Wheee!

I'm so glad you guys both hated A Clockwork Orange. Everyone I knew, back when I saw it, thought it was so good, and I never knew anyone else who saw it and also hated it until now. So, I am not alone, lol.

Heeheehee about John Travolta. That is probably part of the reason I liked Pulp Fiction. And, no, it wasn't a bit warm and fuzzy. And those characters were definitely *trying* to be cold and hip about violence, but it was pathetic veneer because they showed all the time that they were really ordinary joes being used for evil, as servants.

Well anyway, I'll try to find Dr. Strangelove, the Virgo.

Maria

When ever I feel down...I Love to watch the Pink Panther movies.....even tho' I have seen them a million times...I still laugh out loud.....and there's some lines from those shows that are a regular part of my repertoire.

can't do clockwork orange....never again......nor the exorcist...nor jaws......there was one I saw when I was about 13...called Born Innocent...I never should have seen that movie either.....Wag the Dog broke my heart........and scared me forever......

'Until we meet again and the case is solve-ED.'

Love,

Dani

BTW...have any of you ever seen Twelve Angry Men?

Fabulous movie...theres a Henry Fonda version from the 50ties...and an HBO release from the late 80ties..( I think...maybe 90ties)...with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott.....fantastic show.

Love,

Dani

.... and forget Star Wars....give me Close Encounters!!!!!

Yeah, Twelve Angry Men, and they're all sweating and wiping their necks with handkerchiefs...

The Grumpy Old Men movies were a kick.

And I love Inspector Clouseau, but my favorite Peter Sellers movie, of the ones I've seen, is Being There. Like when he's trying to use the remote control to switch channels away from the threatening guys who are getting in his face.

Maria

Exorcist - I can't believe people pay money to get scared.

I have seen both versions of Twelve Angry Men. The second doesn't even compare to the first. This movie develops each of the 12 characters to the fullest. Amazing how one person can sway the opinion of 11 others. The unbearable heat adding to the pressure and yeah, as Maria said, they were sweating bullets. Henry Fonda was great.

The Pink Panther movies are soooo funny. How does that music go again? da-dum, da-dum, da da da-dum ... Hey I never professed to be musically inclined. I don't think I saw Being There. What is it about?

Sabra

Oh, Being There is wonderful! It's kind of existential ... about a guy who is perhaps retarded (Peter Sellers) or at least a bit dim from lack of contact with civilization, who was raised in complete isolation from the world by a wealthy old man who kept him locked up - the house and garden were his entire experience of the world (except for television). When the old man dies, Peter Sellers packs a suitcase and heads out to find his way in the world. His innocence and complete naivete end up leading him through a series of encounters where he is always without effort (or even awareness) always in exactly the right place at the right time, and ends up -- well, I won't spoil it for you! Kind of a mystical (and very funny) allegory on the power of innocence.

It's from the story "The Garden," by Jerzy Kosinski. Now THERE's a strange tale, Kosinski's life. He was a Eurasian refugee orphan child who survived on his own throughout World War II, through incredible struggle and misfortune ... never even knew who his parents were ... and eventually made his way to America on his own and made a name for himself as a writer. He became quite successful and won a lot of acclaim ... then committed suicide! That's always mystified me. You would think that someone with that much inside of them, with the fortitude to survive the harshest challenges you can imagine as a very young child with no support whatsoever ... would not be of the mold to take their own life. Sad and puzzling.

Love,
Greg

Yess, that's exactly what Being There is. Well said, Greg. Peter Sellers is awesome with the shades of grey. And Shirley McLaine provides the sparkling colors. This one really is pretty warm and fuzzy for existentialism.

I didn't know anything about Jerzy Kosinski, but it's interesting that he would write a character who came from a totally protected childhood in the garden. Chance, the gardener. When the author, by slight of fortune, lived a childhood totally exposed to every danger imaginable. Hoo... poor guy. But yeah, the suicide is sad and puzzling after journeying through such difficulty to a place where he could support himself and express his talent.

