Inspirations and partialities

Is it a Blog entry or a newly discovered lost Jane Austen novel? Well what do you think? It's sort of like thinking that a Discovery channel special on the Loch Ness Monster is really going to contain conclusive evidence that the monster exists. If that happened it would be major breaking news, they would not reveal it in a little watched Discovery channel episode. So if you didn't follow along there, yes it is a new post. Sorry it's been over a week I'll try not to let that happen again.

So Inspirations, not "the Inspiration", which aside from being a wonderfully sappy and memory laden song, (ahh Tracy and bobbi what ever happened too you?) would indicate that there is only one inspiration and that is not so. Writing inspirations, certainly Roger Ebert, the only film critic I regularly read. I don't always agree with him, but like my friend Jason whom I don't always agree with, I like him, I really like him. Having read him fairly religiously, for film is indeed my religion, for around 5 years, and watching him for probably close to 30 on T.V. I feel as though I know him. I rememeber watching Siskel and Ebert as a child with my Dad, we both liked Roger best, maybe because we agreed with him more often or maybe because in the early days he was pretty heavy, just like dear old Dad. I grew up watching Siskel and Ebert discuss, and best of all argue about movies. I think I liked to see them argue best because arguing about films is not really in my nature. So it was sort of a vicarious pleasure to watch them really go at it. I rarely argue about movies, either because I'm embarrassed to voice my opinions or because I believe deep down that we like what we like, and I like everyone to have a good time at the movies, even if I didn't with a particular film. Someone has to like the Musketeer!! I'm more likely to tease you about liking a film I didn't then argue with you over it, and then only if I'm comfortable with you. I remember the day I heard Gene Siskel had died, I was on the way to a hardware store with my Father-in-law and we heard the news on the radio, Ali and I had just moved to MPLS and Andy and Ann had come to help us get settled in our new apartment, and help with some projects. Now Ebert has been battleing his illnesses, and it all reminds me of Dad. I feel more and more like I know him, and more and more that I can't stand for him to die. I've already lost one movie buddy to a throat cancer I realy don't want to go through that again. In a way it always felt like Dad was there watching with me when I was watching Ebert and Roeper. Somehow I think I've transfered some of Dad into Roger, and when he goes that part of him will be gone for good.

Roger wrote recently in his own blog about a piece of writing advice that was given to him when he was first starting out as a journalist, he said, and I'm paraphrasing here, Don't think about writing, write. The muse visits while you are writing not before. This is why I connect with the man. I have not written much in my life, the odd Christmas letter, the occasional attempt at a script or short story, papers for classes, now obviously a blog. When I do write I write as he suggested I just sit and type, which is probably obvious if you are reading these blogs. It results in a sort of stream of conciousness form that can lead anywhere and rarely leads where I intend or start off for at the outset. Now if this were for publication I would obviously go back and do a second and third draft, but it isn't so what I write is what you get. It's great advise though, and advise that I write by. the thing is though I didn't need Ebert to tell me that, I already did that, and knew that. Which is why it's just another thing like the nature of his recent health issues that gives me a connection, when I read that the muse visits while you are writing, I knew he had put into words exactly what I had always known, but...more elegantly then I ever could. So there is Ebert, as an inspiration others would be the prose work of Woody Allen and Stephen Fry, I think they both represent influences on my sense of humor, for good or bad.

In terms of taste or just love of movies there are two huge influences, my Dad and Ted Larson, my film instructor, and friend from MSU. Unfortunately they are both gone now. but to honor them I try and get my kids interested in Buster Keaton and The Man of La Mancha. Interesting side bar here, my brother Scott and I actually slipped a DVD of The Man of La Mancha into Dad's coffin before he was buried. I hope when I go someone slips in a DVD (or as my Dad would say a hologram thingy) of Hamlet for me to take with on my journey to the Undiscovered Country. He was always convinced that before too long the DVD's would be replaced with (and this is a technical term) Hologram thingy's. Which was an odd stance for a man who's DVD buying habits rivaled my own. Holy cow I just realized Ted was pretty heavy too. Are fat people more insightful about movies or do they just become fat because they spend so much time eating popcorn at the theater? Man, Dad liked the popcorn, I do too, but he really liked it, he'd get the big bucket eat it before the film started and then go back a fill it up again. Then half the time get it filled again to take home and throw away there. But that's a whole nother issue. Anyway see what I mean about stream of conciousness? Dad used to take me to double features at the Fargo theatre I remember seing The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid one time on a double bill. He also introduced me to a lot of movies that are probably very poorly regarded in general but that have a special place in my heart. The aforementioned Man of La Mancha, Somewhere in Time (almost directly responsible for my daughter Grace), Same Time Next Year. But he also introduced me to some real undisbuted classics like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Ted showed me the magic of silent films, the Kid, The General, Sunrise. And a true appreciation of films I had seen and dismissed when I was too young to understand them, such as the Graduate and 2001: a Space Odessey.

Now Partialities, which is possibly a ficticiousy word, which in itself may not entirely exist in the human language as it was known before I began blogging. So what am I partial too? Three guesses first two don't count. Kenneth Branagh, to help you understand how deep that runs let me point out that I dyed my hair blonde last fall to go trick or treating with my children as his interpretation of Hamlet (see above photo). I, while your doing that will die of embarrassment. Fantastic!!! Aside from that ... woody Allen, Time Travel, Musicals, Hitchcock, John Wayne (this is new and there will probably be a blog soon addressing this alarming development), Horror films, particulary older black and white (monster fiilms) and films of the Hammer studios in the 60's. But also lately the Italian Giallo style films, Bava, and Argento. The Apatow for lack of a better word clique. Cameron Crowe, Whit stillman, Wes Anderson, Kevin Smith, John Cusak, Charlie Kaufman, Mickey Rourke (before all the plastic surgery and one can only assume brain damage) Tarantino, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Tim Burton,,,, yeah OK now I'm just rambling.

I would like to close out by saying thanks to Sara for the comments keep them coming. I think there will need to be a future blog dedicated to You and Me and Everyone we Know, I actually know other people who have seen it, mostly at my urging, and they wont leave me alone with their children anymore. To the best of my knowledge you and me and Ali and Roger Ebert are the only people who like this film. let me know if there is anything you'd like me to write about or if there is a top 10 you'd like me to compile please feel free to comment on anything I write with your own views or your own top 10's.