Mark Ford

April 11, 2022 No Comments

Chimerical (kye-MEER-uh-kl) – from the Ancient Greek for “she-goat” – means fantastic; wildly fanciful. In Greek mythology, the chimera (kye-MEER-uh) was a three-headed, fire-breathing monster. It had the body and head of a lion, a goat’s head rising from its back, and a serpent or dragon for a tail.

As used by Arthur Conan Doyle in A Study in Scarlet: “Yes; I have a turn both for observation and for deduction. The theories which I have expressed here, and which appear to you to be so chimerical, are really extremely practical – so practical that I depend on them for my bread and cheese.”

Worth Quoting

April 11, 2022 No Comments

“Revolutionary ideas come from nonsense. If an idea is truly a breakthrough, then the day before it was discovered, it must have been considered crazy or nonsense or both – otherwise it wouldn’t be a breakthrough.” – Burt Rutan

Readers Write

April 11, 2022 No Comments

Why I do what I do:

“Following your advice to rise early. Almost done with the first draft of my second book. Wishing you a wonderful day. And thank you so much for all the great insights, wisdom and experience you share. Your writings have been most helpful.” – AD

Re the Apr. 4 issue:

“I recently lost a loved one. I found that Daniel Wagner concept of transactive memory to be, as you said, beautiful, but also comforting. Thanks for the variety of the thoughts you include in your blog.” – KM

“You should do more research. Your report on the Hunter Biden laptop story only scratches the surface. This is a scandal that won’t disappear easily.” – KB

Re my review of West Side Story:

“You failed to mention the choreography of the recent version of West Side Story. To me, it was just amazing! By the way… I have always thought that Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet the best movie experience of my youth. I am still smitten with Olivia Hussey.” – JM

My response: You are right. I didn’t think of it. I should have. I didn’t even give it much thought. It seemed like it might have been the original choreography. I’m sure it was a new arrangement. I do think that song translates better from stage to film. Choreography feels a bit strange, almost artificial when you see it on the screen. But when you see it on stage, it feels (to me) natural and you can appreciate the movement because you are enjoying it in 3-D.

I agree with you on Zeffirelli’s R&J – and also remember warm feelings towards Olivia Hussey… I’m going to watch that again!

Postscript

April 11, 2022 No Comments

Is this woman stupid or just crazy?

Friday, April 8, 2022, Delray Beach, Florida

Notes From My Journal

April 8, 2022 No Comments

I was skeptical. Doubly skeptical. I’ve never liked the idea of modernizing Shakespeare. Much less converting one of his plays – a tragedy – into a movie musical. But Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, and Stephen Sondheim proved me wrong. The original (1961) West Side Story film, which, itself, was an adaptation of the hit 1957 Broadway musical, won me over.

It was perfect for its time. And it was a period piece. So why do it again? It seemed like a crazy idea. This time, the Dream Team was Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner.

Worth Watching

April 8, 2022 No Comments

West Side Story

Release date: Dec. 10, 2021

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno, Rachel Zegler

Currently available on Disney+ and HBO Max

The Plot

Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks – two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

What I Liked About This Remake of West Side Story

* All the original stuff they didn’t mess with – the music, the book, the lyrics

* All the visual elements – the setting, the costumes, the camera work, the editing, and, of course, the directing

* Ansel Elgort’s looks and voice

* Rachel Zegler’s looks and voice

* That Rita Moreno was in it

What I Didn’t Like

That Tony kills Maria’s brother and Maria is okay with it. This is just impossible to believe. (It didn’t happen in Romeo and Juliet.)

Critical Reception

* “There’s so much beauty in this West Side Story. It merges things that have truly shaped pop culture, from the graceful precision of Spielberg – who has always had a musical director’s eye in terms of how he choreographs his scenes – to the masterful songwriting of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein to the brilliant writing of Tony Kushner to the immigrant experience in this country. It grabs you from the very beginning and takes you there. Somehow, someday, somewhere.” (Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com)

* “A rich and famous artist spends a hundred million dollars to revive a corpse with the blood of young people. The creature is still alive, but barely, and the infusion leaves it deader than when it started.” (Richard Brody, The New Yorker)

* “It’s a dazzling display of filmmaking craft that also feels raw, unsettled, and alive. Rather than embalming a classic with homage or aggressively reinventing it, Spielberg, Kushner, Peck, and their collaborators… have rediscovered its breathing, thrilling essence.” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times)

Interesting

* The film was very expensive to make ($300 million) and had a weak start, grossing only $10.6 million in its first week. It will be interesting to see if it can break even.

* Elgort did not attend the Academy Awards. Possible reason: After the movie was in the can, he was accused of some sort sexual misconduct by a young woman with whom he purportedly had an affair. He may have decided to keep a low profile for a while.

You can watch the trailer here.

Worth Reading

April 8, 2022 No Comments

Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare

Probably written between 1591 and 1596

Both film versions of West Side Story (1961 and 1921) are very good in so many ways. But watching them, I was constantly reminded of the dramatic scenes and beautiful speeches of the Shakespearean tragedy on which they were based.

So, I found my collection of Shakespeare’s plays and read Romeo and Juliet again. And it happened again. Two thoughts: “Shakespeare really was the greatest ever writer in the English language.” And, “Why do I read anything else but Shakespeare?”

Romeo and Juliet is not Shakespeare’s best tragedy. But it may be his most popular. It is certainly the most imitated/emulated/revised/modernized, etc.

If you have never read a play by Shakespeare, do yourself a favor. Read Romeo and Juliet now. Click here.

And there are many versions of the Romeo and Juliet story that you might enjoy.

Click here for a list of film adaptations.

And click here for a list of tales about similarly star-crossed lovers.

Fun and/or Interesting

April 8, 2022 No Comments

About Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare took the plot from The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, a long, narrative poem written in 1562 by the English poet Arthur Brooke. The poem, in turn, was based on a French translation of a short story by the amazing Matteo Bandello, an Italian monk, soldier, adventurer, bishop, and writer. His collection of tales not only gave rise to Romeo and Juliet, but also Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing.

Arts & Letters

April 8, 2022 No Comments

This painting of a stolen kiss between the most famous star-crossed lovers of them all was voted the “most romantic artwork in Britain” by readers of London’s The Daily Mail.

It was painted in oil by Frank Bernard Dicksee in 1884. Art critic Godfrey Barker said: “It creates the impression death is close but love will never die. Romance is a dream that still lives in the hearts of millions.”

Worth Quoting

April 8, 2022 No Comments

From Romeo and Juliet:

* “[Go] wisely and slow; they stumble who run fast.” (Act 2, Scene 3)

* “You can’t lose a game if you don’t play the game.” (Act 1, Scene 4)

* “Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” (Act 2, Scene 6)