tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42196776527318619712024-02-19T10:36:58.957-06:00Reinvention: The Journal of a Dog-Lover, Book-Reader, Moviegoer, and WriterThis is a personal journal of a daily life and a lifetime of changes...
This is a writer's notebook...
Topics discussed here:
Movies (old and new);
Books (Literary Fiction, and current non-fiction);
Dogs;
Joni's songs;
LGBT Life;
Current Events;
And anecdotes from the Past...TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.comBlogger593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-90289941897219000972013-02-24T15:24:00.000-06:002013-02-25T10:10:43.593-06:00Random Thoughts Just Hours before Oscar Night<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I feel a good rant brewing. No..I feel like an absolute curmudgeon!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Never fear. I'll not spoil the evening with a tantrum. This is one of the more interesting Oscar years in recent memory, even if it's almost certain that the year's most interesting films will not be justly recognized.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It has been a year since my Mother entered a Nursing home. I'm feeling a little melancholy today. I miss her enthusiasm about the Oscars, mostly done (I know this now) for my sake. I miss going to the movies with her. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Mark's Mother died almost a month ago. She went quietly after a long illness. Mark's sons will join us tonight for the Oscar show. We will be festive, although Helen's recent absence still hangs heavy over us. I miss her, too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I think we will drink a silent toast to both Moms tonight.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Now, on to Oscars and my burning, snarky questions:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--Can someone tell me just what Daniel Day-Lewis DID to earn such programmed, lockstep acclaim for "Lincoln"? To me, he handled Tony Kushner's labyrinthine speeches admirably, often beautifully. But come on...What do people mean when they say he made an uncanny transformation into Lincoln? Do they mean that they themselves met Abe Lincoln personally, and Day-Lewis is a spitting image? Rather, I think people are in awe of the surface resemblances, thanks to make-up, that render the actor like a bronze bust of the 16th President. Lewis so resembles our own images of Lincoln, gleaned from pennies and $5 bills, from amusement park dioramas and somber sculptures, that it is easy to assume that these transformations were due to Lewis' acting. But, compared to Lewis' own best work ("My Left Foot", for instance) and his Best Actor competitors, I see neither the level of difficulty, nor the memorable high points, I saw in either of the perfomances of Hugh Jackman or Bradley Cooper. Even non-nominated John Hawkes of "The Sessions" will stay in memory longer than the Lincoln Lullaby.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--Argo is suddenly the favorite to win Best Picture, based on precursor awards. (Of course, these have gone for naught before.."Brokeback Mountain", anyone?) Ironically, had Ben Affleck received a reasonably deserved Best Director nomination, I wonder if the movie would now be an also-ran? It occurred to me that Best Picture, should "Argo" triumph here, might be its only win!! I don't think it is heavily favored in ANY of its other nominations (Arkin had too little screen time, and its nominees for Screenplay, Editing, Score, and 2 Sound categories are up against fierce competition). Should "Argo" win Film Editing, however, then it is all over but for Affleck's Producer acceptance speech.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">--I liked "Argo" a lot, and it would be a respectable best Picture winner. It is entertaining, informative (even if not wholly historically accurate), and extremely well-made. Still, there are other nominees that stirred my passions more, and inspired my creative juices, and old love for filmmaking. See below for Loudest Cheers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--Speaking of Director: with DGA going to Affleck, but no chance for an Oscar, this has to be the most breathtaking award of the night. If "Argo" is going to win for Best picture, then will the Academy do something impetuous, wonderful--like give it to the new guy, Benh Zeitlin, for creating a once-in-a-lifetime work like "Beasts of the Southern Wild"? Talented though he may be, he will never have this moment again, where he crafted an artistic and emotional powerhouse out for sheer will and dedication of a group of amateurs who happen to LOVE FILM MAKING? Or will they recognize Michael Haneke, for a difficult, hushed, controlled, steamroller called "Amour"? It would be like a long-overdue recognition of Ingmar Bergman. Of course, was there a more difficult assignment than "Life of Pi"? Will Oscar once again recognize the visionary Ang Lee? </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--There are three actresses for whom I will cheer loudly if wither of them win. Of course, if either of the 3 <em>do </em>win, then I must lament the downfall of the other two. With all due respect to Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts, I am SOOO pulling for either Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Quvenzhane` Wallis ("Beasts..."), or Emmanuelle Riva ("Amour"). All three engaged me, riveted me, astounded me. Wallis gave line readings that seasoned actresses would weep to achieve, and had a final scene with her on-screen father that is great "acting" in the purest sense.. Lawrence had the sexy humor, ferocity and confidence of Jane Fonda's Oscar-winning portrayal of Bree Daniels in "Klute". And Riva captured so perfectly the nuances of aging, that her tragedy became my own. Oh why can't there be a 3-way tie??</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--Listen for my loud cheers if these others are called: Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper ("Silver Linings..."), Helen Hunt for "The Sessions", "Les Misearables" for Makeup/Hair and Art Direction, and "Life of Pi" for ANYTHING (especially for it's lush, moving Score and for its Visual Effects, giving us Richard Parker). Or "Silver Linings", "Beasts", "Les Mis", or "Amour" for Best Picture!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">--I will remain politely mute, a passive-aggressive "WTF" in my expression, if "Django,,,", "Zero..." or "Lincoln.." get called, for anything.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-1376511850374134822013-01-11T11:28:00.000-06:002013-01-11T17:08:09.984-06:00Oscar's Choices, And Capsule Reviews, for 2012<strong>Yeah.. I'm still here. Deal with it!</strong><br />
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<strong>It's time to chime in with my thoughts on this year's Oscar nominees for Best Picture. In the bargain, I offer you capsule impressions of those films I have seen, want to see, or refuse to see....</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>The cinematic sleeping pill that is "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lincoln</span>" earned the most Oscar nominations--12. Incredibly, the one category to which the film undoubtedly owes most of its success, Hair and Makeup, was not one of its nominated categories! I believe "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lincoln</span>"'s acclaim is a case of voters feeling self-righteous about the subject matter, and not the film that was on the screen. Its cinematography was one of its weakest elements--the film is a visual bore, and a slog-- but, hey, gotta get Kaminski in there. Ditto Michael Kahn: there was nothing inspiring or exceptional about the editing. Tony Kushner has all but won in this category. It is a subtle screenplay, but not a cinematic one--I fear it is best suited as a radio play. Spielberg, never known for his subtlety, seemed flummoxed by Kushner's grand speeches and plodding exposition. Of course we do get some of Spielberg's "touches" : for example, there's one shot of Day-Lewis at the end, walking to his doom, with a halo---I am afraid--over his head. (Interesting that Spielberg got snubbed by BAFTA.) Tommy Lee Jones should memorize his acceptance speech soon</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Although it is not among the favorites of on-line Oscar-Geeks (it is barely discussed by neophyte Oscar pundits), I think "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life of Pi</span>" could be a tough competitor. Its only drawback to winning the top prize may be that it garnered no acting nominations. But it took an impressive second place in the total nods with 11 nominations! And all of them richly deserved, I might add. This is what cinematic imagination, and emerging technology, is all about: to visualize a work that many said would be impossible to translate to the screen. It's a film that plucks at our thoughts and feelings about death, truth, and nature, ones that we often want to avoid, and does so in the guise of a magnificent animal. Should be a lock for Visual Effects, and Original Score, too... I think it has a great shot in many technical categories, and I will cheer for all of its wins.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Those same Oscar-geeks that are left floundering in the spiritual tsunami that is "Life of Pi" are drooling over "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Django Unchained</span>"...and I was dismayed at its inclusion in the Best Pic list.. Ok Ok, I have not seen it, it's true; but I get nauseous just reading the synopses, so I don't care how "pretty" Richardsons' camerawork might be. Some viewers will be thoroughly entertained--even get some laughs!--from watching helpless slaves get tortured, or fight to the death, or get attacked by savage dogs. They may snicker at QT's precocious-schoolboy cleverness. Not me...Nothing I have read yet suggests that the violence or "satire" is in service to anything above the level of adolescent revenge fantasy. When blaxploitation films and spaghetti westerns were in vogue, they were (accurately) regarded as third-rate entertainment. And I'm not flattered by the many filmic allusions QT purports to use, stuck inside the film like rancid raisins in a stale pastry. Thank goodness Leonardo DiCaprio was "snubbed" again.. Why, oh why, can't he pick roles that suit his easygoing, romantic-comedy-lead persona?? He must love playing dress-up in his grandfather's old clothes. As for Tarantino's inclusion yet again into the Best Picture and Screenplay slots, he must have a built-in Academy bloc of young hipsters who don't know that their idol-emperor HAS no clothes... </strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amour</span>" intrigues me...It starts in Chicago this weekend. I liked Haneke's "The White Ribbon", and have liked all of the performers' other films. (Especially Jean-Louis Trintingnant, so doggedly handsome as the relentless investigator in 1969's "Z"). Since the film is about the ravages of old age, it will be terribly relevant to me, and to all of my friends and peers who, over the past year, have had to deal with the nightmarish caregiving needs of horribly declining parents. I remember Emmanuelle Riva from "Hiroshima Mon Amour" decades ago. At 86 she is the oldest Best Actress nominee (hmmm...older than Jessica Tandy, I guess...). Her birthday is Feb 24, the day of the upcoming Oscar ceremony. As the oldest, she is competing with Oscar's <em>youngest</em> Best Actress nominee ever..."Q" (Quvenzhane) Wallace!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Which brings me to my favorite moments of the nomination announcement ceremony: The mention of "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beasts of the Southern Wild</span>", which is my vote for the most interesting and affecting piece of cinema of the year (along with "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pi</span>"). I cheered when it was cited in the Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and Actress categories. Director Benh Zeitlin used his limited resources to craft an imaginative, child's-eye-view of life in an impoverished, pre-Katrina New Orleans swamp community. Its seamless blend of grit and magic held me spellbound throughout its running time. It's presence among the other highly-financed nominees is something like Hushpuppy herself, the film's scrappy young heroine. You can't help but root for both the movie and her character. Hushpuppy's travel to a mythical island in search of her long-lost mother was the most emotional scene in any movie I saw this year. I don't know if it has a shot to win, but it could grow in favor among voters who were not 100% enthusiastic about "Lincoln" or "Silver Linings Playbook". For me, "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beasts</span>" took this year's "Tree of Life" slot.....</strong> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silver Linings Playbook</span>" becomes the first film since "Reds" (1981) to receive a nomination in all 4 acting categories...All of them strong contenders. I think Cooper can unseat Lewis (if Jackman doesn't do it instead). Wow...this is DeNiro's first nomination in 21 years???? (Must have been "Cape Fear"?) It's good to see DeNiro use his still formidable talent for menace and humor in a role of real depth. To the movie's credit, it is one of the few good films this year that takes place in a recognizable, middle-class American here-and-now, with identifiable human characters coping with modern foibles and culture. It's a nice film, sensitive in the way '70's movies routinely were, warm-hearted, even a little preposterous in the second half (where it mashes-up football and Dancing With the Stars to appeal to the broadest possible denominator)... But the strength of the performers carries it through. I can't think of a more attractive couple in a movie this year than Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. I especially loved their playfully steamy scene in a diner, which erupts with intense anger and pain. This could have had a real shot for Best Picture, but precedent is not kind to films that do not get both a Director's Guild nomination AND an Oscar Nomination for Best Director.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>(In that respect, precedent suggests that the only contenders would be "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lincoln</span>" and "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life of Pi</span>".)</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>The movie version of the beloved musical "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Les Miserables</span>" has been the most confusingly maligned film of the year. (I never saw the stage version). Is it because purist-lovers of the stage production object to the intimacy of the film? Or is it an old "King's Speech" grudge? Tom Hooper was unfairly eliminated, I think, from the directing competition. There's a tiresome bandwagon of those who opposed the coverage of the musical numbers in closeup. I, on the contrary, felt it was smashingly effective in drawing the viewer into levels of emotional meaning that might be lost from the fixed perspective of live theater. Who could have managed better with the material at hand? For those who just hate the show and feel the source material is manipulative, there's no arguing the point. (I didn't feel that way.) Although I didn't buy in to the religiosity of it, that should not be held against it; there's a humanist streak that I embraced. I loved the film of "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Les Miserables</span>"; it had the grand sweep of classic movie musicals, and while I watched it, I felt those same satisfactions unique to those classics. And the performers, especially the extremely watchable Hugh Jackman, were uniformly excellent. Even the much-criticized Russell Crowe, although not an operatic singer, to me appropriately embodied a character whose spirit is, shall we say, less melodic. The scope and sweep reminded me especially of "Oliver" (a peculiarly French version!). I enjoyed this better...unlike "Oliver", I had a catharsis without feeling brutalized. The Academy seems to be split on the merits of this big, emotional musical, and without Hooper in the running, it stands slim chance of winning Best Picture. But Anne Hathaway should memorize her acceptance speech soon.