Its been awhile since we’ve done The Crying Game. Initially I said I was going to keep up with everything that makes me cry and then share all of the ridiculousness at the end of each month. But it was just too much. So I think I’ll just pop in every once in a while and say.
This one gets me every single time.
The parade scene in Ferris Buellers Day Off. Most specifically the part when Ferris “performs” Twist and Shout by The Beatles
It even just made me cry when I watched it on youtube to find it for this blog post….
I don’t know what it is about it. I guess its probably a bunch of little things.
Seeing a Beatles song being “performed” in front of an audience?
Knowing that a lot of the footage was just of real Chicago citizens who showed up for the real parade that went through the streets just before this movie one came trailing behind it and really reacted in such a raucous way – singing and dancing along? (why yes I am a commentary – making of biography-special features watching nerd)
Seeing so many different ages and cultures singing and dancing along to the same rock n roll song? (I guess it also helps that it is The Beatles)
Today I did a lot of at home work. Ordering. Follow up phone calls. Organization. You know the drill. While I worked on my laptop from my own comfy couch I watched Gus Van Sants Elephant. The movie is, according to Netflix, an “unnerving tale about high school violence that unfolds on an ordinary school day…”. Admittedly, I wanted to see it because it IS a Gus Van Sant movie and he is a friggin genius. I didn’t think I’d like it because of the subject matter, which is strange because I am VERY interested in (mostly true) crime movies, shows, and novels. I didn’t think I would like it because I get very aggravated when the subject of school violence comes up. People act so dumbfounded by it and I think its dumb to be dumbfounded. If a person is a violent person, and a teenager, most of their time is spent at school. School is like another home. You know every little nook and crannie of that freakin place! Nearly everyone you know is either related to you or goes to your school. Anyone you feel any animosity towards is probably going to be there. I guess I always look at it as a ‘crap happens’ situation. Don’t get me wrong, its a horrible thing, but I just never understand why people can’t believe it happens and when it does they look for any little ridiculous thing like what kind of music the child listens to or what type of movies they watch. Please. Yes, of course a violent minded person is going to watch violent movies, play violent video games, and listen to hostile music.
Anyway. I was surprised that I DID like the movie, and that it actually did unnerve me – i am pretty desensitized when it comes to violence and the like. I loved the camera work and the way he followed several different students from different crowds on an average day – and you could see how their paths cross.
When the violence started everything seemed pretty calm. This surprised me. In my head I expected a rehearsed or at least talked about course of action to have taken place when the shooting started. The school seemed small – one building. (I don’t know about you but my public high school had about ten.) The students could hear the initial shots – and the kids screaming, but they didnt run, didnt close and barracade doors, they just jumped, and went about their business.
I thought about this and it dawned on me that for instance, when the Columbine School Shooting happened, no one really thought about it ever happening. I’m sure it has happened before that, but the only big school shootings that I can even think of off of the top of my head is Columbine and Virginia Tech. So before Columbine, the fact that someone may be shooting up your high school would probably be the last thing on your mind. You might think someone fell, dropped something very heavy, a drama class is filming some sort of project. Anything but a shooting.
Now it very well may be the first thing to pop into a students head. I think parents should talk to their kids about the possibility of a school shooting and tell them just a few simple things they need to know to do. Don’t go out in the halls. Close your classroom door – barricade it – call the police if anyone has a cell phone – escape through a window if possible – duck under your desk if not. It is likely the shooters will cause a commotion in a big gathering place that will make students run into the halls where they can just shoot through the crowd and hit a larger number of people. I think it would be a good idea for a scheduled drill just like for fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Anyways, sorry if I’m blabbering on, but the movie is good and worth a watch.
and on an unrelated note, I really liked the clean simple design of the DVD menu.
So kids, last week I had a bit of sadness enter my life. One of my most favoritest bands, The White Stripes, are no more.
If you haven’t given them a listen, you have been deprived. We were planning on seeing them live the next time they tour. Now we won’t be able to and this is a lesson in ‘sometimes there may not be a next time.’
