I saw the "Can you spare some change?" lady the other day (no signs of Disney were evident), and it seems her pitch is getting even worse than I thought. This time, she said "Could you spare some change?" People use "can" and "could" interchangeably, and I'm certainly no expert on the language, but this somehow came off as just wrong. So I looked both words up and, sure enough, "could" is the past form of "can" (something I probably knew during my school days when grammar was something studied and not merely used - or misused). So now, instead of asking for money at this moment, she's actually asking if at some point in the past I could have lent her money. The answer is still no, just because I'm built that way, but she is opening herself up to some wiseacre saying, "I could have yesterday when I had some extra money in my pocket, but you're out of luck today." Trust me, it's going to happen.
I don't mean to pick on this woman, who may have very legitimate reasons for begging. I happen to think she doesn't, since she is certainly more than capable of getting up each morning and coming downtown to work. She has neither the look nor aroma of the legitimate article, unlike yellow coat man. The few words I've heard beyond her pitch on occasions suggest a not inarticulate person. Add it all up and it reeks of a con to me, and she therefore deserves none of my sympathy, and in fact is worthy of being targeted. For shame!
* * * * *
In film class last night we watched "The Great Train Robbery" and a 20-minute section of "The Birth of a Nation". Before "Birth", the teacher asked if anyone had ever seen a D.W. Griffith film. I reported having seen "Broken Blossoms" over 20 years ago, and then mentioned that it had been on TV the day before. There were a few gasps from people who, it appears, would have moved their worlds around to watch it, which quickly turned to silence when I said it had been on Silver Screen Classics. I've had this channel since November 2004, but don;t think I watched a single movie from it in all that time. Then, in our first class the teacher commented on how we all probably know a lot about recent movies but nothing about older films, and that this was one reason why film students should take a course in the history of cinema. I know for myself this is true, since I probably have only seen 20 films from before 1950, and maybe half of those were from my film class at Brock University over 20 years ago. Once I had the PVR, I resolved to keep an eye on the channel and record any films that are considered classics which I have not seen. Already, I have saved three movies since Sunday: Frank Capra's "Meet John Doe" (1941), Jean Renoir's "The Southerner" (1945) and "Rain" (I believe it's the 1932 version directed by Lewis Milestone, but I can't get on their website right now to confirm). I am hoping to start watching one or two of these a week.
One of the great things about older movies is that I can watch them with the girls, since they have no swearing, nudity or graphic violence. Hopefully, they'll be interested in the movies I pick. They are certainly interested in my decision to go to film school and, ultimately, make a movie. I have been working on a screenplay in which one of my protagonists is a nine-year-old girl. Brittany knows she is too old for this, but Nicole has tried numerous times, including this morning, to stake a claim on this part in my unfinished script. I told her that it wasn't my intention to make that film myself, but rather to try and sell it once completed, since it requires things beyond my budget to do it justice, including two big weddings, one at the beginning and one at the end of the story. She accepts this, but has now started pitching story ideas to me, all of which ultimately involve her in a princess dress and tiara. I then explained that one of the first principles of DIY filmmaking is to use what you have, and what I have at this time is two photogenic young girls, my home and everything in it (specifically, and most interesting to me at the moment, a karaoke machine), and possibly access to a school full of dancers. From this will likely come my first film. The challenge I have given the girls is to help me figure out what that film will be. I can't wait to see what they come up with. I may not use it, but it's exciting to involve them in my interests. More bonding, I guess. Plus, if this is going to tie up huge chunks of my time, I want my family there with me, for better or worse.
* * * * *
Have you ever done a sudoku puzzle? I did my first on Sunday past, and I am hooked. Gotta get one in before lunch is over.
I don't mean to pick on this woman, who may have very legitimate reasons for begging. I happen to think she doesn't, since she is certainly more than capable of getting up each morning and coming downtown to work. She has neither the look nor aroma of the legitimate article, unlike yellow coat man. The few words I've heard beyond her pitch on occasions suggest a not inarticulate person. Add it all up and it reeks of a con to me, and she therefore deserves none of my sympathy, and in fact is worthy of being targeted. For shame!
* * * * *
In film class last night we watched "The Great Train Robbery" and a 20-minute section of "The Birth of a Nation". Before "Birth", the teacher asked if anyone had ever seen a D.W. Griffith film. I reported having seen "Broken Blossoms" over 20 years ago, and then mentioned that it had been on TV the day before. There were a few gasps from people who, it appears, would have moved their worlds around to watch it, which quickly turned to silence when I said it had been on Silver Screen Classics. I've had this channel since November 2004, but don;t think I watched a single movie from it in all that time. Then, in our first class the teacher commented on how we all probably know a lot about recent movies but nothing about older films, and that this was one reason why film students should take a course in the history of cinema. I know for myself this is true, since I probably have only seen 20 films from before 1950, and maybe half of those were from my film class at Brock University over 20 years ago. Once I had the PVR, I resolved to keep an eye on the channel and record any films that are considered classics which I have not seen. Already, I have saved three movies since Sunday: Frank Capra's "Meet John Doe" (1941), Jean Renoir's "The Southerner" (1945) and "Rain" (I believe it's the 1932 version directed by Lewis Milestone, but I can't get on their website right now to confirm). I am hoping to start watching one or two of these a week.
One of the great things about older movies is that I can watch them with the girls, since they have no swearing, nudity or graphic violence. Hopefully, they'll be interested in the movies I pick. They are certainly interested in my decision to go to film school and, ultimately, make a movie. I have been working on a screenplay in which one of my protagonists is a nine-year-old girl. Brittany knows she is too old for this, but Nicole has tried numerous times, including this morning, to stake a claim on this part in my unfinished script. I told her that it wasn't my intention to make that film myself, but rather to try and sell it once completed, since it requires things beyond my budget to do it justice, including two big weddings, one at the beginning and one at the end of the story. She accepts this, but has now started pitching story ideas to me, all of which ultimately involve her in a princess dress and tiara. I then explained that one of the first principles of DIY filmmaking is to use what you have, and what I have at this time is two photogenic young girls, my home and everything in it (specifically, and most interesting to me at the moment, a karaoke machine), and possibly access to a school full of dancers. From this will likely come my first film. The challenge I have given the girls is to help me figure out what that film will be. I can't wait to see what they come up with. I may not use it, but it's exciting to involve them in my interests. More bonding, I guess. Plus, if this is going to tie up huge chunks of my time, I want my family there with me, for better or worse.
* * * * *
Have you ever done a sudoku puzzle? I did my first on Sunday past, and I am hooked. Gotta get one in before lunch is over.
posted by George @ 12:16 p.m.
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