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Saturday, January 23, 2010

He Don't Even Speak Good English

Heavens, what supportive comments on my last post. You guys are a good group. I think I'll keep you.

I've been stressing about the various details of that whole plan, so much so that this afternoon I gave myself my second migraine ever. Those really suck. I quickly took some meds, pulled the blinds, and put a sleep mask on. I ended up snoring away with the cat sitting on my hip for about an hour and a half. I think it was just enough to keep the worst of the headache at bay, although I did get to the stage where I felt like my eyeballs were being pushed deep into their sockets. Ugh. Migraines are bad. So tonight instead of studying for my initial test for the teaching program, I popped in a movie and just vegged in front of the TV. Not the best use of my time, but I wasn't sure I could handle reading after my headache.

I enjoy seeing movies in the theater, but I'm a bit hard to please. And I'm totally disappointed by what passes as good acting nowadays. So I decided to rent some oldies that I've never seen before from this list and started tonight with 12 Angry Men. What a film! And Henry Fonda - what a great performance. His face is so expressive; he is entirely believable. I absolutely loved this movie. It reminded me so much of jury deliberations on the trial I was on a year or so ago. (And it made me want to write about that experience.) I thought Jack Klugman did great, too. It's kind of fun to watch movies without a bunch of special effects and just absorb the story. Great movie. I've only seen Henry Fonda in one other movie - On Golden Pond. Holy cow, is that a good movie or what? I haven't seen that since it came out. That would be another fun rental.

If I get my studying done tomorrow, next up is Glengarry Glen Ross. Not exactly an oldie, but highly recommended. Any other great ones I should see?

7 comments:

  1. I long for days when I'm organised enough to watch a DVD.

    I'm thrilled you loved "12 Angry Men". It's long been a favourite of mine and I love "On Golden Pond", too, though it's reviled as schmaltzy in some quarters. I'm 40% schmaltz by birth, so that's okay with me.

    My eclectic suggestions would include: "All about my Mother", "A Matter of Life and Death", "Badlands", "Black Narcissus", "Casablanca", "Cinema Paradiso" (NOT the Director's cut), "House of Sand and Fog", "Into the Wild", "Jesus of Montreal", "Lars and the Real Girl", "The Hours", "Volver", "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". I could go on with at least a hundred recommendations but will stop there for now.

    As you are a prospective Teacher, I would urge you towards two French movies: "Etre et Avoir" and "The Class" (the first inspiring, the second a cautionary tale)

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  2. Or this, which I just found on TED:

    http://www.ted.com/talks/taylor_mali_what_teachers_make.html

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  3. You've only seen two Henry Fonda movies?! Only two!? Two?!! Ye gods, woman! Get busy!

    You need to see "Jezebel", "The Grapes of Wrath", "The Lady Eve", "The Ox-Bow Incident", "Mister Roberts". And that's just for starters. Now get to work.

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  4. I love On Golden Pond.

    I had a huge love affair (in my mind) with young Marlon Brando. I really liked On the Waterfront. I also am a sucker for Humphrey and Lauren so The Big Sleep tops my list. I love old flicks!

    If you haven't seen It Happened One Night, do! (Clark Gable!)

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  5. Glengarry Glenross is a favourite in this household. Guess I came in in third place. ;)

    Not really into old films but I very much enjoyed The Usual Suspects ... just a cool ensemble piece. I am also a big fan of Bleu/Blanc/Rouge... three films... but odd. In a flowy kind of way.

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  6. Greg reminded me of House of Sand and Fog. However, I would MUCH rather you read the book than rent the movie. But anyway, A Trip To Bountiful would be my recommendation. It's a quiet little movie with Geraldine Paige (Page?) in what I consider to be her best performance ever. Beyond that, The Shipping News, The Color Purple, Shindler's List. Say Amen, Someone.

    It's raining raining raining in the Roch cha cha. Lacey dozes in the chair, Patty is at the dentist, and I sit here like a vegetable. Soon to slip down to the basement to see what treasures the kiln offers up this morning.

    Word verification is laimpace. EXACTLY!!!

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  7. The Ox Bow Incident is fabulous. May I also recommend His Girl Friday, Arsenic And Old Lace, Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey, The Thin Man and several of it's sequels, The 39 Steps, Charade and the original Bedazzled?

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