Cavity Search

If you can swing it, go and see Werner Herzog's new documentary "Cave of Forgotten Dreams." It's all about the Chauvet caves in southern France where, in 1994, numerous cave paintings were discovered that may date back some 30,000 years. The film is in 3D, a form well-suited to the subject matter (somewhat surprisingly). Herzog's usual dry wit, understatement, and general quirkiness are scaled back here, and one gets the impression that the subject so overwhelmed the filmmaker that he was often at a loss for words. He mostly lets the pictures do the talking--and boy do they.

Visit the French Ministry of Culture's site on the cave here and the site for Herzog's film here.

K and I viewed it at Portland's Livingroom Theaters on 10th downtown, a place where you can have wine or a glass of beer (and I'm not talkin' no paper cup) and sit in comfy chairs with little tables. Well, we were a tad late, arriving during the previews, and couldn't find two seats together. The nice waiter brought in a chair for us so we could sit together in the corner. K sat and found her seat cushion soaked (and thus her bottom), and as she jumped to her feet again she kicked over her glass of wine and shattered it. The nice waiter fixed everything (except K's bottom) and we were able to settle in just as the film began. All in all, it's a cool place to see a flick. Check it out sometime. And right across the street is Clyde Common, an excellent place to have rack of pig, spaetzle, and more wine after the film. 'Twas the first "civilized" evening we've had in quite a while.

CD

and I feel fine...

Hey, I stole this from the letters after an article on Salon this morning. It was about today's rapture, naturally, scheduled for 6 pm (no matter the time-zone). Probably the best comments I've seen yet on this event:

The world has already ended.

Only those with Jesus in their heart can perceive that the world is being gradually destroyed. Everything from climate change to disease to war which is happening now is evidence of the tribulations that are stripping away the material world we knew.


The rapture was not a physical event, but rather the final salvation of the souls of the righteous. The raptured walk among us, but remain untouched by the apocalyptic forces besetting the world.


Are you raptured? If you are, you will believe you are sincerely, with no shred of doubt within you. Let the holy fire of armageddon be the crucible that purges the impurities of doubt.


Of course, should misfortune befall you, it will mean you were not raptured.


That's my new apocalyptic Christian cult idea. What do you guys think? It deals nicely with the whole prediction problem, and it really isn't that different from Calvinism.


Should I declare for tax exemption?


—psalmanazaar

And now I shall write no more forever about this sad instance of mass delusionality.
CD

the bird is the word

Congratulations to Portland chef Gabriel Rucker (of Le Pigeon and Little Bird fame) for winning the 2011 James Beard award for Rising Star Chef (or whatever it was called). If you've never eaten at his restaurants, please do. Investigate here: http://www.lepigeon.com/.

I'M BACK!!!!!!! Ha hA ha HA!

thnx 2 melo-d

I frequently find reviews by laypersons (non-writer/critic types) that just bust me up. Found this "review" of Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete on netflix. Enjoy:

 Beautiful!! Im 47 & I never knew that this movie existed.When I get 2 heaven,Ive gotta chicken 2 tweeze w/my mom.If I could live in fairy-tale land..This is where I wanna live.Everything is wonderful about this film,tho I must say,I dont want my prince 2 look like a dorky-nerdy dweeb in tights.My jaw hit the floor when I saw him.Yuk! Id rather stick 2 being w/la Bete.Hes much more masculine even tho he looks like,oops,Im gonna say it, chewbacca or toto all grown up w/a bone-er.Id just give him a good waxing! I loved the sets so much!The Doors were 2 die 4,& the statues..omg,& magnificent was magnificent! I am so doing my bedrm just like Belles.We should b able 2 post pics on this site.I wanted 2 punch the sisters,grrr.I loved Belles dresses.I want 2 dress like her every day! I agree w/most.I didnt feel the love,I felt her guilt.Dad was great,but the brother reminded me of the modern day crack-head.The editing was a little off,but who cares?Im glad its in bl&wh.Evey1 looks more beautiful that way.2morrow,I start wking on my candleabras! This film will remain in my life.omg..Ive a new fav cinimatic fairy-tale! How luck does strike from time 2 time! & being a pro-dreamer,Ive found a great 1.A must see! If I could give it more stars..I would.If I didnt go 2 stevie Nicks web-site,I never wouldve found this beautiful & magical masterpiece.Thanx stevie 4 the lead 2 this awesome film & thanx nflix 4 being here so I could do so.Beautiful dreams 2 all my movie buff friends!Nighty-night! Melody. o_o

Excuses excuses...

