louise on the left (coast)

-- "Superlatives" by Roz Chast You know what? -- I do have everything I want. And, yes, "Right Now!" In fact, I have to say, life is good.  (It's great in both flavors; "Regular" or "Fabulous.") It's sure not always easy, but it is sweet. It's sweet because I can feel it.  And that's  about as lucky as we get.

Creep (Radiohead) - Scala & Kolacny Brothers  from Alex Heller   on  Vimeo .  The above film is a short "stop motion" art piece, set to a  haunting cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' (also heard on  The Social Network trailer  - by Scala & Kolacny Brothers choir). Alex Heller, the seventeen year old who made this brilliant short film,  describes herself on vimeo:  "Seventeen.  Trapped in the suburbs.  I root for the underdog." Well, so do I.  W hich is why I encourage Heller, and other talented kids like her to continue experimenting with technology to tell stories and to keep alive the art of making film.  We desperately need visionaries like Alex Heller these days.   So, Alex, I hope you win a big, fat scholarship to whatever school you feel would serve your work the best and that we hear a lot more from you in the future.

Amazing choral work of Radiohead's version of "Creep" turned into a statement about "mean girls."  The filmmaker uses uber creative film work using dolls and the choral version of "Creep," which was also, interestingly used in the film The Social Network. The filmmaker of this BRILLIANT short film is seventeen year old,  Alex Heller , who describes her self on Vimeo as:  "Seventeen, Trapped in the suburbs.  I root for the underdog

Fascinating and creative.  Very watchable. Had several moments which felt very "1968 Yellow Submarine," to me. valse statique-la théorie du combo from maxime bruneel on Vimeo . Train of thoughts... Created and animated by Maxime Bruneel music by Fréderic Chapron   title music by The Avalanches. maximebruneel.com

-- No?! Actually, as a mid-century brunette who wears glasses, I'm not sure if this offends me, or not. - Should it? *In case you are too lazy to watch the imbedded link above:  Tracy Morgan is asked live on Inside the NBA  who is hotter, Sarah Palin or Tina Fey?  Morgan goes on to share that actually Palin is  not only "good masturbation material, she's great masturbation material!"

Man Ray and  Lucia di Lammermoor di Donizetti Two perhaps not so strange bedfellows ~

Today Melissa Leo was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting actress role in "The Fighter." Actress, Melissa Leo I'm really happy for her, and clearly believe she's been overdue for this kind of recognition as evidenced in my numerous blog posts below: Actress, Melissa Leo Louise on the left:  Melissa Leo  Wins Deserved Golden Globe for The  ... Jan 17, 2011 If Academy Awards were actually given to actors who deserved them, then  Melissa Leo  would already have a collection of little gold men starting with one for her work in 21 Grams (2003) , and another for her role Frozen River (2009). Why  Melissa Leo  should win Best Actress this year. Feb 03, 2009 People need to know what some of us already do, that  Melissa Leo  is both the Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams of American actresses. Simply put, she's simply one of best actresses we have working today. A more personal take on why I'd like to see  Melissa Leo  to win  ... Feb 1

Sometimes you see something so perfect, so comfortable and real that you have to remind yourself that parallels to your own world are entirely a coincidence. " Circle Mirror Transformation ," now running January 9th to 30th at SCR. So it was last week as I watched “ Circle Mirror Transformation ” at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. I had to constantly remind myself that the characters on the stage do not know me. They don't know I come from a small town in Vermont (the setting of the play) or that I've also spent countless hours in wacky acting workshops, as well. Still, as this play brilliantly tapped into a goldmine of truths about the circumstances at the heart, I had moments of extreme déjà vu. But, this is a tribute to fine dramatic storytelling, not a “Twilight Zone” episode. And sadly, the playwright, Annie Baker, doesn't know me from Adam (or Eve, in this case), even though as the production unfolded on stage at the Julianne Argyros Stage, I could

It's three days later on the corner of Iroquois Road and Choctaw Drive, Westminster, Ca. Saturday night, somewhere around 9:30 p.m. Disneyland's fireworks pound out their final salute in the distance.   The fog rolls in.  Temperatures drop.  The day's visitors cease.   And in the dense fog 56 candles silently stand vigil looking out over a silent crossroad.

