Want to submit your own Gene 5 piece? More info at the end of the post.

Angie J. Han is a Brooklyn-based writer who likes thinking about pop culture, especially films, television, and how feminism relates to both. You can find her work at AngieHan.

I’d consider myself a very happy, cheerful person. But in spite of this - or perhaps a therapist would say because of this? - I’ve got a thing for movies with the “gloomy” and “unfulfillment” genes. My favorite films feature protagonists filled with longing and regret, and usually end badly. They’re not always easy to watch, but I find them satisfying in a way that the candy-coated optimism of Slumdog Millionaire could never hope to be.

1. McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Director Robert Altman takes familiar Western conventions - a larger-than-life hero, a beautiful hooker, miles of empty frontier and a can-do spirit - and turn them into a moody, bitter meditation on how the West was really won.

2. The Fountain

Yes, it’s a mess. But give in to the experience, and you’ll find that it’s an elegantly imagined, enchantingly told mess. Hugh Jackman’s arresting performance anchors three melancholy love stories that intersect through time and imagination.

3. The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke made his comeback with this crushing story of a has-been wrestler facing his twilight years with regret and disappointment. You know those uplifting tales of people who turn their lives around armed with nothing but determination and a smile? This isn’t one of those.

4. The Last Temptation of Christ

Who could be more unfulfilled than a man who had to sacrifice the best parts his life for the greater good? Martin Scorsese strips away the mythology surrounding the son of God, revealing a complicated - and undeniably human - man facing the harshest decision of his life.

5. In the Mood for Love

Wong Kar-Wai’s masterpiece of sexual tension plays out in the things that don’t happen, rather than the things that do. Sumptuous cinematography helps create an atmosphere heady with desire, while stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung soulfully attempt to not seduce each other.

What’s your favorite gene (search term) on Jinni? Is there one, or several combined, that especially expresses your tastes – or your life? Email us at bloggers@jinni.com with a piece about your favorite gene and the 5 movies or shows that express it for you (200-500 words; or you can present your ideas in images/video), and we’ll publish our Gene 5 selections on a rolling basis.

Technorati Tags: classic film, movie, bloggers, guest bloggers, guest blogging, mccabe & mrs. miller, the fountain, the wrestler, the last temptation of christ, in the mood for love, scorsese, mickey rourke

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Want to submit your own Gene 5 piece? More info at the end of the post.

Coral Russell is a self confessed movie junkie. She loves using movies, technology, music, arts, and plain old curiosity when it comes to teaching or learning a new language at English as a New Language. Connect with her on Jinni here.

I wrote about my plans to attend the The Plaza Classic Film Festival in El Paso, TX on August 5- 15, 2010 in a previous post. Here’s a follow-up describing my actual experiences at the festival, including my final impressions of the five films I set out to watch. Warning: A few (mild) spoilers ahead.

1. Picnic (1955)

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this movie since I knew nothing about it – was it a romance, a tragedy, a comedy?  It ended up being a romance – the pretty girl runs away with the hunky boy – and a comedy.  It’s pretty darn funny!  One-liners run through the whole film and make it thoroughly entertaining.  It’s sexy, even by today’s over-the-top standards, and I love the way Hal calls Madge “baby.”  Hal’s character and the acting is a little awkward – for example, the way he grips his ripped-up shirt when an older woman mauls him. Though it does give the character “innocence,” as my mother put it.  It was a treat for Nick Clooney to come out and introduce the movie as one of his favorites, and to have my mother with me, who first saw it when she was twelve.  If you love classics, you’ll love this movie.

2. Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

…because hell won’t have her!  At least that’s what I said after seeing this classic. The title is actually taken from Hamlet.  This film noir was good even though it was out-of-character.  Technicolor made all the outdoor scenes rich, as if you could step right into Jacinto, Behind the Moon, or Bar Harbor.  Gene Tierney was just as gorgeous and fit the settings perfectly, using it to hide her sociopath ways. “Ellen will win, Ellen always wins.”  “Sometimes truth is wicked.”  “There’s nothing wrong with Ellen, It’s just that she loves too much.”  You’ll have to experience this thriller for yourself to see if, indeed, Ellen always wins…

3. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

“I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.”  Well, now I know why Miyazaki is revered.  Even though I’ve seen a couple of his other films, this one is my favorite so far.  I’m lucky to have been able to see this on the big screen with my daughter.  After the whirlwind hour-and-forty-minute movie, I confess I teared up a little at the end.  My daughter loved it, laughed out loud, described it as a romantic comedy and at the end declared that we must buy this movie to see again.  But like Howl’s Moving Castle, some of the best anime is not just for kids. One could carry on many layers of conversation about the themes of love, friendship, freedom, following your heart, forgiveness and believing in yourself that the movie covers with a wonderful sense of humor.

