#42 - FILM: Bollywood to Bubba

my frazy music, movies and books!



Lots of time on my hands this week to sit down with the DVD player for a little entertainment and enlightment.

Here's the scoop:

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

If you are not big on foreign films, this is a delightfully romping silly introduction to Bollywood.

You will probably recognize one of the stars, Naveen Andrews, of LOST fame.

I thoroughly enjoyed the predictable plot and romantic angst of the young lovers in this story and the fretting parents.

Director, Gurinder Chadha, (Bend It Like Beckham) uses the plot of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice (complete with Mr. Darcy) to introduce American audiences to romance India style.
One of the highlights of this film are musical numbers that are vibrant and somewhat corny (think GREASE) and sweet.

I could easily see this film turning into a musical.

PG13 - Storyline is about romance, but compared to most American PG-13 films, nothing to worry about here.



Being Julia (2004)

Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons grace this adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's tale called "Theatre".

Here's my theory on films like this...

Don't bother making a film unless there is no other way to reveal the story.

This plot could have been (and SHOULD have been) a stage play. A live audience may have served it better.

This film survives only due to the amazing performance of Annette Bening. She received a Golden Globe for her presentation of Julia in this film. She is a gifted American actress whose subtlety may very easily be overlooked when thrown into the throngs of starlets desperately grabbing for attention.

If you really want to see Annette Bening at her best check out Richard III (1995).

Being Julia is burdened with a predictable plot which feels more like a chore than an escape into entertainment. Here's the short and skinny, a middle aged actress falls for a young lover who is a cad and uses her terribly. Cad gets his comeuppance in final scene.

R rating - Sex


Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

This has got to be the third time I have viewed this film.

It is an absolute gas!

Each time is funnier than the last.

The plot revolves around Elvis and JFK saving a nursing home from a mummy's curse.

It is well worth your time.

R rating - Lots of bathroom and old man humor; not appropriate for the delicately inclined.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

There are a lot of good reasons to see this film.

I wish I had seen it on the big screen. The cinematography is breathtaking. If you are an admirer of Vermeer's artwork, you will easily see the detail given to light and making the simplicity of life breathtakingly beautiful.

For the visual treasure that this film is, I recommend it... but, I will tell you this...

the book by author, Tracy Chevalier , is infinitely better when it comes to storyline. The filmmakers cut away the subplot of the book.

If you have never read the book, your experience of this film may be different than mine.

I was disappointed in the lack of depth given to Griet, the beautiful woman of the famous painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring.

The film is slow-paced, which I enjoyed, my husband did not.

If you are curious about the details of medieval life, then you will surely enjoy this film as a treasure trove of historical information.

Scarlet Johansson is breathtakingly beautiful in this story, Colin Firth plays Colin Firth in period costume (as usual) and the supporting cast is flawless.

3 Oscar Nominations and 2 Golden Globe nominations were given to this film. Definitely worth a look see.

Rating PG-13 - Scenes depicting sexual assault

Dogville (2003)

This film, starring Nicole Kidman, is shocking and stark.

I love it... that is not the correct term. I am passionate about this film.

We saw the red carpet premiere of Dogville during the Toronto International Film Festival, complete with an appearance by Nicole Kidman.

Even in the balcony of the huge Pantages theater, Ms. Kidman is radiant.

And her beauty as the tormented, Grace, in Dogville makes this film disturbing.

Director, Lars von Trier, is known for his minimalist work. And such is the case with Dogville.

The set is stripped away, taking place on a soundstage with just enough scenery to tell the tale. Scenes are created by lighting, a few props and intense performances.

The first viewing of this film left me feeling overwhelmingly confused by the powerful emotions stirred up. My husband became so upset over the plot, that he actually walked out of the theater during a scene, returning later.

Here's why.

Rape happens in this story.

And there is nothing Hollywood glamorized about it.

Nor is it something that any voyeur would enjoy.

The plot shows rape for what it is... a horrendously brutal act of anger against a vulnerable victim.

And for that, Dogville is something worth viewing.

