the lesson learned: drugs are terrible.

Jesus' Son certainly brought up the question of what is reality and what is not. Where does reality begin and the illusion end? It is difficult to decipher what happened at what point in his life and if situations he remembers are fabricated in some way or altered because of the drugs. But, I'm taking the film for what it is and as it shows it to me. For example, in the scene were FH and Jack Black's character are in the hospital, they do ingest a lot of pills. He hallucinates as they walk through the empty drive-in parking lot where he believes they're in a graveyard but in reality it is just a drive in and those are stands where the cars are. That is his hallucination and as soon as he realizes it is his reality. The same with the tragic incident of the bunnies. It really happened. In his drug induced state he had completely forgotten about them and sat on top of them. I'm glad they didn't show any squashed bunnies!

As for the question of when he began his drug habit seemed to only become really defined when he met Samantha Morton's character. His involvement with her really brought his problem out and his use became more frequent. It seems he began with her and then the habit took off on a course all its own, even going to score alone from someone that he doesn't even know. He could have died buying those drugs unless she woke him up again. It is ironic that she was able to wake him up from his almost dead-state but he wasn't able to wake her up in the same way later on in the film. He did seek redemption in the form of rehab. Those religious themes are littered throughout the film in obvious forms and not so obvious forms.

Two times when this religious theme is apparent is when he sits in the diner and he places his face in the window. It looks as if there are a crown of thorns on his head as Jesus had when he was persecuted. Another example is when he follows a man that he believes to be lucky to the laundromat and the heart with the thorns around it, often used in religious images, is right against his chest. The film seems like it's ultimately about redemption. At his core, he really is a decent human being. I liked him from the start. He just seemed honest and that line at the beginning of the film really got to me. He just wanted to feel again after feeling numb for so long. I sympathized with him and I wanted to see him have a happy ending. In a way, he had the best ending that he could have. He no longer had to take comfort in someone from a distance (the Amish family). He's walking down his own road, his own path and hopefully he stays clean.

mr. hall, how can i answer that?

I watched Clueless for the first time when I was 11 years old. It was at a party where all the teenagers and kids were gathered in one room and someone stuck a movie in and that was it. I admit that I didn't understand most of it since most teenage lingo had been completely beyond my comprehension for an 11-year-old but I understood the basic plot. I fell in love with it immediately. I bought it and watched it several times over, when my friends were over and watch it at least once a year if not more. Monday night's screening of Clueless definitely brought about new revelations of the film for me that I have not even considered before.

I put Clueless into the same category as the Breakfast Club. Both films really presented the idea of class really well even though I believe that Clueless has a level of sophistication in it that the Breakfast Club doesn't. The character of Elton is the quintessential snob character, even more so than the main characters of the film. He shouts at Cher, "Do you even know who my father is!" Cher hits the nail right on the head when she proclaims him a snob -- and a half. Clueless approaches the subject of class really well with the introduction of the character of Tai. There is a definite class distinction between Cher and Dionne and Tai. Though Tai's home life isn't profiled (no mention of mother, father, where she lives) it's all in the outfit and that's all that the film needs. The film begins with Cher choosing her extravagant wardrobe so wardrobe is a large feature. As was said in class, Tai's wardrobe isn't exactly from Dior or Versace but it becomes the same style as Cher and Dionne. She becomes one of them by emulating style and even conversation and thereby becomes one of them. She's included, regardless of her background.

The other observation I made is the same as an observation made in class that the popular kids in school (probably with the exception of Elton) are really kids with good hearts and good intentions. They may seem ditzy and incredibly superficial on the outside but once conversation is heard, they want to be activists, believe that they're doing something good for Tai and Cher even retains her virginity as part of her values. That's something that isn't regularly viewed in high school movies. Again, I reference the Breakfast Club and Molly Ringwald's character who is also a virgin, both instances where the popular kids in school retain that value. Yes, not all the main characters retain it but the narrator of the story -- Cher -- does and she should be the focus. This is a very smart film, capturing the vernacular of the time very accurately and launching those phrases into popular culture. I still hear the occasional conversation where someone tosses in an 'As if'. I just hope that the rest of the audience has also recognized what a smart and clever film this is and that it's not just the teenage film that it seems to be.

supposedly gripping but lacks a bit.

I am an independent film fan. I love the abnormal, strange, films that really make you think and some of those have a narrative plot and some don't. I'm not going to categorized Eve's Bayou as a black film as I wouldn't call a film with an all white cast and a white director as a white film. It does have a fantastic cast and a story and scenery that is so appropriately set in the beautiful rural landscape of the south. The cinematography is stunning. Not only did the cinematographer know how to film the countryside but there are also the sequences of the flashbacks and the psychic visual interpretations that really had me paying close attention. The way it's filmed is so gritty as if that is truly a memory. A memory and a prediction according to the visual image is gritty, brilliant flashes of a thought where there are familiar characters but that person isn't really sure of what's happening. That's why the characters interpret someone, one of the children, dying. They see the flash but they don't know what it's in reference to and the black and white images really captured that uncertainty because I didn't know what was happening either.

