dual personalities

Tag: movies

May 3, 2021

“The Lord is my portion”*

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was not so quiet as I first anticipated. Saturday was a lovely, sunny day. I bought some geraniums and planted them in the pots on my front porch. I weeded. Then the OM and I drove to Washington on the Missouri River and sat on a roof deck and enjoyed the scenery. Nothing fancy, but nothing better.

That night I watched The Wizard of Oz (1939) and was reminded once again what a perfect movie it is. I wouldn’t change a thing. Of course, it only won Oscars for best song and score. But the sets, the costumes, the art direction! The technicolor! The acting and direction! Zut alors! I highly recommend re-watching this movie the next time you are looking for something to watch.

Female archetypes

On Sunday I went to church–ah, how nice that sounds–and then went home and continued reading The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge.

This old-fashioned novel about a city-bred woman who moves to the English countryside when she inherits a house from a mysterious elderly relative is a type that is never written/published these days. It is a pleasure to read its carefully-written prose and its slowly unfolding story. Not much happens, but the characters grow in self knowledge and spiritual maturity. They are interesting people, not cardboard cutouts.

Next up is S.C. Gwynne’s Rebel Yell about Stonewall Jackson. I am no fan of the Confederacy or its generals, but I have always loved Stonewall Jackson, who was a devout Calvinist. I love the story of his Scotch-Irish ancestors who came to this country as indentured servants in the 18th century and fought hard and bravely to forge a home in the wilderness and improve their lot in life.

The wee twins came over Sunday night per usual with their parents for some frolicking goofball fun.

They are getting to be so grown up!

In other news, my Christmas cactus is blooming!

One more thing: here’s an interesting article. “As for security, it is the utter madness and control freakery of our age that thinks we can stay secure and somehow transfer that to our children. The gospel takes us out of ourselves and our efforts and places us in Christ where there is total security.”

So another week begins. Make it a good one!

*Lamentations 3:24

4 Comments
April 30, 2021

Tempted and tried with each step we take

by chuckofish

I received some very nice gifts for my birthday from my thoughtful family, including a foot massager that is out of this world. Another favorite is my new book, Dolly Parton Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.

You know how I feel about Dolly–she’s the greatest–so wiling away the hours reading this collection of the lyrics to 175 of her best-loved songs, along with the personal memories and the inspiration behind them, has been a pleasure. Just looking at the pictures of this remarkably beautiful lady from the hills of Tennessee is fun.

In other news, we had a new roof put on our house yesterday and I feel as if I went through the Battle of the Somme. I was exhausted and shell-shocked after 7 hours of incessant hammering and thumping above me while I attempted to work remotely in my upstairs “office.” Boy, do those guys work hard! Anyway, the new roof looks very nice and I am glad to have it done and finished.

Tomorrow is the birthday of Henry Koster, who, though he never won an Oscar, directed some darn good movies: The Bishop’s Wife (1947), Harvey (1950), The Robe (1953), A Man Called Peter (1955), and a host of others. I will toast him and watch one of his films.

And here’s a good thought from another Scotsman. “So we do not panic and we do not vent, and we enjoy a deep confidence even as the tides seem to run against our faith. “

Well, TGIF. Have a good weekend. Mine will be a quiet one with none of the rollicking fun of last weekend, but that’s okay. I need to catch my breath.

Tempted and tried with each step we take.

We stumble and slide and make our mistakes,

Ask God to forgive us for all of our sins,

Then we take off our horns and wear halos again.

–Dolly Parton

(Only Dolly can rhyme sins with again.)

3 Comments
April 23, 2021

Tally ho!

by chuckofish

It’s Friday and I am very excited because daughter #2 and baby Katie are arriving tomorrow for a quick visit. How great is that? Thankfully we have gotten through all the snow and cold temps and we should be able to enjoy some nice sit-outside weather.

In other news, my DP gave me this book for my birthday and I have been flying through it.

Scary stuff, harrowing stuff, but we knew that about the Comanches already. (I had a hunch that Larry McMurtry wasn’t exaggerating. He must have read Rachel Plummer’s journal.) Read it, if you can take it. There is no sugar-coating and excuse-making for the Comanches’ behavior. There is plenty of context. I am enjoying it a lot.

