Nothing much going on this week...while visiting a friend, I stopped to get my favorite iced coffee (bubble drink sans bubble) , I've got another friend visiting over the long weekend (Labor Day in US), and my grad cla$$ began this week. Well, actually, the first cla$$ is next week, we just had to post an introduction of ourselves. Last course of the degree program.

TV/DVD watching

Generation Kill Last episode of mini-series. I really liked it and the ending was overdone. Mad Men was really good this week. Eureka - I'm losing interest fast.

Michael Clayton DVD - George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson

"I am Shiva, the God of Death" is a quote from the movie. I watched on a recommended of a friend and I'm glad I finally did. I hardly FF'd through any of it - that is a major compliment from me! Quick paced, suspenseful, not too much lawyerese and good performances. Writer/director Tony Gilroy (wrote all the Bourne scripts) provides brief glimpses into main characters to provide just enough character study, but not enough to make it plodding. A-

Part III of Scene and Song: Finale

These are my top 4 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#4 River of No Return - River of No Return

(1954) Western adventure directed by Otto Preminger in Cinemascope starring Marilyn Monroe (as Kay), Robert Mitchum (Matt Calder)

Kay is a saloon singer in a rough frontier town, who befriends a young man waiting for his father, Matt. Later at their homestead, Matt and his son see Kay and her gambler BF on a log raft heading for dangerous waters. Matt rescues them, but his good deed bites him on the butt. "Wilder than Indian ambush, wilder than river fury, wilder than the most savage wilderness in all the Americas, was the wildness of their love!"

The theme song is sang by Marilyn in the last 5 mins. of the film; one of four she sings in film. Beautiful shots of the landscape.

Trivia: Filmed in Canada's Banff and Jasper National Parks. Mitchum and Monroe had several stunt related accidents because Preminger wanted them to do their own stunts.

(2004) drama (romance) directed by Michael Mayer starring Colin Farrell (Bobby Morrow), Sissy Spacek and Matt Frewer (Alice and Ned Glover) Dallas Roberts (Jonathan Glover), Robin Wright Penn (Clare)

In the 1970s, two teenage boys become friends and more. Easy-going and eager to please Bobby likes Jonathan's peaceful and orderly home and Jonathan's mother, Alice. Bobby becomes closer to the Glovers after a series of tragedies. Jonathan leaves home as soon as he graduates HS, while Bobby is content to remain in their hometown. Jonathan is living with roommate, Clare, in NYC and living it up without any cautions in the 1980s. Bobby joins Jonathan and Claire and the relationship dynamics change.

I'm not a big fan of Colin Farrell, but his portrayal of Bobby was great. Great music in this film: Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home", Patti Smith"s "Because the Night", Yaz's "Only You".

But I "discovered" Laura Nyro, whose songs are listened to by the characters. Nyro's "Desiree" and "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is on the record during Bobby's "seduction" of/bonding with Alice. Link is to a fan made trailer.

#2 Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps - Strictly Ballroom

(1996) romantic comedy (satire) directed by Baz Luhrmann starring Paul Mercurio (as Scott) and Tara Morice (Fran), Bill Hunter is the villainous Barry Fife, chairman of the Australian Dancing Federation

Scott's parents were ballroom dancers and his mother runs a studio. He's a talented dancer, but a rebel who is constrained by the strict rules of the sport. Fran is a student who has her own ideas and can understand Scott's desires.

"A life lived in fear... is a life half lived"

A sensual rumba Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Doris Day

Trivia: Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge! are Luhrmann's "The Red Curtain" trilogy. Red Curtain is "a filmmaking technique [which] incorporates traditional theatrical conventions into his films and morphs them to create visual treats in stories set in heightened otherworlds. Simple devices like song and dance are then used to drive the action."

(1959) A melodramatic tour de force! directed by Douglas Sirk starring Lana Turner (Lora), Juanita Moore (Annie), Sandra Dee (Susie), Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane)

Two widowed single mothers meet in NYC in the late 1940s; Annie is African American and Lora is Caucasian. Annie becomes a live-in servant for Lorie and caretaker of Susie, and Annie's very light complected daughter, Sarah Jane, becomes a playmate for the younger Susie. Lora is busy becoming a model and actress while Annie manages on the home front, raising Sarah Jane and Susie. It becomes apparent to Sarah Jane, that Caucasians have more options and freedom than she and her mother do and decides to see how the other half lives. Annie keeps bringing her back down to reality telling her "It's a sin to be ashamed of what you are. And it's even worse to pretend, to lie."

If you can get past the racial and gender stereotypes, it is a great example of a melodrama. It was considered progressive for 1959 and was banned in many cities. This is a remake of a 1934 film which was even more a product of it's time.

My favorite scene is one of the best funeral and procession scenes ever for it's over the top excesses. The spotlight clip shows the beginning of a longer scene w/ Mahalia Jackson appearing as a choir soloist singing Trouble of the World as a dirge. I may laugh at some of the scenes, shake my head at others, but I always get a little teary during this one.

Trivia: Sarah Jane was played by an African American actress in the 1934 film (BW pic), but by a Caucasian in this version.

