oh yoko

Currently working on a Cajun dinner party--ettoufee, crab dip, collard greens, shrimp cornbread...the works.
(total count: 5 onions, 4 green peppers, 4 jalapeños, 4 lbs of shrimp, 2 lbs of celery.  I'm expecting it to be delicious).

While elbows deep in the spicy madness, I have itunes set on shuffle.



This song just came on and shot me back to Hillsdale days.  Esp of driving around with AH and KP with the speakers blaring.  And Wes Anderson films.

Good times Yoko.

B

'The Tree of Life'

Now you too can have this playing and replaying through your head all day/week/month etc.
I've watched this trailer everyday since it released last week, and I hold my breath every time.



While we're waiting for the movie's release, we'll be re-watching the director's other movies.  Our two favorites (not that we have a large number to chose from) are 'Days of Heaven' and 'The New World'.  They are not the story-driven masterpiece that we hope 'The Tree of Life' to be, but good golly can that man prepare a visual feast.

B

Movies for our future children

When recently asked about my favorite movie, I realized that I couldn't pick just one.  I instead gave (unasked) a top 10 list and placed Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang firmly in the middle.  The first time I saw that movie was when I was 9, stuck inside with head lice (everyone on my swim team got them...don't judge).  For three days I sat on the hardwood living room floor while my mother picked through my hair with a fine-toothed comb and washed my hair with medicated shampoo...rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat etc etc.
We rented Chitty Chitty Bang Bang mostly because, at a run time of 144 minutes, it was the longest movie we could find.  And in the midst of those tedious days, I fell in love.  A few reasons why the movie's just gosh darned wonderful: Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay, Dick Van Dyke, two precious and precocious children, a sheepdog named Edison, Lionel Jeffries, songs that stick in your head for weeks, toot sweets, and a Baron Bomburst.

All this to say, recently watching this movie again has made Tom and I begin to talk about what movies we will allow our children to watch, and what movies we will NOT.  I suffered through Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeaquel very much against my will; I will never place the same burden upon our future babes.
A quick, off-the-top-of my head-list of approved movies.  Movies that encourage at least one of the following: beauty, imagination, tenderness, adventure, stewardship, greatness, sacrifice, and selflessness.

Iron Giant
Last Unicorn
Spirited Away
Babe
The Point
The Triplets of Belleville
Never Ending Story
Charlotte's Web
The Thief of Bagdad
Most classic Disney cartoons (esp Peter Pan, Bambi, Dumbo, Beauty and the Beast, Jungle Book, and Fantasia)
The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series


And in the list of verboten:

Anything live action from the Disney channel (from Tom)
Most Nickelodeon cartoons
Most current t.v. shows
     I realize we've crossed over into cable/public broadcasting land, but I just wanted to add my disgust at children's tv.  Even if the shows were decent, we wouldn't be watching much, but at this low caliber...most likely never.

Too harsh?  Any suggestions for either category?

B

December 10th can't come too soon

Julie Taymor (Titus, Frida, Across the Universe) is a pure artist.  Before directing films, she used her experience of mask work and puppetry to direct/create the Broadway Lion King.  Quite an impressive resume.

Within her talented hands, we have no qualms over Prospero's Prospera's gender switch (how could we, with Helen Mirren in control?!).

We are also thrilled to see more of Ben Wishaw.  Bright Star was beautiful, but we're so glad he is getting another turn at the fantastic, because we loved him in Perfume...

And Russell Brand as Trinculo.  Enough said.

T & B