Thou Art-1

As our bubbly heroine and spirited protagonist {Enid},who likes to joke around with the customers and most anyone willing to lend an ear.Her's is a wonderfull persona that sometimes is lost on an unwilling audience of friends and those revolving around her sphere that seem unable to live life with as much verve and insight and also carefree status.Demonstrating a duality of character that at times is refined and ladylike and on other occassions is a bit pushy and forward and almost guyishly ballsy,she nontheless strikes a chord for being unique and also very perceptive for her age. As the movie starts out with Enid and best friend graduating from high school and seemingly set to spend the summer just drifting and experiencing things that at that age are commonplace and normal.A bit on the coming of age theme,mixed with a crossroads in life motif help make the storyline move with plausibility and fun as the two teens grow into adulthood as fast as their bodies and temper can permit.Yet,it is Enid who seems stuck in a changing world,and unable or willing to give in to the desire to leave the nest and make something of herself.Not caring about leaving home with very easy-going and mild-mannered father and also no interest in college,leave little else for her to occupy her time.But she manages to fill in the hours with possible job searches and much dabbling of local interest into the activities of others and one most notable middle-age man who stumbles onto the scene.And all for the good,as without this man's presence the movie would be just another in a long lone of same ol same old.Steve Buscemi is fortunate enough to play Seymour,the apparent man of middle age and loser tendencies that is picked-on and apart by Enid,first on a lark then as a kindred spirit.The coupling of these two characters is brilliantly realized within a storyline that offers up their quirky kind of social malaise with a divine structure of bonding and buddy status.It was refreshing to see a bubbly and introspective young adult teen and middle age man who's jaded facade and lackluster interests seem to comingle with one another.They find structure within their world's and move effortlessly,as if dancing on clouds,looking down on all others as less priviledged to share in their little secret.It is this pairing and also Enid's struggle to find acceptance in a world where others are earnestly trying to acheive success,and all she is doing is living for the moment and nobly gratifying herself with life's little pleasures.That is her wisdom beyond her years and special gift to all others who are willing to take flight and fancy in a world where one can be a Queen for a day,instead of a pawn for a lifetime.Enid manages to be a Queen for most everyday,and is overwrought at times by the inability of life to sound this bell to others,as the world changes and others move on in life,as if she were a ghost of christmass past and see's what others fail to notice.That the best part of life is the here and now,not constant change and moving up in life.To take the time to live life and breathe the air without the fast pace and authority of an ever intruding society of placement.With her singular mindset of not bending to society and its influences and pace,and her balanced insight into a world making ghost towns and ghost people out of us all she stands head and heels above and on high.A princess that needs no pledge of allegiance,only a few noteworthy kindred souls to nourish and breathe life into.A charming and in-depth portrait of strength and fancifull courage brought to life with a unique touch. 5 out of 5 star or 9/10 for a sound display of GenXerism.Finally.Dig Daddio Foolardi

In this very absorbing true life story about whistle blower from big tobacco company who causes quite a stir with his technical analysis of how that industry has manipulated and kept users in a habit that should have been obvious to any and all influenced.But it was the biggest hoodwink scandal of recent history,having adulterated and hooked many with chemical enhanced tobacco additives that create even more desire and fix than regular tobacco laden cigarettes. With an outstanding cast including Al Pacino,Christopher Plummer and most notably Russell Crowe,the story is driven and enhanced by the acting talents and storyline that reeks of big business,corruption and white collar crime that is effectively portrayed and brought to life by credible performances and moving drama that appear to take place as if for the first time for camera and viewer as if scripted per chance.This is first rate filmmaking that appears at once and yet altogether as if the action is forthcoming but nonetheless held back,as if by happenstance.With this technique,the audience is held in suspended animation,awaiting with bated breath each upcoming scene,that will either come clean or dismiss the previous telltall sign of doom or gloom.A great conspiracy film that is neither fake or contrived,being too real and straightforward and also documented to dispell any myth about its authenticity. The movie has a nice flow and rhythm and Crowe and Pacino play well off each other,building their characters from scene to scene and adding nicely to the drama that is unravelling with an almost surreal texture of undercover madness that is lurking to strike and knock down at any moment.But with its subtle nature of impending doom that coulda,shoulda,woulda but never quite does,the viewer is held in obligatory observance of results that seem too easily pending the fate and control of others that can't be seen or heard from.That is the true nature of grand mal conscienceness and conspiracies gone foul.Only in this film the conspiracy is all too real and perpetrated on an unsuspecting victim {The american public} for the good of big business who robber baron the health and pocketbooks of those who need its product.A better example of the fleecing of a generation or 2 of people and its filthy desire to profiteer from its insidious marketing of a product who's only true use is to futher its insatiable lust for more and deeper want,has not been put to screen with this degree of seriousness and savoir faire.Christopher Plummer is quite effective as Mike Wallace and the 60 minutes anchor who stands head over heels tall when it comes to integrity and life experience as a new journalist who knows the ropes and how to dance around power plays.But even he has a hard time with this agenda,being a historic ballbreaker of monumental status that defies even his grandeur.This uncover story is world shaking and touches many if not all of mankind. And this film will also touch many,as it is dramatic,very well acted and has all the ingredients of suspence and unravelling that make for great cinema.It also happens to be based on fact which heightens its impact. 4 out of 5 star or 8 out of 10 for a smoking display of drama and its aftermath. Foolardi

