I've been tagged by the great ModernDayStoryteller
She wants me to spill my movie-loving (and loathing) guts out so here goes....
1. The first major movie-going experience I can remember is watching ET on opening night.
The crowds, the hysteria, the smell of popcorn quickly made me realize I was in my favourite place in the entire world.
I was seven and wanted to be Gertie.
Believe it or not, I still feel the same every time I see a film. That’s the power of cinema, kids.
2. William Hurt in The Doctor will always be the all-time best performance by an actor, in my opinion. It’s also one of my very favourite films. (I know EVERY line!)
3. Hands down, Julianne Moore is my favourite actress. I want her to play my lead character, Anna if I ever turn my novel into a film.
First, I have to finish the novel.
Look at her--she's perfection.
4. I’ve seenAntonia's Line (a Dutch film) about 30 times, and counting. That film makes me laugh, cry and dream, all at the same time. Is it my #1 fave? It's close but really, I love so many films it's hard to choose just one.
5. To this day, I’ll still watchThe Exorcist if it’s on television but can only watch it if I cover my ears (this is how I watch all horror movies).
That film still scares the shit out of me.
6. I live for film festivals—you haven’t seen a film until you’ve seen it with a film fest audience.
If I were a Richie Rich, I would travel to every film festival in every city across the globe.
7. I believe that the Rom Com is dead. And that makes me very sad.
8. I can watch Immortal Beloved until the end of time and will still cry my eyes out at the end, each and every time.
9. I ADORE Pixar films. Especially the Toy Story films. Love, Love, Love.
So, you'll know I'll be in line when Toy Story 3 opens this summer.
10. I detest cowboy movies and westerns, in general.
And I still don’t understand why John Wayne is such a big deal. He was a terrible actor.
(please save your hate mail because I really don’t give a shit and you know I’m right)
Now, I have to tag someone.....and I know just who.
Last night, after waiting and waiting for what seemed like a year, I got to see the new movie Kick-Ass which just opened in theatres here in Canada on April 16th.
For those of you that don’t know much about this movie, watch the trailer:
Basically, Kick-Ass is about a group of vigilantes masquerading as ‘real’ super heroes in New York City.
The story centres on Dan, a horny, nerdy high school student with a fond love for Kleenex and comic books—his two best friends are pretty much the same.
Sick and tired of getting mugged by two neighbourhood thugs on a daily basis, he wonders why the millions and millions of comic book fans have never attempted to be real super heroes so he decides to be the first.
Or so he thought.
Long story short, he bites off more than he can chew when he meets Hit Girl, the 11-year-old super hero with a potty mouth, heavy artillery and a Dad out for revenge. (really, her name should be Kick-Ass because that’s basically what she does throughout the entire film)
I won’t lie; this film is violent but it’s no more violent than any other action film. Perhaps people think it’s more violent than it really is because the story focuses on a young girl and a group of naïve teenagers. Or maybe I’ve watched so much violence on TV/movies in my life that I'm immune to it.
This a strong possibility.
A lot of critics, including Roger Ebert who gave the film only one star, have panned this movie because of this type of violence: “Shall I have feelings, or should I pretend to be cool? Will I seem hopelessly square if I find “Kick-Ass” morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point? Let's say you're a big fan of the original comic book, and you think the movie does it justice. You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in. A movie camera makes a record of whatever is placed in front of it, and in this case, it shows deadly carnage dished out by an 11-year-old girl, after which an adult man brutally hammers her to within an inch of her life. Blood everywhere. Now tell me all about the context.” Roger Ebert
I’ll admit, that scene that Ebert mentioned, the adult man fighting Hit Girl, was kind of difficult to watch but it was hardly a blood bath. Or 'blood everywhere' as Ebert says.
I wonder if Roger Ebert would feel the same if the 11-year-old girl were an 11-year-old boy? After all, girls are supposed to be ‘sugar and spice and everything nice’, right?
Which brings me to something interesting that I witnessed a couple of weeks ago.
I attended the lovely wedding of a good friend of mine who had a typical Italian wedding in which the reception took place at a lavish banquet hall.
After dinner, the DJ played (very loudly) some hot new pop/dance songs to get people up and onto the dance floor.
The first brave souls to enter the empty dance floor were the nieces and nephews of the Bride & Groom, ranging in ages of about six to twelve—most were girls.
Everyone watched and clapped along as the kids danced and sang to one of Kesha’s songs (a 23-year-old American pop star with a very large tween/teen following) which include lyrics about brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniels and boys trying to touch her ‘junk’. The young girls knew every, single word.
Now, did they know what these words meant? Who knows?
Perhaps only the proud, clapping parents know the answer to that.
Later on in the night, the DJ played Lady GaGa’s song called ‘Love Game’ which includes lyrics about asking a potential lover if she can take a ride on his disco stick and confirming that she’s been “educated in sex”.
All the little girls knew this song word-for-word as well.
Maybe I’m too sensitive (and a little too feminist, if there is such a thing) but I find this appalling. I also find it appalling that parents of these young girls see absolutely nothing wrong with this but think that cursing and ‘violence’ on TV & movies is wrong.
Excuse me but I think our over sexed society, as it pertains to young girls is far more damaging. I find this to be the real violence in our culture. It's a violence against innocence and morality.
These parents are probably the same people that think shows like The Bachelor, Toddlers & Tiaras, The Real Housewives of Orange County, etc. etc. etc. are good old-fashioned family television shows, thus confirming to their young daughters that looks and sex appeal are more important than any other quality she will ever have—including brains.
So, what’s worse? An outrageous 11-year-old girl who likes to go after the bad guys and uses the word ‘cunt' now and then or an 11-year-old girl who thinks it’s cute to be drunk, stupid and promiscuous?
Hell, if I had an 11-year-old daughter and I had to choose, I would rather hear the sporadic ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’ from her any day (I can probably live without the Uzis, Hit Girl) over a child singing along to lyrics like “don’t be a little bitch with your chit chat, just show me where your dick’s at”, “ain’t got a care in the world but got plenty of beer” and “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick”.
The thought consumes me throughout the day and won't relent until I drift off to sleep.
Just when I think the struggle is over, I panic and resort to my comfortable, old ways.
You see, I’m not getting anything out of this relationship anymore. I want out.
At first, you seemed like a good idea but now I know; you’re just no good. I didn’t see this at the start because I was blinded by my need to fill the void. My need to feel invisible.
Some cracks in your foundation have let the sun in, only slightly but enough to see there is life on the other side. There is life if I let you go.
Now that you’ve fulfilled my needs and have worn out your welcome, I must gather strength for the day I finally bid adieu to you and your bag full of cures.
But I'm not ready just yet.....you're still winning.
