Quill & Claw/Pen & Paw

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,...

11. Civil War (documentary)-I learned the second segment of film with this series of films. As I arrived to college, I still believed strongly in the spectcle of movies--loud, brash and with lots of pyrotechnics. But as this was aired on PBS (but I heard about it from the Telluride Film Festival), I realized that power to educate and enlighten is also one of the principles of film. It doesn't have to be made solely for entertainment. The depth of these movies captured me and I was hooked on documentaries. 10. Adventures of Baron Munchausen (comedy)--I experienced this title in our then, one art house in Denver, furthering my love of art movies. I had been following the tale in the newspapers and rags and expected to see crap on the screen. Instead, I found a story that believed in some of my own core values-that the power to dream is by far more important than the power to do. Yeah, it was a crappy title in the end, but because of this singular focused theme, I had to watch it agai...

I know, I know, folks, I got sick, then took a class and I've just been wiped out. But I've been slowing creating this list for those interested--here's the first segment. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it until I can finish it. 18. James Bond flicks (action/adventure)--Yes, I lumped them all into one. Because, if you think about the Bond formula, it’s merely repeated. But I discovered Bond two ways. One, my babysitter was a total sixties child. Not only did she teach me all the words to the Beatles; she made me watch Bond flicks on afternoon television. I didn’t think anything of it until I got to high school and took a Brit Lit class. Falling in love with poetry (should have known I was gay then!), Shakespeare and then Brit works, I did an indie study of Ian Fleming’s texts. I figured I had seen the movies, why not see if they correlate. They do and don’t, btw, but I don’t need to go into detail here. But I did, however, fall for Britain, and most of all, for Mr. Bond, James...