For what? for what? I gotta have something to wear besides this...

I spent my holiday vacation in bed either sleeping or watching movies. Basically I was in heaven. The best day of my vacation was after my family opened their Christmas presents, I snuggled up with my stuffed animals, and a bowl of hot porridge, and watched two of my favorite Dustin Hoffman movies: Kramer vs Kramer and Tootsie. Sometimes I think my taste in leading men are unusual. I'll take a Gene Hackman, Geoffrey Rush, and Kevin Spacey over a Robert Pattinson, Zac Efron, and Taylor Lautner any day (Now if I can have all six, I would be the happiest camper in the world). I like the unconventional leading man because he brings something different to the table and Dustin Hoffman might be the dreamiest of them all (definitely with the best head of hair).
     In Kramer vs. Kramer, he plays a dad in the midst of a divorce, who's ex-wife (played by the drop dead gorgeous Meryl Streep) has deserted him and their young son. After being a office work-horse at the advertising company he works for, Hoffman's character, Ted, has to learn to be both mom and dad, while still maintaining his position at work. It's not always easy and sometimes he sucks at it, but he never stops trying and never stops loving his son. Unfortunately, once Hoffman and his son have hit their stride, his ex-wife reenters the picture wanting custody of their son, after sixteen months of abandonment. Now Ted must fight with a justice system that believes a child should always be with their mother and claim his right as a parent. It's a heart-wrenching film that doesn't pick sides but just shows the different models of family that were sprouting in the 1970s. Hoffman's performance is stunning and when Streep enters the courtroom and is cross-examined, her portrayal is breathtaking. Both actors truly deserve the Academy Award wins they received.
        Hoffman is also a very versatile actor and his comedic work is something to watch, and I'm not just talking about Meet the Fockers. In the 1982 film Tootise, Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, an out of work actor who makes ends meet by waiting table at a local restaurant in New York. When his agent tells him no one in the industry wants to work with him because of his harsh attitude and unwillingness to compromise, Michael auditions for the role of hospital activist on a local soap by pretending to be a woman, and not a very attractive one at that. He lands the role and becomes a sensation. He also shakes things up and stands up women's rights on set. Of course things get complicated as Michael falls in love with his costar and he starts receiving male advances from unexpected male companions. It's a hilarious tale and the last fifteen minutes of the film always has me in stitches, the kind where you're suffering from panic attacks because of the embarrassment these characters have to endure. If you've never fallen in love with Dustin Hoffman before, you certainly will after these films.



Dustin Hoffman is still sexy as a female. Love Him!!!

This is true love - you think this happens every day?

        One of my favorite movies that takes me back to my childhood is The Princess Bride. It's has the same level of nostalgia that The Neverending Story possesses, but it stands up to the test of time so much better. I can watch that movie today and I'm pretty sure I could watch it twenty years from now and it would still be as funny as charming. It's the tale of a farmhand, Westley, who is in love with the maiden, Buttercup, that lives on the farm. In order for them to be married, Westley sets off to make his riches. However he is captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts on his journey and is believed to be dead. After five years of mourning Westley, Buttercup begrudgingly decides to marry Prince Humperdink, who is not even remotely charming. Somehow Buttercup is captured by three bumbling but endearing idiots and hilarity ensures. Especially since her lover has returned from the sea and is carrying a grudge. I'm making it sound more ominous then it really is. It's actually a lighthearted story about bravery, courage and the power of love.
         The story is narrated by Peter Falk, who plays a grandfather reading the story aloud to his grandson, Fred Savage. Cary Elwes portrays Westley with charm but also a sense of mischeviousness that I adore. My favorite characters are Fezzick, the bumbling giant with a heart of gold, and Inigo Montoya, who is searching for his father's murderer. Both characters have these moments where your heart turns to putty. So cute!
   It's such an original and innovative movie because it turns the fantastical fairy tale genre on its head and introduces comedy where it never existed before. It's enjoyable for both children and adults and drunken college students.



Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

sunday movie classic: Dial M for Murder

There's a new segment in town and it's called Sunday Movie Classic. There's nothing on tv and you're not about to hit the town when you have an 8am class Monday morning (or maybe you will. Honestly I don't recommend it). So what's a film lover to do? How about curl up on your sofa with a loved one or a loved mug of hot cocoa and watch some of cinema's finest offerings. In my mind, a classic is anything more than ten years old (and most things get finer with age). To kick start our new tradition, I thought I would pick one from my favorite directors. I went through a phase a few summers ago where I would watch only Hitchcock films and I became really intrigued by his signature and noticing what makes a great Hitchcock film. Dial M for Murder is definitely one of his better mysteries. The plot is that an ex-tennis players hires an old acquaintance to murder his wife, who he found out is cheating on him. The husband has planned out the murder perfectly and if all goes well, no one will be to blame. Of course it doesn't go well and long story short, the murderer ends up being murdered. The twists and turns of this plot gave me an ulcer from the anticipation of what the outcome would be. Would they figure out that the husband is to blame or will he go free? What I love about this movie is that we all think we're clever enough to get away with a crime. We've all watched CSI and think we can outsmart any forensic scientist. However, regardless of how efficient the plan is, you can never trust that minx called circumstance. If you want to see a dazed Grace Kelly and figure out if the husband is every found, I suggest you get your classic fix this Sunday!

if you wanna fuck with the eagles, you got to learn to fly....