Thanks for visiting. For those of you in the U.S., enjoy your long Labor Day weekend! Regardless, have a great weekend!!

Take care,

Hari

Sweetened Iced Tea Hot, a little milk at bfast...

all times of the day, all seasons...I consume tea. A tea set and tea parties with stuffed animals or older cousins, were a big part of my childhood. My sister and I are in dispute over a teaset we both claim as our own. She says she just let me use it. Likely story!

No herbal (blech!) or green or too much fruit flavor. Black tea variety brewed strong - sun tea is a nice idea, but takes too long, just restarted using a brew machine since my ice machine is working again. Went to an afternoon tea on Sunday; sugar cubes shaped like card suits, finger foods of all descriptions, but lame deserts.

Whenever I traveled (haven't been out of North America) for business or pleasure, I always look for interesting tearooms/shops.

TV/DVD watching

Eureka - I'm unhappy with cast changes in the S3, 4th episode!

Mad Men - Is Don Draper losing his grip? Becoming more conscious of his actions?

Generation Kill mini-series has 1 remaining episode left. Pierce Brosnan's son, Sean, is in this show, but I don't recognize him.

Scenes of a Sexual Nature DVD - Tom Hardy, Catherine Tate, Ewan McGregor, Sophie Okonedo, Hugh Bonneville, Polly Walker - interesting cast, numerous "scenes" between new or old acquaintances, couples, but overall it was boring.

Part II of Scene and Song:

What song* in what film* strikes you as the most emotional/funniest/saddest/most romantic/danceable/mood setting moment?

* A song has lyrics and try pick a film from non-musical genre (ya know, cast doesn't sing and dance out of the blue like in Grease, Hairspray 2007, Sound of Music, Rent)

These are my top 12 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#8 Let's Hear it for the Boy - Footloose

(1984) romantic teen rebel movie directed by Herbert Ross starring Kevin Bacon (as Ren) and Lori Singer (Ariel), Chris Penn (Williard), Sarah Jessica Parker, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest

Ren is a city kid who moves to a small, rural town where Rock n' Roll and dancing are FORBIDDEN! Ariel is a PK (preacher's kid) and is itching to escape. Ren meets Ariel and between playing chicken with heavy machinery and solo angsty dancing, they teach the citizens that rock and dancing is the least of their worries.

Favorite montage: Ren teaches his friend, Willard, how to dance to Let's Hear it for the Boy by Deniece Williams (four-octave range soprano)

Trivia: This movie inspired 3 college students to create the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon in which a player must link a famous person to Kevin based on working relationships in less than 6 links. See the Oracle of Bacon to check a person's "Bacon Number".

For example, what is Hugh Jackman's "Bacon Number"? His "Bacon Number" is 2.

Hugh Jackman was in X2 with Kelly Hu. Kelly Hu was in The Air I Breathe with Kevin Bacon.

#7 Both Sides Now - Love Actually

(2003) romantic comedy directed by Richard Curtis starring every British actor and the most annoying US "actresses"

Numerous couples and singles in varying states of the relationship lifecycle. The movie could have cut back on a few couples and featured Chiwetel Ejiofor more... with another actress! Anyway, this scene where Karen (Emma Thompson) makes a discovery about her relationship w/ Harry (Alan Rickman) set to Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now (2000) is a favorite. Thompson does a great job in this painful moment and the song is a literal match for scene content.

Trivia: Joni Mitchell began smoking at age 9 during her recovery from polio. That illness, smoking and vocal cord nodules combined to affect her voice. Listen to her 1960s' version. Both Sides Now has been covered more than 550 times.

#6 Theme from Shaft - Shaft

(1971) action directed by Gordon Parks starring Richard Roundtree (John Shaft), Moses Gun (Bumpy Jonas)

No one likes Private Investigator John Shaft, not the cops, mobsters, Black Panther-like dudes because of Shaft's integrity and skilled anti-BS intuition; (He's a complicated man). Harlem crime kingpin, Bumpy's daughter has been kidnapped and he hires Shaft to find her. Bumpy knows Shaft is a cat who won't cop out When there's danger all about. Shaft will tear down Harlem to complete his job and no one better get in his way because he's a mean mother- Shut yo' mouth!

Lyrics begin @ halfway through Shaft's swagger through NYC streets. The song tells you all you need to know about Shaft. Congas, "rat-ta-tat" on hi-hat cymbal, "wah-wah" guitar – big elements that would be heard frequently in Disco. Played by 1000s of jazz and marching bands across the US. 2 more Shaft films and a sequel starring Samuel L. Jackson as John's nephew were released.

Trivia: In 2000, Shaft was added to the United States National Film Registry because it was so bad***. Theme from Shaft won Best Original Song 1972 Oscar and two Grammys for Isaac Hayes. Hayes originally wanted to play Shaft in the film.

(1983) comedy written/directed by Paul Brickman starring Tom Cruise (Joel) and Rebecca De Mornay (Lana)

While the parents are away, the high school kids, prostitutes, and pimp will play! Lana, prostitute who makes house calls, has something which Joel, high school senior, desperately needs, really wants and that his mother will miss. Joel also wants to study business at an Ivy League university. Will Joel get it? An acceptance letter!

