Straw Dog(s) Days of Summer.

Well, they got my name right. I just don't know where that extra P came from.

I killed it.

I was catching up on my weeding. With the rain, I let the weeds around the tomatoes go. The ones by the tomatoes were pretty good size.

I started pulling up big clumps of weeds when I noticed the tomato cage was also pulling up. I had snagged the tomato plant with the weeds and had totally pulled it out of the ground. I tried replanting it but somehow it knew. Within 10 minutes the leaves had wilted. I killed it.

End of story? No, in fact it made me think of a few things: Weeds of course (seaon premiere tonight, yea).

Which stars Mary Louise Parker and I also thought of the dark (and obscure) movie, Reckless, that I had liked her in.

Californication (season premiere tonight, yea) with it's strange spelling which stars David Duchovny.

Kalifornia with it's strange spelling and David Duchovny.

Weeds on Showtime:

Reckless

Release Date: 1995

Ebert Rating: **

By Roger Ebert Nov 17, 1995

`Reckless" could play on the same double bill with "The Nightmare Before Christmas," although I'm not sure anyone would be singing carols on the way out.



It's a dark comedy that begins with the creepy underside of Christmas, and branches out into the creepy underside of just about everything else. It's one of those films where you think it's only a dream, and then when everyone wakes up, it's worse.



The movie stars Mia Farrow as Rachel, wide-eyed and trusting, and comfortably wrapped in the happiness of her marriage. On Christmas Eve, she hears a noise downstairs, and turns to her husband (Tony Goldwyn) for comfort, only to see him burst into tears and confess that he knows exactly what is causing the noise: a hit man he hired to kill her.



Rachel tries to escape by crawling out her bedroom window, which her husband slams on her; then she slides down the roof, lands in a snow bank, and is off on a macabre series of adventures. Her house, and the landscape it occupies, are creations of the production designer (Andrew Jackness), who makes everything a little too small and a little too idealized to be real. The house seems to have about half a room on every floor, and the landscape looks like a Christmas card painted by an artist who has had severe difficulties mastering the skill of perspective.



Poor Rachel, an idealist who hardly expected to be cast out into the dark and wintry night, finds refuge in a telephone booth and then is rescued by a kindly stranger named Lloyd (Scott Glenn). He takes her home to meet his wife, Pooty (Mary-Louise Parker). Her story is that she's deaf and mute. Rachel feels safe for a time in the bosom of this adopted family, but motives are shifty in "Reckless," and nothing is as it seems. (Santa, for example, is revealed as more than just an anagram for Satan.) The movie now takes her on a cross-country journey. The press book claims she visits all 50 states. I didn't count them all, but I did notice that she kept turning up in towns named Springfield, and the movie informs us that there is a Springfield in every state. (I have Webster's Geographical Dictionary right here on the shelf, and could look that up, except I'm afraid that if I find out it's true I will be compelled to tell everyone I know.) Among the characters still to be encountered by Rachel are the volunteers at a sinister "not-for-profit" organization, an unhelpful psychiatrist, a troubled nun and the host (Giancarlo Esposito) of a game show named "Your Mother or Your Wife?" Because there is no clear thread of logic (or illogic) running through these encounters, the movie plays as if it's longer than it is: Stories get tedious when they seem to be arbitrary, and audiences don't like it when their instinct to make sense of everything is frustrated in a capricious way.



That's not to say the movie doesn't have its qualities; the production design is intriguing, and Farrow knows exactly what she's doing with her innocent naivete. (Asked if she sees her parents, she solemnly replies, "Not since they died.") The movie was directed by Norman Rene, from a screenplay and stage play by Craig Lucas; their previous work includes "Longtime Companion," the heart-breaking drama about AIDS, and "Prelude to a Kiss," in which an old man somehow gets transmogrified into Meg Ryan's body. Both of those films were strongly story-oriented. "Reckless" seems cast adrift - thrown out into the storm with its heroine, to wander hither and yon.

Cast & Credits

Rachel: Mia Farrow

Lloyd: Scott Glenn

Pooty: Mary-Louise Parker

Tom: Tony Goldwyn

Season premieres for Weeds and Californication:

Weeds was of the main reasons I added Showtime to my cable menu.

Following it will be the new show, Californication starring David Duchovny. I was a big fan of the X-Files remember him in the dark movie, Kalifornia, also starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis.

