Lenten book & movie blogorama

So many posts rattling my head, so many topics (Lent, adoption, adjustment, family life, art, cooking) so little time. So I'm keeping it kinda thematic today. Because, of course, Lent is on our doorstep and we are paused,  about to step through the threshold.

In that vein, while I'm still finalizing my Lenten observances and plans....I thought I'd toss up some of the possibles in the media realm.  Take a look and see if any catch  your eye.  Yeah, I know, there are those of you out there who do the whole ascetic Lent thing.  But I'm a media gal in so many ways and I LOVE books and I LOVE movies...so I'm gonna make a short list here (So that I remember it and so that you might see some new treasures too).

Books first, in no particular order:

 

 This is my most scholarly attempt for Lent.  It's been getting great reviews and I think it might be good to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist; because it can never be enough, that appreciation, even when it feels like it's all. 

 These are my own personal Triduum, of sorts!  Yeah, it's Flannery.  I've always had a very very hard time w/ Flannery O' Connor's stories.  They have always been lauded as one of our country's great southern writers, one of the great great Catholic writers, etc etc.  I have read some, not all of her stories, long ago and a while ago, trying again and again....but each time I vow to "never again" because they are SO hard.  I feel like disemboweling myself in my living room might be less painful.  Really.  

But I suspect, now, that, once again, it's my own shortcomings....that I'm just not getting it.  I've been reading a bit of her Spiritual Writings (up there to the left) and her faith and intellect is impressive.  Profound.  Which is guess what everybody's been talking about for oh these past many decades.  So...for lent, I want to finish her Spiritual Writings book, try to  make it much of the way through Habit of Being, and then take a deep breath and reread her classic short stories with a new appreciation (I hope) of what she was getting at in her hard, often brutal stories.  Rereading them is penitential for me, but hopefully it will also be a way to deepen and enrich my faith as well.  

Besides all that: she has cool glasses..

What is Lent without the Stations of the Cross? It's not Lent for me, that's for sure.  This is the classic version, one you are probably familiar with if you've one who prays the Stations regularly, or, erm, Lenten-ly.  I might do Stations posts...or I might not, depends on the busy factor, as usual.

And for you really plugged in types (me too), here is an Iphone app for the Stations of the Cross, written by the late Michael Dubruiel and his wife, Amy Welborn and illustrated by the very cool artist Michael O'Brien.  These stations are not the traditional Liguori version, above, but rather based on Pope John Paul II's biblical Stations of the Cross, and more modern lingo and prayer rhythm.  So, it's another option based on taste and time.  Even better, it's free! Definitely worth a look for those of us on the go, even during lent.

And, last for this round up, but not least, what is this blog or my musings without consideration of food!? Nothing! And yeah, Lent has all that food - to eat or not to eat - element to it.  So, Father Leo might just be the ticket.  He's great faithful priest, fun, cheery, and a good cook to boot.  Plus I'm a big believer in the whole "family dinner" gig.  I'm gonna look at this book, new to me, and see if I can get inspired for some Lenten mindfulness regarding the family Lenten table.  I'm also planning on cooking down the pantry, keeping it leaner, more soup {I can hear the groans of the kids now, but I love soup - so no penitential effort there for me, but still all good}.

Ok, enough books.  Now to Movies! Why movies during Lent you say? Well, first, because I LOOVE movies.  Second, because, let's face it, we live in a mass media age and movies are a big deal and a way to tell great stories and also, when they are done very well, help us expand our horizons, thoughts, minds and hearts.  So, with that, here are a few to consider, or that I'm considering:

Of course there are the obvious ones, certainly:

 This is the most obvious one, I tend to watch it sometime in Holy Week, usually during the Triduum - Holy Thursday or Friday.  It tears me up, every time.  You all know it's hard.  It is.  But, well, apropos of the season, of course. 

This is the one I watched every year as a kid. Robert Powell as Jesus and Olivia  Hussey as Mary become pretty much iconographic to me as a kid.  Now supplanted by James Caviezel and Maia Morgenstern, but still.  A classic for Lent, really. 

There are also some that are worth thinking about, not so obvious, that I've been meaning to see, but I haven't seen them all.  So, let's be clear.  This isn't a "must do" list, it's an I'm looking into these list.  Andiamo:

Tom and Marta watched this one yesterday afternoon, while I was cooking.  It's in Russian but  has subtitles.  That didn't seem to bother either one and Tom said it was very interesting and very much worth watching.  So, I'm putting it up. 

This also is a great film. Hard to watch if you tend to fall asleep, as I do, because of course, it is largely silent. But it is beautiful and compelling at the same time.  If you are in the doldrums or feel like throwing yourself a pity party due to the difficulty of Lent, pop this in the dvd or netflix que and get a reality check on what living a more austere life really can be.  Then look around you and see how attached you really are to material goods.....ok, ME.  Sigh.  Good film though!

I think this is an oddball charming film about faith and life and do we, can we, really believe in miracles?  Can or do they happen in our own little mundane cookie cutter lives?  I really enjoyed this movie, fun and good for lent perhaps even more because it's cheery. 

Oh, I love this book and I love the movie. I think I love the book more than the movie but most of you won't ever even try the book but you might the movie, so here it is.  And Dianna Rigg is always lovely to watch anyhow.  But this is a great story of trying to live in faith, how that plays out, the challenges and beauty.  It's layered and it stays with you.  Get the book, or the movie....it's worth the time.

This was an odd, popular, quirky movie that I liked.  And I'm putting it in  here because it ultimately calls us to think about our lives and what defines them, who we are living for and how.  And it's just a fun way to put those ideas out there, with a terrific fun turn by Emma Thompson.  You've probably seen it, but we aren't supposed to be dreary all through Lent, the best approach is to smile through it.  Not always easy, that, so this might be a  help. 


