Take Notice of The Little Princess

A few posts back, I mentioned that for preparing to watch S2 of "A Discovery of Witches," airing this January on AMC+, that I've sought films and TV series of new cast members. There are several films and TV series I could spend hours watching in order to get a sense of Steven Cree as an actor. He has been posting photos of himself on social media about his character, Gallowglass, appearing in the second season. Steven Cree is well known to fans of Outlander in his portraying of the character Ian Murray for, so far, two seasons. Unfortunately, seeing I'd need some hours to invest each day in a new series, or that some film titles couldn't be accessed immediately, the choice was obvious. Outlander is such a popular show and it helped him get the funding to complete his own project. Watch the quick, 10-1/2 minute film, The Little Princess, for which he not only starred, but also wrote and produced in 2018.

Watch this before reading the next section. The Little Princess:

The film demonstrates that there is always a way out of that tunnel vision of doom thinking. A child character appears from out of nowhere to the man on the platform appearing sad, and she breathes some happiness into the space that they share. It'd be cruel of him to ignore her. Newly occupied with her presence, how could he actually still follow through with his plan to end his life, and have this innocent child be a witness? She's there to act like a vessel delivering a new thinking pattern; jarring him out of this stuck state of mind. It's brilliant with its simple workaround because of their language differences. Kindness is universal. Amazing and beautiful, thought-provoking and hopeful, this is all I needed to understand who and what makes Steven Cree someone to look forward to watching in S2 of "A Discovery of Witches."

An afterthought: 

For this writer, that same stuck thought process the man has at the beginning, indeed, happens to those dealing with the loss of someone they love to suicide. A friend's life ended too abruptly 18 years ago on Christmas. They were unable to wrangle themselves out of the deep abyss, which was rooted in depression and masked with irrational anger. The emotions never cease to resurface and did again with the viewing of this short film. The photographic memories along with recalling the sensation of my friend's hands pressing into the back of my shoulders; their fingertips firmer and different than anytime we hugged before that night. The timeline hovers over me, from the last time we shared an evening together, and every extraordinary minutia of detail revealed about what happened next. Closure is impossible, but accepting this fact is helping each year's holiday season become less daunting. This film reinforces the message of not giving into ruminating -- shaking one's self out of spiraling despair. When something wonderfully special happens, I'll grant myself five minutes of joy and I try to remember it when I need it again later. Christmas and New Year's are now treated as a regular day, but often to seek out peace and self-care. The end of the year definitely can feel like I'm arriving at the end of an endurance test.

Please reach out, if depressed or lonely, and call this number 800-273-8255 and do not be alone, stuck in your thoughts. No judging; always a person who understands and listens.

REVIEW: Grimm Love

Grimm Love is a movie not for the squeamish. If a person thinks they can handle gory subject matter, then perhaps even the strongest person is unprepared for the heaviness of the true story of Armin Meiwes and Bernd-Jurgen Brandes. The story is of two lonely men meeting in a chat room focused around the fetish of cannibalism. Meiwes was seeking to consume and Brandes was seeking someone to consume him.

Martin Weisz directed the movie Grimm Love which was written by T.S. Faull. An interview with Faull sheds more light on how he approached the story. Names were changed and the story has a fictional element in having an American woman (Keri Russell) researching the story. Russell's solemn narration style keeps the haunting inner thoughts fresh in your mind.

The cinematography is exceptional; superbly showing how the grainy flashbacks depict desperate emotions. Oliver (Meiwes) is played by Thomas Kretschmann who also played the boat captain in King Kong and played the Pope that same year he played a cannibal. Kretschmann is excellent as the lonely, awkward Oliver; innocently unnerving and creepy, yet not maliciously cruel. Thomas Huber plays Simon (Brandes) and you may have briefly seen him in Æon Flux, but he's mostly known in Germany. Simon is unfulfilled by traditional love relationships and seeks to satiate a need to "make things right".

A very cold, somber ending closes the story, thankfully not taking us through the routine arrest, trial and sentencing. It is a story of psychological horror, a view of the loneliness of these two individuals.

Grimm Love aka Rohtenberg releases September 28, 2010

CAUTION: adult information (not pictures) discussed here: Wednesday's Korner has had its eye on the psychological horror movie Grimm Love, based on a true story, ever since the story came out about a person in Germany placing an ad for someone to consume their dead body. Essentially the "victim" gives permission to have the person murder him and eat him by contractual agreement. You can actually buy the movie starting September 28, 2010. Will you be renting/buying the movie? A review of the movie will be published on the blog at a later date.

THE PEOPLE VS GEORGE LUCAS trailer/teaser

Looks really good, from a fan perspective of loving the Star Wars IV, V, VI and not loving I, II, III. People this obsessed are fun to laugh at, but then I can look back at when I cringed at seeing Jar Jar and go, yeah, I felt ripped off. Jar Jar is not made of a miniature, human-operated, mechanical action figure we can touch and we missed that realism. We liked the scrappy methods of the 70s with the first movie; stop-motion animation in those grand scale scenes.

