10.17.2025

Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week

MindPlay Friday
More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.๐Ÿคจ
 
๐Ÿณ What’s Your Ideal Sunday Morning Ritual? ๐Ÿ›Œ
 
Sundays can set the tone for the whole week. 
Some people crave productivity, others want slow, cozy vibes. 
Answer these quick questions to discover your ideal Sunday ritual—
and maybe pick up a new idea to try next weekend.

1. When your alarm goes off on Sunday, what do you do first?
    A) Hit snooze—sleep is sacred 
    B) Reach for coffee before I can think straight 
    C) Open my planner and glance at the week ahead     
    D) Scroll social or news, catching up on the world  
 
2. Your breakfast vibe is:
    A) Lazy pancakes or waffles 
    B) A perfect latte and a croissant 
    C) Eggs, toast, and something green     
    D) Honestly… leftover pizza works just fine  
 
3. What’s your favorite kind of Sunday soundtrack?
    A) A chill acoustic playlist 
    B) Jazz or lo-fi beats 
    C) A motivational podcast     
    D) Something nostalgic or guilty-pleasure pop  
 
4. Which activity feels most like a Sunday?
    A) Staying in bed with a book or Netflix 
    B) Hitting the farmer’s market 
    C) Planning the week (meal prep, to-do lists)     
    D) Spontaneous plans with friends/family  
 
5. How do you prefer to close out the weekend?
    A) Early bedtime with fresh sheets 
    B) A homemade dinner and a glass of wine 
    C) A workout or yoga session     
    D) Binge-watching until the clock wins  
 
Results in the comments!
 
[quiz generated by chatGPT; the title quotation is from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]

10.16.2025

every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other

Book Review 
 
Rating * * * *
The Last Refuge (2005)
 
Title: Book 1: The Last Refuge
    Book 2: Two Time
 
Author: Chris Knopf
 
Published: The Last Refuge, a mystery novel, was published in 2005; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 11 hours) 
    Two Time, a mystery novel, was published in 2006; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 10 hours) 
 
What is the story? 
    The Last Refuge: Sam Acquillo's at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents' ramshackle cottage in Southampton's North Sea, Sam has abandoned friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay. But then the old lady next door ends up floating in her bathtub and it seems like Sam's the only one who wonders why. Despite himself, burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself. Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries, and likes to which you never knew inhabited the hidden corners of the storied Hamptons: haves, have-nots and want-to-have-at-all-costs. Some deadly. Like Dr. Gernard Rieux in Camus' The Plague, tragedy has given Sam Acquillo an excuse to go on living, if for no other reason than to satisfy his curiosity, and maybe buy a little time before succumbing to the existential despair that has brought him to the brink. --from Audible.com 
    Two Time: Sam Acquillo, ex-boxer, ex-corporate executive, and accidental hero of The Last Refuge, can't seem to stay out of trouble. All he really wants to do is hammer a few nails into his ramshackle cottage, drink a great deal of vodka, and hang out with his dog, Eddie Van Halen. But when a car bomb outside a trendy waterfront restaurant kills a prominent financial consultant, injuring Sam and his lawyer friend, he is drawn into the investigation. Where the police have met roadblocks, Sam makes inroads with his trademark wit, instinct, and charm. Set against the backdrop of Southampton, Long Island, Two Time is full of moody sunsets, beachfront properties, and beautiful people with an extraordinary amount of money and very dangerous secrets. --from Audible.com
What type of language do they use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? standard/colloquial. Sam is education and intelligent, but with the ability to speak like a normal guy.
 
Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? very easy
 
Did you like these books? I did! Mystery is not my favorite genre, but I was in the mood for something engaging, not too complex (after the book reviewed last Thursday, I needed something less intellectual!), and part of a series that I might get into. This one, set in an area of the country I don't know much about, seems to fit the bill.
 
Two Time (2006)
If you could change something, what would it be? the main character, Sam, is kind of an obnoxious, oblivious guy. He has some good friends and supporting characters, and doesn't always deserve their loyalty or efforts. I hope that over the course of the series he grows up a little.
 
What were your favourite parts? there is a dog named Eddie Van Halen, a mixed-breed who enjoys fetching tennis balls from the bay, taking rides in the car (even just in the driveway), and having his head scratched. He has a heightened sense for danger that is believable and contributes to the story. Book dogs can be way more enjoyable to me than are the real, live version.
 
