Artist of the Day: James Ensor

Today's artist is one of my favorites.  James Ensor (1860-1949) was a Belgian painter who was an influence on the surrealists and expressionists to come after him.  I didn't realize when I chose him as the painter today that he had been immortalized by the band They Might Be Giants, with their song "Meet James Ensor".  I will have to give it a listen.  Ensor liked to paint figures in grotesque masks, which is why I like him.  Most of his most interesting work was in the 1880's and '90's.  After that, critics say he painted little, and those he did complete were repetitive.  Here are a couple of paintings that I like, and a link to his wiki page below.

Top painting
Fighting Over a Herring, 1891
Oil on panel
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussel


Bottom painting
Intrigue, 1911
Oil on canvas
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussel

Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ensor

The Baby (1973)

What can one say about The Baby?  Well, it's a little bit weird, it's a little bit fun, it's a little big gory, it's a whole lot of camp, all with a mother's loving touch.  Performances, plot and writing are sketchy, but that's all the fun.  Recommended by Frank DeCaro and his movie reviewer, Dennis Dermody, who is John Waters' best friend, so you know it's gotta have an edge.  Shocked there was never a The Baby Part II sequel.  If you don't think you are interested enough to watch the whole thing, just indulge in the trailer below.  Next time you call your fiance "Baby", you'll think twice!

Country: USA
Year:  1973
Director:  Ted Post
Time:  84 minutes

IMDB:  Rating 5.9,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069754/


Buffalo Wings:


Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAb3J7WONhE

Merci Pour le Chocolat (2000)

Merci Pour le Chocolat is the second Claude Chabrol movie I've watched the last couple of months (the other being La Ceremonie), and I have been slightly disappointed in both.  While I liked the build up and character structure of this movie, the ending left me feeling unsatisfied.  However, many people liked this movie by the "French Hitchcock", so try it yourself.  Lots of subtle twists to keep you interested.  It's certainly worth a watch, I just found it a bit implausible towards the end.  Huppert is excellent as usual.

Country:  France
Year:  2000
Director:  Claude Chabrol
Time:  85 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer 84%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/merci-pour-le-chocolat/
IMDB:  Rating 6.5,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0232083/


Buffalo Wings:



Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSf8Hyo6WRE

Carrying concealed weapons?

I don't want this to be a political blog, but I can't let this pass.  Actually, I don't even think this is a political story, it's just a common sense story.  Some State of Georgia legislators are introducing legislation to allow guns to be concealed and carried into bars, colleges, public schools and government buildings:  http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-government/bill-proposes-massive-overhaul-1351904.html.

What are these people thinking?  Who thinks it is a good idea to allow bar patrons to carry guns?  How about stressed out college students?  I'm hoping that my state legislature will realize what a foolish idea this would be, but I can't say I'm confident that common sense will prevail.

Milestone weekend

No, I don't mean the Milestone Club in Charlotte, where I saw the Violent Femmes one week after their debut album came out, and there was no beer until the owner had enough gate money to buy some hot beer at a package store.

This weekend's milestones included a brick.  Tucker had their first ever chili cookoff on Saturday, which was the first time Karen and I had actually walked the streets since the downtown renovation.  We found on the sidewalk where they had laid personal bricks that Tucker residents had bought in years past to help raise funds for the renovation.  Here's ours, Art Works by Karen Finacannon, complete with misspelling of our last name!  Note, Finacannon is kinda like-a Lawrence Welks-a would have pronounced our name, a one-a and a two-a.

The next milestone was our lunch on Sunday.  We went to the Golden Buddha on Claremont Road in Decatur.  Golden Buddha was the first Chinese restaurant I ever patronized, when I was about 15 years old.  My sister and brother-in-law were nice enough to treat myself and a dozen more people who had helped them move.  My brother-in-law ordered a family dinner for all of us.  Being a novice, I didn't know what to expect or to do, and I ate so much appetizer food the first couple of rounds, I was too full to eat anything else, and just hung around outside while others ate.  So Sunday, after driving by the Buddha about 300 times since living here, we stopped.  Had egg rolls, shrimp lo mein, and chicken corn soup, pictured below.  Still good after all these years!

Last Train Home (2009)

Last Train Home is a documentary which centers on what the filmmakers call the largest migration of people on the globe.  According to them, in China, during the New Year, 130 million people migrate from the factories where they are working back to their homes, which are often farms in the country.  The film follows a husband and wife who work in the same sweat shop, and the children who are left behind for a year and are being raised by their grandmother.  Needless to say, parenting once a year is difficult.  This is a very powerful film, and should be seen by anyone who wants to try to understand China a bit more.  I was speaking with one of my students from China recently, who verified that this is the way it is with many Chinese families.  He also told me that farming is diminishing rapidly, meaning that the rice farmers are pushed even more to their limits to supply for the country.  A heartbreaking and intriguing look at another culture, one that has been described as our main competitor for world dominance.

Country:  China
Year:  2009
Director:  Lixin Fan
Time:  85 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer 100%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_train_home-2009/
IMDB:  Rating 7.6,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1512201/

Buffalo Wings:



Here is the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KjO50bxN54

The Queen (2006)

I usually find it harder to rate biographical movies higher than fictional.  I thought The Queen was excellent in several obvious aspects.  It's a period piece and a character study, but of a person who is still alive today.  Helen Mirren gave an appropriate and what appeared to be accurate rendition of QEII.  Of course, that is always the problem with biographical movies, what is true, what is fudged, what is completely inaccurate?  I would assume that most everything in the story was true and based on documentation, although I don't know.  I do think the movie did a good job of contrasting the new Britain with the old regime.  But is Prince Phillip that much of a cantakerous old fart?  Is Charles really that wimpy (well, compared to his Dad)?  Anyway, certainly worth watching for the performances alone, and as a remembrance on how much the life of Diana mirrored the changing world.  Michael Sheen does a good job as Tony Blair, just as he did a good job as David Frost in Frost/Nixon, although there is just something slightly off with him, I can't put my finger on it.  Makes me want to revisit old Frears movies that I saw long ago, such as Prick Up Your Ears with Gary Oldham.

Country:  England
Year:  2006
Director:  Stephen Frears
Time:  103 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer 97%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/queen/
IMDB:  Rating 7.5,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436697/

Buffalo Wings:


Here is the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8nD2KB0a_E

Army of Shadows (1969)

I was inspired to start this blog after viewing Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows ("L'Armée des ombres"), which was released in 1969.  As with many films that will be on this site, it's not a movie for everyone.  But it is a great film, and more people should watch it.  This film is intense, and creates a feel for what it was like to be part of the leadership of the resistance movement in France in WWII. Great performances throughout. Lino Ventura was perfect for his role, with Simone Signoret his match. Terrifically gritty film, set during a war, without typical war narratives.  Inspiring and unnerving in spots.  Even more special since I read that Melville was involved in the resistance himself.

Language:  French
Year:  1969
Director:  Jean-Pierre Melville
Time:  140 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer 97%, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/army-of-shadows-1969/
IMDB:  Rating 8.2,  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064040/

Buffalo Wings:


Here is the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on38oTESbHU