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oliviermiraarmstrongs · 3 years ago

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mid-year book freak out tag

thank you @bloody-wonder for giving me an excuse to share my book thoughts!

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

It’s gotta be The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood; I hear “feminist period novel about mentally ill woman unable to cope in upper-class society” and I am THERE! It’s like [Stefon voice] This book has EVERYTHING: repressed women, a decaying old house, a complex relationship of two sisters, a pulpy sci-fi story-within-a-story-within-a-story, criticism of capitalism and reactionary attitudes and politics, commentary on how conservative society shuns those it perceives to be “other” and a threat to the social order (poor people, socialists, “unconventional” women). It is EXTREMELY my shit.

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

The only one I've read is Siege and Storm, so Siege and Storm! Shadow and Bone was captivating, if a little simplistic, but the sequel really fleshes out the characters, setting, and themes. It’s great to see Alina take a more active role, and I love the exploration of sainthood.

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?

I’m really curious about Michelle Zauner’s memoir Crying in H Mart. Same with Axiom’s End, which I haven’t really been seeking out, but it’s been resting on my list since I like a lot of Lindsay Ellis’ stuff.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2021?

5. Biggest Disappointment?

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I’ve been getting into Atwood, and I have a soft spot for female-centric retellings of myths, so this was on my list for a long time. It’s not bad; it’s decent as a character study and offers some good perspective on the hanged slave women from The Odyssey, but overall it came off as...bitter? And not in a good way. It’s reasonable to include commentary on how bad things were for women in ancient times, but after a while I’m just like “But there had to be a time when Penelope was happy, right?” But the biggest failing has to be the treatment of Helen. Why a story focused on bringing literary justice to silenced women also characterizes Helen of Troy as a manipulative, arrogant bitch who single-handedly ignited the Trojan War because she enjoys fucking people over, I’ll never know. Ironic that in the opening chapter, Penelope bemoans being used as a yardstick with which to judge other women, and then the book proceeds to do exactly that with her and Helen. Can’t let Penelope have a positive relationship with another woman! There could be some form of unreliable narrator at play, but there’s not much indication that that’s the case here. Even Homer had a more nuanced portrayal of Helen than this!

6. Biggest Surprise?

I suppose The Red Tent. I picked it up at a Goodwill because of my aforementioned interest in female-centric retellings. It’s not amazing, but I wasn’t really expecting it to emotionally affect me like it did. You spend so much time setting up Dinah’s family and this supportive community of woman within a patriarchal society, only to have Dinah abandon it all after getting betrayed by her father and (most of) her brothers. Hearing about how her family fell apart after she left and she never got to see her mothers again really gets to me. The book has flaws for sure - neither of Dinah’s romances are developed very well, and some of its themes can come off as gender essentialist - but I think it’s a nice exploration of female labor and traditions that too often get ignored.

7. Favorite New Author?

The only relatively new author I’ve been reading is Leigh Bardugo, soooooo... honestly I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been said, I got into the series pretty late. Great world-building, witty dialogue, a familiar type of story with enough interesting ideas to make it feel fresh. Check out Shadow and Bone if you get the chance. Sound of the summer.

8. Newest Fictional Crush?

You would think it would be Nikolai Lantsov since I just finished reading Siege and Storm and he seems to be the fan favorite... but nah, not yet. He’s fun, but he doesn’t hit me in that way (Though very sexy of him to just casually proposition Alina and Mal for a royal polycule, a la Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot; would love an AU where they accept his offer). However, I would let Zoya murder me. Every time Zoya is not in a scene I am asking “Where’s Zoya?” Also shout out to Alina, just because I would treat her better than all the men in her life!

9. Newest Favorite Character?

Gonna try to do this without spoiling too much, but Laura Chase in The Blind Assassin really resonated with me. Her personality reminds me a lot of myself, especially as an an autistic person, like the way she has her own way of thinking that makes perfect sense to her, but makes other people see her as odd and naive. I love how she’s set up in-universe as this Sylvia Plath-esque tragic heroine, with Iris spending the rest of the book interrogating and deconstructing, and in a way, reconstructing this image of her. Atwood you’re insane for this. I forgive you for the Helen thing now.

10. Book That Made You Cry?

I never got as far as crying, but the part in The Goldfinch where [spoilers incoming] the art heist goes wrong and Theo is alone in the hotel room and he’s spiraling and considering suicide and finally dreams of his mom… all that was too much for me and I had to put the book down for the night. This guy just can’t catch a fucking break.

11. Book That Made You Happy?

fucidjdjdj I didn’t read any happy books this year. Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm because I read them really fast unlike my usual months-long reading schedule.

