Quill & Claw/Pen & Paw

Before I complete this review, I gotta explain some things. See, I was raised a child of the theatre. My mom was a dancer as I grew up and she continued to dance until I was like 12. I remember finishing homework offstage right while my mom put chorus girls through their paces. It was a world in and of itself.And I have to explain it--not many people understand it for one and for two--it makes me biased to this movie.I've seen bad theatre and boy, I can be more sympatheic then most people. I know what it's like to flub lines, to miss cues to come on during wrong scenes. It's truly what makes theatre what it is. So where does the the movie review begin? Well, it doesn't when it comes to a movie like The Producers. Take an actor and put them on stage, they have to emote wide, make those gestures big, or, like with my ma so long ago, smile so wide that the lobby can see it without opera glasses. Take that same actor and slap him on the big screen. He blinks during a close ...

I just read an article about Colin Farrell, just this very morning. It talks about how he is sueing an ex who is threatening to sell a sex tape that the two had made in private many moons ago. That wild man Colin! Who knew he could even make porn! I bring this up because it is a piece of the overall puzzling movie that is A Home at the End of the World. Seriously. It's the dramatic story about the redefinition of family in the seventies and the eighties. In it, a young man named Bobby (played by Colin Farrell), orphaned as a teen, who befriends Jonathan (played by Dallas Roberts). As the two grow, Jonathan steps out of the closet and moves to the East Villiage. Bobby, listless, follows and complicates things for Jonathan's plans. This being twenty years ago, of course, Jonathan must contract an HIV infection and Bobby, being ever so hippie-like, must be open about sex. It's an interesting premise that technically should work. Based on a book by the same name and recreated ...

9. The Fallen Angels by Micheal Saharra. I was exposed to this text by accident. My uncle, who went to seminary in Gettysburg, bought this for me when he went to get some paperwork from the college. We drove out and as he ran through the streets of this famed city, I started asking questions. He realized we had major time before heading back to my grandparents that summer after the eighth grade and so we hoped on a tour bus of this town. But it wasn't enough. Soon the questions became more complex. Why did they send the men, in full face of guns, across an open field? Why did they need to have control of this place called 'Devil's Den?' He realized, after years of attending college in the area, he didn't have all the answers. So he grabbed this book, a text he had read and said, try this. I was glued to the pages. After a while, he had me keep a notepad nearby, so I could list ALL of the people involved--my brain may have been able to grasp the concepts, but not tot...

Again, my colleague and I have elected to do a listing of our top something-or-other, in this case, literature. I feel the need to explain these books are not the best books in the world. On the contary, these are books that explain US. Like the movie listing prior to this post, it's merely the books we have read and loved, regardless of the quality found in them. Me, a critic, saying 'regardless of quality.' Start laughing. But really, there is no denying the power of cheap music, as the saying goes from Noel Coward. Look at this way. The television show COPS, is, without a doubt, some of the worst television there is. But it's been on the air since I was in high school. What does that mean? It means that sometimes, good and quality doesn't go hand-in-hand. That being said, here's 19 books that some how made a mark on little-ole-me...(I only brainstormed 19, so no, you didn't count incorrectly) 19: Shakespeare. Okay, I'm cheating, he's an author not...

I had a sad falling-out with my own church about two years ago. I was pretty much a regular church goer prior to that. Seriously. Stop laughing. I've always labeled myself as 'spritual.' I was brought up in a multi-faith home, so I was not only into God, but also I knew the concept of religious tolerance better than most. It was truly a boon when I went to a Lutheran college. Yes, I went to a Christian college. What happened? Well, after coming out, I did ALOT of reading and slowly reconciled what I believed with who I am. It actually strengthed my links to religion and gave me more hope then ever before. I could ignore the inane, uninformed banter of churches as they politically maneuvered to get in the White House. I could turn another cheek when churches did not practice what they preached. But when someone in my congregation said to me, "can't you celebrate Christ?" I was crestfallen. My own church, an MCC, had pushed me away. Understand, this was a minist...

Okay, lemme start with telling you about this book I'm in the process of reading. I know, I know, it may seem I'm all over the map with this one-but hear me out. See, I'm reading this book called the New Work of Dogs and it talks about how, in this ever-changing society, the responsibility of dogs has changed. And it doesn't mean, like, they have to change babies or things like that. It means, as society becomes more individually oriented and the definition of a family unit changes, the role of the dog takes on a different, if not more important part of our lives. There's nothing wrong with this and trust me, I'm abbreviating the concepts here to make a point. In the book, the author, Katz, uses psychoanalytical theory of attachment and bonding to prove his points and supports his own thesis (the crux of the book, that dogs have different meanings in our lives) with quotes from Psychology Today, New England Journal of Medicine and Marriage and Family. The creepy...

SOmeone was nice to point out that numbers 19 and 20 were missing. I'm not sure why I didn't post them. Probably a test. So here they are! 20. The Seven Samurai (drama/martial arts)--I've long believed that movies can do 2 things--be a specticle or teach. This movie taught me that isn't all. Movies can be an ascetic, as well. For so long, I had studied European films and American films. This was my first glimpse into the concept that art reflects life. I'd never been to Asia; I've no idea what Japan is truly like. And along comes this movie, and I watch it, and the world is so wholly different from my own, I cannot take my eyes away from the screen. The story is strong, but realistic in it's unfolding (yes, it's very long). The images are not in your face, but amazingly subtle. I mean, in one part, the director had fans blowing the reeds behind the actors, first one way, then the other. Why? Does it matter? He felt it should be that way. That is, by far,...