Mamabear

Hello, everyone,

I am very grateful for this forum, too. I have found it very helpful to come and go to the forum. I go back to work this week (I'm a high school teacher) and it's especially helpful because i won't have as much time as I fdid in the summer (sigh).

Nancy, as far as my handle, i couldn't think of one and the issue most present on my mind was my son's addiction so I defined myself in terms of him (I'm the mamabear). How codependent is that!!! Maybe one day I'll be able to figure out how to put an image by my name (I think it's called an avatar).
Thanks for asking.
~peace,
Mamabear

Lilya

Mamabear, may I make some suggestions?

How about Gaia, the earth goddess, mother of us all? Or Hera, Zeus wife in Greek mythology? or Romula, the mother of Rome? Or Inanna, a sumarian mother goddess? Selene, Goddess of the Starlit Heaven, Flora another roman goddess of flowers and spring? Or even Fortuna, another roman goddess who resides over the worlds abundance?

I´m watching Sunset Boulevard at the moment. What a gem!

Mamabear

You're the best Lilya!!!
I'm diggin the Selene reference
Mamabear, for now.
p.s. I know the anonymity allows for a lot of freedom but I must admit, I often feel tempted to write my full name and address and invite y'all over for a big Italian dinner

Heavens

Hello, everyone,

Just want to say good morning, and to have a good day today one day at a time. Thanks, MamaBear. I can't tell you how good that feels to have that warm and inviting thought come across today. Same here! We are all at the table giving each other the most important food -- the spiritual food of love. Ain't this kind of like a roundtable? We are kind of Arthurian, aren't we? We can have all kinds of roundtable stories and discussions like the movie one going on. We can be like Chaucer's traveling storytellers or whatever we want. Since the weekend is here, I plan to chill with at least one good movie and one good book. Maybe I will think of a story to tell, too. Looking forward to telling you all about them later.

Love,
Nancy

Juls

I would like to see Seabuscuit. I read the book, it was o.k., but I've heard the movie is much better.

Juls

Ophelia

I want to play too!! Here's an eclectic list of some of my ongoing favorites:

Spagetti Westerns
"Pollock" - Marcia Gay Harden's performance was incredible
"Fargo" - Another great female performance by Francis McDormand
"Hillary & Jackie," and "Breaking the Waves" both with Emily Watson
"High Plains Drifter" - Clint Eastwood, totally spooky and cool when they paint the whole town red.
Stanley Kubricks "Dr Strangelove" - seriously twisted, this is one of my all time favorites.
"Run Lola Run"
"Amelie" - charming
"Immortal Beloved" - what can I say, I'm a sucker for Beethoven and Gary Oldman!
Carl Dreyer's "Ordet" - very strange and fascinating
"The Piano" - Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter
Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Finding Graceland and Lulu on the Bridge - more Keitel favorites
"Harrold and Maud" - dark and hilarious
Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" from 1946
"Jaws" - still really scarey!
"Blood and Donuts" an obscure favorite of mine. A vampire comedy set in a Canadian donut shop.
Jean-Luc Godard's "Alphaville" 1965, a favorite from my French Film class in college
"Requiem for a Dream" a hypnotic, disturbing look at addiction
and on the lighter side....
"The Princess Bride"
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
"Raising Arizona"

Lilya

Welcome, Ophelia!

Great taste in movies! I see you like French films from our Golden ages.

I was really disturbed by "Requiem for a Dream". I somehow got caught up with all this drugtaking and it scared me. I remember being really irritated by it, so it must have touched a nerve. I saw Steven Soderberg´s "Traffic" a day later and was not as affected by it.

"The Piano" is one of my all time favourites, Theodore Dreyet´s "Ordet" as well. I prefered "Pulp Fiction" to "Reservoir Dogs". I love Jane Campion and watch all her films. "Holy Smoke" was hilarious but very scary to me as well for personal reasons. Harvey Keitel is the best.

One of the funniest films I´ve seen for a long time was "Erin Brockowitch". My niece gave it to me and it´s been a while since I saw it. I loved the conversations between her and her boss.

I felt a bit down this evening so I took out my golden collection of Ingmar Bergman´s movies and watched "Through the mirror" and then "Persona". Are you with me, Tammie? Worked like a charm.

Heavens

Dear Ophelia and Lilya and all,

Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning up my messy house, and all I watched was "Law and Order, Special Victim's Unit," I think it is called. But I can still watch some today, as I still have one more day left of the weekend. So, let me get this straight, Lilya, as I am a slow learner (why I understand the kids so well). You watch classic Ingmar Bergman movies to relieve depression? Is that basically the prescription in a nutshell? I think even this slow learner might be able to get that. Can you confirm this?

Looking forward to a restful Sunday in recovery,
Nancy

Lilya

Yes, Nancy, I do.