Kalifornia

Release Date: 1993

Ebert Rating: ****

By Roger Ebert Sep 3, 1993

"Be careful what you ask for. You may get it." Old saying Once in a very long while I see a film that cuts through the surface of movie violence, and says something important about the murderous energies at loose in society. "Kalifornia" is such a film - terrifying and horrifying, yes, but also unflinchingly honest, and so well acted that for most of the film I abandoned any detachment and just watched it as if I were observing the lives of real people.



The film brings together four people who are, by themselves, fairly recognizable types. But while an ordinary film would simply plug them into a story, this film forces them to actually deal with one another, so that we see a confrontation between voyeurs who are turned on by violence (as long as it's at arm's-length) and those who are actually capable of killing.



The movie introduces us to two couples. Brian and Carrie are smart, ambitious yuppies. Early and Adele are wretched white trash.



Brian (David Duchovny) is a writer with an interest in mass murderers. Carrie (Michelle Forbes) is a photographer, a would-be Mapplethorpe with a low, no-nonsense voice and a certain cool detachment. They want to move to California, and Brian suggests a cross-country tour of the sites of famous mass murders. She can take the pictures, he can write the text, and they can get a book out of it.



Early and Adele, played by Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis in two of the most harrowing and convincing performances I've ever seen, live in a slovenly rented trailer. He's on parole. She's a slack-jawed child-woman who repeats cliches that seem to have been imperfectly learned from television. The landlord is on their case about the rent.



Brian and Carrie need someone to share the gas and driving for their trip out west. They put up a card on the bulletin board at the university. Bad luck: Early, who has been sent over to the campus by his parole officer to take a job as a janitor, sees the card and decides it's time to take off for California with Adele. Of course, that's a parole violation, but what the hell: Before he leaves, he murders and buries his landlord, to teach him a lesson about bugging people for the rent.



Most of the film takes place on the road, as the writer and photographer gradually become aware of the nature of the people who are sharing the ride. It is here that the movie reveals its greatness. A lesser film would simply be a thriller in which the protagonists would desperately scheme to escape from the killers in their car. "Kalifornia" is much more subtle than that. It's about the strange fascination that some people feel for those who seem tougher and more "authentic." Usually those who romanticize in that way have never had to deal with anyone who hurts others just for the entertainment value.



There's a deep class difference between the two couples - between Brian, with his yuppie sportswear, and Early, with his greasy hair and careless tattoos and smelly socks. And between the feminist Carrie, and Adele, who observes curiously, "I used to smoke, but Early broke me of it." The yuppies, though, with their liberals' reluctance to show bad manners, try to "accept" these two strangers and to make allowances for their behavior.



A certain bond even grows between Brian and Early. Brian, for example, has never fired a gun. Early has. Brian is fascinated by Early's gun (Carrie is terrified). Early lets him shoot out some windows in an abandoned factory, and Brian is like a kid with a toy.



It's also exciting - a rush, a high - when the two guys go out drinking one night, and when a guy in the bar takes offense to Brian's appearance, Early steps in and kicks the guy almost to death.



Early is not stupid, and has a better sense of Brian than Brian has of him. As Carrie gradually discovers that Early beats Adele and is probably a sociopath, Brian is being halfway seduced by Early's lawlessness. Not that he wants to get involved, of course.



But it's intriguing to be so close to it.



Gradually, by slow, logical steps, the director Dominic Sena and the writer Tim Metcalfe reveal to Brian and Carrie the full reality of the situation they've gotten themselves into. Here's a middle-class couple who thought it would be a gas to revisit the scenes of mass murders, and whaddaya know? They end up with a real mass murderer, right in the same car, and it isn't fun. Not at all.



Dominic Sena is a director unknown to me, but he shows the kind of mastery of material here that I've seen in other early films such as Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets," Terence Malick's "Badlands," John McNaughton's "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" and Carl Franklin's "One False Move." The suspense screws up tighter than a drum-head. The characters remain believable; we have a conflict of personalities, not stereotypes. The action coexists seamlessly with the message.



A woman sitting behind me at the screening objected out loud, from time to time, to the movie's "depravity." If she hates it so much, I wondered, why doesn't she leave? Afterwards, she admitted it was "very well-made," but that she feared "the wrong people could see it and get bad ideas." I think the point of "Kalifornia" is that it's altogether too comforting to believe that people need inspiration to hurt and kill. Some people, the movie says, are simply evil.