Who stands out, among the characters? besides Eddie, I'm a fan of Burton Lewis, Sam's friend who happens to be an attorney and a billionaire (among other things) and Joe Sullivan, of the the Southampton PD.
 
What is your recommendation? generally recommended to fans of modern fiction and mystery, and specifically for those with an interest in New York and its class system, in engineering, and in psychology
 
5 adjectives you would use to describe these texts: fun, intriguing, irreverent, alcoholic, cool
 
[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is by Charles Dickens, from A Tale of Two Cities]

10.15.2025

a little hope, a little whimsy before

I love the hour before takeoff, 
that stretch of no time, no home 
but the gray vinyl seats linked like 
unfolding paper dolls. Soon we shall 
be summoned to the gate, soon enough 
there’ll be the clumsy procedure of row numbers 
and perforated stubs—but for now 
I can look at these ragtag nuclear families 
with their cooing and bickering 
or the heeled bachelorette trying 
to ignore a baby’s wail and the baby’s 
exhausted mother waiting to be called up early 
while the athlete, one monstrous hand 
asleep on his duffel bag, listens, 
perched like a seal trained for the plunge. 
Even the lone executive 
who has wandered this far into summer 
with his lasered itinerary, briefcase 
knocking his knees—even he 
has worked for the pleasure of bearing 
no more than a scrap of himself 
into this hall. He’ll dine out, she’ll sleep late, 
they’ll let the sun burn them happy all morning 
—a little hope, a little whimsy 
before the loudspeaker blurts 
and we leap up to become 
Flight 828, now boarding at Gate 17. 
 

10.14.2025

there must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them

1. In a movie of your life, what soundtrack would convey the mood of today's events? 
    something soporific. I'm doing the most ungodly boring make-work, periodically escaping to blog and keep my head on straight.
 
2. What was the last molehill that you made into a mountain? 
    I work with a bully. Last week, he pushed the wrong button and I snapped. It was not entirely a response to the direct provocation but more of a general You Need to Fucking Stop It resetting of boundaries. His response, though not unexpected, was precisely as annoying as always. Now that it's out of my system, though, and he's had a few days to absorb it, our interactions have been slightly more collegial. 

3. What would you like your spirit animal to be? 
    wolverine. "The wolverine is noted for its strength, cunning, fearlessness, and voracity, and the species is renowned for its ability to face down and fight larger predators that are more than twice its size." That seems like a good vibe to channel (sometimes).
 
4. If you had to answer questions on your specialist subject, what would the subject be? 
    European neutrality in World War II, highly advanced alphabetizing, poetry about grief and sadness, or estate planning and settlement.
 
5. Have you ever been disappointed by a hotel room that looked nothing like the brochure? 
    yep. It was small, over-warm, awkwardly laid out, and noisy. Its ideal location and the steak in the hotel restaurant made it totally worthwhile anyway.  
 
6. What would you do if you saw a colleague steal something from your workplace? 
    under the current circumstances, that act would be at least a firing offense (regardless of what was stolen) and could be a felony. For me to do anything except report it would also be a firing offense and could be a felony, even more egregious than the act itself. 
    Every other job I've worked, though, has involved some of that. "Broken" cookies shouldn't just be thrown out, right? Walking out with a pen behind your ear, making a few copies on the company copier, a cheese curd off the plate before it goes to the table... none of that seems like a huge deal. We all know, though, that it adds up, and it has even more of an effect in attitude than it does in the direct cost. I think I mentioned it once or maybe twice. I never saw anything that really poked my conscience, though.  
 
7. When was the last time you shared a bath with someone? 
    four years, give or take. One of the all time great moments in history.
 
[from 3000 Unique Questions about Me; the title quotation is by Sylvia Plath, from The Bell Jar]

10.13.2025

go, go! Join the others!