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Argo</span>" is a crowd-pleaser, a surprising history lesson, and a terrific film. It deserved every nomination it earned, and I lament Ben Affleck's shutout in the Director's category. To me it was one of the most exciting yarns at the movies this year. Movie-lovers and aspiring filmmakers should find this especially appealing, as we are immersed in the unlikely (but true) story of a fake film crew endeavoring to save a small group of frightened but resourceful detainees. For those who recalled the dark period of history when Iran held Americans hostage, the revelation of long-classified facts was enlightening, and expertly woven into a satisfying piece of film entertainment. To those who were not alive then, and have no knowledge of the hostage crisis, the film supplies the requisite exposition, in a brisk manner, to bring viewers up to speed. Some of the darker aspects of this story were glossed over or ignored, or punched up with humor and altered for the sake of drama, but there's truth at its core and is appropriately inspiring.</strong> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>I would have selected "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Argo</span>" as a dark-horse winner. But it is sure to be overshadowed by "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zero Dark Thirty</span>", whose prospects for the top prize have dimmed with the elimination of Katherine Bigelow from the Director's slate. (I wonder if she and Affleck cancelled each other out among voters who split their allegiances between two similarly political stories?) I am on the fence about seeing this film.. It seems like a re-hash of "Hurt Locker", with torture and a female lead (although I love Chastain in everything...). It would have to be a terrific film indeed to earn the right to depict the horrific details I've read about...although I STILL wonder if a film depicting the torture of AMERICAN prisoners to expose AMERICAN secrets would be as well-received. In the end, I guess I will be more inclined to go to see this than "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Django</span>".</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Oh--and Adele should clear a space on her Award Shelf, for "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skyfall</span>", to add along side her Grammys....</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>A few other thoughts:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skyfall</span>" was not only one of the greatest Bond films ever...it was one of the best movies of the year. Oscar may NEVER recognize Bond as "weighty" enough for its highest accolade...Which is why the British Academy Awards are seeming more relevant by the hour</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Master</span>" was the biggest disappointment of the year. The only proper critical response should be to paraphrase a line used in the film: Paul Thomas Anderson "made it up as he went along". While proponents of this film are praising it for its "exciting ambiguity", to this viewer it gave a feeling of being stranded in bad Improv. Anderson had no idea what to do with his intriguing seed of an idea. The result was uncomfortable in the least aesthetic way possible. What a waste of actual celluloid film. Point the camera, get your actors to scream and cry and be "quirky"... and defy the "cinephiles" to declare you a great artist. Best to pay heed to Anderson's initials, P.T (as in Barnum): "There's a sucker born every minute."</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Good riddance (no nominations to): "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dark Knight Rises</span>"; "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cloud Atlas</span>"; "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The</span> <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paperboy</span>"</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000066; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Mourning: No nominations to "<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Best Exotic Margold Hotel</span>".</strong></span></div>
<br />TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-49234888995714496322012-02-28T10:24:00.005-06:002012-02-28T12:51:14.037-06:00Oscar's Real Winner<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here's to filmmakers, technicians, and <em>Artists</em> alike...</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Most of those who nabbed the Statuettes were expected to win, and deserved to... </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">(The night's one head-scratcher: A Big HUH? in the Film Editing category...)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">First, a nod to the major winners...</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Horray! for Christopher Plummer...Meryl Streep...Octavia Spencer...Jean DuJardin....</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Kudos to "Hugo", "Midnight in Paris", "The Descendants", "A Separation"...</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Bravo! to Mssrs. Hazanavicius... Thomas Langmann... Ludovic Bource....Mark Bridges...</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">After all of that, the spirit of this year's Oscars was summed up for me in two great photographs found on the web....</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here's to the most deserving victor of the night...in his little bow tie, taking a bow, and offering generous congratulations to his co-star.....</span><br />
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<img alt="JOE KLAMAR / AFP / Getty Images" height="266" src="http://timenewsfeed.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/oscars_12.jpg?w=576" title="Uggie" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><img alt="Chris Carlson / AP" height="266" src="http://timenewsfeed.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/oscars_11.jpg?w=576" title="Uggie and Jean Dujardin" width="400" /></span></span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-3131319003950392052012-02-26T17:49:00.007-06:002012-02-27T19:41:33.533-06:00Oscar Night--Thoughts on What Should Be A Fun Evening<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I don't want a lot of surprises this year as the Oscars are announced in a few hours</span>.<br />
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<img height="180" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/otrc/2010/photos/8506196_600x338.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In fact, so many of the front-runners happen to be personal favorites, that I WANT to see them win. I don't WANT to see Christopher Plummer fall to a Jonah Hill upset (I'm fairly certain Max Von Sydow will not experience a sentimental vote this year)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">....I will scream in delight for Meryl Streep, but will also cheer appreciatively for Viola Davis. Brad and George gave career performances...how could I feel badly for a win for either of them? Then again, a victory for Jean Dujardin is like a victory for Uggie the Dog. How can I resist?</span><br />
<br />
<img height="529" id="il_fi" src="http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/yb/esq-the-artist-tuxedos-112211-xlg.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="270" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">There isn't one Supporting Actress nominee who isn't deserving....while I expect the charming Octavia Spencer to give a moving speech, any other winner would bring me a yelp of pleasant approval. (Especially Berenice Bejo...or best of all, Jessica Chastain).</span><br />
<br />
<img height="179" id="il_fi" src="http://atthemovieswithbillyandbrian.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/best-actress.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Woody Allen's name called out in triumph will feel like a personal vindication, because I loved his movie since I saw it last summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And while I have in my heart a deep yearning for two movies in particular as Best Film, I have to say that any one of them would please me in one way or another.</span><br />
<br />
<img height="212" id="il_fi" src="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/24/article-1327424271762-116F9376000005DC-670474_466x310.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It's nice to watch the Oscars when your favorites are likely to win. But then again, I had my balloon burst---badly---six years ago (CRASH!!) and I have never fully recovered. That's why I don't want too many surprises this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If there ARE shockers...these would please me most:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Best Picture: Midnight in Paris or Tree of Life</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Best Director--Terrence Malick</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Best Actress--A Michelle Williams Surprise upset</span><br />
<br />
<img alt="The Tree Of Life, Oscars 2012" height="199" src="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/24/article-1327424215023-116FA3F1000005DC-230173_636x396.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I will cheer loudly tonight for: Emmanuel Lubzecki (Cinematography, Tree of Life); Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris); Ludovic Bource (The Artist); Meryl Streep (Iron Lady); Christopher Plummer (Beginners); Dante Ferretti (Hugo); and Alexander Payne (Screenplay, The Descendants). Add Michel Havazanicius to the chorus.</span><br />
<br />
<img height="188" id="il_fi" src="http://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/gallery/hugo/hugo4.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* * * * *</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">On recent stories that the Academy is composed overwhelmingly of old white men:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Where were all of these articles in 2005-06, when generational homophobia motivated a voting bloc to rally around a second-rate film, thus ensuring that the deserving critical and popular front-runner would not make history?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Add to that: It has ALWAYS been so; membership has always skewed older. The Academy reflects the makeup of the industry. And the Oscars weren't intended to appeal to the preferences of various cults within the moviegoing public. (The "snub" of "Harry Potter" should not be seen as an injustice.) </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">These Old White Men are the ones who create those cults to begin with. They fashion the blockbusters that bring in the big bucks from the mass of less-discriminating viewers. The Oscars are an occasion for appreciating moviemaking's better intentions, when films that speak to the better part of our natures, which can entertain us and give our minds and emotions a workout, are held up for recognition. Sure, the choices are often less that applause-worthy, but it is, after all, an industry award. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Who are we to demand anything else?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">And for all of our complaining, we come back every year... We sometimes forget how to regard a movie without the context of the Oscars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">* * * * *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Another Nominee I would love to see Oscared: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It's clear that the name Sergio Mendes is a complete mystery to many in the Oscar-blogosphere. But this composer, nominated for the song from the animated film Rio, has been an influence in world music for decades. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And has been one of my favorite musicians my whole life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have read with dismay those who feel a win for Mendes would be seen as a ham-handed effort by the Academy to be "global" and "relevant". So..what is the Brazilian ---er, Portugese-- word for "bull--it"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Not only has Mendes entertained millions for almost 50 years..but the song he wrote for Rio is out-of-the-ordinary Oscar fare, and FUN!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here are a couple samples of Mendes' previous works that I love so much...</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9U1v01SGtGE" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yla_z-aFjn0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-74971857729953222012-02-24T16:30:00.005-06:002012-02-27T07:29:25.802-06:00Oscars 2011: Revving Up My Engine With A Rant--Oscar Films Need A Chance<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Evidence that modern motion picture distribution has finally descended into madness:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Say what you will about the current Best Picture nominees floundering at the box office. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I say, don't blame the films. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">First of all, has anyone noticed that most Theater chains in the U.S. are no longer advertising in the major daily newspapers? There are still many people who rely on their local Entertainment Sections for information about which theaters are playing the movies they most want to see, especially in their neighborhood.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays, all of this information can be found on-line, or on smart-phone movie apps. But unless you know which theaters are nearby; or you're already familiar with the films in current release; or which are OSCAR-NOMINATED-- </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Unless you know all that at the start, how do you connect with an "Artist"? with a "Descendants"? even (I shudder) "Extremely Loud..."? or any film that does not have the fan-boy build up of a "Twilight " or "Hunger Games" (which just broke a record for on-line advanced ticket sales..)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">OK, OK, so I had to admit that times are a-changing, and thus I got with the program. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">There is a 12-screen multiplex one mile from my house. My new preferred method of info-gathering is on-line, using my trusty laptop computer (that alone sort of renders me as timely as Mr. Malick's dinosaurs...)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I logged on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I found the AMC site for the local 12-plex.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And I found something maddening:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">ON THE WEEKEND LEADING UP TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS, NOT ONE OF THE 12 SCREENS WAS SHOWING ANY FILM THAT CURRENTLY HAS AN OSCAR NOMINATION, <em>IN ANY CATEGORY</em>. NOT ONE. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">That means if I want to see "The Descendants" once more to refresh my memory and check out my original impression, or if I wanted to take a friend to see "The Artist", I might have to travel 30 minutes or more. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And yet, the movies themselves are blamed for not reaching an audience, when it is the studios/exhibitors who have not given the films and their potential target audiences a chance to connect. The people who would likely make the films a hit are those who would use the traditional print media that have been taken away from them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">To top it off, the films are pulled out of theaters at the EXACT TIME fans may want to check them out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">Am I wrong to believe that ALL of the Best Picture films deserve a chance to be seen on a big screen, at least for the weekend of and week following the Oscars?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>More Oscar stuff this weekend!!</strong></span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-23345762568720837032012-02-09T22:34:00.003-06:002012-02-09T22:45:18.995-06:00Cars Helping Pets...My Late Father's Auto May Save a Small Life<img alt="how to donate a car" class="slide" height="247" src="http://www.carshelpingpets.org/images/how-to-donate-a-car.png" title="Humain society Car Donation" width="366" /><br />
