"Fateless"

fateless
Originally uploaded by recyclingfan.

Incredible film about Hungarian jews in WWII. It shows the pettiness, commonplace nature of daily life in concentration camps, the shallow humanity of police and officials, the brutality of pathological guards (jews) selected to run the camps. the main character, a 14 yr old boy, tells of his "happiness" in the camps - his friends, the small acts of kindness his friends paid him, the sun on his face, a refreshing cold bath (to keep the scabs and lice off his body). This boy perserveres and endures his captivity. Great scene: he is sick, dying, put on the death cart, stripped, then hosed down - those who showed signs of life were removed from the death carts. He is put somewhere else to die...still lives. So they figure, here's jew who wont die, so we may as well make him well - he is taken to a crisp prison hospital, fresh sheets (with the SS embroidered on them) warm blankets, hot meals...very existential. At the end he says the camps were not hell, because hell doesnt exist but the camps do. The film shows the meaninglessness of these camps, of the holocaust, through the eyes of a 14 yr old who is trying to figure out the basic rules of life on earth. Great film. Another great scene: an older man is intent on saving the young boys in the camp, he helps hold them up during endless nights standing outside (punishment for infractions, escapes)- a boy collapses, he picks him up, says, "hold on a bit longer, son, I will take you home." The love he showed, despite the hardship, brutality - love is possible. Also, he has a stop over at Auschwitz, and in the distance, you see the smoke stacks of the ovens, the smoke drifts down and covers the camps. Depressing, sad, but full of hope.

New of the Weird: cell phone death

"Jacqueline Dotson was seriously injured in an accident near Winchester, Ky, in february tht police say happened when she lost control of her SUV...ran cars off the road...overcorrected...flipped...landed upside down. Rescue crew labored an hour and a half with jaws of life to free her from vehicle, but one of her arms was already free, severed in the accident and lying on the road, still grasping a cell phone" I love it - not even a roll over prevented her from letting go of her cell phone - "I might be facing death but I am taking this phone with me!!!"

Balzac and Little Chinese Seamstress

Balzac and Little Chinese Seamstress
Originally uploaded by recyclingfan.

Absolutely beautiful movie. "We both loved her but in different ways." yes, you can love a woman physically, but also spiritually. Both is best. Story about two young men in cultural revolution 1970 in china, sent to rural, mountainous village for "reeducation." Very funny, but also explores harsh lives of villagers, the unfairness and irrationality of the cultural revolution. What was cultural revolution about? I think Mao was paranoid of "enemies," this was one way of exposing any potential free thinkers. Also, it gave many peasants something to do other than realize how repressed they were. Lastly, all totalitarian societies need to hate someone, the"other" the "enemy" and with the cultural revolution is was anything western or bourgeosie. For Americans? We hate the French i guess (at least the Bushites do) or john kerry peaceniks (at least dick "f***king cheney does). This movie also has great cinematography, beautiful scenes of mountains in china. Reminded me of Postmen in the Mountains, another great chinese film set in the mountains. I saw this at home, but I think in the movie theater would be better (you cant appreciate mountains on TV screen). This movie was also book, by Dai Sijie - great book, I couldnt put it down. Supposedly the movie is NR, but not because of sex or violence - only one sex scene, mild. The book was banned by some school districts (Texas and Wyoming I guess) because of a sex act (sex while standing - thats not the right position!!!! Sex in marriage only, and then the Chrisian missionary position, please) and because of an abortion (now illegal in South Dakota - who the hell would have sex in South dakota, its so cold you'd have to do it while dressed!) Great book, great movie.

Broke back Mountain movie with bunnies in 30 sec's

here is the latest movie parody, Brokeback Mountain bunnies,from the Movies with Bunnies in 30 sec guys - I still think Pulp Fiction is their best one. Here is their index of all their movies.