And also these three from the terrific "Happy Catholic" blog (I trust her recommends and I have many overlaps):

 Haven't see it yet, because I know it's violent and hard. But she says it's most excellent so I think I'll que it up for this season.  Here is her one take on it: "Redemption, sacrifice, humanity in it's worst and best are all mingled and shown here." Sounds like it should be on the short list for Lent. 

Also, this one. On my list to see for years, literally. We Catholics love a feast and a fast both, which sums up Lent nicely.  So, too, I've read does this film.  So, in our time of fasting this film of feasting abundance might be a good reminder on how that works when it's at it's best.

This is a film that "got away." I always meant to see it and I didn't, and now I think I'm lining it up for Lent. Obviously, this one hits very close to home.  Direct hit.  It's about living for another, instead of ourselves.  Which really, is the uber message of Lent, no? Of course it is.  And on this blog, in my head, that's what I have to learn to do better and better every day.  Happily, this season of 40 days is an intensive inservice in that one.  Hence, I'm watching this movie!

That's it for now.  Let me know what  you think or add any other ideas, books or films, in the comments box!!

New Movie: 'RANGO' - Reviewed....Starring: Johnny Depp

As a general rule, animated films are family films.  The cost of animation is simply too high for a studio to invest in anything other than the lowest-common denominator fare.  It’s rare that any studio other than Pixar will craft an animated feature that not only appeals to kids, but has the wits and edginess that will also charm adults.  Rango is one of those rarities.  Director Gore Verbinski skillfully blends the broad slapstick of animated creatures having goofy adventures with smart movie references, gorgeous visuals, and impressive animation.

An unnamed chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) finds himself stranded in the Mojave Desert after his terrarium falls off his human family’s car.  Rather than try to find his way home (he’s not a dog), the chameleon desperately hunts for water and his search leads him to the Western-style town of Dirt.  Once there, his instincts as an actor/writer/director kick in and he decides to assume a new identity: Rango, meanest reptile in the west.  The gullible townsfolk believe him and after he accidentally defeats a hawk, he’s made sheriff by the Noah Cross-esque mayor (Ned Beatty).

 

What’s wonderful about Rango is how it deftly balances the light, silly humor with the darker, more thoughtful aspects of the story.  There’s pathos to Rango’s story as he struggles to make his own identity and there’s smart commentary about the nature of authenticity against the backdrop of Hollywood’s facade of the west.  But then you’ll see a hawk inserting quarters into a vending machine or Rango quickly explaining that camouflaging is “an art not a science,” and the movie continues on at its brisk pace.  Only when it reaches the third act does the story begin to feel a bit drawn out and in need of some trimming.

However, the length isn’t too much of a problem because Verbinski has created such a delightful world.  All of the voice acting is terrific, but Depp in particular does tremendous work with his Rango voice and you can really hear him throwing himself into the performance.  The animation of the characters is equally outstanding.  The cast is comprised of southwestern fauna such as reptiles, amphibians (“Ain’t no shame in that.”), and rodents, and Verbinski doesn’t try to make them look cuddly.  He understands that giving them big, expressive eyes will make them relatable to the audience, and then he can let the animators do impressive work when it comes to how their skin shifts and moves.  And it’s all tied together with some gorgeous visuals, which should comes as no surprise when you consider that cinematographer Roger Deakins (True Grit) served as a visual consultant on the picture.

 Rango proves there’s room for studios other than Pixar (and to a lesser extent, DreamWorks) to make CGI animation that’s kid-tested and adult-approved.  I applaud Paramount for taking a chance on an oddball premise populated by ugly-looking-but-still-adorable-in-their-own-weird-way characters.  I love how the film blends silliness with smarts. If The Far Side creator Gary Larson ever wrote a script for a Hollywood movie, it might resemble Rango, and that’s one of the highest compliments I can give.

MOVIE TRAILER - HD

Johnny Depp's 'RANGO' Leads Friday Box Office .... [WATCH TRAILER BELOW]

He's a chameleon able to blend in seamlessly against any background, but Rango's latest transformation might be his best yet: box office champ.

[WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW] - Awesome!!!!!!!!!

Led by Johnny Depp and an all-star cast of voice actors, "Rango" topped all comers at the Friday night box office with an estimated $9.75 million from 3,917 screens. Should form hold, the Gore Verbinski animated western about a chameleon who finds himself leading the small desert town of Dirt as sheriff 
will corral upwards of $40 million for the weekend and another number one opening from the team behind the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
The secret to the film's success? There's a little Rango in all of us, Depp says.
"What I saw early on with the character, and something that Gore and I talked about, is that it is in sort of all of us, in a way," Depp explained. "There is a chameleonic side to all of us in which we find ourselves in certain situations that you have to adapt to."

Trailing in second place, "The Adjustment Bureau" managed to nab $6.6 from 2,840 theaters. Based on a story by acclaimed author Philip K. Dick, the Matt Damon and Emily Blunt actioner was no doubt buoyed by a largely positive response from critics.

But while "Rango" and "The Adjustment Bureau" soared, two new releases aimed at the young adult market languished. A modern day update of the classic fairy tale about the ultimate "opposites attract" couple, "Beastly" managed just $3.5 million to wind up in third place. The Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens starring flick should wind up with approximately $10 million for the weekend.

After languishing on the shelf for years, "Take Me Home," meanwhile, scored just $1.2 million on Friday. Starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris, the flick might slip out of the top ten come Monday.

Rounding out the top five, "Hall Pass" and "Just Go With It" managed $2.7 million and $1.9 million, respectively. Among other films in the top ten, "The King's Speech" followed up its four wins at the Academy Awards with a $1.6 million Friday.

TRAILER & BEHIND THE SCENE FEATURETTE:

RANGO - HD Version