The actors in this film are all incredibly talented. I recognize Jurnee Smollett who plays the young Eve as a regular guest star on Full House. Meagan Good is a very talented actress who has been in plenty of television and film recently. Samuel L. Jackson of course is the celebrity name in the film. His Cajun accent seems dead on, that mix of French and English that is so rampant in that area and I enjoyed the authenticity. Lynn Whitfield is very talented and I hadn't seen her in many of her performances but have certainly heard of her. Her performance is very memorable as the mother, very commanding and her presence draws my attention in immediately. The last name I'll mention is Debbi Morgan whose character is Mozelle. She's very recognizable to me because of her performance in the television film Roots. Her screen presence is absolutely mesmerizing. Her eyes really capture my attention and as she speaks it's always as if it's about something really important and in this film, it usually is because she's a psychic. People are drawn to her because she has the gift of sight and can absolutely answer someone's question.

Lastly, I do want to say that unlike the previous films, I couldn't find a strong connection in the plot. As soon as I felt like the story was going somewhere incredibly dramatic and compelling, it immediately falls flat. The father's various affairs leads him to his death. His sister has a premonition of this. Eve catches him with another woman. I just hadn't really been interested in the story itself because it isn't a powerful story. The narration begins with a woman talking about her name and some family history. Therefore, I expect more family history throughout the story than what is presented in the film. For example, some historical flashbacks to Eve's namesake and her story that relates to the present story being told. Unfortunately, I did not receive that. Maybe my expectations are too high for the film but I don't think so. I've heard so much about the film and was disappointed after watching it regarding the plot but certainly not the visual aspects of it as I've already discussed. Though I feel that the plot falls flat doesn't mean that I'm not intrigued by the dynamics of family and the strong bonds that are formed within this particular family. There are the sibling bonds between the three children (Eve going so far as to curse her father because of what she thought he did to her sister), Roz's relationship with Mozelle, Mozelle's relationships with her husbands and Louis's relationships with everyone else. This is a strong family dynamic and ultimately it's what bonds them to one another in times of sadness and joy.

women get their break in the form of a tutu.

The beautiful Lucille Ball and Maureen O'Hara star in Dorothy Arzner's Dance, Girl, Dance. Lucille Ball is one of my favorite comedic actors mostly known for her role as Lucy Ricardo on the popular I Love Lucy. The character she plays in this film, Bubbles, is nothing like the her television persona. Bubbles is cruel, provocative, and head-strong. She knows what she wants and takes it without consideration for others. She openly uses Judy as her stooge during her acts and Judy, to prove she will not back down from Bubbles, takes it. The plot itself seems typical of an early film. A dance troupe seeks jobs, one stands out above the rest (or two) and one day, the woman helping them get jobs sees Judy and wants to make her a star. There's something peculiar about that particular scene that makes me think of the gaze of the camera and gaze of the audience. Madame Lydia stands in the shadows and observes Judy's technique though her gaze remains on her for a little longer than necessary to observe. I'll even go as far as to say that there's underlying sexual tension in the air as she lingers on her form and dancing technique. That is not further explored since Madame Lydia's appearance is short-lived but she does offer a helping hand even though Judy is unaware of it at the time.

This is where the plot gets complicated. Instead of staying to tell Steve Adams that she's there to see him, she leaves. Though they run into one another outside she doesn't stay to chat and entertain him. Again, she leaves and the only time that he sees her again is when she becomes Bubbles stooge and performs for a jeering crowd. Why does she endure that torment on stage night after night? Is it just love for dancing that she thinks she wouldn't be able to do anywhere else? Is it so that she really doesn't have to be as noticed as Bubbles, virtually ignored, and go on with her life while Bubbles takes the spotlight? I think one of the reasons is the latter. She isn't the one going for stardom. Throughout the film she seems to avoid the limelight. I doubt anyone in that audience booing her even knew her real name. She took all of it until the very, very last minute.

She allows the audience to have it. She stands there in front of everyone to proclaim exactly what she thinks of all of them and maybe even what we, as members of the viewing audience, think of them. Or, she could even be speaking to the viewers of the film! She's telling me, everyone watching the film that we should be ashamed of ourselves for sitting in our seats and watching her endure that torture. I did feel a little guilty just sitting back and watching her receive that kind of treatment. She didn't deserve that. She's the sweet one and Bubbles is the one who should be jeered. She's not. Do nice girls finish last? No. Good and evil isn't really too emphasized in the film. Sure, Bubbles is horrible but Judy understands that as she states on the witness stand. They both come out of the experience unscathed. Judy even gets her big break and all ends well for this Hollywood film.