They went on a tour across Canada in 2007 and released their only live album, a dvd documentary, and a book of photographs taken documenting the tour. You can get the whole box set for about $260 – or buy it piece by piece like me. I just received the book in the mail. It is normally $45 but right now on Amazon its $9. My friend Jimmy tweeted that deal to me and I immediately snagged it!
I didn’t want to take too many pictures of someone elses photography – so here is the cover and my favorite shots – Meg and Jack sleeping on a plane.
So I am back from my little trip to Chicago. I was there for a photography workshop which was so fun, so informative, and so worth it. It has really given me a new little push of excitement. I got to meet a lot of people who have the same passion as I do and want to learn more. I got to meet people that I work with (online). And I got to see people who have taught me in the past and will continue to do so. I was also able to travel with a couple of gals who I work closely with weekly and we really had a lot of fun together. We all took a ton of hipstamatics and Imma gonna share some!
We flew out Saturday, checked into the hotel, ate some Chipotle, and went to a welcome party! Sadly we didn’t get any outfit/party shots.
Started and finished this within the hour.
Chicagoland!
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn – and I gotta say – it was nice. Awesome fitness center, great breakfast, coffee AND flavored creamers, to go cups, sleep by number beds, and really nice bedding. My husband thinks I’m nuts because I tend to base my hotel selection firstly on the fact that they better NOT have bedspreads.
Sunday was an all day long workshop with the ladies.
just a few of the nice ladies!
Charlie – the incredibly creepy and real looking practice newborn.
After that we had dinner and finally saw Black Swan. The movie was SO good. The costumes were beautiful. The dancing was spectacular.
Monday we awoke to another day of workshop, Chicago deep dish pizza for lunch (!) and then flew out of Chicago just in time to miss the big blizzard.
I’m spending the day on the computer – in blogland, editing from my last JJP wedding, ordering product. Over on ye olde tv Cold Mountain is on. If you haven’t seen this movie – go watch it. But even more importantly. Go listen to the soundtrack. The movie is moving in and of itself, but paired with the music….the music kind of makes it for me. The music is “The Crying Game” worthy I can tell you that. Some songs on the soundtrack are religious – which I am not – but I still frequently listen to them. The music is raw and full of emotion. Please, go listen.
Here is Jack White performing “Wayfaring Stranger” live.
Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus, Tim’OBrien – I Wish My Baby Was Born
You all know Adrian Grenier right? He’s best known as Vincent Chase in HBOs hit series Entourage.
I know you ladies know who I’m talking about.
Do you remember the first time you were enamored by ol’ Adrian? Take it on back. Think about it.
I first saw him when I was in middle school. Thats right. Eleven years ago. And guess what? He hasn’t even freaking aged since then.
He starred in that movie Drive Me Crazy with Sabrina the teenage witch! That was ELEVEN years ago?! That makes me feel so old. The movie also featured a band that none of my friends at the time knew about called The Donnas.
HAS NOT AGED.
Here he is in the Britney Spears video for Crazy…tell me that doesn’t take you back.
This isn’t a vintage movie poster, but two different poster concepts for the spanish film The Orphanage.
Which one do you prefer? I thinks its probably not hard for you to figure out that I prefer the second one. Its very 70′s horror to me.
The movie was very good. I can tell that the director didn’t want to focus on making a horror movie with scares, but on the emotions – fright yes, but also grief, guilt, and love. If you decide to watch it – definitely check out the special features section, there is a poster concept part with a few more interesting designs.
In 2002 a little movie called Slackers came out. I was 16 or 17 and I went to see it in the theaters. I don’t remember who I was with. Even Though Jason Schwartzman was in the film it wasn’t spectacular. But there is one scene that lasts about one minute and I love it. It features a little ditty from School House Rock called Three Is A Magic Number – but performed by Blind Melon. I love this song, it is on my iPod, and I rock out to it frequently.
Modern day movie posters are a bit of a snore if you ask me. Not the ones graphic design artists are making and selling on the internets….but the ones that the actual studios make…the ones that people will see fifty years from now.
Would you rather look at this over photoshopped poster of the movies star?
or this beautiful colorful poster of the same movie….but the original 1967 version.
Oh yeah. My vote is for the bold print, bright, psychedelic vintage.
