Feeding the Senses

What's your favorite food movie?

I have two (because one is really never enough).

Babette's Feast (1987)

'Babette’s Feast' is the title of a short story by Karen Blixen, made into a remarkable film by Gabriel Axel in 1987. The feast in question is served in a poor, remote village in Calvinist Denmark, where the staple diet is ale-bread soup; the chef is Babette, a Catholic exile from France. 

The story is an allegory about the Last Supper, when divine fruitfulness overwhelms human sin and meanness.

Hot Summer Reading

And on the top of my soon-to-be-7th-grader's list? Fahrenheit 451. One of my all-time faves, both book and movie. Based on the 1953 Ray Bradbury's book by the same title, this movie was released in 1966.

The book was like a watershed for me, a defining moment. The movie was just as memorable. Creepy, eery....like a movie you wake up to in the middle of the night when you fall asleep in front of the tv. I remember watching this when I was in junior high, after reading the book.



This image left a huge imprint. Still does.

A clip (click through to youtube), highlighting the whole premise. Movie starred Julie Christie and Oskar Werner. Directed by François Truffaut.

Easy to see why this struck such a chord to a 13 year old. And why I hope it will leave the same impression on my 11 year old, meaning: the dorky apple won't fall far from the dorky tree. "Welcome to the world of Sci-Fi."

Memory House

I know....maybe too many vid clips of late but I couldn't resist this one. With the end of school in less than a month I don't think I've felt more emotionally attached to my own kids as well as all the other kids in my life - which would probably explain why I was so moved by this very captivating but basic video, with the music from Memory House.

It's only 2 and half minutes long. Take a look....a long look....all their faces are so different and so compelling. From the very ethereal Memory House:

Memory House - Minor white from quatuorlindsay on Vimeo.

www.myspace.com/wearememoryhouse

Mad Classic "Ha-rah"

True confession: I don't like Halloween. I don't like all the creepazoid decorations. I get tired of orange and black (and purple and green....) And I don't do scary movies. Not so much. And if it were up to me, we'd be the horrifying door to knock because we'd be handing out pencils and balloons.

If there were a Hallow's Eve Ebenezer Scrooge, that would be me.

And so on October 31, when there's a Friday the 13th marathon running on television, I'll quietly slip into bed without a blink of an eye. Cornball slasher or not, I hate suspense and I really hate gore-y suspense.


But there is one classic horror movie I'll watch. Only one: Rosemary's Baby.




I love this movie for all of the visual loveliness.


Filmed in 1968, the style, the colors, and the acting aren't so much kitsch as they are real and gritty.


It's New York City. It's The Dakota.


It's Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes,

and the ever-eccentric Ruth Gordon.



And I love this movie for the portrayal of isolation, conspiracy, and paranoia with a helpless and pregnant Rosemary Woodhouse in the midst of a hot, summery metropolis on the Upper East side.


If you choose to watch a movie in the spirit of this Halloween, I implore you to be stunned by the creepy but glorious Rosemary's Baby.

Wild Wearables

With the much anticipated October 16th opening of Where the Wild Things Are, suddenly white furry jumpsuits are all the rage. Particularly at Opening Ceremony.

For real.

Max Suit, $610.

Bull Shawl Jacket, $635

"a perfect winter coat for every wild rumpus", Ira Military Jacket, $805



Inspired by Carol (and meeting all your faux fur needs), the Carol Flare Coat, $575

"The wild things 'were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all and made him king of all wild things' and you can be the same in this max short fur. This jacket...features the top half of the max play suit, but with removable fingerless gloves and eared hood for a more demure look." The Max Sweatshirt, $460.

"I'll eat you up, I love you so"

Where the Wild Things Are comes out October 16. Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze.

I've watched this trailer maybe 15 times.....and it still makes me cry.

Father and Daughter (Michael Dudok de Wit)

(From NYMag.com)

"With the holiday season almost upon us, the Picture Palace is in a familial, touchy-feely mood. Also, we thought it’d be kind of cool to turn you into a shivering puddle of tears. And so we present to you Michael Dudok de Wit’s Father and Daughter. It won the 2000 Best Animated Short Oscar, along with a whole crapload of other awards. There’s a reason for all those accolades: This wordless, minimalist, beautifully animated eight-minute fable, about a girl who watches her father leave and continues to wait for him, is one of the most powerful things we’ve ever seen. It’s also been a cult item among animation buffs for a long time now. Luckily, it’s being distributed on DVD (PAL only) by the Netherlands Institute for Animated Film, where you can find all sorts of similarly awesome films and filmmakers. In the meantime, you might need a Kleenex."

What to do when....

So, today the weather was lousy. Cold and rainy. Probably not any warmer than 60 degrees.

The kids really don't have the best clothes for this type of weather.

So. I cut my hair. Gathered some friends. And fashioned some clothing out of the drapes.

And then with some flourish, we skipped and frolicked to the mountains. And sang.

Glory! Beauty! Joy! Rapture!

One way to keep the kids nearby....

(see below post)

Funny, lollipops no longer have the allure they once had.....but can you think of anything creepier? And the whole premise is that he can 'smell' children. Works for me but still. Ew.

The Child Catcher