Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hitch
Since the movie entry I've heard from friends who have told me that when they think of me they remember my fondness for movies. I had no idea I spoke about movies that much! I was reminded by an old friend,W.,that one of our last face to face conversations happened to be about our movie - madness. . . and that I watched the DC movie channel, as did he, that had really wonderful films every week. Baltimore had a movie matinee with Tchaikovsky's piano concerto as the theme song. I have a friend who is taking a film class about Woody Allen! Isn't that great! Anyway, I told her that his comedies are like Bob Hope movies. Go ahead. Watch a Bob Hope movie and than an Allen. His serious movies are like Bergman's. We digressed to a Wayne's World discussion and the Grim Reaper not playing chess but Twister. If you've never seen the Seventh Seal - you wouldn't get the joke. I posted that photo of Alfred Hitchcock because he has influenced so many directors and after all with this last name of mine I feel an obligation. I wear a pin with his face on it and I can't tell you how many times a shop clerk will comment on it and say, " Oh - Is that your Dad?". And of course at that moment the conversational divide takes place in my head. Shall I launch into a brief nod to his importance as a director? Recite a long list of films they may have seen? Nah. I just say," Yes, a wonderful man, my dad Hitch." When my girls were little I gave them a film challenge of sorts. They were NOT allowed to watch TV without asking permission and even then I tortured them with all sorts of chores and tasks ( bed made? dishes done? world peace?) BUT if they were going to watch a movie...Okie doke by me. So one summer they asked me who I thought they should watch. I think they meant movie star. But I gave them Hitchcock , the director,to begin the film journey. Not allowed to view Psycho though. Anna had a job that summer - but Cara was free to waltz into Video Americain with me and choose the films. Somehow she discovered Esther Williams. Maybe because Cara was such a good swimmer. So I'm not really sure if in her mind she has Million Dollar Mermaid mixed up with Strangers on a Train.
Friday, February 19, 2010
I love movies. Animation, drama, comedy, an action adventure on occasion, never a horror film because I am such a weenie. I love movies. I like thinking about them, watching them, re casting in my head. I have watched so many movies that I recognize some props and locations from other films or television shows. I love how the camera moves, the lighting,the sound, the editing.
My relationship to the silver screen ( why is it called the silver screen?) started when I was a little girl and I went to movies with my mother. She was a real movie buff. In fact, my mom would take me out of school to see a movie. Jennie would arrive at my classroom door and motion to the teacher. They would pow wow for a moment and the teacher would excuse me for the rest of the day. I have NO idea what lie my mother told - but as we walked down the hall toward the exit, she would say," A double feature at RKO today" or " Brigadoon!" When we lived in New York we went all over Staten Island and Manhattan. Never any of the other boroughs.We never bought candy or popcorn. Just the movie.
In the 70's I told my mom I thought she would enjoy seeing this new movie by Fellini's protege - Lina Wertmeuller... a deckhand and wealthy woman are stranded on a desert island...My mom looked at me and said, " Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard 1939"
She had been there and done THAT movie.
My father was in the Coast Guard and I was allowed to go to movies on the base. My father usually walked me into the show. All the sailors were sitting on benches or folding chairs. I sat on the end of the row and never budged.No other kids. It was 25 cents. At the end of the movie, my dad reappeared and took my hand and we went home. He never discussed the movies the way my mother and I did. But I knew he couldn't stand Judy Garland. At home we watched Friday night movies that sometimes conflicted with the Friday Night Fights. I recently heard Meryl Streep who remembered how she loved watching old movies on TV every afternoon. Scorsese too. All in NYC. Creature Feature and Zachary, the ghoul/vampire TV featured B horror films. It seemed normal in NY to talk to other kids about movies. Not so much anyplace else. Although I lived in California for a short time when I was little - we were invested in radio at the time and devoted to shows like the Breakfast Club and The Arthur Godfrey Show ( Hahwhyah hahwhyah hahwhya...)
I went to the movies whenever visiting my grandmother, here in Baltimore, every Saturday after my chores were completed. I went by myself. I walked down to the Avenue to the Ideal or Hampden theatre. For a mere 35 cents I could watch a cowboy movie, a short , a newsreel and a cartoon plus a real live announcer who was pelted with jujus and milk duds. I don't remember what the man on stage had to say because I couldn't believe kids had the nerve to throw candy at him. He looked like his head was too small for his body. He was encased in an old zoot suit.