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw?

Predictably, Shadow and Bone. I basically bought and read the book less than a week before the show came out because I thought it looked interesting and wanted in on the hype (mostly because Jessie is cute 🥰). Honestly, the show improves a lot on the first book; the multiple storylines make it more dynamic and complex, the actors really help to make the characters feel more fleshed out, and Alina and Inej interacted for like three scenes, introducing an unexpected but thematically rich ship.

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?

14. Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought So Far This Year?

I impulse-bought this book of Romantic poetry at Barnes and Noble just because it was pretty and I had a gift card

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?

Besides finishing The Grisha Trilogy/Six of Crows duology/Zoya’s duology that I forgot the name of….I don’t know. I’m not a reader that plans in advance. I acquire books, finish whatever I’m currently reading, look through my stacks deciding what to read next, spend an hour doing so because I can’t decide if I’m in the mood for any of them, and either force myself to read one or buy/borrow a new one.

I’m tagging @betweenironyandsilver, @illuminaticns, @borispavlikovskys, @chdarling, @sctine, @mightyaubs, @excuseforadrink, and @trckstergods, if you wanna! Or anyone who wants to yell about books.

#sophia says shit #tagged as me #sorry for taking so long I write slow and am on vacation #but thank you! I don’t get many excuses to talk about books!

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psychomoxxie · 4 years ago

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Don’t Say You Love Me (Falling For A Psycho Girl)

So if you read the last post, you know i’m just dragging myself by the teeth and unkempt nails out of the dumpster fire that is my so-called “heart”;

I.e., yet another relationship bit the dust. The first one in 4 years. It was new, but i fell hard, because he was different and not an abusive fuck, was super-sweet, and had the brain-cooties too (not like mine, but still), so i could relate to him on a deeper level than most. But turns out, he’s already into someone else, if his FaceBook memes are any indication (which they almost certainly are), which makes me feel incredibly stupid and naive that i didn’t see it coming. He was probably talking to this girl romantically before things ended with us. Which puts things in a whole new light.

That light being — i am, and i reiterate, incredibly stupid and naive.

Which brings me to the next bit.

The very next day after things imploded in my face with this guy, a friend – a male friend – talked to me for three hours on the phone to cheer me up, make me feel better about my stupid little heart; and after we hung up, he messages me to confess to me that he’s in love with me.

Here’s the thing. It’s not that I don’t “love” this guy friend. In as much as I can feel love for him or anybody else. That sort of thing is reserved for a very small pool of people, and I’m not very good at it. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you. I will disappear off the face of the earth for weeks at a time, and expect you to be ok with that. I have a hard time being emotionally available for most people.

My capacity for being In Love with a capital “L” is severely limited, and probably not defined in the way most people think of the word. I’ve experienced real, actual, true Being In Love probably twice in my life. Where it hit me hard, and i was both viscerally and emotionally affected by it, and wanted to put that person’s needs before my own and all that sort of thing, where i felt that gut-wrenching emotion when it ended for whatever reason. Where i felt emotions that had to do with THEM, and not just ME. Not just the selfishness of “romantic love”, which mostly has to do with how that person makes you feel, and less to do with the actual person. But when I did feel it, I felt it all the way. And crawling out of it is certainly no easy feat. In fact, I still love my first True Love — but he died many years ago, so there’s not much I can do about that.

I’ve certainly developed feelings, even felt love for a couple people I’ve dated — which evolved into true friendships, which I consider to be a type of love that’s different from being In Love, though still very worthy and much more likely to occur in a person’s life multiple times. Those instances of love are the people that i still speak to, despite whatever pain it cost to get us here, because we still actually had a real connection after the romantic bit ended. (The guy in the photo being one of those).

Of course, the question is, was it genuine Love ™ i felt for the Guy I Fell For if it wasn’t actually reciprocated? If he’s already moved on to someone else, then clearly it was one-sided on my part since i still have feelings, and he clearly does not.

I don’t know. The thing is, I can’t transfer my feelings from one person to the other so quickly. Or at all. Because for me, I rarely feel them to begin with.

Oh, in the past i’ve felt serious infatuation. When i was younger and unmedicated, i was capable of obsessive infatuation. Of course that ended when that person’s flaws came to the light, or they disappointed me. I see this one’s flaws quite clearly and still have the feelings. I hate it, but there it is. Maybe that’s the problem. For him, it was just infatuation.

