A Piece of My Mind: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

2012 Movie Madness Challenge - July Report

Time for my seventh status report for the Movie Madness Challenge.

Here is my code for the films:

New to me - N
Repeat viewing - R

I'll also be including how I viewed the films:

DVD
VHS (yes, we have a lot of those, and a VCR)
Network TV
Pay TV
Internet
In theatre

Russian Doll
DVD
N

This is a 2001 Australian film starring Hugo Weaving and David Wenham.

White Sun of the Desert
You Tube
N

This is a Soviet-era cult film which Mosfilm has made available on You Tube. Remarkably funny in a very understated way.

Russian cosmonauts watch this film before every lift-off, and many lines from the movie are part of Russian popular culture.

Forbidden Quest
Viki.com
N

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Pay TV
N

The Three Musketeers
Pay TV
N

Dune
Pay TV
R

Sleeping Beauty
DVD
R

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Total movies for July - 7

Total movies for 2012 - 50

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Movie Fanatic status secured.

Took some doing, though. I'm definitely glad I took up this challenge, because without it I would not be making the time in my schedule to watch movies.

For a film-oriented person like me, watching movies unlocks my muse. You could say that I owe it to my writing to get myself in front of a screen and watch, darn it.

I'm a month behind in my quest to hit Movie Master status by the time we're ringing in the new year. I'll have to take a cue from the Olympic athletes currently inspiring me at the 2012 London games--and put some effort into it.

25 Movies: Movie Newbie

50 Movies: Movie Fanatic

75 Movies: Movie Critic

100+ Movies: Movie Master

Friday, July 27, 2012

5 on Friday - Set 129

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Last week's tall ships event here in Halifax inspired this week's set.

1 - La Petite Fille de la Mer (The Little Girl of the Sea) - Vangelis

2 - The Bounty opening credits theme - Vangelis

I've always loved the soundtrack for The Bounty and it was a special delight to see the working replica ship in person.

3 - Clair de Lune composed by Claude Debussy

4 - Jeux d'Eau (Water Games) composed by Maurice Ravel

5 - Tintagel (Introduction) composed by Arnold Bax

Thursday, July 26, 2012

I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas

I'm over at The Popculturedivas today, talking about how to find worldbuilding inspiration at events featuring reenactors.

Friday, July 20, 2012

5 on Friday - Set 128

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

Here in Halifax it's Tall Ships time--the vessels began arriving on Wednesday, and will be in port until Monday. I'm planning to spend my lunch hour from work tomorrow down on the waterfront, strolling past those beautiful ships.

So this week's 5 on Friday is a look back at 1984, the year Halifax hosted its first Tall Ships event--and the one that has never been surpassed.

That year there were so many of the Class A ships (the largest and most stately of the square-rigged vessels) including the Russian ship Kruzenshtern. If you missed my tale of The Summer of My Sister's Russian Sailor, first posted here in 2009, follow these links:

13 Things About the Most Romantic Story You'll Ever Hear

13 Things About Travelling 25 Years Back in Time

EXCITING UPDATE: As I linked up these posts, I discovered a comment in Russian from March of this year. Between my two Russian phrase books and the online translator, this is what it says:

Hello Julia.

Very interesting to read your publication. I was on Kruzenshtern during that journey. The only regret is that I know nothing of value of Rashid. But promise to try to find out. And that is Valery. I saw him a little less than two years ago. He is now on the sea and living in Kaliningrad.

WOO HOO!!!

спасибо! Spaciba!! (Thank you, thank you, thank you!!)

I hope to hear from you again!

~~~~

Back in 1984, when we met up with Rashid and Yuri, we had a ghettoblaster that ran on D batteries which we took in the car with us to play our mixed cassettes. I started taking it onboard the ship when we were allowed on, and started recording our conversations over the music mixes I'd made.

So the following three songs are on that tape, and whenever I hear them I'm automatically thinking about that time and wondering how Rashid is doing now.

1 - Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung

2 - Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

3 - Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

4 - стаканы (Glass) - Akvarium (Aquarium)

I've included this song, featuring clips from the Russian historical drama which my husband and I are obsessively watching, because I love the way it sounds remarkably like the Celtic rock style favored by East Coast Canadian musicians.

Plus, I love all the drinking in this show!

Bednaya Nastya

5 - Orinoco Flow - Enya

This is footage of the Kruzenshtern in action.

Added bonus: a short feature on life aboard the Kruzenshtern.

Friday, July 13, 2012

5 on Friday - Set 127

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

As the kick-off to our 20th anniversary celebration, my husband and I enjoyed a stellar night out on Tuesday at the Schooner Room to see John Pizzarelli, headlining the jazz festival here in Halifax.

It was an awesome evening.

Joining us for such a superb performance were my Aunt Noel and Uncle Charlie, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary out at the lake where my sister and Newt were married. I'm sure Auntie and Uncle thought John Pizzarelli was singing every love song for them, because Brad and I sure thought he was singing them for us.

Here's a shot of my aunt and uncle saluting one another at their 50th.

1 - Harvest Moon

2 - Satin Doll

3 - I Feel Fine

4 - C Jam Blues

5 - Hit That Jive Jack

At the end of the show, where my family had their own table up front (Mom, Aunt Noel and Uncle Charlie, my Uncle Warren visiting from Michigan, my cousin Julianne MacLean, my sister Michelle and her husband Newt, plus Brad and me) we bought copies of his new CD which he autographed. Then we got our picture taken together--great job, Brad!