The Man Between

1953 post-WWII thriller

Rating: 16/20

Plot: Former-Nazi Ivo Kern works for the Commies in post-war Berlin, aiding in kidnapping and transporting folks from the West to the East. They should have put a freakin' wall there or something! Kern wants out but finds it impossible. Meanwhile, Claire Bloom arrives from England to stay with her sister. A romance seems to develop, but Kern might be using the girl for shady reasons. Or will the two find love and hook up? Oh, those crazy kids!

I liked the second half of this film a lot better than the first, the part of the film where I had to think way too much. Things really get exciting when the characters are sneaking around the shadows of dilapidated Berlin buildings. There's a great score, brilliant cinematography with Third Man-esque broken-tripod camera angles, and terrific shots of a city landscape torn to pieces by war. The cinematography alone makes this worth the price of admission, but moody James Mason and innocent Claire Bloom are good leads. It all builds to one of those endings, a memorable final shot on a snowy street. The story, though parts are a bit confusing taken out of the historical context, is essentially a timeless one of love doomed by place and time. This isn't quite the film that The Third Man or Odd Man Out are, but Carol Reed sure knew how to make "man" movies. That's especially surprising since he had such a sissy name.

This movie supports my theory that films are better when the most of the shots are askew.

Keith Urban and John Mayer at The Gorge - Gotta LOVE It!

So the concert was AWESOME!! Thank you Keith and John! OMG those two guys are so musically gifted!  What a treat it was to see them together. It toally inspires me to practice my guitar!!  I've been trying to figure out how you do the whole video upload thing and I think I've got it figured out.  Watch this short Keith solo and tell me if it works:



And I have another longer song by John Mayer - Do You Know Me?  - That is so beautiful:


The security guys were a total pain in the ass however, unlike all of Keith's other concerts I've been to, but the sound was phenomenal and a totally awesome show!!

Here's a parting video with both Keith and John doing Perfectly Lonely.  Enjoy! 

Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman

2000 horror-comedy

Rating: n/r

Plot: Well, apparently a mutant killer snowman from a first movie is brought back to life after a laboratory accident. He travels, naturally, to a beach resort to get revenge on some really boring characters. After travelling as water, he manages to collect a carrot and charcoal in absurd ways and eventually, I'm guessing since I couldn't finish the movie, becomes an entire mutant killer snowman.

This is not just a movie that I couldn't finish. This is a movie that forced me to wonder what the hell I'm doing with my life. After shutting this one down, I sat in a motionless, depressed funk for what I thought was a week and a half but turned out to be only seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds.

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman

2005 drama

Rating: 15/20

Plot: Efficiently proficient and prolific, Albert Pierrepoint followed in his father's bootsteps and hanged people for a living. When he's not delivering groceries, that is. And probably only people who had it coming. He didn't seem like the type to hang random people. Pierrepoint executed just over six hundred during his twenty-two years, and that was just when he was supposed to be delivering groceries! Eventually, the so-called "Babe Ruth of Hangmen" reconsiders his stance on capital punishment.

The director certainly takes a languid approach with this one, not only showing seemingly every meticulous detail in claustrophobic settings but showing these meticulous details over and over and over again. It delivers the point home and comes as close as I imagine it can come to helping a guy watching a television screen understand some of the feelings of the increasingly-troubled titular hangman, and Timothy Spall, without any of the pomp or tricks that people usually see in great acting performances, has a quiet magnetism. His performance is half the picture, and he gives Pierrepoint's story a realism and poignancy in a very natural way. Plus, I dig his cheeks and wonder if implants were involved. Still, this visually sucks you into a gloom, and after a while, the movie starts to seem much longer than it actually is. Its interesting subject matter and gripping internal conflict make this worth checking out.

Alaska Cruise Tour (The Weaver Family)

Baby Morgan and her new friend (I think those pants are too big for her)
Morgan and her dad Brian

What a great family photo of Brian, Candice, Katherine, and Morgan

"Thank you so much for giving me and my family the Alaska vacation we have been dreaming about! Thanks again!"-The Weaver Family

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Using YouTube to Market Your Creative Writing Part II: Examples

A while ago I posted about using youtube to market your creative writing. Today I want to continue that with a couple examples of videos that are themselves works of art that can help you expand your audience. The thing about youtube videos like this is that you can add them to your list of beautiful creations, and then link from the videos to your blog or website and get more attention for your books and other work. Win-win.

Anywhere, here are two videos that I think are beautiful examples of what writers and artists can create in video format.



******



I hope you both enjoy these videos and learn from them.

Sarah Allen

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The Man with the Golden Arm

1955 drug movie

Rating: 16/20 (Mark: 12/20; Amy 11/20)

Plot: Frankie Machine, a poker dealer just released from prison, dreams of drumming in jazzy night clubs to make ends meet and take care of his injured and whiny wife. He's got a friend who is half-man/half-turtle, a new suit, and his own brushes. He's also got the scrumptious Kim Novak. And pretty eyes. Oh, and a heroin addiction. I almost forgot about that one. When things don't work out with his drumming aspirations, mostly because he's not very good, he decides to become a James Bond villain and forges a gold cast around his left arm to use as a bludgeon.

