Saving yee old movie house

RISING COSTS JEOPARDIZE REPERTORY FILM PROGRAMMING AT HARVARD SQUARE'S BELOVED BRATTLE THEATRE

Oct. 4, 2005 Today, the Brattle Film Foundation (BFF), the nonprofit organization that programs and operates the Harvard Square's landmark cinema, the Brattle Theatre, announced the most important fundraising effort in its 52-year history. The PRESERVE THE BRATTLE LEGACY CAMPAIGN is a two-year fundraising effort that is necessary to sustain repertory film programming at the Brattle. The Phase One goal is to raise $400,000 by the end of 2005; the Phase Two goal is to raise another $100,000 by the end of 2006. If BFF is not successful at meeting the goals set by Phase One of the campaign, BFF will be forced to cease operations at the Brattle Theatre, effectively ending the 52-year legacy of repertory film programming at the Brattle. The Brattle Theatre has outlasted most arthouse cinemas in the country. While landmarks like St. Mark's and Bleeker Street in New York closed their doors long ago, the Brattle has survived. Of the Brattle's current situation, Creative Director Ned Hinkle had this to say: "Repertory film programming at the Brattle simply cannot survive without significant community support. Our current challenges can only be overcome with the involvement of community members who want to keep the tradition of film programming alive at the Brattle Theatre."

While I haven't been there in a while, I have had major milestones at the Brattle. I spent the whole of my first summer in Boston going to the Brattle with my friends. It is where I came to regard indie cinema as de rigueur and not obscure. It is where I first saw Casablanca not on my television. To lose this place would be a real shame, so I am hoping that people will start turning out in droves to support the Brattle and its film series. Including me.

Shopping cut off

Curse you, Williams Sonoma catalogue, for coming into my home and tempting me with fancy wine pairing plates and stemware for seven different varieties of wine. I will not buy from you; I will put you into the recycling bin where you belong.

After I read through the whole thing and gaze lustfully at all the fancy plate collections. And appliqué linens. And the Le Creuset Dutch oven. And the cheese collections. And the peppermint bark.

I think that I am going to need a 12 step program just to get this catalogue out of my house. No Beau Manoir flatware, you will not be coming to this house. (But it isn’t because I don’t want you. Or the beef demi-glace for that matter.)

Right.

Sensible spending sucks.

Heard over the past two days

(after a very stressful week of planning a large scale outdoor photograph) "If it rains tomorrow, I'm heading for the Zakim." - Co-Worker Nina

(telling a colleague about the stressful week we are having at work) "If things continue in this fashion, we are all going to need a spa long weekend ...over at McLean." - me

(after telling my sister about my next door neighbor being robbed and how my neighbor and I think that we have figured out the culprits) "Looks like all those British mysteries are starting to pay off for you after all." - Sister #2

Please, sir, may I have some more?

Over the weekend, my friend "Miss Post" and I went to the cinema to see the new film by Roman Polanski, Oliver Twist. It was terribly depressing and slow, although very well acted. If you ever wondered what the Victorian slums of London really looked like, I think that this film gives you a pretty accurate idea. Only thing missing were prostitutes being slaughtered by Jack the Ripper and opium dens.

About halfway through the movie, I leaned over to Miss Post and whispered, "I think that I understand why this story needs to be a musical. You need the music to break up the monotony of just how awful their lives are. I mean, it doesn't seem so bad that they are poor and starving and have no clothes when everyone is singing "It's a Fine Life!"

700 channels and nothing is on

I spent much of this weekend at home, in bed or on the couch, with some kind of severe stomach ailment. You know how you think that there is going to be good cheesy television on when you are sick? Like "Lifetime" television movies starring Tori Spelling as a good girl who became a crack whore who sleeps with the local minister/mayor and who is a bookie for mobsters on the side? Well, apparantly those movies are only on TV when you are NOT sick.
That is why I buy good cheesy movies on dvd. Like Sense and Sensibility, Practical Magic, Sweet November and Timeline, all of which got watched over the course of this weekend. "Watched" being a variable term here as I sort of dozed through parts of them. Of course, it isn't like I hadn't seen them before.
You know what are not good movies to watch when you are sick? Anything in a foreign language that you don't speak. Because you feel obligated to keep your eyes open to keep up with the subtitles. Stupid Swimming Pool; I didn't need to see how you ended anyhow.

Cinema Verite

From today's Boston.com:

The uniflix: Date night made easy
Alright fellas, you’re in a semi-new relationship and have decided to pack it in for the night and watch a few DVD rentals. This is the most crucial point in your relationship thus far. No worries. The Lighter Side proudly introduces something we like to call the “uniflix,” a film to please the ladies without losing your 'so-called' edge.

She isn’t going to cuddle up next to you and watch “The Godfather,” or “Braveheart,” or “The Usual Suspects,” even though those movies rock! But stick to these films and you should be on Easy Street anytime you two lovebirds decide to make it a watch-tv-at-home night.

Uh, stop right there, Boston.com. I would watch ANY of those movies anytime, anywhere. In fact, I can quote much of the dialogue from those three movies without thinking about it.

Fellahs, you can start beating down my door any time now.

Dancing Queen

This morning, I got invited by my friend MP to go to a bhangra dance class tomorrow. The highly coincidental thing about that is that I was watching Bride and Prejudice for the third time last night, and I was watching the dancing scenes really carefully. Man, that stuff is HARD. At least, it looks hard to me. In fact, in watching the Behind the Scenes about the making of the film, Naveen Andrews expressed some initial concern about his ability to do the dancing and the need to perhaps hire a body double. But he ended up learning to do the moves himself. Hmmmm...
Will I end up making an ass out of myself? Yes.
Would it be good exercise? Yes.
Do I like the music? Yes.
Does it start at the same time I usually put on my pajamas? Yes.
Would it be a good story to tell people about afterwards? Yes.
Am I a chicken shit? Yes.
Do I need to get over being a self-conscious chicken shit? Yes.
Pros outweight the cons, and I suppose that I should at least TRY so that I won't be accused of being a "Will Darcy." But at least I know better than to say to someone: "I'm a hopeless dancer, but this looks like you just screw in a light bulb with one hand and pat the dog with the other." Yikes. Maybe I should look into hiring a body double.