<img alt="cars for pets" height="142" src="https://www.carshelpingpets.org/images/cars-for-pets.png" title="SPCA Car Donation Home" width="195" /><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">A death.... Endless, emotional reminders and minutiae....And one proud outcome.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">One cannot imagine the all-consuming tasks involved in handling the affairs of one deceased parent, while desperately coping with the adjustment of the other, mentally challenged parent to a new environment.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Above all that--the unending phone calls, and meetings with banks, lawyers, real estate agents, credit card companies, doctors, nurses, social workers, former employers, and US government assistance programs-- how do you accept the fact that you have in effect lost both parents? </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">How do you slow yourself down enough to reflect, to remember...to mourn?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">How do you sort through of 50 years worth of "things', some of it sentimental junk, most of it too big to move, and then explain to your mother why she can't go home? That she will never go home again? And, finally, to realize that she doesn't remember it all so well?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">At least one completed task will turn out well.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">My father had a car. I could have sold the car, but I sought to dispose of it quickly. </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">We found a web site called </span></strong><a href="http://www.carshelpingpets.org/"><strong><span style="color: purple;">Cars Helping Pets</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: blue;">.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="tax deduction" height="318" src="http://www.carshelpingpets.org/images/tax-deduction.png" width="322" /><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">I sent an e-mail. Scheduled the car for towing. Removed the pathetic items that remained from their last ill-fated road trip. Took off the license plates and readied the deed for transfer. And watched the old Impala disappear down the street where I grew up.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">The process was easy. And, hopefully, the reward will be close to my heart. </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: blue;">The <a href="http://www.carshelpingpets.org/"><span style="color: purple;">Cars Helping Pets</span> </a>web site explains</span>:</span></strong><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Your donated vehicle will be sold at the highest possible value and the</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>proceeds from your car donation will be used to bring an end to animal cruelty, </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> provide medical treatment and caring for countless animals in our local</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> communities, and throughout the nation. Your unwanted vehicle has</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> incredible value, and we can use it to help those who cannot help themselves.</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> Please be a voice by donating your car to Cars Helping Pets today.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Donating my father's car in hopes that it will someday aid unwanted animals has provided one small corner of comfort in what has been a cold and unforgiving process. </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">I am now beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The blog-world will soon, once again, be privy to the cinematic insights of this older and wiser movie-lover, and well-meaning son.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="online form" class="slide" height="247" src="https://www.carshelpingpets.org/images/online-form.png" width="366" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-89381846304343242892012-01-24T07:26:00.002-06:002012-01-24T09:29:50.971-06:00Let Oscar Season Begin<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It is now 30 minutes before the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Time to get back to living.... back to blogging...back to moviegoing..... and back to adding my small bit to this art form (and hobby) we call film criticism....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">First, though,I want to thank all of you for your understanding, and for your kind words and support, during my sabbatical and period of reflection as I worked through of a mountain of difficult tasks during the last month. It is not over...but the light is starting to emerge....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Just a brief note before Oscar season kicks off in earnest:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Despite my disappointment with the state of filmmaking over the long Spring and Summer, the movie year has shaped up to be overall one of the most interesting in years. All of the high-profile Oscar hopefuls, based on the precedents of Critic's Awards, Golden Globes, and word-of-mouth, are movies that I have enjoyed and appreciated on many levels.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This year's potential Oscar nominees are also a decidedly lighthearted bunch, filled with nostalgia for the great literature and art and filmmaking of days gone by; and proving, by their audacious appearance on big screens in 2012, that we can still be entertained, stimulated, and aesthetically pleased by classic movie subjects and techniques that are in danger of being obliterated by studios in their search for big audiences.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Look for more---much more--about this idea in subsequent posts..... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I will be cheering for the following favorites, should they be announced in the next 20 minutes:</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"The Artist".. Meryl Streeep..."Midnight in Paris"... Michael Fassbender... Viola Davis... "Hugo".... Ludovic Bource..... "The Descendants".......Michelle Williams.... Martin Scorsese... Joseph Gordon-Levitt... Christopher Plummer... "Moneyball".... Jessica Chastain.... Emmanuel Luzbecki... Octavia Spencer.... Jean Dujardin.... Michael Hazavanicius... "The Help"....George Clooney....Corey Stoll... WOODY... TERRENCE...."TREE OF LIFE!" (and a little groan if I hear the words Edgar, Bridesmaids, or Tattoo)...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">And a special shout-out to the Best Supporting Actors of the Year who will not be nominated...Uggie and Cosmo.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Here's to a fun, artistic, and enlightening Oscar contest....</span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-75380038566253330542012-01-15T19:00:00.004-06:002012-01-24T07:26:52.125-06:00Thomas M.--1928-2012<strong><span style="color: blue;">An important chapter has now drawn to a close. It was written in anguish and caring, and in a strange way was predicted by the movies......</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">My father died on a quiet Saturday morning yesterday, January 14, 2012, one day after being released from the hospital to hospice care.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Not that it matters now, but he expired from the effects an as-yet-unknown cancer. Brain tumors appeared to be the cause of his continued falls, and disorientation. Until then there were no apparent symptoms.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">He declined rapidly, in spite of a team of medical professionals, who sometimes seemed intent on thwarting my efforts to advocate for his recovery. He passed peacefully.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">My mother, who has struggled against her own afflictions of the mind and emotion, was released from the same hospital on the same Friday, and moved into the same nursing care facility on the same day as my father. On the same floor. We tried very hard to ensure that they would have some time together during his final weeks.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">They had one day.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">When the call came in, I felt anxiety drain out of my body through the floor. There was so much we had to do for them since Thanksgiving, and now there is so much more to be done. One just snaps to.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Emotions came in intermittent bursts throughout the day.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Mark and I, and my sister and her husband, rallied to my mother's side to catch the fallout of....what, we could not easily predict. Confusion? Hysteria? Resignation? Relapse? She had come through her treatments so well....</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Fortunately, amid some uncertainty, and the normal show of grief, my mom did fine. She was a little confused, and mistook my father's death for that of her own father 10 years ago. No matter. She had her way of dealing with it, and it kept her strong, and pleasant.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">The staff of her nursing facility was compassionate and low-key.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Mark could not have been a better support... He did what I needed, and stayed next to me all the time.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Our friends showed themselves to be loyal and worthy of our best esteem. Phone calls, emails, and visits with food, and never intrusive, but always caring. Thanks to them all.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I have not blogged here for a while. The overwhelming emotion of the last few weeks, and the drain on normal energy levels, kept me from committing to this effort. Many nights, while feeling like I had to be in at least five different places at the same time (the hospital, the nursing home, my parent's house for cleanup, the attorney's office, my own job, etc.), I hated myself for neglecting my writing. </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">A strange calm has possessed me and Mark and our little household. </span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I feel like writing again.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I want to read, and follow the zany antics of the Hollywood Foreign Press. Tomorrow will be busy and anxiety-producing. For tonight, little would please me more than to see Woody and "Paris" receive an accolade.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">**************</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">In a strange way, the movies of 2011 pay subtle tribute to our family's loss. "The Artist" spans a few years beginning in 1928, the year my father was born. In "Hugo", the young central character adjusts to the loss of his father. In "Beginners", another character, closer to my age and experience, looks back on the weeks leading up to his father's death. "The Descendants" observes a family whose mother, while not deceased, is no longer present for them. "My Week With Marilyn" recreates the atmosphere of the mid 1950's, when my parents were married. And "Tree of Life" looks at an average suburban family, and attempts to depict not only the origins of that life, but a speculation on their afterlife.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">I am eager to return to the blogosphere, once the dust settles.....</span></strong>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-12702857896115518862011-12-31T17:49:00.002-06:002012-01-01T08:27:04.678-06:00A 2012 Deadline I Won't Miss!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC3n4qkUDqq3J5sq_3HT_7QAjlb9eA1mC4MQ567o6PndGJ-DTD5GDuoKQB0Ld8XWnXmSL_7LfWNw3MK8lyBMgACtpeH_KQplvyUcOFb1e1Fk6yxhHkr3VPvXX5L2cb_lP666iCD2cb_U/s1600/new-years-dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC3n4qkUDqq3J5sq_3HT_7QAjlb9eA1mC4MQ567o6PndGJ-DTD5GDuoKQB0Ld8XWnXmSL_7LfWNw3MK8lyBMgACtpeH_KQplvyUcOFb1e1Fk6yxhHkr3VPvXX5L2cb_lP666iCD2cb_U/s320/new-years-dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I know, I know.. I am behind on my reviews. But they ARE on the way... So look for "The Artist", "My Week With Marilyn", and possibly "War Horse", in the coming week. Also, I'll have a review of the year in movies, and a general 2011 retrospective. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, this post is time-sensitive....and my deadline is midnight....</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I and some of my friends below wish you all a Happy New Year! (Special greetings to my blog-buddies and supporters: Mark, Ben, Walter, Andrew, Luke, Jose, Stephen, Mike, and everyone who stopped by this past year!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">All the best in 2012!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiiD1mnsScOoxumGXSkLEJ9HwBWlSq3JsKdpUhVeZ4HuQHKcsGc31LlLu0cmVw-DKlNnhNtERNAzWiXwXg1a8PXfQcgOgR0Epz4L2v1Lg8q3tk9c_z2G8XCqwCLoy1Qr97n7tcxw3f58/s1600/Tony+Award+Party...Mark%252C+Jillian+and+Tom...June+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiiD1mnsScOoxumGXSkLEJ9HwBWlSq3JsKdpUhVeZ4HuQHKcsGc31LlLu0cmVw-DKlNnhNtERNAzWiXwXg1a8PXfQcgOgR0Epz4L2v1Lg8q3tk9c_z2G8XCqwCLoy1Qr97n7tcxw3f58/s400/Tony+Award+Party...Mark%252C+Jillian+and+Tom...June+2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-78046711623157498142011-12-28T00:04:00.001-06:002011-12-28T00:10:56.597-06:00Coming Soon: The Movie Year 2011<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>I just watched "Beginners" again at home, on DVD. It is a wonderful little film. My review, written this past June, did not do it complete justice. Christopher Plummer was even more impressive this time; and the treatment of a son's attempt to comfort a dying father held a special resonance and relevance to me.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>**********</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Tomorrow I will post a review of "The Artist". Along with "Beginners", both films charmed me with their canine supporting players, both of them Jack Russell Terriers with the sweetest faces. </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>"The Artist" was one of my most highly anticipated films of the year. I am anxious to share my thoughts about this movie.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>**********</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>In addition to "Beginners", the holiday added a slew of great new films to my personal collection (some of which will be re-viewed on these "pages") including "The Deer Hunter", "Gods and Monsters", "Never Let Me Go", "Inside Job", "Midnight in Paris", "The King's Speech", "Black Swan", "The Exorcist", and "The Thin Red Line". </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>When time permits, I'll be checking out "My Week With Marilyn", "War Horse", and "Shame". I am not yet convinced that I will derive much from "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". "The Iron Lady" and "Albert Nobbs" have yet to be released in Chicago. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>2011 was a memorable, heartbreaking and infuriating year. Great travel, memorable music, an end-of-year movie bonanza, and wonderful Chicago weekends alternated with heartbreaking world news, infuriating politics, and a series of family traumas that have left me numb. I cherish my closest friends, my readers, my animals, and Mark for helping me keep my feet on the ground as it continued to shift under me. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Looking ahead, Oscars 2011 should provide a well-needed escape, as well as an exciting showcase of some truly great movies (I hope). I will weigh in at regular intervals. I'll also take my annual look back to Oscars 40 years ago, when in 1971 the big names were Friedkin and Hackman and Fonda, when New York was the backdrop to the year's most honored films, and when the Russian Revolution played side-by-side with futuristic British gang wars at local cinemas.</strong></span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-78476425001151485872011-12-25T19:38:00.001-06:002011-12-25T19:45:09.143-06:00A Caroler at Your Door! A Christmas Journal #2<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Remembering old friends this season...especially the humorous, four-legged ones who put up with our fashion experiments. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If Maggie were still here, she would gladly have sung (er, howled) your favorite carols, right at your door.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Wishing you music and good cheer today.......</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJojyTpbIB-6RGU9p60ORRHOQ8ng1ZNhLVTpcEAFrDnAgaRJ238hyRbj3mXsIeD85gA1lmuUDAjfoHac_RZPPclkTAN9RWA8Dtq1G2Z35P9e20huF44sAiyHQNxBp0JclCzk0Z1YfMF0/s1600/Maggie+the+Peasant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJojyTpbIB-6RGU9p60ORRHOQ8ng1ZNhLVTpcEAFrDnAgaRJ238hyRbj3mXsIeD85gA1lmuUDAjfoHac_RZPPclkTAN9RWA8Dtq1G2Z35P9e20huF44sAiyHQNxBp0JclCzk0Z1YfMF0/s400/Maggie+the+Peasant.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-58898208351665346572011-12-25T15:26:00.000-06:002011-12-25T15:26:11.648-06:00A Personal Holiday Anecdote: Christmas Journal #1<div style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><br />
