hitch and farley

I’ve recently finished two Hitchcock films starring Farley Granger, thanks to YouTube and a couple of kind souls.

I won’t bother praising Strangers on a Train – I’ve seen Psycho and Birds and Vertigo; this by far is my favorite. Robert Walker was amazing; I thoroughly enjoyed that first scene on the train (I beg your pardon, but aren’t you Guy Haines? – very strong homoerotic undercurrents in this scene) and that scene with his character’s mother. It’s father, isn’t it? (Laughter) It’s him.

(Photo from Film Reference.com)

Speaking of homoerotic undercurrents, Hitchcock had an interesting problem with Rope. The play it was based on (written by Patrick Hamilton) was explicit in stating that the two lead characters – Phillip and Brandon – and their schoolteacher, Rupert, are homosexuals. In order to get past the censors, “Hitchcock faced the constraint of presenting the three major protagonists as homosexual without ever stating such explicitly (Bouzereau 2001).”

(Photo from thisdistractedglobe)

Seriously, though, five minutes into the film I already had a hard time understanding how it did manage to get past the censors. (Later on the viewer will realize that there is only one bedroom in the apartment where Phillip and Brandon are staying, e.g. when Janet asks where the telephone is, Brandon says “It’s in the bedroom” — indicating there is only one bedroom — and she responds “How cozy!”) But hey, hooray.

Other details:

As Hitchcock was filming for the first time in Technicolor, the film crew had to wield gigantic cameras which both set and actors had to accommodate. This was further exacerbated by the fact that Rope was to be performed in real time and, in order to maintain the suspense, Hitchcock insisted the film be shot in long takes that would often near the maximum possible (10 min) length for colour film cartridges at that time. This meant that – in order to accommodate the cameras – the entire set had to be mobile with walls, chairs and tables being continually moved during filming. A task made even harder by the fact that this was performed so quietly a direct sound-track could be filmed (Truffaut 1983).

This is what I find fascinating – despite this display of ingenuity, Hitchcock would later tell French director Truffaut that the film was “a stunt… I really don’t know how I came to indulge in it.”

I disagree. It is genius.

Except for the fact that James Stewart was miscast (Cary Grant, the first choice, who turned down the role because he didn’t want to be perceived as gay – I know, pfft – would have been better; but who cares what I think, I’m saying this 60 years after the fact), and I was bored by Rupert’s speech in the end.

In any case, genius. And John Dall was perfect.

As for Farley. Well, Farley. He’s quite a character. I like the guy.

LOS ANGELES – In Farley Granger’s newly published memoir “Include Me Out,” the former screen idol makes a revelation that is unusual among Hollywood tell-all books: He was bisexual.

Granger describes a Honolulu night that epitomized his life. A 21-year-old virgin and wartime Navy recruit, he was determined to change his status. He did so with a young and lovely prostitute. He was about to leave the premises when he encountered a handsome Navy officer. Granger was soon in bed again.

“I lost my virginity twice in one night,” he writes.

It appears that he also dated Arthur Laurents, who, if I’m not mistaken, wrote the film adaptation of Rope.

Old (gay) Hollywood. I love it so.

pre-neediness

My parents are plan holders. True, the checks come, but they come way too late, and in amounts so small they are almost negligible. They don’t worry about it too much anymore, my parents. I understand. It can be really tiring to fight.

But CAP, this is a shame.

MANILA, Philippines—A measly P400 per semester.

This is what most of the 700,000 plan holders of the College Assurance Plan Philippines Inc. (CAP) have been getting under the rehabilitation program approved by the court since the pre-need company sought a financial bailout five years ago.

The P400 per semester is less than half of the P855.20 average cost per unit in Metro Manila’s top universities and colleges, according to the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP). A typical semester has 21 units or 3 units per subject.

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said he was “aghast” at the measly sum being given to the plan holders based on their testimony in Monday’s congressional hearing on the state of the pre-need industry.

“I can feel their frustration, [the people] they expected to help have failed them. It’s like they were being dribbled like a ball until they gave up,” Golez told reporters.

nightmares and dreamscapes, 3

Part 1.

Part 2.

Umney’s Last Case

This one stars William H. Macy, who got nominated for an Emmy for his role in this show. Good, because he’s good.

As for the episode itself:

I enjoyed the 40’s hommage and the conversation between the creator and the created to a point, then things just got so muddled toward the end that I found this adaptation frustrating.

You Know They Got A Hell Of A Band

An even bigger mess. Yuck.

I remember going Pfft when I finished reading the story Autopsy Room Four is based on, so I didn’t even bother to view the episode.

* * *

Personal favorite: The End of the Whole Mess. Good story, affecting drama. And I’ve always liked Ron Livingston, even when he played that jerk in House.

Battleground, for William Hurt. Fifth Quarter, maybe, but the story isn’t much. Umney’s Last Case, but they should have fixed those final scenes.

Do I want more? Depends on what stories the producers are going to adapt next.

(Photos from Liljas-Library.com)

beautiful strangers

One of my high school friends was going to graduate – finally, we always say as a joke – and it was their town fiesta yesterday, so we went. I wore a white, frilly peasant blouse that was perfect for the heat that early afternoon but turned out to be a bit of a mistake when rain poured at around six p.m. What the hell’s wrong with the weather? What’s with these heavy downpours in the middle of April? Anyway, my friends kept asking who just got christened so maybe it was a mistake to wear that blouse from the very beginning. At seven, walking home, slightly shivering, I saw a girl, probably 10 or so, in a green sleeveless shirt and gray shorts walking toward me, staring at me and smiling. Uh-oh. “Hi, ate,” she said. Shit, I thought. Do I know you? Are you a godchild? Do I have to give you money? Do you need me to walk you home? Crap. She was carrying bags of chips in a plastic bag, she must have come from the grocery store and was on her way home. Like me.

