A friend of mine gets the St. Louis Review. I've never heard of it before, probably because I'm not Catholic and thus completely unfamiliar with the weekly paper of the St. Louis Archdiocese. In this newspaper they review movies. Also learned about the USCCB - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office - which has its own Film & Broadcasting rating system.
I find this fascinating. My friend made a copy of this week's review of "Little Miss Sunshine." The one sentence in the entire review that I agreed with compared the movie's Hoover family to a "pyschological Munster family with the one normal kid." I actually laughed out loud. Great comparison. Very true. To be fair, the review wasn't bad. I can see their points. I wouldn't take an ten-year old to see it. Course, the R rating by the secular film rating system identifies it properly, without the Catholic paper chiming in with their two cents.
Unfortunately "LIttle Miss Sunshine" was not rated by the Bishops, only a film reviewer on staff. However, they did rate other movies ... and their ratings start at "general patronage" for movies like "Cars;" to "adults/adolescents" for "The Devil Wears Prada."
Things get slightly more racy with the label "limited adult audience," which is reserved for films whose content "many adults would find troubling". Current movies that fit this bill include "Accepted," "Night Listener," and "Talladega Nights."
Topping the charts like a category five on the Safir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is drum roll please, "morally offensive." Yes, this is the equivalent of X-rated to ye of little faith. Now showing at a theatre near you, are such morally offensives as: "Miami Vice," "Snakes on a Plane," and "Beerfest" - all tainted by an "O" rating by those wild and crazy bishops.
To check it out yourself, click here. They also have television ratings, top ten movies by year, and the Vatican Top 45 movies list. Who knew?
While I'm not an organized religion type gal and never have been/never will be Catholic, I must confess that if I had kids I just might check out these reviews before allowing a kid loose at the cinema. I am embarrassed to admit this (and hope I'd find something similar that wasn't tied to a faith), but they certainly outline all of the potentially objectionable aspects that a parent might like to know up front ... From advance warning of the "menacing sequence that may be scary for very young children" in "Ant Bully" to "sexual elements including brief footage of an orgy with partial nudity" in "Night Listener."
I remember seeing "Creepshow" and "Down & Out in Beverly Hills" with my parents as a pre-teen/young teen. Both were "R". My Dad had no clue of their rating till we were in the show. I still can't believe that my mom endorsed it. "Creepshow" was my first taste of horror (and enhanced my repugnance of cock roaches and increased the frequency of nightmares). "Down & Out" was my first glimpse of sex ed, front and center, on the big screen. I died a little during the sex scene ... not something you want to see with your parents. Betting my dad died a little too...
Monday, August 28, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Whoops ...
Well, thank heavens today ended better than it started. Two nights in a row I schlepped a pile of work home and didn't do it. Each morning as I careen to work (tardy, as usual, with sunroof open to blow dry my hair en route), I feel a little guilt about it and then rationalize that having to carry it across the highway into work is punishment enough.
In addition to today's morning of guilt and typical late arrival to work, I speed walked across the parking lot. Halfway up the hill, I heard someone call my name. I looked back to see my car no longer in its parking spot. My car was in the middle of the aisle, in fact.
Luckily it had stopped coasting and had not hit anything. Being late and having to park in the flat section was actually a blessing today! (I can rationalize anything apparently...)
For some reason I walked back to the car ever so slowly, at a much slower pace than my departure. Why I didn't feel a sense of urgency, who knows. It was certainly shocking.
I threw my pile of files and papers onto the sloping blacktop, slid into the car, rolled it back into its parking spot and put on the parking brake. This time. Always a good thing to do in a stick shift, but for some reason I broke habit today.
Of course a few other wonky things happened while walking into work but no major catastrophes, just close calls.
I'm not normally superstitious, but today I was.
And now I'm home. The car brake is on. Nothing's burning. My smoke alarms have new batteries. The gate is closed. The dog's in for the night. The doors are locked.
Phew.
In addition to today's morning of guilt and typical late arrival to work, I speed walked across the parking lot. Halfway up the hill, I heard someone call my name. I looked back to see my car no longer in its parking spot. My car was in the middle of the aisle, in fact.
Luckily it had stopped coasting and had not hit anything. Being late and having to park in the flat section was actually a blessing today! (I can rationalize anything apparently...)
