Movie Review: Into the West: A Real Charmer of a Movie

(Originally Published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~10/21/2009)

ABSTRACT: Into The West is a delightful charmer of a movie that shouldn't be missed.

CONTENT: (©Oct 8, 2008-Originally published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

This is one of those off-beat and what is considered a "sleeper" movie. Just why they call them sleepers I'll never know, but one I highly recommend Into The West.

This 1992 movie takes place in an slum in Ireland. The main character, "Papa" Reilly played by Gabriel Byrne is a widower bringing up his two boys Ossie (Ciarán Fitzgerald) and Tito (Rúaidhrí Conroy). Reilly is a bitter man...he still grieves over the death of his beloved wife and is trying to forget not only her death, but his roots. He had once belonged to a group of people known as "Travelers"...sort of the Irish equivalent of bohemian type gypsies who forsake the status quo and the normal way of life.

One day, Reilly's father-in-law "Grandpa" comes to visit him and his two sons. He arrives riding in a traditional "travelers" type caravan along with a magnificent beautiful white horse that he has named Tír na nÓg. which is the Irish for Land of Eternal Youth. The horse is wild, unnameable, no one can ride him, yet somehow, the younger son of Reilly manages to do so. It's as if they are destined to be with one another.

The Grandpa is one of those classic storytellers or in the Irish known as sennacie and weaves a wonderful tale one night to his grandchildren and some of their young friends around the campfire all about the Land of Eternal Youth.

When the two boys leave to go home, the horse decides to follow them and they smuggle the horse into their apartment. A neighbor however catches sight of the horse and calls the police and animal control in which they take the horse away and is later auctioned off to a horse breeder who enters the horse in a horse jumping contest.

One day, while the two boys are in a local video store trying to pick out a western video movie, as they are hooked on them, on the TV that is in the shop, the TV just happens to be switched on to a horse jumping competition...and Ossie, the younger boy recognized the horse as his beloved
Tír na nÓg.

What happens is the chase of a lifetime as the two boys manage to go to the horse jumping events and steal the horse back and they ride "into the west" where their journey begins. They are followed not only by the police, the horse breeder who had bought the horse, but by their father who goes back to the old traveler settlement and gets the aid of his traveler friends.

This is a charming movie and a tearjerker as the end will testify and no, no one dies, but there is a heart warming healing of past wounds which are mended, particularly by their father, Reilly.

If I were to rate this movie I'd give it 9 stars.

Directed by Mike Newell

Cast:

Papa Reilly...........Gabriel Byrne
Kathleen................Ellen Barkin
Ossie......................Claran Fitzgerald
Tito.........................Rualdhri Conroy
Grandfather..........David Kelly

Movie Review: Thunderheart: A Contemporary Native American Movie

(Originally Published at Yahoo.Voices formerly Associated Content~10/13/2009)

ABSTRACT: While this is a "fictional" movie it's based on the events that occurred during the 1970s between the FBI and A.I.M.

CONTENT: (Previously published ©Nov 2, 2008 at Ciao under my pen-name pyewacket)

The opening of the 1992 movie Thunderheart shows in silhouette during an approaching sunset, a Native American running, running, running. Suddenly gunshots are heard and the Native American falls to his death and lands face down in a river.

The movie next takes us to Washington D.C. to the office of Jack Milton of the FBI who is assigning Ray Levoi an FBI agent to do investigations of the numerous murders that are occurring near The Badlands and on a Native American reservation in South Dakota. Milton specifically wants Levoi to investigate who is behind these murders since among being of other ethnic backgrounds, Levoi is part Sioux Indian himself. During the interview between Milton and himself, Levoi is trying to deny his Native American background, just as he has done all his life as he has always been ashamed of his full blood Native American father who was an alcoholic. Nonetheless, Levoi goes to the reservation and hooks up with other members of the FBI team there that includes their leader, Frank Coutelle

While he and Frank start making a search in the desolate area of The Badlands, he comes across a Native American man who is bending over the dead body of another Native American man. Thinking that this man has just killed the other the two apprehend the man, with Levoi throwing the man onto the ground,while Frank does a search for ID. It turns out the man is Walter Crow Horse, a member of the Tribal police and is also trying to find the answers to this recent homicide.

