Slave to Love 1986 Style

The 1986 movie 9 1/2 Weeks is about the duration of the relationship between self-absorbed Wall Street shark John Gray (Mickey Rourke)
and sultry divorced SoHo art gallery assistant, Elizabeth McGraw (Kim Basinger).



Elizabeth is searching for true love...



While John is looking for...gosh knows what. His notions of lovemaking include blindfolds, ice cubes, chocolate syrup, and rolling around on spent peanut shells.



When the alotted 9 1/2 weeks are up, Elizabeth finally comes to realize that John has been using her.
We could have told her that twenty minutes into the film.

One of the definitive works for Mickey Rourke, 9 1/2 Weeks is deliciously awful, and as such will probably endure as a Camp Classic for the next hundred years.


Interesting fact: Director Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Jacob's Ladder, Unfaithful) used emotionally manipulative tactics on Kim Basinger during the shooting to elicit the performance he wanted from the somewhat new actress, which Basinger later criticized harshly. For example, Lyne did not allow Mickey Rourke and Basinger to talk to each other off-set. The two were kept isolated from each other and Lyne would tell Basinger rumors about how Rourke intended to make her like or dislike him so that she would carry that attitude into the scene. Lyne would also offer Rourke performance notes, but Basinger none, in order to unnerve her. In a very unusual and expensive move along these lines, Lyne shot the film sequentially, so that Basinger's actual emotional breakdown over time would be effectively translated to the screen.



Tell her I'll be waiting
In the usual place
With the tired and weary
There's no escape
To need a woman
You've got to know
How the strong get weak
And the rich get poor

You're running with me
Don't touch the ground
We're the restless hearted
Not the chained and bound
The sky is burning
A sea of flame
Though your world is changing
I will be the same

The storm is breaking
Or so it seems
We're too young to reason
Too grown up to dream
Now spring is turning
Your face to mine
I can hear your laughter
I can see your smile

No I can't escape
I'm a slave to love

Upside of Anger

I loved the film The Upside of Anger. The chemistry between the two characters played brilliantly by Joan Allen and Kevin Costner was so endearing to me. And I love a bitter chick who finally melts. Great dynamics amid the wrath of films today that have only to do with the 20-something generation.

My Girl,

The film My Girl was a good little movie. I remember seeing the beginning of it one afternoon and I couldn't stop watching it. The story was charming but the little actors, Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky were even more endearing. Dan reminded me of this yesterday when he said he caught it on tv in the morning. He chuckled when he said that the little girl, Anna Chlumsky, reminded him of me. "She was a hypochondriac, cute, she reminded me of you."

yes, another Irish film

Directed by Neil Jordan, the film adaptation of "The Butcher Boy" is a picture I've wanted to see for years - since it first came out in the theatre in 1997 in fact. But I never made it to the theatre and I never took it out from Rogers Video, today however, I withdrew it from the new City Library. I love that place. I could spend hours in the new library if it weren't for their obsession with having the thermostat up past 90 degrees. The building is encased in glass and it's like being in a bloody greenhouse.

The Butcher Boy is a dark story of disfunction and childhood struggle - perfect for myself. I think I was drawn to it today because of last evening's conversation surrounding the incredible attractiveness of Gabriel Byrne, a fellow Irishman who melts me heart. Anyways, tonight, if I stick to my guns, I'll be in to finally enjoy it.

Dylan Moran

I was also going to pick up the new release "Run, Fat Boy, Run" because Dylan Moran is in it.
This is why.


Also, Dylan was in Navan, County Meath - same as my grandfather. I can't say if Bartholomew was as hilarious.