“Ang ganda mo,” she said, and off she went.

I couldn’t remember if I smiled back.

teeth

I once read a beautiful short story by Lynda Sexson where a female character, who can produce pearls through her skin, touches herself between her legs and feels pearls growing there. Like teeth, she thinks. When I first saw the trailer for Teeth, this was the image I was reminded of.

High hopes, high hopes. The Sexson story works because its tone is consistent; Teeth, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to know what it wants to do and so degenerates into a seedy, at times tastelessly funny, B-movie. Coming-of-age plot, young virgin scared of and then finding power, and even joy, in her sexuality – but then it suddenly becomes American Pie. What the hell. It could have been a serious commentary on rape (Wouldn’t it be nice for women to only accept into their body the person they want, and to have the weapon to bite off those who force themselves on them), a satire, a cautionary tale of sorts. There is a scene about mutations – can it be that after decades of suffering from sexual violence, a female is born with a body part (the example used is the rattle on the rattlesnake) she can use to her advantage?

This could have been a better film. More grit, more darkness, remove the comedy and that stupid sequence where she Googles vagina dentata, and maybe throw in, um, I don’t know, a plot? For urgency? And it could have worked.

(Photo from the NYTimes.com)

nightmares and dreamscapes, 2

Part 1.

The Road Virus Heads North

I’ve had enough of horror stories with evil objects, so I didn’t expect to like this adaptation that much. Anywho, the plot is simple enough to enjoy.

However, from what I recall of the short story, isn’t it supposed to be scary instead of, um,  pensive?

Evil guy says, “I’m not your damn disease. You egomaniac.” That made me laugh.

(Photo from genreonline.net)

Fifth Quarter

Almost mistook it for “Luckey Quarter” from Everything’s Eventual. (Speaking of which, aren’t they going to adapt “Everything’s Eventual”? That’s a good sci-fi story. Or “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away”.)

I don’t know when the story was written, but to me, it felt pastiche.

Stephen King loves his male relationship stories doesn’t he. I love them also.

(Photo from Liljas Library. Photos from the previous entry also came from Liljas.)

nightmares and dreamscapes, 1

So I finally began watching it. I’ve been avoiding the series because, well, I read Stephen King story collections in bed on gray, lazy afternoons – his pieces are perfect for that kind of weather; translated onscreen, though, I’m not so sure they’ll work for me.

I’ve finished viewing:

Battleground

Not a silent episode (character still says Ouch) but there is no VO, no spoken dialogue. Interesting.

I’ve read the short story before. Toy Story gone bonkers. It’s okay. William Hurt’s in it.

Crouch End

Well-acted but blah. I’m into ghost town stories, but not of the Lovecraft kind. Wouldn’t it have been better if they just didn’t show the monsters? Maybe the story’s better on print (I haven’t read this one).

I skipped Umney’s Last Case by mistake, so:

The End of the Whole Mess

I adore this one. I hate using the word, but yes it’s touching, and also horrifying and very heartbreaking (how’s that for a string of useful adjectives?).

(Random trivia: the guy in the picture without the glasses – Ron Livingston – will play Gomez in the film adaptation of The Time-Traveler’s Wife.)

I’ll watch the rest when I have time.

traveler

This is absolutely pathetic.

My Lakbayan grade is D.

.

.

Just look at Mindanao on my map – it’s blank.

That should change.

The contents of my ATM must change first, though.

.

.

Got this from Paul, who’s whining because he had a C. Hmp. Go visit Lakbayan to get your own map. Site creator Eugene Alvin Villar blogs here.

requiem

I saw it just last night – finally the DVD I borrowed from Jake decided to work. Years ago a friend of mine asked if I’ve seen Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream. I said I haven’t, and he said, I want to tell you something about the ending. No, it’s not a spoiler. It’s just a very beautiful, powerful image.

In the end, all the main characters assume the fetal position.

the end

Just finished it this morning. Bought a copy along with this book, after what felt like months of hunting down this novel in several bookstores. (I remember standing in a Fully Booked branch somewhere, sometime before Christmas, spelling out the author’s last name. No luck then.) Finally found it in Bibliarch near where I work.

I loved it. How else to review the damn novel? Mostlyfiction.com posted an excerpt, and so did NPR.

Consider the first two paragraphs:

You Don’t Know
What’s in My Heart

WE WERE FRACTIOUS AND overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen. Most of us liked most everyone, a few of us hated specific individuals, one or two people loved everyone and everything. Those who loved everyone were unanimously reviled. We loved free bagels in the morning. They happened all too infrequently. Our benefits were astonishing in comprehensiveness and quality of care. Sometimes we questioned whether they were worth it. We thought moving to India might be better, or going back to nursing school. Doing something with the handicapped or working with our hands. No one ever acted on these impulses, despite their daily, sometimes hourly contractions. Instead we met in conference rooms to discuss the issues of the day.

Ordinarily jobs came in and we completed them in a timely and professional manner. Sometimes fuckups did occur. Printing errors, transposed numbers.Our business was advertising and details were important. If the third number after the second hyphen in a client’s toll-free number was a six instead of an eight, and if it went to print like that, and showed up in Time magazine, no one reading the ad could call now and order today. No matter they could go to the website, we still had to eat the price of the ad. Is this boring you yet? It bored us every day.Our boredom was ongoing, a collective boredom, and it would never die because we would never die.

Will you look at that.

I have no choice but to forever wonder how I would have reacted to this story if I had read it when I was still in college, when all I knew of office life I got from episodes of The Office.

Joshua Ferris writes so beautifully, and so damn accurately that he breaks my heart.

Read this book.