Monday Update, Follow-Up on Reader Questionnaire, Books & Movies, & Blogger Links to Share

Life just keeps rolling. I pulled this "rock star" graphic off Facebook because many of us can relate. Actually this doesn't apply to me so much these days, since my kids are getting older. I still have to ask myself daily "am I tripping, or did that really just happen?!?" and #1, #2, & #5 still apply. Plus on any given day, my house looks as if about a dozen drug-addled lunatics have been crashing here.

But at least I get to go to the bathroom by myself these days. Private trips to the loo are a luxury one doesn't appreciate until it's gone. A privilege lost, to my knowledge, by only two groups of people: prisoners and parents of small children.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to the questionnaire. In response to the question "Which Features Would Interest You?" survey says:

1. Weekly post comparing a book and movie -- it may be a film adaptation of the book or a movie and book that are thematically related. (12 votes)

2. Bibliotherapy -- use of books (or movies -- cinetherapy?) for help with psychological or emotional issues (2 votes)

3. Posts discussing the use of interesting books and films for homeschooling, unschooling, or simply furthering one's knowledge. (2 votes)

4. Interviews of film directors/screenwriters (2 votes)

5. More personal posts (1 votes)

I definitely want to implement #1, which is wholly appropriate for a blog titled "On Page & Screen." I want to work on #3 too (#2 might fit there as well), including reviving my old tradition -- from several years ago -- of posting about using movies for studying history and philosophy with teens. I also had a request to reduce the width of the blog posts, a problem which I think I fixed. And we're open to any other feedback and suggestions. :-)

I've also revamped the sidebars, with some new collections of tags, updated directories, and cleaned up the tags on all our posts. Whew!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Now Reading:

I just started reading this on my new Kindle, because Trish recommends it so highly. :-) Time travel stories are an easy sell with me.

from Goodreads: If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you? Would the consequences be what you hoped?

Jake Epping 35 teaches high school English in Lisbon Falls, Maine, and cries reading the brain-damaged janitor's story of childhood Halloween massacre by their drunken father. On his deathbed, pal Al divulges a secret portal to 1958 in his diner back pantry, and enlists Jake to prevent the 11/22/1963 Dallas assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. Under the alias George Amberson, our hero joins the cigarette-hazed full-flavored world of Elvis rock n roll, Negro discrimination, and freeway gas guzzlers without seat belts. Will Jake lurk in impoverished immigrant slums beside troubled loner Lee Harvey Oswald, or share small-town friendliness with beautiful high school librarian Sadie Dunhill, the love of his life?

Movies Watched This Week:

Clueless (3/5 stars) -- Jane Austen's Emma morphed into a high school comedy. I thought this movie was O.K. but definitely not riveting. Maybe I'm just the wrong generation to appreciate this film? After all, I'm part of the Breakfast Club generation. :-)

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (3/5 stars) -- A sort of coming-of-age movie about a 30-year-old guy living in his mom's basement. This wasn't bad, but it's very forgettable for me.

Killer Joe (4/5 stars) -- My reaction to this movie is an interesting commentary on my evolution as a film buff. Four years ago the "gimp" scene in Pulp Fiction almost sent me running out of the room. Now I think movie dialogue about a guy setting his genitalia on fire is hilarious. I wonder how many people will unsubscribe from this blog after reading that last sentence? ;-) Ah, well. My review is here.

The Little Traitor (4/5 stars) -- I will probably review this soon. A good find for a homeschooling parent, despite very mild sexual content and references to violence. It's a family friendly historical coming-of-age movie set in Palestine in the waning days of British control. A solid introduction to the aftermath of the Holocaust, Zionism, and Israeli statehood, from the Jewish perspective, and a possible springboard for discussion about the current tragic situation in the Middle East. I'd like to find something similar from the Arab/Muslim point of view.

Tyrannosaur (4.5/5 stars) -- This is one of my teenaged daughter's favorite films. Painful but excellent portrayal of a budding friendship between two very lonely, damaged people. There are dog deaths, in case you're like me and need to be forewarned about these things. :-) Sarah's review is here.

Falling Down (3.5/5 stars) -- I may review this soon. Interesting film -- it's kind of like looking at the early 90s, and American society, through a set of fun house mirrors. Everything looks somewhat distorted, strange, and frightening. A raging panhandler. Gangbangers. An insane Neo-Nazi military surplus store owner. The world through the eyes of this movie's protagonist, played by Michael Douglas. This film isn't a favorite for me, but it's a hell of a ride, and Michael Douglas is excellent.

Circle of Friends (4/5 stars) -- This is a pretty good film. It an entertaining adaptation of Maeve Binchy's popular novel and a somewhat light-hearted look at how a group of young adults is affected by the strict sexual mores of a 1950s Irish Catholic community. I enjoyed Minnie Driver's performance as Benny, and Alan Cumming was hilariously loathsome and creepy as Sean Walsh.

Some Blog Posts I've Enjoyed: 

Ruth at Flix Chatter and  Rorschach Reviews posted excellent reviews of Zero Dark Thirty, a movie which is probably a must see for my homeschooled teens and me.

I am often surprised by how little my kids really know about the events of the past 11 years and the political and historical context in which they occurred. Similarly when I was a small child, in the early 70s, I understood almost nothing of the U.S. war in Vietnam. I only knew it was a sensitive, emotionally charged subject and people were suffering. Interestingly, all the way through high school, the Korean and Vietnam wars were never included in our history curricula.

Anyhoo, the controversy and mixed opinions I've read make me think Zero Dark Thirty is a fertile springboard for a debate and discussion, which is a didact's dream, no?

I also enjoyed the review of Anna Karenina at Rorschach Reviews. I was really excited about this movie, but all the reviews I've read so far have led me to believe it will be underwhelming. Oh, well. Maybe I'll re-read the book instead. Oh, and I have to give props to Rorschach for for pointing out that the hubby's and my shared love of Quentin Tarantino movies demonstrates that I have great judgment in choosing a spouse. :-)

Speaking of the devil, check out  Pete's Quentin Tarantino Retrospective at Filmoria. Awesome stuff!

Margaret at Cinematic Corner and Jenners at Life With Books posted terrific reviews of The Silver Linings Playbook -- I am getting really excited about this movie.

Alex at And So It Begins shares his Top 10 Films, and Top 15 Male and Female Performances of 2012.

Josh at The Cinematic Spectacle shares his Top 10 Films of 2012. He and Alex are among my top go-to reviewers for film recommendations.

Ruth at Flix Chatter published a great essay on Steven McQueen's style of acting. You know, the "Cooler King."

And last but certainly not least, m.brown posted a wonderful review of Lincoln, which I also have in my sights for our homeschool "curriculum."