FROM THE HEART: My "STELLAAAAAA" for a Star ...
Although this is something I have only shared with someone once, I felt I had to share this publicly ... just because. #ForMyMom
"You know, every Saturday my Mom and I would have Saturday Movie of the Week. EVERY SATURDAY. This became an unexpected tradition starting over 12 years ago. And since that time, we rarely, if ever missed Saturday Nite Movie nights, even when she was in the hospital, we'd try our best to keep up movie nights. Always at 8PM. And during a huge chunk of that time, a lot of the films we would watch would either be one the Essentials on TCM, a Classic Film we already had on hand, or whatever was showing on TCM after whatever movie we picked to watch for the week was over. Thusly we were introduced to a lot of films we had never seen before and instantly liked, “Dead Ringer," “The Search," “Murder By Death," “Red Headed Woman," “The Gazebo" and so on.
Then there were the films we had seen since I was young that never got old, so we'd watch again and again, “Arsenic and Old Lace," “The Letter," “On The Waterfront," “The Women," “Shadow of a Doubt," etc. Then there are those that have a “Mom and I" backstory to them, such as “Gilda," “Fanny," “Gaslight," “Night Must Fall," “The Picture of Dorian Gray," “Three on a Match," “Guys and Dolls," “Notorious," and “A Streetcar Named Desire," which although has a huge backstory to it, it is eventually what lead to our nicknames being Stella and Blanche ... literally.
And though the list of movies seem to be indefinite “Camille," “The King and I," “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte," “Golddiggers of 1933," there are these in which I've named, and some that I haven't, that stand out as “Mom and I" movies, that when I see them now, it is the only way I can address them ... Movies are what identifies my Mom and I ... strongly. We'd even walk around in public going through a scene from a classic film if the situation called for it:
"I don't want to lick the bowl! I want to know what we're going to do!" (Arsenic and Old Lace - Cary Grant)
"Help Me Johnny. It's too heavy for me." (Arsenic and Old Lace - Peter Lorre)
"My head is swimmin'." (A Streetcar Named Desire - Kim Hunter)
"What's goin' on up there that you don't want me to see?!" (Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte - Agnes Moorehead)
"Are they Charlie? Are they?" (Shadow of A Doubt - Joseph Cotten)
"I like it! Do it again!" (Red Headed Woman - Jean Harlow)
"I always used to wipe my mouth! WIPE MY MOUTH!" (Of Human Bondage - Bette Davis)
It was who we were ... who we are. Always will be."
"You know, every Saturday my Mom and I would have Saturday Movie of the Week. EVERY SATURDAY. This became an unexpected tradition starting over 12 years ago. And since that time, we rarely, if ever missed Saturday Nite Movie nights, even when she was in the hospital, we'd try our best to keep up movie nights. Always at 8PM. And during a huge chunk of that time, a lot of the films we would watch would either be one the Essentials on TCM, a Classic Film we already had on hand, or whatever was showing on TCM after whatever movie we picked to watch for the week was over. Thusly we were introduced to a lot of films we had never seen before and instantly liked, “Dead Ringer," “The Search," “Murder By Death," “Red Headed Woman," “The Gazebo" and so on.
Then there were the films we had seen since I was young that never got old, so we'd watch again and again, “Arsenic and Old Lace," “The Letter," “On The Waterfront," “The Women," “Shadow of a Doubt," etc. Then there are those that have a “Mom and I" backstory to them, such as “Gilda," “Fanny," “Gaslight," “Night Must Fall," “The Picture of Dorian Gray," “Three on a Match," “Guys and Dolls," “Notorious," and “A Streetcar Named Desire," which although has a huge backstory to it, it is eventually what lead to our nicknames being Stella and Blanche ... literally.
And though the list of movies seem to be indefinite “Camille," “The King and I," “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte," “Golddiggers of 1933," there are these in which I've named, and some that I haven't, that stand out as “Mom and I" movies, that when I see them now, it is the only way I can address them ... Movies are what identifies my Mom and I ... strongly. We'd even walk around in public going through a scene from a classic film if the situation called for it:
"I don't want to lick the bowl! I want to know what we're going to do!" (Arsenic and Old Lace - Cary Grant)
"Help Me Johnny. It's too heavy for me." (Arsenic and Old Lace - Peter Lorre)
"My head is swimmin'." (A Streetcar Named Desire - Kim Hunter)
"What's goin' on up there that you don't want me to see?!" (Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte - Agnes Moorehead)
"Are they Charlie? Are they?" (Shadow of A Doubt - Joseph Cotten)
"I like it! Do it again!" (Red Headed Woman - Jean Harlow)
"I always used to wipe my mouth! WIPE MY MOUTH!" (Of Human Bondage - Bette Davis)
It was who we were ... who we are. Always will be."
UPDATE: Saturday Nite Movie Night Dailies ...
LETTERBOXD: (DominiqueRevue)
Something I've made mention of constantly is how my Mom and I would have a Saturday Nite Movie Night *every* Saturday for more than 12 years, dating back really, unofficially then, to my early, early childhood as the trips to the rental store would take place on school weekends with my folks.
