Irma La Douce: 1963, dir. Billy Wilder. Seen on DVD (Jan 9).
Irma La Douce was Billy Wilder’s most commercially successful film (on initial release, anyway). It also appears to be his silliest film. I’m not saying that like it’s a good thing, either.
I didn’t expect much from Irma La Douce. This is what happens when you read too many film books, I suppose. Also, I tend to dislike Sixties “sophisticated” sex comedies … which might explain why I have this completely inexplicable affection for Kiss Me, Stupid, Wilder’s anti-sophisticated sex comedy.
the perils of procrastination
Everything is a jumble around here. I can’t find one coherent topic to write about, except that I saw some movies for the first time and I ought to write about those, but I can’t even think of anything particularly entertaining to say about them. When I’m at a loss for movie rants, you know it’s been a weird week.
Mostly I’ve been sick with some nasty viral thingy that crept into my throat and attached my tonsils and the inside of my mouth in a really disgusting way. Not only did I feel miserably ill, but I felt entirely grossed out every time I looked in my mouth. I still have a sore throat and a tender mouth but at least it’s not icky anymore, just red. I am very thankful.
the nun, The King, the wedding
If you watch lots of sitcoms and cliched romantic comedy films, if you read the type of book that is currently being typed as “chick lit”, then you know that all unmarried women, excuse me, all of us girls harbor special secret wedding fantasies in our sweet feminine hearts. Even the tough, butch chicks have these Ultimate Wedding Ideals, no matter how much they might publicly deny it. Whether we actively want to be married doesn’t matter, we all have dreams of bridal beauty.
Yes, I am including myself. I didn’t think I had any sort of thoughts about “what if I ever got married” in my head beyond the immediate and visceral “Elope. Definitely elope.”
the Christmas trip, part two
I started writing this entry the other day, and in rereading it, I have to wonder why I have been in such a negative, pissy-ass mood all week. I mean, I did not have a rotten time in the Greater New Orleans area (I did not actually set foot in Orleans Parish during the visit, unless the airport counts). I missed my boyfriend, I had a nasty cold, and I was bummed about having too many Family Duty activities and not enough time alone or with friends.
Well, let’s face it, some of that was my own damn fault.
the Christmas trip, part one
Overall, I have to say this was pretty much a bleah Christmas for me and even for my immediate family. It wasn’t bad, no one had anything awful happen to them, no one got pissed at anyone else, but no one seemed particularly embued with festive holiday spirit.
a holiday lesson
Good morning, class. Today’s lesson for The Holiday Season is “Why you shouldn’t give monetary gifts.” Pay attention, there may be a quiz.
Year after year, Miss Manners and other etiquette mavens tell us that monetary gifts are impolite, and yet no one listens. The gift givers like to write checks or tuck a little cash in an envelope because it is easy and after all, who doesn’t want money as a gift? The recipients prefer money because they are tired of getting useless crap that takes up space and that they don’t feel they can throw away because what if the giver finds out? So a lot of people agree that money is the best gift for weddings and birthdays and Christmas.
accentuating the yeah, yeah, yeah
I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing complaints about The Holiday Season, especially my complaints. I know I don’t want to hear another negative word out of myself … well, unless I am telling a good story, like the adventures of my Christmastime trip to the suburbs of New Orleans.
So I am going to list some of the positive, happy things about December and its accompanying holidays.
merry wireless
Today I am facing the challenge of seeing how much I can write before my mom shows up from her Christmas card shopping to ask me what I am doing. I’m at PJ’s in Clearview Shopping Center, and although the table is uneven and I should have put more sugar in my coffee, I am as happy as I can be at this moment.
I surrender
I give up.
I am not going to be able to do Holidailies. I am not going to see any movies this month, I am not going to do anything remotely fun that I want to do.
stop it, Alamo
Normally I am one of the Alamo Drafthouse’s biggest fans. Austin currently has three Alamo Drafthouse theaters and I like them all, even the one waaay up north, which is a bit of a drive for me but the sound and picture quality are better than the Alamo Village right by my house. And then Alamo Downtown shows all these groovy movies and they have special events and Dollar Night …
Well, Alamo Downtown doesn’t quite have Dollar Night anymore, and the story behind how I found out will explain why I am rather cranky with the Alamo folks this week.