And the Winner is.....

I've been thinking more and more about movie lists since my last post. Couple of realizations: I can't make one "tops" list. That isn't how my brain works...and I don't think it does the films justice - how do you compare A Touch of Evil and This is Spinal Tap? Add on top of it my flea-sized brain and general inability to remember things past yesterday, and it gets impossible. Oh - and my inability to focus and the way my brain gallops along (oh ya, I like Kill Bill...oh, and Reservoir Dogs...and The Piano (Harvey Keitel brain-jump)

So - I'll bring on some LISTS. They are accurate as of 6:48pm, Jan 30/07, but there are no guarantees beyond that.
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Overall Winner: MAGNOLIA
Anyone who knows me knows this already. An imperfect film perhaps, but the only film I can watch over and over again and have it create a sad little knot inside me every single time. The first time I watched it, I liked it a lot but didn't realize how much I'd grow to love it. And for those that complain that it needs editing, that the 188 minutes is perhaps too long - OH no. No no no. You are so very wrong my friend. It isn't long enough. The fact I like this film so much says way too much about... me. And the fact it has made me think about that is what makes it so special. Soundtrack is great to boot. Stand warned, many people hate this film. These people are not my friends.

A few others that make the top 1o overall:

The Piano
The Station Agent
Six Degrees of Separation
Noticing a theme? Hopefully not.

And some other lists:

Me? Too old? HA.

The Mother
Y tu mama tambien (sorry about the lack of punctuation)
P.S.

Heeeey...didn't I date that guy?

The Squid & The Whale
Election
American Beauty

Watch. Closely.

Drowning by Numbers
The Cook, the Thief, his Wife & her Lover
Children of Men
Pan's Labyrinth

Yes, yes, I wish I spoke Spanish (...and Portuguese):

The Sea Inside
All About My Mother
City of God
Matador (by Almodovar...NOT with Pierce Brosnan)
Amores perros


Crazy? I'll show you crazy ...

Burden of Dreams: Making Fitzcarraldo
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers Apocalypse
Titus

OK, getting tired now. More lists to come. I look forward to hearing what you'd put in those headings.....

Inspiration Anyone?

It feel like it has been so long since I've worked on the Bunkle that my blogs have gotten a bit...thin. I sat down to write this more out of a sense of duty than anything, because all I really feel like doing is posting photos of the cats and being done with it, but that also feels kind of unsatisfying. I have felt some swell of inspiration rising when I read my pal T.'s blog - do I reveal 5 little known facts? Maybe next time. I've also considered ranking movies, or music, or... but somehow that seemed even more self indulgent, and more to the point I usually can't make a list I am completely satisfied with. That may not stop me in the future, so stand warned.

So - what's been going on recently:

1) I managed to board a plane with a box cutter in my carry-on bag on my trip back from Toronto. No, it wasn't intentional...I found it when I unpacked at home. The bag was a new purchase, so it must have been in there when I bought it. Creepy...and so much for the false sense of security when flying.

2) I continue to sew small things for next Christmas. Here are the latest batch, inspired by another crafter I found through T's blog.

3) Gollies are framed. No, the frame isn't asymmetrical, the photo is!!

4) Managed to buy a blouse at Winners today after much searching. Then promptly left the bag in the washroom at the mall. Living in hope some kind soul hands it in. Sigh.

5) Went to my lovely friend L's 40th birthday dinner the other night, and rediscovered the joys of Scrabble. I love board games, and I'm not ashamed of it...ok, maybe a bit.

That's it. I'll be back...when I feel inspired... :) In the meantime, here's another photo of the cats - is it just me, or is there is something Bergmanesque about it? They are both on the kitchen table (I have tried, I have tried, I have tried, but they have won. It should be noted that this was taken about 5 minutes after I had wiped it clean). This does give you a peek at the hideous wallpaper in the kitchen, which will be replaced with paint soon. I promise!!

Everywhere I go....

...I always bring the weather with me (everybody sing). Just back from Toronto - as soon as I got there, their first snow /ice storm of the winter hit. Everyone in the office blamed me for bringing the bad weather from Vancouver. I suspect there is some truth in that, though strangely the weather was pretty bad in Vancouver too. Maybe part of me stayed behind? I had no idea that the weather in the UK is also crazy bad until a friend emailed me that 10 people have died in the windstorms. Made me feel like a bit of a whiner.

Back to TO - really great to visit with pals again, and nice to be in a city that feels like a second home. Stayed with R & MM - always such gracious & relaxed hosts that I have suggested they adopt me as a permanent fixture - and managed to visit with many of my favorite people. Every time I go back Toronto feels that little bit bigger, and that little big uglier. I love all the stuff you can do, but realize how much more me small, weather-plagued, slightly boring Vancouver is.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Don't really have all that much to say obviously, and should just stop while I'm ahead. OH - I did see a couple of very very good films in TO - Children of Men, with my soon-to-be spouse Clive Owen, and the stunning and disturbing Pan's Labyrinth. Here's my favorite character ... he gives a whole new meaning to "jazz hands". Great story, stunning art direction - highly recommended.

Eastward bound...

Off to Toronto tomorrow. Maybe their the weather will be more...moderate. More Vancouver-like, before we entered the 7th circle of hell (wind, rain, ice, branches, chaos, no power, more chaos, more no power tempered with much much foul language...well, at least in my house). My power did go out again this week, but luckily only for about 6 hours ... and right after my brother had dropped off a propane indoor heater and we had cavalierly commented that the winds had died down. Ha. Ha ha ha ha ha...sigh. Not sure what we are being punished for (I'll have to ask my Toronto friends) but we are being punished.

Must get back to packing. First step will be removing the cats their determined perches on top of my luggage - as soon as they see it, they are on it. Not sure if they want to come with me, they want to stop me from going, or they just enjoy getting fur on my navy blue luggage. I'm guessing it's the latter.

The anticipation is killing me....

I found myself wishing this month away a few days ago. Work is going to be crazy for the next few weeks, including a trip to Toronto - which is the one small light on the horizon as it will give me a chance, however brief, to catch up with some pals - and I just wanted to fast forward to March, when I could maybe, just maybe take some more time off and get through some more of the many things to be tweaked and finished on the Bunkle. But wishing your life away isn't good. I battle with anticipating, always anticipating...this will be difficult, this is getting worse, and what about that?...and that stresses me out. And busy work means I stop taking care of myself - my back is really bad right now and I know that is because I haven't been to the gym really regularly in ages (and had to shovel some more $#@% snow to boot - what is with this weather?!). Is this what my back will be like forever? A chronic pain in the ... back? Oops, anticipating. And ultimately anticipating gets you nowhere, as things never pan out the way you thought they would, and most (not all) of the time the worries you had were pretty much pointless. And as I know, life can throw fantastic wonders and unseen horrors your way that you had no way of ... anticipating. So I'm trying hard not to anticipate. I'll let you know how it goes.

And in the meantime, I'm trying to keep the needle & thread I brought out at Christmas working. Making little things .... wish I could do it all day. Everyday. Maybe one day.

And because no post is complete without a picture, meet Dharma - a fantastic batty crafty creation that was given to me by A&J this Xmas. On her heart is a little bead labelled "Friend". And ain't that the truth :)

Happy New Year

from me, and the beasts.