Perfume: Story of a Murderer
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

This film is about Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a 17th Century serial killer with superior olfactory sense. If you've ever watched Dracula by Brian de Palma, I think you'll get the idea.

I read the novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, dozens of years ago. It was a best-seller translated from German. I thought the book was dynamite, enthralling, very unusual, and damn strange. I had always enjoyed books topically about killers, thrillers, and scarily strange events.

It's about a young man, a fifth child who lived after four were stillborn, to a fishery woman in a Parisian marketplace. His sense of smell rivaled a bloodhound. I could almost identify with this character (except for the desire to kill to distill a scent). I too, have a strong olfactory sense (when I've paid attention).

The following are personal examples: at work, I knew who was in the building based on their smell. It wasn't hard. I could smell smokers, those who saturated themselves in perfume (women), those who had infections that gave me too much information about them (you know, that fishy odor), and many other examples.

I picked up the scent of those who were ill: it forced me to ask, delicately, if anyone noted this particular smell. No one caught it, but me. A headcold smelled a bit like Ajax, or that kind of household cleanser, but with a tinge of funk. These working stiffs with stinky heads had sinusitis or a sinus infection. There's always someone at the office with it.

Then there were women who smelled - gosh, I didn't work at smelling them - yet this odor wafted over the walls from their cubicles. There was this kind of funk that smelled a bit of moldy bread, perspiration, something rancid, and musk (perfume to bury the odor). I would reckon that this individual was sick. Last, but not least, ever caught a whiff of someone smelling of salts? I used to know an old woman on my block like that: my Mom said she had sores on her body.

Yeah, I guess?

This movie was filled with attractive blue-eyed, pale-skinned redheads. Hollywood should use more of them. These were women whose scent Jean-Baptiste couldn't resist and needed.

It's a good work of fiction, because I've never encountered one woman who ever smelled appealing - regardless of pores soaked with perfumes.

Men, Yes, but women? No.

The entire film is based on the process he goes through to capture the scent of a woman. Strange. Yet, very riveting and amusing to boot. This will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea.

Labels: Alan Rickman, Brian de Palma, Dracula, Dustin Hoffman, Perfume

posted by GoldenAh
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Slumdog Millionaire
Monday, January 19, 2009


I hated this movie, because I loved it so much. I hate films that make me cry. I'm a sucker for movies that show the worst and best of people. It was soooo raw. It made me cry to see children in that kind of extreme poverty. This lifestyle has them pegged slumdogs. Yet, these kids are tough, clever, smart, spunky, and adorable: brown skin, curly hair with such big long lashed eyes.

They are survivors.

Latika, Jamal and Salim Malik are the main characters of this movie (based on the book Q&A). If you've ever watched, or read, any Charles Dickens' story, such as Oliver Twist, then this tale fits right in.


We see these children grow to young adults, so the actors who play them add up to nine individuals. As young adults the characters are portrayed by the following: Dev Patel as Jamal, Freida Pinto as Latika (an incredibly beautiful woman), and Salim, who strangely looks like Michael Jackson from his Off the Wall album, is played by Madhur Mittal.


The heart of this story is a love that begins in childhood and never ends. This movie is not sappy. It isn't maudlin. It is about kids who live their lives, without self-pity, without blame, and oddly enough without anger. Extreme poverty and cruelty towards them did not leave them bereft of decency, honestly, or humanity.

I found that aspect interesting, since Western culture loves to have ready made exercises for bad behavior. We seem to have devolved into a no-fault, no-blame, no-shame, and no-responsibility society.

This movie was wholesome, because it was so bald about these children's lives. It's honesty.

I loved the soundtrack, but then again music by A.R Rahman is always pretty phenomenal. This movie was directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan. The film was edited by Chris Dickens (how fitting).

Labels: A.R. Rahman, Charles Dickens, children, Danny Boyle, poor, poverty, Slumdog Millionaire

posted by GoldenAh
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Numb3rs: Nerds Rule!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009


I really, really like this show. I didn't start to watch it until Sophina Brown from Shark, which was cancelled, appeared on this program.

The stars are David Krumholtz (Charlie Eppes), who plays a math genius and his brother, played by Rob Morrow (Don Eppes) who works for the FBI. Rob Morrow is the everywhere guy. I know his name, and I feel like I've seen him in every show, even if I cannot name them.

