman Holiday was Audry Hepburn's first big movie roll, it launched her into Hollywood stardom. I loved it this time because I can now pick out snatches of what's being said in Italian, I hadn't watched it since taking Italian. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn are both simply wonderful in this movie. It's rightfully a classic.
Emma: I haven't ever read the book, nor do I intend to, however I do love the movie. I love the costumes, and Gweneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam. It is funny and sweet and right up there in the chick flick category.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Art and Movies
Art : It's feeling very daunting at the moment, however I suppose one good thing is that I've found a good answer when people ask me what I'm doing now, if I'm working etc. I say I'm working on building up my portfoilio, which I am and this seems to be an acceptable answer to people. Funny how saying the same thing can work one way but not another.
I am indeed building up a portfolio, I'm still working on a series, still waiting on my yellow and green paint, still feeling like something's missing or not right or something. I don't quite know what or why, perhaps I need to keep defining my goals and deadlines. I had been looking for competition shows to enter, and I found quite a few, but I don't feel like I have anything right now that's good enough to enter these shows. I guess I need to just keep working at it.
Movies: Well I already mentioned Slumdog Millionaire in my last post, I thought it was a good movie and I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I'll be watching it again soon.
Stranger Than Fiction: I was wary of this movie at first, especially because Will Ferril's in it, but it has grown on me. I first saw it with a group of people invited by my former roommate who aspier's to be a writer. I have long since given up my aspirations to write but I think my love of this movie might relate to my love of writng. This movie is about literature, well not entierly but it's a very dominant theme. I don't know if non writers etc. would enjoy it as much however I think it's a really good movie for writers or aspiering writers to see. It's quite funny and Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman are very good.
Guys and Dolls: I caught some of this on TV one time and I figured I'd see the whole thing. It seems to be one of the quintessential musicals. I don't know, I like it but I don't, it's borderline on way to cheesy but some parts are pretty good.
I've been working on seeing a lot of the great old classic movies, when I do that I tend to go through the library website and just reserve a bunch from the same actor just going on down the list. Right now I'm working on a bunch of Carey Grant movies. Grant was quite a versatile actor, he started out as an acrobat, he was also very good at comedy and of course he was quite well known for his good looks and charm. Look for more Carey Grant movies here in the future.
An Affair to Remember: I think I first heard about this movie from Sleepless in Seattle, the characters rave about it and so I put it on my list of movies to see and only just now got around to it. I really liked it, it was a good movie just like they said, but I liked it differently. In SiS they talked about the great romance and how wonderfully sad it was, and it was those things also, but I loved it for how comedic it was, there was a lot of fairly dry humor, which I love and so I liked that a lot. I think it's a movie that's probably got something for everyone, maybe even all those guys dispite the fact that it's a 'chick movie'.
I am indeed building up a portfolio, I'm still working on a series, still waiting on my yellow and green paint, still feeling like something's missing or not right or something. I don't quite know what or why, perhaps I need to keep defining my goals and deadlines. I had been looking for competition shows to enter, and I found quite a few, but I don't feel like I have anything right now that's good enough to enter these shows. I guess I need to just keep working at it.
Movies: Well I already mentioned Slumdog Millionaire in my last post, I thought it was a good movie and I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think I'll be watching it again soon.
Stranger Than Fiction: I was wary of this movie at first, especially because Will Ferril's in it, but it has grown on me. I first saw it with a group of people invited by my former roommate who aspier's to be a writer. I have long since given up my aspirations to write but I think my love of this movie might relate to my love of writng. This movie is about literature, well not entierly but it's a very dominant theme. I don't know if non writers etc. would enjoy it as much however I think it's a really good movie for writers or aspiering writers to see. It's quite funny and Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman are very good.
Guys and Dolls: I caught some of this on TV one time and I figured I'd see the whole thing. It seems to be one of the quintessential musicals. I don't know, I like it but I don't, it's borderline on way to cheesy but some parts are pretty good.