Dorothy Azner knew what she was doing with this film. Women take on the strongest roles in the film. Women drive the film. Women created the film. It certainly had been a step ahead in the right direction.

This leads the way for filmmakers like Ida Lupino (another artist I only knew from her cameo on The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour) and the talented Barbara Loden. Though Ida Lupino's The Bigamist didn't really appeal to me, I absolutely loved Wanda.

Wanda is a film that probably wouldn't appeal to a more mainstream American audience. I can understand its acceptance in Europe. I love its subtle humor, its simplicity and the cinematography that reminded me of a very gritty documentary film. In a way, it does become a documentary filming the actions of Wanda. The camera does nothing to impose itself onto the main character but simply sits back on its heels and captures what is taking place.

The awkward moments in the film are often humorous and sometimes frightening. I feared for her as she lay naked in that hotel room bed, getting dressed quickly to catch up with her ride even though she didn't know where she'd be going. She just wanted to go. She is a nomad. At the end of the film this becomes obvious since she is getting herself into yet another situation in which she won't know the outcome until it's over. She keeps finding herself in situation after situation with no particular goal in mind. She becomes involved with the robber because he just happened to be in the bar she visited to use the restroom. One of the most strange scenes (I say strange because it's funny but you feel as you should not be laughing at it) is when the two are in the room together and he hits her. Instead of running away, hitting him back or yelling, she speaks in a soft tone of voice and says, "Why did you do that? That hurt." She goes on speaking about the event though he doesn't care and even proceeds to stay with him and take his onions off of his hamburger. Who would DO that? Wanda.

It's a simple story, a very anti-climactic climax but I admire that simplicity because within it are complicated characters.

brunette in a hitchcock film? kiss of death.

Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo is a film that has always been a personal favorite of mine. The themes of obsession and lust are universal. As Roger Ebert stated in his review of the film, "Alfred Hitchcock took universal emotions, like fear, guilt and lust, placed them in ordinary characters, and developed them in images more than in words." Each emotion that Scottie feels is so visceral that it penetrates through the screen to capture the audience. When he first views Madeline from a distance, we receive a hint of attraction that he feels to her. He's constantly watching her not only because it's his duty but because he's beginning to enjoy just watching her. He does become a voyeur, privy to her every move and action without the knowledge that she's being watched. This puts him in a strong position of power over her. I'll even go as far as to say that he has power over her life when she falls into the bay and he rushes to save her. He's just an observer and doesn't have to save her life. He shouldn't even make his presence known to her but he does.

Ebert also states that, "Judy, in ``Vertigo,'' is the closest he [Hitchcock] came to sympathizing with the female victims of his plots." I agree and in a way, I feel as if Hitchcock gave some power to his female character. Madeline has power because she is aware that she is being followed. She's part of a plot to aid her lover in killing his wife. She helps to lead Scottie into his own insanity. As stated above, he becomes obsessed with Kim Novak's new persona, Judy. In the latter half of the film when he discovers Judy, the audience takes on the role of the voyeur. We know after the scene between Scottie and Judy in the hotel room that Judy really is Madeline but Scottie doesn't know that. We watch as he delves deeper and deeper into his obsession by completely transforming Judy into Madeline. I have to suspend my ideas of reality because it is very difficult to believe that Judy is so in love with him that she's willing to transform into dead Madeline for him. It's such a weak characteristic that Judy has when she seemed so strong, powerful and manipulative as Madeline. The transformation becomes complete with the new outfit and hairstyle until Scottie sees the necklace of Carlotta around Judy's neck.

The climax of the film occurs twice in the same location: the bell tower. Toward the end of the film, he corners Judy into her confession and still can't look past her as Madeline to love Judy. Judy is the complete opposite of Madeline. She's not poised, not articulate, not as classy. She's humble, a little naive, weak and not to mention, a brunette. That's the kiss of death in a Hitchcock film. He kills her off without a second thought and leaves Scottie to live with his guilt for the rest of his life. It's a tragic story with a tragic end and that's my kind of movie.

sex and the city: an informal commentary
This is the second class in which I've viewed episodes of Sex and the City at Sacramento State and I've learned two things:

1) Professors in this school really like Sex and the City.
2) I'm never going to be interested in this show.

I'm a Queer as Folk girl and though the latter show's creators blatantly rip off storylines of the former show, I'm still faithful to my show until the very end. I do understand the comparisons between the Vertigo showing and the couple episodes of Sex and the City. While the film conveys weak and manipulative women, the television show conveys strong, manipulative, independent women and in today's day and age, that is what the modern woman is all about. The second episode was about double standards. Could women have sex like men? Why is it that when men have sex with several different women over a short period of time and he's a stud while women are sluts? The show helps to desensitize that differentiation between men and women -- at least in the bedroom. I can see the appeal of it for others and I will defend their right to watch it but it certainly doesn't hold my interest.