I watched two Humphrey Bogart movies this week: The African Queen (1951) and The Oklahoma Kid (1939). I enjoyed them both a lot. The African Queen is a classic, of course, and I have seen it many times. I had not seen the latter in 50 or so years–not since the Humphrey Bogart Theater on channel 11 days of my childhood. It also stars James Cagney as the eponymous hero. He is a little weird (and short) in a western, but I have grown to appreciate him in my dotage. He had a style all his own, even in high-heeled cowboy boots.

This was a thought-provoking piece. “How does a person become a saint? By grace alone. To argue otherwise questions what the Bible has to say about people and about saints. A true saint is not someone we strive to imitate, but someone who shows us a clearer picture of what it means to be a sinner saved by God.”

This reminded me that The Selfish Giant was one of the boy’s favorite stories and deeply affected him as a child. “And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, ‘You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.”

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BCP

Enjoy your weekend! Make good choices!

5 Comments
April 19, 2021

Postcards from the weekend

by chuckofish

I turned in a huge project on Friday–a grant proposal years in the making–and so when daughter #1 arrived in town, we celebrated at our favorite local re-opened wine/Tapas bar with a glass of wine and some hummus. Delightful. That set us up nicely for the rest of the weekend which involved a 4.5 hour babysitting assignment with the wee twins on Saturday, followed by a reprise on Sunday afternoon.

It was a lot, but a mostly delightful experience. I also managed to go to church for the third week in a row! In addition, we ordered a car seat and stocked up on Pampers and organic veggie pouches in anticipation of daughter #2 and Katie’s visit this coming weekend. We watched Hatari (1962) in two parts. This movie is a lot of fun and was a huge hit in 1962. All the actors did their own stunts with the wild animals–amazing!

It is a celebration God’s creation, plus there is a lot of chain-smoking, hipster merry-making.

It is fun to have four-year olds with whom to share the bounty of spring: the beautiful blooming trees, the lush green grass, the bugs that are appearing, the hosta poking through the dirt, along with the iris, the roses, the Euonymus and Ajuga, the peonies, the ants.

We even found two plastic Easter eggs that had not been found two weeks ago during our egg hunt! The chocolate bunnies inside were gobbled up immediately!

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.

–Job 12: 7-10
9 Comments
March 30, 2021

“As I stand aloof and look”*

by chuckofish

Readers of this blog may remember that How the West Was Won (1962) is one of my favorite movies, and that, indeed, it was one of the first movies I ever saw at the movies. I was six and I went to see it at the Cinerama movie theater with my friend Trudy Glick. (It was her birthday party.)

It had quite an effect on me. Anyway, Paul Zahl mentioned it in his list of movies to watch on TCM in April, and he specifically referenced the John Ford section of the film, and this got me thinking about George Peppard, who has a big, pivotal part in the movie.

He is actually in two of my favorite movies of all time. This is kind of weird since he is not really a favorite of mine.

GP as Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

He’s very handsome in a blue eyed/blonde kind of way, but he’s also kind of wooden. He reminds me of a taller Alan Ladd. He says his lines and doesn’t give much more. He almost seems a little embarrassed, like he’s wondering how did I get into this line of work anyway? You know, they pay me a lot of money, so okay, I’ll do it. But I think I’d prefer to sell insurance. When you think about it, there are actually quite a few famous actors that fall into that category. They got into acting and success came pretty easy and then they had to keep it up and they were expected to emote a lot. They had to pay the bills. Sheesh.

Once in awhile actors like Alan Ladd and George Peppard can really stand out when they land in the right role with the right director. We remember them for those parts. Other actors can make a mediocre movie watchable just by being in them. (I’m thinking John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Audrey Hepburn–you make your own list.) Those are the real stars.

Well, old George has re-entered my life recently for another reason. Before going to sleep at night, I have started watching old episodes of the TV show Banacek, that aired originally from 1972 to 1974. Banacek was a freelance investigator based in Boston,  who solved seemingly impossible thefts. He then collected from the insurance companies 10% of the insured value of the recovered property. (What a concept!) He was debonair and had a chauffeur, who was a real character (wink wink). He smoked cigars and was irresistible to women.

Guaranteed to send you to sleep in a jiffy! (Even better than Murder She Wrote!)

And guess what? There is a Simpson’s episode based on Banacek in season 29–voila! George Peppard again in all his Sansabelt ’70s glory!

The world is more than we know.

*Walt Whitman, “Thoughts”

6 Comments
March 23, 2021

“It seemed to be a good idea at the time.”*

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of the great film director, Akira Kurosawa (March 23, 1910 – September 6, 1998). Kurosawa directed approximately one film per year throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, including a number of highly regarded (and often copied adapted) films, such as Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961). After the 1960s he became much less prolific, but his later work included two epics, Kagemusha (1980) and Ran (1985).

