Christmas is almost here - for real (HOLY COW!)

Why does everybody treat me like scum?

Because you're a disease.

Male Crush #2. Billy Elliot

The remarkable and adorable Jamie Bell dancing, boxing, and using his wonderful British accent.
I think he was only 13 when the film was shot and his acting is superb.
Fuckin' bali

Female Crush #1. Margaret Yang

Of Rushmore.
Sure Ms. Cross is beautiful and British but there is a certain spark held by Yang that places her at the top of my Rushmore ladies list (and maybe at the top of my Anderson ladies list as well.)
1. Yang's style is top notice. The kite flying society scene in particular illustrates my point perfectly.
2. She's thoughtful, tough, sweet, intelligent, modest, and dignified - and pulls them all off nicely.
3. I love that, while she doesn't pine over Max, she never gives up on him. She’s very genuine and level headed.

Male Crush # 1. Harold

Of Harold and Maude...

1. A boy who stages suicides, drives a hearse, and goes to funerals for fun.
2. Eventually falls in love with a much older woman with whom he discovers the little joys of life.
3. Then drives his hearse off a hillside after she kills herself on her 80th birthday-- only to go dancing down the road to a perfectly placed Cat Stevens song.

I'm not sure if the lighting himself on fire or the fake sword scene is my favorite. Either way Bud Cort takes the cake in this role and acts as a prime example for my first "character crush" (seeing as now he's just a bond company stooge.)

A project. By Beth

Top 5 Male and Female character crushes. Note, this differs greatly from my typical crush posts in that I must totally love the certain character from a film... not just the actor. Give me some minutes and you'll have them all.

If you haven't seen the movie, don't read it, OK?

Two words come to mind when I think of The Virgin Suicides: hypnotic and voyeuristic. The film, which was adapted from the debut novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, strays little from the text. Although Sofia Coppola, who wrote and directed the film, obviously placed a larger focus on the girls then the novel did, the two seem hardly heterogenous. Rather, the book and movie act as extensions, building on eachother, reinforcing themes and feelings. The voyeurism remains, as does the dizzying hypnotism. We never get to know the girls, or the boys who are so fascniated by them. Just as the four girls come into focus they are rushed off into the background, and we are left with the boys, and the haunting music of Air, to wonder.

And all the while we do it willingly, because we love to watch. That's the culture. We love to peek and guess and ultimately what we desire is some kind of spectacle, the pay off - in this case, suicide. I immediately blamed the mother. Man did I hate her. Why was she so unbelievably repressive? If I lived in that town I would have wanted to say to her, "There, are you happy - you fuck!" I mean that's five girls all dead because of a mother's overbearing personality. Are we to blame the father as well? I mean, he clearly lost it. When asked by the girl's principle why his daughters hadn't been to school in a month, the father - a math teacher at the high school - responds, "Did you check out back?" This coming from a guy who was caught asking plants if they had their photosynthesis that day. It's a pretty funny scene, actually.
But, getting back to the voyeurism theme, I don't think Coppola or Eugenides wanted any blame to be placed. You really are left with wonder. It is the desired effect. The whole town is left to wonder, though they couldn't care less. Near the movie's end someone makes a joke out of the suicides by falling into an inground pool.

What really stuck with me at the end of the movie was the tree. This is something that Coppola embellishes on in the film. Adjacent to the girl's home is a dying tree. It is one of many dying trees lining the suburban streets of their neighborhood. The girl's take a stand against the tree service company by wrapping themselves around the tree, hand-to-hand. Their mother and father even encourage it. But why? What is the significance? I was thinking that the dying tree represents their lives as girls, which are in many way doomed. They have already had a sister commit suicide. The tree service is maybe society, the voyeurs. They want the spectacle, they want the suicide. It satisfies their thirst for the obscene and vulgar. It also removes something unwanted, like the dying tree, from their 'nice' neighborhood. They don't want four perfect girls in their neighborhood, distracting their boys from ivy-league universitys. They certainly don't want a religious fanatic like the mother, or a ridiculously inept math teacher. Or maybe the tree represents life in general (the third album by mxpx). I don't know exacltly. I'm simply left to wonder.

What makes Coppola's film such a success is it's subtlety and elegance. She tells this story so delicately and patiently that you feel safe, yet uneasy because of the impending doom. Their is an air of 'no way out' that hangs over this movie. The choice in music certainly helps achieve this feeling. And that, a feeling, is what the director and novelist hoped we would come away from the story with. A feeling that stuck with you. Possibly this feeling forces you to question the voyeuristic culture, perpetuated by the media, that thrives on spectacles like teen suicide. But it is the feeling of wonder, sad wonder, which must exist first, as a prerequisite, before you can do this critique. I guess it's kind of odd to go through with a movie or novel only to achieve a feeling, but Hemingway did it in The Lost Generation, and I think Eugenides and Coppola have done it as well. I'll call it 'bittersweet curiosity'.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Instead of working on homework last night I watched this family favorite on VHS. I think it's funny that my parents bought us that movie, yet they won't watch Friend's because it promotes homosexuality (what’s your deal mum and dad?) Now, in the style of Jason, I give you my favorite Doubtfire quotes.
1. "This is all my fault. I should have never had a birthday, dad."
2. "Huuuulooooooooo"
3. "Does she have a lady friend... for me?!"
4. “The whole time. The Whole Time. THE WHOLE TIME!"
5. "Matchmaker, matchmakers, make me a match" -- not so much the quote, but the scene as it pans across their faces and ends on aunt Jack.
And of course, "HE'S A SHE... HE'S A SHE SHE..."

(I also enjoy when Daniel says "Scallywag!" while he's drunk with that guy... it makes me feel so awkward/good...)

No one I know quotes movies.

ye, when cat we eat some meats?


That is one smart girl.

You're phone is kick-ass and, you know what, I love you.
Buick Skylark.
Whacked?! Who?
Barry, your sister's on line 1.
Ballsacky, you're the best.

I'll sign for you!
Paaatrick...
Das Ballsacky
Bingo Crepescule

I'm gonna kill Scott Wood.
elephant mom.
And please, don't tell me you you want to work with children.
Fuckin' bali dancer.

Like anyone could possibly know that.

I just couldn't finish...

(I suppose this contradicts the title a bit ... but I needed to get my first post in sooner or later.)
The following are three films I attempted to watch yesterday and ended up turning off, or leaving before they were finished.

1. Bram Stoker's Dracula - I should have known better. Really. The only reason I even attempted to watch this horrible film is because my beloved Tom Waits plays Renfield. While what I saw of his role was at least good acting the rest of the film was terribly over done...

2. Gummo - I really tried with this one. Honest. It reminded me of George Washington (with little bits of Roger and Me and Tarnation) only totally hopeless... while I guess that's the point, I simply can't view life as such. And while I love experimental cinema, the plot line seemed obsolete. Sorry Gummo, I guess I'm too upbeat for your sorrow?

3. High Tension - I like my horror films subtle and set far from home. This one was neither (in addition to being horribly dubbed.)