Everyone has a particular movie that they can quote from beginning to end. I have several and one of them is definitely the 1988 classic, Heathers. A black comedy about teenage suicide that deals with some important issues while still being tragically funny. In my opinion its the precursor to Mean Girls, and definitely funnier.  Veronica (Winona Ryder) is part of the most powerful clique in school; The Heathers. When Veronica meets an outsider, JD (Christian Slater) her world is turned upside down and she begins a romantic journey of murder/suicides that don't have the intended outcome. There's a definite social commentary about how much our society values power and notoreity as opposed to friendship and life. But don't think this movie is preaching. No, this film is a satire chock full of great lines such as "If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being. You'd be a game-show host" and "She's my best friend. God, I hate her" and "Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Theresa?". I could go on for days but instead I really suggest that you just watch it. I should warn you though, this movie isn't for the faint-hearted. I eagerly showed this film to my best friend and after it was over and I was laughing uncontrollably, she looked at me and said "Don't you think this film is inappropriate? I mean after Columbine? Teenage suicide is not funny". And she's completely right. Ich Luge. Suicide will always be funny in the 80s.

worry about growing up....

An elegy is a song or poem for the dead. In Isabel Coixet's film, Elegy, she ponders what makes life worth living. It is a story about love and mortality done beautifully and elegantly. The story hinges upon David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a college professor and cerebral celebrity, who, against his will, falls for his student, Consuela Castillo (Penelope Cruz). Now this isn't your typical hot-for-teacher relationship (although it may start off that way). These two people have a genuine connection that permeates through the screen. David has this paranoia of being tied down to anyone and left his wife and child years ago, which his now adult son has never forgiven him for. He is so adamant about having a life of independence that he doesn't realize he might be happy with someone. This is not helped by the fact his best friend, George (Dennis Hopper), is feeding him absurdities about the inevitable failures of his relationship. David seems to think he can keep his feelings at bay with the help of his other lover, Carolyn (Patricia Clarkson), who only pops over every once in a while for casual sex. The dialogue of the film is beautiful with lines such as "when you make love to a woman you get revenge for all the things that defeated you in life". I really recommend this film. Although it may be slow at times, I think the images are beautiful and the progression of the narrative from start to end really makes you wonder who would lament for you.

brick by brick....

Brick is a neo-noir tale where all the suspects aren't old enough to legally buy alcohol. The plot centers around Brendan, our outcast sleuth, who is looking for the murderer of his ex-lover. His journey for the truth leads him into the seedy underworld of his high school's social elite. He finds himself entangled in the lives of stock characters of film noir, including a femme fatale who has her eyes on him, played by Nora Zehetner. Even though the film is set on the football fields of today, the dialogue harkens back to Humphrey Bogart with a cigarette in his mouth. And although all the houses look the same in this generic subarbian town, there is violence that is worthy of a Robert Mitchum flick. I enjoyed the film a lot and it even won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. See if you can figure out the mystery before Brendan does, gumshoe.

as we go on, we remember.....

The time has dawned on us when we must think of the future.  Your faithful Biddie is about to make the transition from undergrad to alum . For twenty-two years I have traveled on the yellow brick road, and at the doorstep of Oz, I've just realized that I have no idea how to get in and what to do while I'm there. Though I'm terrified of the upcoming adventure that lies beyond those emerald gates, I seek solace through films such as Reality Bites. While it may be specifically speaking to the post 80s hair band, nirvana loving, flannel and Gap clad stoners of the 90s, many of the issues of the film are applicable to us. Why does a college degree suddenly mean that I'm equipped to handle life without a color-coded map? Leilana Pierce (Winona Ryder) and friends travel the uncharted territories of their 20s without authoritative guidance. While they may not be conquering their dreams, they are making a valiant effort of trying to be the people they've aspired to be. I find myself on a parallel journey with Leilana. I am trying to fashion a career out of my film obsession and I haven't got the slightlest clue what the first step is. Yet Leilana seems to manage without completely losing her shit and that gives me hope that the impossible only exists in the mind. So instead of posting a collage of my finest college moments consisting of beer pong, jager bombs, and cramming for finals or posting the track for Vitamin C's Graduation song, I'll leave you with one of my favorite scenes. I wish you the finest luck and pray you find a way to pay your student loans and get medical insurance.



Our futures consist of buying groceries at the gas station and dancing to hits of the 1970s. How awesome?!

an easter tradition about a week late...

sorry for the lack of posts in the last week. I had scheduling difficulties and was out of commission due to a stomach virus. Yuck. I know. Nonetheless, I wanted to share with you one of my family traditions. Regardless if you're a religious zealot or a die hard atheist, I think we all can appreciate fine cinema. Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, is one of my favorite movies to watch every year. I only watch it on the night before Easter. (ABC has played this movie every Holy Saturday. The one year they didn't broadcast it, they received a ridiculous number of complaints. I told you it's a good movie). It's a grand sweeping epic in the style of the 1950s. The cast includes Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, and Yul Brenner. It was the highest grossing religious epic ever until The Passion of the Christ. I think what I love about the movie so much is the fact that they embrace the Hollywood of legend and do away with naturalism and realism. It's all about the beauty, the art, the aesthetic. Moses is sexy and tan. Even Ramses looks good. They have powerful asides and soap opera quality that totally works. It's also DeMille's final work before he passed in 1959. Just watch it. If you don't like it, at least you can hit on the preacher's daughter, who is a total babe.

                                           
Charlton Heston                                                                                     Anne Baxter                                                                                   Yul Brenner


PS. A naughty tid-bit: There's an orgy scene that took three weeks to film and legend has it that one of the extras screamed out during filming "Who do I have to fuck to get out of this movie?" Did that pique your interest? Enjoy.