Monday, the 4th of December - Day 9
This morning, my mom kept repeating the tune of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. My parents' dog, Spikkel - which is dutch for 'Dot' - , was clearly pained by the sound of her off-key voice. I could also sense that my mom didn't like the fact that this particular tune stuck in her head. She blamed my ICE ICE BABY post, from two days ago, for it. I told her to try and think of another - nicer - song to replace I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. A song that came to mind was Where The Streets Have no Name from U2's The Joshua Tree. ( Right now, this song, that particular album, is playing in the background. But I'm not at my parents' house anymore, I'm back at my twin sister's. )
Anyway, the formulaic words of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas were stuck in my mom's head and she was clearly irritated by that. I asked my father to put on U2's record, in particular the song Where the Streets have no Name. I realize I was trying to make both my parents happy. Let me tell you that my father is a music lover and U2 is - or was - one of his favorite bands. Unfortunately, he rarely plays music these days, what I find kind of a shame. Finding some kind of balance between people, especially people I care for, is in my blood. For those interested in astrology, I'm a Libra, Latin for weighing scale.
IRISH COFFEE
While I prepared some coffee in the kitchen, the tunes from a way newer album by U2 - the in my opinion okay 'All that you can't leave behind' - started filling the air. My father told me he didn't remember what album contained Where The Street have no name. I didn't really mind. My magic had worked. My father enjoyed the music and my mom forgot about White Christmas.
Ireland has a special place in my parents heart. U2 is Irish. My parent's former dog - the dog that I and my sisters grew up with - was a border collie called Dingle. He was named after a village in Ireland. My parents - or was it my father? - once taught me that Where the Streets have no Name refers to (a city in) Ireland. To a place where there are no street signs. Anyway, it's an album and song that both my parents like. And I can tell you my mom isn't a big music lover. My parents are pretty different. Pretty but different.
BACK TO THE MOVIES
Typing the above words, I had to think of a book I once read for film studies about cinema-goers in the USA. I just googled it and I can't find the book - it had a different title - but some results related to Back to the Future. I have to say that I enjoyed this movie - or should I say trilogy - a lot when I was younger. I guess we're in the 80s again, one of my favorite decades. The first Back to the Future movie takes place in 1985. I was four at the time and I didn't get to see these movies until the mid 90s or so. I enjoy to be thrown back into that era though.
In this first film, Marty McFly - the film's protagonist - is thrown back in time 30 years. Back to 1955. There he's confronted with his own parents, at a time when he wasn't actually born.
Back To The Future trailer:
Let's go back in movie history, to 1955
I just Googled "movies 1955" and then stumbled upon the IMDb's 'Most Popular Feature Films Released 1955-01-01 to 1955-12-31'.
Let's check out that selection and pick out some films that I find worth watching. From now on I will do little talking and merely present you a list of movie recommendations:
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE - Trailer
Mainly known for the fact that it starred James Dean, a guy who died way too young, before he had a chance to really become a star.
THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER - Trailer
See for yourself, if you haven't seen this classic film noir already. It's excellent.
A late film noir - probably one of my favorites in the genre.
LES DIABOLIQUES - Trailer
One of my very favorite French movies and believe me if I say that there are about 20 films from that country that I really, really like. Most come from 60s and 70s though.
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH - Trailer
The above movie is probably remembered most for the scene were Marilyn Monroe's dress is blown up by warm air from a subway vent. It's a very good movie though.
RIFIFI
Considered to be one of the best film noir and gangster movies ever. I love it!
KISS ME DEADLY
Yet another noir movie. Apparently 1955 was a very good film noir year. This particular one is considered as a little less of a classic, but I can't help but really liking it. It might have to do with the fact that part of it really makes me think of David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997). The latter, is one of my very, very favorite films. If you know Lost Highway and you have seen or will watch Kiss me Deadly, you might understand what I'm getting at.
KISS ME DEADLY - Trailer:
I just found the complete movie online, pretty cool:
By the way, the work of David Lynch is probably going to be one of the recurrent themes in my blogs on here. He was probably the first director that I really admired, after I really got into film and filmmaking. Before that time, it was probably Steven Spielberg.
Here's a link to the trailer of Lost Highway. I just like it so much that I felt like adding it here:
One more for the road. Check out the trailer and see for yourself why this one is worth a viewing:
BLACKBOARD JUNGLE:
Thanks for reading part 9 of my consistency series.
This is where I connect personal, daily life experiences with film talk. I'm trying to do all this in a brainstorm kind of way, in an attempt to become more consistent in my writing.
When you are interested in checking out earlier write ups of this series, here's links to part 1,2,3,4,5, 6, 7 and 8 where I talk about Stanley Kubrick, in particular the classic The Shining, movies on food and some intense food scenes in films, the power of editing, wintery movies and a neverending story about a favorite movie from my childhood.