The gal in the ticket booth at the Ideal had a powdered face that made her look like a corpse. Her hair was wavy and stuck to her scalp. Two heavily rouged cheeks.
Not that this twosome impressed me much! That movie house had a gold fish pond in the entrance. It was really something. Set the mood - You knew something great was about to happen. Ushers with flashlights and uniforms!
To be continued. . .
My relationship to the silver screen ( why is it called the silver screen?) started when I was a little girl and I went to movies with my mother. She was a real movie buff. In fact, my mom would take me out of school to see a movie. Jennie would arrive at my classroom door and motion to the teacher. They would pow wow for a moment and the teacher would excuse me for the rest of the day. I have NO idea what lie my mother told - but as we walked down the hall toward the exit, she would say," A double feature at RKO today" or " Brigadoon!" When we lived in New York we went all over Staten Island and Manhattan. Never any of the other boroughs.We never bought candy or popcorn. Just the movie.
In the 70's I told my mom I thought she would enjoy seeing this new movie by Fellini's protege - Lina Wertmeuller... a deckhand and wealthy woman are stranded on a desert island...My mom looked at me and said, " Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard 1939"
She had been there and done THAT movie.
My father was in the Coast Guard and I was allowed to go to movies on the base. My father usually walked me into the show. All the sailors were sitting on benches or folding chairs. I sat on the end of the row and never budged.No other kids. It was 25 cents. At the end of the movie, my dad reappeared and took my hand and we went home. He never discussed the movies the way my mother and I did. But I knew he couldn't stand Judy Garland. At home we watched Friday night movies that sometimes conflicted with the Friday Night Fights. I recently heard Meryl Streep who remembered how she loved watching old movies on TV every afternoon. Scorsese too. All in NYC. Creature Feature and Zachary, the ghoul/vampire TV featured B horror films. It seemed normal in NY to talk to other kids about movies. Not so much anyplace else. Although I lived in California for a short time when I was little - we were invested in radio at the time and devoted to shows like the Breakfast Club and The Arthur Godfrey Show ( Hahwhyah hahwhyah hahwhya...)
I went to the movies whenever visiting my grandmother, here in Baltimore, every Saturday after my chores were completed. I went by myself. I walked down to the Avenue to the Ideal or Hampden theatre. For a mere 35 cents I could watch a cowboy movie, a short , a newsreel and a cartoon plus a real live announcer who was pelted with jujus and milk duds. I don't remember what the man on stage had to say because I couldn't believe kids had the nerve to throw candy at him. He looked like his head was too small for his body. He was encased in an old zoot suit.
The gal in the ticket booth at the Ideal had a powdered face that made her look like a corpse. Her hair was wavy and stuck to her scalp. Two heavily rouged cheeks.
Not that this twosome impressed me much! That movie house had a gold fish pond in the entrance. It was really something. Set the mood - You knew something great was about to happen. Ushers with flashlights and uniforms!
To be continued. . .
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Oh no! The pressure is on! I outed myself and let my pals know that I have a BLOG.
I was thinking about writing to my girls "the movie story". How movies influenced me, my life, my entertainment, my education. And I thought I would include it in the blog. So later tonight or tomorrow morning, after I finish watching Roman Holiday for the 20th time, I will travel the movie trail. Oh how I love movies. My only regret - no kidding - I didn't go to film school. Nah - believe me it is too late.
I was thinking about writing to my girls "the movie story". How movies influenced me, my life, my entertainment, my education. And I thought I would include it in the blog. So later tonight or tomorrow morning, after I finish watching Roman Holiday for the 20th time, I will travel the movie trail. Oh how I love movies. My only regret - no kidding - I didn't go to film school. Nah - believe me it is too late.
Refrigerator Contents My Life
I haven't shopped during the snow invasion. I just used everything we had on hand.
I made more soup than Our Daily Bread. We haven't a fresh piece of fruit, bread or veg in the entire house.
I inventoried the needs of the H twosome and so I'm heading to the grocery store today.
The refrige and pantry look so sad. Even the ice in the ice bin looks stale.
Crumbs and flakes litter the shelves and bins. Onion skins are scattered all over the opened stale graham crackers meant for the birds. Strangely enough I have canned tomatoes and tomato paste for lots o sauce. Clam juice. Really good fig spread.
Weird opened cereal boxes tip over. Oak cakes? What are they?
The shelves on the refrigerator door hold such sad looking containers. Jars sticky with who knows what.
Why did I buy a tin of French peppercorns? I think I loved the label.Hominy? That's a good label too. Label art - really underappreciated.