There are quite a few Kurasawa classics available to watch/rent on Amazon Prime. That is my plan to celebrate his birthday.

(This Criterion Collection set would make a wonderful gift!)

I might watch one of my favorite Kurosawa movies, Seven Samurai, tonight…

…and then The Magnificent Seven (1961) tomorrow night to celebrate Steve McQueen’s birthday on Wednesday.

That works out rather nicely. Synchronicity, I think it’s called.

Not exactly lenten fare, but I can dig it.

Also, let’s all give a big shout out to William Shatner, who turned 90 yesterday. Ninety!!

https://gfycat.com/devotedimmediatekiwi

The world is more than we know.

*Vin in The Magnificent Seven

7 Comments
March 19, 2021

“We’re all between perdition and the deep blue sea”*

by chuckofish

I had a very busy week at work and I hardly left the house. No trips to the recycling center or the Post Office to break up the monotony. I poked around in my yard from time to time, cutting daffodils, but it rained a lot, so I really didn’t go outside much. Our lives have been reduced to a very small scale indeed. If it weren’t for Zoom meetings, who would I see but the OM?

(Yes, I am grateful he is here!)

Thankfully I get to FaceTime with this precious babe who is taking after her namesake and dressing in my favorite neutral–leopard print. She is clearly feeling the vibe. (I think I need a jumpsuit!)

This weekend I plan to clean up the Florida Room in anticipation of warmer weather and being able to move all my houseplants out there soon. And I hope the wee babes will find time to come over and wreck havoc at our house. Life would be way too neat and tidy without them.

I’ll watch a movie from my Lenten List, because Easter is coming sooner than you think–two weeks! Maybe I’ll watch La vita è bella (1997) although it is a hard one, because the little fellow in it really reminds me of another little fellow I know.

But we need to watch, lest we forget what can actually happen. People who openly talk about re-education camps and deprogramming don’t seem to be able to make those connections.

Well, I’m feeling like some Ben Folds. How about you?

Yes, life barrels on like a runaway train. It won’t be too long until I am packing up my stuff in the office I haven’t been to in a year. And that’s okay with me.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”

*Frank Loesser, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition”

6 Comments
March 15, 2021

“Into the quiet cardigan harbor of my life”*

by chuckofish

Once again I was reminded that I am approaching 65 and that I don’t bounce back from things like medical procedures the way I used to. It took days to recover from having my port taken out! I spent most of Friday napping and the few errands that daughter #1 and I ran on Saturday wore me out. Just call me Oldie Hawn.

But we watched The Quiet Man (1952) on Saturday night (St. Patrick’s Day approaches) and I stayed awake through the whole wonderful thing.

The Quiet Man is another one of those movies we can recite practically in its entirety from memory (and with an Irish brogue) and to whose location we have made a pilgrimage. Monument Valley is next on the list of pilgrimages, but who knows when that will actually happen, what with the goal posts of COVID restrictions being constantly moved.

The wee babes did not come over as usual on Sunday night because their other grandmother has returned from Florida and her presence in town takes precedence over all. I do not begrudge her this, but it was still disappointing. The OM was all set to barbecue! C’est la vie. (See John Wayne’s face above.)

In order to get out of the resultant Slough of Despond, I did not watch a movie from my lenten list, but instead watched Uncle Buck (1989), a go-to anti-depressant for me.

I felt better (and thinner).

Now it is the beginning of a busy work week. Zoom meetings galore. Onward and upward.

*But having sailed some time ago
into the quiet cardigan harbor of my life
out of earshot of the siren songs
that lure men onto reefs of foolishness
not to mention the bridges of bravado,
it’s enough to let the soap bubble
of that Hank Mobley thought drift
slowly across the living room and burst
with no warning, much to the amazement of the cat.

Billy Collins
6 Comments
March 12, 2021

“Must be getting early, clocks are running late”*

by chuckofish

Daylight Savings time starts on Sunday. The days will start to be longer and that’s okay with me.

I finished reading The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder last week and I really enjoyed it. It’s been a long time since I’ve read any fiction of substance where interesting characters express interesting thoughts.

“I have long noticed that people who talk to those closest to them only about what they eat, what they wear, the money they make, the trip they will or will not take next week—such people are of two sorts. They either have no inner life, or their inner life is painful to them, is beset with regret or fear.”