Howards End

This afternoon driving back from my brother's place I remembered a movie I hadn't seen in years. Howards End. A great Ivory Merchant film from 1992. So I drove by Rogers to get it. No such luck. They don't even have it in their inventory. So I drove to Blockbastards. Same thing - they don't even have it, but at least the girl behind the counter was a little more helpful than the drip at Rogers who didn't even know what I was speaking of. She gave me the name of a place in Lower Londsdale called of all things, "Schlocbusters". So I called them when I got home - they also don't have it - they suggested Planet Video on 1st. You must know what the answer was there. So I'm posting the trailer of the movie. Tomorrow I'll schlep up to HMV and hopefully find a copy to purchase. In the meantime I'll dig out my E.M Forster book. That is, if I can locate it.

Sunday morning movie

This morning one of the best films is on; The Natural.

I'm a girl who has never played baseball or softball in my life. I used to be subjected to the odd game in high school, but I would creep back in the line behind the fence so I could avoid going to bat. So what could I find remotely interesting about a movie about baseball? Well, this is no ordinary baseball flick. The Natural was a novel written by Bernard Malamud in 1952, which was in turn based loosely on the 1930's semi pro Eddie Waitkus who is shot in the chest by a deranged female fan.

The beginning of the film, is confusing as we see Barbara Hershey meeting Robert Redford in a New York hotel room. She asks him something in cryptic fashion, and then shoots him in the chest. We believe he's dead. The next scene Roy Hobbs is walking through the tunnel into Knights Stadium to introduce himself as the new team player to Pops Fisher (Wilfred Brimley) and Red Blow (Richard Farnsworth). Much to the chagrin of Pops, the middle-aged Roy Hobbs holds a contract to play. Pops ignores him and keeps him benched for weeks, whilst the other players doom game after game. When Pop finally calls Hobbs up, he strikes out the first time and then, it happens. He literally clears the ball out of its skin. A brilliant scene that makes you want to stand up.

Ghost World

The other day I went over to the HMV mega store on Burrard Street in search of a Russell Brand dvd of some sort. No such luck in Canada, but that's a whole other story. What I did find in the bargain/sale/crap films section was a copy of Ghost World --- for six bucks! Why is the world in total ruin? Because they're selling the DVD Daddy Daycare for $29.95 and Ghost World for $6.00.

"People,
people who don't need people;
they're the luckiest people in the world" -
This is the version I sing.
Other than the few people who read this blog, people don't get smart things - whether it's movies, music (especially), design, you name it. I used to be one of those people. When I was still married, I knew hardly a thing. I rented this movie back then and, of course, I didn't understand what was so good about it. Then I separated and got to know some 'smart' people. People who know who the hell Lee Hazelwood is, people who own Bottlerock, Rushmore, The Royal Tanenbaums, Annie Hall and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Needless to say, Ghost World is now one of favorite flicks. It even has Steve Bescemi in it, so you're pretty much guaranteed it's going to be awesome. The two girls, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), are exactly like Marni and I. That is when I had Marni with me in cube-de-ville. I'm not sure which one of us is Enid or Rebecca, but does it really matter? They both have bitterness down to a fine art.

And whilst I was searching for an image, I came across THIS BLOG. Try not to like it more than mine.

So that's what I'm doing tonight until the big debates are on. Does anyone else notice that John McCain's right eye looks different than his left? He is freaking me out. He looks possessed. I'm beginning to believe in Reptilians and it has nothing to do with the fact I listen to Coast To Coast in the middle of the night.

The recent DVD rental

There's a lot of crap DVDs and I can hone in on the worst of them. But this recent one turned out to be really entertaining. The Blue State is good because there's no Tom Cruise in it. I'm totally done with mainstream celebrities. It's just no longer believable what they do on film. I can't watch Brad Pitt anymore either. There's a ton of these types that are ruining my life for movies.  I can't take it. 

In this quiet, alternative flick, Anna Paquin's portrayal, is as usual, fantastic.  But I have to say the main character played by relative unknown Breckin Meyer, was the real charmer in this one.  You just had to like the guy.  



I really enjoyed this one - however, though I've never visited Winnipeg, I'm sure it can't be as backwards and populated by beer-swilling, flannel-wearing irritants who's only other past time is hanging out at the local curling rink. It just can't be that bad. Surely.

Rent The Blue State.