Average rating: 7.25

Kept Husbands (1931)
Kept Husbands (1931) - "After rescuing two workers during a steel mill accident, Dick Brunton (Joel McCrea) is invited to the home of his boss, Arthur Parker (Robert McWade), as a show of thanks. There, Parker's daughter, Dot (Dorothy Mackaill), takes a liking to him and sets out to win him over. Dick and Dot marry, and he receives a promotion, thanks to Dot's pleading with her father. Soon, though, Dot becomes preoccupied with her social life, giving little attention to Dick, who begins to doubt her fidelity."
length: 1 hour, 16 minutes
source: streamed on Tubi
I watched it because: I'm fascinated by Joel McCrea
IMDB: 5.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 23%
my IMDB: 6/10
MPAA rating: Approved
notable quote: "'Makes things easier for you....'
    'I know, but easy things aren't much good.'" 
directed by: Lloyd Bacon
my notes: I was expecting this to be a little dated (see, e.g., the freakin' title) but not quite to this degree. The female lead needs a good, hard spanking and a month in rehab. The Charlie character deserves a punch to the throat. 
    Still, McCrea was terrific as the eager, bright and innocent Dick Brunton. His versatility as an actor means he's a credible football player, a factory worker, an engineering designer, and a reluctant bon vivant. He carries the film.
overall: only most mildly recommended
 
Kids from Shaolin (1984)
Kids from Shaolin {Shaolin xiao zi} (1984) - "A young man from a Shaolin‑trained family falls in love with a woman from a rival Wudang lineage. Their families clash over ancient kung‑fu traditions, but the couple persists, ultimately uniting to defeat a treacherous bandit gang threatening both clans and restoring peace."
length: 1 hour, 39 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I've not seen it before, and was curious about one of Jet Li's earliest movies
IMDB: 6.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 71%
my IMDB: 6/10
MPAA rating: TV-14
notable quote: "Monkey boy, where's your chivalry?"
directed by: Hsin-Yen Chang
my notes: I can't figure out what this movie is trying to do. Maybe it's all the child actors. Maybe it's the musical numbers. Maybe it's the heavy dose of Three Stooges influence. I can't figure out if it is comedy, action, Shakespearean archetype...? The setting is amazing, but easily missed with all the strange, grinning fight scenes. Jet Li is profoundly skilled, energetic, enthusiastic. It is fun to watch him just working out, much less in a choreographed fight. This one's not my favorite, but I'm still glad I got to see it.
overall: mildly recommended
 
Death at a Funeral (2007)
Death at a Funeral (2007) - "Chaos reigns when members of a dysfunctional family gather to bury a loved one. Son Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) anticipates a face-off with his famous brother Robert (Rupert Graves), while cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) and her fiance Simon (Alan Tudyk) are desperate to make a good impression on her father. In the midst of the family turmoil, a mystery guest threatens to bring the deceased's skeleton out of the closet."
length: 1 hour, 30 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I wanted to see a reliable comedy
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 63% Audience: 79%
my IMDB: 8/10
MPAA rating: R
notable quote: "Tea can do many things, Jane, but it can't bring back the dead."
directed by: Frank Oz
my notes: this movie is painfully funny. I've seen it a few times and still lose it laughing. There is something about the contrast between the quiet, straight-laced, painfully formal and the wacky, out of control, lunatic...it's hilarious.
overall: highly recommended

Red Cliff (2008)
Red Cliff (2008) - "In ancient China, the emperor of the Han Dynasty allows General Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) to declare war against the rebellious southern provinces, with the intention of unifying the entire country. Cao's large army quickly advances, killing civilians and soldiers alike. To resist Cao, the southern warlords form an alliance led by Viceroy Zhou Yu (Tony Leung Chui-wai). Outnumbered, Zhou relies upon elaborate formations and unorthodox strategies to fight against Cao's overwhelming forces."
length: 2 hours, 28 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it's one of Tony Leung Chui-wai's most highly-rated and critically acclaimed films, and I am very interested in this director's work
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 78%
my IMDB: 9/10
MPAA rating: R
notable quote: "Even weak blades of grass become strong when woven together."
directed by: John Woo
my notes: a massive historical epic, this movie blew my mind. It is visually stunning, harrowing, romantic (and sexy!), the music is marvelous, the setting outstandingly beautiful. The cinematography should have won every Oscar available and more besides. Love!
overall: very highly recommended
 
[the title quotation is from Death at a Funeral]

10.12.2025

life's under no obligation to give us what we expect. We take what we get and are thankful it's no worse than it is

1. If you could be teleported to any destination in the world, where would it be? 
     I'm good here, thanks
 
2. When was the last time you started a conversation with a stranger? 
    probably at a greenhouse or craft fair, as a means of extricating myself from an even more socially awkward situation if that's even possible. I was once pinned down by a guy who makes and sells mead, given the focused and hard-sell push based on its health benefits and delicious taste. It actually tastes like bile, just before you're gonna vomit (at least, his sample tasted like that). There was another shopper near me, and I very shamelessly asked that person if they'd tried a sample of mead. The tenuous connection made between seller and potential buyer, I split the scene. 
 
