fyodoR dostoyevskY

" . . . there are many things about people that I have given up trying to understand." 

in a letter to his brother

Nikolai Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky

April 21, 1880

 

Went to Lexington's lovely Singetary Center with M.  last night to see Andrew Bird--who put on a great show, by the way.  Didn't get back home until 1 am-ish, and it took a little bit to get to sleep.  But Q and O were looking out for me, and made sure that I didn't sleep past 6:00.  Q is hepped up because she's going to make her debut with the St. James choir this morning.  So I'm trying to wake up my brain with coffee and Woody Allen's Love and Death.  I'm only thirteen minutes in, but it's pretty typical early Woody--which means mostly really stupid jokes, unfortunately.  I guess I forgot how much his early movies irritated me.  They just seem to be trying way too hard.  I don't thin this changed for me until 1977's Annie Hall--but even then there were still moments of haphazard stupidity. 

 

Q & Her New BFF

First there was Helen Keller, but apparently she became an assassin.

Then there was Little Bo Peep.  She's still hanging in there 
. . . though I have been informed that she killed the Phantom of the Opera with her shepherdess crook.

St. Lucy.

Probably a few others.

But now there's The Phantom of the Opera book, which represents Christine.

Q carries it with her.  She talks to it.  It talks to her.  It is a better friend to her than most of the people I have called my friends have been to me.

Q is happy most of the time.

I'm not.

How about you?

Camilo Ferreira Botelho Castelo-Branco

So as usual I found this fascinating feller completely by mistake.  It started with Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol.  (Not a bad little action flick, by the way.  I wonder why Tom Cruise has to get blown off of his feet in every one of those movies, though.)  One of the bad girls in the movie--Léa Seydoux--caught my eye.  

So I checked to see what other movies she'd been in.  There were quite a few, actually (considering she's only been alive since 1985):

2012L'enfant d'en haut
Louise

2012Farewell, My Queen
Sidonie Laborde

2011Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Sabine Moreau

2011Time Doesn't Stand Still (short)
Elle

2011Mysteries of Lisbon (TV mini-series)
Blanche de Montfort

– Blanche de Monfort (2011) … Blanche de Montfort

– O Conde de Santa Bárbara (2011)

– O Menino Sem Nome (2011)

2011Midnight in Paris
Gabrielle

2011Le roman de ma femme
Ève

2010Mysteries of Lisbon
Branca de Montfort

2010Roses à crédit (TV movie)
Marjoline

2010Petit tailleur (short)
Marie-Julie

2010Belle Épine
Prudence Friedmann

2010Robin Hood
Isabella of Angoulême

2010Traceless
Fleur

2009Going South
Léa

2009Lourdes
Maria

2009Inglourious Basterds
Charlotte LaPadite

2009Des illusions
La fille du métro

2008La belle personne
Junie

2008On War
Marie

2008Les vacances de Clémence (TV movie)
Jackie

2008Des poupées et des anges
Gisèle

200713 French Street
Jenny

2007The Last Mistress
Oliva

2006Mes copines
Aurore

Not many of these were easily available, though, so I finally bought La Belle Personne from Amazon.  It was a good movie, and Léa  was pretty ooh-la-la.

(In fact, Léa was a lot more ooh and even a lotter more la la,

but I'll leave you to find those pictures for yourself.  I'll just

say that it may renew your faith in a kind and benevolent 

God.)

So I decided I'd like to see more, but at the time the only other film I could find was Mysteries of Lisbon, but it was not available at the library or to rent, and Amazon wanted like $30 for it.  But I checked out some reviews and it actually looked like a very interesting movie.  Watched the trailer and liked what I saw--and I'm not just talking about Léa this time. Here, take a look and see for yourself:

Now tell the truth:  was that 2 minutes and 29 seconds well spent or what?

But $30.  So I hemmed and hawed.  Eventually I started reading a bit more about the movie, and finally noticed that it was based on a novel by a fellow I'd never heard of--

Camilo Ferreira Botelho Castelo-Branco.