Levoi and Crow Horse are to meet many times afterward and while Levoi does try to work according to the FBI rules and regulations and with Frank Coutelle, he seems to be more interested in getting the Native American viewpoint of what is going on and why the strange homicides. Crow Horse even introduces Levoi to an elderly shaman, named Grandpa Sam Reaches, who has the gift of vision, especially into the heart of Levoi who has denied his Native heritage for so long. It's not long when Levoi is often confused for after awhile maybe due to his being in connection with his own heritage, he starts seeing visions himself.

It turns out there is a specific reason for the strange sudden killings for there is a secret that is being covered up, and anyone who finds out about it is killed off. You'll just have to watch the movie to find out what the secret is, and who is to blame for the killings.

Opinions/Comments

While most movies centering about Native Americans in general are usually about distant past events in America's history, Thunderheart was the first movie to show Native American life in more contemporary time and setting, as it does take place during the turbulent 1970s with the rise of the rather radical American Indian Movement (A.I.M.)

During these times, real actual treacheries did occur, and yes while some actions of the American Indian Movement were extreme, many of its members had to more or less go underground, for the FBI and the government in general viewed A.I.M. members as ironically being "non-American" in their activities. The truth was that what the organization was attempting to do was to bring full Native American rights recognized.

The director, Michael Apted no doubt was very sympathetic to the injustices that occurred to Native Americans during that time period, for not long before Thunderheart came out, he had also done a documentary entitled Incident At Oglala, which emphasizes the unjust and unfair treatment of Leonard Peltier who supposedly was responsible for the deaths of two FBI agents. Many feel that Peltier was a scapegoat and a FBI cover up of their own abuse of power. To this day some thirty years later , Peltier remains a political prisoner in jail and has never been given a pardon by any President even though the evidence is overwhelming that he had nothing to do with the deaths.

This movie wonderfully sets the mood of those times, and yes, is downright frustrating and grim. A light-hearted movie this isn't, but gives a fantastic insight of why many Native Americans did become radicals as all they were trying to do was seek true justice and uncover truths. Some members of A.I.M. are actually cast as extras in this movie, such as one of the co-founders of the organization, Dennis Banks.

What really surprises me however, was how such a movie like Thunderheart was allowed to be made in the first place and wasn't censored by the government, for it sure shows the workings and operations of the FBI in a very negative stance.

Cast
Ray Levoi......................Val Kilmer
Jack Milton....................Fred Ward
Frank Coutelle..............Sam Shepard
Walter Crow Horse.......Graham Greene
Maggie Eagle Bear......Shelia Tousey
Grandpa Sam Reaches....Ted Thin Elk
Jimmy Looks Twice......John Trudell
Dennis Banks................himself

Directed by Michael Apted
Written by John Fusco
Music by John Horner
Running Time: 119 minutes

Movie Review: Rabbit Ears-The Velveteen Rabbit: A Beautiful Telling of a Children's Story

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~8/20/2009)

ABSTRACT: Rabbit Ears is a delightfully retelling of this charming story and narrated by Academy award winner Meryl Streep

CONTENT: (©~Dec 5, 2008/ciao--originally published for Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

Get out your hankies folks if you watch this lovely 1985 animated adaptation of the The Velveteen Rabbit story that had been written by Margery Williams and is narrated by actress Meryl Streep, with wonderful music by George Winston.

Plot

An excerpt from the beginning of the movie.

In the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, just as a real rabbit should be His coat was brown and white and very soft. He had real thread whiskers and his ears were lined with pink satin

That is how this delightful children's story starts to unfold. The Velveteen Rabbit is given as a gift to a young boy on Christmas and while the boy gets other gifts on that Christmas morning he favors the rabbit most of all. He even favors the rabbit more than all his other toys from Christmases past, which doesn't sit well with the more expensive toys in his room that talk to the rabbit and all make fun of him and tell him that he's not real, just a silly stuffed toy. The rabbit befriends an old worn old rocking horse that is the oldest toy in the boy's room, and he tells the rabbit not to pay attention to the other toys that make fun of him. The rabbit is even made fun of one day, when the boy takes him on a picnic, and real rabbits are attracted to this Velveteen Rabbit...but when they sniff him, they realize he's not real, they make fun of him that he can't run, jump or play like they can since they are real and he isn't.
Disheartened, when the boy takes him back to his room he asks the old rocking horse what does it mean to be real. And the horse replies, that a toy is real when it has been loved.

