My word of the day

Milquetoast

milque-toast

-noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, esp. one who is easily dominated or intimidated: a milquetoast who is afriad to ask for a raise.

Courtesy of Dictionary.com

Ego is not a Dirty Word

so said Skyhooks.

But neither is feminism.

I am so sick of people hating on feminism. What is so wrong about wanting equality?

Feminism doesn't say that women are better than men. It says that we are different, neither sex can do everything the other does, but that we are equal.

So get the fuck off your high horse feminism haters and suck on my feminist ego and don't come crying to me when you finally realise what you have wasted by hiding your exceptional qualities because you are afraid of the feminist tag.

Gorgeous Find

I was browsing through Twitpic and found this incredible picture by Iain Sarjeant.

The Mission

Is it odd of me to love the soundtrack to this as much as I do without ever having seen the film? All I know about the film is that it has Jeremy Irons and features a rainforest with an incredibly beautiful waterfall.

Oh Ennio Morricone you are a wonderful composer.

My word of the day

STASIS.

sta⋅sis 

the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces.

Courtesy of Dictionary.com

Top Films

I would consider myself a bit of a cinephile. This is despite the fact that I have seen neither of The Godfather films, nor Forrest Gump. When I think about it, there are a very large number of must see films that I have never seen. I think it may be because I never like a movie that people tell me I have to watch, or that I am going to love.

Nevertheless I do watch a lot of films. More than is probably good for me. And because I'm not overly fussed by the big Hollywood blockbusters my favourite movies tend to be more obscure than the people around me find acceptable. Having previously discussed with friends my favourite films, with the inevitable explanation required that can never do the masterpiece justice, I have learnt that some things you have to keep to yourself.

So here is my list of favourite films:

5 that I have found don't cause looks of either confusion or disgust and are generally accepted

and

5 that I truly love but have caused looks of confusion and disgust so I keep quiet about...especially when deciding what to watch whilst on a date.

PUBLIC FAVOURITES

• Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet.

Fantastic soundtrack, costumes and of course over the top acting that can only be perfect for such a fantasticly camp adaptation of Shakespeare. Of course being female also makes me swoon for Leo DiCaprio.

• 28 Days Later.

This is actually in my complete top 5 films, however despite the vision of Cillian Murphy as nature intended as well as serious moral insights I have found this film to be generally acceptable.

• L'Auberge Espagnole

Romain Duris is too cute. This film makes you desperate to immerse yourself in a culture unlike your own with people you don't know. And despite being a romantic comedy, it is full of truths.

"For some idiotic reason, your most horrific experiences are the stories you most
love to tell."

• Full Metal Jacket

Two films in one, both of them excellent. Almost indescribably good. The irony of the Vietnam War that Matthew Modine portrays so effectively and of course that final scene just cement Kubrick as one of the greatest directors ever.

• The Black Dahlia

This film is a bit of a struggle for me as only half the main characters can really act. Eckhart is incredible as 'that type of cop' and Swank is so seductive as the femme fatale that it was acceptable to re - enact a sex scene from the film in a school presentation. I ultimately have this film as a favourite because even though Hartnett and Johansson are incredibly wooden, Mia Kirshener is both outstanding and delicious.

FAVOURITES I NOW KEEP TO MYSELF

• The Dreamers

If you have ever seen anything by Bertolucci you will understand.

• Bad Education/la mala educacion

Almodovar is an unbelievable talent, and Fele Martinez plays his character so believably that even as a hetero female I can empathize with him. Can't have this out there though because the backlash from my friends after my brother explained some of the more memorable moments is not worth going through again.

• The Edukators/Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei

Great movie, great premise. Overuse of Hallelujah but still. I don't tell people about this film because the less people that watch it, the less likely it is to become the hipster bible.

• Time To Leave/le temps qui reste

We saw with Philadelphia that people will embrace a sad story about a dying homosexual. But Philadelphia didn't include some things that Francois Ozon is unafraid to film. This film is beautiful, but you have to have an open mind.

• Breakfast on Pluto

I clearly like films that blur the boundaries of gender. Acting too good, story too bittersweet. Makes me cry.

Re-energising Old Work

Currently editing, or rather re-writing the hybrid script/narrative I wrote last year. Having the exact same problem: I use way too much dialogue. That was the whole reason it wasn't a proper narrative last time, because I am far too focused on establishing the characters through their words as opposed to my descriptions of them. I wonder if that is taking the easy way out? Or does it make a viable style of fiction. This is far too confusing, but I am at my happiest when writing so I guess I must persevere. Hopefully this time i'll create something that I myself would read.

Too often it dies.
the dream, that is
it becomes lost in reality
and we go soft.

Slowly,
the dream dies
leaving us to follow
those who kept dreaming.

Absolutely love this photo my father took whilst he was in Barcelona. He hates the grainy quality of the image, blaming his camera for the lack of clarity. Honestly I think it just adds to story. It actually kind of brings to mind the film 'All About My Mother'. And that cannot be a bad thing.

pretentious much?

Tiny bells. Tinkling.

Gentle melodies from a carillons à musique lull the mind into a false sense of tranquillity. Hastily broken by the overwhelming clash of cymbals.

The violent beating of drums.

Safe havens are disturbed momentarily as the adjustment for increased sound takes place. Eardrums scramble to understand the complexity of this transformation. Sight is heightened by the devastating resonance of grandiose melody.

She stares at the multicoloured image of a dapper fox embracing his companion. It is an eerie, surreal sight, misplaced in the monochrome winter light. She pauses for a cerebral contemplation of surroundings. Fails in this endeavour to connect the sound with her vision. She leaves having only emotionalised what should only be considered a minor occurrence in her idyllic life.

Despite her departure the music remains grasping onto the fibres of her being. Her soul is encapsulated by the moment. The dramatic transition from peace to war within a single beat infiltrates her being. She cannot seize the meaning of what she felt. What she still feels. Yet she retains an almost iron fisted hold onto her experience, aware of its importance. She believes it has the potential to unravel its mystery given the appropriate time to articulate itself.

I was told by a good friend to start a blog because:

1. My life is infinately more exciting than his
2. If he can send an email detailing everything he does and people still like him, apparently I should have more friends
3. I supposedly have a talent for the written word. Tell that to those who pretty much threw up on my last work of fiction.

Regardless of that I obviously gave in. So here goes.