According to Rachel Maddow, these are all the things we are NOT going to have with Obama in the White House, and Thank the People:
Annakarinaland
Anna Karina in Pierre le Fou
2012-11-07
2012-10-21
Rachel Maddow: a necessity for the 2012 presidential election
Sometimes it's hard to believe that Republicans will do anything to roll back the clock, scale back women's rights with fundamentalist religious beliefs, increase the war budget, trash national health care --and all for the sake of not paying taxes to support necessary government programs (such as Medicare and Medical, even Social Security). This elite group includes Romney who pays 14% tax.
Obama's message to the middle class to study how tax credits benefit only the wealthy should not fall on deaf ears...if it does, we will get the president we deserve for not fighting back.....
Obama's message to the middle class to study how tax credits benefit only the wealthy should not fall on deaf ears...if it does, we will get the president we deserve for not fighting back.....
The issues are difficult to assimilate. Both sides deny what they say, and use the same attacks against each other. Maddow's clever and witty style explores the rhetoric and behind the scenes truths of the political pundits. Rachel Maddow sees through this camouflage. It is really important to listen to someone who is not only a Rhodes scholar but one of the most astute political minds today.
Maddow is a gay activist with a long term partner. Her doctoral dissertation compared AIDS policies in the California and British prison systems. Her lifestyle is never an issue on the show; politics are.
Not a Real Tango
Brando plays Paul. a grieving widower, consoling himself with distractions for a wife who betrayed him. Bertolucci places him an an empty apartment with red stained rugs and dirty windows. Here he brings a young woman he acquires like a sportscar, to show off, and to play with.
Jeanne is a budding actress disenchanted with her moviemaker boyfriend who frames everything with his thumb and forefinger. She is intrigued by the mystery of a new relationship which is clearly obsessive/compulsive--there are no names, only games.
Underneath this all is a man's raw grief. Brando tearfully smears clean his dead wife's overdone face, and tosses the stinking funeral wreaths. In this moment, and in the end when he sports a silly smile on his face while saluting Jeanne, he is real. For Schneider the film initiated a slew of roles as female lead. Taken under the wing of Bridget Bardot, her dream was to work in arthouse cinema with auteurs--and this was her most memorable role. The film acquired attention for the addictive urgency of their sexual entango-ment, and the film was temporarily banned in several US cities.
Maybe Sharon Stone is right: sex in cinema is interesting because it is so seldom free. But in this film that is not the case, because sex is so heavily entwined with emotional blackmail,depression and mortality-- and not much of a dance at all. Brando and Schneider got this totally correct.
Jeanne is a budding actress disenchanted with her moviemaker boyfriend who frames everything with his thumb and forefinger. She is intrigued by the mystery of a new relationship which is clearly obsessive/compulsive--there are no names, only games.
Underneath this all is a man's raw grief. Brando tearfully smears clean his dead wife's overdone face, and tosses the stinking funeral wreaths. In this moment, and in the end when he sports a silly smile on his face while saluting Jeanne, he is real. For Schneider the film initiated a slew of roles as female lead. Taken under the wing of Bridget Bardot, her dream was to work in arthouse cinema with auteurs--and this was her most memorable role. The film acquired attention for the addictive urgency of their sexual entango-ment, and the film was temporarily banned in several US cities.
Maybe Sharon Stone is right: sex in cinema is interesting because it is so seldom free. But in this film that is not the case, because sex is so heavily entwined with emotional blackmail,depression and mortality-- and not much of a dance at all. Brando and Schneider got this totally correct.
2012-10-07
'Bollywood Sleeping Beauty' enchants audiences at San Francisco's NCTC
'Bollywood Sleeping Beauty' enchants audiences at San Francisco's NCTC
Julian Holmes, Tess Greenham, Regina Leon, Giulia Iaconi-Stewart, and Roman Blum in 'Bollywood Sleeping Beauty'
©Moira Sullivan
The New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) under the direction of Stephanie Temple is renowned in San Francisco for its enchanting plays for youth. Temple’s current production, which she wrote and directed, is 'Bollywood Sleeping Beauty' and runs through October 14 at NCTC.
©Moira Sullivan
Temple has a wonderful ability to put together such endearing tales that her theatre pieces have become beloved by the public for many years. There is always the opportunity for a young child to audition for the program and on October 7 there were several children that looked on in reverence at the older children, most around 15 years.
