morningambassador’s posthaven

...this time of the movie, "Gladiator."
I won't even apologize, but will just warn *Spoilers*
I can't help myself....

My favorite moments in the film:
Going 'home'
Drifting along the ground - such grace in filming - really love the effect
... And especially "Not yet. Not yet."

A beautiful soundtrack to a movie I boiled down to one word: 'Devotion.'
"Gladiator" - much violence. Some folks enjoy that, especially understanding that it really happened.
Really happens.
Today. Yesterday. Hopefully not for long.
Until we get it together.
I thought it served the word, and so I loved the film.
That's all it takes sometimes.
One word with all its might and creativity...
In service.

This is the very end, including flashes amid the credits of the movie, "Mississippi Masala," one of the most beautiful endings, in my opinion, of any movie - if you're using sweetness and joy as a measure.

I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone, as this ending will mean so much more if you've seen the whole thing, but it's beautiful on its own... so you will have to decide for yourself.

I can't be everywhere advising everyone, and you'd only get annoyed at me anyway!  ;)

It's the level and quality of WELCOME that gets me crying every time.

And the music is perfect for that openness.

If you decide to skip this post until you've seen the movie... maybe you WILL see it someday. (If you do decide to watch, click the 'HQ' button first for High Quality viewing)

Another gem from Mira Nair.

Patterns continue to emerge, I notice.

I loved this movie ("Orlando") so much, that I 'made' everyone I could get hold of watch it - especially when it was still in theaters, though I continued on with VHS and DVD to be pleasantly pleading.

I'm not proud of it, but I don't get teased as much by loved ones for "Orlando" as I regularly get teased for suggesting "The Black Robe" way back in the day. Interestingly, the same actor is in both films.

I hope I've learned my lesson.

It's odd, as I'm not usually in the recommending business, but I seem to be doing it a lot on here. I guess blogging brings out the brute in me.

I do love this version of "Pavanne" the best as the drums really add something of the times to it (in the movie, I mean). I wish I could've embedded the actual dance scene from the film, but this clip only has a slide show effect. It's actually not as bad as some, and better than most... especially if you relax and loosen your eyeballs a bit. Wait! not THAT much. They should continue to be inserted.  ;)

I came across this interview/performance during a search for a trailer of director, Mira Nair's', early movie: "Salaam, Bombay!"
The movie is about the life of street children trying to keep body and soul together in a difficult terrain on their own.
I can't recommend this movie highly enough.

Most of the people in the movie have no previous acting experience - though I believe India has the 2nd largest movie industry in the world. The main actor, Krishna, is definitely a novice - though you would never know it - or maybe you would - as his performance is as real and heartfelt as any I've ever seen.

There's something to be said for a fresh slate.

I don't believe he has done any acting after doing this film.

I stayed on the suggested link and listened to Ashwin Batish's song, though, and really liked it.
Maybe you will too.

While this clip is clearly a promotion for his DVD, I want to find more of his music...

I only wish the percussionists and so on were there in the studio as well.

I feel I must include this information to use this clip:

Info and Commercial Bits:

I loved the movie, "Brick," which made me interested to see what the next movie Rian Johnson directed might be like.

Looks like an amusing romp - much lighter than its younger brother; we shall see.

There is a larger, high-res version of the first 7 minutes of the film (with voice-over narration in part) and this same trailer here too, should you be interested:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/dor/objects/859379/brothers_bloom/videos/brothersbloom_2_051109.html

This is a trailer for the Irish film, "On the Edge."
It says in the trailer, "Introducing Cillian Murphy''
Some of the material is dark, but I am drawn to it because it
Goes again from darkness to light
The theme of being... for me, right now.
I watch it again and again.
To suggest a small film of hope, that sums up today,
It would most likely be this one.

May you all keep hope close.
Sometimes I don't even think about it
As I have an 'embarrassment of riches' of the precious stuff...
But sometimes I don't: like now.
Then...
Every drop of nectar counts

 

"Captain Kirk"                                                   "Star Trek"

I know there's a lot of hubbub about the new Star Trek movie. Everyone I've talked to has said they thought it very good to excellent. So far.

I definitely want to see it, but it might have to wait until it comes out on blu ray as I have the flu and neither feel up to going out nor wanting to be a contagion on the unsuspecting populace.

Flash back to 1975 in the Way Back Machine....

Feeling a bit less dizzy now? Okay!

