Julie loves 1920's Paris, especially at midnight. But she's not sure she can give up air conditioning. Scott wonders if Hemingway will still read his rough draft if he refuses to fight him. Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris is the subject of Good Story, Episode 86.
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More stuff:
- Scott mentioned an NPR story about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in Asheville, NC, and here it is!
- Julie's favorite Woody Allen movies: Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway, Radio Days, Small Time Criminals, Everyone Says I Love You
Oh my gosh neither of you have read any F. Scott Fitzgerald? None at all? Not even in high school? Not even the Great Gatsby? *takes deep breaths*
ReplyDeleteI think The Great Gatsby is amazing, and has the best last few lines ever. If you want something shorter (although that's pretty short, it's always held up as the NaNoWriMo example for 50k words), try the short story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair."
Also recommended is a book I read earlier this year - Z. by Therese Anne Fowler. Apparently the scholars disagree on whether or not Zelda was actually evil or insane or whatever - and this novel uses the evidence to propose that maybe other things were going on. Fascinating, so good, I couldn't put it down.
If I was going to meet an ancestor it would be King Alpine or Rob Roy MacGregor. If I was going to meet a historical figure, I would want Beethoven or Chopin.
I concur on "The Great Gatsby". It's one of those "classics you must read" that is actually worth reading and isn't a waste of time like a certain book by an author who has the same first initials me.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I wouldn't go to a single time period. I'd prefer to just talk to individual's from certain times. One really deep, satisfying conversation. People like G.K. Chesterton, Shusaku Endo, and Walker Percy, above all would be who I would like to see in their element most of all, and those are just writers! There's all sorts of people from all over I would like to meet in their time, there's just so many choices.
As a whole, this movie really surprised me when I first saw it. Mainly because the previous movie they were heralding from him ("Match Point") did nothing for me and I was concerned this would be the same. Thankfully, it was quite fun. I should probably watch it again.
I hear both of you and appreciate your concern for a life lived without The Great Gatsby, but I just can't make myself do it. I've tried Fitzgerald's short stories and they do nothing for me either. I am just that uncivilized (and unrepentant). :-) — Julie
ReplyDeleteI use to be the biggest Woody Allen fan, at least his comedies. "Take the Money and Run" is still one of my favorites. Most of his straight-out comedies I enjoyed. Still I kind of lost touch with his movies after Sleeper and have hardly seen any of them. Part of it later on was the accusations against him that seemed rather credible to me especially what has come out in the last year.
ReplyDeleteStill I have read positive things about some of his later movies by critics I respect and the one you reviewed was one of them. Still I am conflicted about watching movies made by child abusers such as Allen and Polanski, especially since their abuse is passed over in Hollywood.
On another note I also have not read any Fitzgerald.
I so look forward to your conversation regarding "A man for all seasons" which is amazingly good. Really does a excellent job of portraying More and the ethics he navigated and the decisions he made.
I would recommend reading Peter Ackroyd "The Life of Thomas More", Ackroyd is a secular scholar and there are some places where he obviously doesn't get Catholicism, but still it contains a wealth of knowledge about More. He was really quite an amazing man with a wealth of talents that can seem conflicting. For example he was quite a polemical writer especially regarding budding of Protestantism, but also a man who would spend the night praying for one of his neighbors while she is in labor.
Have you ever read More's Utopia (a term he coined)? Or for great Lenten reading "The Sadness of Christ" which he wrote while imprisoned.
I actually had forgotten about those accusations against Allen because I read several credible rebuttals which left the whole issue up in the air for me. I have yet to see it decided in court, so based on those two things I tend to fall back on "innocent until proven guilty." Polanski, on the other hand, absolutely admitted his crimes and then went on the lam, crying big alligator tears whenever anyone dares to remind people of what he did. And I agree - I don't watch his movies because of all those things, especially the lack of repentance and humility.
ReplyDeleteI know Ackroyd is trustworthy as a historian and had completely forgotten that he wrote a bio of More. I am not one who enjoys biographies, but maybe I will give it to my husband (who will distill it for me into interesting conversation). :-D
I haven't read anything of More's other than various excerpts which always made me respect him even more. The Sadness of Christ sounds especially interesting considering the context in which it was written.