Suspiria

Suspiria is a 1977 Dario Argento horror film. This is the first in the Three Mothers Trilogy, which continues with Inferno and The Mother of Tears. Suspiria focuses on an American ballerina, who realizes after a while that the German ballet school she's enrolled in is a front for all kinds of evil goings-on. Joan Bennett is in it.

trailer:

Moria says, "Many regard Suspiria as Dario Argento’s finest film." 1000 Misspent Hours concludes with this: "Suspiria, in its best moments, is like a nightmare whose horrific power is impossible to convey to anyone upon waking, and which remains unsettling in memory precisely because it can never be adequately explained to anyone else."

Images Journal calls it a "masterpiece of gothic horror" and "one of the most beautiful, dream-like horror films ever conceived, and quite simply the crowning achievement of a stylistic master, director Dario Argento." Slant Magazine has a positive article that discusses the influences on this film. Empire Online says it's "As close to perfection as the genre has probably ever come." Time Out rates it #9 on the list of 100 best horror films.

DVD Talk says, "Dario Argento's masterpiece, the dark fairy tale known as Suspiria, remains one of the most beloved Italian horror films of all time. A fantastic exercise in style and atmosphere". Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 93%.

Club Dead

image from Wikipedia

Club Dead (2003) is the 3rd in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. These are a good example of the snack food of books. It's steamy romance/vampire/mystery with plenty of comic elements all wrapped up in one package. It also has rape and other forms of violence. And an un-named Elvis. Elvis is definitely here.

This installment takes place during the season before Christmas -Advent, for those of you who observe such things. It doesn't figure prominently in the plot, but mentions of decorations and shopping for presents are scattered throughout.

These books have been adapted for TV, but I haven't seen them.

from the back of the book:

There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant -in another state distant. His sinister and sexy boss, Eric, has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill -caught in an act of serious betrayal- she's not sure whether to save him... or sharpen some stakes.

SF Site calls the series "one of my favorites for its humor and characters." Love Vampires closes by saying, "In a nutshell, if you like supernatural fantasy, romances and mystery stories you are going to love this book."

Grand Canyon Massacre

Grand Canyon Massacre is a 1964 spaghetti western directed by Albert Band and Sergio Corbucci, and starring James Mitchum (son of Robert Mitchum). I think the younger Mitchum bears a strong resemblance to the elder, which makes me happy.

via youtube:

Spaghetti-Western.net calls it "mediocre". The Examiner gives it 3 out of 5 stars and says, "it is still a western, however much it has been adapted to fit the Euro, Italian-style mold".

Formosa

The Daughter and I met a group of women at Formosa Chinese Restaurant for lunch a couple of weeks ago. Neither of us had ever been, though some of our lunch companions had. The exterior is just boring strip mall design, but the interior was attractive:

The Daughter had the vegetable fried rice, and I had the vegetable low mein:

We shared a pot of delicious hot tea. You can see their menu here. To be honest, I prefer a lunch buffet when I eat Chinese, because I'd rather have a wider variety and less of each dish. This was good food, though. Very good.

Yelp gives it 4 out of 5 stars, as does Trip Advisor.

Please join the T Tuesday gathering at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a 1964 French musical film. It's directed by Jacques Demy and stars Catherine Deneuve. This is a beautiful film -stunning to watch- and a touching story. It'll bring you to tears if you let it.

trailer:

"I Will Wait for You":

Watch it online via Vimeo.

Slant Magazine opens a 4 out of 4 star review with this: "Deceptively simple in form and, despite its swooning sentiment, knowing about the fluid complications of amour, Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg retains its direct appeal to the eyes, ears, and tear ducts after nearly 50 years, with an emotionalism that's shameless but never crass."

Roger Ebert says, "When she made "Umbrellas" for the French director Jacques Demy, Deneuve was 20, and her work in this film was a flowering that introduced one of the great stars of modern French cinema" and concludes, "it is remembered as a bold original experiment, and now that it is restored and back in circulation, it can also be remembered as a surprisingly effective film, touching and knowing and, like Deneuve, ageless."

