A love story: The Hidden Blade

Japanese and with subtitles but excellent. The Hidden Blade has love and tenderness, honor and loyalty, humor and even some violence. Super Wednesday morning fare.

Shut up and sing - the Dixie Chicks

Just watched the documentary on the Dixie chicks - Shut up and sing. From Netflix:

Directed by Barbara Kopple (of Harlan County, U.S.A. fame), this documentary centers on country music's The Dixie Chicks and their nationwide vilification over critical statements they made about President Bush in 2003. Over a three-year period, the singers went from darlings of the industry to political targets, receiving constant death threats and being demonized by the national media and denounced by their fans.

Loved it...

An excellent movie: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Watched it this morning with Diane and was very moved. Don't miss it. It's one of a kind. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Think I'll read the book now even though it's an autobiography.

A doggie-in-a-window photo, and a movie

Photo: Caught as I was arriving at the golf course this afternoon; truckers and their friends were stopping for eats at Stoll's.

Movie: Sea of Love, a 1989 Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin cop and love movie which is very good and very entertaining. There is violence and some bodies; nice thing is that there is no unnecessary killing and the bodies are 'creeps'.

A photo, a movie, and a political outcome

Photo: a goat that lives down the road a piece wondering what it is I want.

Of note:

-a morning movie: A River Runs Through It. Excellent.

-Hillary wins in West Virginia and a Democrat unseats a Republican in a long held Republican district in Mississippi (that's continuing bad news for the GOP - digby labels it 'The Wave Builds').

Fallen Angels, Hillary, and the color red

Pictures: More azeleas from Diane's garden; these are just off the patio to the west of the house. Shades of red for a Wednesday morning.

Netflix movie early this morning: Fallen Angels, from Hong Kong. Dark but interesting life scenes from the Orient. Of course, it's a movie and may not be anything like real life.

Hillary eeks out a win in Indiana? Loses in North Carolina? Oh oh. Not good. Might be time to cash in the chips, roll up the carpet, take the cattle to the barn.

Update: here's a link to a video of Hillary's speech last night and I agree with a lot of people, it sounds more like a concession speech rather than a victory speech.

Movie: The Deer Hunter

Watched this Oscar winning Vietnam War movie - some of it last night and the rest of it this morning. The Deer Hunter is dark and devastating - a look at life before and after Vietnam service for a group of friends in a steel town. Never have seen any reference to these Russian roulette clubs and games that play such a big role in this movie. Crazy people. Good movie though dark and depressing.

The Business of Being Born

From Netflix, The Business of Being Born: this documentary on the birthing business and why the process should be changed here in the good old U s of A. Very strong arguments for natural childbirth, something the rest of the world (?) has seemingly gone about doing, getting away from the doctor centered birth and back to the mother/child centered birth. Well worth watching even if you are way past the child bearing/rearing age. Diane says if she had to do it over, she would do it the natural way; that was after watching the documentary - before, it was give me anything and everything to take away the pain. Caution: real pain suffered by women giving natural childbirth. And then the transformation at the birth, the 'reaching down and grasping your baby' - wow and wowzer! Several births are shown in the movie and the camera catches the sheer wonder and amazement of the mother's supreme moment. Absolutely full of awe.

Netflix Movie: Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion

Watched a documentary from Netflix last night, late. Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion. This is a real David and Goliath story where Goliath (China) has really changed David (Tibet) almost to the point of making David invisible. Kinda reminds me of Vietnam and its thousand year battle with foreign countries. Though, at the moment, looks like Tibet is in no position to win its battle with China. Worth the viewing.

From a review at the Netflix link:

Treating the audience to a political, cultural, geographical, religious essence of a most fascinating people. Here's the crux of the movie... If you watch with an open mind and heart, you will get a glimpse of a nation of people who believe in the Dali Lama with all of their heart and soul, and would sacrifice everything for him. They believe in a world of peace, tolerance and unconditional love. How sad is it that that sounds so far fetched in our day and age? Tibet is in such bad straights today because they believe in non-violence and weren’t prepared to defend themselves (the movie doesn’t explain this predicament well enough or the events that led up to it). It’s a self inflicted wound. Ultimately, they trusted that the United Nations would be there to support them but it never happened. Now China is on a course to wipe these people off the face of the earth without any intervention. With all of the controversy about Iraq these days, I think it speaks reams about why the way the world is today. We have world organizations that stand by and watch genocide take place, and do nothing. The movie is extremely important and well worth your time.

Movie night: Letters from an Unknown Woman

Netflix movie: Letter from an Unknown Woman. From the link:

On a wintry night in 1948 Peking, a writer receives a letter from a dying woman he doesn't know. In the letter, the woman tells of her lifelong love for the man across the stirring backdrop of wartime China. Director and star Jinglei Xu reimagines Max Ophüls's 1948 classic with breathtaking photography and a quietly feminist spin. Xu won a Best Director award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Both Diane and I enjoyed this Chinese movie from 2004. Yes it is a love story but not a teary one. Am going to look for more movies by Jinglei Xu. She acts and directs superbly.