<strong style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://files.coloribus.com/files/adsarchive/part_138/1387405/file/swedish-red-cross-christmas-fund-raising-small-91880.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="140" /></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It turned out to be a better day than I had expected. It was a long, long way from the normal, comfortable holiday we have shared at my parents' house since time began. Even so, we are adjusting to a new reality, and are breathing a small sigh of relief, at least for today.</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>During the past week, after a series of incapacitating falls at home, my father was taken to the Emergency Room, and admitted to the hospital for observation and a battery of tests. He is in the same hospital where my mother is now, and has been for a good part of the year, for treatment of dementia and other psychological maladies.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My mother has been frantic at the sudden end to my father's daily visits to her ward, where geriatric patients are secured behind a locked door for treatment of various emotional and cognitive impairments. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Since it was impossible for them to visit each other due to my father's serious condition, he is stable enough now, and she has become strong enough, for her to be informed of his whereabouts, and to arrange for a visit between them.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>That is how I, my sister, and Mark, spent our Christmas afternoon. We signed my mother out and then wheeled her to the tower clear across the hospital, to my father's room. It was a brief visit, with small gifts, fresh-baked banana bread, a little confusion, some slurred speech, and a smile out of each of them. And, of course, a tearful departure as we brought mom back to her floor.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It has been a time for being a little numb. Our immediate thought today was to make sure their special visit could be arranged, and to finally allow my mother to know the truth of my father's health. Her obsessive fear of him being ill or dying has contributed to her anxiety. Now, she can begin to deal with this fear in an honest way. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>All of the other things: their eventual discharge and placement in nursing homes, and the maintenance and/or sale of their current home, will wait another day.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>To all of you, especially those who are hurting this Christmas, there are those of us who understand, and wish you peace and support in 2012.</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bedrestbutler.com/blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/90_03_36-Christmas-Decorations_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" id="il_fi" src="http://bedrestbutler.com/blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/90_03_36-Christmas-Decorations_web.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-17544304949256385492011-12-24T11:07:00.000-06:002011-12-24T11:07:40.321-06:00A "Buddy" Christmas<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://blog.outugo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Buddy-Foundation-Logo.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="156" /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: black;">A Brick for Buddy:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">What do you give as a Christmas gift to an 86-year-old woman who has everything she needs?</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">If she likes animals, like Mark's mother does, then a sponsorship to an animal-care organization is a nice idea.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">At <a href="http://www.thebuddyfoundationonline.org/"><span style="color: purple;">The Buddy Foundation</span></a>, a wonderful shelter for homeless dogs and cats in suburban Arlington Heights, a donor can sponsor them by buying a personalized paving brick to be placed in the area surrounding the front walk.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">This is what we did for Mark's mom. The 8"x4" red brick will be engraved simply, with her name and the words "and family", and a paw-print graphic. It will be placed when Spring arrives. Meanwhile, we gave her a commemorative certificate to acknowledge her donation, which will forever show her caring for the creatures within.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Christmas Tree Stars:</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">If any of you would like to remember a special pet, living or not, send me the name and kind of animal. I will donate to the Buddy Foundation on your behalf, and write your </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">pet(s) name(s) on a yellow star that is hung on the big Christmas tree in the foyer.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Your pet can join Maggie, our dear departed Bassett Hound, and B.C., a black cat that recently left the care of Mark's sister and brother-in-law.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">The dogs and cats of the Buddy Foundation can't tell you how much they appreciate your care during this holiday season. So I will tell you myself! Thanks.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="320" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsRSPxTxyeLGRMUDG6qz9zK-DT7Q8qwX9V8KZJJEmv35EKF82S4E6ZoA8yDCExvVDd2JWizUqiK1W011KaJg24fWJPw956q1kpUbtveCgFAS8AKHQv05OmOOpUW9BvCNVac58vOkXnP0/s320/Lulu-Buddy.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKVnQD0rHyqpubzOXUmQV1glrXQ2gZCGJFwL7t9vAt6KWnTruobQ16NNoXSMQZLIN2z4VUyQNvOcQDpiGvlq5UJJMwnxdsreazjzhsNx0Yyl61UjPKuT02WgVao1Krr-OOqB2EvcQS_zc/s1600/BuddyFoundationentrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKVnQD0rHyqpubzOXUmQV1glrXQ2gZCGJFwL7t9vAt6KWnTruobQ16NNoXSMQZLIN2z4VUyQNvOcQDpiGvlq5UJJMwnxdsreazjzhsNx0Yyl61UjPKuT02WgVao1Krr-OOqB2EvcQS_zc/s1600/BuddyFoundationentrance.JPG" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-12922438511125568122011-12-22T16:00:00.003-06:002011-12-23T05:41:13.506-06:00I Am A "Modern Family" Junkie<img alt="Modern Family_post.jpg" class="mt-image-center" height="300" src="http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/culture_test/Modern%20Family_post.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 20px; text-align: center;" width="450" /><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Today, I'm moving on to a more lighthearted look at "family", after the somber, personal musings of my previous entry...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As some readers have guessed, I don't watch a lot of television. It's more of a timing thing, as I have so many other likes, hobbies, and responsibilities. I tune in for movies, news, special live broadcasts, ad retro stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I had never watched a full episode of the ABC family comedy "Modern Family", in spite of media raves and the urging of friends, until earlier this week. Mark received the Season 1 DVD at a holiday office-party gift-exchange.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Since then we watched the first six episodes, and now I am hooked.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Modern Family" breathes contemporary life into the traditionally crowd-pleasing but recently tired and pandering sitcom genre. Using recent techniques like roving camera, into-the-lens interviews, and characters stealing sly glances right at us, this show remembers the conventions that made the family comedy so comfortable and so funny. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It is filled with hilarious situations, mining today's culture for honest and satiric observations that make us laugh in recognition. It offers recognizable locations, and actual establishing shots. The characters are funny and foibled, but have a warm center of humanity, and we love spending time with them. It is filmed and directed with impeccable care, and the tone is consistently sunny yet does not blink from the embarrassments of real life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have not laughed so hard at a TV series in years.. Nor have I loved the characters in quite the same way. I have developed a real affection for the foibles of these characters, so sharply written and so precisely and joyously performed by a talented cast. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I especially love Ty Burr's lovable but fumbling "cool dad", Sofia Vergara's fiery and fun-loving Colombiana with Rico Rodriguez as her precocious son, and the amazingly rare and warm portrayal of a male couple in Suburbia (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet) as the newly adoptive parents of a South Asian baby girl. In fact, the entire cast, rounded out by Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter, are all fabulous.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Best of all: All of the characters are related, either by blood or marriage, with surprising and funny connections. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The show pokes fun at everyone and everything that forms part of our middle-class culture: multi-cultural households, middle-age and beyond, parents as buddies, kids and their gadgets, gay drama queens, Costco, female competition, and male bonding. And that's just the first six episodes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I can't wait to finish Season 1, and devour Season 2 as well, and report on it later!</span><br />
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<img height="345" id="il_fi" src="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Mi_Mp/Modern_Family/season1/modern-family-83.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="395" />TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-42539784435625225922011-12-20T23:52:00.003-06:002011-12-21T00:01:34.686-06:00The Child Is Father to the Man (and Woman)--A Personal Journal<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My muse has been wrestling with reality lately. So far, reality has an edge in this week's match.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I have never had children. But I am unique among my friends, in that both of my parents are still alive. At 77 and 83 respectively, my mother and father have shown alarming symptoms of age-related decline over the past year.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I have had to reinvent myself as a caretaker of two often difficult people with difficult challenges and ailments. There are no road-maps for people like me, known as </strong><a href="http://www.sandwichgeneration.com/"><strong><span style="color: purple;">The Sandwich Generation.</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: purple;"> <span style="color: black;">*</span> </span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>(Although, without children, I am more of an open-faced sandwich.) </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I try my best to provide basic needs, safety and comfort to a mother whose world has finally diminished to a small space of fear and forgetfulness, of self-neglect and mindless distraction to others; and to a father who has used silence and rage in equal measure to maintain his view of life and our place in it, who has stubbornly refused offers of help or requests to discuss future plans.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In brief, there was the car accident last Spring; the trauma; my fragile mother's breakdown; my father's annoyance and denial; an initial hospitalization; treatment by electricity; frantic uncertainty; more denial, and a relapse. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>There is my father's lack of mobility due to recent falls, his rapid weight loss, and his refusal to have his injuries examined. Cognitive decline is evident, possibly due to lack of sleep. That is due in large part to his insistence on caring for my mom at home....</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My mother is in the early stages of dementia, and chronic (maybe lifelong) depression. After returning home last June, she had not slept a whole night, and continued to keep my father awake. She was filled with anxiety and confusion, asked the same questions over and over, and responded with belligerence to attempts to care for her. It had been violently chaotic. It was recommended that a hospital stay would be best. I agreed.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In this, her second hospitalization of the year, her medical professionals have deemed her unfit to ever return home, and so tomorrow, we must look at the situation and begin to make some hard decisions.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>American medicine, and our culture at large, seem unsympathetic to the helplessness and pain of old age. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In this journal I have chosen not to dwell on these things. I never felt that this journal's purpose was as a confessional, or as a way to elicit sympathy. I feel that unless one knows the characters involved, it is difficult to make this relevant and to foster understanding with only one or two brief entries. There are privacy concerns as well. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Writing this now, as a way to refocus my efforts and clear my mind for appreciation of higher culture and the kind of writing I want to do, I realize that there is so much more to all of this. The story of my parents, as viewed through the eyes of a son who always felt responsible for making them happy, and who followed his own path with a mixture of regret and pride, is so complex, and so deep, that this could make for a novel. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>You might think you have read this story before. But if I ever decide to pursue this and shape it artistically, and do it justice, it could be a stunner, the novel I was meant to write. But it might be so painful, I might not recover.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>At such an intense time in the life of this narrator, I felt it was helpful to share some of the events that have consumed my time and mental energy, to put them in perspective. I intend to return to film and art and animals and politics as the rightful topics of this journal.