My Memorial Day Trip

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, the old start of the summer movie season. But, that is now the first weekend in May and I’ve already seen the film I wanted to see. I’ve also purchased a “big-ticket” item (aka a 2009 Kia), so I’m too money-challenged and lazy to go away for the weekend.

So I took a trip via my DVD player. I’ve been to New Zealand, to Japan and then to the Bayou of Bon Temps and I must say that, even with the cinematic turbulence, I’m still glad I took the trip.

My first pick was “Once Were Warriors”, a film recommended to me by a friend. The film was made in 1994, but feels more like an 80s film – big hair, big credits, and lots of primary colors. The plot centers on a family in tatters. Beth and her husband have a mess of kids that are delinquents, but given the example of domestic violence, they never really had a prayer. It looks like it was shot low-budget, but eventually the story and the acting sneak up on you. By the time I got to the end, I felt drained but cleansed. I was advised it’s not a very easy film to watch, and that’s true. But it’s worth watching all the same.

Then I watched “Raise the Red Lantern”, one of the films from the Yahoo list. It’s one of the few that I hadn’t seen, and it showed me that dialogue isn’t all that necessary to create a character. It tells the story of a young girl who decides that she’d be best taken care of by becoming a concubine to a rich man. She becomes the “Fourth Mistress”, with her own maid and her own house. Her master then decides which wife to “favor” that evening by having the lanterns lit for all to see. The film then describes the interrelationships of the wives, leading to her tragic fate. The story is captivating and the film is fantastic to watch. I’m also glad I got the reminder that Asian films aren’t strictly horror. It’s an outstanding film.

Lastly, I did my typical long-weekend activity: watched as many episodes of a TV show as possible. In this case, it was HBO’s “True Blood”. Even though Showtime has better shows, this is HBO’s best offering right now, but unfortunately the second season pales in comparison to the first. This one is far more over-the-top and once you distance yourself from the show you realize that the plotlines are allegorical, but stupid. But for some reason you watch it all the same. I do enjoy watching shows a season at a time, as there are no cliffhangers and no time delays. And for the record, yes I will be watching the third season as well (eventually).

Now it’s off to make breakfast and tea and then go to my next international stop – the French Open.