It has become plain that some of my Facebook "friends" enjoy and wallow in shocking and revolting images. It's bad enough when they project their hatred and nightmares in written words, but at least you can feel sorry for them. But some pictures are worse than a million words, and early in the morning, when I'm still on my first mug of coffee, when my hair is already standing on end from a restless night, it's almost unbearable to confront some previously unimaginable horror on Facebook.
Of course I could "unfriend" these people, but one of them is a distant cousin and one is a "fellow poet." I don't want to offend them, regardless of how many times they offend me. One wants to tell them to get help, but they would probably take that as the worst of insults. I have tried the "show me no more posts" from them, but this only lasts for a day or two, and then they reappear.
I know that horror exists, and I know that it's important to be able to face a certain amount of it without losing one's cool. But one hopes to have to face it only accidentally and from some enemy or force of nature. Not at random with one's morning coffee.
New Favorite Movie
I had never seen it before, because I wasn't crazy about Humphrey Bogart and thought "Casablanca" would be about as exciting as "The Maltese Falcon" or "Key Largo." But I watched "Casablanca" last night, and think it's one of the best movies I've ever seen, regardless of (or maybe because of) the corn and ham.
Bogart: "This gun is pointed straight at your heart."
Raines: "That is my least vulnerable spot."
5 comments:
Hey! Dead on about Casablanca. I read this quote in Wikipedia:
"Julius Epstein would later note the screenplay contained 'more corn than in the states of Kansas and Iowa combined. But when corn works, there's nothing better.'"
Which is about right. I think what people call "corny" is emotion that is simpleminded or overdone. Casablanca is very emotional, but not overdone, because it's not small. If that makes sense? And if it seems like a simple movie, I think that's deceptive. It does what a good book does - it lets the viewer bring as much depth to it as he or she has.
About Facebook - I promise you that there is a way to hide someone so that you don't see their posts on your page. You will only see their posts if you go to their page, or (maybe) if someone who ISN'T hidden shares their stuff. It works - if you are interested, I can help when I see you next.
And I hope you are doing well! Jed
Oh - one more point to confirm Casablanca is a great film: Umberto Eco called it mediocre. That jackass. :)
It wasn't "corny" at the time the movie was made. It just seems a bit simple and innocent, in these more cynical times.
Claude Raines has a way of stealing the show in any movie that he appears in.
Agree about Claude Raines. But it seems like this movie (more than any of the others I've seen him in) actually encouraged him to steal the show.
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