Les Mis: The Preview!

I have to admit that "The Hathaway" bugs me for reasons too myriad and intangible to explain (am I the only one on the planet who feels this way? Apparently so, given how many plum parts she continues to get.) But anyway, while I'm not a fan of her casting, everything else about this trailer gives me major chills!

 Check out this great MSN video: 'Les Miserables' movie teaser

Sentenced to Draft

A white-collar criminal was sentenced by a judge to write a book that would serve as a cautionary tale to others. Compelled authorship, I love it! (Wonder if the book was any good.)

Pompadours and Circumstance in Barry Lyndon

On Friday, I had the exquisite pleasure of watching Stanley Kubrick's luxuriously epic adaptation (it's over three hours long and contains an official "intermission") of Thackeray's Barry Lyndon  in the Arclight's Dome. Ryan O'Neal plays the title character, a mischievous Irishman who flaneurs his way around 18th century Europe, breaking hearts and taking names as he hobnobs with everyone from aristocrats to lowlifes.

The character of Barry Lyndon is an intriguing mix of naivete and roguishness and though the narrator relates the incidents in Barry's life almost as pure circumstance, one is left to determine for oneself how much more likely they are the result of his many personality defects.

Breathtakingly gorgeous with an incredible score, the film flopped at the box office but went on to win four Academy Awards including Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design. The sets are deliciously decadent and often lit by candlelight. --Kim

Trivia from IMDB:
"Production was moved from Ireland to England after Stanley Kubrick received word that his name was on an IRA hit list for directing a film featuring English soldiers in Ireland."
"According to Stanley Kubrick's biographer, Robert Redford was the original choice for the role of Barry Lyndon but turned it down."
More trivia.