make the moments fly

How good does it ever really get?! Lady Gaga singing hits from The Sound of Music at the Oscars thence to be embraced by…oh..yes: that is REALLY Julie Andrews. OK- we could have done with a little more Edelweiss but heck: that’s a man’s song…frickknn equality and all that…but you can’t sing Matthew McConaughey! Bejsssica yes yes you can…freaky how talented everyone is at those awards…

Little quiz: if you put 6 great composers/lyricists ‘whatever’ you know in a room and made them represent the last 6 decades…wouldn’t this guy be one? Or wasn’t my high school math just not so great?

What about CitizenFour and and.. 'they' cry: There's a waiting line please Ms Poitras and Mr Snowden? This is America: it certainly ain't 'just' but arguably it is 'fair'. Oh- sorry it's London. Different 'kettle of micro-fish'.

So Mr Snowden: you were saying about the collusion between the world's greatest banks and the world's greatest democracy...please continue...

Yes: I totally understand that you would rather watch a documentary about a totally unknown nanny who 'snapped' ordinary folk whilst perambulating the 'kinder' whilst surrounding herself with newspapers by dint as opposed to pixels. Or that you'd rather reminisce about the Wim Wenders days {addendum: Mr Wenders stated at a MoMA Q&A that Sebastião Salgado (Curzon Film World-July 3) was his FAVORITE photographer (just tryin' to keep it real...;):.....wait a minute no you wouldn't! We would though! ....You're not 'Ed'! 

For a night upon London town where 1664 meets 2014, the totally immersive theatricality of English National Opera's co-production (with Teatro Real Madrid) of Purcell's unfinished opera The Indian Queen is hard to beat. Director Peter Sellars talks here with the Russian co-producers. And on the BBC Feb 25. Change we can believe in? Forever slow and forever painful. Ever thus.

T.S. ELIOT 
:

Innocence is a kind of insanity

Advice for the red carpet field of combat: If you’re going to be dressing in civilian clothes, don’t forget pumps. Apparently for Madonna’s after-party you’re not allowed a ‘plus one’. Isn’t that spookily akin to Philip K Dick’s The Adjustment Bureau where our brightest and best are kept from straying left-field lest they meet a love of their life who, just might love them?

Hey: if you missed an Oscar invite there is always The Tony Awards around the corner. (Now I've drawn attention to it, hope some Sergeant-Major doesn't force down that link in the face of little green backed men.) Who knows: you too may go from a Neil Patrick Harris eating sushi onstage to making your own out of an audience. Lots of truth seeking in this year’s Documentary Feature nominations…

Over the decades yours truly has sat (willingly though often restlessly) through enough foreign films to feed a favela for a lifetime. Many, alas, have no retinal flashbacks. Ida (a Foreign Film nominee) isn’t just mellifluously directed (Pawel Pawlikowski) but carved out of onyx by writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz.

He who dares not offend cannot be honest.

Speaking of la Vérité: anyone seen the UK TV series Black Mirror (Robert Downey Jr optioned an episode) produced and mostly written (co or all) by a coruscating TV critic- about well…: you’ll work it all out. 

If that’s not ‘eerie’ enough for you, go back in history and watch The Narcotic Farm. Does the end ever justify the means? 

Everybody's Got The Right

It's just a musical...a cabaret old chum...

time out- it's my show

the dearly departed of Oscar night is always a strange somewhat maudlin affair. So let's just get it put out of the way now:

firstly an advertisement free rendition of last year's swan song The Wind Beneath My Wings:

Old Friend

I Don't Want to Know (YouTube took down this link- it was a great performance, Ms Lansbury- even though not yours;) I shall not replace it. 

as Bernadette Peters once said in a concert: it’s my show so I’ll sing what I like!

So if I want Betty Buckley to sing everything in my post...;) did you know she was in the original stage version of Pippin…

a. beginning

Round and round
The burning circle
All the seasons
One, two and three
Autumn leaves
And then the winter
Spring is born
And world is free
 

once upon a...

                                                 

  x² + y² = z²

--> we taught the world new ways to dream 

an old foolgy day in NY town....

Is this London or New York? Is there really that much difference? Well: yes- but for the sake of comedy TONIGHT- somewhat ignore that. How are the London underground shutdowns due to "leaves on the line"?  It shuts down when they hear reindeer coming....truth or dare?