It's included in the book 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 98%.

Tokyo Godfathers

Tokyo Godfathers is a 2003 anime film, a comedy/drama that takes place before Christmas. A homeless trio (an alcoholic man, a drag queen, and a runaway girl) find a baby and try to care for it while they search for its parents. I found it a sad story.

trailer:

The NYT gives it a positive review and describes it as "a heartfelt urban fable about human decency among the down-and-out." Roger Ebert gives it 3 out of 4 stars and calls it "an animated film both harrowing and heartwarming". Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 89%.

Django's Cut Price Corpses

Django's Cut Price Corpses is a 1971 spaghetti western. We didn't much like this one, but we finished it. There are a lot of good spaghetti westerns out there. Watch one of those instead.

trailer:

DVD Talk calls it a "confusing, boring mishmash". Spaghetti-Western.net says, "It's universally acknowlegded that [director] Batzella's movies belong to the lower echelons of the genre, but some think this is his best effort".

The Orphanage

The Orphanage is a 2007 Spanish horror film. A woman and her husband bring their own adopted son back to the now-closed orphanage where she lived happily as a young child. They plan on living there and turning it into a home for handicapped children. Her son soon starts reporting games and conversations with new friends the parents have never seen. This movie is a sad and haunting story without any gore.

trailer:

Empire Online calls it "A good old-fashioned horror in the best possible way, this is a beautifully told, terrifying ghost story that lingers with you long after the shivers have stopped." Time Out calls it "the most frightening ghost story since ‘The Others’." Roger Ebert gives it a positive review Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 87%.

Musical 42

This is on the side of a local business. I don't know if they paid extra to have the "42" included in their mural, but I like it.

The Dirty Outlaws

The Dirty Outlaws is a 1967 spaghetti western. If you like spaghetti westerns, you'll like this. If you've never tried one, this wouldn't be a bad one to try. But don't let this be the only one you watch.

via youtube:

Quentin Tarantino ranked the film 13th in his personal "Top 20 favorite Spaghetti Westerns". Spaghetti-Western.net says, "I'd recommend this to any Spaghetti fan. It's a thoroughly satisfying venture." Fistful of Pasta concludes, "I’d say check it out, it was a pretty decent flick. Not high art by any means, but entertaining nevertheless."

The Half Shell

The Husband, The Younger Son, and I decided to eat at The Half Shell recently. The Husband had never been, which I hadn't realized. It opened in 1973 at this location, and I've been several times over the years. You can see their menu here. Our waitress was helpful and attentive.

I had the fried mushroom appetizer, which was delicious:

and the lunch special, which was fried fish:

The hush puppies were a disappointment, but everything else was good. We were too full for dessert, but their desserts are especially tasty and worth going back just for that. This is a popular place for lunch, I know, but I've never eaten there at night.

Yelp and Trip Advisor each give it 4 out of 5 stars.

This post is scheduled in advance. I won't be able to participate in T Tuesday this week, but if you happen across this I can assure you of a warm welcome at that weekly gathering at the Altered Book Lover blog.

Lightning

Lightning is a 1952 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse. Hideko Takamine stars. This is the story of a woman and her 4 grown children. There are 3 daughters and a son, each the child of a different one of the mother's 4 husbands. His films are always interesting and insightful, and I can count on enjoying them.

This movie is filled with a society of male privilege and women who feel helpless. It does make me want to sit a couple of these people down and give them a serious talking to. I'd institute strict prohibition against ever again speaking the words, "... but I can't help it." Naruse does a good job of showing the effect these societal assumptions have on individual lives.

scene from the film:

Slant Magazine gives it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars. Rotten Tomatoes has an audience rating of 88%.