4. Cat People (1942)

Peter Bogdanovich introducing Touch of Evil

“Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depressions in the world consciousness.” - The Anatomy of Atavism - Dr. Louis Judd

For a low-budget, sixty-eight year old film, this still packs quite a punch.  Simone Simon, playing Irena Dubrovna, with her light Serbian accent, diminutive stature and cat-like grace makes you feel sympathy for her as she loses her struggle with the dark forces turning her into a killer.  The first real glimpse of the “monster” lurking inside her is when she sticks her hand in a bird cage, presumably to pet her canary, but quickly her face and hand movements mimic that of a cat playing with its prey.  The psychiatrist she turns to for help opines, “There is in some cases a psychic need to loose evil upon the world, and all of us carry within us a desire for death.”  Add the layering of menacing sounds on top of ordinary ones and suggestive images and sounds, and you have a classic horror movie that influenced the genre for years.

5. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

My last movie review should have been Murder, My Sweet, but an unexpected job interview interfered.  I picked this Walt Disney classic to replace it because it took the Plaza Classic Film Festival three years to convince Disney to let them screen a film (any film!). Disney told them at the last minute they could show it on Sunday at 1:30pm. People flew in from nearby states to see the screening, since it’s so rare for Disney to release one of their films.  The place was packed!  Over 2000 seats were filled for this 1959 film that took a decade to put together because of the hand-inked cells. Just one background scene took seven to ten days to paint.  The Plaza Theater also showed off its new “Dawn til Dusk” light show over the ceiling of the theater. Ijust love happy endings!

About the Plaza Theater

The Plaza Theater has a wonderful rags to riches story.  It originally opened in 1930 and was nicknamed the Showplace of the Southwest.  It was built during the Great Depression when $0.35 a seat was hard to come by.  The introduction of drive-ins in the 1940s, TV in the 1950s, and El Paso’s growth in the 1970s all took its toll on the theater.  The Dallas-based Interstate Theaters gave up and closed the doors. The Dipp family bought it in 1973, but were only able to keep it open for a couple more years. When the wrecking ball threatened to turn the Plaza Theater into a parking lot, a “Save the Plaza” committee was formed to rally the community to support restoring it.  They succeeded, but ran into numerous road blocks for nearly 30 years before the grand re-opening in 2007.

The theater has been restored to its original splendor with state-of-the-art performance capabilities, not only for cinema but also theater, Broadway shows, opera, ballet, symphonies and public speakers.  The place is amazing and one-of-a-kind.  I love the downtown area and all the work that is going into making it a cultural hubbub for El Paso, TX.  The Plaza Classic Film Festival was my first chance to experience the new and improved downtown area and it was worth the trip.

What’s your favorite gene (search term) on Jinni? Is there one, or several combined, that especially expresses your tastes – or your life? Email us at bloggers@jinni.com with a piece about your favorite gene and the 5 movies or shows that express it for you (200-500 words; or you can present your ideas in images/video), and we’ll publish our Gene 5 selections on a rolling basis.

Technorati Tags: classic film, classic movie, film festival, bloggers, guest bloggers, guest blogging

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Want to submit your own Gene 5 piece? More info at the end of the post.

Living in a different country from my immediate family makes me realize how much I appreciate having them in my life.  If I had to choose one word to describe my childhood and household, it would be laughter. We were always cracking jokes, each in our own way. My father with his dry humor, my mother with her cute Lucille Ball-like situations, my older brother with his hysterical sarcasm, and then me.

I see a huge influence from each of them on my approach to humor today. That is why I am always looking for a great family life comedy. Also, there is no family-based television show or movie that does not explore the embarrassment that parents create for their children, and vice versa, which was a very constant theme in my house… Therefore, my top 5 list consists of the following:

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Nothing quite captures quality family time like this movie. My family took many a road trip together, and every time I watch this movie it brings back those amazing memories and good times.

2. The Wonder Years

This show was set in one of the best periods of time: hippies and free love. It captured it all so well. This was also the first show I watched that showed me what high school was like.  Not to mention, I always had the biggest crush on Kevin Arnold.

3. Roseanne

When I would complain that my parents were embarrassing me, they would often say “we are nothing compared to the Conner’s.” At the time I disagreed. However, now when I watch the show and see Roseanne and Dan Conner at their worst, I realize how lucky I really was to have such normal parents.  Also, re-watching episodes as an adult, I realize how dirty the show really is, and how cool my parents were for actually letting me watch it.

4. I Love Lucy

This might not be the typical “family comedy,”, but it is the perfect one for me (and if you break it down it is about a family, and it is very much a comedy).  The reason I had to put it on the list is because this is the show that my mother and I would always watch together. I remember my mother would let me stay up so that we could watch last-night episodes together, the same way she used to with her mother when the episodes originally aired.  I watch episodes now when I need to be reminded of simpler times when all was good, and to just laugh out loud.

5. The Princess Bride

BEST MOVIE EVER! Every year, my family would sit down at one point and watch this movie, together (not a common thing AT ALL…). We have countless private jokes from this movie. I often find myself making people watch this movie, and if they do not enjoy it as much as I do, I get offended (I realize I did not make this movie, but that is how strongly I feel connected to it :) ).

