Silent Films

I know I've talked in the past about the local theater, The Organ Loft, I am blessed to have in my area that shows Silent Films and has a genius playing the 'Mighty Wurlitzer' Pipe Organ. Last Friday, I saw The Phantom Carriage there. It has a similar theme to that of The Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life.  It was serious though, dark and forbidding about a guy who becomes a drunk and an abuser of his family.  It does end on a positive note with him having learned his lesson and changing before it's too late but what stood out to me was his prayer.  I'll paraphrase... 'Please let my soul mature before I am reaped.'

For me, it meant a few things.  Like it's never too late to do what's right.  And, you never know how long you have on this mortal coil so make the most of it.  It was a simple statement, but it hit me profoundly.  I'll thank my darling T for that.  T was with me and because he feels everything very deeply, I find myself more open to that depth as well.  May I suggest watching something with meaning and allowing yourself the full permission to experience it deeply, profoundly, and with an open mind and heart.  It's exhilarating and liberating :)

Then I watched a film on Netflicks that another friend, N, had suggested.  Diary of a Lost Girl based on a book by Margarete Bohme.  Personally, I found the plot a little rambling and depressing.  There weren't any really redeeming characters including the lost girl although at the bitter end she did stand up for herself which made me happier.  My big surprise was how racy the topic was for 1929.  This girl is raped, has her baby taken away from her, is stuffed in a strict reform school by her father, escapes, finds her baby has died, and joins a brothel.  Most of the male characters are really skeevy including her father.  I get that by the standards of the time, she had few options and I am judging her on modern expectations, but she was such an easy victim.  I really didn't care for her.  Even after awful stuff happens to her, she continues to be naive and willing to be victimized some more.  Not saying I wanted her to become jaded and hard, but maybe smarter and stronger.  I don't know.  I didn't care for this one.  It does make me wonder if she is a better character in the book than she was in the movie.  I'll have to ask N since she read the book too.  If you're familiar with it, I'd love some feedback.

2012 Goal: Write THIS Blog regularly

It's so stupid that I keep ignoring ya'll... since of the blogs I do, this is my favorite one to write.  I like all of my blogs, but this is truly my favorite.  I was going to make this my resolution until I read a friend's blog and firmly agreed that goals is mo' better :)

In the last month, while I was shamefully ignoring ya'll, I went and saw a few films, started writing again and began an affair of the heart/mind/body.

First the movies (since not all of you will be interested in the other stuff).  I saw the second Sherlock Holmes movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  This one was as good or better than the first and I loved that one, so it's saying something.  Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are their usual genius (and sexy) selves but we also got Stephen Fry (LOVE this guy!) as Mycroft Holmes, Jared Harris (you may not know the name but you'll know his face) as Moriarty, and Noomi Rapace (SERIOUS lady crush on her) who you may remember me raving about from the Swedish film trilogy versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books.  Kelly Reilly is also terrific as Dr. Watson's beleaguered new bride.  If you liked the first, just go see it (since I'm late on this you most likely already have), and if you didn't..... .

The second was the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Really good...the role of Mikael Blomkvist  is perfect for Daniel Craig.  It has a pretty stellar cast including Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer and Robin Wright.  Rooney Mara was good but I thought Noomi Rapace was better.  I  didn't get as much emotionally from Rooney.  But I still loved the movie.  I may have said it when I reviewed the Swedish films too - but truly, read the books, see all the films - this is a story not to miss in all forms.

Next on my list - my writing.  For Christmas, I got a couple writing t-shirts.  One says, "Even if it's crap, just get it on the page" and the other says, "Writer's Block: when your imaginary friends won't talk to you".  Both were valid reminders of my writing during November and December.  If you want more on what happened, it'll be in my other blog shortly. Anywho - A couple things coalesced into me writing again and my imaginary friends are chatting cheerfully away at me right now, so HAPPY DANCING for that!

My love life is also part of the writing story, so more on the other blog, but I will say this.  It's a wonderful thing when you meet someone who inspires you to smile every day at every thought of them, laugh a ridiculous amount when you're together, and act sappy to the point of your friends throwing up around you (an exaggeration - but not by much).  It's wonderful.  

So, here it is - my 2012 Goal for this blog: Stop ignoring, postponing, and delaying writing it.  I will  write regular and perhaps more often than you will want, but there it is.  Happy 2012, ya'll!  Go attack this year with a cheerful vengeance.