Part of the problem of being a Psycho bitch — like, literally, I have ASPD (Anti-Social Personality Disorder, my secondary diagnosis, and it’s not severe, but it’s significant enough to be problematic. This is the first time I’ve talked about it, because the stigma surrounding it is so fucked up) — is that it’s not easy for me to connect with other people. Not in any genuine way. It’s considered to be, in my and many cases, the result of certain childhood experiences. It’s a fairly common reason for this fairly uncommon disorder. A protection that the brain constructs as a result of physical and psychological trauma. I recognize it, and i try to work on it. It’s not easy.

Here’s where the Mental Illness Education Bit comes in, folks. Because yeah, we’re doing that now. ASPD is a relatively new diagnosis – or rather, TERM for a diagnosis (in general, and also for Yours Truly), and it’s often interchanged with Sociopathy, which is often interchanged with Psychopathy. It’s not a Mental Illness, per se, but a Personality Disorder. Which might be wrong, for me, since it’s co-morbid with Schizoaffective Disorder which has some symptoms in common, and they gave me my ASPD diagnosis several years ago for what they thought previously was Bipolar – which is fairly obviously not my problem. I don’t have mood swings, per se, but i do have impulsivity, and lack of empathy, and other things that jive with the ASPD diagnosis. Apparently, my being slightly Sociopathic makes more sense. Honestly, i sometimes think they just liked slapping the label on a woman because it’s so rare.

On the other hand, it does kind of fit, if i’m going to be honest. I’m very good at the whole social mask thing. And i don’t feel things normally – haven’t ever, really.

I’ve never murdered anyone (yet), but i will certainly admit to having a lack of conscience or empathy where many things are concerned. Or, perhaps just a lack of emotion in general. My psychiatrists say it’s due to severe PTSD and trauma. As is true for many people with the disorder, as i mentioned.

The misapprehension people have, however, is that people with the disorder NEVER connect, or are incapable of it. This isn’t true. When we do connect, it’s definitely genuine and deep. We just don’t do it with many people at all. Mainly this is because we’re basically self-centered and pretty selfish. And not very “nice”. We have to work at it. We aren’t “empaths” or any of that new age crap. We don’t connect with the outside world very easily, or well. We can be manipulative. And in some cases, fairly narcissistic. Definitely overly-logical when being emotionally sympathetic is clearly called for.

But every once in a while, i really connect with somebody. And when that happens, it’s really not easy to let go. But when i finally decide it’s time that i do, it’s like that person never existed. It’s very black and white. Again, a protective thing my brain does, i suppose.

And God knows what I did to fuck things up with The Guy I Fell For, because that’s just it — i will do things out of my inability to be empathetic sometimes. Or patient. People will tell me that I’m sweet and kind, but really I admire those qualities in others, and try very hard to emulate them. I think I have those qualities in me sometimes, but I have to work at them. The very few people I do love bring them out in me. But even so, I fuck it up. Often. I didn’t have anything to model it after growing up, you see. So my version of compassion and normal love and affection looks rather like Helen Keller’s version of trying to describe the color blue, I rather suspect, sometimes.

But, i digress.

So, this friend – we’ll call him The Limey (because oddly enough, he’s also living way the fuck in another country) confesses his love for me, and i realize off the bat that my emotional response is all wrong. The wheels in my head are turning in all the wrong directions. It’s a welcome distraction, and an ego boost, and i latch onto it like a drowning woman for about a day. In some ways, he’s a perfect match for me. We’re good friends. He’s single, a talented musician, whipsmart, witty, kind of an asshole in all the right ways; he’s willing to come right out and tell me how he feels. He’s incredibly attractive, and sexy as Hell. He wants me to leave the damn country with him, for fuck’s sake. All the things i so desperately want. And, yes, i do like him, a lot.

But do i Love ™ him? No. Which comes into stark relief when he pisses me off by being a jerk to one of my friends – someone i do love (not romantically, but definitely love) and my first reaction is FUCK this Limey. I don’t even give him the benefit of the doubt.

My emotions are so shut down at this point that i can’t even conceive of giving the Limey a chance. Him, or anyone else for that matter. Because i’m done. I’m done connecting with people for a good while. I have the very few people in my little Universe of Discourse, and that’s all i need.

Clearly, the point here is that i’m damaged, but i’ve always been. I don’t think it means i need “help”, and i certainly am not asking for sympathy. I’m perfectly aware that i am fucked up. In fact, on one level, i’m happy to know that i’m still capable of falling for someone, as misguided as it may have been, and as hurt as i am from the way it all ended. It shows me that i do, in fact, still have a soul. That i’m capable of actually feeling something real, as opposed to my usual screwing around with abusive men — which is not love, but some weird head game i put myself through out of some need to torture myself.

