Under a Red Roof

Fall Movies

October 18, 2011 in Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | Permalink

Bill Cunningham New York: Though my “uniform” might suggest otherwise, I LOVE clothes and fashion, and all the inherent juiciness of it. Yes, I am “shallow” (in quotations because I don’t really believe it but lack a better descriptor) enough to spend the whole of a day reading a fashion magazine cover to cover, turning back pages I find inspiring or interesting. I love watching people, well dressed or not, at least to my eye, and absorbing what they’ve got going on. Is it something that fits my aesthetic that I hadn’t previously imagined? What makes it work? Oh jeez, isn’t that what that Tim Gunn guy says? I love the courage it takes to try something outrageous, bold, or just plain different, probably because I lack it myself.

So now, imagine all of this in the hands of a humble, bicycle riding photographer who wants to share with everyone, namely Bill Cunningham of the New York Times, taking photos every single day over a period of decades. The film follows Bill in his daily life, sleeping on a cot wedged between rows of filing cabinets of photos and negatives in a tiny apartment in Carnegie Hall (I didn’t even know this was possible). The man lives for fashion, “I eat with my eyes,” mostly the on the street variety, and takes pictures nearly everywhere he goes. He is earnest, beyond hard working (at 80+ he still works every day!) and impossibly kind, at least to those he photographs, the sort one wants as a friend and fashion consultant.

Adam’s Apples: Ivan is a small-town minister who “rehabilitates” men upon their release from prison. He takes wearing rose-colored glasses to the extreme, patently refusing to see the truth before him, no matter how squarely it is presented. When Adam, a particularly wretched Neo-Nazi, is placed with Ivan for the requisite 12-week program, he is determined to break the man, no matter the cost. A strange, funny, and somewhat violent portrait of unshakable faith.

The Trip: I can’t say I really know who these men are, though they seem quite familiar, but goll-ee, I could watch and listen to them all the live long day. In “mockumentary” style, the gentlemen play themselves, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, two longtime friends on a road trip to England’s finest restaurants and inns. It was meant to be a romantic getaway for Steve, but his girlfriend leaves rather suddenly for New York at the last minute, so Rob fills in. It is an odd and interesting mix. It’s sometimes wildly funny, with some of the best impersonations I have ever heard, mostly of Michael Caine, Sean Connery, and Hugh Grant. Then it’s a little gloomy and sad tale of middle age and being alone, all while exploring beautiful places and serving up exotic dishes at some very posh restaurants. A lot like real life, I think.

Tags: Movies

More Yoga

September 30, 2011 in Practicing, Spotlighting by Colleen | Permalink

Namaste, gentle readers. Unless you are new to Under a Red Roof, you know quite well of my fondness for yoga. It truly has changed my life. I know for many of you this might sound a bit precious, but it’s no exaggeration. Everything is better with yoga, everything. Even with a cat on my back. How cute is my guruji, Paris? Normally, she prefers to give her sage advice during savasana, but who am I to argue?

Anyhoo, I’ve got some more recommendations for videos and the like, even expanding my repertoire to include, holy crapper-doodle, works by people other than Shiva Rea! I know, even I didn’t think it was possible. This dog can learn new tricks, go with the flow, rhyme and steal…

However, since I do have such a longstanding relationship with Shiva and remain ever loyal, I’ll start with her. A.M. Energy is a really dynamic and invigorating video, and a departure from what I consider typical Shiva style. It contains four separate practices (about 20 minutes each) that can be linked via the matrix or done individually. Each ranges in difficulty and in style, from lots of not super yoga feeling floor work that builds strength through repetition, flowing movement, and some extremely challenging standing postures. I have much to learn and do here and continue to be dazzled by Shiva’s ability and grace.

Shiva’s Yoga Wave (thanks for this one, Mom!) is an audio only collection, though there is a booklet with photos, so I would definitely only recommend it to those practicing for a while. It contains a Solar and Lunar CD, and with the help of an i-pod or similar device can be mixed up in a myriad of fashions. Each CD has progressively more difficult waves of similar postures, building upon each other and kicking your behind. The solar wave CD is like doing seventy-five minutes of sun salutations, which is great for heating you up and developing your legs. The first time is a killer! The lunar wave is mostly spent on the floor opening hips, back bending, and twisting. This one is in a pretty regular rotation for the hubster, as it’s really great to counter the repetitive movements of bike riding.

