The View Up Here

Recently my good friend Rosalie posted on her blog an insightful reading of the movie Amadeus  where she draws a parallel to how the Holy Spirit works in us. I wrote a comment on Rosalie's excellent post, and then between the two of us, we realized it was a bit long for a comment. So here it will live and breathe on its own, expanded for my own blog post, but please do read her  original post (and watch the clip she includes at the end which sums up the heart of the film). I was a sophomore in high school when Amadeus (the film) came out. I went to see it with my Mom at the Elmira 1-2-3, and we both became huge admirers of the film and Mozart in general. I'd grown up listening to classical music, but now I had a much more personal connection with this particular composer. I even wrote a bad teenage poem to Mozart! (No, you may not read it.) It was a spiritual connection, to be sure, and remains so. I pray for him and ask him to pray for me, as odd as it may sound. ...

So earlier this week, I deactivated my Facebook account and I canceled Netflix. I am purposefully simplifying my life, scaling down the distraction-on-demand outlets that only drag me down and ruin my peace. Although I am currently on the couch with a stomach bug, when I am at last better and able to stand up without falling over, I will get a library card and find myself some decent (not indecent or lewd or violent or overly political) fiction to read. I have plenty of books on theology, saints, Benedictine life, etc. here, but sometimes you know, you just want something lighter and fluffier.* Thus far I am enjoying a life less plugged in. How can we simplify our lives? Take stock of how you spend your time and energy, and realize where your time and energy "leaks" out. I'm not talking about normal and healthy R&R, I mean the obsessive quality that certain distraction-on-demand venues elicit in us.  To live by chronos is to die an agonizing death where ever...

“Son of God,” produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett and directed by Christopher Spencer, was an enormous disappointment. Despite some strong performances, including Darwin Shaw (Peter) and Sebastian Knapp (John the Evangelist), it wasn’t even close to being the greatest Jesus movie of all time, and in fact, it wasn’t even a good movie. Not only was it shallow, disconnected, and self-important, it neglected to show a crucial aspect of Jesus’ saving ministry: relationship. Jesus had and has relationships with us, and with the Father, and he invites us into his intimate relationship with the Father. Nowhere did this crucial element of his life and teaching appear in this film.   The-who-what-where-in-the-what-now? (Trying to make sense of this movie) The episodes of Jesus’ ministry were never connected with who Jesus was as a person,  and characters were drawn with neither depth nor passion. They came and went with no explanation and with no real ...

...even if I didn't post for a few days. Things got busy here the last couple of days. Good stuff, more to follow on that. For now, a few things I appreciate: The Metro. Yes, there is some form of public transport in L.A., and while not perfect, it is still a damn sight better than trying to drive into and park downtown.  Central Market. Awesome market downtown with the cheapest produce anywhere, ever. TL - my friend who introduced me to my roommate, and who will go to sad little movies Snow White or Joan of Arc? You decide. like " Snow White and the Huntsman " and joyously deconstruct it with me afterward (i.e.the many many ways and levels in which this film failed (despite Chris Hemsworth)). Blackberries and vanilla yogurt. Netflix's policy of instantly replacing a defective DVD, even before they get the defective disc back. The Bradbury Building . I was in it this afternoon. Photos to come (eventually - don't pressurize me!) Being greeted by ki...

I took a day off from blogging yesterday. I've been dealing with what I can only imagine is a histamine reaction. I suppose I should see a Doctor about it. I've got itchy patches on my face and neck. Hrrrm. Today, I'll do a list of appreciation. Tomorrow, I'll be back with more eloquence and verbosity. Trader Joe's all-natural lotion with aloe Mystics of the Christian Tradition by Steven Fanning My fuzzy red blanket on a cool, overcast morning Lattes made at home Clean bedding minus all the cat hair Fixing my rosary with tweezers (i.e. MacGuyvering my rosary) The power of my public library card Roses Movies with Tom Hiddleston in them Burt's Bees lipbalm, aka " my lipshit "

It's been a busy couple of weeks! I've started a new screenplay, and taken a free lance gig proofing and copy-editing a short manuscript for a local author. I am also quite addicted to my Kindle. My brother gave it to me for Christmas of 2010, and it wasn't until last month that I started using it. I don't have room for lots of books here, so I decided to make use of this lovely device, and it has totally changed my world. Imagine bringing multiple books with you where ever you go, so that whatever you feel like reading is at your finger tips. Most of what I have loaded on here now reflects the new direction my spiritual path has taken. Of those, the most inspiring, important, and perfectly appropriate is Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian , by Paul Knitter . He identifies himself as a "Buddhist Christian" as I have come to do, and his treatise on "crossing over" from Buddhism to Christianity is invaluable. Of special note is what he calls...

