Oscar!

February 28, 2016

Oscar Sunday.  

Many years ago I was just up the street from this view and mentioned to the host of the Oscar party that I was attending that I was looking for a home to buy.  Maybe I said, "... a house?" 

"That little house just down the hill has been empty for a while," he said.

Long story short.  Here I am all these years later, remembering that party and how grateful I am to my good friend, Tom W., who encouraged me and advised me every step of the way.   

About  KNIGHT OF CUPS..  Terrence Malick is an unusual guy.  I think I'm going to rent all of his films over the next several weeks and see how they hold up.  I loved TREE OF LIFE because it was so disjointed: Art.  Jan Munroe has compared KNIGHT OF CUPS to abstract painting.. maybe ditto for TREE OF LIFE?..  at any rate, Malick is the kind of director/writer who makes the audience do a lot of work. Most of us are lazy and want the painting or the movie to just simply tell us the story.   Ben Kingsley narrates and some of the narration is very cryptic.  At the outset he tells the story of the King of 'the east'  who sent his son, the Prince, to the west to find a wife and how he fell into a dream. It is epic in its scope: shot all over the place in and around Los Angeles, Venice, Downtown, Santa Monica.. the beach.. the desert...  pay attention to the dream.  

Christian Bale: the 'prince?' Cate Blanchett: the wife.  Natalie Portman: the affair.     Naked women and quick cuts, gorgeous cinematography. Lots of work for the audience and a real treat for the dreamer. 

Oscar tonight.  Chris Rock hosts a host of white nominees.   A black comic may become the Ricky Gervais of the Oscars?  My fingers are crossed for some pithy comments!  The Academy Awards!  Thanks to them, here I am. 

February 28, 2016 (not the last day of February!)

michaelsheehan  

Watching West Side Story with the sound off.  Robert Wise directs  / Jerome Robbins choreographs..  What a classic!