saw one of my hitchcock favorites for yet another time
a psychological thriller
that never gets old
but does continue to get creepier.
—
“i’m a typed director. if i made cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach.”
-alfred hitchcock
—
art credits: warner brothers pictures, 1951
this is not me, but it demonstrates both my love of movie popcorn
and a very mild version of my reaction when watching a scary movie.
Watching a scary movie can burn as many calories as exercise. We’re all familiar with the feelings that come with watching a fright flick — the sense of dread that engulfs us as a character enters a foreboding place, ominous music building, etc. According to a 2012 study commissioned by the video subscription service Lovefilm, these heart-pounding moments can do more than cause a good scare, however. Of the 10 movies tested, half caused participants to burn at least 133 calories, more than the amount used up by a 140-pound adult on a brisk 30-minute walk.
Granted, this limited study was hardly robust enough to earn a write-up in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the science behind the results is essentially valid, thanks to human hard-wiring that traces to when our primitive ancestors had good reason to fear the monsters lurking in the night. When exposed to a harrowing situation, our sympathetic nervous system triggers the “flight or fight” response, which sends adrenaline into the bloodstream, diverts blood and oxygen to muscles, and kicks heart activity into a higher gear. Add in the outwardly physical reactions often prompted by the scariest scenes, such as jumping back in your seat or instinctively reaching for a companion, and it’s easy to see how sitting through The Shining (184 calories) or Jaws (161 calories) delivers results akin to sweating through a workout. (or my own natural startle response style, with me shrieking my lungs out, reflex-hitting the person next to me, throwing whatever i’m holding into the air, and hiding my entire face /body under anything i can find, which has to burn at least a good 900+ calories)
There are other benefits to putting ourselves through this sort of simulated danger, including the release of endorphins and dopamine, which allows us to feel relaxed and fulfilled after “surviving” the events witnessed on screen. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the frightening imagery in The Exorcist (158 calories) or Alien (152 calories), and researchers caution that stress can outweigh the gains for people who are genuinely repulsed by these movies. If health is your goal and the sight of blood makes you queasy, you’re better off rising from the couch and getting your legs moving instead of watching someone else flee the clutches of a zombie.
while i do love movies and i was hopeful that this
would finally be an exercise routine that i could really get behind,
i’m doubtful this one will work for me
as i can’t survive a regular regimen of terrifying movies,
or even one.
—
“based on how i react when toast pops out of the toaster,
i will never look cool walking away from an explosion.”
-word porn
—
source credit: interestingfacts
a beautiful, beautiful film
in every way
it will bring you
great music
great joy
great love
great passion
and
will break your heart.
early in the film
felicia, later to be leonard bernstein’s wife
asks him –
“you don’t even know how much you need me, do you?”
and he answers –
“i might.”
through all they endured
together and apart
around the globe and back
they found
the greatest love of their lives
in each other.
brava.
—
“a work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them;
and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.”
-leonard bernstein
after seeing the trailer for this film
i really thought it was going to be a comedy
it did have its funny moments and lines
as the movie played out
it was so much more
the trio of lead actors were brilliant
the characters
interacted
revealed themselves
learned about each other
personal stories emerged
in ways unexpected, tragic, and beautiful
finding something in each other
perhaps they didn’t even know they needed
but oh, did they ever
because as their understanding
of their humanity
with all of its flaws and challenges
came to the forefront
they chose grace
each was made the better for it
and forever changed.
—
“the moment we cry in a film is not when things are sad
but when they turn out to be more beautiful than we expected them to be.”
-alain de botton
—
image credit: miramax films, focus features
it was ladies’ night at my friend’s house
we had a bit of wine and chat and lots of laughter
the hostess suggested that we should get a movie
and try as she might
she could not remember its name
but it was ‘really good’
couldn’t remember the main stars
‘but we would recognize them immediately’
she put in a call to blockbuster
where they had every current movie
the kind person/movie nerd at the store
answered the phone
the experts were standing by
to help her figure out the title
when we heard her explain
that it was really good
had 2 popular stars
and a 3-word title
beginning with the word ‘the’
we absolutely lost it
the poor person on the phone
worked for 20 minutes
trying to jog her memory for more details
finally giving up and apologizing
now, that’s customer service
i really miss blockbuster
something about the excitement
going to pick out a movie
families, couples, friends, singles
taking turns and negotiating
hoping the one you really wanted was still there
so much comedy and drama all in one place.
