Sunday, June 2, 2013

In lieu of lighting a bonfire

in the middle of the freshly mowed and Febrezed rug in The Brothers' room and thereby making my point about the effects of constant fighting, bickering, punching and disrespect between them, I put Sophie in her wheelchair and walked to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). It was a glorious and hot walk under jacaranda trees, and when we got there I got tickets to the Stanley Kubrick exhibit and was promptly blown away from all thought of boys and bickering and household tasks. Sophie and I wandered in and out of rooms devoted to each of Kubrick's films, and whether you're a fan or not, the experience of seeing the art of making a film was breath-taking and terribly interesting.



I'm a sucker for looking at this stuff -- the writing of the film-maker -- the notes and scratchings, the whole process -- even if it is behind glass and sort of goofy, displayed in a museum.


It's weird to look at the iconic typewriter that Jack Nicholson's character typed on (especially after my frustrating morning with The Brothers and the bonfire that wasn't):



All work and no play makes me a dull --

I skirted the Clockwork Orange room:



but was mesmerized by a guy in bright orange pants and a blue hat outside of it:



I have a mixed relationship with Kubrick films --


I'm enamored with some: Lolita, Barry Lyndon, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining




and really hate some others: A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut. I can tell you, though, when and where I was when I saw each one.




By the time I walked home, I had cooled off, and instead of lighting a bonfire, I dumped clean clothes from the dryer in the middle of their room and walked out, eyes wide shut.
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5 comments:

  1. Ms. MoonJune 2, 2013 at 6:43 PM

    One summer there was nothing at all to do in the little Central Florida town where I lived except to ingest mushrooms and go see A Clockwork Orange and that movie stayed in town for months and we did. Over and over again. I'm sure that has a lot to do with who I am right now.

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  2. Alicia DJune 3, 2013 at 5:09 AM

    SOOO cool! I would love to go there.

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  3. Katie GatesJune 3, 2013 at 3:08 PM

    Sounds like a great exhibit. I'm going to have to head over to LACMA!

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  4. UnknownJune 3, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    I was too young to see clockwork, but read it as a library book ... An amazing book ... And then my mom had the soundtrack on an lp .... That was amazing too .... I can't believe The Shining was 1979 .... I'm feeling old now

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  5. Steve ReedJune 4, 2013 at 12:05 AM

    How cool. I would LOVE to see that exhibit. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a Kubrick film I didn't enjoy -- though some of them are certainly unpleasant in their subject matter. I even liked "Eyes Wide Shut," and I seem to be pretty much alone in that regard. His films have such a chilly emotional tone and meticulous precision -- even when they're full of wild excess, like "A Clockwork Orange." You know, I have never seen "Lolita," at least not that I can remember. I've read the book, but never seen the movie. I think I'll rent it tonight!

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