This is a technique I learned from a renowned psychiatrist in my country. He believes in taking your depression out of yourself, so to speak, by watching something that is way over the line or represents a different outlook on depression. He recommends Ingmar Bergman´s films because they fit the criteria. It´s a daring and bold theory and I´m all for it, for me it works very well. It stops the depression in it´s tracks because the surprise and shock you get from some of the scenes and dialogues are so dramatic. You feel worse at first when you watch, then slowly you get stunned. Finally you´ve had an overdose of depression and you get out of your mood.

It´s like the Sufist technique many people use to get rid of repressed childhood drama. You turn and turn in circles with a guide. You turn so hard you get nausious, but if you persist, you get beyound your fears. But don´t do it without proper guidance.

2stop

Oh Lilya~With the added expense of moving I am going to have to wait yet again to purchase the Ingmar Bergman movies..I am hardly able to wait, but will just have to...!!~ It'll be all the better for the wait though. Is the Sufist technique like the Primal Scream theory?

Lilya

Believe me, it´s worth the wait!:shades:

Are you happy about moving? I hope so. To me, it always means a new opportunity.

I´m not sure if the Sufist technique is like the Primal scream as it´s such a long time since I read about it. But it´s supposed to be very effective. I met a young woman who had done it in the East, and she uncovered repressed rage and memories. She changed her life over.

Well, I´m watching "Suddenly last Summer" with Elizabeth Taylor and the all time greats Katherine Heburn. May God rest her soul. They´re both amazing and I´m crazy about Tennessee Williams. What a neurotic playwrite he was! He was a bout to have a full scale nervous breakdown when he went into the great cathetrale in Cologne and got enlightened!

Heavens

Hey y'all!

Thanks for explaining that to me again, Lilya. I had kind of missed the first part of it. Yeah, that makes sense. The movies I usually watch are action films, because I am immersed in boy children. My first impression is that as a victim, I hate violence. But just Sunday I actually had a thought on my own kind of akin to what you are saying. I was thinking that maybe we enjoy watching that horrible stuff because by comparison it makes our lives look benign. Anyway, I ended up watching "DareDevil" instead of a classic, since Ben insisted. I am such a pushover. Truth be told I had one of my typical weekends in which I really didn't relax much -- had so much housework to do. I did try to relax Sunday, but my Grandson had a birthday party at my daughter's place, and I spent the entire day there almost. That is where Ben talked me into watching "DareDevil." He didn't have to twist my arm too hard. Evanessence, the musical group who perform the opening song, are my favorite contemporary artists.
Music is a real therapy for me. When I listen to something that moves me, as the song "Wake me up," I believe it is called does, it literally transports me into a spiritual realm and I momentarily forget everything else. I truly "go away." I can see why slaves sang spirituals.

Erin Brokavitch used to by my ex-boyfriend's favorite. He adored Julia Roberts. I think that is one of the positive things I have left from the relationship. All the great movies we enjoyed, and the good taste we shared. Good memories to cherish. I think those are important, as we move on and grow, to remember those good times and look forward to more with ourselves.

I am going to try the Bergman movies at some point this week. It sounds like it would work. Thanks for the tip.

Love you all,
Nancy

Lilya

Good for you, Nancy. Bergman is the ticket and I look forward to hear from you on that subject, when you have watched at least one film.

A good film which explores even darker realms is "La Pianiste" (2001) by Haneke with Isabelle Huppert and Benoît Magimel. It´s brilliant, but truly distrubing. I felt so sane afterwards, I couldn´t believe it. I have looked differently at my disease afterwards.

I love music too, especially when I cleaning and working on photographs and stills for my PR work at the Film Museum. It´s so true what you say about your boyfriend. It´s best to concentrate on the good memories and leave the others. "Take what you like and leave the rest."

I felt romantic tonight after work and started to watch "Shakespeare in Love". It´s quite enjoyable. Great dialogues.

Heavens

Hello,

Just checking in for a minute -- gotta go to a PTA meeting in a few minutes at my school for open house. I did see "Shakespeare in Love," Lilya. Thanks for reminding me of a really good time. Yes, you too like to watch insane movies to feel sane by comparison. You put it well. Talk to you later...

LOL,
Nancy

Don W

Hi Everyone, I have watched Bird Cage,
Robin Williams and My Blue Heaven,
Steve Martin, at least a dozen times and still laugh. Both of them have a number of stars that keep you laughing. They are the type of movies that you have to watch again to catch the parts you miss laughing. You guys have given me lots of ideas when I go to the rental
store. Don W

Heavens

Hey Don and everyone!

It is the weekend and a long one and I want to keep talking about movies, y'all. This is so interesting. L

Last night I went to the video store and asked the clerk to look up an Ingrid Bergman movie. Couldn't find one. So today this lonely PTSD recovering girl has a mission -- and a good way to forget my troubles -- I am going on a quest for an Ingrid Bergman movie.