Since losing my Mom, I've been trying to make my way back to watching films on my own without becoming too emotional about it. It was such a huge part of who we were. Films have been an inspiration to my career goals professionally (Dominique Revue Theatrical Productions), and an escape in life, good or bad, personally. It's taken a while, and I can't say I'm 110% there yet, but between reading a recent rundown from a friend of mine on a film my Mom and I would've seen for sure without a doubt, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (we were JDepp fans from *way* back), watching the Oscars (something my Mom and I never missed annually) and yes, missing my mom, I decided my own personal project would be to begin watching all the films she and I would have went to the theaters to see, the films we had talked about seeing at the time, unbeknownst then ... , and the films I know we'd have scheduled for our SNMN to watch, myself, over the course of time. Oh, yes, she and I had a whole weekly production to prep for our weekly Saturday Nite Movie Nights. It was synchronized to perfection without having to say a word to one another. Like clockwork. Two bags of popcorn, extra melted butter, hot fresh cups of cappuccino, and no wasting good popcorn on a film that didn't catch our attention after the first ten minutes. "NEXT!" And so the back up watch would be the replacement feature presentation.
Saying all that to say, just completed my first week of watches, where I picked 5 films for my first set, including, THE REVENANT ... Leo. Leo. Leo. You've done us so proud. So proud. My Mom and I have probably seen every Leonardo DiCaprio film, not even necessarily intentionally, we just liked his film choices and always thought he should get recognition for them. Our last film at the theater together, again, unbeknownst at the time it was to be our last, was THE GREAT GATSBY. Which, in spite of seemingly no one else liking the film other than the fingers I can count on one hand, we enjoyed. We both went into the theater thinking of it as a stand alone, not an adaptation. Because like many other people, I become very critical of film adaptations. I can turn very MISERY when seeing a favorite book or original adaptation turned, flipped, grilled and burnt to a crisp. It's not a good look.
Because my time is limited in writing a full complete review on every film I'm screening, as I'm trying to complete at least five films per week in my free time, at least one a day or every other day, I did want to keep a log of each film, with a personal POV, if the film moves me to do so. For my first set of 5, I will do a write up on each film to start with, and will log them in a list on my Letterboxd account (SATURDAY NITE MOVIE NIGHT DAILIES) along with each film I'll be screening for the duration in case you want to follow along there!
For my short film, meant for anyone who has lost someone, reflecting the silence and darkness you feel, inspired by and for my mom, feel free to watch and share: BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS. And as always, you can catch me posting films and films that inspire me on my Twitter account @DominiqueRevue.
Let's do this ... #ForMyMom
Something I've made mention of constantly is how my Mom and I would have a Saturday Nite Movie Night *every* Saturday for more than 12 years, dating back really, unofficially then, to my early, early childhood as the trips to the rental store would take place on school weekends with my folks.
Since losing my Mom, I've been trying to make my way back to watching films on my own without becoming too emotional about it. It was such a huge part of who we were. Films have been an inspiration to my career goals professionally (Dominique Revue Theatrical Productions), and an escape in life, good or bad, personally. It's taken a while, and I can't say I'm 110% there yet, but between reading a recent rundown from a friend of mine on a film my Mom and I would've seen for sure without a doubt, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (we were JDepp fans from *way* back), watching the Oscars (something my Mom and I never missed annually) and yes, missing my mom, I decided my own personal project would be to begin watching all the films she and I would have went to the theaters to see, the films we had talked about seeing at the time, unbeknownst then ... , and the films I know we'd have scheduled for our SNMN to watch, myself, over the course of time. Oh, yes, she and I had a whole weekly production to prep for our weekly Saturday Nite Movie Nights. It was synchronized to perfection without having to say a word to one another. Like clockwork. Two bags of popcorn, extra melted butter, hot fresh cups of cappuccino, and no wasting good popcorn on a film that didn't catch our attention after the first ten minutes. "NEXT!" And so the back up watch would be the replacement feature presentation.
Saying all that to say, just completed my first week of watches, where I picked 5 films for my first set, including, THE REVENANT ... Leo. Leo. Leo. You've done us so proud. So proud. My Mom and I have probably seen every Leonardo DiCaprio film, not even necessarily intentionally, we just liked his film choices and always thought he should get recognition for them. Our last film at the theater together, again, unbeknownst at the time it was to be our last, was THE GREAT GATSBY. Which, in spite of seemingly no one else liking the film other than the fingers I can count on one hand, we enjoyed. We both went into the theater thinking of it as a stand alone, not an adaptation. Because like many other people, I become very critical of film adaptations. I can turn very MISERY when seeing a favorite book or original adaptation turned, flipped, grilled and burnt to a crisp. It's not a good look.
Because my time is limited in writing a full complete review on every film I'm screening, as I'm trying to complete at least five films per week in my free time, at least one a day or every other day, I did want to keep a log of each film, with a personal POV, if the film moves me to do so. For my first set of 5, I will do a write up on each film to start with, and will log them in a list on my Letterboxd account (SATURDAY NITE MOVIE NIGHT DAILIES) along with each film I'll be screening for the duration in case you want to follow along there!
For my short film, meant for anyone who has lost someone, reflecting the silence and darkness you feel, inspired by and for my mom, feel free to watch and share: BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS. And as always, you can catch me posting films and films that inspire me on my Twitter account @DominiqueRevue.
Let's do this ... #ForMyMom