They lack all values and sympathy. And they don't need anybody to give them ideas.

Cast & Credits

Early Grayce: Brad Pitt

Adele Corners: Juliette Lewis

Brian Kessler: David Duchovny

Carrie Laughlin: Michelle Forbes

Deadfall:

Actually this is my burn pile with morning glories taking over. We aren't supposted to burn except for a couple weekends in April and October.

Whenever I see or hear the word deadfall it makes me think of Pet Sematary (the book, not necessarily the movie). In the book, there was a wall of deadfall at the end of the Pet Sematary that lead to the "real" cemetery: an ancient Indian burial ground.

Rama and some of the garden pickings.

I had tons of peppers too but they are out of camera sight. I'm going to try making some stuffed peppers in a day or two. Amy gave me bulbs for the two types of dalhias on the right. The ones on the left have been with me for about 10 years. I dig them up each fall and store in the basement.

My shortest flower.

I don't know if it just got a late start or if is supposted to be so short. It is only about 8 inches high.

Garden sandwich.

Garden Walk.

I still entertain myself walking around the yard taking videos. I took these during a stretch of really hot and humid weather with rain forest like downpours during the night. I had kept up with weeds for the most part though all this rain is sure to get me behind again.

Analogy wise, the middle of this post should be something I like (and filling).

I got Icky Thump as a belated Father's Day present. The more I hear 300 MPH, the more I like it. Bluesy.

They do alot without a bass guitar and the lyrics as usual are interesting. That made me think of Portland Oregon, which I also liked for the lyrics. And of course Loretta does a great job.

Portland Oregon, Van Lear Rose Loretta Lynn with Jack White.

300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues, Icky Thump White Stripes.

Garden Walk, backwards with an appearance by Cubbie (above of course).

Lastly, back and front of the garage.

Odds and ends of pots. The morning glories don't seem to mind.

More moonflower.

Dog days of summer.

Dog days of summer. By the way, did you know John Cazale only made five feature films? Amazing. He sure established a himself as a character actor in a very short time. Reminds me a little of Gary Oldman for some reason - more for immersing one's self into character than for looks.

Anyway, the best I have is a good joke I received via email (above) and a 15 second video I forgot to put in last post. Have a nice weekend.

Another version: Bob(the cat) made me. I look at it this way: I remember having to work the night of the last *M*A*S*H* (VCR's were about $ 700.00 then and yes, I missed it, finally seeing about 5 years later (quick note: my boss taped it and invited me over to watch it. I couldn't do it ) and going back even further, missing the end to The Fugitive (such a tortured soul, David Janssen). If I can capture 15 seconds of any day and look back at it from any computer, anywhere, anytime, it's got to be cool in it's own little way. I love technology...

It's time for some Gazanias.

Too many things to do in the summer. Anyway, I was getting sick of seeing a gored man on top of my page. Instead, one of my favorite summer flowers (after poppies, sunflowers, dahlias, etc. Ha). Anyway, they sure give you a lot of color.

Bonus pictures of Rama, Cubbie, rusty lawn chairs (love 'em anyway - they add character), burn barrel, and burn barrel morning glories.

Harry, horns, puppets, and Grace.

Bad choice for excitement.

Michael Lenahan, 23, of Philadelphia, Pa. is gored in the leg by a fighting bull during a traditional bull run in Pamplona, Spain, Thursday July 12, 2007. Two American brothers were gored Thursday during the longest and bloodiest morning bull run at the San Fermin festival in the northeastern city of Pamplona. Lawrence Lenahan, 26, of Hermosa Beach, Calif. and Michael Lenahan, 23, of Philadelphia, Pa. were gored by a bull who strayed from the pack, turned around and ran the wrong way. The older brother suffered a eight-inch (20-centimeter) goring in the left buttock after a dangerous sharp right turn in the course Lenahan described as a 'dead man's curve.' The younger brother was injured shortly before the bull ring, the end point of the daily runs, after the bulls horn entered beneath his skin in his right shin. (AP Photo/ Inaki Porto)

Note the mystery code embedded in the paragraph above. Which brings me to the fact:

Dumbledore over dumb. I'd much rather deal with the occasional horned Grindylow or Unicorn from the safety of my lawn chair, armed with a dangerous drink, this weekend.

