Here's that Five Star Review I mentioned in my last post
*****
The Book Thief: by Markus Zusak is one of my favorite books of the year. This is a beautiful and beautifully written story about Leisel, a German girl who moves to a small town near Munich in 1938. I couldn't put the book down. The narration, the characters, the landscape, the story....it's all here. It's an intense and emotional read.
Swimming in Air: This is a short film about women and life experiences by Janice Tanaka. I met Janice through through ebay and a subsequent telephone chat about living in the Chicago area. She sent me a DVD of her work Swimming In Air, and I've watched it a few times, each time noticing and learning something different. It was fun to watch it with a group of friends one evening.....that night the dinner conversation kept returning to themes from the movie. Thank you for the film, Janice, and above all for making us think.
Nightmare Alley: My favorite channel for old movies is TMC. I recorded this one ages ago, and watched it the other night. Wow! Tyrone Power plays the good looking and ambitious circus announcer with Joan Blondell as the big hearted mind reader who also reads tarot cards. Just a fabulous movie, typical for its time, and typical of why I've always loved these movies. Clicking on the link above will take you to the original trailer....just enough to whet your appetite. You'll never hear the word "geek" again without thinking about Nightmare Alley.
Hairspray: Here's another favorite movie. The original 1988 version with Ricki Lake was so great that I was unexcited to see the new version with John Travolta in drag as Traci Turnblad's mom. The original Hairspray played as if it was made in the early 1960s with a cool mood and a kind of truthfulness. It was first a movie and then a musical.
Last night we watched the new version, based on the stage play, and it was delightful!
First it's a musical and then its' a movie. It's upbeat and modern and totally fun. Loved it.
*****
The Book Thief: by Markus Zusak is one of my favorite books of the year. This is a beautiful and beautifully written story about Leisel, a German girl who moves to a small town near Munich in 1938. I couldn't put the book down. The narration, the characters, the landscape, the story....it's all here. It's an intense and emotional read.
Swimming in Air: This is a short film about women and life experiences by Janice Tanaka. I met Janice through through ebay and a subsequent telephone chat about living in the Chicago area. She sent me a DVD of her work Swimming In Air, and I've watched it a few times, each time noticing and learning something different. It was fun to watch it with a group of friends one evening.....that night the dinner conversation kept returning to themes from the movie. Thank you for the film, Janice, and above all for making us think.
Nightmare Alley: My favorite channel for old movies is TMC. I recorded this one ages ago, and watched it the other night. Wow! Tyrone Power plays the good looking and ambitious circus announcer with Joan Blondell as the big hearted mind reader who also reads tarot cards. Just a fabulous movie, typical for its time, and typical of why I've always loved these movies. Clicking on the link above will take you to the original trailer....just enough to whet your appetite. You'll never hear the word "geek" again without thinking about Nightmare Alley.
Hairspray: Here's another favorite movie. The original 1988 version with Ricki Lake was so great that I was unexcited to see the new version with John Travolta in drag as Traci Turnblad's mom. The original Hairspray played as if it was made in the early 1960s with a cool mood and a kind of truthfulness. It was first a movie and then a musical.
Last night we watched the new version, based on the stage play, and it was delightful!
First it's a musical and then its' a movie. It's upbeat and modern and totally fun. Loved it.