Maria

First of all..Maria...thank you for sharing Neil Young and "LET'S ROLL."....moving...*sigh*...

Of all the movies mentioned, the only ones I've seen, are the Pink Panther movies...and I did love Peter Sellers too...(not to get gloomy)..but I saw some news footage after his funeral, and as his casket was being lowered into the grave, there was music coming over some loudspeakers...not a hymn..nothing soft...it was "IN THE MOOD."....At his request...(for those not familiar with it..it IS upbeat!).....back then, it was quite a different thing to do...*sigh*

I think Peter Sellers was a genius....and we have his equivalent here in the U.S....a guy who is not appreciated enough...and that is Alan Arkin....excellent actor......and I just laughed my butt off the other day watching him in the old movie, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!

Thank God, we have laughter and humor to take us to "safe places" in the shaky world we are experiencing today...*sigh*...

Luv,
Rainbow~

Greg,

Thanks for getting back to me regarding Being There. Jerzy Kosinski was required reading in my Judaic Studies class which I took as an elective in my first year of college. I have read two of his books, The Painted Bird(supposedly a true story of his own experience during the Holocaust) and Steps. Very chilling and grim to say the least. By the way, he also appeared as Grigory Zinoviev in Warren Beatty's film Reds.

He was the only child of Moses and Elzbieta Lewinkopf living in Lodz, Poland. In 1939, his family changed their name to Kosinski that was more Polish sounding. Passing as Gentiles the family waited out the war. Jerzy was instructed by his parents to deny that he was Jewish if confronted. I understand it took him a lifetime to unlearn this.

After the war his father sympathized with the communists and received a party appointment. Jerzy Kosinski despised communism though. Because the Communists controlled Poland, he left for the United States in 1959. (The same year my parents and family immigrated to the U.S. by the way)

One thing that may have contributed to his suicide is that he was accused of being a "literary fraud". The Village Voice did an expose in June 1982 in which Kosinski never fully recovered from.

From what you said Greg it sounds like an excellent movie. I do want to see Being There and will rent it eventually. But the way I have been feeling I don't think I can watch a movie from a story by Kosinski now, even if it is "warm and fuzzy".

Bye,
Sabra

PMing you, Sabra.

And thanks, both, for the literary education. Mucho gusto.

Maria

"Peter Sellers packs a suitcase and heads out to find his way in the world. His innocence and complete naivete end up leading him through a series of encounters where he is always without effort (or even awareness) always in exactly the right place at the right time, and ends up -- well, I won't spoil it for you! Kind of a mystical (and very funny) allegory on the power of innocence..."

Greg, you are taking about Being There....but as I read what you said, I couldn't help but think of two other favorite movies....THE JERK...and FORREST GUMP....

Luv,
Rainbow~

Hi Maria

Tried listening to the link, but I'm not getting a good reception. I sounded great so far, but Monday I think I'll go and buy the CD.

Love and TTYS!

Oh. . . There are other people out there who hated A Clockwork Orange? Bless you. . . actually, after having been told umpteen times that I *have* to see this movie, I still haven't done, because I once tried to read the book & couldn't make it past the first two pages. . . & I'm an English major & like to consider myself a great big know it all & my Mercury in Sagitattarius wants to have read everything & be able to expound upon all matters literature related. . .But I really couldn't get into the groove on that book. . . .

Guys want to hear something scary? I was in a lecture last fall & the young prof ( probably about 30-ish) was trying to get the class thinking about pop culture & mentioned Pulp Fiction. . . show of hands, how many of you have seen it? Ummmm. . .about 5 hands went up. I was stunned, because when I was in 11th grade, 1994, Pulp Fiction was *the* thing. . . we all had the soundtrack ( ooh one night at a party dancing to 'C'est la Vie' or whatever the title of that song is. . .) And that's when it hit me that I'm in my mid-twenties now, late to University, the people sitting beside me are all 18-19 and had been about 10 or 11 when it came out and they didn't know. . . oh god it was the first moment I ever felt 'ageing' might really happen to me. . . Then, only a handful of them knew who Sting was.
to quote Rainbow. . ."sigh". . .