Figuring that anyone with that many names had to be at least a little bit cool, I went to the Wiccans and found some very interesting stuff there.  For instance, this guy produced something like 260 books.  Minor stuff--to us--like he was born out of wedlock and became an orphan while he was still an infant.  That he began writing religious stuffs after he'd decided to become a priest.  That he soon said to hell with that and decided to become a writer.  That he was arrested twice--the first time for digging up the remains of his dead wife!  (Shades of Dante Gabriel Rosetti!)  The second arrest was for having an affair with a married woman.  (Wow--there actually used to be laws about that.)  That while he was in prison the second time he wrote some of his best work.  And that at the age of 65 he killed himself with a revolver . . . while sitting in his favorite rocking chair.  

Now THAT is a life.  

And then I went looking for his books.  None at the library.  Lots of them at the Kindle Store . . . about 135 of 'em . . . and every damn one of them in Portugese.  And so far as books . . .  so far I've found one book that was published in English.  One.  Jesus!  Maybe I should learn to speak Portugese.  Looks like there's work to be had.  

Needless to say I ordered the one book--

Carlota Angela: Romance Origina

--and it's due to arrive Wednesday, so I'll let you know how it goes ASAP.

I need to stop working.  I've got too much work to do.

ADDENDUM:  

So the book arrives . . . and it's in Portuguese.  So I send an email to Amazon and they apologize and send another copy--which they promise is in English--by super duper air mail and it arrives promptly but . . . it's in Portuguese.  So I email them again and they very nicely say sorry but essentially say fuck it, we give up.  So I'm still novel-less.  But I did order the movie of Mysteries of Lisbon, and I think I'm going to watch it tonight, so at least I'll get that close.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Putting the Fortune into Wheel of Fortune

Vanna White's Net Worth

When I first wrote about Vanna's net worth (1/11/12) it was $15 million. Not bad for someone who touches letters and claps. But I just checked again and it now stands at $30 million. Not a bad gain for four years, eh? And she gets another $8 million each year for her "work" on Wheel of Fortune.

So there you have it.

And I saw an interview with her in which she made reference to doing those once famous (and still well worth doing an Image Search for) lingerie shots because she was hungry.  I totally believe her, too.  I mean, take a look at those pictures, she's lusting in front of an open refrigerator and EVERYthing.

But I've got to say, if you only know Vanna from her current appearances on the show, you just don't know Vanna. She was super hot back in the day, boys. Try doing an image search for her + refrigerator and you'll see what I mean. And you'll thank me for it, for sure.

The Movie I Saw (2012 Edition)

nOW wITH rATINGS!

***** = Must be seen before you die.

****   = Really good.

***    = Worth seeing, but you won't die for lack of it.

**      = A waste of time, but one or two good moments.

*       = You'll lose two IQ points watching this one.  
-0     = This will make you want to kill yourself, but only
            after you have mounted a water tower with a 
            rifle and taken out as many others as time allows.  
            This rating was invented after viewing The Rules 
            of Attraction.  ( -0, Less Than Zero, ya know?)

183.  Jack Reacher (2012) ***
182.  Double Indemnity (1944) ****
181.  Made (1972) *****
180.  The Big Sleep (1946) *****
179.  Mildred Pierce (2011) ****

178.  Luther: Series Two (2011) ****
177.  Les Miserables (2012) ****
176.  Luther: Series One (2010) ****
175.  The Book of Life: 2000 Seen By...  (1998) **

174.  The New Centurions (1972) ****
173.  Myra Breckineidge (1970) ***
172.  Headhunters (2011) ****
171.  All-Star Superman (2011) **
170.  Batman: Year One (2011) ***
169.  Romeo + Juliet (1996) *****
168.  Planet of the Apes (1968) *****
167.  The Experiment (2010) ****
166.  Wrecked (2011) ***
165.  American Horror Story:  Murder House (2011) ***