Now for something completely different. Completely! My massage therapist, who has a beautiful and strong body, is as big of a devotee to Kundalini, Ravi Singh and Ana Brett as I am to Shiva Rea. After hearing her raves, I decided to give it a try. It is a real departure from the yoga I am used to practicing. I think, and this is by no means a slight, because I really like it, it is like yoga that was created by a child. Let’s grind our hips around while sitting on the floor, and then we’ll flap our arms, sit like frogs, dance, lie on our bellies and bounce, walk like we’re marching in a parade, and pant like dogs. Oh, and one more thing, it’s gonna be fun! And it is. I can’t help but smile during and well after. It must be all that good Kundalini energy! For those who already find yoga a bit out there, this will probably be too woo-woo for you. That being said, both of the videos are fun and challenging, especially all the arm flapping Gurmukh does. Seriously, I could not do it all, and I’m in pretty good shape. Sat nam!

Tags: cats, Gurmukh, Ravi Singh & Ana Brett, Shiva Rea, Yoga

Lessons in Taxidermy

September 14, 2011 in Reading, Remembering, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

Dazzling and terrifying. These are the words that echo over and over again in response to both the text and its author, Bee Lavender. Goll-ee. I remember seeing this book somewhere, maybe at Powell’s after it first came out in 2005, and being really intrigued by the cover, especially that shade of blue ink. It reminds me of the mimeographs of elementary school and our secretary, I’m pretty sure she was called Mrs. Price (tall {or maybe just to a child under age eleven}, thin, and perfectly coiffed every day of my entire Thomson Elementary career, a variation on what Jackie O. would have looked like if she took the job), turning the crank on that blue barrel shaped machine, and making the most positively pleasant sound. Then there was the paper immediately after, cool, slightly damp and smelling, in the most heavenly way, of whatever chemical rendered it all possible. I’m sure it was all quite toxic and part of the reason I am the nutter butter I am today. That said, I still loved it.

And this gem of a book, to which I am returning. I didn’t read it then and specifically remember not wanting to. Knee deep in the throes of endometriosis (my condition is not even a word in my lousy dictionary/spell checker {I did NOT mean endomorphism!} – that so many women suffer from such a horrible disease and it doesn’t even register as a “real” word is beyond annoying), the thought of taking on someone else’s physical pain, even via a book, was out of the question.

Were it not for Facebook, I probably wouldn’t have given it another thought. Then Byron, a friend from my elementary school days (I’ll bet he remembers Mrs. Price, too), found me and, as I discovered from a link posted on his wall, just so happens to be married to the author. So there you go, a message from the universe that I might enjoy what his wife has to say.

Boy, did I ever. Bee Lavender writes about life, growing up in the outskirts of society in a place at once tender and violent, and her body being riddled by cancer after cancer, illness after illness, tragedy after tragedy, from the ripe age of twelve.

Her life is a steady succession of shocks, and though there is ample reason to feel pity for her, a teen mother, a body that will never be cancer-free, more surgeries and procedures than I can even fathom, it is certainly not her aim. Quite to the contrary, she is the type of woman who has taken her lot, for better or worse, and seen it as greater than the sum of its parts, far, far greater. She understands the repetition of life, the ceaseless cycles, and is ever more keenly aware of death and our proximity to it, at any given moment.

Yet, she’s hardly been afraid to live or exert her power. She travels, dances, and drives the countryside. She is fun and funny. She cannot be contained. She speaks her mind. She shares wholeheartedly. Dazzling and terrifying and absolutely worth reading. In a single sitting– I nearly forgot to mention that. I couldn’t put it down.

Queue Up

May 6, 2011 in Listening, Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Heppy Friday friends, despite it being nearly over – late start! I see that typo, by the way, but think it looks kind of hep (there I go again), so it stays. How was your week? Mine was a solid 8.5 (good friends and even better times), though it would have been higher had I the cooperation of Mr. Soleil. I am missing him something fierce. C’est la geurre, je suppose.