The First Eagle

The First Eagle (1998) is the 13th book in the Chee/Leaphorn detective series by Tony Hillerman. I'm reading these in publication order, which is advisable since the characters and their relationships change over time. These books are wonderful on several levels: the characters are fully formed, well-written people; the world-building can't be beat- you'll think you are really on the reservation; the plots are fascinating, filled with all kinds of interesting information on tribal life that's woven through the mystery without distracting from it.

from the back of the book:

The very plague that decimated Europe in the fourteenth century lurks today in the high, dry land of the American Southwest. But Navajo Tribal policemen Jim Chee and his mentor, Joe Leaphorn, discover an even deadlier killer stalking the reservation in the most chilling and beautifully crafted novel yet from the beloved and bestselling master of Southwestern suspense.

When Acting Lt. Chee catches a Hopi eagle poacher literally red-handed -huddled over the bloody body of a young Navajo Tribal police officer- he has an open-and-shut case. Even the Feds -usually at odds with Chee- agree, and it seems the Hopi is headed for the gas chamber. Until Joe Leaphorn shows up to blow Chee's case wide open.

Leaphorn, now retired form the Navajo Tribal Police, has been hired to find Cathy Pollard, a hot-headed biologist who disappeared from the same remote area on the same day the Navajo cop was murdered. Is she a suspect? A victim? And what are Chee and Leaphorn to make of the report that a skinwalker -a Navajo witch- was seen in the same area at the same time?

To answer these questions, Leaphorn and Chee must immerse themselves in the enigmatic web of scientists hunting the key to the most virulent form of bubonic plague since the Middle Ages.

In addition to its finely wrought plot, "The First Eagle" offers a wealth of Tony Hillerman's signature gifts -glorious evocations of the high desert, delicately drawn characters, and eloquent insights into the foibles and wisdom of the Southwest's native people.

Kirkus Reviews gives it a positive review and concludes, "Hillerman’s mysteries are in a class of their own." CNN closes its review with this: "Hillerman's storytelling is its own kind of folk art; few writers in any genre are as adept at creating such textured environments while also keeping us glued to our seats."

Django Kills Silently

Django Kills Silently (1967) is a good, solid spaghetti western starring George Eastman. It's not like this entry in the long-running Django franchise will find its way onto any list of classics, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it to anybody who likes this kind of thing.

via Youtube:

DVD Talk says it "delivers its goods competently...with a few dashes of style and verve to make you pay attention." Spaghetti-Western.net describes it as "a rather trite variation on the theme of the two warring factions and the stranger in town". 10K Bullets says it represents "typical spaghetti western themes of the era".

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man is a 1973 film starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. I was never much of a horror fan and missed them all, including this one, when they were first released. I'm going back and re-watching ones that seem to have made a difference in the genre. This one begins as a mystery story, with the detective searching for a missing child. His overtly Christian faith is taken seriously and viewed sympathetically in the midst of the pagan culture on this island.

trailer:

Moria opens by saying, "The Wicker Man is a unique film that has built a considerable reputation over the years." 1000 Misspent Hours gives it high praise.

Empire Online names it one of the best 100 British films and says,

The Wicker Man isn't scary in a conventional manner and, arguably, is more of a Gothic mystery than a horror movie, but you'd be hard-pushed to find a more disturbing and horrific film experience.

DVD Talk says, "The Wicker Man is a good movie with a truly superior script. As a cult item, it's tops; few other marginal cult films even begin to approach its quality" and calls it "one of the better horror films ever made". Roger Ebert's site goes over the various video releases and praises the film. It has a 90% critics rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Spin Control

Spin Control is the 2nd book in the Spin trilogy by Chris Moriarty. It won the Philip K. Dick award in 2006, which is why it was on my TBR shelf. I could've sworn I'd read the 1st book, but now I can't find any record of that. It's a good thing I didn't need that background in order to understand this one. This book reads fine as a stand-alone novel. It was an enjoyable read, but I'm not interested enough in this sub-genre -science fiction/political thriller- to seek out the other two in this series.

from the back of the book:

In this stunning follow-up to the critically acclaimed novel Spin State, Chris Moriarty depicts a grim future in which the final frontier may well be extinction. For as far-flung planets are terraformed and earth's age-old conflicts are contracted out to AIs, Humanity is losing the only war that counts: the war for survival.

