9 Jan 2009

Kabaddi! Is it a game even more fierce than rugby?

I am now reading and enjoying Stephen King's "The Shining," a Christmas present from my daughter. Reading a novel by Stephen King is like drinking a two litre bottle of Coca-Cola in one sitting; it gives you a buzz, but after the sugar crash you find yourself craving the filet mignon of Shakespeare, the prime rib of Sophocles or the tenderloin of Dante. Or even the cheeseburger of Twain. So to speak.

I saw Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation (which King didn't approve of) when it was in theatrical release in 1980. The audience was great - lots of reaction at the jump shots. But the best reaction of all was a scene where Shelley Duvall - not the prettiest actress in Hollywood - was whining at length at her husband (played famously by Jack Nicholson). It was a close-up, and shot in a rather bluish light. She may or may not have been wearing makeup - as I recall it was a morning scene. You could hear the audience sort of shift in their seats uncomfortably and go, "Ewwwww."

(Note: In fairness to Ms. Duvall, she does "clean up" well. Another. And she is not the plainest actress I have ever seen in a film. That honor goes to the fish-faced Kati Outinen, a frequent star in the films of Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki.)

How about French singer/cult figure Edith Piaf? Those paper thin eyebrows... I saw La Vie En Rose (2007) last night, an excellent, excellent film. Marion Cotillard, the French actress who played Paif, was simply incredible. She won the Oscar for Best Actress in the role (image above), and deservedly so.

And as regards looks, Cotilliard ain't bad.

Edith Piaf was a tiny woman (4' 10") with a strong, melodic voice - the French version of Judy "Little Girl With a Big Voice" Garland, I guess. (Or Garland was the American version of Edith Piaf, I'm not sure.)

My constant reader Sherry sent this: "Here's to Ray Dennis Steckler, the independent filmmaker who wrote, starred (as Cash Flagg) and directed influential films including The Thrill Killers, Rat Pfink a Boo Boo, and his masterpice The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. A visionary artist whose influnce is clearly seen in contemporary cinema, Steckler was prolific (producing movies from 1963 until last year), economical (his films were self-produced, shot on 16mm film and later Hi-8 video), and brilliant (as clearly evidenced from Creatures, "The First Monster Musical"). It hasn't been widely reported yet, but fans are mourning his passing. He died in his sleep January 7th, aged 70."

See my longer entry for Steckler on the 9 March 2008 entry, here.

I saw both Rat Pfink a Boo Boo and Incredibly Strange Creatures, etc. Steckler was a quirky and off-beat film presence, that's for sure.

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend! There may be some more crown molding in store for me...

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