The story shows how women who are victimized may not run away from an attacker, they may not fight back, they may just do what they have to do to survive.

The theme of this film also addresses the shadow that lies within each of us. When presented with having power over someone else, would we also victimize?

I viewed the film for the second time this week, and saw the film in a different light than the first viewing. I was so shocked by the unexpected turns in the plot, that my first viewing left me overwhelmed.

The second viewing, now knowing what was going to happen, I was able to focus on the characters... and Lars von Trier has definitely defined the darkness that lies waiting in each of us.

This film is not for everyone, and definitely did not get the recognition it deserves... thus, the reason it was not released to mainstream audiences. But, if you want to learn something about the human heart... you may want to consider watching this film.

Rating R - Explicit Sex, Violence

#41 - Naughty Ken Jennings

Jeopardy all star champion, Ken Jennings, has a bee in his bonnet.

Using his blog like a sledgehammer on Alex Trebek, Ken declares that Alex died in a firey crash and was replaced with a cyborg... opr something like that. Here is an excerpt from naughty Ken's Alex Trebek rant:


"Finally, Alex. I know, I know, the old folks love him.

Nobody knows he died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trebektron 4000 (I see your engineers still can’t get the mustache right, by the way.)

But that’s beside the point:

“Alex” is the franchise. You can’t just bring in Ryan Seacrest without warning, more’s the pity. But I think a few little host tweaks would do a lot of good.

On Price Is Right, Bob Barker ends every show with a plug for his personal favorite cause. “Spay or neuter your pet!” or whatever. Something like this would humanize Trebek. I propose a new sign-off, along the lines of, “Can our returning champion do it again on tomorrow’s show? Tune in and find out, everybody. Legalize cannabis. Good night.”

You know how Trebek likes to read foreign words in these thick, strained accents, thinking he’s being muy auténtico? He should continue to do this, but instead of delivering them himself, he needs to have a little ventriloquist’s dummy with a sombrero to pipe in with those words. (The sombrero can be switched with a beret for French words.)

Whenever Alex says “Correct!” to a contestant, he should do the two-index-finger point, like Isaac in the Love Boat credits.

You and I have a lot of history, Jeopardy! You know I think the world of you…you’re putting my kids through college, for crying out loud! So I think I can be open with you in a way that others just can’t. I hope you take this advice in the spirit in which it was offered. Remember, I only criticize because I…

Love,

Ken

XOXOXO

Okay, I am reminding myself to never cross Ken Jennings.

I mean... what a stinker!

The automaton on that show had been Ken...

or was I the only one to notice that.

Okay, sometimes Ken could be snippy, but... hey didn't you start thinking after awhile that his performance on Jeopardy was a tad scary.

Guess it takes an automaton to know one.

AOL readers' polls show that folks response to Ken Jennings little Jeopardy "bash-a-thon" is overwhelmingly appalled.

Why?

Because after winning $2.5 million , Ken Jennings... your attitude seems just a bit... hmmm...

ungrateful?

So what is the final answer to Mr. Jennings little Trebektron 4000...

Here you go, Ken:

"What is humble pie?"



RESOURCES:

Ken Jennings - Blog

#40 - Project Runway!!!!

Oh, I feel so lame... but, I am going to admit this:

I HAVE BEEN COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEXT SEASON FOR PROJECT RUNWAY!

And tonight is the big night.

I am not thrilled with the whole Heidi Klum says "We have a great villian this season."

I am not in this for the "drama".

I like the assignments and the results.

Let's talk about reality for a moment.

Do you really think that anyone is going to throw a six figure prize and licensing contracts to an idgit who does not know how to interact with the human race.

Here's the answer:

NOPE.

What I hope does not happen this season is that said "villian" gets carried into the top three as this happened last season.

I don't want to see such idiocy.

I want to see talent.

Plain and simple.

So let's see what this season brings.

Heat up the popcorn, gimme that remote and hold all calls tonight,

because Project Runway's new season premieres.

Auf Weiderschein!

#39 - A Creepy Phone Call

I just got off of the telephone with a creepy computer person.

