Of Rain and Film Noir~~~~

Hello Darklings,

I have been a naughty girl (well woman) by not posting so much, but with the damage the rains and winds have done I’ve been busy.

It’s been hard working on my garden, but I’m so glad that my orchid plants and my koi fish have been kept in the green house safe from all the cold and rain and debris, putting heavy chicken wire on the roof of the green house has protected the glass I’m happy to say. 

But I’ve had to put off doing work in the garden because we never know when the next rain storms will come, last night we had an unexpected heavy squall come down with torrents of water and wind.   I sat next to the window in the front parlor and watched as the rain came down in sheets being pushed along by the wind, water running down the steps of the front porch like a water fall, rolling down the driveways like rivers and the street gutters running fast and heavy with the run off.  In a dark Gothic way it was magnificent.

Fortunately no power outages, no trees falling over blocking roads in our area.  And having the fire crackling in the fire place made things feel cozy and comfortable, one would think that someone would be sitting at a small table reading tarot cards on such a wild, wet night.  

But no the dogs were snoozing in front of the fire in contentment, with Wiener dog snoring loudly, and Doyle in his comfy chair dozing and snoring in counter point, the Sunday paper collapsed like a blanket on his lap.   I decided to not turn on the T.V. and instead had a book in my hand to read, but watching the rain proved more fascinating for my night time viewing.

For the last few weeks I’ve been helping my sister until she can hire a good medical report secretary who can also do bookkeeping and maintain appointments for her.   She’s had a few candidates and one is very promising, just need to check out her references.  

Early yesterday evening Television was a bore, so I turned to some DVD’s that we had purchased, maybe I should use the Red Boxes but one never knows the quality of the discs that are distributed.  But I had to buy (a bit at a time) the American Horror Story Series,   but when one starts watching one has to be prepared for a marathon of watching you just can’t stop, you need to see the next “chapter”.   It takes all our strength to not stay up late watching only to wake in the morning exhausted. 

Well we (Sis and I ) started AHS: Coven,  We had seen AHS: Asylum last month, Sis wonders what goes on in the minds of the writers, she’d like to analyze them.  But in seeing Coven, if we ever can arrange it I’d love to go to New Orleans, but not during Mardi Gras that scene is too crazy.   And who knows what delightful little bizarre trinket one will find.   I understand the food is out of this world.  And I’d take in all the tours, even the ghost tours.  

I meant to talk about the S.F. Film Noir Festival that Sis and I attended in January,  once again we stayed at the lovely Hotel Rex and we dressed in our best late 1940’s to mid 1950’s clothing,  and once again we figuratively “drowned” ourselves in Film Noir,  this time with more foreign entries and including more modern entries, that in their own way surprised us, but I personally can’t help but feel that Film Noir should be more “black and white”  which is why in a way “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”, “Blue Collar” and “Straight Time”  some what disappointed me.  But the others did not.

Gina Lollobrigida was beautiful in “Four Ways Out” and we had the classics such as “Criss-Cross”, “The Asphalt Jungle” and “Kansas City confidential” .

On days when there was no matinee we indulged in shopping and spa treatments and fine dining, but I think I’m going to have to go to the gym and work off a few pounds, not being able to walk the dogs because of the rain had me gain a few and it always is telling at the waist line. 

Rififi had me on the edge of my seat with the 30 minute not speaking portion, “Victoria”, a 2015 film from Germany, did show how Film Noir is developing in the 21^st century and although a fantastic film, I have to confess for this Elder Goth I prefer my Film Noir in Black and white and in the gritty times of the 40’s and 50’s.   Yet is was a good across the years selection, and I certain would suggest that you view these films as both vintage and contemporary and how we as a civilization have developed as well.

I have listed here the films that we saw:

CRISS CROSS 

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 

KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL 

VIOLENT SATURDAY 

FOUR WAYS OUT / LA CITTÀ SI DIFENDE 

BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET / I SOLITI IGNOTI 

RIFIFI  / DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES 

THE BIG RISK / CLASSE TOUS RISQUES 

THE KILLING 

CRUEL GUN STORY / KENJÛ ZANKOKU MONOGATARI 

THE LADYKILLERS 

THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN 

ONCE A THIEF 

THE SICILIAN CLAN / LE CLAN DES SICILIENS

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123  

THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT 

BLUE COLLAR 

STRAIGHT TIME 

CHARLEY VARRICK

THE BRINK'S JOB 

SEXY BEAST

THE AURA / EL AURA 

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD 

VICTORIA 

But for 10 lovely days Sis and I enjoyed ourselves, shopping, resting, pampering ourselves and even though it rained we had a great time.   And once again Doyle did not disappoint us.  He arranged once again to have us picked in in a classic 1950’s Cadillac complete with Chauffer (his friend who owns the car),  Sis and I came down into the lobby in our best 1940’s clothing paid the bill and had fun seeing a few folks that were there following us to our waiting vehicle, the looks on their faces was priceless.

We drove back across the Bay Bridge, across the section that echoes from the 1930’s and then through the tunnel (aka Time tunnel) across the new span built just a few years ago, the old workhorse bridge now completely gone, vanished, back to our homes and into the 21^st century and reality.

But we can dream a little and enjoy it a bit. 

Now the dogs are dressed in their warm coats, and Doyle in his heavy jacket and I am going to put on my very warm coat and we are going to take a much needed walk to work off those 5 pounds.

Later Darklings