Yeah I had a birthday last weekend. It was sublime. Skyping with loved ones, Hamlet performed by the Independent Shakespeare Company (I'm going again on the 17th, for the 3rd time on their final performance - yes, I'm a groupie). I also drank a lot of free wine, hung out with the actors afterward, got to do some silly improv that involved a four-legged stool and a giant, imaginary Ouija board, and then had really good Mexican food with sangria. My roommate treated me for the evening. All I had to pay for was bus fare. Speaking of which, I'm going car shopping this Saturday. Say a prayer, make a wish and send me some good vibes that I find exactly what I'm looking for in my price range, and that I don't have to deal with a skanke salesman. I've gotten so used to not having a car, it's going to be weird. Not to mention expensive - insurance and gas. Holy crapola gas prices out here are $4.50. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat the f************ck??? This week has been i...

Next Wednesday, I'll go see The Artist at a Disney screening, courtesy of my awesome roommate, who's a 2D animator at the Mouse House.

Going to see this Sunday night.

It's been a long time since I went to a movie in the theater and thought on my way out, "Well that just sucked a whole lot of 3-D ass." Okay, actually I'd ever thought that particular thought before tonight. Please, save yourself and anyone you care about from going to this movie. Here's the thing: I really didn't like 300, but this movie, made by the same folks who brought us the Spartans with six packs, was worthless. It wasn't even as good as 300, and I never thought I'd hear myself saying that. It was disjointed, visually confusing, completely over the top gory-bloody - not in a Tarantino spurting blood kind of way , but in a "this is how fucked up humans can be to each other and it's horrid because we actually did this shit and now we're going to show it to you because we CAN MUWAHAHAHA" kind of way. What. The. Fuck. We paid $29 for two pairs of 3-D glasses to have our senses pummeled by shitty story telling, stupid dialogue...

As requested and promised, my thoughts on the latest incarnation of James Bond, portrayed by Daniel Craig. I have less than 25 minutes to whip this thing off and get to the rest of my tremendously boring day, so here goes. First, let me make a disclaimer that I've never read any of the Ian Fleming novels. My knowledge of the James Bond character is strictly from the films and the various actors who have played 007 over the last several decades. Because you might be wondering, and it's a starting point for this discussion, I will go on record as saying my favorite Bond was indeed Sean Connery. Favorite Bond film: You Only Live Twice . Now on to Daniel Craig. He's described his portrayal of James Bond as "anti-hero" because after all, he's essentially an assassin with a license to kill. Craig has stated in interviews that he actively portrays Bond's dark side, offering the question to the audience "Is he a good guy, or a bad guy who works for the g...

"In The Mood For Love" is one of those classics I can (and have, and will) watch again and again.

PRI interviewed Diablo Cody , mastermind of "Jennifer's Body," and I would just like to poke some gaping, bleeding holes in her b.s. From the transcript: The theme of 'Jennifer's Body,' said Cody, is about the horror of being a teenager, "A person who is under the influence of hormones, and jealousy and society, is by nature combustible and scary and unpredictable, and I think anybody who's ever lived with a teenager knows this to be true. But aren't most teen-horror movies about these same themes? How is this any different from any other teen-horror flick? The dynamics of friendship between teenage girls, which was explored in the humorously dark 1980s movie "Heathers," is at the core of "Jennifer's Body." and "Heathers" had a big impact on Cody -- she called it life-changing, "It influences my entire life and my entire career path, and everything that I do -- it's like gospel. "Heathers" di...

This is what one review had to say about Diablo Cody's latest cinematic work: Still, the movie introduces a little rrriot grrrl-y feminism to a genre that for too long has been predicated on female victimization. Kusama ("Girlfight") handles the structural imperatives with solid timing and occasional panache. And between all the compulsive punning and look-at-me snarkitude, Cody manages to create moments of genuine humor. To which I say: horseshit. This movie sucked. I want those 2 hours back. I feel awful that my husband paid $7.50 for my ticket to see this "it's been done, and it's been done better" horror-wannabe flick that doesn't even make me remember how much I hated high school. Oh yeah, it's THAT BORING. As much as I adored "Juno," I hated "Jennifer's Body." That'll teach me to go see a matinee on a gorgeous sunny day in September when I should've been on my patio with a tropical drinkie-poo and a book ....