For some reason I walked back to the car ever so slowly, at a much slower pace than my departure. Why I didn't feel a sense of urgency, who knows. It was certainly shocking.
I threw my pile of files and papers onto the sloping blacktop, slid into the car, rolled it back into its parking spot and put on the parking brake. This time. Always a good thing to do in a stick shift, but for some reason I broke habit today.
Of course a few other wonky things happened while walking into work but no major catastrophes, just close calls.
I'm not normally superstitious, but today I was.
And now I'm home. The car brake is on. Nothing's burning. My smoke alarms have new batteries. The gate is closed. The dog's in for the night. The doors are locked.
Phew.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Men Only?
You've got to be kidding me.
I'm working on my essay submission for writers group and took a moment to check the headlines. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, but one headline just hit me.
I should probably start by saying that the essay I'm writing is about a mix of things - one of which concerns the ugandously insipid topic of religion. It goes without saying that this is a very personal topic, with a deluge of different interpretations and beliefs.
But (rant begins here), one thing I struggle with is intolerance. Intolerance of other people's beliefs in particular and the dangerous reaction when mixed with a so-called literal interpretation of the Bible or any other work that forms the basis of a religion.
One key objection I have to certain organized religions concerns gender. When the leaders of a religion must be male and only male, when females are not given the same opportunities, my normally tranquil feminist attitudes fly off the handle.
Here's the latest absurdity Sunday School Teacher Dumped for Being Female.
Basically this woman has been a Sunday School teacher for the past 50+ years and suddenly the obviously infallible (not) leader - whatever his title (reverend, preacher, or master of his domain) has decided this is no longer appropriate.
Equally troubling is the fact that he is also in local government ... which reinforces my anxiety when it comes to the ever-dwindling separation of church and state.
On a personal note, a friend encountered such discrimination. Granted, this does not mean the entire religion is flawed, but demonstrates how important balance is within leadership of any organization (religious or other) is. Raised as Jehovah Witness, my friend J married someone in the religion, as recommended. When her husband suddenly left her, the elders in her church (who happened to all be male), judged her. Until her ex-husband admitted to adultery, she was the sinner in the eyes of her congregation - to a certain extent. She was treated differently, judged, and at risk for being excommunicated/disfellowshiped. Basically her support system - family, friends and spiritual foundation - were in jeopardy. Once her ex came forward, she was forgiven though it left an indelible mark on her faith. Understandably so. Granted this is second-hand and biased, but such incidents make me indignant. They reinforce my harsh impressions of most organized religions and my reluctance to get back into a church-going ritual ... ever.
I could go on & on about religion and women's rights, but I'd much rather hear from you. Any thoughts, opinions, comments welcome.
In the meantime, now that there is color in my cheeks and an increase in beats per minute, I'm going to focus this fervor into my essay which is due in nearly 48 hours ... and needs much more work!
I'm working on my essay submission for writers group and took a moment to check the headlines. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, but one headline just hit me.
I should probably start by saying that the essay I'm writing is about a mix of things - one of which concerns the ugandously insipid topic of religion. It goes without saying that this is a very personal topic, with a deluge of different interpretations and beliefs.
But (rant begins here), one thing I struggle with is intolerance. Intolerance of other people's beliefs in particular and the dangerous reaction when mixed with a so-called literal interpretation of the Bible or any other work that forms the basis of a religion.
One key objection I have to certain organized religions concerns gender. When the leaders of a religion must be male and only male, when females are not given the same opportunities, my normally tranquil feminist attitudes fly off the handle.
Here's the latest absurdity Sunday School Teacher Dumped for Being Female.
Basically this woman has been a Sunday School teacher for the past 50+ years and suddenly the obviously infallible (not) leader - whatever his title (reverend, preacher, or master of his domain) has decided this is no longer appropriate.
Equally troubling is the fact that he is also in local government ... which reinforces my anxiety when it comes to the ever-dwindling separation of church and state.
On a personal note, a friend encountered such discrimination. Granted, this does not mean the entire religion is flawed, but demonstrates how important balance is within leadership of any organization (religious or other) is. Raised as Jehovah Witness, my friend J married someone in the religion, as recommended. When her husband suddenly left her, the elders in her church (who happened to all be male), judged her. Until her ex-husband admitted to adultery, she was the sinner in the eyes of her congregation - to a certain extent. She was treated differently, judged, and at risk for being excommunicated/disfellowshiped. Basically her support system - family, friends and spiritual foundation - were in jeopardy. Once her ex came forward, she was forgiven though it left an indelible mark on her faith. Understandably so. Granted this is second-hand and biased, but such incidents make me indignant. They reinforce my harsh impressions of most organized religions and my reluctance to get back into a church-going ritual ... ever.
