#arye gross

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[celluloidrainbow]

BIG EDEN (2000) dir. Thomas Bezucha Henry Hart, a successful New York Artist, returns to the town of his childhood to care for the ailing grandfather who raised him. Back in tiny and quaint Big Eden, Henry must come to terms with his relationship to Dean Stewart, his best friend from high School, as well as the object of his unrequited love. All these years Henry has been pining for a dream image of Dean from back then. This is also the story of Pike Dexter, the shy, unassuming owner of the town's general store, who is as surprised as anyone to find himself falling in love with Henry. The people of Big Eden conspire and attempt to bring Henry and Pike together. (link in title)

[profdrlachfinger]

This picture is like … 3 years old and I entirely forgot to post it — I really love that movie! 💖

[tpark-art]

“I just want things to be nice for him…”

[cappuccinoandglitter]

I'd forgotten how silly and wholesome this movie was. The old busybody welcomes Henry into town, engineers a party for him to meet all the eligible ladies. When she realizes Henry is gay, she redoes the whole party but with a bunch of men. Without missing a beat.

Then there's Pike who is teaching himself to cook so he can replace Mrs. Thayer's terrible cooking with his own on his meal deliveries to Henry, but won't take credit for it because he's painfully shy.

Meanwhile Henry's high school boyfriend disaster-bi Dean (played by Tim DeKay who is no stranger to looking at his costar like he wants to tap that) is just being a slutty little bastard showing himself off to Henry because he can.

All this in a fictional town in Montana where homophobia doesn't exist and I just love that.

[pissmd]

who am i hurting, each time i lie?

[haveyouseenthisromcom]

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

I saw this as a kid on TV, it's the first time I felt myself start understand that the kids who weren't white in my school were treated different. Sometimes by whispers between white kids.

Strange way to learn a lesson about society.

My best friend was a VERY white passing biracial Puerto Rican. But his father was very dark. And the kids snickered and murmured the n-word when he came to pick him up. They told him often, "you must be adopted."

It was confusing for me because I didn't get it. He was just my friend's dad. Like my dad had a European accent, and I didn't.

I just remember I was about 8 or 9 and even teared up at the at the speech that James Earl Jones gives at the end. It really stuck with me for while. It effected me kind of deeply. That even thinking about that day, I'm choked up.

It was a goofy 80s comedy, but for a suburban white kid like me, the message hit me how it was meant to.

Professor Banks: You've learned something I can't teach them. You've learned what it feels like to be black.

Mark: No sir.

Professor Banks: Beg your pardon?

Mark: I don't really know what it feels like, sir. If I didn't like it, I could always get out. It's not the same, sir.

Professor Banks: You've learned a great deal more than I thought.

‐---------------------

Legacy & input by actors from the movie:

———————

Rae Dawn Chong defended the film, saying of the controversy:

It was only controversial because Spike Lee made a thing of it. He'd never seen the movie and he just jumped all over it… He was just starting and pulling everything down in his wake. If you watch the movie, it's really making white people look stupid… [The film] is adorable and it didn't deserve it... I always tried to be an actor who was doing a part that was a character versus what I call 'blackting,' or playing my race, because I knew that I would fail because I was mixed [Chong is of African, Chinese and European ancestry]. I was the black actor for sure, but I didn't lead with my epidermis, and that offended people like Spike Lee, I think. You're either militant or you're not and he decided to just attack. I've never forgiven him for that because it really hurt me. I didn't realize [at the time] that not pushing the afro-centric agenda was going to bite me. When you start to do well people start to say you're a Tom [as in Uncle Tom] because you're acceptable.

Spike Lee responded by saying, "In my film career, any comment or criticism has never been based on jealousy."

"A white man donning blackface is taboo," said C. Thomas Howell. "Conversation over — you can't win. But our intentions were pure: We wanted to make a funny movie that had a message about racism."

Howell later expanded:

I'm shocked at how truly harmless that movie is, and how the anti-racial message involved in it is so prevalent... This isn't a movie about blackface. This isn't a movie that should be considered irresponsible on any level... It's very funny... It made me much more aware of the issues we face on a day-to-day basis, and it made me much more sensitive to racism... It's an innocent movie, it's got innocent messages, and it's got some very, very deep messages. And I think the people that haven't seen it that judge it are horribly wrong. I think that's more offensive than anything. Judging something you haven’t seen is the worst thing you can really do. In fact, Soul Man sort of represents that all the way through. I think it's a really innocent movie with a very powerful message, and it's an important part of my life. I'm proud of the performance, and I'm proud of the people that were in it. A lot of people ask me today, 'Could that movie be made today?'... Robert Downey Jr. just did it in Tropic Thunder!... The difference is that he was just playing a character in Tropic Thunder, and there was no magnifying glass on racism, which is so prevalent in our country. I guess that's what makes people more uncomfortable about Soul Man. But I think it's an important movie.

Robert Downey Jr. referenced Howell and Soul Man when addressing the potential controversy over his role in Tropic Thunder: "At the end of the day, it's always about how well you commit to the character. If I didn't feel [the role in Tropic Thunder] was morally sound, or that it would be easily misinterpreted that I'm just C. Thomas Howell [in Soul Man], I would've stayed home."

Mathcore band Botch has a track named "C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'" on their album We Are the Romans (1999).

[miriam-heddy]

9-1-1, I’m catching up to you! (On S6E6)

Opinions, which are mine:

I really like Detective Lou Ransone. He should’ve been a regular.

Arye Gross was definitely my fave guest star.

Ana Flores was cute the way Hello Kitty is cute. But Eddie made the right decision.

Taylor Kelly’s pretty and sexy and I love her voice. But she’s far too emotionally mature for Buck.

Buck and Hen drinking together was brilliant.

I adore Karen and Hen together.

Bobby deserves all the hugs out there. He is owed back pay in hugs.

[slimewalk]

[90smovies]

[twenty-words-or-less]

A Midnight Clear

Summary: Follows an American intelligence unit that finds a German regiment willing to surrender at the end of WWII.

Engrossing war drama that subverts expectations (and not in obnoxious way) and features actual characters rather than cardboard cutouts.

Rating: 3.75/5

Photo credit: IMDb

[mycroftholmesian]

House II: The Second Story (1987) Dir. Ethan Wiley

The wacky, wild, horror film that is House II. I totally love this film it’s too much fun!

[riphimopen]

JUMPSCARE

i would NEVER, go out with an ugly girl. Why?

[gib-mir-gift]

eric schweig i wont you