Stay with me on this…

Not a person calling about computers…

This was a computer pretending to be a person.

She claimed to be representing DOVE.

I ask, “The soap?”

Long pause…

“No.

DOVE.

D-O-V-E.”

I respond, “Oh…yes… I got that part. “

Thinking to myself I KNOW how to spell dove.

Good grief!

The pleasant June Cleaver voice explained that Hollywood media is dominating the selection of film and television broadcasts.

DOVE wants people to take control of that by promoting family value oriented programming.

So I am thinking to myself,

“Whose family values?

Mine?

Are you including our multiracial second married selves…

and our sibling of the lesbian persuasion who is a proud parent and in a loving relationship with her partner.

Oh, and our brother who is also of the same sex persuasion…

um..

is that what you mean by family values?”

But, I thought I best be polite.

So instead I asked, “Which religious organization are you affiliated with?”

Long pause…

“DOVE is not affiliated with any church organization, but we promote the family values of the Judeo-Christian faiths.”

Again I am thinking…

“WHAT??! Muslims don’t have family values?

What about Buddhists?

Or Quakers…

do they count?”

I am starting to go on slow burn.

While my mind is racing… June Cleaver keeps on talking and talking.

I guess she is following a script.

So I decide to relieve her of the script and I ask another question.

Long pause.

And the voice switches gears and recites something else… and now I am VERY SUSPICIOUS.

I ask, “Am I talking to a COMPUTER?!!”

Pause.

Smooth as silk Not June Cleaver explains, “You are talking with a computer facilitated by a person.”

Well, something like that.

This was getting too surreal.

I push, “Look is this a computer or a person?”

And out comes a laugh on the phone line.

I sigh, “Oh! This is a person! Thank goodness, I was beginning to wonder what is going on here.”

And I let out a small laugh of relief.

And the response is the same laugh.

IDENTICAL to the first laugh.

Oh shoot.

This IS a computer.

A computer with an attitude thinking it was gonna be all human and stuff and trying to laugh.

Nope.

I had enough by now.

I am creeped out by this female HAL wannabe so I hang up.


So sorry, but I just DO NOT chat with computers.

Especially ones that sound like the voice of Big Brother on estrogen.

Bothered me so much I just had to locate the DOVE website.

I did.

It’s not too bad actually.

So I think they need to be enlightened by my disgruntled self.

Clicked the CONTACT US button and left the following message:

“I do not appreciate being interviewed by a computer.”

Yep.

I think that about sums it up.

Nuf’ said.

Oh… here’s their website just in case you are curious:

http://www.dove.org/default.asp

POSTSCRIPT:

They wrote back.
Here is what I got:

"If you would kindly provide me with your phone number, I can take you off of our calling list. I apologize for the call that was placed toyour home. We strive to be as professional as possible; however, whenworking with people, we are bound to fall short on occasion. I'm surethis is what happened in your case. Again, I apologize but want you toknow that our mission and cause are noble which is to get more cleanentertainment made for families and to provide families with informationso that they may make informed decisions. We in no way try to censor ordictate what families and/or adults watch. We feel strongly inproviding an alternative for what is generally available to families.Thank you for your feedback and with your phone number I can take youoff our call list.
Thank you.
Dave Lukens
Executive Director
The Dove Foundation535 East Fulton, Suite 1AGrand Rapids, MI 49503Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

I thought about a reply, but I am too tired and grouchy now.
But, I will tell you this... I am soooo not going to give these folks my phone number.
:P
TA!

#38 - Portrait Time!

I haven't posted any paintings in awhile.
Here is a portrait from a few years back that I gave one of my online pals.

#37 - Radio Broadcast Link

Sesame Street :Knickers in a Twist was aired this morning at my area's local National Public Radio (NPR) station.

Here is an audio link for anyone who would like to here my western New York accent:

wbfo NewsRoom

This commentary is copyrighted so please do not copy and distribute.

Thanks!

#36 - Television: The Other Side of the Coin

I love Sesame Street, and I am not ready to give up the family television quite yet...

but, TV Turnoff Week is coming soon: April 24 - 30, 2006. (Welcome to TV Turnoff Network)

That is certainly food for thought.