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Perhaps, instead of avoiding this topic altogether, I might visit it with more frequency. It would be a release for me, a therapy. If I can write compellingly, so that others will read with keen interest, then I will grow as a writer. If I share what I am learning from the experience, it might do someone else some good.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I conclude with a brief anecdote: </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>My parents have never been demonstrative with their affections. More often, as a child, I witnessed hair-raising conflict, and always felt at fault. It was rare to see them embrace, or to hear them speak endearingly. Last night, as I started to wheel my father from the hospital at the close of visiting hours with my mother, I saw them reach toward each other tentatively, as if to shake hands. My mother mouthed the words, "I love you". My father replied "I love you too". </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Had they been able to do that at home, instead of maintain the horror show that was their dysfunction, I would bet that things would have turned out so much differently. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Thank you for listening.. I will return from time to time to relate any progress that we have made.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: black;">(* If you are a parental caretaker, check out </span></strong><a href="http://www.sandwichgeneration.com/"><strong><span style="color: purple;">this web site</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: black;"> designed to provide help and information, researched and written by Carol Abaya, M.A.)</span></strong></span>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-91295147233242734932011-12-17T23:55:00.050-06:002011-12-19T14:45:01.680-06:00Holiday Images In Chicago--A Saturday Photo-Journal<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Tonight I am taking a small holiday from writing, in order to share some photographs I shot a few weeks ago, on <a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-loving-friends-memories-of.html"><strong><span style="color: purple;">the day after Thanksgiving</span></strong></a> as we joined the crowds in downtown Chicago.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">It feels right for me to think back on that wonderful day, to get into a Holiday spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It's great fun to be in the city, especially with friends and loved ones. That day, Mark and Jillian and I formed an invincible trio. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We blended into the Black Friday crowds, walked to the Art Institute, had dinner together, and explored the Chicago Cultural Center (which I'll highlight in an upcoming journal entry). We finished the evening at the Goodman Theater, with <a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/11/broadway-in-chicago-memphis-rocks-house.html"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Memphis".</span></strong></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I hope my visitors will enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed taking them.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSGKemJIH7UqylZGtXS5Uy-e9jvfz-liUfCdm4lO663iMjBYqbcN5OpLmpCGqh34rqWrr49b_B9ESrPG9p07luqRbKsxv2sypBlx8AkVVU1o_-uZgfOTYMVtu7AyFXnhpmbYYWdfhs6A/s1600/IMG_0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSGKemJIH7UqylZGtXS5Uy-e9jvfz-liUfCdm4lO663iMjBYqbcN5OpLmpCGqh34rqWrr49b_B9ESrPG9p07luqRbKsxv2sypBlx8AkVVU1o_-uZgfOTYMVtu7AyFXnhpmbYYWdfhs6A/s400/IMG_0906.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Macy's, formerly Marshall Fields on State Street</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxvs-Oqgg6Osql-OWl-ae6aOj5N831HnaqlfcQ1Ec1YmfapyH8kGOvJ0UZccHhjiRt8ivNLu9pGDIhno83fUZVxP5IkK9JXrjYXR41UKN4hnQwLNaeKZEhSekBXrYnWQTnkZL9Nr43V0/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxvs-Oqgg6Osql-OWl-ae6aOj5N831HnaqlfcQ1Ec1YmfapyH8kGOvJ0UZccHhjiRt8ivNLu9pGDIhno83fUZVxP5IkK9JXrjYXR41UKN4hnQwLNaeKZEhSekBXrYnWQTnkZL9Nr43V0/s400/IMG_0904.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">A Sidewalk Puppet Theater regularly seen on the North Side</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqURSeVaMduWPs8oabzkzL61yQM1bv54_psu9BBGXNnIEMZRzyxi1h0Ww42cNts0lmOSQFI72C_vnkIIKx9srQ5YqWl71aIrp9nXcdj38gwNNPEDVOag19i-ZKAWQMEz4kLHxon6-KrCs/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqURSeVaMduWPs8oabzkzL61yQM1bv54_psu9BBGXNnIEMZRzyxi1h0Ww42cNts0lmOSQFI72C_vnkIIKx9srQ5YqWl71aIrp9nXcdj38gwNNPEDVOag19i-ZKAWQMEz4kLHxon6-KrCs/s400/IMG_0908.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>"GO DO GOOD"</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv31kpk7EJtms3Sp1-tl84CdCthkmoMFbqy8n51ljb4nhEUUp050GxcZY1N7ro03oSgzPw7YMOV8mVnINAlR6QA2dA0ixbSerlMR-haZwyqsBYTLWbT-mbORXIV-9E0OYeBSFguoj5yhU/s1600/IMG_0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv31kpk7EJtms3Sp1-tl84CdCthkmoMFbqy8n51ljb4nhEUUp050GxcZY1N7ro03oSgzPw7YMOV8mVnINAlR6QA2dA0ixbSerlMR-haZwyqsBYTLWbT-mbORXIV-9E0OYeBSFguoj5yhU/s400/IMG_0909.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Mark, Jillian and 'A Christmas Story'</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC29EvLjCCwm_4bzTjHL-73lL4guhK13xcknX-tkn7kZIIcROQMBmZPefORyayBHhDIYqdLPvlizYJcwQl_jRqOBUfXSmBha7IVzhgmeo8O-a2hfI_a7ZpACNxRCj7QCyqeAJnEX3MXWQ/s1600/IMG_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC29EvLjCCwm_4bzTjHL-73lL4guhK13xcknX-tkn7kZIIcROQMBmZPefORyayBHhDIYqdLPvlizYJcwQl_jRqOBUfXSmBha7IVzhgmeo8O-a2hfI_a7ZpACNxRCj7QCyqeAJnEX3MXWQ/s400/IMG_0910.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>The "L" and shopping crowds</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UVA7ME6FgK9wn9_DduesPgPghhZN9lFpi-J7ZP0_avz-V_z37CPembZMlijmnm7Q0m3EgyZs_Lohx7CA2b6jvqi9hYB4w0sNofOPlj4vkpO0hroybpqocF7dFJ9fCKQJBdlbjtH8kEA/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UVA7ME6FgK9wn9_DduesPgPghhZN9lFpi-J7ZP0_avz-V_z37CPembZMlijmnm7Q0m3EgyZs_Lohx7CA2b6jvqi9hYB4w0sNofOPlj4vkpO0hroybpqocF7dFJ9fCKQJBdlbjtH8kEA/s400/IMG_0927.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Jillian, Mark, and the Wreathing of <a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/11/lions-of-chicago-art-institute.html"><span style="color: purple;">the Art Institute Lions</span></a></strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQydYHTq5-149ZJ5IDAwSZywPXYovPpi8YZls-0qMg_FcqxwhfeYKjaJ82u68nGtKrcW0DE4cioP0Xbhyphenhyphen17pQvZX-9NlN3AgKFJWqoai-8qcgWbbM5mDJFUuLwEAXrOqO0CUt8_2rYhyphenhyphen4/s1600/IMG_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQydYHTq5-149ZJ5IDAwSZywPXYovPpi8YZls-0qMg_FcqxwhfeYKjaJ82u68nGtKrcW0DE4cioP0Xbhyphenhyphen17pQvZX-9NlN3AgKFJWqoai-8qcgWbbM5mDJFUuLwEAXrOqO0CUt8_2rYhyphenhyphen4/s320/IMG_0929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Promoting the Friday Night Holiday Concerts at Cloud Gate ("The Bean")--Windy City Performing Arts had a show on December 9th</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk1C3akyfDLUAt-r9wIhzcSme7OuUCMVf4MeB1u5GWiK048Dp9V-rh5AniBiSdN7fr1x_Zxnxs7QXFfjLGIwczsTQTruIHPKf1iIezMztXj_SrlizaGBKYsPhFfLVnoaQisBPVXi29V8/s1600/IMG_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk1C3akyfDLUAt-r9wIhzcSme7OuUCMVf4MeB1u5GWiK048Dp9V-rh5AniBiSdN7fr1x_Zxnxs7QXFfjLGIwczsTQTruIHPKf1iIezMztXj_SrlizaGBKYsPhFfLVnoaQisBPVXi29V8/s400/IMG_0930.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times; font-size: small;">The enormous human-face light mosaic in Millenium park</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4Yitt2IUCI8BOnhoMwhBqt9ttcqQvdueyVB4TfPy27bvGLqQOavn2n9oy0XZPVbFTJTAk8cQyAG-eT94N8zVLB7QPg1hsLicGcC0eZyFPrDA58pYoPtEld3zq8p1O5woF9DAEw6mGzE/s1600/IMG_0935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4Yitt2IUCI8BOnhoMwhBqt9ttcqQvdueyVB4TfPy27bvGLqQOavn2n9oy0XZPVbFTJTAk8cQyAG-eT94N8zVLB7QPg1hsLicGcC0eZyFPrDA58pYoPtEld3zq8p1O5woF9DAEw6mGzE/s400/IMG_0935.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Ice Skating in the Park</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpytzMaPNm7r_OIAWw32IpjHEcfrp2WGSpAGtb7CAi_BRwXkDQYFdxY__OsqhjtrWRQF7kPb_93axqGcCj32_hDE9O_0JPxig2cKog42yXKKPbxgrSB9BNAu74CR_NEQKj1Ei-Q7z1tI/s1600/IMG_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpytzMaPNm7r_OIAWw32IpjHEcfrp2WGSpAGtb7CAi_BRwXkDQYFdxY__OsqhjtrWRQF7kPb_93axqGcCj32_hDE9O_0JPxig2cKog42yXKKPbxgrSB9BNAu74CR_NEQKj1Ei-Q7z1tI/s400/IMG_0902.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><strong>The Goodman Theater, where "Memphis" played, taken a few hours before showtime</strong></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-33828056740248545192011-12-16T23:23:00.005-06:002011-12-16T23:33:12.738-06:00A Notable Golden Globe Omission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN-DzMwzEk0yjAkJIFINTS99VJ9G1XeOH1gMd5_YG9elJcE4k6mGhyg72pi6vvkI3KVUhyl3LlInAwGTFr1ij9oUuDOIuj2koqYlNuSka_zgnu03TnbPQe7fXqNMhltcUiGa1yIRSKx8/s1600/Tree+of+Life+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN-DzMwzEk0yjAkJIFINTS99VJ9G1XeOH1gMd5_YG9elJcE4k6mGhyg72pi6vvkI3KVUhyl3LlInAwGTFr1ij9oUuDOIuj2koqYlNuSka_zgnu03TnbPQe7fXqNMhltcUiGa1yIRSKx8/s200/Tree+of+Life+Family.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">A brief musing on this year's Golden Globe Nominations-- There is one title that is noticeably absent from the list.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">After some despair this summer over a lack of mature, intelligent and original films, the fall season has exploded with movies that have appealed to me and that have been cinematically satisfying.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I'm proud that the films I chose to attend during the year are being recognized in large measure by the year-end critic's awards. On this blog I have favorably reviewed several films that are now appearing on nominee lists everywhere: "Midnight in Paris", "The Descendants", "The Beginners", "Hugo", "The Ides of March", "Moneyball", "50/50", "Take Shelter", "The Help". Even Films that I mostly disliked, like "Drive" and "J. Edgar", have captured some nominations. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">And I have yet to see "The Artist", "War Horse", "My Week With Marilyn" and "Iron Lady", all of which are of sincere interest to me.</span></strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-CZUA3NDPKLD5tqPqJHzOfKnIz1pbOQp6KRc4dt_miWCp_HWBd_Z8bL6qalgbDiIU0uS1VJZMxXHWivKL4q5VjYYuVNtz6n-qDXtwQb7eTA4abuSGncaYUCspb2lu7dlWz51Yln2jig/s1600/Tree+of+Life+Movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-CZUA3NDPKLD5tqPqJHzOfKnIz1pbOQp6KRc4dt_miWCp_HWBd_Z8bL6qalgbDiIU0uS1VJZMxXHWivKL4q5VjYYuVNtz6n-qDXtwQb7eTA4abuSGncaYUCspb2lu7dlWz51Yln2jig/s200/Tree+of+Life+Movie.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">But one film was completely ignored by the Hollywood Foreign Press. And its absence has made me realize that it is perhaps the most interesting movie I have seen all year, and certainly the most beautiful. </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">It is, of course, "The Tree of Life". </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">No film has stimulated more thought, made me see and feel more deeply, or left me with so many questions worth pondering. It is freaking miraculous that this film was seen on American movie screens at all, and discussed favorably by so many viewers. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">It seems fitting that "Tree of Life" is not a guest at the Golden Globe party. It is too lofty. It is like an eagle soaring above the common fray of activity, too concerned with more noble ideas. Great as many of this year's films have been, the ambitions of "The Tree of Life" remove it from the realm of simple filmmaking. To throw it into competition for a movie award feels odd, like entering Beauty and Truth into a popularity contest.</span></strong>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-19679512003845597012011-12-14T22:39:00.000-06:002011-12-14T22:39:36.483-06:00The Dogs of "Hugo"<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Recently this blog looked at Academy Award-Winning Best Pictures that featured dogs in significant roles. (See </span><a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/12/will-oscars-2011-best-picture-be-dog.html"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>"The Dogs of Oscar's Best Picture: Will 2011 Be Dog-Friendly?"</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> December 1).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">While dogs have remained mostly in the doghouse as far as the Academy is concerned, I concluded with some hope that this year, Oscar's Best might also feature a Lead Dog. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Beginners" and "50/50" are definite long-shots for the top prize, but "The Artist" seems to have legs (four of them) and its adorable Jack Russell Terrier could be the first with a significant role in the Academy's Big Film.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And now "Hugo", another period piece about the early days of filmmaking, is a strong contender with an Important Dog!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8HN9A11TeJVRW7h1IoLviuF0IvZCXtRXrjKbkLlYXqy9gJiwyb9LqjgoSciBz8jxrxaH_yKVWOu6ky4sXXiFGOyP7kmeDxpGSwXn3GRxd1w6WMJWKEMU61WRIFlfj0IlmG0eC3uE6zE/s1600/Hugo-doberman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8HN9A11TeJVRW7h1IoLviuF0IvZCXtRXrjKbkLlYXqy9gJiwyb9LqjgoSciBz8jxrxaH_yKVWOu6ky4sXXiFGOyP7kmeDxpGSwXn3GRxd1w6WMJWKEMU61WRIFlfj0IlmG0eC3uE6zE/s400/Hugo-doberman.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The station-master's loyal Doberman follows orders to apprehend orphans who hide in the Paris train station. Fierce, fast, and frightening at first, this dog carries important segments of the film's plot, and like his owner, is redeemed as a not-so-bad creature by the film's end. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In addition, two amorous, long-haired dachshunds provide marvelous support in a subplot involving a widow, who is a perennial occupant of the cafe, and her suitor, who must overcome the snapping jaws of the little hot-dog by providing her with a canine companion of her own. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Hugo" and "The Artist" have been universally recognized by critic's groups in their list of award nominees and winners. This gives both films good odds in the upcoming Oscar contest, which could be the most dog-friendly competition since "Babe" was a nominee in 1995.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">How can you not love it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">(Read on for <a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/12/hugo-triumph-and-good-case-for-film.html"><span style="color: purple;"><strong>my "epic" review of "Hugo"</strong></span></a> Dec. 13)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-41011959900307442202011-12-13T23:28:00.016-06:002011-12-14T13:09:57.016-06:00"Hugo" A Triumph, And A Good Case For Film Preservation (My Epic Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw1PP1S8ofX9llgwgXrPaHrpYEVjZgH01v2sjSgjyH0gwjI0XvBq-CBp2C6zVnUaYoiOqZFpPnmkLYR_HvGP5N62c-sIooxWyx89QRu3Rh_Qh-p7jSSYwraNm4TDuvfTygxxo6uvr1x4/s1600/Hugo-title-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw1PP1S8ofX9llgwgXrPaHrpYEVjZgH01v2sjSgjyH0gwjI0XvBq-CBp2C6zVnUaYoiOqZFpPnmkLYR_HvGP5N62c-sIooxWyx89QRu3Rh_Qh-p7jSSYwraNm4TDuvfTygxxo6uvr1x4/s400/Hugo-title-card.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"If you ever wonder where your dreams come from, look around: this is where they're made."</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>--George Melies in "Hugo" </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" is a visual treat, a magical children's story that morphs into an arresting biography of a real-life motion picture pioneer. It is also an effective plea for the preservation of old movies.