Time passes on, the rabbit is getting shabbier and shabbier looking and worn out, yet the boy still loves his Velveteen Rabbit until a calamity happens. What is the calamity? What happens to the Velveteen Rabbit? Does he ever become "real"?

For this you have to watch this movie to find out.

Opinions/Comments

I have a confession to make. I'm a bona-fide wimp when it comes to watching children's movies like this and need tissues nearby. While this is an animated movie, and not even really animated in the sense of most animated movies, but merely the story unfolds with a collection of drawings, this movie still affects me big time. This is one of those movies I make a point watching especially during the Christmas season. What is it exactly that will make a person perhaps cry at this movie? In my case, maybe it's a remembrance of one's own childhood, and that absolute favorite toy they had as a child. And believe it or not, I still have my very first stuffed toy as well...a female Kangaroo with a pouch and baby "roo". When she was new her fake fur was a pale soft pink and so was the baby roo. She had cute glass eyes sewn in and a fuzzy tail. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, that stuffed toy, that I called KangyRoo, is far worse from wear, now being almost as old as I am, which is 53. she is shabby looking, all the fur worn off, and missing her eyes, yet I refuse to throw her out...silly and sentimental I know, but just can't part with her...ever. So perhaps that's what strikes a chord with me when I watch The Velveteen Rabbit. It reminds me of my own treasured toy from childhood.

If you wish you can read the story here: Velveteen Rabbit

Cast:
Voice of Meryl Streep for all characters
Music by George Winston

Based on the book, The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real by Margery Williams

Movie Review: The Three Lives of Thomasina: A Classic Old-Time Disney Movie

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~8/11/2009)

ABSTRACT: This is one of those old time classic Disney movies that I grew up with and still love

CONTENT: (©©Nov 14, 2008~Ciao~First published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

The 1964 movie, The Three Lives of Thomasina is quite literally a movie I grew up with, and believe it or not actually saw it in the movie theater when it first came out and has been a treasured movie I don't mind seeing time and time again.

Plot
The Three Lives of Thomasina takes place in a quaint Scottish town, and is narrated and told by the viewpoint of none other than Thomasina herself, an orange-tabby cat. Mary MacDhul is Thomasina's owner, a little girl, who an only child and motherless, dotes on the cat as if it were a human baby, often dressing the cat up in doll's clothing and pays all her attention on the cat. Her father, Dr. Andrew MacDhul is a rather cold, bitter and heartless man and is the town's veterinarian. He is often jealous of his daughter's love and affection to a mere cat, and though while a vet and supposed healer of animals, tends to think dogs and cats as useless creatures and prefers to spend his time healing farm type animals. The only pet dog he does try to save in earnest is a blind man's dog.

One day Thomasina on her usual meanderings outside of the home has an accident and is injured, and Mary rushes the cat to her father in the hopes he can save her life. But who knows? Maybe due to his jealousy of the attention his daughter gives to the cat doesn't even try to save the life of Thomasina and orders his assistant to euthanize the cat. Thinking the cat dead, Mary and her playmate friends hold a funeral service for Thomasina and take her in a beautifully lined basket to a nearby forested area for the "service" While sad eulogies are given by the children, the scene cuts to another one.

We see Thomasina in a free fall, falling down, down, down and lands in a fairly darkened area with a gigantic steep stairway. On other side of her she sees hundreds and hundreds of cats ready to greet her as she walks up the stairs and at the top of the stairs is a huge feline statue...Bast, the ancient Egyptian feline goddess and protector of cats.

The funeral service is cut short, when all of a sudden the children see Lori MacGregor, the town's recluse and thought to be a witch. The children being scared of her runaway and leave Thomasina behind them. Lori approaches the basket with the "lifeless" form of Thomasina, but upon examining the cat, she discovers that Thomasina is not dead, but indeed very weak and barely alive. Lori gently takes Thomasina to her cabin in the woods and uses her herbal medicines to heal the cat. Lori, besides having the reputation of being a witch, has a remarkable gift in healing all animals. Thomasina does indeed recover, but now has no memory of her former life with Mary. Thomasina is now in her "second" life.

In the meantime, Mary's father is ignored by the townsfolk, thinking it horrible that he wouldn't help his own daughter's cat, and begin taking their pets for healing to none other than the "witch", Lori. Not only does he get the scorn of the townsfolk, but his own daughter, Mary pretends he doesn't even exist anymore.