 It's been over a month since my last post, but I have a gooood excuse: Claire Anne Finley, b. October 30, 2010, 10:58 pm. 8 lbs. 4 oz., 20 1/2 " long. Here are some pictures:

Before...

After!

She sure looks good on me.

 My two lovelies.

 She looks even better on you.

 Weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz.

 First car ride: 2007 Subaru Outback. Whoopee.

 Arriving home and looking fab (Claire too).

 Ian, Claire; Claire, Ian.

 Wanna play paddle-ball?

 G'ma gets some love.

 Love Love Love.

Ciao, CD

A Hallowe'en Read

I'm about halfway through my first Dennis Wheatley novel, To The Devil--A Daughter (1953), a rather silly (so far) but fun occult thriller. Wheatley was an English writer who lived 1897-1977 and wrote some 50+ novels, mostly thrillers like this, although he wrote crime, espionage, and historical fiction as well. Hammer studios made three of his novels into decent films: the aforementioned title, plus The Devil Rides Out and The Lost Continent (aka Uncharted Seas). The novel, so far, is a bit chatty and full of midcentury English and French stereotypes (the English are tweedy, chivalrous, and full of derring-do; the French are untrustworthy, decadent, and sensual), and everyone, hero and villain alike, is given to speechifying about the perils of socialism. Even so, like I said, it's fun if you don't take it too seriously (how could you?) and just let the story take you away to the French Riviera where, despite the fact that a young demon-possessed girl has just been smuggled aboard a yacht by Satanists determined to overthrow Western Civilisation, there's always time for a pastis, a plate of oysters, and a lecture on occult symbolism.

The book I'm reading was purchased for 30p in a cozy little bookshop in Hastings, England, called Old Town Book Centre (now no longer in existence, I'm afraid), a stone's throw from the famous Mermaid fish & chips shop (now under poor management, I'm afraid). My buying it is connected in my mind with a lovely visit to my dear, dear friends Barry and Jacque, who lived in the nearby town of Denton at the time (about ten years ago). Actually there were two books--the other was The Devil Rides Out--but it has gone missing, probably a casualty from a few months back when I did a little sell-off of unread and unwanted paperbacks from around the house. It's a shame, for according to a website I happened on the other day, they may be from a somewhat collectible series of editions. These were the Heron editions, paperbacks produced in the style of their hardback counterparts--a pseudo Morroco leather soft cover with gilded lettering and framing. (Read about them in as much tedious detail as you could ever want here.) My copy of To the Devil--A Daughter from 1972 is badly abused, unfortunately, (I think Ian had a go at it--the cover's ripped and there are teeth marks), and I believe it was for that reason it survived the purging from some months ago. Here's what it should look like:

But perhaps the most interesting thing about my book is the illustrations by French artist Michel de St. Ouen. There's only three, but they've intrigued me enough to seek him out online. It seems he's a fantasy illustrator/artist whose new-agey pictures--by turns sexy, eerie, ludicrous--have a certain mystical quality, hard to describe, that draws me in. There's some good representative images online if you do a simple Google search. Here's a site he's involved with, the Society for Art of Imagination, which features some of his pictures and those of others like him. As for my book, check these out.. As I said, by turns...

...sexy (not the Tor Johnson look-alike with the man-boobs):

 ...eerie (seriously):

 

 ...and ludicrous (does this not look like something a Twilight nerdette drew on a Pee-chee?):

But they're perfect for this kind of a book, a goofy thrill-ride. As I told K, it's like spending loads of time inside a good, full-blooded Hammer film from c.1965., and perfect for the season.

Happy Hallowe'en!
~CD