I've been working on seeing a lot of the great old classic movies, when I do that I tend to go through the library website and just reserve a bunch from the same actor just going on down the list. Right now I'm working on a bunch of Carey Grant movies. Grant was quite a versatile actor, he started out as an acrobat, he was also very good at comedy and of course he was quite well known for his good looks and charm. Look for more Carey Grant movies here in the future.
An Affair to Remember: I think I first heard about this movie from Sleepless in Seattle, the characters rave about it and so I put it on my list of movies to see and only just now got around to it. I really liked it, it was a good movie just like they said, but I liked it differently. In SiS they talked about the great romance and how wonderfully sad it was, and it was those things also, but I loved it for how comedic it was, there was a lot of fairly dry humor, which I love and so I liked that a lot. I think it's a movie that's probably got something for everyone, maybe even all those guys dispite the fact that it's a 'chick movie'.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Let Cooler Heads Prevail
I have a lot on my mind, I just was in a lesson on persecution and it really made me think, not just about what was said in the class but also about movies I've seen and about things that have happened.
On Friday night I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I've heard a lot about the movie since it came out. It was a very hard movie to watch, the 'slumdog' has a very hard life and many terrible things happened to him. One of the scenes that stuck out to me the most was when a mob of Indians, presumably Hindus, came and attacked the slumdog's family and others because they were Muslim, their mother was killed trying to protect them, people and things were set on fire. It's horrible to think that people can do such things to each other, unfortunatly such goings on are not unusual.
A year or so ago a man came to speak at a fourm at BYU, I cannot remember his name, but if you have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda, it is about what happened to this man and others in violence between Tootsies and Hutus. It was an amazing story the man told of a group of people who were trying to take refuge in the man's hotel. I do not remember as many details as I'm sure I ought to, but I do remember how calmly the man told his story, I don't recall any anger or bitterness, or wish for vengence.
The movie La Vita e' Bella (Life is Beautiful), has rightfully become very acclaimed. The movie is the story of a Jewish man who's family is taken to a concentration camp in World War II and how the man hides the awful truth from his son by making it a game that they are playing. It's very touching to see how the horrer of the situation is ignored and defied.
In the beginings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, church memebers were very much persecuted for their beliefs but they were encouraged not to react, to keep cool and do their best to go on dispite it.
It seems the natural reaction in the face of persecution, it to become angry and to want to fight back, but unfortunatly that never seems to be the right answer. Situations are not improved by seeking vengence, the code of Hamurabi was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; I believe it was Gahndi who said that such a code leave the world toothless and blind. I know that I have a lot of work to be less hot headed, but I have seen for myself that not reacting is generally better and helps ones cause more. Surely those events in Hotel Rwanda would not stand out as they do, if they had not had the courage to take the higher road. Wars are avoided by the higher road, retaliation only leads to bigger conflict, not healing.
Our world is unstable and sometimes daunting, we do not know what lies ahead of us. In a book set durring the first World War, I read about some women who decided that they were going to be "heroins" rise above the turmoil around them and sallyforth. I want to be a heroin as well, to do my best to act with a cool head and not in fear or anger. I know how hard it is to forgive but I want to make all the more effort, it does not help any when we can't forgive, it only draws out the hurt.
On Friday night I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I've heard a lot about the movie since it came out. It was a very hard movie to watch, the 'slumdog' has a very hard life and many terrible things happened to him. One of the scenes that stuck out to me the most was when a mob of Indians, presumably Hindus, came and attacked the slumdog's family and others because they were Muslim, their mother was killed trying to protect them, people and things were set on fire. It's horrible to think that people can do such things to each other, unfortunatly such goings on are not unusual.