Does Thomasina ever remember her former life with Mary? Does Thomasina ever go back home? What is Thomasina's "third" life? Does Mary's father ever soften his heart to his own daughter, can their relationship ever be close? Do the people's townsfolk ever have any respect for Mary's father? What near tragedy occurs that will change lives? For the answers to these questions you just have to watch the movie.

Opinons/Comments
This 1964 movie is true classic Disney at it's best. It was during those years of the 1960s that a whole slew of memorable movies came out, such as Pollyanna and Old Yeller, It is by no means a cheery light hearted Disney film, at least not in the same category or realm as the Disney animated movie, but like many of the movies of that time had messages in them about human compassion and understanding. A lesson is always in them for the characters to learn from.

The one scene that has always, but always struck in my mind and has been embedded ever since I saw it first time round, was that scene where Thomasina "dies" and is walking up those stairs, a cat's version of heaven, known as the Land of Bast. I myself, who have had cats ever since I was five years old, have had my share of "deaths" in the family and have always coined the phrase that where my cats go when they pass on, besides Rainbow Bridge, has been the Land of Bast.

The acting in this movie is superb, especially by Karen Dotrice who plays Mary and Patrick McGoohan who plays Mary's father is very effectual in being a cold hearted none caring character, the kind you just love to hate. I absolutely loved the character of Lori MacGregor (Susan Hampshire) and the compassion and love for animals she has. And no, she isn't a real witch, just a person with enormous, natural healing skills.

I would rate this movie 9 out of 10, and if you're one of those old-fashioned type Disney movie lovers, you'll love this movie as well, as much as I always have.
Cast

Voice of Thomasina.......Elspeth March
Dr. Andrew MacDhul......Patrick McGoohan
Mary MacDhul..................Karen Dotrice
Lori MacGregor................Susan Hampshire
Hughie Stirling................Vincent Winter
Jamie McNab...................Denis Gilmore
Geordie McNab................Matthew Garber

Directed by DonChaffey
Music by Paul J. Smith
Running Time: 97 min
Based on the Paul Gallico book, Thomasina, The Cat Who Thought She Was God

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia: Keep Your Mind Wide Open in Imagination

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~8/11/2009)

ABSTRACT: A truly delightful movie based on the novel by Katherine Paterson but one will need tissues toward the end

CONTENT: (©©Nov 10, 2008~Ciao~~First published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

The 2007 movie Bridge to Terabithia is based on the book by Katherine Paterson, of which I had read over a year ago. Both book and movie are a delight and I would call this an "everyman" type story that many will be able to relate to.

Jess Aarons is a rather lonely young boy of whom he feels no one understands him. His family consisting of his mother, father and four sisters certainly don't understand him, for instead of doing the typical "boy" like things he loves to draw and paint...he is the aspiring artist. His schoolmates don't understand him either due to his artistic preference and often bully him. He feels hurt and dejected that his father spends so much time with his younger sister and none with him, the only time the father pays any attention to him is to scold him for not doing his chores on time. The only one who seems to appreciate his artistic nature is his music teacher, Mrs. Edmunds.

Then along comes the "new" girl, Leslie Burke, also sort of an outcast only due to her free-spirited nature, and frankly she doesn't care about being an outcast, she loves and knows who she is, and is loved by her own family who are also a bit on the different drummer eccentric side.

A strange bond occurs almost immediately between Jess and Leslie, maybe perhaps since they are both outcasts and different from the other kids their age. Leslie just loves to extend her imagination to the hilt, and one day after being dropped off by their school bus, the two decide to explore some of the land that is nearby. They are in a heavily forested area and they come across a stream. Hanging on a tree on the other side of the stream is a thick rope, and she urges Jess to go over the stream and into the area of the forest no one has been in for ages. Taking a long stick, she pulls the rope toward her, grasps at it and swings over the stream to the other side. Not wanting to feel left out, Jess also grasps for the rope and swings over the stream also.

Leslie's imagination goes off on a rampart as they explore the forest. They come across an old abandoned dilapidated treehouse and decide to make it their own. Everyday after school, the two go back to the forest area and the treehouse. One day, Leslie climbs way up high on a tree, and urges Jess to follow suit and he does. she remarks to him...do you see it? He looks at her rather oddly for all he sees is a rather barren valley. She tells him..."Keep your eyes closed and your mind wide open." He closes his eyes for a few minutes, then opens them again, and he can now see what she sees...a indescribably beautiful land with rivers and streams and mountains in the distance. He asks her, what should we call this place and she replies....Terabithia.