164.  Detachment (2011) *****

163.  Russell Brand in New York City (2009) ****
162.  A Good Woman (2004) ****
161.  Shoot 'Em Up (2007) **
160.  Saints & Soldiers:  Airborne Creed (2012) *****
159.  Katy Perry:  Part of Me (2012) *****
158.  Casino Royale (2006) ****
157.  Skyfall (2012) *****
156.  Crossroads (2003) ****
155.  Drive (2011) **
154.  Not Another Teen Movie (2001) -0
153.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) *****
152.  Arthur (2011) ****
151.  The Mother (2003) *****
150.  The Whistleblower (2010)
150.  Tears on the Sun (2003) *****
149.  Atlas Shrugged Part One (2011) **
148.  Don't Look Back (2009) ****
147.  Killing Me Softly (2002)***
146.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) ***
145.  Alex Cross (2012) **
144.  Dial M for Murder (1954) ***
143.  Blood Diamond (2006) ***** 
142.  X-Men:  First Class (2011) ***
141.  Midnight in Paris (2011) *****
140.  The Artist (2011) *****
139.  Drugstore Cowboy (1989)  ***
138.  Espiritu de la Salsa (2010) *** 
137.  Sirens (1993) **
136.  Haywire (2011) **
135.  Beautiful Creatures (2000) **
134.  Ronin (1998) **
133.  Five Minutes o Heaven (2009) ****
132.  The Newsroom:  Season One (2012) ****
131.  J. Edgar (2011) ****
130. The A-Team (2010) **
129. The Bourne Legacy (2012) ****
128. Hanna (2011) ****
127. Total Recall (2012) ****
126. With Great Power:  The Stan Lee Story (2010) *** 
125. Stardust Memories (1980) ****
124. Lombardi (2010) *****
123. William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (2010) ****
122. Derek Jeter 3K (2011) ****

121. Anatomy of Hell (2004) -0

120. Not of This Earth (1988)*

119. You Kill Me (2007) **

118. The War on Kids (2009)

117. Rampage (1987) ***

116. Rampage (2009) ***

115. Da Vinci's Inquest Season Three (2000) ****

114. Noam Chomsky: Obama Administration and US Foreign Policy (2010) *****
113. Chris Hedges:  How Corporations Destroyed American Democracy (2010) *****