A year or so ago a man came to speak at a fourm at BYU, I cannot remember his name, but if you have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda, it is about what happened to this man and others in violence between Tootsies and Hutus. It was an amazing story the man told of a group of people who were trying to take refuge in the man's hotel. I do not remember as many details as I'm sure I ought to, but I do remember how calmly the man told his story, I don't recall any anger or bitterness, or wish for vengence.
The movie La Vita e' Bella (Life is Beautiful), has rightfully become very acclaimed. The movie is the story of a Jewish man who's family is taken to a concentration camp in World War II and how the man hides the awful truth from his son by making it a game that they are playing. It's very touching to see how the horrer of the situation is ignored and defied.
In the beginings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, church memebers were very much persecuted for their beliefs but they were encouraged not to react, to keep cool and do their best to go on dispite it.
It seems the natural reaction in the face of persecution, it to become angry and to want to fight back, but unfortunatly that never seems to be the right answer. Situations are not improved by seeking vengence, the code of Hamurabi was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; I believe it was Gahndi who said that such a code leave the world toothless and blind. I know that I have a lot of work to be less hot headed, but I have seen for myself that not reacting is generally better and helps ones cause more. Surely those events in Hotel Rwanda would not stand out as they do, if they had not had the courage to take the higher road. Wars are avoided by the higher road, retaliation only leads to bigger conflict, not healing.
Our world is unstable and sometimes daunting, we do not know what lies ahead of us. In a book set durring the first World War, I read about some women who decided that they were going to be "heroins" rise above the turmoil around them and sallyforth. I want to be a heroin as well, to do my best to act with a cool head and not in fear or anger. I know how hard it is to forgive but I want to make all the more effort, it does not help any when we can't forgive, it only draws out the hurt.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Movies
I have long been a lover of movies, now that I have time on my hands and access to a great library (not that I didn't before, just not movie wise), I have been watching a lot of them. Over the last school year I tried to introduce my roomie to so many of the great old movies she'd missed out on all her life, this didn't really happen due to her desire to achieve good grades... at any rate, I saw more movies that I'd been wanting or needing to see, or ones that were on TCM (Turner Classic Movies, having cable can be nice).
I love movies of just about any time period but classic movies made back in the early days, I love so many of them, in many ways they don't make them like that any more.
I don't really know what I'm trying to say here, except that I love movies... it's interesting, I had a roomie who was into acting and film etc. and I noticed that if she watched a movie she might call it a success for one reason or another, but I came to realized that I didn't feel the same, that if I like a movie it tends to be for the whole of the movie: the story, the acting, the camera work etc. I do sometimes find a movie for one specific reason but maybe I'm more of a purist in my tastes... whatever that means.
Anyway I read something the other day talking about how in the old days a star used to be what sold a movie but now people are more interested in the genera; in thinking about it I suppose I fall in the latter category, I'd rather see somebody I never heard of in a really awesome movie than a star I love in a lame movie.
The movies I've watched this week are as follows:
The Bourn Identity: I love these movies, I love a spy type action thriller well done, and that serise is just that. I have the spy fascination but I've found that I now prefer to watch something that at least seems like a more realistic spy world, than the gadgeted, and farsical world of spies. This being said I also love Chuck, so it goes both ways I guess. Anyway, if you're into spy/ action coolness, I highly recomend Bourn, however I didn't love the books...and they have a way different plot.
Anything Goes: I got this musical because it has Donald O'Connor and I'm a fan, however it wasn't one of those amazing musicals I felt, just mediocer, but maybe if you really love Cole Porter you'd think better of it, who knows. Bing Crosby's also in it but I'm not a huge fan of his.
Mr. Deed's Goes to Town: I got this to see more of Frank Capra's movies. It wasn't bad but also not my favorite. I assume that Mr. Deed's with Adam Sandler took it's plot from this.
The Big Sleep: Bogie, Bocall, it was the first time I'd seen a movie with both of them. I liked it a lot. I have no idea where the title came from though.
The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer: I love Carey Grant, however not a favorite, I probably won't watch it again.