Anyhoo, to the post and my diabolical plot to get people in front of the television. Bwa ha ha! No, not really, but I am a big lover of film, if you hadn’t noticed, and when they touch me, I am duty bound to sing their praises. Ooh, cheeky monkey! No, these movies are not copping feels, they’re just worthy of mention and your time.

I was feeling under the weather one day and cast aside my chores and one half of my yoga practice (sad face) to lie on the sofa. Happily, the entertainment gods were watching over me, and I found this streaming on Netflix, watching the entire six episodes in one go. Holy smokes gentle readers, this is some business. John Luther (Idris Elba – well cast and handsome, with a fabulous name) is one of those not quite right police detectives (I know that line’s getting a bit cliche, but it works) who’s just returned from the force after some “time off.” He’s dedicated, a bit explosive, and a mad genius at his job (“It’s not right”), the kind of fellow who has a difficult time separating himself from his work. This caused problems in his marriage, and we watch him struggle with what may be its dissolution, along with the trials and travails of a detective in the murderous metropolis that is London. It is thoughtful, intense, and incredibly well written, full of unexpected twists and surprises, the absolute best being Luther’s friendship with Alice (Ruth Wilson from Jane Eyre – so good!), a woman he’s absolutely positive is responsible for the grisly murder of her parents and family dog (she’s far too clever to be caught).

This has got to be one of the best and most unusual documentaries I’ve ever seen. Truly. A man (Mark Hogankamp) is brutally beaten in a bar fight and decides, once the insurance money for traditional therapies runs out, that he will work through his trauma and regain his hand-eye coordination by creating and photographing (with meticulous detail) a WWII era Belgian town. Populated with dolls that represent friends and coworkers, with a history so intricate, so poignant, that it’s often difficult to separate from the real world, past and present, especially for Mark. Then there are the photographs, surreal and oddly beautiful, just like the town they depict.

A love letter to a complex and beguiling city, Dhobi Ghat shows Mumbai at its best and worst, through the eyes of four very different people. Arun is an artist who meets Shai at his most recent opening. They spend the night together, though it doesn’t end well. Munna is an aspiring actor, rat killer, and the dhobi who washes both of their clothes (by hand, in a vast and strangely enchanting neighborhood dedicated to the practice). Then there is Yasmin, the infinitely sweet and naive girl whose video tapes (intimate letters and travelogues for her brother) Arun finds in his new apartment. We watch as each navigates the city and their relationships with the outside world and each other. It is tender, honest, and sometimes harsh, just like life. I did find it a tad clumsy at the start, but that may be more cultural than anything.

Ooh, this was fun! After a white lie about the loss of her virginity spreads like wildfire, once unknown and uninteresting Olive Penderghast decides to take the rumors up a notch and parallel the life of Hester Prynne. Literally dressing like a prostitute and appliquéing a scarlet “A” on her garments, she takes money and gift cards from boys desperate for a change in reputation (without actually becoming a prostitute herself). Of course it gets out of hand, with hearts and friendships broken, but, as these films go, all turns out well in the end. Chock full off witty banter and a gracious nod to Say Anything, I say well played.

But wait, there’s more! I listened to Rafael Saadiq’s Stone Rollin’ while typing this: a little Stevie Wonder, a little hip hop, a little funk, and a whole lotta awesome. Add it to another queue…

Tags: Movies, Music

Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale

April 8, 2011 in Admiring, Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | 2 comments

I realize that this came out a few years ago, but, as I have said before, I’m not terribly good at being of the moment, so there you go. Besides, good funny is timeless. “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” In any case, if you like me and my sense of humor, watch this. Gaffigan is clean (I might like to drop an f-bomb from time to time, but I’m not crazy about hearing it), subtle, likes to talk about food, and offers spot-on commentary in the third person. “He’s weird.” “Is that a blouse?” “Watch it fella!” The hubster and I nearly wet ourselves with laughter. That doesn’t happen nearly often enough!