Caught the Oscar nominated flick
at the local neighborhood 'cheap
cinema' today.
Now I have a hard thought process
to choose between Clooney & Bridges.
Both supurb performances. Different
types of movies -but both comedic.
Clooney's movie just really touches the
strangeness in our economy and doesn't
leave us with any thought on things changing.
There is a unique touch that Jason Reitman
uses in this film to let the audience view the
feelings of actual people who have been laid
off. Only several of the 'fired' workers are
actors. The emotions are raw and real. This
movie should be the wake up call to our do
nothing Congress to get America back to work.
Maybe we should fire half of the politicians and
leave them without retirement or healthcare and
see how fast the tables turn.
Finally the Oscar nominated movie,
'Crazy Heart' has come to a theater
near me.
I saw this masterpiece slice of Americana
yesterday. Jeff Bridges is marvelous and
seems to morph the character of Bad Blake
so well it doesn't appear to be acting.
I see a lot of the musician struggles in this
character that are previlant in all genres
of music. The 'aging' musician pushed aside
by the younger up and coming next best
thing.
I also could relate to how alcohol can blur
anyone's sense of reality. I wonder many
years later how I left my son in his father's
care when I should have done otherwise.
I think my son explained that it was ok
because there were always other people
around so that his father didn't put him in
harm's way. I truly believe in miracles and
angels -I think it's how my son survived his
father's addictions and mental illness.
Caught the movie 'Pirate Radio' today.
As a teen ager in the '60's I was all about
the club scene, the great rock & roll to dance
to and of course the British Invasion. I loved
it all -the Beatles, the Kinks, The Rolling Stones,
Animals, The Who, Gerry & The Pacemakers,
The Hollies, The Searchers, Them but also the
American girl groups, Martha & the Vandellas,
The Ronettes, The Chiffons, The Supremes.
Can't forget the gal singers -Brit & American -
Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark,
Marianne Faithful, Lulu, Aretha Franklin,etc.
All the while it was totally unknow to me that
British radio would not allow rock & roll to be
played for more than 1 hour per day -thus
Pirate Radio. Fabulous insight to a cast of
characters who chose at all odds to bring
rock music & all it's evils to over 28 million
British citizens. A terrific true story to get
you up and dancing. I must have the sound
track! Think I was the only one in the audience
singing every song!
Last night I attended a movie screening of 'Edge'.
This is a new documentary about the 'straight edge'
movement that evolved from the punk music scene
in the late '70's and early '80's.
I wasn't well versed on the ideals of a vegan, drug
free, alcohol free , etc movement of this era because
I was to emersed in being a working Mom and trying
to understand who I was married to and why he
wasn't co-operating in the marriage. (Took many
years, separation & divorce to find out he was
bi-polar and self medicating in all the wrong ways)
Throughout this movie I kept thinking that in the
'70's and '80's I was using a 'straight edge' everyday.
I was a drafter for a public utility company and
drew maps of city streets and suburban neighborhoods.
I used various straight edges & templates to layout
the utility lines to homes and businesses. This was
all done on paper or mylar and created work documents
or permanent mapping layouts. No computers -all done
by hand. That was my 'straight edge'.
Now, beyond that I came from the radical '60's where I
guess my generation started the 'drug culture'. For the
most part I survived without much drug choice besides
beer or wine. I did have that 'self medicating' person
around and might have gone too far every so often as
a 'drinking buddy'. So my generation had to be stopped
in some respects and maybe some of the 'straight edge'
movement addressed that earlier 'freedom' mentality.
I enjoyed the screening and learned a little but knew I
was where I was meant to be and I wasn't joining their
cause. I've already fought the hard fight and cleaned
up the best I could.
When I got home I grabbed my new bottle of Bully Hill
semi-sweet wine I had left in the trunk of my car from
an earlier purchase in the day and proceeded inside
my house.