A different Star Trek with a different Captain Kirk than the new one everyone quips about being so cute with all the good acting.

It's the autumn of that year, and I'm a freshman at college. I find a delightful group of friends, most of them older than first years, and one of them in charge of scheduling entertainment for the whole college.

After learning of my interest in entertainment ;), he invited me to join him because:
1-it was a lot of work to do by himself, and
2-he needed to have an actual committee (more than 1 person) for the new college protocol of writing things on chalkboards occasionally.

Basically what that meant was that we were able to pick all the movies we wanted to see over and over in the first row... or in the back taking tickets, pick people to come to speak or perform, etc., etc., etc. It was a great time, and we pulled a lot of stunts - mostly by way of his, N.S.'s, genius.

So we booked William Shatner before the first Star Trek movie came out.

We went in the car to pick him up the night of his presentation at the school.

He was staying in a motel, which was surprising to us as we thought it would be fancy to be a famous person. But we were basically kids...

We pulled up into a parking space.... and waited for about 20 minutes for him to come down, making jokes all the while about how he would beam down from his room to the bottom of the stairs where we were parked.

But no, he walked down the stairs like a normal human person, carrying a bunch of stuff for his  show, which he put in the trunk. We were sitting in the back, with the school's driver doing his job, and all the while, may I call you William?, was going on and on about the pros and cons of doing this new movie offer they had made about Star Trek.

Of course, he felt that he'd moved on from 'that' in life, and wasn't sure whether making a franchise project would pull him backwards in life. He played both sides of the pro and con conversation himself, and very well too - perhaps borne of much practice?

We sat in the back, occasionally looking over at each other and silently giggling while William strategized his road to success.

Once in a while we asked him a pre-discussed question or two, and always slanted it in the 'fawning spotlight' direction so that he would actually answer. I'm not proud of being silly, but sometimes I am.... proud.

Anyway, the car finally arrived at the school, and we all got out.

My fashion sense at the time was hair cropped shortish and adorned by my dad's coats, which were a number of sizes too big for me... I kind of liked all the space at the time. Thought it was cool.

This is relevant only because as we got out, suddenly Mister Shatner, turned over his left shoulder and said to me, assuming his will would be done, "Boy, could you carry these."

Two things...
1-I am not a boy, but a woman, and
2-They were way heavy for me!

Luckily my friend, who was a young man, gallantly stepped up to assist with the many pieces. I got the dry cleaning and one suitcase, as I recall....

William Shatner went to the place one goes to get into gear for the show.

We went to make sure the sound and light gear were in good working order. The seats were already quickly filling to almost full. We were giddy - it was definitely going to be a standing room only event.

We'd done good; the timing was right, with rumors of an actual Star Trek movie swirling about the entertainment media, and Mr. Shatner available for a song.

The lights went down. I held  my breath. He came out.... and, I don't know what I was expecting, but certainly not THAT!

He began by reciting poems in a pale Shakespearean shadow method he'd been writing and practicing. He did it all in that Captain Kirk - emoting and pausing signature way.

When he threw himself tummy-first down on the stage to make a particular point, I put my hand to my mouth, then over my eyes, and finally... I walked out.

The reviews were... shall we say, slanted to one side.

I got to meet William Shatner! What a night of waiting in the car and waiting in the hall unable to watch. I'm glad it's part of my life history, as it is a fun story to remember  and tell.

I always wondered how he survived that belly flop to jump bouyantly back onto his feet. Guess I'll never know.

I feel sort of silly, as these movies most likely have been labeled negatively as men and women SOMETIMES like different things. :)

But here are some of my favorite small (some) movies' trailers of the romantic variety.

Look away; once again I've done due diligence in the warning department.

I'll be back though. You just wait and see. Another day; another post of a horse of a different color...  ;(

There - it's over now. You can look once more...

But the film, "Monsoon Wedding" is a wonderful creation, I think I can safely say.

And this from a very shy recommender. I seem to be doing it more these days.

Looking for balance... always.

"Monsoon Clouds Over the Houses of Gyantse Tibet"

Here are a couple of songs from the soundtrack - one plaintive, the other jubilant, in that order.

"Banished" first, then, "Aaja Nachle (Come On Dance!)"

Enjoy both or whichever. Hopefully at least one of them.... "~+~"

Every year we clean out our gutters; every year the people of India and elsewhere scrub off the plant life that's grown on all the buildings.