stephen

film: Lang: M (1931)

Though I probably haven’t seen enough thrillers to know, their general pattern seems to be lightheartedness through the beginning, and then a quick increase into whatever makes us anxious, a curveball at the end, finis. Except that this seems to be Hitchcock’s strategy, I’d say that Lang was working early in a genre–and so? IContinue reading “film: Lang: M (1931)”

film: Kramer: Inherit the Wind (1960)

The difficulties I have in viewing films is the same I have in listening to music or poetry–I find it almost cruel to separate its parts; to dissect a work of art truly is dissection in its most violent sense, it is equal to the dehumanization present alongside any occupied surgical table. Yet, it mustContinue reading “film: Kramer: Inherit the Wind (1960)”

novel: Maugham: The Razor’s Edge (1944)

I claim to be a writer if I’m pressed for a real answer, something better than “drug dealer.” But the follow-up question is always brutal: what do you write? Well…I used to consider myself a short-story writer, and then I thought I was writing a novel that turned out to be poetry…and what now? LoveContinue reading “novel: Maugham: The Razor’s Edge (1944)”

film: Pastrone: Cabiria (1914)

“Two hour silent Italian film” sounds frightening. So I’ve been hesitant to watch it, despite knowing its importance in the film world. But tonight I watched it, and was surprised to enjoy it very well. It moved along quickly enough, though the plot seemed bogged down with excessive motivations and plots. I think I possessContinue reading “film: Pastrone: Cabiria (1914)”

film: Olivier: Richard III (1955)

Olivier’s Richard III assumes great independence of the text, including, though I haven’t checked for sure, lines from Henry VI part 3 as the introduction (as I seem to recall the play ending on a generally optimistic note, York now holding the throne, and the audience privy to Richard’s ill intentions). But these are changesContinue reading “film: Olivier: Richard III (1955)”

novel: Lewis: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)

This is the third book of the Narnia series. It seems that it will be the last of which the original main characters take part, which leaves me a bit sad, because I took a great liking to Lucy instantly, despite her being the one with the most blind faith. Of course, all of theContinue reading “novel: Lewis: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)”

lecture: Spiro: Monkeys, Genesis and Jews (3/07)

“Monkeys, Genesis and Jews: The Darwinian Impact on Judaism” Presented by Jack D. Spiro: March 22, 2007: [One year later: There’s this one key point that the public tends to get wrong when it comes to groundbreaking publications, being that the author did not begin working with a void, but is only the latest inContinue reading “lecture: Spiro: Monkeys, Genesis and Jews (3/07)”

poetry: Byron: Hours of Idleness (1807)

Four selections from a book of poems I find a somewhat tedious read of sporadic quality: “Love’s Last Adieu”–I nearly didn’t make it through this, every line, I mean, was difficult to make sense of, even after spending the past hour working through Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis. Granted, it can’t be easy to write somethingContinue reading “poetry: Byron: Hours of Idleness (1807)”

poetry: Shakespeare: Venus and Adonis (1593)

I recall reading this in Northampton in the Haymarket, late one evening, at a small table, with my teapot, and a small dim light over my book, and I was waiting many hours for R—- to arrive, and nothing could keep my focus on this poem, though I tried with all my might to enjoyContinue reading “poetry: Shakespeare: Venus and Adonis (1593)”

film: LaCava: My Man Godfrey (1936)

One of the very few films that, within moments of its beginning, I was hooked, and far before the end, was one of my favorites. Mostly due to William Powell’s acting–that is what hooked me, even before I could see his face in the darkness, his voice is not meant for Hollywood so much asContinue reading “film: LaCava: My Man Godfrey (1936)”