This artsy, black and white film has a slow build and a straightforward plot. Two peasant women, mother and daughter, are forced to kill samurai returning from war. By selling their belongings, they can purchase grain. They live in a hut in a huge grassy field. The daughter develops a relationship with a man nearby. The jealous mother tries to subvert this relationship by telling the daughter that sex without marriage is sinful and she will go to hell. When the mother kills a peculiar samurai wearing a mask, her karma ripens swiftly.
The lighting in the latter half of the film is extraordinary and the ending is worth the wait.
The trailer does not do this movie justice. Had this film not been included in a “cult classic” set of 6 and had I only seen the trailer, I would have gone no farther. But I saw a review that said, “the best mermaid movie I’ve ever seen.” Well that made me laugh, I mean, I can only think of a couple like the Tom Hanks/Darryl Hannah movie and a movie called Mermaids with Cher… the closest that one gets is girls in the bathtub.
Dennis Hopper and Linda Lawson
This IS the best mermaid movie (unless you suffer from attention deficit in which case you’ll struggle, as relying on the atmosphere, the plot ambles along as a young sailor pursues a relationship with a peculiar and beautiful woman who is a seaside side show mermaid.) But is she really a mermaid? And worse, is she responsible for the deaths of two men–former boyfriends? The pace contributes to the woogie surreal world our sailor finds himself in… do Sea People exist? Is he in danger? And who is the strange witchy-woman who keeps showing up ?
Iggy talked me into watching this odd movie and I’m glad I did.
It’s not scary, it’s artsy and peculiar. Won’t give away the plot too much, but here’s the gist: two vehicles are playing chicken on an old wooden bridge. One car goes into the river and only one passenger survives. The woman, an organist, takes a job at a church near an abandoned seaside carnival that seems to draw her to it. And a ghoulish man keeps appearing to her. What does he want?
Sadly this film was not well received and came close to disappearing. Fortunately, it was rediscovered and redistributed in 1989, this time to more favorable criticism. It has become a cult classic. If you like artsy films, this is a must see. The lighting, music and the carnival set are sublime… dream-like. Filmed at the magical, abandoned Saltair Amusement Park utilizing its massive ballroom, one of the largest ever built. A pity this is the writer/ director’s only film. I’d say it’s comparable to the 1946 French film La Belle et La Bete (Beauty and the Beast) in terms of mood and atmosphere.
So you picked up a container of butternut squash soup, but that seems kind of boring… want to zip it up?
carrots
cauliflower
chili oil
garam masala* or Balti seasoning**
Break up cauliflower into small bits and chop carrots into bite size bits. Put in dish with olive oil on bottom, drizzle chili oil on top (how much depends on your heat tolerance.) Roast at 400 for 40 minutes or so. If you like smooth soup, use mixer or hand held gizmo to blend. If you like texture, don’t puree.
Pour butternut squash into sauce pan on low heat. Add veggie blend.
Next, let’s add some kick. A simple curry will do, or, if you are a spice junky like I am, you can go with garam masala* or even Balti curry seasoning**. Add 2 heaping teaspoons (or more) of either your choice of the above to taste.
Simmer for a couple of minutes to get the spices well blended into the soup. Enjoy!
The chili oil will add heat, the seasoning will add complexity…
*garam masala — you can find this already made in stores that carry bulk spices. It is a combo of :
Black and white peppercorns. Cloves. Cinnamon or cassia bark. Mace (part of nutmeg) Black and green cardamom pods. Bay leaf. Cumin. Coriander
**Balti seasoning — this may be a bit harder to find. Penzey’s carries it and most Indian food stores should have it. If you want to make your own, there’s a link below for the recipe.
Arguably the lushest cartoon ever made, this is entertaining for adults and children alike. The story is about a bored ten year old girl who finds a hidden world and has a grand adventure that transforms her– pulling her out of her comfort zone to rescue her parents, a mysterious boy and a lonely misguided shadow.
A wildly imaginative adventure that works on many levels.
I love discovering Buddhist movies– they’re a little tricky to find. So here’s my list if you are interested. Please let me know if you have some to recommend as well!
I love this movie, but it isn’t for everyone. This is not a movie you watch for plot–the plot is illusive. It got fairly awful reviews, despite winning several indie movie awards. It has jarring music and it seems to be longer than necessary.
The premise: a detective is investigating a death at a temple…but really, it is Everyman investigating the meaning of life. He tries to analyze it but gets confused. Message: left brain vs. right brain, logic vs. instinct… you can’t understand the essence of life by studying it like a math problem. You have to experience it. I love this movie even though I hate the music. Why? IF you have a basic understanding of Zen Buddhism, this movie is funny and explains the essence of Zen well.
Actor Kim Chan who plays the wise old monk had me convinced the studio had hired a real monk. He’s hilarious and delightful. This movie is rich and funny, sad, weird and wonderful–about life and death and being in the moment… it is one that I need to watch again every once in a while.
Zen Noir gets FIVE MONKEYS from me for its ambitious and daring approach to explaining zen. Is it the best movie I’ve ever seen? No, but it sure lingers and you can’t say, “Oh yeah, it’s like… I don’t think there’s anything quite like it.
Growing up, my mother did not have much of a relationship with squashes– I’d graduated from college before I ever tasted a butternut squash. I recently discovered this recipe, and while I shy away from anything to do with pastry-making, if you, like me, are intimidated with making your own pastry dough, you can cheat and use the packaged dough… This recipe is FANTASTIC –thanks to Grace Parisi at Food & Wine for sharing this! The tart can be used as a sweet side, dessert, or breakfast pastry, served warm or cold. The apricot, cream cheese and butternut flavors with a bit of cinnamon and/or clove, maybe even an Indian curry flavor… wow.
I have to mention this movie because it is, hands down, the simplest and yet oddest movie I’ve ever seen. This Taiwanese film is listed as a comedy and a drama. I rented it back when we had movie rental places; I had selected it because it was described as a “valentine for movie lovers”.
It also won a bunch of awards and got a great review in the New Yorker:
The plot, if you can call it that, is that it is the last night before a Chinese movie theatre closes down. It is showing an old kung fun movie. There are a handful of patrons in the seats. Some may be ghosts.
That’s it!
There is more action on the screen than in the theatre. There are exactly 14 words spoken in the entire film. The biggest action sequence is watching the ticket taker with a bad limp, walk up the stairs to give a sticky bun to the projectionist. It is obvious that she does this with great care and love and significant effort–all lost on the projectionist who barely notices her. She then walks back the way she came.
90 some odd minutes of film, folks, and I’ve just told you all you need to know.
And yet, this movie won awards… so I must not have received the valentine… For me, this movie is like watching paint dry…and perhaps that is its essence… the final moments of a theatre in its death throws…
If you have time to kill and are curious, this movie is oddly memorable for being so very slow and uneventful… perhaps you’ll love it. If you do get it, and do enjoy it, please let me know why!!
I really have no idea how to rate this film. I am quite sure that I just don’t get it as others obviously rave about it. Perhaps I’ll watch it again in ten years and see how it goes. I may rave then, too. I’ll give it three for totally bucking the norm, having virtually no dialog or plot, it is all symbolic and whatever you bring to it. I’m going to call this a Buddhist as we are ever present in the moment, with NOWHERE to go, it’s just the experience.
So you picked up a container of butternut squash soup, but that seems kind of boring… want to zip it up?
loves this movie.
Haint's Retreat 