Soooo, this post digressed wildly.

The point IS, i was flattered and moved by this friend’s declaration of love for about 48 hours before he pulled some crap that made me want to beat him over the head with a tire iron, and then i responded in my usual unsympathetic and offhand fashion because that is my default.

I’m fairly convinced at this point that i should just avoid romance altogether. I’m obviously bad at it, i pick the absolute wrong person nearly every single time, and then wonder why i’m miserable. Then i spend the next 3-4 years perfectly happy all by myself, which is just long enough to forget how miserable relationships make me. Rinse, repeat.

Plus there’s that whole thing where i have to explain that i’ve got the Brain Cooties…or Brain Worms (thanks, Jay, for that new term), which is never a fun conversation; like, “No, dear, i’m not going to knife you in your sleep, and no, i don’t hear voices telling me to roast your spleen with a nice Chianti. At least, not usually. NO, BABE. THAT WAS A JOKE…”

I just…i can’t.

If i end up like one of those old ladies with her cats living with her female roommate in the boondocks collecting furballs and molding them into puppets and selling them on Etsy, then so be it. Right now, it seems like the sane choice.

*photo of me and The Samurai – dear friend and fellow artist

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mermaidsirennikita · 6 years ago

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Book Roundup April/May 2019

This spring has been exceptionally difficult and busy for me on both a personal and professional level. I really haven’t had the time to read as I’d like--so I’m combining April and May. With that being said, there were some good books within the past couple of months--Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan was DEFINITELY a huge highlight.

Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare. 2/5. Kate is held in a remote cabin by Ben--who holds her captive while claiming to protect her from the fallout of something terrible that she did. The trouble is that Kate can’t remember the night that terrible thing happened. As she struggles to piece together her memories, what Bill tells her isn’t matching up--and she must reconcile who she is with what she did. I’m sure that lots of people would love this book, but the pacing was thrown off for me by all of the flashbacks. It’s not you, it’s me.

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan. 5/5. Nadya is a Kalyazi cleric, and as such she can commune with--and draw supernatural power from--a pantheon of gods. She’s spent her life in a monastery; however, a looming threat finally materializes in the form of Tranavian invaders, heretics that send Nadya on the run. Falling in with Malachiasz, a Tranavian defector, she sets out to end the war she only way she knows how: by killing the Tranavian king. Meanwhile, Serefin, the heir to the throne, is summoned home from the front--only to discover that he’s in more danger at home than abroad. This is a wonderfully atmospheric and delightful novel. Emily never holds back--you get monsters, you get royal politics, you get alcoholic princes and questions of theology. And there is a romance that I’m absolutely obsessed with, which is always major for me. I loved this book to death, and there is one bit at the very end that just got at my soul. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. 3/5. Kya is a young child when her mother walks out on the family; it isn’t long before her brother and father follow suit, leaving Kya as the borderline-feral Marsh Girl. At first, she’s dependent on the kindness of strangers. But gradually--with the help of friends and Tate, a boy who will become her first love--she becomes independent, if never truly accepted by the nearby townspeople. Her way of life is shattered when a young man shows up dead--and she is accused of murder. On the plus side, this book was very engaging, and some the descriptions were at times beautiful. If you’re from the South, some things will indeed ring true. It’s not perfect, but it is engaging, and a fun if predictable read... until the last third or so, when everything kind of collapses and the book’s flaws are emphasized in a big way. I really, really disliked how much Owens went in on the “untouched wild beauty” thing with Kya. It felt very fetishistic. She’s this beautiful poor white girl living feral in the marsh... learning everything she knows from black people, by the way. And all the men love her and want to have sex with her. I’m honestly just torn about this one; I feel like I would have given it a lower rating if not for how much I did enjoy the first chunk.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. 4/5. Khai is accomplished and handsome; however, he’s never had a girlfriend. On the autism spectrum, he’s convinced himself that he’s incapable of love. His mother has other ideas--and while visiting her homeland in Vietnam, she meets Esme. She offers the single mother a golden opportunity: visit America for the summer and convince Khai to marry her. If he refuses, she can go home, no strings attached. It’s too much for Esme to possibly turn down--but making Khai fall in love with her is a much more difficult task than she first imagined. This wasn’t quite up to par with Hoang’s debut (the delightful Kiss Quotient) but I did really, really like it. Her trademark humor is there, as is her sensitivity and knack for sweet romance. Khai and Esme’s story is just kind of lovely. (And sexy.) I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed--I wanted more. But I’d recommend it any day, and can’t wait for Hoang’s next book.