With the "naming" of this place, Terabithia seems to come truly alive for the children...there are good creatures that will help them in their time of need, and evil creatures such as trolls and furry flying eagles. They continue to build up the treeshouse and it becomes their sanctuary. But all will not be well. Tragedy does strike and it would seem things will never be the same, yet a happy ending does occur.

Now when I mentioned that this is an "everyman" type story, what I mean is that so many of the characters in this movie, we the audience can relate to. How many children feel neglected by their parents, especially if the parents are constantly worried about finances, the way Jess' parents are. Or maybe feel envious that a parent pays more attention to one member of the family, in this case Jess's little sister May Belle? How many times have we come across a totally free-spirited person, and think them eccentric? And I think one thing many can relate to...the bully that loves to torment people and push them around as in the case of the character in this story, Janice...we later find out just why she is a bully.

So what exactly does happen in this magical land Jess and Leslie bring to life? Do the two begin to have a stronger sense of identity, and through the friendship feel better about themselves? What is the tragedy that occurs? Will their lives ever be the same due to it? Does Jess' father ever take notice of his own son? For that you'll have to watch the movie.

I have to admit I was hesitant about seeing this movie since I had read the book and knew what tragedy was to occur. Yet, I'm now glad I did. I just love this movie and can really identify with a bit of the characters in it myself, especially Jess and Leslie...there's a bit of both of them in me, even now I think. The saying that Leslie says...Keep your eyes closed and your mind wide open is so true. While the other cliched saying is seeing is believing, it's not necessarily so. Sometimes one's inner mind, inner belief is what makes things real and possible.

I don't think this is a movie for very young children, but children over the age of ten or so, will enjoy this and may also identify with the characters as well. The special effects are wonderful, bringing the creatures of Terabithia alive and were done by none other than the famous Weta Workshop of Lord of the Rings fame. The music is appropriate and I just love the song that Anna Sophia Robb (Leslie) sings, called "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" in which a special music video is also included in the DVD.

I would rate this a 9 out of 10 for this movie and highly recommend it.

Cast
Jess Aarons......Josh Hutcherson
Leslie Burke.......Anna Sophia Robb
Jack Aarons.......Robert Patrick
May Belle Aarons..Bailee Madison
Janice Avery.......Lauren Clinton
Mrs. Edmunds......Zooey Deschanel

Directed by Gabor Csupó
Music by Michael Chapman
Running Time: 98 minutes

ARTICLE: Movie Review: The Journey of Natty Gann: A Poignant Movie Set in the Depression Era

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~7/26/2009)

ABSTRACT: This is a very heart-warming Disney story set during the Depression Days and a must see

CONTENT: (©Oct 15, 2008~Ciao--originally published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

A heartwarming movie is the 1985 The Journey of Natty Gann, set in the Depression years. Natty lives in a hotel room with her father in Chicago, her mother having died many years before. Things are touch and go all way round since it is the Depression period. Natty herself, is a street wise kid that knows how to take care of herself, which proves to be a valuable asset later on.

Since jobs are scarce, Sol, her father continues to seek work. One day he gets a golden opportunity for employment but there is one hitch...the job, at a timber mill, is in Washington state and he is provided with only one ticket, so he can't take Natty along. He talks and tries to persuade Connie, the hotel's owner to look after Natty while he's gone and also promises to send money for the rent when he can. Time is of the essence, he must leave on the bus going there and is hoping to talk to Natty before leaving her, but she is nowhere to be found, so he boards the bus.

Time passes by, and Natty doesn't hear from her father, in the meantime, Connie, who is rather self-centered and doesn't really want to be bothered taking care of Natty, decides to call authorities to tell them that Natty is an orphaned child...luckily Natty overhears this phone conversation and makes her escape. En route, she happens to pass by a place filled with noise and cheering. Curious, she goes inside the building to discover a fight between two canines, one a regular dog, the other a wolf. The wolf wins...the owner tries to get the wolf back, but the wolf refuses to go to him and instead makes a run for it, right toward the door where Natty is standing petrified that the wolf may attack her. The two gaze directly into each others eyes, as if sizing each other up...she opens the door which allows the wolf to run away. The owner, seeing this is angered and hits Natty unconscious.
When she wakes up, she decides in trying to find her father in Washington, but she has no money for a train ticket, so sneaks on board one of the empty storage compartments of a train that is about to depart, yet the compartment isn't empty...there are others inside, several down and out men on their luck who also use the compartments of trains as free rides on the railroad system...one of the men is Harry, who later befriends her and helps her out later on.