What’s your favorite gene (search term) on Jinni? Is there one, or several combined, that especially expresses your tastes – or your life? Email us at bloggers@jinni.com with a piece about your favorite gene and the 5 movies or shows that express it for you (200-500 words; or you can present your ideas in images/video), and we’ll publish our Gene 5 selections on a rolling basis.

Technorati Tags: family tv, family television, family movie, family comedy, funny movie, bloggers, guest bloggers, guest blogging

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Want to submit your own Gene 5 piece? More info at the end of the post.

Coral Russell is a self confessed movie junkie.  She loves using movies, technology, music, arts, and plain old curiosity when it comes to teaching or learning a new language at English as a New Language. Connect with her on Jinni here.

For the first time in my life, I’m going to a film festival! The Plaza Classic Film Festival in El Paso, TX August 5- 15, 2010 is touted as being one of the largest of it’s kind in the world. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and with over 60 films to choose from, I’m going to pick five that I haven’t seen before and see what Jinni has to say about them.

1. Picnic (1955) with  William Holden and Kim Novak

I have a soft spot for movies from the 50s and this one features a handsome drifter who interacts with five women in a small Kansas town over Labor Day Weekend.  Sounds simple, yet scandalous.  This was adapted from a play, so it’s “talky” and the “slow paced” - which to me means good dialog and character development.

2. Leave Her to Heaven (1945) with Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde

Is there such a thing as loving too much?  How can that be, unless it involves, perhaps… murder?  The setting is Maine and I just can’t picture that as a place for hot, obsessive romance, but maybe I’m missing something.

3. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) Anime movie by Hayao Miyazaki.

This movie is a classic in the sense that it is one of the highest grossing films in Japanese history, from one of the most famous Japanese anime movie directors and highly recommended by critics as “insanely creative.”  I’ve seen several of his other films and I’m not going to miss the opportunity to see this on the big screen!

4. Cat People (1942) Irena Dubrovna and Oliver Reed

Something goes horribly wrong in a young couple’s marriage when the young bride fears she will turn into an animal if she becomes too “aroused.”  When the young husband seeks comfort in another woman’s arms, someone’s going to get owned.  A psychological thriller that single-handedly saved RKO from going belly up.

5. Murder, My Sweet (1944) with Dick Powell and Claire Trevor

Film noir at its best, with detective Phillip Marlowe being seduced, beaten up, and drugged all in the line of duty.

These movies are easily available via companies like Netflix, but thanks to film festivals and a few movie theaters around the country, it’s a real treat to be able to see them on the big screen again.  There are 10 films in all I’m planning to see at the Plaza Classic Film Festival.  I’ve already seen most of the movies on the schedule.  Does this mean I watch too many movies?  Nah!

What’s your favorite gene (search term) on Jinni? Is there one, or several combined, that especially expresses your tastes – or your life? Email us at bloggers@jinni.com with a piece about your favorite gene and the 5 movies or shows that express it for you (200-500 words; or you can present your ideas in images/video), and we’ll publish our Gene 5 selections on a rolling basis.

Technorati Tags: classic film, classic movie, film festival, bloggers, guest bloggers, guest blogging

Popularity: 2% [?]

What’s your favorite gene (search term) on Jinni? Is there one, or several combined, that especially expresses your tastes – or your life? Email us at bloggers@jinni.com with a piece about your favorite gene and the 5 movies or shows that express it for you (200-500 words; or you can present your ideas in images or a video) along with your username on Jinni, and we’ll publish our Gene 5 selections on a rolling basis.

Sometimes you don’t want art to imitate life. You want to sit back and watch a movie about gangsters or elves that has nothing to do with your daily existence. But other times a movie that touches on an aspect of your life, in a funny, surprising or insightful way, is the most satisfying.

Working at Jinni, I’ve realized that many of my favorite movies feature a culture clash. So I guess I like watching movies related to my life. My husband and I have lived together in New York, Paris and Tel Aviv. I’m American and he’s Israeli, and we like to watch TV shows together (usually whole seasons in a few extended sessions) in multiple languages. The movies I enjoy depict culture clash in a way I can connect to, but with a slightly higher proportion of beautiful characters, witty dialogue, and surprise twists than my life…

1. 2 Days in Paris

An all-time favorite movie. I really relate to the insecurity of being in your partner’s country, where everything is a little confusing and s/he has too many too friendly exes around. At least I never sat down with a dictionary to translate text messages in his phone…

2. Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola stylishly captures the disorientation and “anything can happen” feeling of being in a foreign place, not to mention how familiar relationships become unfamiliar and vice versa. I’m still waiting for her to make a movie I love half as much as this one.

3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

A fantastic look at the culture clash a couple can bring to the whole family! Luckily my husband’s relatives were too nice to trick me into saying “I have three testicles” in Hebrew at our wedding…

4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

I don’t think I need to explain why I love Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But it is an example of how culture clash doesn’t have to involve international cultures, as in Lula Mae’s transformation into Holly Golightly. Plus it’s a good reminder to travel addicts that sometimes true love and friendship are right under your nose…

5. Italian for Beginners

Having spent my fair share of time in language classes, I find it is a way to form friendships with diverse foreigners, though not as intriguingly as in this sweetly funny movie.

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