I could go on & on about religion and women's rights, but I'd much rather hear from you. Any thoughts, opinions, comments welcome.
In the meantime, now that there is color in my cheeks and an increase in beats per minute, I'm going to focus this fervor into my essay which is due in nearly 48 hours ... and needs much more work!
Yo Ho Ho ... and a Bottle o' Rum
I just finished Treasure Island. First time ever. It's particularly interesting after seeing Johnny Depp channel Keith Richards in two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, not to mention reading the preface and how so much of the pirate lore we know today is based on Stevenson's novel. Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are products of this novel.
I can't say I would've ever picked up this book had it not been for J-bo recommending it. I've always considered it a young adult, or rather, young boy, story that would not appeal to me. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it. It's written in bite-sized chapters, each chapter making you want to read the next, and the next, before dozing off.
Also in the past year I have read another classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, equally entertaining and a little creepy ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. I would highly recommend - I liked it much better than Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, though not sure I can pinpoint the reason. thus raising my expectations ... kind of like hearing all of the early reviews/hype for a movie and then feeling let down once actually seeing it. Perhaps?
Needless to say, all of these suspenseful, strange classics take you out of ordinary life or add a bit of spice to everyday life. These works get me to thinking about my own writing and future creations.
There's something very intriguing about a world different than your own - particularly ones involving hidden treasure, marooned pirates, or scientific experiments gone awry. The fascination and curiosities that result and transport you to other time periods and/or fairly improbable situations (though credible enough so that you wonder what if ...)
I can't say I would've ever picked up this book had it not been for J-bo recommending it. I've always considered it a young adult, or rather, young boy, story that would not appeal to me. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it. It's written in bite-sized chapters, each chapter making you want to read the next, and the next, before dozing off.
Also in the past year I have read another classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, equally entertaining and a little creepy ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. I would highly recommend - I liked it much better than Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, though not sure I can pinpoint the reason. thus raising my expectations ... kind of like hearing all of the early reviews/hype for a movie and then feeling let down once actually seeing it. Perhaps?
Needless to say, all of these suspenseful, strange classics take you out of ordinary life or add a bit of spice to everyday life. These works get me to thinking about my own writing and future creations.
There's something very intriguing about a world different than your own - particularly ones involving hidden treasure, marooned pirates, or scientific experiments gone awry. The fascination and curiosities that result and transport you to other time periods and/or fairly improbable situations (though credible enough so that you wonder what if ...)
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Aaaaahhhh
Very nice weekend. It felt like it was longer than two days, which was excellent. My buddy Jbo was in town so hung out with her - brunch, shopping, drinks out, etc. Also had really great dates with SDG.
This week MJ comes for a visit, so it's a month of UF reunions. Quality time with some of my dearest friends can't be beat.
Saw "Little Miss Sunshine" - I highly recommend it. Great cast, funny and quirky as hell. It manages that fine balance of addressing serious themes, spiked with large amounts of humor. Plus you can't not love the character Olive and Alan Arkin is great as the grandfather. It reminded me a bit of "The Royal Tenenbaums" in that it's about a dysfunctional family, has some great music, and an ensemble of actors/characters all muddling their way through life. I can't say there are many other parallels but to a certain degree, in spirit, they are similar. And, I'd be interested in seeing both again (and again, eventually).
Also started reading "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson for the first time. I'm really enjoying it. After reading a few contemporary books back-to-back about dysfunctional families, societal issues and rather heavy themes ("Geek Love," "Running with Scissors," and "Random Family"), reading about pirates, rum, tropical islands and hidden treasure provides a welcome respite. Although I've had some very odd, vivid dreams after reading a chapter before dozing off. The blind pirate in particular made a rapid leap from the page to my dreams. Creepy dude.
And now it's time to do the practical weekend stuff - laundry, some groceries, etc. Back to the grind manana.
Ta ta.
This week MJ comes for a visit, so it's a month of UF reunions. Quality time with some of my dearest friends can't be beat.