I understand, though, fans have a right to feel cheated after investing mostly their own money into the first three movies. They lost the joy in continuing on the path of collecting memorabilia. I agree, you have to constantly assess where your heart's at and draw a line at where it won't go.

"Good Dick" is big screen-worthy

I saw Good Dick tonight. It's completely self-distributed and worthy of being seen in the theatres because you're not giving money to the big honchos running any studios. The story is refreshing especially for anyone completely disappointed in the "instant love shit" on the big screens nowadays; recycled stories year in and year out. In Good Dick you witness friends looking out for each other, a dark character escaping into her head, a good guy that wants to save her from herself, and nothing cliché about relationships, thank you.

Marianna Palka is the "Woman" whom also wrote and directed the film. Her whole persona emits "outcast," "can't deal with people," "hate anyone who pays her any attention," it is hopeless if they even breathe in her direction. She gives credit to the damaged people cast out from the everyday cliques, ridiculed as outsiders by the "in-crowd"; called rejects, losers, and pathetic. But the video store clerk relentlessly tries to get her to open up to him. He sees a real person and not someone weird as his friends call her. Any inch she lets him have only encourages him and it scares her; she bosses him around in return and calls him ugly. I felt for her because she was crying out for kindness but rejected every notion that he's good to her.

"Man" is played by Jason Ritter, son of the late, wonderful actor John Ritter. "Man" is truly faithful, loyal and takes the other path that is not of least resistance. We see a character, for a change, embrace selflessness.

Jason Ritter, holds his own, he doesn't need a famous last name to carry him. He's one of the most truthful actors that I have faith will not sell out, does not want the fame. I can count on one hand the genius actors not using publicity stunts to get themselves noticed. He spoke after the film with so much passion for "the work" and, in watching his character, you can feel that he loves the "Woman" and takes pride in his movie knowledge. He has some really comical moments that had the audience laughing at the pain he's enduring to show this woman how much he cares.

I asked the two actors who appeared for a Q&A what it was like working with the great Charles Durning and Marianna said that he decided to do the movie from reading the script. He told dirty jokes that they couldn't use in the movie, but funny jokes. Jason Ritter tried to see that line between off camera and when they call action; he said Charles Durning is seamless. He's in the frame of mind and ready when the director is ready. He used his own physicality to convey what he was saying and brought so much to this role to flesh out his character's wisdom. There's a history to this person just walking in off the street. His character says something memorable and validating to the whole "quest" that you've been on with the "Man."

The story's "Man" tells her, "I care about you," after she has just said something mean. He isn't chasing her to "win" her; he's standing by her and helping her to be a person again. I look at scenes like this and recall these conversations overheard in public and almost want to say to some woman, "Give me his number, if you're going to be so mean to him." Women are so high maintenance and I always think, no wonder men are just so burnt out that they remain bachelors because they just want to go from one woman to the next. The newness never gets old and is more fun than someone that takes them for granted a few months into the relationship. If they can notice the quiet people who are overlooked, see them as real people capable of loving them, maybe these guys would be less inclined to give up. Women, too. At the end of the screening, Ritter says, "You are not going to live forever and to live without knowing real love between you and someone else, you truly haven't lived."

I predict that this will not be the last we heard of Good Dick. I predict it willl do well with IFC's Independent Spirit Awards. In fact, it is rather curious that Marianna Palka said "Cassevetes" in describing what they're doing by self-producing, self-distributing the film.

Martin Starr is also another reason I wanted to see this film. I have a soft spot for all "Freaks and Geeks" stars because they were short-changed in having that series end way too soon. He played Bill Haverchuck so perfectly in that series. He looks so different all grown up and has a unique subtlety that makes everything he does appear natural.

If you go to the film's website, turn "Sound" to "OFF" so that you can play the trailer without the music that is on the website.
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I can't go further without having to say that I cringed, when walking home, at hearing some people of the "TRL" generation right behind me refer to the last series John Ritter worked on with the wrong title (it was "8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter"), and then, not even acknowledge "Three's Company". I power-walked away from these fools making me feel old.
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On a side note, the screening didn't start out too well for me because I got up to use the bathroom, leaving a tent-like flyer on the seat to hold it for myself along with my notebook, popcorn and cup of water on the arm of the chair. It looked like it was all intentional on holding a seat. I do it often. I return and some people right from "The Hills", a yappy large group, arrived while I was away. They moved my stuff to the row in front of them--too close to the screen--taking my seat on top of four more. When I ask them if they moved my stuff and they told me in this unapologetic tone, "Oh, we thought someone left it there." I was looking on the floor to check at their feet for anything that fell and there was the flyer on the floor. Some girl asks, "Is there anything you left there?" Yeah, I friggin' marked my spot so I could come back to it... I didn't intentionally leave my stuff abandoned to never return to it. Oh, man, fucking idiots, typically all you get in San Francisco under 30 now, that feel entitled, act self-centered and don't give a shit about anyone. I moved across the aisle where I had to view the screen at an angle with the exit sign screaming into my eyes. Fortunately, the film was much better than anyone I loathed at the moment so I enjoyed it anyways.