Genre should be fantasy.

In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins precedes a Joel/Lana interlude on an Chicago "L" train (ICK! Do you know how many people ride that train?).

Trivia: This was Collins' first solo single and has been played in numerous TV shows including Miami Vice's pilot and has been sampled in many rap and hip-hop songs. There's an "urban legend" that the song was about an accidental or intentional drowning. Neither is true; it's about the 1st of 3 divorces.

Final 4 in next blog.

Thanks for visiting and submitting more of your favorite scene & song moments.

Interior Bedroom - Early Morning

A light filled, messy room with a large bed dominating space.

HARI is sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed.

Loud SNORING is drowned out by the sound of a dog YIPPING and the increasingly discordant SOUNDS (CONCRETE MIXING, DRILLING, PEOPLE SHOUTING) of construction.

We see HARI jolt awake and looking disoriented. She fights to disengage herself from her oh so cool and crisp sheets and stumbles to the window. She yanks the blinds up and quickly closes both eyes. The light of a beautiful sunrise is shining on her squenched up face. She shields her eyes from the light, opens one eye and peers down towards her backyard.

Exterior Backyard - Still Early Morning

HARI's industrious neighbors are building a retaining wall and have tied their annoying small dog outside. The couple are shiny with productivity.

Interior Bedroom - Really Early Morning

HARI scowls, curses her neighbors' parents and crawls back in bed. HARI has been awakened 3 hours early.

*sigh* My very nice neighbors were just too darn whistle-while-you-work these past 2 mornings! I quickly stopped cursing their respective parents because the dude has done me some major yardwork favors - and it's not their problem that their neighbor stays out late in nefarious company!

I just really hate waking up before my alarm goes off and having the scratchy,squinty-eyed look for the rest of the day....

TV/DVD watching

TV watching was pretty dull this past week - Eureka, Long Way Down. Mad Men was good. Generation Kill mini-series has 2 remaining episodes left.

I reactivated my Netflix subscription which I had suspended in January since I had a variety of free pay channels and less time. Freebies are over, so I rearranged my stale film list and waited for my packets. No packets - Netflix had a major "technical error" which prevented delivery. So I was forced, yes, forced to watch Serenity for like the 12th time.

Also, watched one of my favorite old movies, River of No Return, which leads me to the meat and potatoes of this blog...

What song* in what film* strikes you as the most emotional/funniest/saddest/most romantic/danceable/mood setting moment?

* A song has lyrics and try pick a film from non-musical genre (ya know, cast doesn't sing and dance out of the blue like in Grease, Hairspray 2007, Sound of Music, Rent)

These are my top 12 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#12 I Have Nothing - The Bodyguard

(1992) action/suspense with a speck of romance directed by Mick Jackson starring Kevin Costner (Frank) and Whitney Houston (Rachel)

Rachel is a famous performer who is being stalked and threatened. Frank, a no nonsense former Secret Service agent, becomes her bodyguard. Rachel sings "I Have Nothing" during a performance at the Oscar's.

They began to develop feelings for each other against Frank's professional ethics (yeah, right). From the "sex" scene, you would think this movie was done in 1952, instead of 1992 - one of those fade to black and morning-after sequences.

Trivia: This was Houston's film debut and the soundtrack is the highest selling soundtrack since... the... beginning... of... time.

#11 Let's Do it Again - Let's Do it Again

(1973) buddy comedy directed by/starring Sidney Poitier (Clyde) and Bill Cosby (Billy)

Clyde and Billy are raising money for a worthy organization by less than worthy means. When their methods pay off big, they attract the attention of another organized group who wants them to "do it again" and won't take no for an answer. 2nd in a trio of Poitier and Cosby buddy movies.

Trivia: Deceased rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., took his professional name (Biggie Smalls) from a character in this film. Jayne Kennedy is the young woman being wolfishly tracked by Bill Cosby in the opening credits. Jayne was an actress, model and sports announcers on The NFL Today in 1978.

#10 Que Sera, Sera - The Man Who Knew Too Much

(1956) suspense directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring James Stewart and Doris Day (Ben and Jo McKenna)

Ben and Jo witness an incident in Morocco and are blackmailed into silence. The couple decides to do some recon work to counter the blackmailers' plans. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is performed several times but this is the most important performance as Jo tries to buy Ben some sneaking around time.

Trivia: The song won Best Song at the 1956 Oscar's.

(1974) comedy/horror movie parody co-written/ directed by Mel Brooks starring co-writer, Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein) and Peter Boyle (Monster)

Dr. "Fronk-en-steen" is trying to distance himself from his grandfather's, THE Dr. Frankenstein's, legacy. He learns he has an inheritance which includes his grandfather's lab and assistants. He decides to continue his grandfather's work and creates the Monster.

Dr. "Fronk-en-steen" decides to show his results during this scene: Puttin' on the Ritz

Trivia: The film is preserved at the US Library of Congress National Film Registry because it is just so darn funny!

To be continued in next blog.

Thanks for visiting and submitting your favorite scene & song moments.