Saw "Little Miss Sunshine" - I highly recommend it. Great cast, funny and quirky as hell. It manages that fine balance of addressing serious themes, spiked with large amounts of humor. Plus you can't not love the character Olive and Alan Arkin is great as the grandfather. It reminded me a bit of "The Royal Tenenbaums" in that it's about a dysfunctional family, has some great music, and an ensemble of actors/characters all muddling their way through life. I can't say there are many other parallels but to a certain degree, in spirit, they are similar. And, I'd be interested in seeing both again (and again, eventually).
Also started reading "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson for the first time. I'm really enjoying it. After reading a few contemporary books back-to-back about dysfunctional families, societal issues and rather heavy themes ("Geek Love," "Running with Scissors," and "Random Family"), reading about pirates, rum, tropical islands and hidden treasure provides a welcome respite. Although I've had some very odd, vivid dreams after reading a chapter before dozing off. The blind pirate in particular made a rapid leap from the page to my dreams. Creepy dude.
And now it's time to do the practical weekend stuff - laundry, some groceries, etc. Back to the grind manana.
Ta ta.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Creativity
Last weekend I went to a reception at a local gallery. It was out in commie land but a great venue so worth the trek.
While there, I spoke with one of the artists about her process. She said that she comes up with the title of the painting first, and then paints it. So it's a concept, a witty title, then a creation.
As I flounder around with the art of writing, her process intrigued me. I struggle with the title - it's usually one of the last things I do before submitting it. More like an afterthought than an integral part of the creation. Which made her order all the more intriguing.
Her titles were witty, a bit tongue-in-cheek, and the paintings themselves were humorous commentaries on life.
Obviously there is more than one way to create, and what works for one person may not work for another, but I appreciated gaining a little insight into her process, routine, and seeing the fruits of her labor.
While there, I spoke with one of the artists about her process. She said that she comes up with the title of the painting first, and then paints it. So it's a concept, a witty title, then a creation.
As I flounder around with the art of writing, her process intrigued me. I struggle with the title - it's usually one of the last things I do before submitting it. More like an afterthought than an integral part of the creation. Which made her order all the more intriguing.
Her titles were witty, a bit tongue-in-cheek, and the paintings themselves were humorous commentaries on life.
Obviously there is more than one way to create, and what works for one person may not work for another, but I appreciated gaining a little insight into her process, routine, and seeing the fruits of her labor.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Movies and Votes, Votes and Movies
Just a little political endorsement one week prior to our next local elections.
First of all, please vote in the primaries. Your vote matters!
Secondly, please consider placing your vote for Jeff Smith, Democrat for Senate.
I've known Jeff for years, our fathers are long-time friends. As a kid, Jeff was high-energy - an excellent trait that he's harnessed to power his political campaigns. In 2004, Jeff came a close second to Russ Carnahan. Quite the feat for a 20-something guy with no previous political connections.
His campaigns are grassroots. He's frequently canvassing, door to door, sleeves rolled up and beaming. Leaving Forest Park a few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon, I saw Jeff canvassing the big homes on Lindell.
He's managed to persuade a self-proclaimed Republican (my father) to support him, because of his beliefs and integrity, not because my Dad has known him since he was a kid.
Anyway, just a little endorsement and background information from yours truly. Please look at Jeff's website and think about voting for him on August 8th.
PS - There's also a documentary on his 2004 run called "Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?" at the Tivoli through August 10th.
First of all, please vote in the primaries. Your vote matters!
Secondly, please consider placing your vote for Jeff Smith, Democrat for Senate.
I've known Jeff for years, our fathers are long-time friends. As a kid, Jeff was high-energy - an excellent trait that he's harnessed to power his political campaigns. In 2004, Jeff came a close second to Russ Carnahan. Quite the feat for a 20-something guy with no previous political connections.
His campaigns are grassroots. He's frequently canvassing, door to door, sleeves rolled up and beaming. Leaving Forest Park a few weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon, I saw Jeff canvassing the big homes on Lindell.
He's managed to persuade a self-proclaimed Republican (my father) to support him, because of his beliefs and integrity, not because my Dad has known him since he was a kid.
Anyway, just a little endorsement and background information from yours truly. Please look at Jeff's website and think about voting for him on August 8th.
PS - There's also a documentary on his 2004 run called "Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?" at the Tivoli through August 10th.
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