Thanks for the Neil Young tip. . . .

Jennifer

Hee, hee ... it's hard to stir the imagination to commiserate with the first mortality crisis of the twenties, TC, but I can remember it!

It'll pass. And then the crisis of the thirties and the forties and the fifties ... (shush, Rainbow! )

Ain't life grand!

"Time flies like an arrow,
but fruit flies like bananas."

Love,
Greg

(Ya ain't hearin' nufin from me... except - )...........when I hit the big 30, I thought I was terribly old!

...but Linda always said, age is just a number.....and it's sooooo true...cuz I personally know some "old" people in their 20's and 30's, and some "young" people in their 70's and 80's....and heck...time is an illusion, anyway...and if that's the case...then nobody really gets old, do they???

Luv,
Rainbow~

(Greg, I giggled out loud at the "time flies/fruit flies" thing...that is soooo funnee )

PS.....and oh yes, Cappies do this "reverse aging" thing, to boot!

Luv,
RB~

They didn't even know Sting? Holy moly.

I remember the shock at 30. That one hit hard, but thinking about it now and how torn up I was makes me want to roll on the floor laughing.

Maria

Hehe. . .
I know, I know. . . its silly to worry about age. . . But I spent this whole year in & out of the hospital ( visiting my poor sister) and spent the winter presumably saving money by staying in my grandparent's basement apartment & I *saw* things that frightened the bejesus out of me. . . .So I have been minding my matter on this subject very carefully. . . Between having my Sun in Saturn's sign, having Libra Rising in shock at anything that even remotely smacks of being unpleasant and the Moon in Cancer presenting me with shadows of fears more than I'd like. . . I can be neurotic. Someone told me this year that I was straight out of a Woody Allen movie. That makes me a 1970's/80s type of heroine. . .that makes me behind my time ( although I haven't seen enough Woody Allen movies to really know what that means. . .too busy seeing the crappy movies that my generation marvels at. . .and I must say I wouldn't want to be a heroine out of too many of those. . .hehehe. . . ) In a year and a half my Sun progresses into Aquarius, so I bet then I'll really shift gears,

In Light & trying to laugh at myself,

Jennifer

Hi Maria,

Remember when you told me,

quote:

---

Yeah, it got me in the heart and spread outward. It must have been the second verse when I caught on and stood up, stuttering, "That's...that's..."

---

almost two months ago when you listened to Neil Young's Let's Roll.

I just finished listening to a Dateline NBC report which "brought me to a standstill" and I felt the same as you did above regarding the Flight 93 heroes of the song.

Sabra

quote:

---

Astonishing new evidence about how a group of Americans stopped a terrorist attack on Sept. 11
NBC News

July 30 — There's a spot in Pennsylvania that is hallowed ground —the place where United Flight 93 came down on Sept. 11, taking the lives of 33 passengers and a 7-member crew — people who didn't die as victims of a terrorist attack, but as the heroes who thwarted it. There's new evidence that it wasn't a few, but likely many of them, who not only rose to the occasion, but in a variety of ways were actually prepared for it.
Jane Pauley reports.

---

Below is the link for the rest (it's not long):
Heroes of Flight 93

hahahah Greg...no ...you said "Times fun when you're having flies!"

My first shock in the 20ties...was when some kid asked me who "Queen" was after I mentioned loving their music.....

The one in the 30ties...was when I was 38....I looked in the mirror one morning...and said " Mom?"....damn THAT was scarey!!!!!!!

Love,

Dani

Sabra...thankyou for that link...it is MOST intense.....*sigh*

That day....will be one of those like the day JFK was killed....we will all always remember where we were and what we were doing.....

My lioness and I were talking about this the other day...that she would always remember she was in 4th grade when it happened.