In the meantime, in all fairness to the folks who are working hard for humankind to regain control over the technology slumping into our homes... here is an interesting article printed in full with the author's permission:



A LOOK AT HOW THEY DO IT

By Steve Wagner, LMNOP

(Lake Merrit Neighbors Organized for Peace)

The Society for the Eradication of Television was started by Mary Dixon and some friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1980. Following several all-night discussions about media, especially television, and the bad effect that it usually seems to have, they printed a simple membership card that read: I do not have a working television in my home and I encourage others to do likewise. The befuddled and sometimes hostile response from the people they gave these to (who seemed to be just regular folks otherwise) reinforced their worst fears about what television was doing to people.

One thing led to another, and soon S.E.T. was holding meetings and publishing a newsletter. Anarchistic from the get, S.E.T. members started to spread the word in many other ways as well. Ester Erford sent a response to Dear Abby when Abby gave a tepid response to a woman who had written that her husband had stopped even acknowledging her presence once they bought a television. Esther asked Abby why she hadn't suggested booting the boob tube -- a perfectly reasonable question, it would seem. Abby printed Esther's letter, and then a blistering response, in part calling S.E.T. unamerican. Ellen Trabilcy and I coordinated a Radio Bridge dialogue about television between Americans and people in the Soviet Union on Radio Moscow. Radio Moscow and the Voice of America were at that time heard by more people worldwide than any other stations anywhere. Pat Brown did interviews on both the Voice of America and Radio Australia. In short, S.E.T. members were innovative in getting the message out in both big and little ways. After the Dear Abby column, followed by a second Dear Abby column given over totally to rabid attacks on S.E.T., and then the radio interviews, S.E.T. was suddenly flooded with requests for information from all corners of the world.

Now, many years later, the Society for the Eradication of Television is even more timely than it was when it first started in 1980: The number of non-television households is still right around 2%, the number of televisions manufactured is almost identical to the birthrate, and the media masters who own television still try to dictate what we think, what we think about, and when we think about it.

The most important thing we've learned So far as children are concerned Is never, never, never let Them near your television set - Or better still, just don't install The idiotic thing at all. . . They sit and stare and stare and sit Until they're hypnotized by it, Until they're absolutely drunk With all that shocking ghastly junk. . . 'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say, 'But if we take the set away, What shall we do to entertain Our darling children? Please explain!' We'll answer this by asking you, 'What used the darling ones to do? 'How used they keep themselves contented Before this monster was invented?' Have you forgotten? Don't you know? We'll say it very loud and slow: They used to read. They'd read and read and read and read and then proceed To read some more. -Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. A couple of years back Mary Dixon wrote a brief guide called Start a S.E.T. Chapter in Your Locality: Not hard to do, which outlined several activities step by step. The steps, which apply to organizing around this or almost any other issue, are these:

Decide on an easy-to-find, easy-to-get-to meeting place. Maybe a coffee house where everybody can order what they want and no responsibilities are put on a host or hostess;

Publicize this as best you can. Some papers allow social issue groups to put in a classified ad for free. Consider getting yourself interviewed as a non-watcher of television and include the organizational announcement in the article. Distribute flyers in places like laundromats and libraries. Other newsletters might announce your meeting;

Show up at the announced event. Feel optimistic and positive no matter what happens. If no one shows, enjoy your cuppa and consider what kind of rumblings just your ads and flyers caused. If one other person shows up, the two of you can have a good talk and cook up plans. If more, enjoy each other's company and establish a regular time and place to meet;

Keep organizational matters to a minimum. Concentrate on the purpose of the group. Just talking about the media, reinforcing each other, gives you strength when dealing with others. Other projects are as varied as your imagination:

Speaking to other groups

Making and displaying posters

Entering the Xmas parade as a unit

Setting up a booth at a local fair

Protesting an offensive media event

Starting a small library concerning media and television

Working up a comedy routine for a coffee house "open mike" evening

Designing quick radio spots and trying to get radio stations to run them as Public Service Announcements, etc.;

Enjoy the process. Since we have nothing to lose, we can be outrageous. Almost any publicity is better than none at all;

Put out a newsletter. Ideas in print seem to carry more weight.