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding. 2/5. Following the birth of her twins, Morgan and Riley, young mother Lauren is exhausted. Therefore, few believe her when she says that she saw a woman slip into her hospital room and attempt to replace her babies with strange creatures. A month later, the boys briefly go missing in the park--and when they’re found, Lauren insists that the things that have been returned to her are not her children. This may have been a bad fit for me--I love magical realism and changelings, but the overwhelming depressing darkness of this book was just... not even vaguely enjoyable. And it did help put me off of having children for a looong time, if ever. I couldn’t focus on the writing quality; it was just so dour.

From Scratch by Tembi Locke. 5/5. This memoir tracks the first few years following the death of Tembi’s husband, Saro, following a long battle with cancer. As she visits his Sicilian family each summer with their daughter, she flashes back to the early days of their courtship and marriage--as well as her in-law’s initial struggles over the fact that their Italian chef son married an African-American actress. “From Scratch” is LOVINGLY written and painfully beautiful. It made me want to be more open to falling in love, as cheesy as that sounds--what Tembi and Saro shared was clearly worth all of the pain she’d feel after seeing him slowly deteriorate and ultimately losing him... which is saying something. Locke also has a talent for writing in general, but especially about food. I appreciated her human examination of the prejudice she faced; it’s really obviously on her to decide whether or not to reconcile with people who treated her with clear racism, but... She also clearly loves and is loved by her mother-in-law now. The honest complexity in that relationship is refreshing. I don’t usually love memoirs, but this one was fantastic.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Chergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal. 4/5. Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina aren’t estranged, exactly, but they don’t have much in common either. But after their mother’s death, it’s revealed that she charged them with a journey through their ancestral homeland of India. With each sister carrying secret struggles, they unite in an attempt to fulfill their mother’s wishes--and come to terms with their relationships with not only her, but each other. Balli Kaur Jaswal is so good. And even if I didn’t love this quite as much as Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, it’s still quite good. She’s a rare author who can blend genuinely funny moments with high drama (that is often socially aware). There is one subplot that I didn’t super love due to its implications, but otherwise I really enjoyed the book and the sisters.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev. 3/5. Trisha Raje is a successful surgeon--who is nonetheless alienated by her blue-blooded family due to her history. When she meets DJ Caine, a high-profile chef in the running to cook for the prestigious fundraisers supporting her brother’s political campaign, it’s dislike at first sight. He can’t stand her snobbish bossiness; she finds his assumptions about her frustrating and demeaning. But even if DJ didn’t need the job, they can’t avoid each other--because Trisha is the only person who can save DJ’s terminally ill sister. So: Dev says that this is very loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice, but as the title suggests it’s VERY inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Points for the genders being swapped here--though DJ does stand in part for Darcy, he’s the Lizzie of this story--and Dev does a great job of bringing cultural backgrounds and social issues into the forefront without beating us over the head with it. But for whatever reason, I never really clicked with Trisha and DJ’s romance, and the Wickham side of this was... not great. Still, it’s a fun read and it made me very hungry. Not bad for a day by the pool!

#books #book roundup #book recs

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justanothercinemaniac · 8 years ago

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #131 - High Noon

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) This film has traditionally been labelled the Western for people who don’t like Westerns, and that is largely because of its uniqueness among the Western genre. It is a not so subtle metaphor for Hollywood’s unwillingness to stand up against Joseph McCarthy and his House of Un-American Activities Council (HUAC). Because of that the screenwriter was blacklisted after working on this film, it didn’t win Best Picture (The Greatest Show on Earth did, as it was McCarthy’s favorite film and the director was a big supporter of black listing), and even John Wayne called it un-american up until his death. That hasn’t stopped it from being considered one of the greatest films ever made of any genre.

2) The theme song for this film - “High Noon (Do Not Foresake Me)” - sung by Tex Ritter was revolutionary for movie music. It was the first time a film advertised a song of its own as a single, it was the first song to win the Oscar for best original song that wasn’t in a movie musical, and it was the first time a theme song had a recurring motif throughout the film. The reason I first saw this film is because I took a music in film class my junior year of high school and this was on the curriculum. Tex Ritter’s tune is both classic western but notably somber, with perfect lyrical representation of main character Will Kane’s conflict. It is a great song and you should give it a listen if you have the chance.

3) Hey, that’s Lee Van Cleef!

4) Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.

Cooper was 51 at the time of the film’s release. Kelly was 27. I’m trying not to be weirded out by that age difference but I am. The pair even had an affair which lasted the duration of filming. They have a nice chemistry between them. Not a heated one but a steady one, a trusting one. There’s a tenderness between the two and - later - a somber stoic-ness to their relationship. You get that they really love each other without them tearing each other’s clothes apart.