I am also following our discussion at ACA and trying to "get in tune" more with my musical and artistic side as well. I am taking one of my best friend's advice and learning to have fun with myself more. I am going to break down and buy some CDs and maybe even a lowest priced Tocamini guitar to begin trying to play by ear. I know I can't afford it, and I gave it lots of thought, to be sure I am not just acting out my compulsive spending addiction, but I am sure that this is an actual, dire need. If I don't find some creative outlet soon, I am going to go NUTS (er) that is! Part of my inspiration, too, was watching Tori Amos on ETV two days ago. She was enchanting and liberating. She was completely unafraid to show her true colors as a beautiful woman to look at and to hear -- and I thank her for that. Or, if she was afraid inside, she had the courage to do it anyway.

So, never fear, I am outta here! I will see you all later with Tocamini in hand, I hope.

Art is by Jeffrey K. Bedrick.

Love and hugs,
Nancy

Lilya

Dear Nancy,

It´s not Ingrid Bergman, but Ingmar Bergman, a Swedish director.

Check the Internet movie database and look for Ingmar Bergman. You will get all his movies up, and then go to the left corner where it should have the option: copies available, distributors, for sale, or something like that.

You can also check Altavista movie section. You should get all his movies, because they are masterpieces. In particulier "Cries and Whispers", "Face to Face" and "The Autumn Sonata".

Happy hunting!

Heavens

Dear Lilya,

Thanks for the guidance. I am glad I messed up at first though. It was really cool to rediscover Ingrid Bergman as well. I found that there were alot of her old movies that my late sister and I had watched together as girls. The old Alfred Hitchcock winners and Murder on the Orient Express, to name a few. I also am going to have fun now, too, with Ingmar Bergman. Are they father and daughter or otherwise related? You can see that I am never afraid to ask stupid questions. In teaching we say that there are no stupid questions except the ones we don't ask, since asking questions is how we learn! We librarians know that quests for answers takes us on lifelong exciting learning advenures in the library! Ahoy, matey, let's go look for those nuggets of knowledge and have some fun! Ho Ho Ho!

The Tocamini wasn't meant to be this paycheck. The music store had sold out and has some on order. They will be in in a couple of weeks. But I did discover, in the music store, a piece of the Post and Courier, called The Preview, sitting on a barstool, that I read while I was waiting for the owner to give me his attention after his customers before me, and discovered: Tori Amos is performing at The Charleston Coliseum tonight! (the Twilight Zone theme song would fit well about here, or better yet, The Matrix). I am going with a lady friend from church. I am so excited!

Love,
Nancy

Lilya

Have a fabulous time, Nancy! Sounds like fun.

About Ingmar and Ingrid, I don´t think there is any kinship between them. The name Bergman is very common in the Nordic countries. Hey, your question was not stupid, not many people outside Europe are familiar with Ingmar Bergman, because his films are very tough, very special and belong to the Swedish Golden Age in the sixties and seventies. He never worked really in the US, but Ingrid Bergman was a worldfamous actress, as you know, who married the Italian neo-realistic director, Roberto Rossellini. Their daughter is Isabella Rossellini.

I´m in favour of asking questions, just like you do, and I´m not afraid if my English has flaws or my questions seem silly. It´s the only way to learn and it´s smart.

When I was in my twenties I went to see one of Ingmar Bergman´s staged plays in the Théâtre de l´Odéon in Paris. It´s a theatre where famous directors can stage plays in their own languages. The play I saw which Bergman staged was "King Lear" by Shakespeare, and at the end, the settings were tore down and you could see inside of the theatre. It was beautiful and the dialogues were in Swedish.

I´m now watching a film by Anthony Minghella called "Mr. Wonderful". It´s fun and light. No Bergman! he is for special occasions!

Heavens

Dear Lilya and All,

Nordic, huh? I have been very interested in the Nordic history, as my ex-boyfriend was of Nordic descent, (and I still love him and remember him lovingly, while I can move on, as you know). Also, I am of Welsh descent, and French, and of course the Nordes were one of the many tribes of people from the Eastern Islands and Continent who invaded the British Isles. I learned about that stuff in my History of the English Language of my English major at College of Charleston. We learned about runes and stuff. I loved that course, and I love that school. One day I want to take another course and travel with it, as you know. They do that some.

I think I remember hearing about Ingmar Bergman as a director. The knowledge is amorphous and hazy, but I love taking that stuff and giving it more experience and firming it up. But he is certainly not unknown here -- far from it -- he is very great in his field, I know. Now I just need to learn why...

I think I actually saw King Lear when I was taking Shakespeare at the College. I took it in the summer, and we went so fast...I have to read his plays over more than once and not fast to get the meaning and plot, so I had to have a little help with videos, having time to only read them once fast before the class discussions. I would watch the video of the play, and then read it, and then I could know the plot some for the discusssion. I think I saw King Lear. I saw Hamlet with Glenn Close and Mel Gibson in recent years. Because they are tinsel-town stars they were given the seemingly requisite criticical attacks, as though one cannot be a star and be a true artist, but I thought it was wonderful and that they both acted it so well that the character was brought to life...

Tori Amos was enchanting last night...I am now listening to one of her CDS...so angelic and heavenly...and soothing...

Love and have a good day today in recovery,

Nancy