"If It Wasn't Hard, Everyone Would Do It. It's the Hardness That Makes It Great." -- Tom Hanks

Well, Easter is over for another year. The skits we did went off quite well, methinks. Then we spent a nice, relaxing afternoon/early evening kicking back at my wonderful mother's house, eating, watching the tube, a (for me, anyway) snoozing, lol. It was quite a stressful build-up - glad it's behind me.

I'm going to post the Lazarus movie we made up here in this post - in this spot, actually - but it isn't ready yet. I will edit it in here later Monday night, so check back... this text will be gone, and the embed will be here in it's place.

EDIT: OK, I did this from work, and the connection is poor, so I can't test the results just yet. Hope it works. If not, I'll fix it when I get home... like I said, it won't likely be winning any awards, but it was fun, and Todd poured countless hours into the entire process, which was a marvel to behold, in and of itself.



Can't wait for the next project. I'll do much better next time...

OK, that's that. END EDIT

We have a letter to hit, and that letter is H...

Favorite Movies (H):

Hamlet (1990): Ah, yes, my all-time favorite. On the one hand, I'm not sure why... I mean, all things considered, it's a pretty boring film, and all that Elizabethan English, sheesh... you lose focus for a moment, and you're lost. On the other hand, I know exactly why this is my favorite movie... the cast. The acting performances are just terrific, starting with Mel Gibson in the lead role. The emotions are written so plainly across his face, it's a marvel to me. And it doesn't stop there. Glen Close is always nails, Helene Bonham Carter is amazing as Ophelia... and when she cracks and goes off the deep end, very unnerving and convincing. Ian Holm as Polonius, Stephen Dillane as Horation, Paul Scofield as the Ghost of Hamlet's father...all the way down to the bit players. Across the board, I love every scene, and challenge myself routinely by trying to quote different parts of it. Here's one of my favorite scenes to quote...



Anyway, I know the style and the content isn't for everyone, but it's one of those things that just hits the right note in me. I think the film is very well done, top to bottom.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): Could there be a film more different than Hamlet, I wonder? Set in New York 1959, it is a Coen Brothers classic, and perhaps my favorite of their films (next to Raising Arizona), full of their quirky charm. Robbins plays Norville Barnes, a dim bulb inventor who comes to the Big City from a small town in Indiana to try and make it as an inventor. Hired into the mail room of a giant toy making company on the day the CEO kills himself, Barnes is instantly promoted to company President in an effort by the Board of Directors to instill panic in the investors, causing the incredibly valuable stock to plummet to the point where the board can buy up all the shares... then they'll dump Barnes and replace him with a real CEO. When the stock is valuable again, they'll all be rich... that's the plan, anyway... but Barnes has a trick or two up his sleeve... "You know, for kids!"

Love this movie, primarily for the oddball charm and wild dialog. Paul Newman and Jennifer Jason Leigh are terrific in the other lead roles, but there are great performances turned in by the rest of the cast as well. I dig absurdity, and this film has that in spades... here's a scene of Norville's first day on the job in the mail room...



Yeah, the whole movie's like that.

Favorite Acting Performances (H):

Tom Hardy in Bronson (2008): This is another role that is mesmerizing, but brutal and often wince-inducing, similar to Eric Bana in Chopper. The roles are similar in origin, in that Hardy plays Britain's most notorious prisoner, while Bana played Australia's. But where Chopper is far more gritty, Bronson is almost beautiful. It is very visually rich, and often weird, and for some stretches quite depressing (namely, his time incarcerated in a mental facility). But through it all, Hardy's performance is incredible.



Man, I am just a video-posting fool today! Sheesh! I'm looking forward to seeing what Hardy will do as BANE in the next Batman film...

At this point in the post, I am going to offer a quick apology... it's 1:15am Sunday night as I type this, and I am exhausted. I need sleep. I'm going to file the rest of the H Stuff under Odds & Ends, and head off to bed. If, at some point Monday, I have the time/energy, I'll drag an item or three out of Odds & Ends and make them legitimate entries... but for now, I am out of steam...

Odds & Ends (H):

Favorite Actors/Actresses: Katharine Hepburn
Favorite Authors: Greg Hamerton
Favorite Skateboarders: Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi
Favorite Books: The Heroes (by Joe Abercrombie), Have a Nice Day (by Mick Foley)
Favorite Book Characters: Jaqen H'ghar (A Clash of Kings by GRRM)
Favorite TV Characters: Dr House (Hugh Laurie)
Favorite Songs: How Soon Is Now (The Smiths), Hurt (Christina Aguilera)

And on that note, adios. Hope your Monday is grand.

Dave the Humbled, Haggard and Half-Finished