Encourage others to find articles and cartoons. Encourage also the writing of articles and submitting of graphics. A newsletter does carry clout, allows people to mull over ideas, gets passed around, and helps to publicize both your ideas and your group.

I hope this brief history of S.E.T. is of interest. More important, I hope it is of use to Match! readers, and that they will soon create two, three, many chapters of the Society for the Eradication of Television.
Permission to post, reprint, forward, or otherwise distribute A Look at How They Do It is hereby granted.

To contact the Society for the Eradication of Television, write to
Society for the Eradication of Television
Box 10491
Oakland, CA 94610-0491

or e-mail set dot info at webwm dot com

To contact The Match!, write to

The Match!
Box 3012
Tucson, Arizona 85702

Society for the Eradication of Television

#35 - Sesame Street - Knickers in a Twist

Sesame Street is releasing a series of videos designed for children under the age of two.

The American Academy of Pediatrics have their knickers in a twist over this one. Children under the age of two don't need television.

I happen to agree with that, but...

The reality is that some parents...

oh heck, let's admit this...

MANY parents plop their kids in front of the television.

I would rather have the next generation plopped in front of Sesame Street than the other junk floating about in the great unwashed masses of television shows available.

I think back to when my little guy was two.

He would not utter one word... not a peep.

My sister told me to let him watch television.

My overly educated self went into hysterics... briefly.

Television!!

Oh no!!

I will ruin my child for life!!

But, I was desperate... and Little Bear was allowed to watch Teletubbies.

I hated Teletubbies, but the programming appealed to my ever silent toddler.

He started cooing and talking back to the baby floating in the sunshine. He mimcked the early language used by Dipsy, Tinky-Winky, Lala and Po.

Lo and behold... our son eventually turned into a chatterbox.

Frank McCourt eloquently explains in his book 'TIS, that these television shows are the mythology of our childhood.

I learned classical music through Bugs Bunny which has led to an almost four decades long love affair with the piano.

I learned how to find happiness in growing up in a large family of six kids by tuning in every week to The Brady Bunch. Those kids were happy, and kind... I learned to dream that for my family.

I made bag puppets and hid behind card tables enetertaining myself and anyone in my vicinity for hours while imitating Jim Henson's muppets from Sesame Street. As a teacher and then counselor... I continued to use hand puppets to educate and heal.

I met Gene Kelly through Tom and Jerry and took up dancing in front of a mirror until I eventually got the chance to dance on a stage in front of an audience.


The television provides the storyline to our childhood.

The fairy tales, the myths that are so desperately needed to help our young minds form meaning out of this huge big world.

And after teaching and counseling over one thousand kids in my career... quite frankly, some children would do a far bit better plopped in front of Sesame Street and absorbing that mythology than the horrors that await them in their real world.

My son started with "The Count" on Sesame Street (numbers are still his passion), and now has a very rich imganitive play life full of the storylines of SpongeBob Squarepants and The Fairly OddParents.

I hope he grows up as quirky as we, his parents did. Delving from the humor of his childhood.

Should we plop our kids in front of television?

No.

But, the American Academy of Pediatrics needs a reality check.

People are gong to use the television.

Ninety-eight percent of us in the U.S. have at least one television in our home.

Try working a bit harder on helping parents to find the energy in their lives to be more active in their parenting roles. Look at healing society's ills that cause exhausted and desperate parents to turn to the television as babysitter.

Stop tromping around on an organization that is trying to make the best out of what is already there... and put the money and effort in fixing the root of the problem... because folks, it's not Sesame Street that is going to create a generation of vacuous drooling t.v. watchers.

© Copyright 2006, WBFO



RESOURCES:
1) AOL News: entertainment tv articles - Sesame Street Videos Spark Controversy
2) American Academy of Pediatrics Web Site
3) PBS Kids: Sesame Street
4) relationships : electronic babysitters