chevron quilt
Remember that chevron quilt I was working on? Well I finally finished it. It took FOREVER. One day I will actually remember that quilting is a really extensive process. Maybe.
In any case, I am really happy with how it looks in our bedroom, making it even more monochromatic than before. Even though I made a ton of mistakes at the end of this project, I still have the quilting bug. I’ve just learned that quilting a queen size quilt on a tiny sewing machine doesn’t work as well as I had hoped it would. I still can’t wait to start the next one. I’ll just have to make sure I have a long time to work on it.
favorite movies
I’ve been mulling over this post for a few weeks, trying to think of what films I would populate my favorite movie list with. It is really hard. Not because there aren’t movies that I love so much, but because there are so many, it’s difficult to narrow down into a succinct list. Every movie added opens the door for another equally wonderful film. You want to make a well rounded list; not all of one genre, not all of one style or director.* Even more complicated is the definition of the word favorite. Should the list be examples of superb filmmaking or just the movies that you love more than any other? Like I said, it’s complicated. Nonetheless, I made a list, and I think it is a fairly accurate portrait of my taste. So here it is, in no particular order…**
Sense and Sensibility
I love everything about Sense and Sensibility and could watch it endlessly. It has the perfect combination of romance and heartbreak, stellar acting from some of the best British actors out there, plus beautiful set design and costumes. The story is gripping, even though it is historical. Watching this film makes me feel as if I know these characters and experience their trials right along with them.
Antichrist
Antichrist has the perfect balance of beauty and terror and for this I love it dearly. Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg are impeccable in this feature, in roles that are somewhat of a reversal from the typical. This film is magically shot, with just the right amount of mystery to make the horror work. It also has the ability to make you feel anxiety like no other film I’ve seen.
True Romance
Shawn might think I’m a little nuts for how much I request to watch True Romance. It just never gets old to me. I know a lot of people have problems with it because of it’s relationship to Badlands, but it really doesn’t take away the fact that True Romance is an intriguing and entertaining movie. The characters range from bizarre to loveable and I enjoy how the story turns from typical romance to ridiculous action. Overall this movie is just fun to watch and I relish all it’s absurd little details.
Poltergeist
I grew up watching Poltergeist so it is near and dear to my heart. It is one of those films that has had a lasting effect on my psyche (whether that’s a good thing, I’m not sure) and has molded my tastes as a horror lover. Poltergeist manages to be scary without being heavy handed. It is the simplicity of the haunting, along with the endearing and realistic characters, that makes it so frightening. I’m very worried about the fact that this film is being remade, and am really hoping for the best, rather than the worst.
Wild at Heart
I couldn’t have a complete list without including something from David Lynch, and Wild at Heart fits the bill. While I also have a strong affection for Blue Velvet, the combination of the intensely doomed romance, grotesque characters and strange circumstances in Wild at Heart wins my heart through and through. This is one of the cases where Nicolas Cage’s weirdness is perfect for the part, plus another (extra creepy) appearance by Willem Dafoe.
So there is my list, for now anyway. Five favorite films. I’m sure as soon as I hit publish I will think of one that I should have absolutely included. In fact, I’ve already thought of two honorable mentions that probably should have made it, (but I’m not going to add now): The Craft and All the Real Girls. Although they may or may not have been intentionally left off because I’m too embarrassed to have them on my favorite film list.
So, what are you favorite movies?
Notes:
*In the process of writing this I’ve already discovered a problem with this list. While I’ve included films that I love, I am missing films representative of a few of my favorite directors, particularly Stanley Kubrick, the Coen Brothers and Roman Polanski. The simple thing to do would just be to add a film by each but I simply cannot choose. I can’t say that I love either The Shining or 2001 more than the other. Nor can I say that I love No Country for Old Men more than Fargo or Raising Arizona. I also cannot say that I love Rosemary’s Baby more than Chinatown. In fact, I love them all, and they should really have their own list in a way (which is what this is, sort of).
**Also I have not included films I’ve written about here before, specifically A Woman Under the Influence, which is just impecable. Also, I would like to include Oslo August 31st and Kill List, but as they are such new films, I feel that they need to settle in before becoming a part of this list, which is eternally subject to change.
Venus Transit
Yesterday was the transit of Venus in front of the sun, and if you missed it, you really missed it as the next transit won’t happen until 2117. Los Angeles is notoriously bad for many celestial events, since most are seen at night and we have awful light pollution. For once, with this daylight occurrence, we had prime viewing conditions and I knew I could not miss it. I headed up to the Griffith Observatory before sunset, with countless other people, to see the tiny planet cross the surface of the sun.
I have always been fascinated by space; the complete unknown held in it’s distance and intangible beauty. In another life, one in which I was better at physics, I could easily see myself studying the planets. The experience of seeing this tiny dot cross in front of a glowing orb affected me intensely. Just a little dot, really a planet nearly the size of our own, traveling in front of the all powerful sun. The magnitude is difficult to put into words. Instead I’ll recommend that you watch Melancholia, Tree of Life and 2001:A Space Odyssey for maybe a glimpse into what I’m talking about.
There was also something great about congregating with all these other people to see it. Many of the telescopes that were set up for viewing were brought by friends of the observatory. I have so much appreciation for these people who sat out in the sun and shared their equipment with the masses so that everyone could see. I loved seeing all the various telescopes and assorted ways of capturing the event. The most astounding view for me was a binocular telescope that allowed you to see a three dimensional image of the sun in excruciating detail.
I shall end this with this stunning video of the entire transit. Were you able to see it?
Twin Peaks Marathon
This weekend we had part one of our massive Twin Peaks marathon. We made it through the pilot and first 19 episode over two days. Lots of Twin Peaks. It was so good. I shouldn’t need to sell you on the show though. In typical fashion, we went all out, with themed food and decor.
We wanted to give our living room the feeling of the black lodge, with the red velvet curtains and chevron floor. I have to admit I didn’t quite finish my chevron quilt, but I managed to put the top layer together which worked just fine. It wasn’t a full on replication of the room since comfort was also a factor in watching so many hours of television, but it definitely evoked the essence of the black lodge.
Let’s talk about food though. There was pie. Lots of pie.
I tried some new recipes for key lime pie made with avocado and coconut milk, banana cream pie, the cherry pie from The Joy of Vegan Baking
We had possibly the creamiest macaroni and cashew cheese ever. I’d like to eat this every day. Jenn also brought some super tasty donuts. Let’s not forget the signature David Lynch coffee. It was surprisingly good and quite strong, perfect for extended watching conditions. The pot pie was pretty good too. It was even better the second day.
On the second day we actually tried to eat salad, but the sweets won over. Hello waffle sundaes. More pie. There is nothing like sugar to get you through marathons.
We watched two days worth of Twin Peaks. We watched, we ate, we tweeted, we gossiped. People came and went, although for the majority there were eight of us. It was awesome. I can’t wait for the next installment when we finish the series and Fire Walk with Me.