Natty's rail rides, of which there are many, aren't smooth sailing by any means. On one such trip, the train derails and explodes, yet Natty makes it to safety...as well as another passenger...the wolf who was hidden in another compartment of the train. Natty is now in the middle of nowhere in a heavily forested area, having no idea where she is, yet she begins to walk her way...following her is the wolf. At one point a heavy rainstorm begins and she seeks cover in a small cave....it's not empty. The wolf has also taken refuge there. She talks out loud to the wolf..daring him to do what he will such as kill her, but tells the wolf that no way is she going out in the pouring rain. They eye each other cautiously ...the wolf as he is not sure of her, as he had been abused all his life under the ownership of his human master for dog fights, and she due to not trusting him, simply because he is a wild untamed wolf. Ironically, the next morning she wakes up, right next to the wolf that has used his body to keep her warm during the night while she slept. Thus a strong bond now occurs between the wolf and Natty and is to become her protector.

There are other dangers that Natty faces. Such as arriving at one town where she hooks up with some deadbeats who hang out together and make a life out of stealing. To prove her "worth" to she must try to persuade a gigantic cow that is in a fenced in area to go inside the waiting truck that the other members of the gang have, and which they wish to steal the cow. Once the cow is locked in the truck, the gang speeds off as an approaching cops car arrives....but they leave Natty behind, she is seized and taken to an orphanage and the wolf is also caught and trapped in a crate and hauled off supposedly to be killed off. Natty, as ever being clever manages to escape the orphanage and tracks to where the wolf was taken, which is to the local blacksmith, who turns out to be a kindly man, who didn't kill the wolf, and Natty and the wolf are reunited. The blacksmith helps her out by giving her some food and money to continue on with her journey.

Meantime word gets to Natty's father, Sol, of the train crash where Natty's wallet was found...he is led to believe that she died in the fire after the train exploded. Believing he has nothing to live for now....his wife gone, and now Natty, he volunteers himself in some of the more dangerous aspects of the timber industry...jobs where most men die. Little does he know, that Natty is not far away...but he takes on a job that includes dynamiting an area of land. Just as Natty is almost at her destination, she hears a terrible explosion of the dynamite having been set off.
For the answers as to whether Natty's father is alive or dead and is reunited with him you'll just have to see the movie....a winner in my eyes. Oh, and yes, you just might need tissues on hand.

The music is memorable as it was written by one of the all time great movie soundtrack composers, James Horner (Glory, Braveheart, Titanic, etc)
Cast:

Natty Gann - Meredith Salenge
Harry - John Cusack
Sol Gann -Ray Wise
Connie- Lainie Kazan
Sherman - Scatman Crothers
Wolf -- Jed (also was the wolf in White Fang)

Directed by Jeremy Kagan
Music by James Horner

Movie Review: Bell, Book and Candle: An Old-Fashioned Love Story with a Twist

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~7/9/2009)

ABSTRACT: Bell, Book, and Candle is a great old-time movie with a great cast and a must see.

CONTENT: (©Nov 15, 2008~Ciao-originally published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

The 1958 movie Bell, Book, and Candle is one of those good old fashioned, delightful romantic comedies and stars a real stellar cast.

Plot

Bell, Book and Candle is one of those classic old fashioned type love stories wit a bit of a twist. I say a twist as most of the characters in the movie are witches.The movie takes place in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, an area that has always had a reputation for the free-spirited artistic type people living there. Being that this movie takes place in the late 1950s, many of the "artistic" type would be classified as "beatniks", sort of the precursor of the later hippies.

Shep Henderson is a rather ordinary man who is a publisher who one day by accident (or was it an accident?) makes a stop by an artist's gallery owned by Gillian where he needs to make a phone call. Not trying to be nosy, yet she is, Gillian overhears to whom Shep is talking to, none other than an old rival of hers, Merle, who it turns out is now Shep' s fiancée. That gets the ball rolling as she can' t stand the idea of her old rival finding love in her life, and she decides to cast a spell on Shep to make him fall in love with her and she gets help in casting her spell by using her Siamese cat named Pyewacket. There is one hiccup in her plan however. One of the rules is that once a witch falls in love, they will lose any magical powers that they have and become an ordinary person without any powers at all and worse she could lose her familiar, Pyewacket.

