wish me luck

This is the soon-to-be-remodeled Memorial Stadium at the Berkeley campus of the University of California.

I hope it isn't demolished - or if it will be, not too soon anyway. I just submitted my application to study at the university this fall and I'd like to see the glorious art deco-ness of it for a while.




The reason I have been posting irregularly for the last few years is that I've been busy working my way through college. Let me tell you it's draining. Very often I wouldn't have time to write a post. Many times I'd been too busy to even watch a film. I don't think I've seen a movie from start to finish in one sitting in over a year. Painful.

Finally, all the essays and paperwork went through and I am officially up for consideration.

Everybody keep your fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

i'm thankful for my kitchen

Laura (1944)

I thought it best to save the reveal of my favorite room for the most kitchen-centered holiday:

Deception (1946)

Curse of the Cat People (1944)

I even hired a sommelier for the perfect wine flight tomorrow:

Wings in the Dark (1935)

And of course, coffee for everyone:

Night Train to Munich (1940)

No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)

beyond words

This was lent to me after I'd been raving about the great Mexican cinema I'd seen recently.
Even without subtitles, I watched two-thirds of it before the plot became more dependent on dialog.

I was captivated.
It is absolutely stunning.

El Violin (2005)
directed by Francisco Vargas
cinematography by Martin Boege
and Oscar Hijuelos

the doctor's house calls

Why hadn't this film caught my attention before?
Equal parts black humor, noir, and something just slightly off as to make the film even more intriguing.

The icing on the cake was all the attention to detail evident throughout, such as
the repeated use of spheres, concentric circles and spirals:









The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938)
directed by Anatole Litvak
cinematography by Tony Gaudio
art direction by Carl Jules Weyl

a brief holiday today

Oh boy, so far from the golden age of Italian Realism and de Sica still had the touch!
I loved this film. I even forgot it was filmed in the least aesthetically-appealing era of cinema.
At least the French and Italians rediscovered Art Deco around this time:



I also fell out of my chair to find not one...



...but two models of streetcars used today in San Francisco.



The transit company had them refurbished and they run daily up and down Market Street.
They even have machinists on staff to manufacture fresh parts when they wear out.

They weren't running today during the parade.

I don't know if non-residents understand the huge importance of the celebration today. There is, of course, the Pride Parade each June and I think there is also a parade on St. Patrick's Day. And that's it. There is no parade for Christmas and certainly not one for the Fourth of July. To throw a confetti celebration for which people will line up 30 deep is a special holiday in San Francisco.

A group of misfits, dismissed by most of their colleagues, who go on to win the championship is something most citizens of this city can identify with and support. The players in street clothes look just like people I see everyday. The other teams looked as though they were staffed with off-duty cops. By the way, the crowds lining the streets were so full of joy, they were even cheering the police in charge of crowd control. This truly is a special day.

Una Breve Vacanza (1973)
aka A Brief Vacation
directed by Vittorio de Sica