5) Gary Cooper as Will Kane.

Will Kane is an incredibly noble character. Modern movie audiences may find a worthy comparison in Captain America from Captain America: Civil War. Will is someone where if he can do the right thing, he HAS to do the right thing. Even when literally no one supports him, when no one stands with him, he - as a human being - cannot let bad things happen when he can work to stop them.

Kane [to his wife Amy]: “I’m not trying to be a hero. If you think I like this you’re crazy.”

Cooper won an Oscar for his work in the film, and it is clear why. Cooper is not John Wayne. He does not present Kane as this legendary hero. He is very much a human being. An honest, down to earth, and pretty sad human being who audiences immediately relate with. I’d venture to say it’s the best performance of his career if I’d seen enough of his other films.

6) Lloyd Bridges as Harvey, Kane’s (sort of former) deputy.

Harvey is...honestly, Harvey’s a jackass. He’s arrogant, rash, and does not do his actual job in helping Kane out. Instead he tries to extort him for position in return for doing his job. His is condescending to his girlfriend Helen Ramirez, he tries to run Kane out of town, and even though he has some moral conflicts throughout the film that’s not enough for him to actually get off his ass and do anything about it. Screw Harvey (although Lloyd Bridges is good in the part).

7) Grace Kelly as Amy.

This film does a pretty admirable job with writing it’s female characters for being released in 1951, although Amy is not its best example of that (more on that later). Amy is an interesting, conflicted, well rounded character. Her conflict with Will is clear: she does not believe in guns or violence. But she still loves him. Kelly is able to show these in a somber but compelling way, and able to balance out Amy’s more naive treats with her conviction to those beliefs. It’s a damn good part and Kelly does a fine job in the role.

8) I am sure that some attitudes of characters throughout the film are meant to be parallels of certain Hollywood attitudes towards McCarthyism, but I don’t know enough of how people reacted to McCarthyism to be for sure on all of them. Like when Harv tries to extort Will, when he says he’ll help out ONLY if Will does something for him, I imagine that is reflective of some sort of attitude from the era. An excuse not to go and do the right thing.

9) Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Helen Ramirez.

Helen Ramirez is not only a well written female character for 1951, she is a well written female character period. And she is INCREDIBLY well written. As soon as we meet her we learn that she is a strong, capable, and independent woman. She owns a small business in town and is respected in her community, despite her background as a Mexican woman (people in the Old West were really racist, if you haven’t noticed). But that didn’t stop her. No one talks down to her in the film and the writers never treat her as less than what she is. And she and Will have an incredible understanding of each other based not only on this concept but also their past relationship as lovers.

Helen [after Will tells her Frank Miller is coming back to town]: “I’m not afraid of him.”

Will: “I know you’re not.”

This does not mean she is not without fear or vulnerability though. All the best characters in this film are. But those things only round her out, give her more layers. She is someone who presents herself as strong but we know exactly what frightens her. We know what she loves, what she can’t stand, what she will fight for, and what she will run from. There is a great conflict to Helen, a great dose of some X factor this film needed. And Katy Jurado plays her perfectly. You know how Hollywood will still cast white people to play non-white characters these days? Well in 1951 they were actually able to find a Mexican actress to play a Mexican character. How radical (he said with sarcasm)! Jurado does great justice to the writing of Helen, while also adding to her strength and humanity. Honestly, Helen Ramirez is one of my favorite film characters of all time.

10) I noted how there are obvious parallels in this film between attitudes towards McCarthyism and attitudes towards Frank Miller. Well if you consider how some residents of the town think Frank Miller is good for them (in the film, that he’ll bring in business) you can clearly see that. There were people that thought McCarthy was good for the country. That his punishment of people not for breaking any laws but just for the way they thought and their difference of opinions was good for America. I freaking hate Joseph McCarthy.

11) It was at this point in the film I noted John Wayne’s distaste for it again, and to elaborate on that I think I’ll share with you this tidbit from IMDb:

John Wayne strongly disliked this movie because he knew it was an allegory for blacklisting, which he and his friend Ward Bond had strongly and actively supported. Twenty years later he was still criticizing it in his controversial May 1971 interview with Playboy magazine. Inventing a scene that was never in the movie, he claimed Gary Cooper had thrown his marshal's badge to the ground and stepped on it. He also stated he would never regret having driven blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman out of Hollywood.