Jodie Foster and The Brave One

Late Netflix movie last night: The Brave One. The two youngsters didn't want to go to bed till the wee hours so we waited. The movie, along with the popcorn made by Diane, were well worth the wait. Jodie Foster, a favorite of ours, does a terrific job in this movie as a woman who seeks revenge for the horrible killing of her fiance. Everything is good in this movie - the acting, the script, the scenery, the music. And the ending is both surprising and right. The entire audience cheered! Not fare for young eyes especially just before bed what with all the violence. A goodie. Gets a five from me.

Saturday Night Movie: Eastern Promises, Irish told to sit

Movie from Netflix: Eastern Promises: A violent movie set in London with the main characters being part of the Russian Mafia. Not pretty; lots of blood and eeeew moments. Will hold your attention and the ending leaves all sorts of sequels as an option.

Watched the movie after watching enough of the Irish-WSU game to be disgusted. Wonder what the Irish did to get themselves prepared for this game, play tiddlywinks and checkers?

Strange Quiet

Pictures: Girls walking in the park yesterday.

Diane and Danielle went off to Wal-Mart with Naomi and Leah. March Madness continues but not till a bit later (I think, haven't checked). And Tiger's show doesn't come on till mid afternoon. Suddenly verrrry quiet here in the home atop the hill. What to do, what to do.

Did watch a movie till the wee hours last night: Summer Palace. A dark tale of lust and love in China during the student revolt in the late 80's and the ten years following. A love story that doesn't end well, or at least not with the lovers joining hands and marching off into the sunset at the end. Diane and Danielle went to bed way before the middle of the film. Was late though and the day had been filled with the youngsters.

Cool and cloudy - might head over to the golf course for a walk. Again not very pleasant weather for the golfers among us.

And if you didn't notice:

-Tiger one behind at Doral.
-Irish play Washington State today - WSU is Diane's sister's husband's alma mater (don't know if I've ever seen three possessives in a row - for the grammarians out there - is it a no no? doesn't appear to be too awkward).
-IU lost last night. What happened to Eric Gordon? DJ White very impressive.
-Nice to see a bunch of upsets though am glad the Irish survived, handily.

Fine weather and a movie - No Country for Old Men

Items of note:

-Wasn't yesterday's weather just grand? More of the same today but then I guess we have to pay for the fine stuff with some not so fine - rain and lower temperatures.

-Diane still feeling poorly but not so poorly as she did.

-Movie last night: No Country for Old Men. From the Netflix link:

A hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a dead body, $2 million and a stash of heroin in the woods.

Hmmm. Guess he did find the loot by of couple of trees on a hill but I think they were the only trees in miles. The setting is West Texas and there just aren't a whole lot of trees but maybe that is what they call woods down there - any gathering of two or more trees. Diane says it was really good - I was too tired to really appreciate it having dragged myself away from the golf course shortly after eight.

Will have to do for now as I hear the golf course beckoning - what a lovely sound.

Movie: Trade

Picture: have chair, will rock.

Plenty of golf this afternoon and evening and then still plenty of daylight left over. Think golfers are going to love these long lighted evenings. Should be more tomorrow with the temperatures expected to rise into the high fifties.

Plenty of stuff going on in the rest of the world. Some good, some bad, some somewhere in between. One bad thing: Diane down with the flu - she insists it will be gone in the morning, has to be. Did manage to keep her eyes open long enough to watch a movie from Netflix this evening: Trade. About international sex trafficking. Mexico City, Juarez, somewhere across the border from Juarez, somewhere in New Jersey. A sordid business, a heavy topic poorly presented but holding our interest till the end. Give it a three.

Something old, something new, something borrowed...

For Patty: an old link to Luke...

What you should do with your next $300,000: a new green thingee.

Netflix movie this afternoon, a real honey: Breaking and Entering.

(Did you find it impossible not to say 'something blue'?)

The Bucket List in Washington

Went down to Washington with Diane where we met up with about 173 other folk to take in The Bucket List. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in this tale of doing the things you want to do once you've been given the day of your demise. Funny in some places, touching in others, serious in still others. Each of the stars did well but they have also done better. Maybe too much star power in a single place. Enjoyable and teary and it ends with a laugh. Thanks to Rita and Ken and Joe for the treat.

Movie: Cautiva

Pictures: more rail birds.

While waiting for the afternoon golf in Tuscon, took in a pretty darn good movie: Cautiva. Set in Argentina in 1994, the movie deals with a 15 year old girl who must leave the parents and go live with a grandmother whom she did not know and eventually find out the story of her birth and her birth parents. From amnesty.com, more information on the disappearances and an organization ("Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo") established to look for children who are still missing. Gets a rating of five.

Afternoon Movie: Michael Clayton

Guess what. A story that does not include love. No love; none; nada; zip. Michael Clayton is an adventure, a thriller dealing with corporate mischief, legal shenanigans, murder. Good entertainment without the teary end. What a difference. Diane loaded up on Kleenex beforehand just in case. Gave it a four.

Afternoon movie: The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Netflix provided the entertainment as we await all the excitement of an evening watching election returns. The movie: The Wind that Shakes the Barley. An Irish movie (very hard to understand their talking - Diane and I were constantly looking to each other for help or suggestion) that starts with the Irish killing the Brits (occupying force, the Brits, doing dastardly things to local populace) and ends up with them killing each other. Now does that make sense? Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what is it they be doing to each other? A very good movie but very sad. Like the title, probably from a 19th Irish song.