Love with the Proper Stranger

Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen are great in this. Actually, this film is just really good. It takes the usual Hollywood moral stance against abortion, which makes me fairly angry, but the central performances and everything else in the script are really excellent. It's odd, but while I was watching this the film reminded me a lot of Bloodbrothers, the movie with Richard Gere. I think it was the focus on familial connection and the sort of melodramatic approach that Love with the Proper Stranger takes toward family bonds. After the film was over, I looked up the director and it's the same guy – Robert Mulligan. This film is much much funnier than Bloodbrothers, but a lot of the family dynamics are the same, and Mulligan feels the same way about family – you need to escape it! – in 1963 as he does in 1978.

Bloodbrothers

People said this was melodramatic, but I found it sort of hard-hitting and very good.
Richard Gere is really excellent (and gorgeous) in this too.

Shrew

I just finished reading Harold Bloom's take on Shrew and I am more than pleased to report that his take on it is identical to mine.  (I always knew that Bloom was a smart cookie ;) .)

At any rate, I feel a good deal more confident in my ability to direct this piece.  I still haven't heard back from Nick & John, but I guess that is to be expected.  I suppose they have other folks to interview.  :)  Whatever.

I watched To Kill a Mockingbird today.  Great film.  I recommend it to all who haven't yet seen it (which probably was only me).  It's damned hot.  I suppose I could venture out of my house and down to the pool or down to the South Lake district and shop (but not buy).  But I just don't feel like it for whatever reason.  I'm gonna go stir-crazy if I stay in this house much longer, though.  I dunno.

Are mailers going out for this Found Space Festival?  Cuz I ain't seen any.

Congrats to the Cloud 9 folks.  A job well done.