12) One of the nice things about Kane is that he is flawed. He is not above giving into his human emotions, he’s not this perfect lawman. But he tries to be.

Bartender [after Kane punches him out for making bets on how soon he’ll die]: “You carry a badge and a gun marshall. You had no call to do that.”

Kane: “You’re right.” [He offers to help him up.]

13) There are two more examples back to back of attitudes towards helping Will Kane out which probably reflect the attitudes towards speaking out against McCarthy.

The cowardly man hiding in his home from Kane instead of facing Frank Miller being reflective of how most people just wanted to keep their heads down and not incur the wrath of McCarthy.

The rare person who wants to help Kane wants to do so out of revenge. I don’t know exactly if that relates to why some people wanted to fight McCarthy, but I imagine it does.

14) If I had to pick one reason that I love Helen Ramirez above all others, it would be because of this:

Ramirez [after Harvey grabs her]: “And as for you: I don’t like anybody to put his hands on me unless I want him to. And I don’t like you to. Anymore.” [She slaps him hard across the face.]

15) If you wanted a clearer example of how the attitudes among the town reflect the attitudes among Hollywood at the time in regards to McCarthyism, look no further than the church scene. Will comes in, BEGGING for help pretty much, and there are a bunch of people who immediately jump up to do the right thing. But then it gets dogged down. It gets dogged down by politics and people talking themselves out of it because they’re afraid. The mayor even says they shouldn’t do anything because it’ll be bad for their reputation (as many Hollywood people did at the time in regards to McCarthy). Its just bullshitting and bellyaching and complacency all born out of fear and it just strikes really close to the heart o this film. It is a great scene, not only because of its politic double meaning but because it conveys these messages without being preachy. It is all in support of its story.

16) Lon Chaney Jr. is in this movie as Will’s predecessor.

He doesn’t have much screen time, but the screen time he does have shows a lot of heartache on his part. He is disillusioned with the job of a marshal, with doing the right thing, because it never seems to work out. Chaney performs the scene with an incredible amount of sincerity, vulnerability, and sadness, making it one of the most memorable character moments in the film.

17) This film BARELY passes the Bechdel Test when Helen Ramirez and Amy Kane talk briefly about how they feel they don’t belong in this town, but most of their conversations (and there is quite a chunk of scree time devoted to them talking to each other) are about Will. BUT this is a perfect example as to why the Sexy Lamp Text beats out the Bechdel Test.

NO ONE IN THIS MOVIE TALKS ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN A MALE CHARACTER AT ANY TIME, MAN OR WOMAN.

Will talks about Frank Miller, everyone else talks about both of them. That’s the whole conflict about the film, and it takes place in such a short amount of time they don’t have TIME to talk about anything else. So Helen and Amy talking about that with each other means they are equal to their men in the film, and both pass the Sexy Lamp Test. Amy’s actions and words have an effect on all around her, and Helen (towards the end of the film) actually saves Will’s life. I really like that.

18) Amy’s little monologue here is incredibly illuminating about her character and her conflict.

Helen: “What kind of woman are you? How can you leave him like this? Does the sound of guns frighten you that much?”

Amy: “I've heard guns. My father and my brother were killed by guns. They were on the right side but that didn't help them any when the shooting started. My brother was nineteen. I watched him die. That's when I became a Quaker. I don't care who's right or who's wrong.”

19) Another example of the attitudes in this film about Frank Miller parallel certain attitudes in Hollywood/America about Joseph McCarthy can be seen in how one of the few people wanting to fight is a sixteen year old boy. The young are always ready to fight for what they believe in, even if they don’t know the best way to fight for it. We’re itching for a rebellion, always.

20) This film is almost in real time. According to IMDb:

Although the picture takes place between 10:35 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.. slightly longer than the 84-minute running time, this was due to the re-editing ordered by Stanley Kramer and Fred Zinnemann, both of whom were unhappy over the first assemblage. Editor Elmo Williams experimented by using the final portion of the material shot and condensed it to exactly 60 minutes of footage timed to real-time in the film. Thus the film we see is Williams' experimental version, which met with both Kramer's and Zinnemann's approval.

21) The black smoke billowing from the train is a sign that the brakes were failing, and the train actually knocked the camera over and busted it. The film survived though, and it is disputed if that is the film which is in the movie or not.

22) The entire final shootout works VERY well from an action standpoint. It is incredibly tense, featuring very little dialogue for the most of it, and always keeps you on your toes. Through its choreography and character writing you never quite now what will happen next. That and the use of environment paints a plausible and interesting way of Will beating the odds and living through the final shootout almost totally alone, although Amy comes at the end and resolves her conflict by shooting out one of Miller’s goons. It is a truly worthy climax to the film.