3. You've won an all-expenses-paid trip but you've just sixty seconds to choose a destination. Where do you choose? 
    Chicago. I love a good trip to the "war zone" in the autumn. I would visit the bookstore, maybe see a ballgame, stop by a park or two. Get a nice meal. Stay in a lakefront hotel. Visit some friends. 
 
4. When was the last time you spoke to your neighbors? Do you know their names? 
    yesterday, when I was introduced to one of their great-granddaughters. Yes, I know their names. I also know their birthdays, and what they like to eat for dinner. We often have two or three conversations each week. They are darling. 
 
5. Which actor is in real life most like the characters they play? 
    how would I know? Have I met an actor in a real life? (No.)  
 
6. If you could go back in time, would you attend college? Why? 
    absolutely. I might even go to a non-state school, and try to get a degree in something applicable to my future. Or, then again, I might go to the same school and take it seriously, drink less (or not at all) and party never. And then take grad school seriously, and then get a Ph.D. in History like I could have, rather than go to law school and focus on something completely different.
 
7. What's the biggest favor you've asked someone to do for you? 
    the exact nature of the favor will remain a secret. The important thing is that I asked it of someone who didn't have any reason to expect it would be asked, and they assented without hesitation. When I remember that sacrifice and what it did for me, I am helplessly, almost painfully grateful.  
 
[from 3000 Unique Questions about Me; the title quotation is by Margaret Mitchell, from Gone with the Wind]

10.11.2025

if I could shelter all the impoverished poets and scholars under heaven

In the eighth month of autumn high angry winds howl 
Blowing three layers of thatch off my humble house 
The thatch fly over the river, scattering shards 
Some pieces soar so high they hang on treetops 
Some plummet down to earth covering ditches and pools 
A gang of hoodlums from the southern village appear 
They bully me ruthlessly, but I’m too old and weak to fight 
They dare to rob me in front of my face 
Then grab the spoils and run into the bamboo wilds 
Mouth parched, lips burning, I shout after them in vain 
I feel defeated, slump against my cane, and heave a deep sigh 
The winds finally calm down, the clouds turn dark as ink 
The autumn sky is hovering ominously, slowly turning black 
My old worn cotton quilt feels as cold as iron 
My dear children sleep poorly, thrashing and ripping the covers 
Bed after bed is soaked, the roof is dripping, no room is dry 
The rain batters us endlessly, falling as heavy as hemp 
I am lost in chaos and misery and can barely sleep a wink 
Such a damn long night—I am soaked and exhausted, I cry out, “Why?” 
If I could build a grand palace with a thousand, ten-thousand rooms 
    A safe-house standing on a hill so strong that violent storms can’t destroy 
    If I could shelter all the impoverished poets and scholars under heaven 
    Offer them a gathering place of peace and joy— 
If I could hold this spectacular vision in my eyes 
Then I would gladly freeze to death in my lonely broken home 
 
[Tu Fu {a.k.a. Du Fu} {712-770} 'Song of My House Being Battered by the Autumn Winds'; translated from the Chinese by Marilyn Chin. Originally published in Poem-a-Day]

10.10.2025

live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth

MindPlay Friday
More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.๐Ÿคจ
 
๐Ÿ❄️ Which Season Matches Your Personality? ๐ŸŒธ๐Ÿ˜Ž
 
Seasons aren’t just about weather—
they can reflect energy, moods, and how we approach life. 
Find out which season best matches your personality.

1. Your ideal weekend activity:
    A) Cozy reading indoors 
    B) Beach day 
    C) Long hike     
    D) Strolling through a farmer’s market  
 
2. Favorite beverage:
    A) Hot chocolate 
    B) Lemonade 
    C) Iced coffee     
    D) Mulled cider  
 
3. Your style vibe:
    A) Layered and cozy 
    B) Light and breezy 
    C) Functional and outdoorsy     
    D) Classic and timeless  
 
4. How you recharge:
    A) Quiet time at home 
    B) Social events 
    C) Exercise or adventure     
    D) Time with family and traditions  
 
5. Your dream vacation:
    A) Mountain cabin 
    B) Tropical island 
    C) National park adventure     
    D) A walkable European city  
 
Results in the comments!
 