This story of 'Sleeping Beauty' has been given a Bollywood twist where the young princess Sabeena has become prey to the goddess Kali. The marriage of Sabeena's parents, Queen Dalaja (Tess Greenham) and King Maandhata (Roman Blum) displeased her so much that she is bent on revenge of their first-born. Sabeena starts to fall for Prince Taj (Julian Holmes) just before this unfortunate circumstance is about to come into play.
At 15, the needle of a spinning wheel will mortally wound Sabeena, true to the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. In Temple’s arrangement, three benevolent goddesses: Saraswati (Stella Price), Lakshimi (Rebecca Hughes), and Parvati (Lena Galinson) watch over Sabeena and arrange that she will merely fall into a deep sleep. This is a slumber not without enchantment. The goddesses create an obstacle map within Beauty’s subconscious to help get her home including the meeting of a black bearded prince, the elephant headed god Ganesha, and a white mustached prince. They are even able to arrange for Sabeena's new love Prince Taj to appear in the dream to accompany her on her journey home.
This Temple production excels in clever dance arrangements set to Bollywood music with members of the royal family and the goddesses. As in other Temple plays, the young actors double as other characters, such as some of the dream personalities. The incredibly talented Carola Anderson makes the costumes for NCTC youth theatre and in this production the garments of the Indian royalty and dream creatures are stunning.
'Bollywood Sleeping Beauty' is a visionary play that is cinematic like the Indian genre from which the name is derived. The play is an explosion of color, enchantment, dance and music in a journey that clearly appeal to all ages.
The play runs through October 14 at NCTC, 25 Van Ness in San Francisco.
2012-10-06
Lee Daniels' controversial 'The Paperboy' opens in San Francisco
Lee Daniels' controversial 'The Paperboy' opens in San Francisco
The Paperboy, official trailer
Lee Daniels
'The Paperboy' is the story of Hillary van Wetter, a bloated Southern sleezeball played by John Cusack who is awaiting the electric chair for killing an obese racist sheriff. While in prison femme fatale Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) writes him, and soons falls for him. She convinces two newspapermen Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) and Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) to re-investigate the homicide in order to prove van Wetter’s innocence. Charlotte, Ward Jansen and his brother, Jack (Zac Ephron) visit him in prison in one of the film's raw scenes.
Lee Daniels' 'The Paperboy'
Cannes Film Festival 2012
Cannes Film Festival
Jack prances around in shorts or underwear as a clearly homoerotic character. Yardley is (erotically) disturbed by him but Jack falls for Charlotte Bless. The seductive blonde with a brittle wig and heavy eye makeup tells Jack she has a dark side where his good looks and nature do not fit.
Van Wetter does nothing but abuse Charlotte from the minute he meets her in prison and when he gets out. As far as the other lead characters, Ward accepts an offer to have sex with some local black men, not the first time, but gets badly roughed up. Macy Gray is Zac’s beloved nanny but that position of privilege soon ends when his father (Scott Glen) starts to see the provincial albeit racist Ellen Guthrie (Nealla Gordon).
The connection between sexism, homophobia, classicism and racism is interconnected throughout the film. 'The Paperboy' no doubt shows the roots of oppression. Cinematographer Roberto Shaefer ('Monster’s Ball') constructs each shot of the misé en scene (composition of the frame) There are also some montage elements by Joe Klotz ('Precious') that will clearly jolt in the spectator. These images are disturbing and pull the film away from the traditional thriller genre, which critics expected.
The raw edges of the film are not entertaining. This lack of feel good put off some of the press at Cannes where it had its international film debut in May, but for others it was a cinematic triumph.
Lee Daniel's 'The Paperboy' is an excellent, well-crafted narrative that seems to turn upside down everything you thought a film might be about set in the south. It opens in San Francisco at the Landmark Theaters at Embarcadero October 5.
2012-08-01
San Francisco's 'Vertigo' chosen best film of all time
San Francisco's 'Vertigo' chosen best film of all time
Kim Novak at Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
Paramount
'Vertigo' (USA, 1958) has been chosen the number one film of all time, according to a vote by 846 international critics. The vote was featured today in the online site for the respected BFI monthly film publication Sight & Sound.
Paramount
The film stars "San Francisco's Cinematic Icon", Kim Novak, and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 'Vertigo' was filmed in San Francisco and San Juan Baptista. The San Francisco Bay Area was a favorite of Hitchcock, the subject of Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhals enthralling film study 'Footsteps in the Fog'.