23) Will discarding his tin star is such a fitting ending. Who exactly was he fighting for? A bunch of people who didn’t want to be saved? And if so...why? These are questions we ask ourselves as we see him discard his badge, riding off into retirement with the only person who actually stood by his side.

High Noon is a fine film I think everyone should see at least once. Even if you don’t like Westerns there are good odds you’ll like High Noon. Its metaphor for McCarthyism creates a unique and compelling narrative, the actors are exquisite, and the writing - ESPECIALLY the character writing - is just spectacular. I think it’s one of the best films ever made and quite possibly the best Western ever made.

#High Noon #Gary Cooper #Grace Kelly #Katy Jurado #Western Movies #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Lon Chaney Jr #Lloyd Bridges #John Wayne #Movie #Film #GIF

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me-an-anthroplogist · 7 years ago

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Here are the 50 Perfect Romantic and Love Quotes For Valentine’s Day

Here are the 50 Perfect Romantic Quotes for Valentine’s Day

Some time quotations help you to express your self. So here we have some good quotes which help you to make your loved one feels special.

Happy Valentine’s Day Quotes

“This fire that we call Loving is too strong for human minds. But just right for human souls.” – Aberjhani, Historian

“Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.” – Audre Lorde, Civil Rights Activist

“Love is when the desire to be desired takes you so badly that you feel you could die of it.” – Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Painter

“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.” – Vincent van Gogh, Artist

“A true lover always feels in debt to the one he loves.” – Ralph W. Sockman, Pastor

“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” – Albert Einstein, Physicist

Loving is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Poet

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu, Philosopher

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” – Emily Bronte, Author

“The heart has its reasons, which reason knows not.” – Blaise Pascal, Mathematician

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” – Aristotle, Philosopher

“When love is not madness, it is not loved.” – Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Playwright

“Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold.” – Zelda Fitzgerald, Author

“Love is metaphysical gravity.” – R. Buckminster Fuller, Architect

“Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination.” – Voltaire, Author

“If you remember me, then I don’t care if everyone else forgets.” – Haruki Murakami, Author

“Love is being stupid together.” – Paul Valery, Poet

“Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert Heinlein, Author

“And suddenly all the love songs were about you.” – Unknown

Funny Valentine’s Day Quotes

laughter is the best medicine to cure of any of Disease. if you and your lover have a good sense of humor. these quotes will help you make light of the holiday.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz, Cartoonist

“I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner, Comedian

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde, Playwright

“True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.” – Erich Segal, Author

“I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known.” – Walt Disney, Animator

“Love is a grave mental disease.” – Plato, Philosopher

“I want a man who’s kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?” – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Acress

“It’s better to have loved and lost than to have to do forty pounds of laundry a week.” – Laurence J. Peter, Educator

“Without Valentine’s Day, February would be…well, January.” – Jim Gaffigan, Comedian

“Love is what you’ve been through with somebody.” – James Thurber, Cartoonist

“What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.” – Pearl Bailey, Actress

“Money can’t buy love, but it improves your bargaining position.” – Christopher Marlowe, Playwright

“If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?” – Lily Tomlin, Actress

“Look, there’s no metaphysics on earth like chocolates.” – Fernando Pessoa, Poet

“Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.” – Jules Renard, Author

“Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s too much fraternizing with the enemy.” – Henry Kissinger, Political Scientist

“Lord! I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing.” – Jonathon Swift, Political Satirist

Cute Valentine’s Day Quotes

A cute Valentine’s quote is one approach to make your sweetheart’s day. Regardless of whether you’re looking for something cheerful or nostalgic, these Valentine’s Day quotes will enable you to hoist your message.

“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.” – George Sand, Author

“Valentine’s Day is the poet’s holiday.” – Ted Kooser, Poet

“Your flaws are perfect for the heart that’s meant to love you.” – Trent Shelton, Football Player

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” – Rumi, Poet

“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.” – Max Muller, Philologist

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss, Author

“The art of love…is largely the art of persistence.” – Albert Ellis, Psychologist

Romantic Valentine’s Day Quotes

“Love planted a rose, and the world turned sweet.” – Katharine Lee Bates, Songwriter

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin, Journalist

“Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones, Engineer

“Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” – Robert Browning, Poet

“The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love.” – Margaret Atwood, Author

“It is astonishing how little one feels alone when one loves.” – John Bulwer, Physician

“Love is the greatest refreshment in life.” – Pablo Picasso, Artist

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller, Author

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radiospeech · 7 years ago