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">This is unlike anything Scorsese has ever directed before. Having freed himself from the constraints of his usual material (gangsters and underworld crime), and his often self-parodic style (hothouse lighting, exclamatory camera movement, classic-rock soundtrack) it is as if Scorsese had just seen a movie for the first time, or re-discovered a new magic in making films. He identifies with this character's imagination, and his love of film. </span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ujw_U-H7kVwQf6Xu50WGZi4hhQHoPXmwvBUbw2JJQfFeYHhyphenhyphengYiIqMSB1v3wyl-ezfaXkCpktVPjcLUPm14KHdBQ7xwmL2ktCliMWLsklJA9Vh5JTwn7x0VNBRkib3tPZbsblHGSKZE/s1600/Hugo-Scorsese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ujw_U-H7kVwQf6Xu50WGZi4hhQHoPXmwvBUbw2JJQfFeYHhyphenhyphengYiIqMSB1v3wyl-ezfaXkCpktVPjcLUPm14KHdBQ7xwmL2ktCliMWLsklJA9Vh5JTwn7x0VNBRkib3tPZbsblHGSKZE/s320/Hugo-Scorsese.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">"Hugo" is a finely focused story which utilizes the film medium to the utmost. It is in 3D (about which I'll say more later), and yet it is so rich in detail and wonderful imagery that it can be enjoyed "flat" with little to diminish it. Of the few 3D films I have seen since they began popping up a few years ago, "Hugo" makes the best use of the technology.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Scorsese is in his element with this tale of a young orphan named Hugo Cabret, a mechanical whiz and lover of movies, who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930's. After Hugo's loving father meets an untimely end, and his clockmaker uncle abandons him, Hugo continues to wind all of the clocks in the station, and looks for the heart-shaped key that will activate a special mechanical man, or automaton, that may contain a message from Hugo's father. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Surviving on his own by stealing food and small items, and parts for his automaton, and avoiding the clutches of a darkly comical Station Attendant who loves to return homeless boys to the orphanage, Hugo eventually falls into the bad graces of George, the station's toy-maker, who takes Hugo's notebook filled with drawings as punishment for Hugo's thievery. Hugo befriends the toy-maker's goddaughter Isabelle, and soon they are in the midst of a breathtaking adventure in which they unlock the mystery of Papa George's past, using the history and magic of filmmaking as the key.</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMztGhVhC4G_M5CI2Ng2z75fqhk3T8WCtAJnXDR7mr4_i-u5gDpOuvFePXC4HKvFWnh_dse-AJ5H9WWMwkRalCif3C1ojachs04xgIKsYNVUy-QldT7tSnfkLUfAJzUzoun70ocjWybYE/s1600/Hugo-Kingsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMztGhVhC4G_M5CI2Ng2z75fqhk3T8WCtAJnXDR7mr4_i-u5gDpOuvFePXC4HKvFWnh_dse-AJ5H9WWMwkRalCif3C1ojachs04xgIKsYNVUy-QldT7tSnfkLUfAJzUzoun70ocjWybYE/s400/Hugo-Kingsley.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Along the way there is comedy, action, some terrific stuff with dogs, suspense, beautifully realized performances, and some of the most awesome shots of the year. "Hugo", while a bit frenetic in its first half hour, gets better and better as it goes along. Some viewers, who expect slam-bang slapstick throughout, may not appreciate that the film finally settles down into a richer, more historic realm, but film fans will hunker down for a gentler, more awesome good time.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I have never seen Scorsese enjoy himself as much (the move from New York to Paris has done him good), and I have never had such fun at a Scorsese film. The word "innocence" comes to mind: I like this new-found innocence in Scorsese, his playfulness. He has rarely directed children, and his success is in that area is another happy surprise. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">This new tone also showcases and enhances Scorsese's formidable skills as a filmmaker, and a visionary one, more than much of his later work. It is as though a skilled musician suddenly proved himself as a master conductor. There is nothing too menacing here; we are meant to immerse ourselves in a wondrous world. It's classic material, in the manner of a lighthearted, non-musical "Oliver", or even this generation's "Mary Poppins".</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">And yet Scorsese has something more lasting that he would like for us to take away from this film. That is, an appreciation for the cultural heritage that movies have allowed viewers to share through the decades; and a knowledge of the origins of this art form called the motion picture, knowlege that we have lost through the generations. What comes through most is Scorsese's enthusiastic invitation for us to care about history, and more importantly film history, and to see the benefits of preserving it.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">The story of George Melies is intricately woven through this tale of a boy whose love of tinkering was the creative spirit behind the earliest movies. Scorsese and his superior crew of designers technicians, musicians and performers provide us with a wealth of information, and a kaleidoscope of fantasy and incident and subplot, which enter through our hearts and stimulate our thinking. Special mention needs to be made of Dante Ferretti's sets, which are a marvel of imagination and aesthetic pleasure. All the while, "Hugo" sets our own imaginations spinning and our own creative juices flowing. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">(Read here for more about </span></strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_M%C3%A9li%C3%A8s"><strong><span style="color: purple;">George Melies'</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;"> life)</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">"Hugo" does a great service by resurrecting the long-forgotten figure of Melies, who was responsible for so much amazing film technique and technology, presenting his life story rather faithfully, and making him relevant to today's filmmakers and moviegoers. It is by necessity a sentimental story, and an uplifting one, and a rare experience at the cinema today. </span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fpc6Xs4GBzBy2NnWBCiC69zEWCfuoF3Kt5rgzLK2nQMttN-v4creESVe8ZQmEk0H1bg1tYw9P3FD1tpi3ob-5tpMRYJdWndol6MoTzaRlbSDfTfwDiWL6bIT1qIp35kAhhNNN2f__OY/s1600/Hugo-at-Movies-with-Isabelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fpc6Xs4GBzBy2NnWBCiC69zEWCfuoF3Kt5rgzLK2nQMttN-v4creESVe8ZQmEk0H1bg1tYw9P3FD1tpi3ob-5tpMRYJdWndol6MoTzaRlbSDfTfwDiWL6bIT1qIp35kAhhNNN2f__OY/s400/Hugo-at-Movies-with-Isabelle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">It's interesting that today, in a time when advances in motion picture technology threaten to destroy the emotional and intellectual pleasures of movies in favor of pure sensation, a film like "Hugo" (and even "The Artist") wants to allow viewers to retreat into the origins of what made cinema the popular art form that it has become, before those origins are gone for good, totally forgotten. By doing so, we realize that the more "primitive" effects that were invented by pioneers like Melies (and that are still possible to achieve with simple home-movie equipment) are extremely effective. All we needed was the encouragement to really see them. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">If you love movies and the history of filmmaking, you have to see "Hugo". Most of us are familiar with Melies' "A Trip To The Moon", in which a rocket ship lands in the eye of the man in the moon. (Oscar buffs know that this short film was used in the opening sequence of the 1956 Best Picture, "Around the World in 80 Days".) But Scorsese uses many different clips from Melies' surviving catalog, and re-creates the making of these films. We also learn that after exhaustive searches and meticulous restoration, at least 200 of Melies' films, thought to be lost, have been saved, and are available for viewing. What better advertisement for modern film preservation?</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAIr05Tid0KTDVEUU1q7d2_8_jvgC1Y35E534B1gPz7P7st3NaBdJwlfT3fkizI1kCfq-bkK0WsuKRBIv97HRv1T2t3LnWhTflVygHkkrB-kIRTA1vAHFV4oVsyWcF3Y3lYYaZhQqNso/s1600/Hugo-clock+chase.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAIr05Tid0KTDVEUU1q7d2_8_jvgC1Y35E534B1gPz7P7st3NaBdJwlfT3fkizI1kCfq-bkK0WsuKRBIv97HRv1T2t3LnWhTflVygHkkrB-kIRTA1vAHFV4oVsyWcF3Y3lYYaZhQqNso/s400/Hugo-clock+chase.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Hugo and Isabelle are our on-screen surrogates as we see Melies' remarkable story come to life: of Melies' days as a magician, his introduction to the movies (with the Lumiere Brother's train arrival that made viewers duck in panic), his romance and marriage to his leading lady, his construction of an all-glass studio to let in natural lighting, and his downfall after World War I took Melies' movies out of popular favor.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">It is heartening to see the character of Melies be paid tribute in a movie today. It is also a treat to have a happy ending, without irony, as all of the characters find love and belonging. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Scorsese takes old scenes and recreates them for his story as well. I defy viewers not to duck, as early audiences did, when a train speeds toward us, threatening to collide with Hugo on the tracks. I laughed as Hugo hung from the hands of a large clock in the manner of Harold Lloyd in "Safety Last", also showcased in this film. And watch how seamlessly the contemporary actors are incorporated in the older footage to give the clips authenticity. Throughout, Scorsese masters an unfamiliar technology, and as a result, makes us pay attention, and leaves us with the same feelings of discovery that Scorsese, and Melies, must have felt.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Asa Butterfield, as Hugo, has a quality of a young Elijah Wood. Butterfield perfectly captures Hugo's curiosity and sly mischief as well as his sentiment and fierce determination. Few bits of acting this year can top Butterfield's appeal to the Station Master's own sad history as an orphan. Sacha Baron Cohen, with a thick mustache and trick leg, is terribly appealing as the "villain" of the piece who is redeemed by the attentions of a sympathetic flower girl (the beautiful Emily Mortimer). Cohen is a skillful character actor, maintaining dramatic tension while keeping the humor close to the surface. Chloe Grace Moretz convinces as a young Parisienne who captures Hugo's attentions, and his heart, and is a fun partner in his adventures.</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mODWILk6Ub91GmVSQVOnRA2Ko6FJtdWxdhk6vyHhDmJKbDlJyIS3le23W61oLDdU7T8QVIsSZLpwWBOVSvKboxtJc1c-0MrJEEgnKX4jb0SEfSG_E_IoUgsBrubQsPtjuIdaCAgntGg/s1600/hugo-sacha-baron-cohen-movie-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mODWILk6Ub91GmVSQVOnRA2Ko6FJtdWxdhk6vyHhDmJKbDlJyIS3le23W61oLDdU7T8QVIsSZLpwWBOVSvKboxtJc1c-0MrJEEgnKX4jb0SEfSG_E_IoUgsBrubQsPtjuIdaCAgntGg/s400/hugo-sacha-baron-cohen-movie-image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Ben Kinglsey is a revelation here. While the role is not terribly demanding, his Melies is totally captivating, one of the finest supporting roles of the year. Kinglsey, without layers of makeup or undue accent, completely disappears into this role, and brings Melies to thundering, imaginative life. With Kingsley in the role, "Hugo" really triumphs.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">If I have any quibbles, it has to do with some plot holes, and some thoughts about the use of 3D thematically in this movie. As far as the screenplay, I think it is beautifully done, although I wish the matter of Hugo's missing notebook had not been forgotten, and I wonder about the film-historian's assumption that Melies was killed in the war. Otherwise the story is told in wonderful dialog and nicely-plotted set pieces.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">As for the 3D, I think "Hugo" uses the technology really well most of the time, especially in the latter half. I found it distracting during some of the earlier, faster-paced sequences. And there is so much beautiful detail and depth in the sets, and intricate costume design, that I wished early on that I could have had more time to linger on these things without the added "filter"of 3D. Also, at some early points, Scorsese tries to create depth of field by blurring the foregrounds and backgrounds. While I admire his attention to this detail, unfortunately the foregrounds are sometimes indistinguishable from the backgrounds; the eye doesn't have much time to focus from shot to shot.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">But in the less rapid sequences, the effect soars. Especially in the slow zoom-ins and closeups, in particular of Kingsley and Cohen, the effect is to bring the characters into an unusual intimacy with the viewer, right in one's lap. And during the clock-chase sequence, an overhead shot from the top of the clock tower looking down is stunning. </span></strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Le_Voyage_dans_la_lune.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="File:Le Voyage dans la lune.jpg" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Le_Voyage_dans_la_lune.jpg" width="194" /></a><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I was struck by an irony: late in the film, Melies' own work, like "A Trip To The Moon", was presented in a 3D format. I thought this was a mistake, and, after just seeing a trailer for "Titanic" being re-released in 3D, it had the unintentional feel of an advertisement for 3D. I would rather have let the old film remain in its original format, as a way to honor that history, and preserve what once was, so we can study it anew.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I think "Hugo" will not herald a new renaissance in 3D filmmaking, but will prove to be the exception to the 3D rule. I fear most filmmakers lack the skill and consummate knowledge of technique and history that allowed Scorsese to create something unique and beautiful.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">In the balance, however, I must recommend "Hugo" to viewers who still value the singular pleasures of moviegoing on a large screen. I hope Martin Scorsese continues to explore material that plays into his love of the movies. This is one of the finest films of the year, and one that will still hold up on 2-dimensional blu-ray for those of us traditional film fanatics who have not yet taken the 3D home-theater bait. </span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_8BLsbbnmYg7bp0jP4lvOJ-5MCaBADLYbPKNnakf2BK82LmSDpxbFII8vxhoIF7LOQbxEcpUFEs0s7pfX980q6rUzeQ0nV4X4tMno7Dcydukl_7kwuevhJrtMJNlDCy1sdbWhfeKEfM/s1600/Hugo-toy-shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_8BLsbbnmYg7bp0jP4lvOJ-5MCaBADLYbPKNnakf2BK82LmSDpxbFII8vxhoIF7LOQbxEcpUFEs0s7pfX980q6rUzeQ0nV4X4tMno7Dcydukl_7kwuevhJrtMJNlDCy1sdbWhfeKEfM/s400/Hugo-toy-shop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-21254506871915277282011-12-12T18:45:00.008-06:002011-12-13T15:40:53.576-06:00A Meaningless Film-Critic Embargo From Producer of "Dragon Tattoo"<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">An interesting, but finally meaningless, debate about movie critics and "promises", caught my attention recently...</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A firestorm of negative opinion has erupted over David Denby's review of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", which is scheduled for publication in the New Yorker, in the December 6 issue. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is the date of publication, and not the review itself, that has received the roar of disapproval from "fans" of the<em> as-yet unreleased</em> film, produced by Scott Rudin and directed by David Fincher.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It began when the New York Film Critics Circle decided to announce its annual Film Awards (a year-end precursor to the Oscars) earlier than normally scheduled. For whatever reason, the New York Critics wanted to be the first to have made their official awards announcement (at the end of November rather than the traditional mid-December time frame), when a few high-profile pictures still had not been released in New York. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One of the unreleased films, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", which has high award expectations (at least from the Fincher-ites), was in danger of being unscreened, and therefore, left out of the NYFC voting. So the studio allowed the Critic's Circle a special screening, and then demanded that each critic make a promise not to publish any review before December 13. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(Another highly-touted major studio release, Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", was not ready for screening and was left out of the NYFC voting this year.)</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Denby published early, citing the glut of year-end movies to review, and limited time to do so, as the reason for the "early" review.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Producer Scott Rudin, infuriated, banned Denby from future advanced screenings for violating the "review embargo". Fincher, who reasonably expressed his distaste for screenings in advance of the movie's release date, nevertheless blasted Denby for violating his "promise" and supported Rudin's decision to ostracize Denby. (Check this interesting post in <a href="http://www.anomalousmaterial.com/movies/2011/12/david-fincher-says-he-would-have-the-new-yorker%e2%80%99s-film-critic-david-denby-stoned-to-death-for-breaking-embargo/comment-page-1/#comment-100570"><span style="color: purple;">Anomalous Material</span></a>)</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That's when the Web heated up with opinion over film critics' honoring their agreements, and a peculiar defense of the film, that seemed designed to protect some fragile Awards fantasy that Fincher, and this movie, would triumph at the Oscars. The argument was that by publishing an early, potentially negative review, the fan-fiction that "Tattoo" might be an eleventh-hour Oscar game-changer might not hold up. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And if future reviews prove as lukewarm as Denby's, then there may be little hope for awards-love for the movie. The venom directed at Denby, and the support of Fincher and the as yet unseen "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", went beyond fandom and bordered on the irrational.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(In the final count, in spite of the special screening, NYFC left "Tattoo" empty-handed, and the film has not impressed other critics' groups as of this writing. The "Social Network"s critical juggernaut will not repeat itself this year.)</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If Denby had played the good sport in this instance, then the movie would have had to rise and fall on its own merits, rather than receive the benefit of promotion by manufactured "scandal". </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hold to the notion, expressed previously on this blog, that movie-making is diminished when films are discussed nearly to death before their release. That includes incessant analysis of everything from the studio-leaked photos, to the trailers, to the poster art. That, as much as early reviews, can ruin the experience for a potential viewer, except for those who will attend that all-important opening weekend anyway. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I agree with Fincher in my preference that reviews should be written after a film has been released to theaters.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I disagree with the studios setting up advance screenings---for no other purpose than to make a film award-eligible--and then demand that critics not write about it. It's an almost laughable double-standard in which critics are "invited" to screenings, and are free to bestow their honors upon a film, which they are then sworn not to review until later. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Film critics write film criticism. If studios didn't do early screenings, then they would prevent "premature" reviews. (The old activist in me reacts against any demand not to write about something, especially something as benign as a movie review....thoughts of freedom of the press linger..) If the film is that good, and promoted appropriately, the work will stand on its own, awards or no.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Also, if "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" happened to win major awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the continued enforcement of the "embargo" would have been awkward, if not downright embarrassing. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I also find a desperate inconsistency in the opinions of some writers on this subject. On the one hand, they put forth the idea that critics don't matter, that the only relevant views on any film come from the average moviegoing audience. On the other hand, the outrage over Denby's early review betrays a fear that critics do in fact matter a great deal, that the opinion of a professional movie critic is potentially damaging, and that it has the ability to plant doubt in the minds of those who would otherwise praise the film to Awards glory.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are no heroes here. The New York Film Critics need to chill a little, and wait until they have given each eligible film a fair viewing. The studios should spread out their releases more evenly thoughout the year, and not effectively censor what and when a writer writes. Banning Denby from advance screenings serves no purpose. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It's all about awards, I guess, and that's not good for the full appreciation of the art of film.</span></strong>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-12170268271767065112011-12-09T23:54:00.004-06:002011-12-13T15:37:11.914-06:00A Posthumous Honor for a Chicago Classic<strong><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Almost a year to the day after his passing</span> </span></strong><a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2010/12/cubs-and-chicago-lose-their-biggest-fan.html"><strong><span style="color: purple;">("The Cubs...Lose Their Biggest Fan",</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d;">December 4 2010), former Chicago Cubs Third Baseman Ron Santo was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">It's a bittersweet victory. Santo had been passed over for the honor since he was originally placed on the ballot in 1980. For over thirty years, Ronnie swallowed his disappointment and put a gracious good face on the annual postponement of his dream.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Consider Santo's record as a Cub in the 1960's and early '70's: his high profile and loyalty to his team and to his city; his popularity with fans and players alike; his proficiency as a third baseman (a position rarely honored by the Hall of Fame) with 90 RBI's in eight consecutive seasons (a record); a 9-time National League All-Star player; and his ebullience and regular-guy good humor in the broadcast booth. The fact that he was never honored with induction into the Hall until now seems like an almost deliberate, and cruel, snub. I don't understand it, and neither do most Cub fans nor Chicago Sports Writers.</span></strong><br />
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<img alt="" class="rg_hi" data-height="168" data-width="300" height="168" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3LD2aZl7xebyBYFKgziiyw6Gf2eSLP-cjGBjfifLUP5LCLOBQ3Q" style="height: 168px; width: 300px;" width="300" /><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Santo's Cub Uniform #10 was retired in 2003, and his flag flies over his beloved Wrigley Field along with those of Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, Santo's teammates and the only other Cubs to have their numbers retired. After an emotional ceremony before a packed stadium, Santo declared: “I know getting inducted into the Hall of Fame had to be something, but that flag is going to be hanging there after everybody is gone.”</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Having the recognition of his team, his fans, and his city, meant more to Santo than any other honor. Still, he deserved better from the Hall of Fame voters. </span></strong><br />
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<img height="137" id="il_fi" src="http://www.sojo.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/slideshow/slideshowimages/800px-20060728_Banks-Santo_retired_numbers_0.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">"We dared to dream this because it was so important to Ron and such a long time in coming,” his widow, Vicki, said, upon hearing the news of Santo's posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame. “But we’re all thrilled. When I got the call from the Hall and then Billy [Williams] got on the phone and said, ‘Vick, we finally got it done,’ it made me cry.” Vicky will make the induction speech in Cooperstown on July 22.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Somewhere, I hope Ronnie heard the news, and reacted with his characteristic unbridled joy:</span></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtTIv3OS8Bhp5BNNQE-W299Z24j3ZTP69n5UYLhq2erLiVvk-B1F3Ltifgch9olTBia-Rw3TzVE3rUeEuqXkCsh-UZWWW9DkZhHTyNwx8TlyIzjAW6w7vtfR0_jksHIscifx-F8qQ2xo/s1600/ron-santo-heel-click.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtTIv3OS8Bhp5BNNQE-W299Z24j3ZTP69n5UYLhq2erLiVvk-B1F3Ltifgch9olTBia-Rw3TzVE3rUeEuqXkCsh-UZWWW9DkZhHTyNwx8TlyIzjAW6w7vtfR0_jksHIscifx-F8qQ2xo/s400/ron-santo-heel-click.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-53463209576015524722011-12-07T22:18:00.002-06:002011-12-08T08:27:52.023-06:00A Puppy And An Ice Cube..What The World Needs Now--Wednesday Journal #1<strong><span style="color: blue;">When I saw this video I knew I had to post it! First, to save it for posterity; and second, to share it with anyone who visits here. (Thank you, Kirk and Mark.)</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Tonight, a few brief posts. Journal #2 below is a small tribute to the late Laura Nyro, a new inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Journal #3 is a gut reaction to today's sentencing of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on multiple corruption charges.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Coming up this week</span>: another long-overdue, posthumous recognition of a Chicago Sports legend; and my thoughts on a movie-review embargo that has the blogosphere abuzz.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">But first</span>: enjoy this video of a Welsh Corgi puppy and his encounter with a single ice cube!</span></strong><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EyZgT-p4qT4" width="560"></iframe>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-84946404671967556652011-12-07T22:00:00.007-06:002011-12-08T19:07:45.413-06:00The Late Laura Nyro Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame--Wednesday Journal #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Finally! Laura Nyro (for the uninitiated, pronounced Ne-ro) was announced as an inductee into the <a href="http://rockhall.com/inductees/laura-nyro/"><strong><span style="color: purple;">Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's</span></strong></a> Class of 2012. The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland on April 14th.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Nero's heyday was the 1960's. She scored modest success as a singer, with a voice that was reminiscent of Carole King with a more reckless abandon, and she had two hit albums of collected songs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">But it was as a songwriter that she left an immortal mark on American popular music.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If George Gershwin were writing Top-40 pop hits, they might have sounded like the tunes of Laura Nyro. She blended rhythm-'n-blues and soul with jazz and pop, for a distinctive sound that is timeless even as it calls to mind the late '60's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Artists like The 5th Dimension, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Barbra Streisand scored huge hits covering Nyro's songs. I hope I can encourage others to become familiar with Nyro's music. Her songwriting resume is unbelievable; all of them can be legitimately considered modern classics: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">(click on the links to hear the songs)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Three Dog Night's version of <a href="http://youtu.be/1A2eet1bttY"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Eli's Comin'";</span></strong></a> "Time and Love" and</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIC7Acx8lqM"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Stony End"</span></strong></a> <span style="color: black;">(Recorded by Streisand);</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU7k1B71TPI&feature=related"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"And When I Die"</span></strong></a> <span style="color: black;">(Blood Sweat and Tears' biggest hit); and especially the covers by the Fifth Dimension:</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IrJRZRZIn4&feature=related"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Stoned Soul Picnic",</span></strong></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTuwAo5sUik"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Save the Country",</span></strong></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBQ7v2pJKaM"><strong><span style="color: purple;">"Sweet Blindness"</span></strong>,</a> <span style="color: black;">and my all-time Nyro favorite, "Wedding Bell Blues" ('B-I-I-I-I-I-L! I love you so, I always will ...') </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, Laura Nyro will not be at the ceremony next April. In 1997, at the age of 49, Nyro died of ovarian cancer--the year in which another of my contemporary music heroes was inducted into the R&R Hall Of Fame: <strong><a href="http://rockhall.com/inductees/joni-mitchell/"><span style="color: purple;">Joni Mitchell</span></a></strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Nyro's induction is an honor that is way overdue.</span></span></span><br />
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<img height="342" id="il_fi" src="http://www.sweetslyrics.com/images/img_gal/8450_Laura%20Nyro.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="342" />TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-63214905657148204992011-12-07T20:39:00.009-06:002011-12-07T22:04:25.998-06:00Did Rod Blagojevich Receive Justice? Wednesday Journal #3<div style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his recent conviction on multiple federal corruption charges.</span></strong><br />
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</div><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Among his offenses were conspiracy to solicit bribes for State contracts, mail and wire fraud, and most notoriously, his scheme to sell the newly-elected President's vacated Ilinois Senate Seat.</span></strong><br />
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</div><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Just as shameful, after his convictions, Blagojevich seemed to take a cavalier attitude toward his convictions, proclaiming his innocence, and, seeming unaware of the gravity of his situation, appearing on late-night talk shows, humorous television advertisements, and "Celebrity Apprentice".</span></strong><br />