I originally avoided this program, because I feared that Charlie's character was going to be this obnoxious genius that the FBI could not function without. I actually found it to be a pleasant surprise. Charlie explains math in a way I wish I had school teachers like him. It has a nice large multi-ethnic / diverse cast, and no one is a walking or talking stereotype.

It also has two hot hunks to balance out the nerds: Alimi Ballard and Dylan Bruno. Hmm, yummy.

Ballard

Bruno

Talk about a late, yet very pleasant discovery.

The show is produced by British brothers, Tony Scott and Ridley Scott, both directors, and of the best in Hollywood. They have made plenty of films with a diverse cast. One is responsible for Alien (Ridley) and the other Tony, Man on Fire (I loved this flick).

I watch past episodes, from years back, via Netflix (instant watch), and the more recent via the CBS web site.

Labels: David Krumholtz, numb3rs, Ridley Scott, Rob Morrow, Shark, Sophina Brown, Tony Scott

posted by GoldenAh
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For 2009 - If Only Hollywood Would Consider These Changes
Friday, January 2, 2009

1. Keep all scenes dry: no more rain, please. I would like to see a film, especially if it is romantic, without people standing around in the rain. I don't care why - they add nothing to a scene. All it shows is a lack of imagination.
   
   Often, I'll watch these programs thinking: they're going to catch a cold! And eww, smelly wet hair!
   


2. No more kissing: it is disgusting to hear people smooch and lip smack. Let the viewers use their imagination. I don't want to see the filthy germ exchange.
   
   I would ban kissing in films if I had the power.
   


3. The minority sidekick to the white woman: it needs to stop. It's so lame. We all don't have an inner Oprah to tap to offer words of wisdom. Enough with the "sassy" minority woman who's gonna to take on the world to make things easy and accommodating for the "clueless" white chick (or man).
   
   It happened with Kate Hudson in Raising Helen, I wanted to choke the director and scriptwriter(s).
   


4. Whatever happened to black or minority sitcoms? I grew up watching shows with a black cast on television with my family. Now, all that's really available are re-runs on some cable networks. I think Lincoln Heights is the exception, but I still find the violence on the program excessive and disturbing.
   
   I don't need to see these programs, Kyle XY is my favorite, but a little variety would be nice. Not everyone wants to watch a program about vapid, bleach blond twits from Beverly Hills.
   


5. Is there a blond (any white) woman quota in Hollywood? One day I may do an actual head count. Off the top of my head, I can't think of one program on television, or movie, that doesn't have a white woman in it. She's included whether her character is integral to the plot or not. It's weird, sometimes they are brought on just because .... Some do nothing to advance the story line.
   
   For example, Heroes can't let go of Ali Larter. Although, I do like her. There are many, many story lines with other characters that would have made the show coherent. So many have been left unresolved. But nooooooo, they keep her, regardless of whether it muddles the stupidity factor of the show by a factor of ten.
   


6. Must there be a gun in nearly every film or TV show? Yes, some of us Americans are gun-totting nuts, but a good story doesn't need one either. How about just implying that people have one, and not show it?
   
   Not everyone who watches media entertainment is a 14 year old teenager who requires violence to stay interested in a program.
   


7. Please scale back the CGI effects. I can tell when it's used, and it still doesn't look convincing or interesting. People can't outrun a flood, rushing or rising waters. People can't survive a twenty-story waterfall in a ship, a car, or alone.
   
   I won't even go into the impossible stunts that the human body cannot perform. You know, those scenes where people can survive a head-on car accident, without seat belts, at 30+ mph.
   


8. Please, please, please make the actors audible. I know you enjoy loud music, and make most films for an international audience. However, I'd still like to pretend that dialogue is important to a movie. It'd be fun to know what's going on.
   
   The incoherent mumbling and overly loud, overly dramatic music needs to stop.
   


9. Make it illegal for George Lucas to release another Star Wars film. It's for the good of us all. He's made enough money. Star Wars is deeply entrenched into our modern culture. He can be proud, and not frightened by any thought that it will be forgotten.
   
   George, you can go away now. Thanks.
   
   I would include Star Trek, but I'm biased, so I'm ready for more of that sameness.
   


10. Make accessible 24/7 every Hollywood film ever made.
    


11. Every film made over the last 30 years old should be in the public domain. Congress and the Supreme Court needs to stop with this extra 100 year extension of copyrights every time it expires.
    
    It's not right.
    

Labels: black women, Hollywood, internet, Kate Hudson, minorities, Star Trek, Star Wars, television

posted by GoldenAh
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