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Monthly Archives: May 2011

BILL CUNNINGHAM: NEW YORK

A huge “thank you” to Bea, Cathy, Laura, Nancy, Sheila, for insisting that I travel to a run –down, dilapidated theatre , outside my zip code to see this inspirational documentary about a simple man, happily bonded, partnered to his trade: a street photographer. Like Basquiat who used the walls of New York as his canvas, Bill Cunningham, armed with …

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MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

I was nineteen years old, a student in Rome, Italy when I disembarked from a twenty hour train ride from Rome to Paris. It was November, the middle of the night and raining; my friends and I danced, sang and ran through the glorious, glistening, naked, water-dappled Parisian streets, battered valises in tow; I had never tasted such joy, such …

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THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER

This visually lush film takes place in France at the commencement of the eight wars (1562-98) waged between the Catholics and the Huguenots (anyone not Catholic: Lutheran, Calvinist, Anabaptist). A byproduct of the Council of Trent (1545-63) in which the Catholic Church condemns the heresies of the Protestants.  I would have preferred a plot focusing on the warring factions, their …

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COST OF A SOUL. THE DOUBLE HOUR.

Returning from twelve dazzling, sun-dappled, art infested days in Rome and Florence, submitting to my remedy for jet lag, movies. I could not have chosen two more diametrically different themes; both worthy of four stars. “Cost of a Soul” is morbidly depressing, but brutally realistic. Sean Kirkpatrick has given birth to the quintessential “Murphy’s Law” film; two soldiers back from …

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PENEFLIX IS ON A TRIP

WILL POST AGAIN THE 26TH!!!!!!!

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THERE BE DRAGONS

Medieval maps; unknown territories marked with the signage “hic sunt dracones”,  “here there be dragons”. Watching this finely filmed, but perpetually flirting with the melodramatic movie;  deciphering the priorities of the plethora of themes: the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), the making of a modern saint, the egregious crimes of a sinner, and the ubiquitous, droning, love and betrayal issues kept …

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CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

In November of 2009 I had the memorable and fascinating adventure of visiting the caves of Cantabria,  Altamira Covalanas and Castillo in Northern Spain. One has to believe in a superior presence when embraced by paintings done thousands of years ago; man’s artistic aesthetic began with the creation of Adam and Eve. With massive anticipation I went to see Werner …

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