As you can guess, Shep does indeed fall in love with Gillian, in fact he's nearly obsessed with her, and she now starts revealing herself as a witch, not only that but she introduces him to a whole array of witches, including her brother Nicky and her Aunt who routinely hang out in a local jazz type nightclub and pub where Nicky plays in the band.

Throughout most of the movie it's only Shep who is madly in loves with Gillian, while Gillian guards her emotions and isn't in love with him, he is just a pawn in her plans to get even with her old rival Merle. But what happens?
Is Shep turned off by the whole concept of witchcraft and witches or is he fascinated by it? Does Gillian indeed fall in love? Does she loose not only her powers, but her faithful familiar Pyewacket? For that you have to watch the movie.

Comments/Opinions

This is probably one of the few movies that depicts witches in a good vein, rather than as old hags with long crooked noses and fingers, with warts on their faces or green skin, as is the usual case..think of the Wicked Witch of The West and that is how most female witches have always depicted. Instead you have a female witch as played by the alluring and rather seductive beautiful actress Kim Novak. I also can't help wonder if Novak's character may have been the inspiration for another female witch character with many of the same characteristics, and also had the name Gillian. I'm speaking of the character Gillian played by Nicole Kidman in the 1998 movie Practical Magic. Another similarity is that in Practical Magic, due to an old spell cast by their ancestor Marie, the Owens women (the main characters of the story) can never fall in love, for if they do, their man is sure to die. Yes, a little bit of a twist there, but some of the same ideas as from Bell, Book and Candle.

Another plus is that shows those who are practitioners of witchcraft where there are no "evil" spells being cast against someone. No one in this movie is casting a spell to harm someone or cause someone's death as too many witchcraft genre movies do. In fact, for such an old time movie, it's one of the few that more or less go with the concepts of those who follow the Pagan/Wicca path of life.

As a personal note, whenever someone sees my user name "Pyewacket" which I practically use everywhere, I inevitably get asked, "Oh, your name is like the cat in the movie, Bell, Book and Candle." Actually, I picked that user name long before I even had my own computer and was using the computers in the library. When it came time to think of an easy user name to remember, yes I did pick Pyewacket, not so much due to the movie, but do happen to have a black cat, named, as you can guess Pyewacket.

As a bit of historical trivia, the name Pyewacket, actually predates the movie Bell, Book and Candle by a real long shot and dates back to the Medieval England days. The name was usually associated with witches who had a black cat, as traditionally, Pyewacket was always the name of black cats, rather than like the Siamese one in Bell, Book and Candle.

I absolutely love this movie and usually make it one of my Halloween movie traditions to watch each year. It's sweet, charming and a good old fashioned Hollywood type love story that was so popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. They rarely make movies like this anymore.

I would rate this movie 9 out of 10 for the brilliant storyline, it's comical nature, good old fashioned fun to watch, and a magnificent cast of characters and actors. A real must see movie.

Cast

Shep Henderson........James Stewart
Gillian Holroyd.............Kim Novak
Nicky Holroyd...............Jack Lemmon
Aunt Queenie Holroyd..Elsa Lancheste
Sidney Redlitch...........Ernie Kovacs
Merle Kittridge..............Janice Rule
Directed by Richard Quine
Music by George Duning
Running Time: 106 minutes
Written by Daniel Taradash
Based on the play by John Van Druten

Video clip from Bell, Book And Candle~the "spell" scene Scene from Bell, Book And Candle

DVD Review: Ken Burns' the Civil War: a Film Directed by Ken Burns: A Truly Wonderful Documentary Series

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~7/1/2009)

ABSTRACT: Probably one of the best documentary series around is Ken Burns' Civil War and a not miss for the history buff.