BLIZZARD NEW YORK BLIZZARD (other snow is a different kind of ‘white’ in other states apart NY didn’t you know)

who employed this perfect American-ish bot? She’s so awesome…

City at Standstill

Pundits are all making it sound like Snowpiercer...... (no UK release date yet Tilda Swinton-oh any excuse to help you movie release Mr Weinstein). With all due respect Harvey: you didn’t hack into Chris Nolan’s 12D sat link and manipulate this whole thing with another ‘culture’ just to sell a movie in NY! Anyone still remember (no they don’t…) Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio broadcast? Also: just read Holland Cotter’s NYT plug for the Chinese mangos show in NY When Mango Mania Was Revolutionary….there’s a link but there’s ways around the pay wall but you’ll have to pay me to guide you thru the former Mauer…There was even an underground Chinese flic Mangoes in Space (wasn't there Dave Kehr?)

Oh and who says I can’t segue like NO FBook fff'r e'er could: Robert Altman’s almost never seen Quintet.

Remember Blizzard Nemo- isn’t that a racist comment against fish Falco Inc publicity? (You would of course know all about French fish: is there a reason you don’t represent ‘fish’ movies that aren't...? Lars von Trier mentioned a ‘fish’ movie way back in 2000 at the NY Film Festival (who knew)- well his advocate the amoebae- but you just didn’t seem, well not only uninterested but… God don’t I love learning from the big fish Tim Burton! 

Even met a Carparthian shepherd dog outside my building who started growing fangs (reluctantly) when I mentioned his Romanian lineage…o sole mio…excuse me but are you being racist against people with large teeth and long Gevity too. Snap! Anyone remember Blacula? !

New York City's subways and buses planned to shut down completely by 11 p.m. sounds like London as normal...oh Boris: go home and write another book. 

But NOTHING stopped Justin Bieber Saturday night (apparently... Or most probably TONIGHT!  (if he was..). That’s America folks! 

-->Cotton to Gold

Authorities banned travel on all streets and highways in New York City and Long Island and warned that violators could be fined $300. And I worshiped NY because it wasn't Moscow- ask the Red Army ice hockey players THEY will tell you (Curzon Film World- June 19th). Who thought there would be blood spilt by Americans against foreigners on the ice! Truth or dare Micheal Keaton? Mumble just tweeted support- fffing boring predictable email - "we loves ice" : he desperately needs a writer entourage George Miller;( please don't say anything....he's such a nice kid.....

Crazy Russian Winter (kids- please DON'T try this from home...) Mikey 'Icestorm' we love you but DON'T do it again. You're grounded clever fffffff!

Shelves cleaned out in NY and Long Island! No pizzas and crisps (chips to Brits,,) no Goodbye Mr.--

Off duty-plains clothes elves mugged for secret mobile app tips in arctic survival. (Sure there was a NY Post link to that;)

Even Godzilla gave up and bought (was rumored ok..) a Miami condo with 20ft high ceilings- don’t laugh there was recently a story of an NYC apt with, like, (love that adverb)  6ft ceilings- perfect for the girl with everything but legs.

You all know that it's so easy easily to edit a Black Dog Avenger Blizzard video and get a million YouTube hits and an agent and an album cover for Forest’s Greatest Hits- (whatever happened to the smell of pine…;) (was it that movie Finding Enlightenment..)(homage to Blacula First Lady Michelle- credit where credit is due) 

Moral to all of that: The Ice Storm is always more treacherous. And infinitely more beautiful.
Snow Day for kids 
and we'll pretend that THIS photo is this year

Welcome to the ENHANCED 2011 State of the Union Winning the Future

2015

remix rematch both as you will (with no offense Mr President)

ps - question from the young Lesbian vampire from the LA hills:  but what are you doing about the lack of controls about drilling in the gulf since the BP oil spill? And the PTT trade agreement? Did 'they' brave the blizzard today in NY?

oh- there's also this guy Bill Morrison (I forgot to mention..wait: wasn't he mentioned in the Michelle Crater Gavette?) who has been making strange sounds throughout MoMA the last few years- so they just gave him a showcase...