And...for years I have used the phrase 'Let's Roll'....I use it more now...and never without thinking of Flight 93...it's always a silent tribute in my heart for what they did...and the terror they must have felt.....they were some of the first to realize we were under attack....

it is amazing ...and sad...the little changes this has forced on us...even while we have all tried to remain the same....

some things will never be the same......

I was on my way to the post office that day....I came down stairs and picked up the stack of mail on the table and was heading for the tv to shut it off....when I wondered why Good Morning America was still on...it was a little past 9....
I stood just staring at that tv...looking at the fire...wondering what in the world was going on....when the 2nd plane hit....I still remember the screams of people there on camera who were watching.

It was hours later when I realized I still had the mail in my hand....

I remember how quiet this little town became....no bustling cars and walkers....

I had to get away from the tv and the computer....so I walked outside....it was SO quiet......the streetlight just changing back and forth to no cars.

I wandered up the road to the car dealership....and into the repair garage......the guys were all gathered around the tv mounted on the wall....some had tools in their hands.

When I walked up the road...'into town'....the guy in charge of the streets...was lowering all our flags to half mast....ours were down before the government required it.....

I walked over to the elementary school...and pondered taking Andrea and Courtney home with me.....when their principle came out the front door.....she was blowing her nose.....and she and the gym teacher lowered the flag to half mast.

I had a gigantic ache for my Mom and Dad....oh what would they say? Those WW2 vets.....those depression kids....

I felt like I was trying to walk away from it...if I left the Tv and the computer...it would not be real.

But it was real...and we are all changed because of it.

I will never forget that day.

Love and Peace and Eternal Understanding of each other.

Dani

Thank you, Sabra. Man that brought those emotions back so clearly.

I know we would all like to believe we would rise to the occasion if we were in the same situation, or a similar one ... but would we? As things stand in the world and this country, today, we may yet have the occasion to find out. And I think the experience of these heroes will stiffen many a spine.

Say what you will about being soft or selfish or sheeplike, when pushed by evil most Americans will stand up to what threatens them, and what threatens other innocents. We've seen a lot of heroism and self-sacrifice around these events and since, and that's a good thing to know about our character.

Thanks again.

Love,
Greg

Heavy heavy. I was cheering for the old lady with the umbrella, among others. I just uplifted that gal's spark with my commendation. Yo, God my friend, I'll vouch for that one if she still needs any vouching for. Divine sparks & heroes & heroines. How cool that there is a book to honor them.

Remember what the phrase was a few years before the fateful September? Used to be, "Let's rock and roll." Huh.

Thanks Sabra.

Love to all,
Maria

Oh god, you guys are bringing back that day so clearly.

The night before I'd written this long letter to the love of my life confessing as much as I was able to express of my heart. . . fell asleep thinking: Okay, I've done that, now my life has to change.

Yup. The next day was the first day of classes at Uni. I woke up at 9:45 ( my time) just as the first plane hit, I guess)
For some reason, I didn't want to go to my first class ( as excited as I'd been for it) I was in a real mood. I have this 'thing' about never turning the television on in the morning until you have centered yourself. . .but I went directly to the TV ( something I never do, ever) and sat down on the couch, feeling really, really anxious, far more than first day of classes would merit-- turned it on and there it was-- just coming live. . . I almost fainted. Sat there all morning and called all my friends. I knew what had been bothering me. I wasn't surprised at all. But so sad. I drove to school that afernoon, 45 minutes on the highway-- almost no traffic. . . Then the planes started to be re-routed into the airport nearby. . . I felt like I was in a waking prophecy. I sat beneath this ancient seeming oak tree the next day reading all these newspapers. . .I was in tears for three or four days straight. . .so were a lot of people. . .

Yeah, we really have yet to integrate this one. . .it felt like an opportunity even when it was fresh. . .a real opportunity. . .tragic as it was. . .

Can't you feel how different everything truly is now? I still can.

Love Jennifer