I liked the way the camera moved in this one, a sneaky bit of style that never got in the way of the storytelling but added a little cool to the proceedings. Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak are fine; Eleanor Parker ain't; and there's an odd assortment of supporting characters who give this a quirky flavor, including a sluggishly-sauntering pedestrian extra with a hat who I swear I saw in nine different scenes. As a drug movie, this is understandably a little dated, but I still like it twice as much as most modern drug movies. Yeah, Requiem for a Dream, I'm looking at you. I thought the scene with Frankie Machine fighting through withdrawal rang true and liked the amount of edginess that they were allowed to have in this mid-50s production. This movie might also wind up winning the 2010 shane-movies award for "Best Use of a Dummy" which I'm sure would make Otto Preminger pee on himself in his grave. This movie goes on a little longer than it should, and I'm not sure I bought it all, but I definitely liked it a little more than I expected. Bonus point for some nice poker scenes.

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man

1965 Zatoichi movie

Rating: 15/20


Plot: Zatoichi meets the titular domed man in jail. The man, soon to be executed, informs him that he is innocent and pleads with the blind swordsman to get him some help once he's released. Zatoichi is sick of getting into trouble every time he helps somebody out, but eventually finds himself involved anyway.


Good entry in the Zatoichi series has plenty of swordplay but also has a more comedic tone than most of them. It's been a bit since I've seen this blind mo-fo in action, and I'd almost forgotten how much I like watching his movements, not just in the swift sword swipes and pouncing pirouettes, but in Shintaro Katsu's actions portraying a blind guy. And this reminds me of a dream I had and immediately forgot about. In the dream, Shintaro Katsu, not as Zatoichi but as himself, rides to my front door in a rickshaw. I'm sitting on a chair that I don't have that is on a porch I don't have. I'm wearing booty shorts and smoking an absurdly large red and yellow pipe with a goat's head carved into it. Orange smoke billows from the pipe, and I keep wondering how bad I smell, so bad, I fear, that the neighbors across the street might be able to smell me. Katsu tells me not to worry about it and points with a cane (again, he's not Zatoichi but does still have his cane sword) at my shorts. He says, "Your worries lie in those tight, lime-green shorts." When I don't say anything, he explains. "Don't come crying to me if somebody tries to rape you." Then, just like in all these nocturnal meanderings of my subconscious, the dream ends with my dream self weeping uncontrollably and my real self waking up in a puddle of my own urine.

ROAD TRIP! Keith Urban and John Mayer!

As many of you know - I LOVE music and it's time for our annual pilgrimage to see Keith Urban and this time he's bringing along a friend - John Mayer!  

Dude - can you say guitar playing nirvana?????

Me, my two best friends from college, Carol and Kim, and assorted children and others meet up in late summer every year (because that's when Keith comes to town around here) and go to Keith's concert. This is our fourth or fifth year.  It is always SO SO awesome and so much fun!  This year he's at The Gorge again - which is a natural ampitheater on the Columbia River in the middle of Washington State.

 It is really an amazing venue and we are in row 15 so the view should be fantastic!!  These guys are two of my very favorite musicians and we (my family, who is subjected to my music often and loudly) know all of their songs, which always makes a concert a bit more fun when you can sing along.

So pack the cooler, fill up the gas tank and let's hit the road!!

Do you go to concerts?  Who are your favorite bands??

Places to See and Things to Do (Chile)

Chile

Located in South America Chile is a prime vacation destination for any type of traveler. The culture is rich with history and the food is some of the best in the world. Activities from Skiing to Shopping and sights from glaciers to bohemian style houses. As said in TripAdvisor "Santiago, Chile, is a sum of its diverse parts; the colonial structures of central Santiago, the stately buildings of Plaza de Armas, the funky cafes and dance clubs of Bellavista, and the Forest Park along Mapocho." Top rated hotels in Santiago are The Aubrey, A 5 star luxury hotel perfect for a romantic getaway, The Meridiano Sur Petit Hotel, a 4 1/2 star hotel perfect for a family, The Hotel Orly, a 4 1/2 star hotel that is great unique couples retreat, and finally the Plaza El Bosque Suites, a 4 1/2 star hotel that is perfect for a couple with a "budget".

Take a full-day trip in Santiago "Wineries Day Trip from Santiago/Cousino Macul and Concha y Toro". "Discover The new World of Wine in Chile and visit on of the oldest and most historic wineries in the country on a full day guided tour from Santiago. Cousino Macul was founded in 1856 and is still owned and directed by the descendants of Matias Cousino, the original founder. You will experience the winery before you taste the elegant wine. After a stop for lunch (an additional cost) you will continue your tour to the Concha y Toro winery. Founded in 1883 by Don Melchor Concha y Toro. Today the winery is one of the largest producers of export in Chile.

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Poetry in Atlas Poetica

I had three Tanka published in Atlas Poetica this summer. I'm on page 62, if you're interested. I'd love some feedback and thoughts.

Thanks!

Sarah Allen

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