This is the first time that 'Citizen Kane', directed by Orson Welles was wrestled from first place for best film every by a group of film critics.
In another vote by Sight & Sound, 358 film directors voted Yasujirô Ozu's 'Tokyo Story' (Japan, 1953) the best film ever. 'Vertigo' was in seventh place.
The actual vote by critics and directors is as follows:
Critics:
1. "Vertigo"
2. "Citizen Kane"
3. "Tokyo Story"
4. "The Rules of the Game"
5. "Sunrise"
6. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
7. "The Searchers"
8. "Man With a Movie Camera"
9. "The Passion of Joan of Arc"
10. "8 1/2"
2. "Citizen Kane"
3. "Tokyo Story"
4. "The Rules of the Game"
5. "Sunrise"
6. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
7. "The Searchers"
8. "Man With a Movie Camera"
9. "The Passion of Joan of Arc"
10. "8 1/2"
Directors:
1. "Tokyo Story"
2. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
2. "Citizen Kane"
4. "8 1/2"
5. "Taxi Driver"
6. "Apocalypse Now"
7. "The Godfather"
7. "Vertigo"
9. "The Mirror"
10. "Bicycle Thieves"
2. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
2. "Citizen Kane"
4. "8 1/2"
5. "Taxi Driver"
6. "Apocalypse Now"
7. "The Godfather"
7. "Vertigo"
9. "The Mirror"
10. "Bicycle Thieves"
2012-07-27
'Dis/Connected' opens at New Conservatory Theatre Center
'Dis/Connected' opens at New Conservatory Theatre Center
Joseph Wienberg, Tess Greenham, and Forrest Nolan, actors in Dis/Connected
©Moira Sullivan 2012
The exciting Teen Summer Stock opened July 26 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco with a four day run of 'Dis/Connected' through July 29. Written by Bennett Fisher and directed by Jessica Holt, the play is an innovative exposé on bullying at school and through social media on the Internet. The ensemble actors are excellent and work well as an engaging team of storytellers with a smart script and direction. 'Dis/Connected' appeals to both teenagers and parents and deals with the phenomena of texting and social media that has preoccupied young people ever since cell phones with mobile networking became affordable in the 90’s. The opening lines of the play address how elderly people look back on their past whereas young people try to put it behind, especially memories about being picked on and bullied at school.
The teens wind up having to go get an online education when their school is closed. This is a disturbingly grim reality today for some students due to educational cutbacks. The school administrators - Supervisors Nelson and Wilson, (Alia Anaya and Rachelle Highbrou), a modern Tweedledum and Tweedledee, engage in double speak on all aspects of the increasingly deteriorating situation of their school and morale of the students. Their exchange reveals the stark reality of school boards who are able to justify cutbacks through deceptive language.
Top Hat (Tess Greenham) royally bullies the ill named Snot (Rebecca Huges) aided by her gang - Rabbit (Regina Leon), Tiptoes (Zoe Zapata) and Mumbles (Casey Alter). Top Hat has her eye on Buzzy (Joseph Weinberg) who becomes more and more intrigued by how Snot turns her life around in front of her peers and begins to become empowered. Since she has suffered as a social outcast for years, she decides to hit back with real potency by demonstrating through a self-designed app how students can randomly become unpopular on the Internet through rumors and hearsay. Top Hat is the first to lose her reputation in this way, though Rabbit and Tiptoes who have followed the leader are given a chance to change ways and atone for bullying Snot. Meanwhile, DD (Forest Nolan) confers with Buzzy about the relationship that seems to be budding between him and Snot that is moving him away from Top Hat and her bullying. He also expresses his own feelings towards Buzzy in the painful process of coming out.
'Dis/Connected' addresses the homophobia, sexism and racism that lies dormant among unconscious and insecure teens. Insensitive social exchange can cause scars for a lifetime. However, in this play the real threat is social media, cell phones and the Internet, which increasingly replace human contact. This group of actors successfully and evocatively bring these messages home and awaken many of the thoughts that everyone is thinking today about how far will it go as cyberspace and smart phones continue to take over meaningful social engagement. There is also the problem of malicious commentary in social media. The recent expulsion of a Greek athlete by her country from the 2012 Summer Olympics for a racist tweet is an example of the power of inappropriate usage.
An abridged version of play is part of the YouthAware Educational Theatre touring repertory slated for K-12 schools for 2013-2014.
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Last Tango in Paris, (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy 1972)