Did Tom and I really need the ginormous jar of bread and butter pickles?
Only two floating about in the brine sea - so I guess we did need them! How old is that reduced salt soy sauce? Is there such a thing?
I wonder what the bottled salad dressings would taste like if I blended them together? It would clear a lot of door shelf space.
To Ponder:
Why do we have all this mustard?
What is the meaning of two sad apples in a cracked bowl Grasshopper?
Note to self:
Take the thousands of plastic bags formerly housed in the bottom of the pantry back to the store today.
Madonna
I haven't shopped during the snow invasion. I just used everything we had on hand.
I made more soup than Our Daily Bread. We haven't a fresh piece of fruit, bread or veg in the entire house.
I inventoried the needs of the H twosome and so I'm heading to the grocery store today.
The refrige and pantry look so sad. Even the ice in the ice bin looks stale.
Crumbs and flakes litter the shelves and bins. Onion skins are scattered all over the opened stale graham crackers meant for the birds. Strangely enough I have canned tomatoes and tomato paste for lots o sauce. Clam juice. Really good fig spread.
Weird opened cereal boxes tip over. Oak cakes? What are they?
The shelves on the refrigerator door hold such sad looking containers. Jars sticky with who knows what.
Why did I buy a tin of French peppercorns? I think I loved the label.Hominy? That's a good label too. Label art - really underappreciated.
Did Tom and I really need the ginormous jar of bread and butter pickles?
Only two floating about in the brine sea - so I guess we did need them! How old is that reduced salt soy sauce? Is there such a thing?
I wonder what the bottled salad dressings would taste like if I blended them together? It would clear a lot of door shelf space.
To Ponder:
Why do we have all this mustard?
What is the meaning of two sad apples in a cracked bowl Grasshopper?
Note to self:
Take the thousands of plastic bags formerly housed in the bottom of the pantry back to the store today.
Madonna
I cannot believe my eyes! I think this may be the biggest storm of my life.
I remember some storms in Cape May making huge drifts and seeing blocks of ice floating down the Delaware - but nothing like the four or five feet in our back yard today. Big , beautiful drifts against the garage. Not a sign of bird life, rabbits or mice. I thought the mice would try very hard to get into the house. Watch, I'll go downstairs and discover a mini set of mittens drying on the line. Like the Tale of Two Bad Mice from Beatrix Potter.
I have made a Thai carrot soup, rice pudding and tofu veg thingy. I have ordered furniture, clothes and a knife from the Internet. I read all the jokes and ads in the New Yorker. I am listening to the wind howl and a Tom Jones CD. I have watched two Hitchcocks, one Fritz Lang and now on to Bergman's Wild Strawberries! TIVO is da bomb. I say watch, but I'm moving around the house working on small projects. Hanging art. Moving art. Looking at pet adoption sites. Curled my hair. Uncurled my hair. Planned a garden. Looked at the Martha Stewart site. Unplanned that garden! Watched cute animals on You Tube. Watched the Hullaboo Dancers. Searched for Shindig but came to my senses and went back to a knitting project.
I'm oh! so busy! I even polished a pair of shoes.
Gotta to get back to work now
Alphabetizing the spices...
Love to all -
Snowcapped Madonna
I remember some storms in Cape May making huge drifts and seeing blocks of ice floating down the Delaware - but nothing like the four or five feet in our back yard today. Big , beautiful drifts against the garage. Not a sign of bird life, rabbits or mice. I thought the mice would try very hard to get into the house. Watch, I'll go downstairs and discover a mini set of mittens drying on the line. Like the Tale of Two Bad Mice from Beatrix Potter.
I have made a Thai carrot soup, rice pudding and tofu veg thingy. I have ordered furniture, clothes and a knife from the Internet. I read all the jokes and ads in the New Yorker. I am listening to the wind howl and a Tom Jones CD. I have watched two Hitchcocks, one Fritz Lang and now on to Bergman's Wild Strawberries! TIVO is da bomb. I say watch, but I'm moving around the house working on small projects. Hanging art. Moving art. Looking at pet adoption sites. Curled my hair. Uncurled my hair. Planned a garden. Looked at the Martha Stewart site. Unplanned that garden! Watched cute animals on You Tube. Watched the Hullaboo Dancers. Searched for Shindig but came to my senses and went back to a knitting project.
I'm oh! so busy! I even polished a pair of shoes.
Gotta to get back to work now
Alphabetizing the spices...
Love to all -
Snowcapped Madonna
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