112. Da Vinci's Inquest Season Two (1999) ****

111. John Adams (2008) ****

110. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) **

109. Firefly (2002) *****

108. How to Rain Your Dragon (2010) ****

107. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) ****

106. Irreversible (2002) -0 / ****

105. Prometheus (2012) *** 

104. Adult Entertainment: Disrobing an American Idol (2010) ****           

103. Killer Elite (2011) ***                                           

102. Unstoppable (2010) ****

101. Louie Season Two (2011) ****

101. Too Big To Fail (2011) ****

100. Mercury Rising (1998) ***

99.  Sex and the City 2 (2010) *

98.  Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)  **

97.  Larry Crowne (2011) ***

96.  Last Man Standing (1996) ***

95.  Girls Season One (2012) ?

94.  George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011) ****

94.  Malena (2000) *****

93.  Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007) *****

92.  Three Days of the Condor (1975) ***

91.  50 First Dates (2004) ****

90.  Combien tu m'aimes? (How Much Do You Love Me?)

(2007) ****

89.  Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) ***

88.  Manolete (The Matador's Mistress) (2008) **

87.  Mirror, Mirror (2012) ****

86.  Da Vinci's Inquest Season One (1998) ****

85.  Method (2004) ***

84.  Beverly Hills Cop (1984) *****

83.  Barbarella (1968) *

82.  Serenity (2005) *****

81.  Men in Black III (2012) **

80.  The Big Sleep (1945) ****

79.  The Big Sleep (1946) ****

78.  Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks (2002) ***

77.  Love Happy (1950) **

76.  Classic Albums: Phil Collins: Face Value (1999) ***

75.  Corialanus (2011)

74.  Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005 ***

73.  Mona Lisa (1986) ***

72.  Snatch (2000) ****

71.  Buffalo '66 (1998) ****

70.  Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) ****

69.  Psycho (1998) ***

68.  The Long Good Friday (1980) ****

67.  Don't Look Back (2009) ***

66.  Frank Caliendo: All Over the Place (2007) ****

65.  Hollywoodland (2006) ****

64.  Classic Albums: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes (2009) ****

63.  Classic Albums: Lou Reed: Transformer (2001) ****

62.  Classic Albums: Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell (1999) ****

61.  Classic Albums: Deep Purple: Machine Head (2002) ****

60.  Classic Albums: Nirvana: Nevermind (2005) ****

59.  House of Fears (2007) **

58.  Outlaw Trail (2006) ***
57.  Forever Strong (2008) ****
56.  Saints and Soldiers (2003) ****
55.  The Descendants (2011) *
54.  The Rules of Attraction (2002) -0
53.  Original Sin (2001) *
52.  Paycheck (2003) **
51.  Bloodworth (2010) **

50.  Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) ***

49.  The Wayward Cloud(Tian bian yi duo yun) (2005) **

48.  William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet (2009) ****  

47.  The Decemberists:  A Practical Handbook (2006) ****

46.  The Listening Project (2008) ****

45.  Muddy Waters: Got My Mojo Working (2000) ****

44.  When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors (2009) ****

43.  Black Wax (1982) *****

42.  Louis C.K.: Hilarious (2009) ****

41.  American Teacher (2011) ***

40.  Classic Albums:  The Doors (2008) ***

39.  Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)  *

38.  Mr. Rice's Secret (2000) ***

37.  The Trip (2010) ****

36.  Cigarette Wars (2011) ***

35.  John Carter (2012) ****

34.  Year of the Horse: Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live (1997) **

33.  Religulous (2008) ***

32.  Planet of the Apes (1968) *****

31.  Cruise Inc.:  Big Money on the High Seas (2009) ***

30.  I Need That Record (2008) ****

29.  Don't Tempt Me (2001) ****

28.  Lourdes (2009) ***

27.  Desire Under the Elms (1958) ***

26.  The Merchants of Cool (2001) ****

25.  Comic Book Confidential (1988) ***

24.  Inferno:  The Making of The Expendables (2010) **

23.  Powder Blue (2009) **

22.  The Big Bird Cage (1972) *

21.  Ghost Rider:  Spirit of Vengeance (2012) **

20.  Christopher Titus:  The 5th Annual End of the World Tour (2007) *

19.  Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) ***

18.  Journey 2:  The Mysterious Island (2012) *

17.  Casanova (2005) ****
16.  Dolores Claiborne (1995) ****
15.  DMT:  The Spirit Molecule (2010) ***

14.  Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk (2005) *****                     

13.  Louis C.K.: Chewed Up (2008) *****

12.  True Blood:  Season 2 (2009) *****

11. Louie: Season One (2010) ****

10. Louis C.K.: Hilarious (2009) ****

9.  Hancock (2008) ***

8.  MI-5 Volume 1 (2002) ****

7.  Cashback (2006) **

6.  Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998) **

5.  Office Space (1999) **

4.  The Shock Doctrine (2009) ****

3.  Rolling Stones:  Stones in Exile (2010) ****

2.  The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) *****

1. Archangel (2005) ***

The Book I Read (2012 Edition)--INCOMPLETE

15.  By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair

14.  The Secret History Omnibus Volume 2 by Jean-Pierre Pecau & Igor Kordey
13.  Romeo and Juliet by Edward de Vere
12.  The Secret History Omnibus Volume 1 by Jean-Pierre Pecau & Igor Kordey
11.  Hardware:  The Man in the Machine by Dwayne McDuffie & Denys Cowan
10.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9.  Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby by Charles Hatfield
8.  Bugf#ck: The Worthless Wit and Wisdom of Harlan Ellison

7.  The New York Five by Bryan Wood and Ryan Kelly
6.  The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker

5.  The New York Four by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly
4.  The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
3.  Torpedo Volume 2 by Enriqur Sanchez and Jordi Bernet

2.  The Mezzanine by Nicholsen Baker
1.  In the Wake by Per Petterson


2011