Manic Monday - One

Mo's word for today is ONE.

"In a world of 1s and 0s are you a zero, or are you the ONE?"

Do you recognize this movie tagline? It's from one of my favorite films The Matrix.

Starring Keanu Reeves, the film premiered in 1999, a science fiction fantasy like none before!

Summary:
In the near future, a computer hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) discovers that all life on Earth may be nothing more than an elaborate facade created by a malevolent cyber-intelligence, for the purpose of placating us while our life essence is "farmed" to fuel the Matrix's campaign of domination in the "real" world. He joins like-minded Rebel warriors Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie Ann Moss) in their struggle to overthrow the Matrix. Written by Jake Gittes

Throughout the film, Morpheus is convinced that Neo is "The ONE" who is meant to save human life from complete destruction.


Some trivia about the film:

Neo is an anagram for "ONE". In addition "Neo means "new." Neo's real name is Thomas Anderson. He is called Thomas at the beginning of the movie, when he doubts the truth -- that the world as he knows it is not real. He is the "doubting Thomas" of the film. Also, Anderson means "son of man". Hence, Neo Anderson is meant to be, symbolically, the New Son of Man, the Savior of the human race. There are further Biblical references: Trinity, the central female character, and Nebuchadnezzar (the name of Morpheus's ship -- in fact, the name plate on the ship makes reference to a verse in Mark chapter 3).
"Zion... So not only is Neo 'the ONE', he has gone from being the doubter to the new son of man."

A genuinely fantastic film in all ways.

theteach

For other Manic Monday participants click here.

Body Heat (1981)

Well, okay, now you've got me thinking about sexy movies...

How about Body Heat (1981)?

www.moviescreenshots.blogspot.com

Cast:

Ned Racine: William Hurt (young and gorgeous) Matty Walker: Kathleen Turner (young and gorgeous) Edmund Walker: Richard Crenna Peter Lowenstein: Ted Danson Oscar Grace: J.A. Preston Teddy Lewis: Mickey Rourke

Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Produced by Fred T. Gallo. Running time: 113 minutes. Rated R (nudity, sexuality, language, violence).

Summary:

Body Heat is s a dramatic, modern day film noir, set in the hot atmosphere of Miranda Beach, Florida.

The alluring, crafty, and sultry femme fatale "Matty Walker" (Kathleen Turner, who spoofed her own role in The Man With Two Brains (1983)) seduces corruptible, dim-witted, naive, and incompetent attorney Ned Racine (William Hurt), to convince him to kill her husband Edmund (Richard Crenna). She is interested in Ned because he isn't very intelligent:

You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.

She uses everything as an instrument of seduction, including incredibly sweaty and sexy love-making and lewd suggestive dialogue, to manipulate his emotions so that he will help plot the murder: "Do it!" "I need you so badly." "I want you right now more than I ever have!" "I'd kill myself if I thought this thing would destroy us." He complains: "I'm red; I'm sore." "You shouldn't wear that body!"

Trivia:

• This movie was originally slated to be shot in New York/New Jersey. It was moved to Florida because of a teamsters strike. When the script was changed the Florida, the technical direct failed to switch to Florida laws.
  
  
• Actors William Hurt and Kathleen Turner wanted the crew to feel comfortable filming their love scenes. So they lined up the crew and both actors introduced themselves to each crew member. When they did this, both stars were naked.
  
  
• Christopher Reeve was offered the lead but turned it down after saying, "I didn't think I would be convincing as a seedy lawyer."
  
  

• A key plot point of "Body Heat" hinges on the resemblance of Kim Zimmer to Kathleen Turner. Kim Zimmer replaced Kathleen Turner when she left the soap opera "The Doctors".
  
  
• Some of this movie was filmed in California.
  
  
• Directorial debut of Lawrence Kasdan. Prior to this he had written Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) for George Lucas, and was in the process of writing Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Lucas returned the favor by serving as an uncredited executive producer on this film.

Another movie in addition to Bull Durham that got my husband and me all hot and bothered!

theteach

Bull Durham (1988)

This post is in honor of my wedding anniversary:

"I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days." said by Crash Davis played by Kevin Costner in Bull Durham

That entire quote goes something like this:

Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.

Actually not something like that, exactly like that!

Susan Sarandon, who plays Annie Savoy, answers "Oh my. Crash..."

Some trivia:

When Crash Kevin Costner lists the things that he believes in to Annie Susan Sarandon he mentions that he "believes Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone." In Oliver Stone's movie JFK, Costner plays Jim Garrison, the man who devoted much of his life to proving that President Kennedy's murder involved a conspiracy.

Kevin Costner (Crash Davis) is a switch hitter; he is shown hitting both left and right-handed at different points in the film.

'Kurt Russell' helped Ron Shelton (director) develop the script and was originally penciled in to play Crash, the part that went to Kevin Costner. After the film was made, Russell was so impressed, he actually wrote fan letters to Costner and Shelton.


In their confrontation outside the bar, Crash tells Nuke (played by Tim Robbins), "I hear you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a fucking boat." Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said this in 1984, in reference to weak-hitting San Diego Padres infielder Kurt Bevacqua.

Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon first met during the filming of this movie.

According to director Ron Shelton in the DVD Commentary, he came up with the name Ebbie Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) after being served in a restaurant by a waiter named Ebbie Calvin "Nook" LaRoosh. Shelton thought it was a stand out name and changed the spelling of the nickname and last name.

A couple more quotes:

Crash Davis: Your shower shoes have fungus on them. You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press'll think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob.

---

[On playing in the "show" - major league baseball]
Crash Davis: Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once - the 21 greatest days of my life. You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains.

The film is indeed one of the best, if not THE BEST, film ever made. It is also the most romantic and the sexiest (in my estimation).

theteach

Jesus Camp video

If you haven't seen the video here is the link at Variety.com

I wish I could have put this shocking, maybe terrifying, video directly on my blog but I haven't found out how to do that in Blogger. At Variety.com there are a couple of other videos about Jesus Camp:

Part 1: Docu filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady explore an evangelical Christian camp where faith dictates everything from one's daily life to politics. (2:31)

Part 2: Helmers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady explain the genesis of their pic and how their feelings about Evangelicalism emerged. (3:42)

An interesting point about this video: it has been rejected at Daily Motion . If you go to the site you will find a blank, black screen saying "content rejected." Very strange...

Google has different clips from Jesus Camp here.

Wikipedia has a good article on Jesus Camp.

Bill Maher talks about religion, fundamentalism and Jesus Camp on video here.

theteach