Notes From the Undrground

A COMEDY TONIGHT!

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

Comedy of Errors

 

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Saw a production of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors in Central Park last night in Old Louisville. Matt Wallace’s merry band of players brought this hilarious play of mistaken identity to vivid life on the outdoor stage. Even if you don’t understand every single word of the Elizabethan tongue you will have no problem following the action.

Kudos to Matt Wallace for his fine directing and stage blocking. Many scenes were staged to look like paintings or tableaus. And the costumes! Divine. Colorful, flowing, rich, sensuous materials; candy to the eye and music to the ear. All against a color coordinated set dominated by brown with white furniture, windows, doors, and lattice works. Baskets of brightly colored fruits and vegetable accented the tables.

At no time did the action drag. As one character leaves the stage another enters, usually talking.

Really liked the Greek dance at the end.  A nice grace note to end upon.

All in all, it was a Comedy Tonight!

 

EXIT GHOST

/ Benn Bell / 5 Comments

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With the passing of Philip Roth the world has lost a lion of literature.

All my favorite writers are dying off. John Updike, Saul Bellow, Edward Albee, and now Philip Roth. Who will take their place? No one. There is literally no one who can  fill the shoes of theses giants.  With the passing of Philip Roth follows the death of the Great American Novel.

No more….

BLACK LIVES MATTER

/ Benn Bell / 9 Comments

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There is such a “shit storm” going on in the world everyday these days one hardly knows where to begin. Let’s start with the NFL situation. Compelling football players to stand during the national anthem is at the very least a violation their free speech even if the NFL is a private concern. Free speech is a basic human right and is protected in the First Amendment to the constitution of the United States. It is perhaps the most patriotic thing one can do. And what are the players protesting? Injustice. They are not protesting the Anthem, or the flag, or the country. But, rather, injustice.

What’s to be done? My suggestion is to boycott the NFL. Stop watching football. I know this is going to go over big with football fans of whom they are legion, but I am going to say it anyway. Football is a brutal, violent sport that injures its players and brings out the worst in it’s watchers and participants. And it is boring to boot.

So, I say don’t watch it. Read a book, take a hike, go to a concert, or do something creative or helpful. But don’t watch football.

 

MY NEW DIGS

/ Benn Bell / 10 Comments

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In a few days I will be moving into my new digs located in Old Louisville. I’ll be moving there from St. Mathews which is in the East end of Louisville and rather tony, if you get my drift. This will be my fourth move since I moved back to Louisville in  2012 maintaining a life long habit of moving every few years.

First I lived in the Highlands, which I loved, then out Westport Road which is even further to the east, and now, finally getting back to my roots and a more urban environment, Old Louisville.

Old Louisville is a historic neighborhood in central Louisville nestled between Downtown Louisville and The University of Louisville. It is the largest preservation district in the United States featuring almost entirely Victorian homes mostly made of brick. With its wide avenues, beautiful treelined streets, and magnificent mansions it is truly a wonder to behold.

Old Louisville also sports a number of fascinating and interesting taverns, bars, and grills, and an odd assortment of restaurants. And I have been having quite a time exploring the area. Here are a few snaps of my new digs, and my new neighborhood.

See you in the hood!

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Mag Bar

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Fourth Street Tavern

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Vis-a-Vis

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Granville Inn

 

L’Avventura (1960)

/ Benn Bell / 2 Comments

Movie Review

L'Avventura poster

Lavventura (1960) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni is a film about boredom. Boredom of the Italian bourgeoisie. Ostensibly a mystery and a detective story it depicts the emptiness of the lives of a group of rich Italians as they go through their daily lives striving to find something to stave off their deadly ennui. Usually they do this through sexual peccadillo and intrigue.

Albert Camus in his celebrated essay on the Myth of Sisyphus posited that there are only two valid philosophical questions: 1) in the face of the absurdity of existence and a life devoid of meaning should I commit suicide? 2) if no, the how do I overcome ennui? This theme is fully explored in L’Aventurra. While Camus says that in a life devoid of meaning we must give our lives meaning by our our own actions the characters in this film are merely going through the paces of living and relieving their boredom in the most meaningless way possible. In in the end they are mere empty shells truly devoid of  any meaning.

Anna & Sandro

The group of wealthy Italians head out on a yachting trip to a deserted volcanic island in the Mediterranean. When they are about to leave the island, they discover that Anna (Lea Massari) has disappeared. Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti) , who is Anna’s fiance and Claudia (Monica Vitti) , Anna’s friend, try without success to find her. While looking for Anna Claudia and Sandro develop an attraction for each other. When they get back to land, they continue the search with no success. Sandro and Claudia proceed to become lovers, betraying the missing Anna. They then search the Italian countryside and various cities in search of her and have an adventure and fling of their own while doing so.

Claudia & Sandro

Beyond the meaning of the film there is there is the theatricality and cinematic quality of the camera work which serves to support the themes of the movie. Antonioni is known for his geometric compositions, static camera, and long takes. This is what I especially admire in his films and this one is no exception.

When first viewed by audience at Cannes it was booed. Later it won the Jury prize and has become acclaimed as a masterpiece.

 

I rate this film 8/10.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

Avner

Good Avner Noon

Resting on my Laurel

Blowing my Knose

Speak into the Mike

Lynn me a dollar

Paying a Bill

Ringing a Bell

Sitting on the John

Don’t Fall into the George Orwell all drown

Please help me I’m Pauline

Pauline in Love with you

Asimov Cocktail

Take my Rod and cue in

Taking down my Jeans

Care for a Garett Pat?

Just Kidding Billy!

My Precious Jules and Jims

Aldous Lang sang

Where are you Fromm Eric?

Pay the Feiffer!

My radiator is Lincoln

Sharon and Cher alike

Lisa House with an option to buy

Can Nabokov Drop?

What’s a Hemingway?

Oh, three or four pounds

I didn’t have any Joyce in the matter

Casting your Perls among Hamlets

Let Byrons be Byrons

Three pair of Keats

Where’s your Fishing Poe?

Did you Sartre the laundry?

Quit your Stalin and wash your Lenin

What kind of Fish?

Marlon Brand O

Hold the Mao, Hold the lettuce,

Special order Che Cherverez.

 

 

 

 

 

Red Desert (1964)

/ Benn Bell / Leave a comment

Movie Blurb

Red Desert

Il Deserto Rosso was Michelangelo Antonioni’s first foray into color and a painterly palette did he choose. He explores the themes of alienation in the modern world and the divorce between reality and spirituality. His scenes of industrialized post war Italy are both beautiful and frightening. Progress comes with a cost. Monica Vitti is extraordinary as the wife of the plant manager who suffers a mental breakdown in the face of modernity.

I rate this movie 8/10.