[quiz generated by chatGPT; the title quotation is by Henry David Thoreau, from Walden or, Life in the Woods]

10.09.2025

it seems probable that he was trying to yoke the fractious horses of his dream, to straddle transcendental idealism and scientific empiricism

Book Review 
 
Rating * *
 
 
Author: Randall Fuller
 
Published: this  nonfiction book was published in 2017; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 10 hours) (note: the 2 stars are the equivalent of a 4-star narration review. Rudnicki can make something out of nothing.)
 
What is the story? 
    Throughout its history America has been torn in two by debates over ideals and beliefs. Randall Fuller takes us back to one of those turning points, in 1860, with the story of the influence of Charles Darwin’s just-published On the Origin of Species on five American intellectuals, including Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, the child welfare reformer Charles Loring Brace, and the abolitionist Franklin Sanborn.
    Each of these figures seized on the book’s assertion of a common ancestry for all creatures as a powerful argument against slavery, one that helped provide scientific credibility to the cause of abolition. Darwin’s depiction of constant struggle and endless competition described America on the brink of civil war. But some had difficulty aligning the new theory to their religious convictions and their faith in a higher power. Thoreau, perhaps the most profoundly affected all, absorbed Darwin’s views into his mysterious final work on species migration and the interconnectedness of all living things.
    Creating a rich tableau of nineteenth-century American intellectual culture, as well as providing a fascinating biography of perhaps the single most important idea of that time, The Book That Changed America is also an account of issues and concerns still with us today, including racism and the enduring conflict between science and religion.
 --from the publisher's website 
What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? primarily standard language with some science and some other technical vocabulary
 
Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? this book is approaching esoterica. More on this below.
 
Did you like this book? nope
 
If you could change something, what would it be? uhm... I suppose I should just say, if given the choice I would choose not to read it. It was not for me. 
 
What were your favourite parts? I kind of liked the maybe 1/10 of the book that actually involved Charles Darwin or his On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859)
 
Who stands out, among the characters? Bronson Alcott, the father of Louisa May (famed author), who was a particularly weird, sanctimonious, annoying blowhard.
 
What is your recommendation? it's not a book about science. It's biography, religion, antislavery, a bit of sociology, and a hard sell of East coast name-dropping. If you like that sort of thing, then you're welcome to it. 
 
5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: inexplicable, boring, prosey, circuitous, unexpected (in a bad way)
 
[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from the book, and ought to give a clue as to the language]

10.08.2025

goodbye, summer: you were supposed to save us

I cannot wait for fall parties. 
The invitations have begun to roll in. 
 
I used to think I loved summer parties 
until they got this year so sweaty and sad, 
 
the whole world away at the shore, 
sunk in sweet and salt. 
 
Goodbye, summer: 
you were supposed to save us 
 
from spring but everyone just slumped 
into you, sad sacks 
 
pulling the shade down on an afternoon 
of a few too many rounds. 
 
Well, I won’t have another. 
I’ll have fall. The fall of parties 
 
for no reason, of shivering rooftops, 
scuffed boots, scarves with cigarette holes. 
 
I’ll warm your house. 
I’ll snort your mulling spices. 
 
I’ll stay too late, I’ll go on a beer run, 
I’ll do anything 
 
to stay in your dimly lit rooms 
scrubbed clean of all their pity. 
 
[Becca Klaver, 'Fall Parties'. Originally published in Poem-a-Day]

10.07.2025

how do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment

1 Who has been the most significant love in your life? 
     I cringe from positive superlatives, especially for nebulous ideas. It's impossible to quantitatively compare the significance of my first love, to that of my only spouse, to that of my most recent relationship, to that of the one that got away.
    Right now, my impression is that the most important loves of my life have been cats. Their affection and trust and loyalty cannot be found in the human world. Their ability to receive affection is unsurpassed. Their sturdy, warm presence is a balm. 
    If one contrasts that to anyone in my romantic history, it ought to be obvious why I prefer the 4-legged to the 2-legged version.  
 
