The Movie Edition

We don’t always follow our weekly memes religiously, but this week’s TMI questions grabbed me because, well, I’m a movie maniac.  Actually we all are.  We don’t watch a lot of regular broadcast television, but we do enjoy the movie structure – a self encapsulated theme with a certain beginning and ending.  And while television is normally aimed at education or entertainment, movies almost always carry a message, and with that, you can dialogue theory for hours; another delightful benefit of the theatrical experience.  So here it is…

What was the last movie you saw in the theatre?

            LG~ The City of Ember (actually, very good for a “kid” movie)

            T~ The City of Ember

What is your favorite movie theatre snack?

LG~ Popcorn, without a doubt, with extra butter.  Temptress and I cannot share popcorn if I fashion it for my tastes.  I can on occasion forgo my preferences so we can bump hands in the popcorn bucket.  That’s kind of fun too.

T~ Popcorn, that’s a duh…

Have you ever snuck in “outside” food into the theatre?

            LG~ Sure, I’m a woman, I have a purse, and it frequently has gum or other snack type items inside, whether sneaking was intended or not.  There have been times a water bottle or other purposeful snack was intentional there.

            T~ Candy bars all the time.

Have you ever made out in a theater?

            LG~ LOL, ya.  The infamous first kiss happened in a theatre, and there have been a few times since.  Really, in my adult life, it’s a value issue… why pay all that money to enjoy a movie just to miss it?  We’re not kids anymore, I can make out in the dark at home for free.

            T~ (pondering…) Not really, not what would qualify as “making out.”

What is the “farthest” you’ve gone in a theatre?

            LG~ Kissing, hand holding, a little light over the clothing petting…  a lot less than I’ve done in a restaurant.  Really, it’s the value thing again.  I don’t want to miss the movie!

            T~ Kissing and holding hands, although I think there was once some over the clothing crotch grabbing.

Bonus:  What is one of your favorite movie sex scenes? 

Now here is a question we kept discussing for a long time.  Being that we dabble in reviewing adult toys and films there isn’t much we haven’t seen on film.  We both agreed that the adult film industry isn’t even comparable to true cinematic love scenes, so we decided to give you a top ten type answer that comes from both of us…

            Favorite Use of Anticipation (and fondest teenage impression) – Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise in Top Gun (1986).  No words needed.  Just blue light.

Favorite Comedic Sex Scene – Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins in Bull Durham (1988):  “Honey, would you rather I were making love to him using your name, or making love to you using his name?”

Favorite Hot Moment (and most dramatic raw passion) – Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez in Unfaithful (2002).  Ya, the hallway.  Take me now.

Favorite “OMG I’d love to do that!” Moment – Linda Fiorentino and Peter Berg in The Last Seduction (1994).  Stilettos in a chain link fence.  Totally worth the watch.

Favorite Cinematic Threesome – Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, and Matt Dillon in Wild Things (1998).  Ya, we know they faded to black too soon, but was there anything they could have filmed we didn’t already visualize?

Favorite Sex Scenes Most Likely to be Real Sex – Carrie Otis and Mickey Roarke in Wild Orchid (1989).  Not as controversial, but also gets nods for heat is Kim Basinger and Mickey Roarke in 9 ½ Weeks (1986).  Silk scarves and ice cubes have never been the same.

Favorite Sexy Bad Guy – John Malkovich in Dangerous Liaisons (1988).  Not so much a looker, but great use of deceptive power.  Was there anyone he didn’t screw?

Best “WTF Were You Thinking?” Sex – Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction (1987).  Everything including the Kitchen Sink.

Best Use of Furniture – Pianos.  Favorite performances are by Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989); Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman (1990).  Which leads us to…

Best On-Screen Chemistry – Richard Gere with practically anyone…  Our favorite Gere performances: American Gigolo (1980), An Officer and a Gentleman (1902), First Knight (1995), Shall We Dance (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), and Sommersby (1993) “I know because I never loved him the way that I love you.” (SWOON)

A couple of years ago I blogged about M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Village.  It was a wonderful cinematic effort about intentional communities and the problem with controlling others through fear.  Recently I have seen another movie with an equally riveting ideology, but with different human mistakes.

The City of Ember was released in most major cities last Friday (10-10-08).  The movie is based on a book of the same title by author Jeanne DuPrau.  DuPrau’s premise revolves around a secret underground city set 200+ years into the future after some untold cataclysmic occurrence has basically wiped out life as we know it on the Earth’s surface.  Well, it is presumed Earth, but could be any M class planet. 

The city of Ember was created by The Builders to insure two centuries of life would continue before once again trusting the surface for life support.  But through a series of unfortunate events, the great secret has been lost and now Ember is in dire condition and dying a slow death, unable to support its failing technologies and dwindling food supplies.  Hope comes in the form of two young teens, worried about their future, and uncommonly tenacious in asking the questions The Builders hoped to quell by restricting knowledge.

I learned of this movie through our Emo child, recently turned 14.  She has a passion for fantasy fiction and read this book, along with its companion, The City of Sparks, many years ago.  As I feel I must in many cases, I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie, so said wonderful daughter brought me a copy from the middle school library.  It is a youthful exploration of many adult subjects, and set my mind a’twirling picking apart the black and white of how we as responsible adults make choices about our past and our futures.

Of course, one of my peeves about movies made from books is how Hollywood gets hold of a great concept and then contorts its message in scintillating action and CGI graphics until the original message is hopelessly lost in a mire of adrenaline pumping and mind numbing activity whose only goal is to entertain, not inspire.

I think what I come away with from the exposure here is not so much the travesty of contaminating quality literature with movie style drama, but yet the unforeseeable consequences of people who make choices for other’s lives, even with the best of intentions.

The Builders put a lot of safe guards in place; they thought “they thought of everything.”  What they failed to understand is when you restrict information; you restrict the ability to think as well.  When you teach someone, “that is all there is and nothing more,” most listeners will believe you.  Only the strong will go on to explore and create and ask questions.  And fewer yet will actually DO anything about what transpires in the mind.

To be fully alive we must be taught to think for ourselves, we must be encouraged to probe, to evaluate, to invent, and to continue the process of allowing those who come after us to exceed our expectations.  Holding others to the standards we have of ourselves is nothing more than basic ego run amuck.  To attempt to control another being magnificently born of The Creator, is to second guess the divine intent we will never fully grasp.

As a parent, I am always considering the ramifications of my actions and attitudes on the next generation.  What am I doing through love and concern for their future that may inadvertently cause negative effect for them further down the line?  How am I protecting them now that will limit them later?  And the situation I most want to prepare myself for is the likelihood that any or all of the kids will one day say, “You know that thing (or things) you did?  It was a problem because…”  When that day comes, may I have the inner strength to simply say “I’m sorry” without defensiveness or contrary retort.

Maybe the greatest feat of parenting is not to teach them to keep their elbows off the table or to pick up their socks off the floor, but to aspire to inspire and encourage tolerance and understanding for those things we do not yet comprehend.  And most importantly, respect the rights we all have to make our own choices and indulge the soul an outlet that leads to personal contentment.

I invite you to get your hands on a copy of The City of Ember, and take a day or two enjoying what it felt like as a young person to get lost in an alternative universe.  Of course, you could always opt for the movie version, but you’ll loose a lot of the possibility that lingers only in the mind’s eye.

~ the laundry goddess, October 13, 2008