Movies, Mom & Me

1. Who's watched:  G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  I had wanted to watch this movie ever since it came out and somehow never got the chance. I never mentioned it to anyone, but I thought of it often. When we joined a rental service I put it in my queue but there were always so many other, much lighter movies that I placed before it because, somehow, I knew this wasn't a film Mom would want to watch. Then, during the spring of 2008 when Mom was in the hospital an rehab, out of the blue MFS sent me a copy of this movie...even though I'm sure I never mentioned my interest in it to her...it's become, since, a symbol of our psychic link.
     This movie is frenetic, tragic and gorgeous, all at the same time. Ostensibly the story of what addiction (to a variety of "things", including dreams) can do to a person. It's wonderfully acted and so succinctly imagined, written, produced, directed and portrayed that, after one scene in which one of the characters sexually compromises herself for drugs, MFS told me she felt like she needed to take a shower after the scene. It's true: The movie throws the grime of desperation right through the screen at you. There's something in this movie to make anyone, everyone feel dirty. The desperation never lets up; it's like watching a family version of Titus Andronicus. Which, of course, thrills me. I don't know why I'm attracted to such spot-on portrayals of the dregs of life, but I am, and this one is a masterpiece. I've watched it three times since I've received it. I'll watch it again. I've even created the category of "tragedy" for it, because, oddly, despite my attraction to tragedy, except for some of the video adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, we have no other relentless tragedies. I think I held off while Mom was alive because I suspected that I wouldn't be able to watch them, much. I was right...but, (cackling deleriously and rubbing hands together) THE SCREEN IS MINE, ALL MINE, NOW...

Labels: audio-visual, drama, dream, film-art, haunting, me-favorite, tragedy, violence

# posted by gail @ 14:56    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This is another spectacular BBC series that charts the evolution of the earth. Fascinating. We watched in when it broke on TV then decided we had to have it for reviewing. We watched it, in its entirety, a couple of times before Mom died.

Labels: audio-visual, documentary, science

# posted by gail @ 14:06    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Decades ago, when this show debuted on PBS, Mom and I watched it separately, then together during a serendipitous visit when it was being aired again, and, as well, during one of those watchings I recorded it off the TV and we listened to it many times. Over the last year the desire to listen to it, again, came up between us and I couldn't find the old casette tape, so I scoured the internet and found a copy of the original video production. We watched it at least twice before Mom died. We enjoyed it as much as we did the first time around. Definitely a shared-favorite! We both felt that Julie Harris did a wonderful job of portraying a highly self-possessed, talented wordsmith of a woman who wasn't so much shy as a joyful loner.

Labels: audio-visual, biography, period, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 10:01    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G (marginally)
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  This video was a surprise I would not have considered on my own. One of my sisters sent it to me for my 2006 birthday. It was an excellent choice. Aside from the comments above, I think it is turning Mom into a water of the TV show. I noticed, when she watched the video, that she smiled through the entire three episodes, which were watched, pretty much, back to back. The reason I list myself as having watched it "marginally" is that I was doing chores and preparing dinner while it was on. However, I caught quite a bit of the episodes; enough so that, Mom and I had extended conversations about dogs, our previous ownership of dogs and possible future ownership (I'm still thinking, out of the question, but, you never know).

Labels: animal, audio-visual, TV

# posted by gail @ 13:16    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  Although this is neither a movie nor a show, it is a DVD production with which to be reckoned and deserves mention. This production has some technical faults such as not being able to pause and fast forwarding/rewinding is painful. But the voice and voice variants are excellent and Mom and I are both fascinated with watching the bible and listening to it being read. We've picked up a companion explanation bible to consult.

Labels: audio-visual, jesus-dvds, spiritual

# posted by gail @ 02:21    0 comments    email......this post