Then there’s this other ‘guy’ who really does makes weird sounds happen….not to mention…

….hickory hilary dock (but I ‘m sure that’s an old old runnin’ joke- ME hates them too…they just to piss us off all…)____ mind you___...you could re-invent and become a performance artist 'Bill'- improvising on sax off shore as you read (well the 'Abos' could easily do-so what: 'they' sometimes 'fake' at an inaugural- I mean who cares...just go for it!) the list of 'guys' you didn't give a 'Rich' pardon too. We hear your your melismatic malaise...

[Feb 2- I just re-read all this twaddle and it ain't as crazy as I thought];) But then: very soon everyone will know everything:) Hallelujah! Isn't that just God damn Democracy at work!

Our Deluded Brain (BBC Radio 3-Jan 26)

thou art in sweethaven...

What’s Andrew doing NOW! Well ( I mean you all seem to make ‘fun’ of him as often as possible and...) – truth or dare…: Austrian director Jessica Hausner's Amour Fou just opened the Museum of the Moving Image's First Look (now officially [quoting Museum director] a FESTIVAL!- albeit over just 2 weekends in January. Kleist and a black comedy double dialectic suicide. It's a strange alluring film. But NOT to be confused with the not so absolutely not act. Yet the mortal coil is nothing but absurd - I mean yo! just look at *** ***666** 's dress for the GLOBES. If that's not mortal coil bro...!

if he finally ‘gives up the ghost’ in the face of the lowest common denominator of **** and highest income I’m sure some loyal ‘aliens’ will set up a twitter site as they did in BIRDMAN. (Did I say Michael Keaton was utterly brilliant (oh and that guy Ed Norton and that ...- and that I totally agree with the critic (played by Lindsay Duncan) that oozed praise for the play (within the film) that for one rare moment had staged Broadway visceral.[spoiler- there are some GREAT shows on Broadway - the live one that we know.)

Now watching an AT&T sponsored livestream of the twitter/twat/twot/FFFFBook/InstauberMOI what not to miss over the water cooler tomorrow 'GOLDEN GLOBES' red carpet (btw- has anyone recently tested that water from the cooler???) - and can I add that appearing on the red carpet with even no teeth nor smiles is an ffffing achievement in this now piranha entertainment business. Or wasn't it forever thus? Does the digital realm now give more and more-less-more freedom in a bitterly sported dialectic realm? The world really has come a relatively long way since the brilliant Baby Peggy (she's still with us!) was utterly exploited by even her parents who spent all the money (there were no child star laws until Jackie Coogan). Peggy can still smile (at least via email;)

What's up 'there' now Chris?  

btw- you can't watch the Golden Globe Awards live (well I can if like moi you're on another planet) but mortals unless you watch on TV- there is no live stream. What's that Russian Leviathan film set in the dark ages....begs the question of NBC 'politically' appointed staff and White House campaign contributions. The truth is all out there if you wish to see it. 
 (A 'hobby horse' of mine-  but Noam Chomsky (Woody Allen's just been offered the great part of Noah in an 'alien' movie [thanks to Chris] ). [[Forget the spelling in the 'weegee' contract Woody: we are all too old to die yet!]] Chomsky was essentially a linguistic neurologist who simply stated that there was a WEALTH of free info out there back before digital. He wasn't even a Daniel Ellsberg let alone....!!! Gives you an idea how you might just spend the night in $%%@^( if you read this post.  

Just give the LAPD XY the dress Ed (ah ....Ned?  ahh it's the greenroom getting to me..) and it'll be happy. At least we say the names right eh Mr Travolta:)) Sorry bro- just saw you in that filmed Pinter play by Robert Altman. FFFng good actor aren't you!

So boring flying first class coach...sorry not to link (Ms Branson): ssay all ferrgot zzz trciks campaigns....
but znot evrywon....
p.s.  The Cecil B. DeMille award 2015: George Clooney

before your stock goes down too far Mr Clooney;)  ( I mean who thought 4 dames would be worth more than an ounce of gold nowadays...!) and you can't get a private screening for love or money :)) see the almost TOTALLY maligned (yet utterly brilliant) de Mille pic of 1930 Madam Satan

and like me you'll wake up happy and un-depressed and sticking to your diet/exercise and love of life and screw you all! That's until:  but Sondheim will write us ALL a new movie musical and he promises never to direct it himself:)))

Children Will Listen
it's time to say good ... morning...

shhhhhh- who says there is no democracy....
Into the Woods: The Movie — away-too-long review 

why the redundant superfluous underscore to your great review? 
Even after Cannes and Toronto film fests et al et al\: sometimes suddenly there can be truth always so quietly.... 

glimpse of an eternity

Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.- Albert Camus

...