Call Arkady a clone with a conscience. Or call him a traitor. A member of the space-faring Syndicates, Arkady has defected to Israel with a hot commodity: a genetic weapon powerful enough to wipe out humanity. But Israel's not buying it. They're selling it -and Arkady- to the highest bidder.

As the auction heats up, the Artificial Life Emancipation Front sends in Major Catherine Li. Already drummed out of the Peacekeepers for "war crimes," Li has now literally hooked up with an AI who has lived many lifetimes and shunted through many bodies. And while they each have their own definition of victory, together they have only one chance of survival....

Eyrie has a positive review. SF Site concludes, "This is not a book for everyone, though -- there's a lot of complicated, unfamiliar material that has to be grasped very quickly. I doubt that Spin Control has the broad appeal to make it a bestseller, but it will certainly reward the discriminating SF reader."

Red Sun

Red Sun is a 1971 Western directed by and starring Toshirō Mifune (a favorite at our house), Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, and Alain Delon. Filmed in Spain, this is the story of a Japanese ambassador, who -while on a train to Washington to meet the President- is the victim of a hold-up on the train during which one of his samurai guards is killed and the presentation sword stolen. Fascinating! I loved this one.

via youtube:

Fistful of Pasta has a mixed review but praises the cinematography and says, "it's a lot better than most other east-meet-west westerns of the decade". Spaghetti-Western.net concludes, "Great characters and a very engaging storyline makes this an enjoyable western".

Memphis Italian Festival

Our family never went to the Memphis Italian Festival. The several reasons for that included the fact that it was a food festival where you couldn't eat the food -something about local health department regulations. Last year The Husband and I went, and the available food wasn't as limited as we had been led to expect. We had a great time! There were food trucks, of course, but they also had a couple of Italian options. Last year we did the food trucks. We were going to go this year, but we decided to stay home and have pizza here instead.

Here are some photos from last year:

We heard Idle&Wild and the Mason Jar Fireflies at the acoustic stage and Memphis Mystery Machine on the main stage. There was a sign at the entrance asking that no photos or videos be taken of the musical acts, and so I didn't, but...

Idle & Wild has a Youtube channel. Here's a sample:

They also performed some of their own work, which I really enjoyed.

The Mason Jar Fireflies also has a Youtube channel, and this is a song they wrote and which they played at last year's festival:

While the crowds were massing at the festival, we settled into a fun evening at home. Here's a picture of the pizza The Husband made from scratch while we played homebody instead of going out:

What a treat! And we had coffee afterwards:

We can have just as good a time at home as we can going out.

Please join the weekly T Tuesday gathering hosted by Elizabeth at the Altered Book Lover blog.

Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June In a Kenworth pullin' logs

Convoy:

by C. W. McCoy

Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat

Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat is a 2014 science fiction film starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, and Brendan Gleeson. This is exactly what science fiction films should do more of: Pick a common science fiction trope and do it well, without branching out into unnecessary subplots. I can't speak highly enough of this. It's perfect as an initial introduction to science fiction/action movies, but I also enjoyed it even being very familiar with the trope. You just can't find fault with what they've done or how they've done it.

trailer:

Rolling Stone says, "Edge of Tomorrow will keep you on edge. Guaranteed." DVD Talk says, "Action-packed, thought-provoking, suspenseful, and surprisingly funny, Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow ... is one of 2014's most entertaining films, regardless of genre" and calls it "a film worth owning."

Roger Ebert's site gives it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars and says, "The movie has an organic intelligence and a sense that it, too, exists outside of linear time. It seems to be creating itself as you watch it." Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 90%.