The Nun's Story: I got this to see Audrey Hepburn and it was not what I was expecting. It was very interesting, I can't say how accurate because I've never been Catholic, I learned a lot, hopefully not things that aren't true. However even if I ever became Catholic, I never, ever want to be a nun.
That's all for now, if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.
I love movies of just about any time period but classic movies made back in the early days, I love so many of them, in many ways they don't make them like that any more.
I don't really know what I'm trying to say here, except that I love movies... it's interesting, I had a roomie who was into acting and film etc. and I noticed that if she watched a movie she might call it a success for one reason or another, but I came to realized that I didn't feel the same, that if I like a movie it tends to be for the whole of the movie: the story, the acting, the camera work etc. I do sometimes find a movie for one specific reason but maybe I'm more of a purist in my tastes... whatever that means.
Anyway I read something the other day talking about how in the old days a star used to be what sold a movie but now people are more interested in the genera; in thinking about it I suppose I fall in the latter category, I'd rather see somebody I never heard of in a really awesome movie than a star I love in a lame movie.
The movies I've watched this week are as follows:
The Bourn Identity: I love these movies, I love a spy type action thriller well done, and that serise is just that. I have the spy fascination but I've found that I now prefer to watch something that at least seems like a more realistic spy world, than the gadgeted, and farsical world of spies. This being said I also love Chuck, so it goes both ways I guess. Anyway, if you're into spy/ action coolness, I highly recomend Bourn, however I didn't love the books...and they have a way different plot.
Anything Goes: I got this musical because it has Donald O'Connor and I'm a fan, however it wasn't one of those amazing musicals I felt, just mediocer, but maybe if you really love Cole Porter you'd think better of it, who knows. Bing Crosby's also in it but I'm not a huge fan of his.
Mr. Deed's Goes to Town: I got this to see more of Frank Capra's movies. It wasn't bad but also not my favorite. I assume that Mr. Deed's with Adam Sandler took it's plot from this.
The Big Sleep: Bogie, Bocall, it was the first time I'd seen a movie with both of them. I liked it a lot. I have no idea where the title came from though.
The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer: I love Carey Grant, however not a favorite, I probably won't watch it again.
The Nun's Story: I got this to see Audrey Hepburn and it was not what I was expecting. It was very interesting, I can't say how accurate because I've never been Catholic, I learned a lot, hopefully not things that aren't true. However even if I ever became Catholic, I never, ever want to be a nun.
That's all for now, if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
slacker
So, I haven't posted for a while. I did start a post the other day, but it perished at the hands of technical difficulties. Here goes nothing. Above you'll see the picture that was missing when I last posted, it was probably still on my camera.
I am now a college graduate, reviling in the fact that I do not have classes to attend or homework to do. It's been so nice and refreshing, if I want to do something I can do it, there's nothing stopping my but my own procrastination or laziness. I've been watching movies and reading books, actually reading books for pleasure and for my own edification. It's awesome! As many may be aware, reading for personal pleasure quite often falls by the way side when there's homework to be done.
Now though, the hard part is getting myself to put in the hard work on my art, finding a routine in these wide open days. It's harder to make myself adhere to a schedule when there are no places I have to be or time being taken out of my day, so I've had to make those chunks of time for myself. I have a contract with myself with art time, I'm making goals towards the rest of my time. I'm even getting to the bottom of all the stuff searching for a home since I moved.
Another hard part is not having a studio space to work in, where I can work on things and then let them sit undisturbed. It's not really all that bad, but I'd been hoping to start oil painting again and I've now realized that isn't really a good idea here.
I feel like I've just been complaining so let me say that while I enjoyed my time in Provo, I am so happy to be back home again. It's such a different feeling here and nice to be in a place that I know so well, where I really know my way around and where old friends are. So that's the rambling scoop. And I just added a picture which ended up at the top, if anybody knows how I can change that, please let me know.
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