2 How do you communicate your feelings in a relationship? 
    
a series of eyebrow-raises that are a very evocative semaphore language 
 
3 What is the difference between infatuation and love? 
     it's the difference between liking a dish someone else brings to a potluck, and getting the recipe and learning to make it for yourself. 
    It's the difference between admiring someone's haircut and paying a stylist to give it to you.
    It's the difference between appreciating the view as you walk along the river, and jumping in.
 
4 Is love necessary for happiness? 
    I don't know, because I've never been without it. Maybe not in a romantic way, but I have always been loved, and always known it.  
 
5 How do you show appreciation in your relationships? 
    say the words, and back it up with choices like being present, being still and listening. Less often, I'll write it. Recent events have soured cards and letters for me. Maybe that desire will come back someday but for now it's a degree of vulnerability and futility that I really can't stomach.
 
6 How does love evolve over time? 
https://www.neuerts.de/Goebel-Pop-Art-Billy-the-Artist-BTA-P-VA-Evolution-of-Love-LE-67080791
    
that answer is as complicated as love itself, and has as many unique answers as there are unique loves in existence or memory.
    Good loves evolve by expanding. More experiences, more comfort and care and ease. More challenges and shared loss. More mutual acquaintances, friends, family, and animals with whom and about whom to grow and learn and be nurtured. More and better forgiveness and openness to difference. 
    The other kind of love devolves by reducing. Pinpoint accuracy in recalling past hurts. Focus on the negative, the difficult, and the pointless. More meanness, in both senses of the word (inconsideration, and stinginess). Smaller margin for error. Less acceptance of small mistakes or poor choices. 
 
7 Do you believe in soulmates? 
    I believe that there are people whose presence in one's life is meant to be. Beyond that, who knows.  
 
[from here; the title quotation is by Eckhart Tolle, from A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose]

10.06.2025

you're a crazy man, but not so stupid

Average rating: 8

Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) - "An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback. The screenwriter believes he can manipulate her, but he soon finds out he is wrong. The screenwriters ambivalence about their relationship and her unwillingness to let go leads to a situation of violence, madness, and death."
length: 1 hour, 50 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it's been too long since I've seen it, and I finally managed to find a copy for myself
    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 8.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 98% Audience: 95%
my IMDB: 10/10
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Movies (original list 1998) #12
         100 Years ... 100 Movies (10th anniversary edition 2007) #16
MPAA rating: Approved
notable quote: "Nothing, madam. Somebody inquiring about a stray dog."
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
directed by: Billy Wilder
my notes: this film is highly celebrated, for good reason. William Holden is fantastic. Gloria Swanson is a force of nature. And Erich von Stroheim, as Max... I've never been punched in the face (yet), but his performance comes pretty damned close.
    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I firmly agree.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Writing, Story and Screenplay—Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman, Jr.
• Best Art Direction—Set Decoration, Black and White
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
• Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actor—William Holden (Joe Gilles)
• Best Actress—Swanson
• Best Supporting Actor—Erich von Stroheim (Max Von Mayerling)
• Best Supporting Actress—Nancy Olson (Betty Schaefer)
• Best Director—Billy Wilder
• Best Cinematography, Black and White
• Best Film Editing
• Best Picture
overall: most highly recommended
 
Hard Boiled (1992)
Hard Boiled {Lat sau san taam} (1992) - "Violence as poetry, rendered by a master—brilliant and passionate, John Woo’s Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective 'Tequila' Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence. More than a cops-and-bad-guys story, Hard Boiled continually startles with its originality and dark humor."
length: 2 hours, 8 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: I hadn't seen it, and was very intrigued
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 92% Audience: 92%
my IMDB: 8/10
MPAA rating: R
notable quote: "You're your own worst enemy! If you can't conquer your own fears, how can you conquer anyone else?!"
directed by: John Woo
Hard Boiled {Lat sau san taam} (1992)
my notes: probably the most explicitly violent film I've ever seen, this is such nonstop action that I needed eye drops—I kept neglecting to blink. Absolutely crazy action, in the form of gunfights, fistfights (and some pretty sweet slaps), explosions, a lot of fire, and an insult or two. 
    Of course, I love Tony Leung Chui-wai, and he's really good here, both strong and vulnerable. And gorgeous. I even liked Chow-Yun Fat, who can be a hard sell for me.    
    It's almost impossible to imagine sleeping after seeing this film. SO good.  
    The RogerEbert.com interview with John Woo is here.
overall: highly recommended