Another Potter, Grace. And the Nocturnals. She rocks.

Monday Night Pictures.

Liatris spicata. If you knew great. I didn't. Actually they are tall stalks of purple flowers about two to four feet tall. I took a picture looking down at a short one.





Phlox from the garden. Purple, white, and red flowers seem to be flourishing this year. Except for the sunflowers, all my yellow flowers are taking a beating. It seems cyclical. Some years it is the opposite.




I'm still trying to get the aperture mode right. On my old camera it was set the F-stop, focus and click. This one keeps trying to autofocus / adjust settings on it's own. Even with auto turned off (I think). Anyway, I want to give the impression of tons of them growing together. I'm impressed they all have come back from seed the last couple years.




Cubbie follows me around all over the yard and garden, and who do I take a picture of instead? Bob (the cat). He didn't even notice me.

English themed roadtrip.

This is a narrow little country road about two miles out of town. Notice the red triangle with a "Yield" on the railroad crossing sign (what other option do you have with a train?).

My neighbor told me a nearby roadside garden vendor was clearing out the last of their annuals. He gave me the impression they were free for the taking. I had a few holes to fill around the yard. Sounded great to me. After talking a bit more, I found out they were priced using the "Honor System".

What do you think about when you hear the word Honor? Obviously for neighbor Kenny, pay what you want, if anything.

I immediately thought of Honor Blackman. Cathy Gale from the British TV series, The Avengers. I love British TV.

Honor left to play Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie Goldfinger and was replaced by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. It turned out to be a good career move for both of them. They are both still active.

This part of the road is about a mile from the farm I grew up on. I used to ride my bike on this road. Ahead on the left is a house where a young kid got his head blown off while playing with a shotgun. I was always scared to ride by the house. Haunted.

Below I took a 15 second video, panning the road and field. It's too windy, bad sound quality, but I like hearing the sound of my voice. Always experimenting; tip # 1 - don't do video on a windy day.

On the left side of the road was this straw field. It was really bright out and made for good colors. This made me think of that minor classic, Straw Dogs by Sam Peckinpah. Set in rural England, it starred a young Dustin Hoffman and a very cute Susan George. I liked it; it's worth a view.

This looking the other direction from the road. That is our old farm way back over the soybean field.

What did I buy when I got to the roadside stand? Begonias, of course (really, I needed some shade lovers). This time of year you can't keep anything looking decent in the direct sun. And I paid pretty much the correct price. I discounted a little bit because of their condition (they were not "spring pristeen").

Back at home. These cleome fool Clint and I just about every year. Starting out, they look like pot plants. I actually quit my illegal paper burning in the barrel behind the garage. Don't draw attention to yourself. Then they get a little bigger, grow thorns and I know they are flowers.

The leaves look like pot to me.

My illegal burn barrel. Have to take it easy anyway for the morning glory.

Backyard garden. All the sunflowers came back on their own.

In keeping with my occasional English references, a must see show for me is on PBS; Rose Mary and Thyme. (I case you are wondering Mike, Wednesdays.)

It is a British TV series - two women are gardeners who also solve crimes. It isn't Masterpiece Theater but it is an enjoyable little show.

My only complaint with the sunflowers is they bloom too early. Or don't bloom long enough.

Experimenting with no flash. The morning glories are starting to climb the garage.

Ending with two Lilys. Both are favorites. One is English. (Any excuse to get Lily in a post.)

I wish they WERE butts.

This caught my eye. I thought it was an ashtray with butts on the ground next to it.

Terrible flooding. Stay safe everyone and have a nice Holiday.

I read it in the paper. Of course it's true.

Here: This explains my last post. Just bad math. Clip from the article below:

Clarity check: Rest easy, 1 of 4 Americans aren’t HIV-positive.



A headline we wrote over a story that was published Wednesday might have led you to think that was the case.



After reading the story, that headline also might have lead you to think that we had bumped our heads on something hard.



In fact, neither was the case.



However, a headline that should have been worded “An estimated 25 percent of Americans with HIV are not aware that they are infected,” instead was cast in such a way that suggested one-quarter of the U.S. population was HIV-positive.



We corrected the headline in Thursday’s print edition, but I still was receiving calls about it as recently as Friday.



We’re sorry that we weren’t as precise as we should have been.