And that's a fact.Says so right in the opening credits,above the scripted name of Erskine Caldwell.As well it should,was standard reading for most high schooler's in my day,having read as a freshman.The jacket cover was as pretty a picture as any to come on book jacket,being a colorfull portrait of rural farmland,lush and ripe for the pickin and with that small plot of land to dwell-over.And the movie is just as ripe for the pickin and lush with characters that dwell upon and sweat their way into heart of plot.

A simple outline that requires much talked over dreams unrealized but yet to appear if only for some luck,superstition,and plenty of God's good graces.And of course that plot of land,being holed out as fitting a planet of unearthly gophers,so huge and gigantic as to make swimming pool size pot holes to dwell and store away life in.The characters aren't Sci-fi huge gophers,but their hearts and dreams seem as unbelievably huge and ungodly at first as to appear other wordly.This all adds up to bigger than life,almost cartoonish characterizations that are very interesting if not an outright hootfest.Their very countryfied and down-homesy,with work ethic that stretches any bounds of reality. Robert Ryan was just great as patriarch and Protagonist of very farmish brood of shovel toting and overall wearin duty.His is the way and they help with the means of carying out storyline with as much appeal as any blue ribbon fair could hopefully ask fer.With names like Pluto Swint {Buddy Hackett} Ty TY ,Darlin and Buck ,its easy to get Caldwell's drift on themes and fun natured story.The plot revolves around search for gold and lust within confines of farm,where the holes have been dug out and passions gettin heated up for 2 really hot damels ,one married and one waitin for shotgun wedding of sorts.Tina Louise and Fay Spain more than provide the sparks for all the mannish boys except a reclusive and outcasy Albino who gets pushed onto scene and fawned over by Darlin,all to great effect.With singular brawn in the marine tough form of Aldo Ray to compliment the very censor-prone nature of well-endowed and hangin-out,literally and figuratively,Griselda{Louise},the steam was sure to fog up some glasses.And it surely did,way back when.The DVD i saw had 2 versions.The theatrical and uncensored.Aldo Ray made a career out of raspy voice and hairy chested manly roles,which seemed to come quite naturally.All characters from TY TY to Pluto, Albino and Darlin were eccentric and unigue in a Caldwell sort of way.Which makes for fantastic realization of story,being almost too outlandish to be other than from the heart.They all came across as very human if not abundantly clever in their own way to plot,dig and wile the time away.

The B&W shooting was grand and splendidly done.Very good camera work,being in scope and in focus throughout.I prefer film to be shot in B&W.Almost all my favorite movies were done in B&W.Caveat Emptor {Good thing Ted Turner} is done trying to colorize everything but Jane's early 60's roles.She didn't need a bra,so to paint one pink or brown,could only help to further their marriage whoa's.

The music grabs one from the get go,being enhanced during opening credits and again at close.Its hammy and sappy but very catchy and down home as with all the elements on parade in this wonderfull,dramatic rendering of characters and setting befitting a World's best selling Novel. 4 1/2 out of 5 star or 9/10 for I'm buying all that country goodness and charm,no matter how many spices that fried chicked recipe has.Dig Daddio's Foolardi