Safe (2012)
Safe (2012) - "Luke Wright is a two-bit cage fighter, until the day he refuses to throw a match. In retaliation, the Russian mob murders his family and destroys his life. Though alone and haunted by grief, Luke springs into action to save a Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) from the same gangsters who killed his family—and lands in the middle of a high-stakes war. The girl is no ordinary child; she's a math prodigy who holds in her head a numerical code for which various factions are ready to kill."
length: 1 hour, 34 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: Jason Statham feels like a member of the family
    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 59% Audience: 59%
my IMDB: 8/10
MPAA rating: R
notable quote: "When I'm done, you won't even be a memory of a memory."
directed by: Boaz Yakin
my notes: maybe the most purely physical Statham movie, he really shines as a cage fighter who is also profoundly deadly with a firearm. The subway scene is terrific. And he can kill a guy with a fork.
    And Statham is drop-dead handsome in a dress shirt and jacket. He also speaks believable Russian. 
    This film has some great villains, easy to hate.  
overall: strongly recommended

Fletch (1985)
Fletch (1985) - "A veritable chameleon, investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) might drive his editor (Richard Libertini) up the wall, but he always produces great pieces for the newspaper. When his next story is about the drug trade taking place on the beach, Fletch goes undercover as a homeless man. Unaware of Fletch's true identity, businessman Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him. Intrigued, Fletch decides to unearth the full story behind the offer."
length: 1 hour, 38 minutes
source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: it was a favorite in high school, of which a friend reminded me today
    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 6.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: N/A%
my IMDB: 6/10
MPAA rating: PG
notable quote: "Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo."
directed by: Michael Ritchie
my notes: it's silly, and Chevy's droll delivery is kind of a one-note song. But the story is still funny, and the supporting cast is fun, and I like it well enough.
    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I would like to agree more. 
overall:  mildly recommended
 
[the title quotation is from Safe]

10.05.2025

I can’t distinguish between what’s platonic and what isn’t, because it’s all too much and not enough at the same time

1. If you could have one piece of jewelry belonging to someone you know personally, what would you pick? 
    feh. If I want it, I can buy it for myself. I'm not going to snatch something of someone else's. 
    Also, my friends and family tend more toward the dangling and eye-catching, while my taste in jewelry is a single stone in a stud earring or on a chain. 
 
2. If you could ask your best friend one question you have never had the nerve to ask, what would it be? 
     "what is it about me that makes me worthy of friend-ness?" 
 
3. If you could guarantee the happiness of any single person in the world because they most deserve it, who would it be? 
    this is a dangerous question. It presumes that happiness is The Goal, and that some people don't deserve it. Anyway, happiness isn't as perfect as it seems to be. There are lumps in it.
 
4. If you could have had your mind changed on one issue or decision in your lifetime, what would it have been? 
    the value of staying in shape, when I was in my early 20s. Newly married. I was eating well-made food designed just for my taste, or being treated to dinner, often (meaning, I was a little spoiled). I was lazy, satisfied, and convinced that I'd "earned"...whatever. A treat. Ice cream at the fantastic place in town. Parmesan breadsticks with the pizza order. Crispy M&Ms. Years without intentional exercise. 
    I'm paying the price now, and it sucks that it could have been avoided.  
 
5. If you could receive more affection from someone you know from now on, who would you want it to be from? 
    I'd like to be missed, and to be told that I've been missed, by someone who's not capable of saying it. To be fair, they probably think that it wouldn't be welcome. We haven't talked in a year or so, and things had been a little weird before that, even. Still, we've known each other since we were kids, and always had a connection, and could pick up where we left off if we both gave it some effort and humility.
 
6. If you could have the vocabulary of any person you know, who would you pick? 
    Hal Hartley. The dialog of his movies is phenomenal.
 
7. If you could be caressed by the hands of any person you have known platonically, whose would they be? 
    the animal-brained lawyer, or one of my other attorneys—and, of course, that all depends on the definition of "platonically" 
 
[from If2: 500 New Questions for the game of life; the title quotation is from Jack Kerouac]