So, the Big Changes.....

I did find what I was looking for - and more - at the Soulcraft Intensive experience at Breitenbush Hot Springs, in beautiful, beautiful Oregon ( Read more... )

Hezké chvilky bez záruky (Pleasant Moments) was a great film, as expected. I do enjoy how the Czechs avoid all sentimentality and all "preachiness" in portraying the decline of western civilization. Instead of pointedly saying, "You should think/believe/feel this/that/the other," they tend to rather vomit in your lap and ask, "So, what do you ( Read more... )

I was disappointed by the lack of Czech films at last year's Seattle International Film Fest, so this year, having three makes me quite happy. One in particular, Kráska v nesnázích (Beauty in Trouble), I am looking forward to. I have heard of this one from Czech friends as highly recommended ( Read more... )

Well.....maybe I found a place, a studio that is a really good price for the area. I'm putting in an application, hoping that some random person's credit history hasn't been dumped into mine, as had happened a few years ago. (I have a very common name.) I did the free credit check thing today, and one of the "big three" bastards seemed to have ( Read more... )

I love it when a class is so inspirational, I actually have to PARE DOWN what I want to say, and can turn every paragraph I read into two paragraphs of my own. No writer's block when it comes to good ol' Joe Campbell. Thanks, Joe!!! For that, I will post a lovely poem about you, written by Phil Cousineau ( Read more... )

Sooooo many sub-texts and most I don't recognize, but there's a lot of stuff about all the bullshit European politics over the centuries, told from the Czech's point of view.... It's worth noting that they were ruled by the Luxembourgs for quite a spell, but I won't get into a history lesson here ( Read more... )

What a fantastic actor is Bolek Polívka. The film Šašek a královna (The Joker and the Queen) is playing, and from the opening scene, I was laughing at his antics ( Read more... )

Hhhmmmm, it took a little while for a lot of the symbolism to sink in, but I find that Anděl Páně (God's Angel) is quite a clever indictment of fundamentalism. It doesn't suffer from a stiff execution, so I'm not sure what makes me think it mightn't be too interesting for the students of my second-year Czech class??? I'm planning on holding a ( Read more... )

I thought we were going to watch "Šašek a královna," but a newer film with a Christmas theme was queued up: Anděl Páně (God's Angel). It's pretty good, the actor Ivan Trojan is so good at playing idiots. heheh The basic message is one of compassion, but Czechs tend to pretty much avoid moralizing and maudlin (those ridiculous hallmarks of ( Read more... )

Yea, yea, I wanna tell the story about getting my new living space, but I'm about to go watch Šašek a královna (The Joker and the Queen), a Czech fairytale directed by the incomparable Věra Chytilová, and I just marvel at the quality and quantity of Czech cinema. A nation of a mere 10 million or so, and they have such a prodigious cinematic output ( Read more... )