“vague questions deserve vague answers”
-ristretto
what a wonderful 90 minutes
spent (online) with one of my all-time favorite authors
*fredrik backman.
public libraries in 37 states hosted this live chat with fredrik
as he continued on a worldwide book tour
for his latest work, ‘the winners.’
he spoke openly about his struggles with anxiety
being on the autism spectrum
the pressures of a success which he never expected
his wife as his partner and support in all things
her important roles
organizing his promotional side of being an author
helping him to stay grounded
encouraging him taking as many breaks as needed.
i first became acquainted with his writing with the arrival of his book (and later, film),
‘a man called ove’
and there was no going back.
when he was asked about his writing process in today’s chat,
i found that we have a somewhat similar process.
his reply:
“my process is just chaos. all of these ideas are just in my head, like horses in a burning barn, trying to get out. my brain is always working, hearing a bit of conversation, crossing paths with a stranger, a place i happen into, anything is fair game, and i think, i would love to include those words or that person in my writing. i am always observing, listening, taking it all in, my brain never stops. i have to write an idea down on whatever i can find, an envelope, a scrap of paper, a receipt….then 3 weeks later i’ll make my family insane by asking, “where is that envelope i wrote my idea on a few weeks ago?” i have to scour our whole apartment looking for it and make everyone crazy. i suppose that is my process.”
amazing.
“words are not small things.”
-fredrik backman, beartown
—
*Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @BackmanSK.
this film.
i recently saw it with one daughter and two grandies
based on a youtube character created by comedians who were bored at a wedding
with low expectations, just wanting to be entertained
i was not prepared for this poignant, sweet, sad, funny, and heartwarming story
a documentary with a perfect blend of stop-action and live-action film
you may recognize some of the humans who appear on the screen
not an action film but fully a reaction film
give it time, it’s slow, it’s quiet, it’s incredibly touching, and will enchant all ages
it’s seeing the world through marcel’s tiny eyes,
as he deals with joy, love, loss, fear, grief, courage, and a renewal of life
reminding us of the importance of family, friendship, support, and connections of all kinds.
–
This poem, The Trees, by Phillip Larkin, was read at a pivotal point in the film and is so fitting:
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in honor of the 10th anniversary of this film, made here in ann arbor, i’m reposting this blog from my past.
ever had one of those days? the ones that take a funny turn?
i picked up a movie from the library recently, ‘the five year engagement,’ and when i saw the cover, i remembered that i had almost been in it. by accident. really.
it was the summer and i’d walked downtown to meet my date. when i got to one of my favorite local townie spots where we’d planned to meet, i noticed there was a barricade, some roadie types, a sound system and all sorts of equipment set up outside. having lived here for more than a decade, i knew there was always a festival, parade or protest popping up, so none of this surprised me. it could easily have been for a street dance, a car show, or god knows what else, so i simply stepped over and around everything, and walked on in.
once inside, i looked around, it was a bit dark and hazy and didn’t see him there yet, so i sat down at an open table. while waiting, i noticed that something about the place looked different than it normally did, but i couldn’t quite put my finger on it. i then got a phone call from my date, asking where i was, and when i told him i was already where we’d planned to meet, he said he’d arrived, but couldn’t get in because it was closed off to the public, as they were shooting a movie there. and he wondered how i had gotten in.
ah – that’s when it all made sense and it dawned on me. i had unwittingly walked right into the middle of a movie set. i thought it was awfully dark for being the daytime, and things were moved around, and i heard someone yelling out something, but figured it was a bartender, and thought maybe they’d redone the place, trying to go a bit more upscale. i loved it just the way it had been though, a cozy, casual, old-school, welcoming place. all this went through my mind quickly and then i remembered, they’d been shooting in various locations around town for some weeks now, but it never occurred to me that i had crashed their party. i was suddenly an accidental extra.
i’m sure the only reason they let me on set in the first place, was because i’d ambled on into it like i was supposed to be there, (and i thought i was), so no one stopped me. and i was dressed like a townie, (since i was a real one), so i fit right in.
we laughed out loud on each end of the phone as i shared my revelation, and i casually got up and walked off the set and into the daylight once more, as if i was walking to my personal production trailer, only to find my date waiting in another location. where they were NOT in the middle of shooting a scene for a movie.
when i picked up the dvd at the library, a part of me somehow hoped to see myself in that scene, but not surprisingly, i was nowhere to be found, other than somewhere on the cutting room floor, perhaps.
—
“acting in’Star Wars’ I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad,
and I didn’t even know who the cantaloupes were.”
– Mark Hamill
image credits: universal studios, old town bar
yeti has always held a secret dream of co-starring in a judy garland film
—
“somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”
-judy garland
hard to believe
it’s the 50th anniversary
of this movie’s opening
everyone i knew
rushed to the theater
swoon-worthy *ryan o’neal and beautiful ali macgraw
over-emoted their way through it
it was everything we expected
and more
a dramatic, tragic, ill-fated romance
a love story for the ages
inspiring endless tears and endless post-viewing talk
going to see it again and again
somehow hoping for a different ending.
—
” love means never having to say you’re sorry”
– jennifer cavalleiri (ali macgraw in love story)
(we loved this famous confusing quote from the movie, and had deep discussions about what it meant)
—
*interesting tidbit –
writer erich segal, based ryan o’neal’s character on a hybrid of his college housemates at harvard:
Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore
—
image credit: paramount pictures
I didn't have my glasses on.... 