Why I Need a New Dress Shirt

There is so much I feel like I need to write about. Not about me. I am a man of no great consequence and my “adventures” are not the kind that are interesting for other people to read.

Yet, I feel compelled to write. I feel the need to write. So write I shall. I have plans this week for three separate blogs. This is the first of those blogs. The other two will most certainly be blogs that most people will not be interested in reading. Those two blogs are about two topics that the grand majority of people feel either completely ill equipped or completely uneasy discussing. Those two topics are of course: religion and politics.

Good, you are still here. You didn’t close the web browser in a disgusted or haughty manner. You were able to deduct that this blog is not about religion. It isn’t even about politics. In fact, it isn’t even about photography, unless you want it to be.

I assure you that when I do publish the two blogs about the uncomfortable subjects I will give you ample warning. You will be able to click away quickly and find a blog that is more to your liking. At least it will be comfortable and comfort is all that most people really desire.

So now I have written a full four paragraphs and haven’t come to the point. The point is related to movies. If you know me at all, you know that I am a fan of the moving picture. On Sunday I completed a phase of my quest. I went to see “Letters from Iwo Jima” with Nader. Now I have seen all 5 Best Picture Nominees. Now I just need to pick off some of the other categories here and there. It might involve a trip to the Fleur Cinema in Des Moines. Although there isn’t much out there left for me to see, I would still like to see “Notes on a Scandal” and “Little Children” before Oscar Night.

If you are a fan of the Academy Awards, then this is a big DVD day. “The Departed” is released today. I would say that it is a good bet for “Best Picture” and nearly a mortal lock for “Best Director”. I have already seen the movie, so it doesn’t matter much to me. More interesting for me is the release of “Half Nelson”. Ryan Gosling is nominated for “Best Actor” for his work in this movie. Also coming out on DVD today is “Water”. It is nominated for “Best Foreign Language Picture”. If you don’t know what “Water” is about I will now include a brief plotline I have snagged from the IMDB:

The year is 1938, India is ruled by the British, and it is around this time that Mohandas K. Gandhi has arrived from AfricaBanaras and left in the care of a wide assortment of widows who live at "the widows' house," shunned by the rest of the community. Chuyia believes that her mother will come to take her home. Here she meets several elderly women, including the head of the house, Madhumati; a quiet, confident woman named Shakuntala; and a gorgeous young woman named Kalyani -- all widows. Chuyia does not know that according to Holy Hindu Scriptures she has been destined to live here for the rest of her life, for when a woman's husband dies', she has three options: One, to marry her husband's younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre; three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind. A new law in India which permits a widow to re-marry is not popular, and it is these customs and openly welcoming the lower castes that will pit Gandhiji against his very own people, apart from struggling with the British to leave India. Kalyani meets and falls in love with young Narayan, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who wants to marry her, despite his mother's protests. But on the day he comes to take her to his home, as they are crossing the river to his family estate, Kalyani recognizes the house, the very same house she had been forced to visit as a "prostitute," to be with Narayan's father. The question remains, can Kalyani marry the man she loves? Will he want to marry her when he knows what has passed between her and his father? And Chuia really destined to live the rest of her life as a widow among shunned widows?

Although I am quite intrigued by this movie, I don’t think that it can possibly be as good as “Pan’s Labyrinth”, which is my second favorite movie to come out last year. Either way, I’m quite excited to see it.

The final Oscar nominated movie to be released on DVD today is “Marie Antoinette”. However, I might skip this movie. It kind of hurts me to say that because it is directed by Sofia Coppola who directed “The Virgin Suicides” which is one of the best movies of the last ten years. That being said, it is only nominated for one Oscar in the minor category of “Costume Design”. Plus it looks really bad. When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was shocked out how incredibly dreadful this movie looked. I instantly had a desire to avoid this film. I haven’t had such a strong negative reaction to a trailer since I saw the trailer to “Domino”. The reaction was so strong that you could have sworn that the words “Directed by Michael Bay” had just come across the screen.

That being said, I will still probably give it a chance even though it goes against my basest instincts.

So why all of this Oscar talk? I alluded to a formal Oscar Party a few weeks ago. This year I will be attending a formal Oscar party. The party takes place at Legend’s in Ames.

The exciting thing about this year’s party is that it is doubling as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I don’t believe it is necessary to point out to you that the American Cancer Society is a very good cause. So much so that I’m willing to make the following deal to anybody:

“If you make a contribution to the American Cancer Society through me to this event . . . I will match your donation.*”

There it is. You will not find a much better cause. You will not find a much better deal. However, I will throw in the following tidbit. For the proper sized donation, I’m willing to throw in a framed and matted picture from the Photography 139 photo galleries. The frame will even be hand painted by our skilled craftsman (namely me).

Just something for you to think about . . . but if you are interested in taking me up on this deal, write to the following e-mail address:

christopherdbennett@mchsi.com

*Up to $500.00. I’m a nice guy, but I’m not a cashbox.