A Song of Good and Evil, by Philippe Sands and starring Vanessa Redgrave, Laurent Naouri and Guillaume de Chassy, played at the South Bank Centre Purcell Room 29-30 November, thereafter in Stockholm (Jan 14, 2015) and Nuremberg and across Europe.  
BBC Radio3's In Tune (6 days left to listen)

 http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/features/culture/a-song-of-good-and-evil-by-philippe-sands/2016872.article
  
A watercolour of Munich's old city hall, believed to be painted by Adolf Hitler, sold recently to an anonymous Middle East buyer. A question was also begged by The Monuments Men that if Hitler truly hated degenerate art as much as he did Jews why did he order such care to be taken in safeguarding so much degenerate art (in the salt mines) looted from museums of Europe?

Vanessa Redgrave has a small but critical role in Foxcatcher (Jan 9) as the mother of billionaire wrestling sport 'savior' John du Pont. Some if not many ‘rich’ abhor idleness believe it or not.  Du Pont hungered to possess knowledge; the mysterious engine of viscous creation. To carve his own character and other mens' equally within and apart his family heritage. Yet the ‘Rosebud’ erodes and always cracks an end. A disturbingly beautiful film, knock out performances helmed by Bennett Miller and writers E.Max Frye/Dan Futterman. The film should win [is that a spoiler alert;] a Golden Globe or two on Jan 11 and whoever/whatever wins next year’s Oscars, Foxcatcher will be up there in many hearts: if the film doesn’t mirror many a Hollywood experience what does?

Watch the film first THEN see the real John E du Pont? Is he ‘acting’ John du Pont in a faux 'Fred Wiseman doc'? No disrespect to Bennett Miller or Steve Carell but Foxcatcher is inevitably a construct. But then so is the world…The initial Cannes 2014 reviews that complained about lack of truth just roll ones’ eyes.  What the fuck do these people know about anything! Let alone reality! As Picasso didn’t quite say: America is a lie that makes us realize the truth. At least the truth that is given us to understand. 

19min into this 92nd St Y discussion Christoph Waltz (Walter Kean, Big Eyes) 

'We're soldiers of the Queer [sic.] my lads'.... John Boorman's Queen and Country (UK- May 8)


Finding Vivian Maier is on Soda Pictures DVD/Blu-Ray. Did this nanny by day and photographer perambulator amass not piles but mountains of newspapers because she thought every human story was worth telling? Or was she just a loopy great eye?

Tim Burton's Big Eyes is on general release. Walter Keane (movie version): "What's wrong with the lowest common denominator? That's what this country was built on."

One other thought: why did du Pont buy the British Guiana 1856 1c black on magenta stamp in 1980? Simply sound investment? One lone survivor of anything collectible would only appreciate exponentially in value. Was there more to it than that? Was it the adventuring ship with the motto, "Damus Petimus Que Vicissim" (We give and expect in return)? Was it the 12-year-old Scottish schoolboy, L. Vernon Vaughan who discovered the stamp in 1873 and let it go because there was no record of it? Or was it that sole surviving act of human activity and creation and an extant working man's signature on a makeshift stamp? Or is that romancing the stone...

INTERSTELLAR

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.- -  -       -     - Albert Einstein
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Beethoven - String Quartet No.13 in B flat major, Op.130

 

a strange tomorrow

Too Many Mornings

too

Probably more a tangent to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s new film Winter Sleep. But it was Andrew’s juxta-film so hey what the ho!
Can’t say that I could ever be an acolyte of Cannes (with the greatest respect to its participants). But in my opinion Winter Sleep deserved its accolade. Sitting in an uncomfortable seat at the New York premiere having missed my yoga classes I still managed 3 and a quarter hours later without squirming.
hey, ho, the wind and the rain.