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</div><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">There is little to say in his favor. Sadly, he is in large company, having the dubious distinction of being the 4th Illinois Governor to be convicted since 1973.I believe Rod Blagojevich should serve justice for his convictions and for continuing a shameful tradition of corruption in Illinois politics.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">But 14 years?</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Who's afraid of Rod Blagojevich? </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">I'm glad to finally be rid of Blagojevich (see "</span><a href="http://tom-samp-journal.blogspot.com/2011/06/good-riddance-3.html"><span style="color: purple;">Good Riddance</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">," June 28, 2011), but frankly his walking the streets does not make me fear for my personal safety. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Prison is a punitive measure to be sure, and the Judge in the sentencing sought to make an example of the former Governor, as a deterrent to future corruption by state officials. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">But does anyone believe that is really going to work? I would rather see those who destroyed the financial futures of millions of Americans take their rightful place in Federal Prisons. The same goes for legislators who pass irresponsible laws, resulting in the deaths of everyone from soldiers and poor senior citizens, to desperate young mothers and innocent victims of petroleum disasters...to name a few.</span></strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="clear: left; color: #0c343d; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2007/_video_wn_images/8458554_600x338.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></span><a href="http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/wls/cms_exf_2007/_video_wn_images/8458554_600x338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong></strong></a><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Illinois' last Governor, George Ryan, was convicted in a Driver's License scandal that resulted in the deaths of a family of six. This occurred before his tenure as Governor, while he was still serving as the Illinois Secretary of State.</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Ryan got six years.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">14 years for Blagojevich? I think a more thoughtful judge could have come up with a more creative form of justice, one that would combine a shorter prison sentence with a more useful (and humbling) way to allow Blagojevich to pay his debt to the state. </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Now, we are merely paying his room and board for the next 14 years.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4219677652731861971.post-84502115491911332452011-12-05T23:55:00.018-06:002011-12-07T12:58:22.769-06:00Windy City Performing Arts Winter Concert, A Rich and Wonderful Program<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxLFCjH4m7BkqaquQ7w9os_VvniGwFDPU8hrSEUrHCsRt_oS1vlLUqDCnCS0QAigDgYLVmc7bQ5BuzmdPx7xcSEeqKFp2GSjF28yYF1rP6O3zUDg1kXVWCsif1wK4GdV5ohEwqnXCQPg/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxLFCjH4m7BkqaquQ7w9os_VvniGwFDPU8hrSEUrHCsRt_oS1vlLUqDCnCS0QAigDgYLVmc7bQ5BuzmdPx7xcSEeqKFp2GSjF28yYF1rP6O3zUDg1kXVWCsif1wK4GdV5ohEwqnXCQPg/s400/IMG_0943.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In three shows filled with heart, talent, and irrepressible mischief, the Windy City Gay Men's Chorus and Aria performed this weekend at Chicago's Senn Campus, and gave their richest, funniest, most emotional holiday show yet. There was an eclectic mix of musical styles, several show-stopping solos, some alarmingly good showcases of individual talent, a "hot" brass-and-percussion ensemble, and a visit from a besotted special guest, whose martini-fueled, train-wreck of a number redefined raucous hilarity, and may have been the last word in drag (until, perhaps, March).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This year's program, titled "Sassy! Brassy! and Classy!", left audiences as fully satisfied as at a banquet, offering familiar dishes and exotic delicacies, spiced with effervescent staging, and topped off with sweet harmonies and strong vocal mixtures. Director Stephen Edwards fashioned a wonderful show which, in spite of the challenges and rigors of rehearsals, the choirs delivered nicely. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklPzrMUwxac7PynXymt8Vgwai2x4l6obwy9EbcEGpmx1H2zKK_40IOpCJoVOfRHn-n7LIArX2ikROj4CbDK7EmHCtaT7LU1MvA2hkjggvsdaSy-DsFIOzNKC1-_KH7RWjxwEdZpakKLs/s1600/IMG_0978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklPzrMUwxac7PynXymt8Vgwai2x4l6obwy9EbcEGpmx1H2zKK_40IOpCJoVOfRHn-n7LIArX2ikROj4CbDK7EmHCtaT7LU1MvA2hkjggvsdaSy-DsFIOzNKC1-_KH7RWjxwEdZpakKLs/s200/IMG_0978.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFwVLu2qGkZAQZRysSJyC_yRdqLa1JyUDXN7uRjLiO2r7ae8hs6dXJavH2bou7xMSi6cmcQw-eHCjNlss2IuvS0WM5mKHJLywoThtQGwASdeS95w2cZmUiRPOYyAWTYASOUHimatllJ8/s1600/IMG_0988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFwVLu2qGkZAQZRysSJyC_yRdqLa1JyUDXN7uRjLiO2r7ae8hs6dXJavH2bou7xMSi6cmcQw-eHCjNlss2IuvS0WM5mKHJLywoThtQGwASdeS95w2cZmUiRPOYyAWTYASOUHimatllJ8/s200/IMG_0988.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Another thing...I felt entirely safe in the comfortable surroundings of Senn Auditorium. Mark was there all weekend, and the stage was filled with all of my friends who worked so hard to entertain us, with so much wonderful music beautifully performed. I knew the same warmth I used to know looking at the lit-up tree in my boyhood living room, with all the other lights off, and the promise of good things...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The combined chorus kicked off with "Spirit of the Season" from "Polar Express", a lively number that raised the house energy level, and set a tone of expectation for both the traditional and the contemporary. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The men moved right into "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", a perennial classic (that we break into occasionally when the pressures of the season become insane!) The men's first set concluded with a beautifully harmonized, hushed version of "White Christmas", a song filled with nostalgia and hope, and still one one of the finest Oscar-winning songs ever. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Aria took back the stage for a jazzy rendition of "The Holiday Season", at one point vocalizing without words in an amusing "ta-tee-ta" chorus. </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Thompson"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Kay Thompson</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">, a well-known actress, arranger, and godmother to Liza Minnelli, wrote this tune in 1963.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Silent Night" always casts a breathless hush on an audience. This version is one of the most exquisite I have yet heard. Stephanie Dykes started with a strong baritone solo in German, with the combined chorus fading in for a melancholy rendition of the song. Stephanie came back for a brief solo interlude, taking the song into a different key, before the chorus built in volume to a thrilling climax, at which it was impossible not to be moved.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The women lightened things up again with "The Holly and the Ivy" done in a calypso kind of beat, with great piano accompaniment and a fine solo by Valerie Silk Kremenak.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Then things got out of hand--in a great way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Stephen breathlessly announced the appearance of a special guest! While the chorus donned hats and grabbed their fur-lined music books in order to provide background vocals for this special soloist, we learned that the singer was none other than Mrs. Santa. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In white silk elbow-length gloves, silver wig with a ridiculously small hat perched on top of his head, and a silky and flattering dress, Bill Howes, as Mrs. Santa, was wheeled out on a chaise lounge by two shirtless minions (Bill Marsland and Jason Spoor) sporting leather harnesses and hats, sucking on tootsie pops, and bringing continuous martinis to the hapless diva. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The chorus followed their music gamely, while Mrs. Santa launched into an off-key riff that got appreciative howls of laughter from in-the-know audience members. "O Holy Night" segued hysterically into everything from "Deck the Halls" to a wild-west version of "Sleigh Ride"; from a confused mix of "Frosty" and "Rudolph" to "Over the Rainbow"; from "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"; to Mozart's "Magic Flute", returning finally to "O Holy Night", before she was wheeled offstage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Howes tottered around the stage, goosing Director Edwards (who grabbed a drink himself), able to go from sublime to profane in one alcohol-riddled breath. A singer has to be really talented to fashion a number so hilariously off-key and well-timed, and Howes really put on a show. Even Michael Roberts, the Sign Language Interpreter, seemed to be at a loss, remaining quietly hilarious, frantic to get it all spelled out. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times; font-size: large;">* * * *</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizADsNCpO_TDNNPRvXvpVa8rKe88W8rXP9S9Y39ogm9JaAP1EZLZ4mTThK59-n3BiJGuc0rW25-qOwcO7diYmTTQNh8H3_hx_4A_gBlNYrWUmmmo-WRZKnA5TvzyaGAa0iqkGrLUhhNN8/s1600/IMG_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizADsNCpO_TDNNPRvXvpVa8rKe88W8rXP9S9Y39ogm9JaAP1EZLZ4mTThK59-n3BiJGuc0rW25-qOwcO7diYmTTQNh8H3_hx_4A_gBlNYrWUmmmo-WRZKnA5TvzyaGAa0iqkGrLUhhNN8/s200/IMG_0948.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;"></span></span></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It was hard to top this, but the follow-up was terrific. The brass section, with wordless vocalizations from Aria, performed a song I remember hearing a lot as a kid, but had almost forgotten, called "Bugler's Holiday". (I was so happy to reconnect to this song--I felt like the guy in "Amelie" who has his long-lost treasure box returned to him; I had been trying so long to recall the name of this tune. ) I don't think it's strictly a holiday number, but it is appropriately bubbly with a great brass sound. (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Op17pg6is"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Listen to a version of it here</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The instrumentalists followed with an interlude of their own, "Sleigh Ride", which is more well-known. Both this and "Bugler's Holiday" (above) were written by American composer </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Anderson"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Leroy Anderson</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">, described by Oscar-winning composer John Williams as "one of the great American masters of light orchestral music."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Aria's next, a Hanukkah Song called "We Are Lights" featured lovely solos from Anna Rose Li-Epstein and Katya Lysander, and incorporated a candle-lighting during the number. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And, to finish the first half of the show, the chorus was led by soloist Libby Lane, who effectively belted "Judah and his Maccabees", a musical bible story of the origin of Hanukkah. This number requires a strong, vibrant alto, and Lane gave an awesome and animated interpretation of the song. (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bZibL-NC4M"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Here's a version from the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, lead by Karen Hart, who wrote the song</strong></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>.)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Act Two was more emotional, more spiritual and even more amazing. The Men's Chorus offered a quiet and powerful version of "Ave Dulcissima Maria", performed acapella with only a single bell as a regular punctuation, like a Gregorian chant. This was rumored to be a troublesome, complex number for the singers, but from where I sat, it sounded perfect. The piece was written in 2004 by Morten Lauridsen originally for the Harvard Glee Club. (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDmw52mJ0Qc"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Listen to Polyphony's version here</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">). Michael Vince, Ryan Johnson, and Anton Naess lent their beautiful voices in solos.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Aria came back for a suite of spiritual numbers, beginning with "December" in which the group's delicate voices perfectly captured the awesome solitude of a late winter afternoon, when the sky is all blue and pink from the setting sun. The chilling soprano solos of Kim Duncan, Rafael Ramos, Beth Bellinger and Meghan Bennett gave the song a haunting quality. "Hodie Christus Natus Est", "Gloria", and "Alleluia (from Songs of Faith)" recalled for me the brassy religious influence of the film scores of Miklos Rosza or the medieval beauty of "The Lion in Winter". </span><a href="http://www.arts.ufl.edu/bio.aspx?PID=159"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Paul Basler</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">, who wrote "Hodie..." and "Songs of Faith", was pleased with the arrangement, as seen on YouTube!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Finally, "Pictures of a Season", a suite so wonderfully done that it almost requires its own post. I'll try to do it justice in summary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"Pictures of a Season" was a set of familiar holiday compositions, arranged in such a way as to provide a depth of meaning, an emotional journey.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Starting with a plaintive phrase from "Do You Hear What I Hear?", which served as a refrain for the whole number, the brass and harp were effectively woven in between. There was a rousing version of "Born in Bethlehem", done as a 4-part round with hand-claps that got the crowd moving. Bobby Owens came in for a brief solo refrain of "Do You Hear", followed by another exciting number, "I Am The Lord of the Dance", fronted by lighthearted solos from Ray Lesniewski and Dan Craig. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Before the climax of the choral piece, there was perhaps the most amazing solo work of all. Madelyn Tan-Cohen, the always-reliable piano accompanist, was given the spotlight, and transfixed the crowd as she moved effortlessly across the entire keyboard and back again for a thunderous, delicate, amazing musical interlude. Influences of Wyndham Hill and Debussy, hints of "Carol of the Bells", "Away in a Manger", a bluesy version of "We Three Kings", and segments of "Noel" "Gloria in Excelsis", combined for a seamless rhapsody. Madelyn, who quietly provides such great support for the vocals, here proved a tremendous talent in her own right. She received a well-deserved cheer from the crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Finally, the chorus brought it all home, as the suite built in intensity to the full "Do You Hear", with full orchestral accompaniment and the entire choir giving it everything they had, to thunderous applause.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9LRvpw-zegA5514wdbxVutDnngu8aypP9ox9nctVtLtnI0QJQmSyDPfNm_-0PHQW84yy5MmRTOFowhiEx2AtiduV-Z9xUn0lJAycveuPoBiFxuRh1TcstTrNBk9oVXkdeFl3V6gRvj0/s1600/IMG_0985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9LRvpw-zegA5514wdbxVutDnngu8aypP9ox9nctVtLtnI0QJQmSyDPfNm_-0PHQW84yy5MmRTOFowhiEx2AtiduV-Z9xUn0lJAycveuPoBiFxuRh1TcstTrNBk9oVXkdeFl3V6gRvj0/s320/IMG_0985.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I hope this recounting of this very special concert will serve as a record of an event for some, a tribute to others, and an introduction to this special group to everyone else. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In the coming weeks, I'll return to the personal stories of many of the members, the preparation for the March Broadway fund-raiser, and the road to the Gala Festival in Denver in July! Stay tuned...</span><br />
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</div>TomShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16718198770348083155noreply@blogger.com5