I started to re-read The Bridge of San Luis Rey and I’m also reading a biography of R.C. Sproul.

This article about The Pilgrim’s Progress was interesting. I remember it was a favorite of the boy when he was a child. I think it is true that while “the Christian allegory is inescapable and unmissable for adults, for younger readers Bunyan’s book can read like an exciting fantastical adventure featuring more than its fair share of peril, drama, and creative invention.”

“When Theodore Roosevelt died, the Secretary of his class at Harvard, in sending classmates a notice of his passing, added this quotation from ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’: ‘My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles who now will be my rewarder.'” (FDR)

It may be time to re-read this classic as well.

I didn’t watch any movies on my lenten list this week, but I will this weekend. I did watch Go For Broke! (1951), which I had never seen. It is the real-life story of the 442nd, which was composed of Americans born of Japanese parents, many of whom were in internment camps back in the U.S. Fighting in the European theater during WWII, this unit became the most heavily decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the U.S. Army, as well as one of the units with the highest casualty rates.

It starred Van Johnson who was nearly a foot taller than most of his co-stars, which seemed kind of racist, but was probably just illustrative of the truth. It wasn’t the best war movie ever, but I enjoyed it and I learned something. The screenplay by Robert Pirosh was nominated for an Academy Award in 1951. Back then they knew how to make different characters knowable and distinctive in a very short time and this film was very effective in doing that.

In other news, yesterday afternoon I finally got my PowerPort removed and that is a great relief. It’ll leave a scar, but Yay.

It has been raining and it is supposed to rain off and on all weekend. We will endeavor to have a good weekend anyway!

*Grateful Dead, Touch of Grey

5 Comments
March 8, 2021

Create in us clean hearts, O God

by chuckofish

The OM and I drove down to Jeff City to get our first vaccine shots on Friday, because God Only Knows when we would have gotten them in STL County.

Here we are after our shots, waiting for 15 minutes in the HY-VEE grocery store. I am on the phone, dealing with a problem at work that my assistant called me about–(“Call me as soon as you can!!”)–apparently I am indispensable. Also I look 100 years old and have morphed into my Mother or maybe my Grandmother. C’est la vie. Whatever.

We were there for less than 24 hours but we had fun with daughter #1. We ate lunch at an actual restaurant and drove to the outlet mall at Osage Beach where we did a wee bit of actual in person shopping. It was kind of mind blowing. We had ice cream at the Central Dairy, Jeff City hot spot.

Back in St. Louis, I caught up on laundry and vacuuming and all that stuff. I watched Sling Blade (1996) from my lenten movie list.

I hadn’t seen it in many years as it is super intense, but it was awesome. It actually has a lot in common with Shane–particularly the relationship of the boy and the stranger who comes to town. He is very passive and mysterious and he doesn’t say much, but he is taking it all in, and in the end he knows he must act to protect those he has come to love. It reminded me of Woody Allen’s comment about Shane–“Sometimes there is no other way out of a situation but…to go in there and kill them. Very few of us are brave enough or have the talent to do it….there are times when that evil reaches the level of pure evil.” Spoiler alert–This is also the situation in Sling Blade. Anyway, I highly recommend it. John Ritter as the gay friend, who like the farmers in Shane is helpless against the evil badman, is priceless, and, of course, I love Lucas Black so much. Cousin Dwight Yoakum is equal to Jack Palance in menacing scariness. Billy Bob Thornton, who wrote, directed and starred as Karl Childers, won an Oscar for screenplay, but deserved more. It is a gem of a movie.

The wee babes came over on Sunday night and brought their scooters and chalk, because it was a beautiful day.

Lottie drew a picture of me.
And I drew a picture of Lottie.

We saw lots of people walking by and a myriad of dogs, plus one red sports car, which was extremely exciting. Good times.

I liked this article. “Sin is not just the doing of bad, but also the failure of doing good.” Episcopalians know a lot about this:

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone…

Oh, those sins of omission. They do pile up.

O Thou that asketh much of him to whom thou givest much, have mercy. Remember me not for the ill I’ve done but for the good I’ve dreamed. Help me to be not just the old and foolish one thou seest now but once again a fool for thee. Help me to pray. Help me whatever way thou canst, dear Christ and Lord. Amen.

Godric in Godric by Frederick Buechner

We’re off to a busy week. Have a good one.

5 Comments