CONTENT: (©Nov 2, 2008~Ciao~Originally published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

To be honest, while growing up I was never much of a fan of American history, instead I preferred reading and studying up on the ancient cultures of Egypt, and Greece, I also loved the Medieval and Renaissance periods. That was to change however, when The Civil War series by Ken Burns aired on the PBS channels during 1990.
When the series first was broadcast, I sat absolutely mesmerized by watching this wonderfully presented documentary, and normally I'm not much of a documentary type watcher either. I was also thoroughly impressed by Ken Burns himself, and how he was able to pull off such a monumental undertaking of a very detailed series that brought the whole Civil War era come to life. Most of the series is done by piecing together thousands upon thousands of contemporary photographs of the time, as well as paintings and newspaper clippings also of that time.

Yet, even though the series primarily uses still photographs to illustrate the series, and therefore not live action as in a movie, the images come to life brilliantly by the narrative voices that are throughout the series...such as the main narrator David McCullough (whose voice also narrative the movie Seabiscuit). Julie Harris gives voice to Mary Chesnut, a southern woman who despises the Yankees, and whose words come to life from her numerous existing letters and journals, that can be found in the 886 page book, Mary Chesnut's Civil War edtied by C. Van Woodward. Amongst the "Union" side of the war, Chris Murney gives his voice and makes the letters and diaries of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, a private who served in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry come alive after so many years of silence.

Besides the photographic images of the Civil War period, the series has authentic contemporary music of the era playing throughout the documentary, such as Battle Cry of Freedom, Lorena, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, just to name but a scant few.

The most bittersweet presentation, I found however was the reading of the now famous Sullivan Ballou's letter to his wife Sarah, written to her a mere week before he was to engage in the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas as it's known down in Southern USA). While the letter is read, the haunting and beautiful melody of Askokan Farewell plays, and if hearing the letters doesn't bring tears to your eyes I don't know what will. How eloquently and poetically people wrote in those days, not like today in a world of text messaging. You can read the letter by typing in a search for Sullivan Ballou's letter, and you may also view this particular segment of the Civil War series at Youtube as well. Have tissues handy! You can read the letter Here

There was so much of the Civil War I never knew about until seeing this documentary. In the four years that the war took place, during the years 1861 to 1865 more than 600.000 soldiers died in combat. Also, this war wasn't a terroristic act from a foreign source, it was in our own backyard, that of one part of the United States, torn with conflict and fighting against one another, Yankees on the Northern side and Confederates on the Southern side.

If you've never watched this documentary, you're missing something, and is a definite must see. And unlike most documentary type series where one viewing is sufficient, this is one you won't mind seeing again and again. If you've never been an American History buff before, this series just might change your mind and have a much better appreciation of America's past.

On A Personal Note

After watching this series, I became something of a Civil War history buff. I began collecting numerous books and have a virtual library that outshines most public libraries. Also, it inspired me to do some very extensive genealogy research in which I was to discover that on my father's side there was a true case of, if not brother against brother, fighting each other but cousin against cousin. Branches of the original settlers that lived in Virginia were to later settle in Ohio, consequently many joined the Union regiments. Some remained in Virginia, and one member of my distant ancestry fought for the Virginia 35th Battalion Calvary Regiment in which took part in the Gettysburg battle and some months later was captured and sent to a prison camp, not being released until months after the Civil War ended. My direct line, left Virginia in 1859 and moved to Missouri, which was to be one of the few neutral states during the Civil War, neither completely Union, nor Confederate, yet two brothers to my great-great grandfather joined as surgeons for separate various Confederate Arkansas military units.

This series also inspired me to write a short story with the Civil War as the background, not yet published. When I showed it to one particular friend, he said he couldn't read the entire story as he said my battle scenes were too graphic. When he asked how in the world was I able to describe battles so authentically, when I've never participated in a war, I merely replied that I owed my inspiration to the Ken Burns' Civil War series.

Episodes For The Series:
Episode 1: The Cause (1861)
Episode 2: A Very Bloody Afair (1862)
Episode 3: Forever Free (1862)
Episode 4: Simply Murder (1863)
Episode 5: The Universe of Battle (1863)
Episode 6: Valley of the Shadow of Death (1864)
Episode 7: Most Hallowed Ground (1864)
Episode 8: War Is All Hell (1865)
Episode 9: The Better Angels of Our Nature (1865)

Narrated Voices For The Series
Main Narrator..................David McCullough
Abraham Lincoln............Sam Waterston
Mary Chesnut..................Julie Harris
Frederick Douglas...........Morgan Freeman
Robert E. Lee...................George Black
Sullivan Ballou................Paul Roebling

Total Running Time: 690 minutes or 11-1/2 hours on five DVD discs