For obvious reasons I haven't had much time to blog this week. (Click here for original story " Today a little boy was run over and killed in front of our house. "). However, I want to add as a follow-up to this piece which also ran in the  Orange County Register  that there will be a community fundraiser to help off-set the family's costs of this unexpected tragedy. If you would like to show your support for the family of Andrew Brumback, the little boy accidentally killed on his way to school this week, there are several ways to do so: There will be a community car wash this weekend at his local elementary school, and there is a web address for online donations, as well as a church address in which you can send any amount to show support. Community Car Wash Fundraiser for the Brumback Family Sequoia Elementary School Saturday, January 22 (and 29 & 30) 8:00 - 4:00  5900 Iroquois Road Westminster, CA   714-213-0440 Monetary donations may also be made at th

We were home at the time. My daughter was home from school with a cold.   It was just before 8 AM.  We heard nothing. A woman in a SUV crushed him under the wheels of her car not thirty feet from our front door. I discovered this only after the police had arrived. I came out to my lawn and asked what had happened.   A nice female officer looked pained but gave me the basic news that there had been an accident involving a child being struck by the car parked in the road in front of me.  I asked if the child would be okay.  The police officer just looked at me sympathetically, but said she didn't know.  Her face told me more.  Her face said what had just happened was terrible and a tragedy, but that she was at work so she couldn't say this.  That's what her face said. There was an older woman in her fifties, maybe, on the other side of the road.  She was surrounded sympathetically by onlookers.  She was seated in a folding chair.  Nobody else was.  She was talking a

After last night's final Gervais joke on the 2011 Golden Globe Awards  ( Gervais: "And thank you, to God, for making me an atheist." )   I decided to check out some of his older work, starting with more of his thoughts about Atheism.  I realize his parting Golden Globes joke, along with his beliefs, will no doubt ruffle feathers, however I hope some people watch his clip below to hear more about why he's chosen to think as he does.  It's refreshingly open and honest.  And, well, funny.  (Fancy that?) Then I found this really fascinating, but extremely uncomfortable clip of Gervais interviewing Garry Shandling which is so odd.  I mean,  really odd.  So, naturally I just had to include it. Ricky Gervais Meets Garry Shandling - The Highlights:

If Academy Awards were actually given to actors who deserved them, then Melissa Leo would already have a collection of little gold men starting with one for  her work in 21 Grams   ( 2003)  , and another for her role Frozen River   (2009) . Below is a clip from  21 Grams , in case you forgot how great she was in it: In previous years I posted about her previous nominations for an Oscar: Why Melissa Leo Should Win Best Actor (2009) A More Personal Take...Melissa Leo to Win Best Actor (2009) But, the truth is, whenev er  it comes to Leo's work, e veryone in the business knows what those of us growing up with her knew;  Melissa Leo is not just extremely talented, she's also a fearless powerhouse who gives her all for her work.  So today I'm giving a "shout out"  to Leo for her Golden Globe win last night. And I'm stating I've got my fingers crossed (again) that she will also be nominated for her work in  The Fighter , and even, perhaps, make 2011 the

This is most peculiar.

Light Works from Supernormals on Vimeo . Something about this very short film (We used to call them "videos".) reminds me of Hurt Locker and Apocalypse Now .

Three Days Of the Condor  is one of those great '70s films which completely stands up to the test of time. Not only is it still a Big Fat Juicy Hollywood Glamour Flick (starring the one and only Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway), but  Three Days of the Condor  also remains gripping, suspenseful and with issues that are almost entirely relevant and timely to today's political issues. It's hard to believe this film was written almost  35 years ago!   When I see this now, it sounds almost entirely about the Iraq War, Afghanistan and WikiLeas. Amazing work.   Turner:  "Did we have plans to invade the Middle East?" Higgins :  "Look, Turner. Turner:  "Did we have plans?!" Higgins :  "No, absolutely not.  We have games.  That's all.  We play games.   How many men?  What would it take? Is there a cheaper way to destabilize a regime?  That's what we're paid to do." Just check out the last clip of the film.  I love the look of horror

Just thinking about some past great moments in film that can never get enough airtime. For instance, take Barbra Streisand singing "I'd Rather Be Blue" from the film, "Funny Girl." So, where's this generation's new Streisand?  I'd like to see Lady Gaga do this! Forget about it, Jake:  Barbra was a one of a kind.

I poached this off of Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish : Does anything ever get any cuter than this?

Alas, this was the week we finally bid adieu to the series " I Can't Believe I'm Still Single " which enjoyed a mystifying and, for the most part, entertainment-free third season on the Showtime. And, in case you are new to this wee blog, I have been posting what you could call an "un-review " of Schaeffer's, long, brain-numbing, patience-challenging work all along. So, now it's done.  Finished.  Finito.  And my final take is this: OMG!  Eric Schaeffer is STILL Single?!   No ! You mean, after three entire seasons of  I Can't Believe (Eric Schaeffer) is Still Single , he is still out of luck? How the hell did that happen?! In all this time , Eric did not find at least one , single person on the entire planet to fall in love with?! Give me a break. Schaeffer even wrote an entire book about his quest! He infamously trolled the internet for love, hungrily devouring every single personal ad on Nerve.com like a starving ma