J. Elliott's Blog: News From the Lotus Lodge, page 8

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

[image error]

This is not a supernatural film as you might expect; it’s a psychological thriller about a devoted husband, Billy Savage married to an unstable wife, Myra. She believes she can channel the spirit of her dead child. To validate her claims to be a powerful medium, She coerces her husband to kidnap a child. She will then help the family and the police to recover the child and thus validate her claim as powerful medium. Outstanding performances by Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough and a satisfying conclusion make this well worth watching. And for film buffs, a great study in music, atmosphere and camera work.

[image error]

This is an old-school style gem that without relying on any gimmicks, computer graphics or special effects, is very effective.

More info on Internet Movie Database:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058557/?ref_=ttmi_tt

Warren William (1894-1948)

I must confess that I watched Bel Ami and got Warren William and George Sanders mixed up… they look kind of similar. I first became aware of WW in two Lone Wolf movies… he’s suave, charming, and a bit of a cad to his love interest in much the same way that The Thin Man often led the lovely Nora down a wrong path to get her out of the way. Just got a Lone Wolf movie set — very excited!

[image error]Cover of the DVD set

Private Affairs of Bel Ami (1947)

[image error]George Sanders

There are multiple movie versions of Bel Ami, based on the story by Guy de Maupassant, one of my favorite writers, but THIS one happens to have a young Angela Lansbury as the lovelorn Clothilde, and George Sanders as the status-and-power craving Bel Ami. Looking both handsome and a bit Snidely Whiplash, eh?

[image error]Warren William, the “Pre-Code King”

and one of my favorite actors of the era, Warren William in a small role as Laroche-Mathieu.

The plot is straightforward: Bel Ami moves himself up the social ladder by marriage and deceit. Callous and plotting to the point of psychopathy, he is loved faithfully by Clothilde. She sees his villainy and calls him out for it. His downfall (not a spoiler, we know it’s coming) arises when he attempts to buy what he believes is an available title of an aristocratic family. As noted in the plot synopsis on the Internet Movie Database page, “The moral, at the end, is it is okay to mess with French women, but trifling with French titles is going too far.”

Credit: Les Adams: http://http://;

Onibaba (1964) Japanese

This artsy, black and white film has a slow build and a straightforward plot. Two peasant women, mother and daughter, are forced to kill samurai returning from war. By selling their belongings, they can purchase grain. They live in a hut in a huge grassy field. The daughter develops a relationship with a man nearby. The jealous mother tries to subvert this relationship by telling the daughter that sex without marriage is sinful and she will go to hell. When the mother kills a peculiar samurai wearing a mask, her karma ripens swiftly.

The lighting in the latter half of the film is extraordinary and the ending is worth the wait.

Director:

[image error]



https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058430/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

HHP’s author J. Elliott is Interviewed

Interview with Karen Porter 5/29/19

NIGHT TIDE (1961)

[image error]The trailer does not do this movie justice. Had this film not been included in a “cult classic” set of 6 and had I only seen the trailer, I would have gone no farther. But I saw a review that said, “the best mermaid movie I’ve ever seen.” Well that made me laugh, I mean, I can only think of a couple like the Tom Hanks/Darryl Hannah movie and a movie called Mermaids with Cher… the closest that one gets is girls in the bathtub.



[image error]Dennis Hopper and Linda Lawson

This IS the best mermaid movie (unless you suffer from attention deficit in which case you’ll struggle, as relying on the atmosphere, the plot ambles along as a young sailor pursues a relationship with a peculiar and beautiful woman who is a seaside side show mermaid.) But is she really a mermaid? And worse, is she responsible for the deaths of two men–former boyfriends? The pace contributes to the woogie surreal world our sailor finds himself in… do Sea People exist? Is he in danger? And who is the strange witchy-woman who keeps showing up ? 

CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)

 

[image error]

Iggy talked me into watching this odd movie and I’m glad I did.
It’s not scary, it’s artsy and peculiar. Won’t give away the plot too much, but here’s the gist: two vehicles are playing chicken on an old wooden bridge. One car goes into the river and only one passenger survives. The woman, an organist, takes a job at a church near an abandoned seaside carnival that seems to draw her to it. And a ghoulish man keeps appearing to her. What does he want? 
Sadly this film was not well received and came close to disappearing. Fortunately, it was rediscovered and redistributed in 1989, this time to more favorable criticism. It has become a cult classic. If you like artsy films, this is a must see. The lighting, music and the carnival set are sublime… dream-like. Filmed at the magical, abandoned Saltair Amusement Park utilizing its massive ballroom, one of the largest ever built. A pity this is the writer/ director’s only film. I’d say it’s comparable to the 1946 French film La Belle et La Bete (Beauty and the Beast) in terms of mood and atmosphere.  

Cauliflower, Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup

[image error]So you picked up a container of butternut squash soup, but that seems kind of boring… want to zip it up?
carrots
cauliflower
chili oil
garam masala* or Balti seasoning**

Break up cauliflower into small bits and chop carrots into bite size bits. Put in dish with olive oil on bottom, drizzle chili oil on top (how much depends on your heat tolerance.) Roast at 400 for 40 minutes or so. If you like smooth soup, use mixer or hand held gizmo to blend. If you like texture, don’t puree. 

Pour butternut squash into sauce pan on low heat. Add veggie blend.

Next, let’s add some kick. A simple curry will do, or, if you are a spice junky like I am, you can go with garam masala* or even Balti curry seasoning**.  Add 2 heaping teaspoons (or more) of either your choice of the above to taste.

Simmer for a couple of minutes to get the spices well blended into the soup. Enjoy!

The chili oil will add heat, the seasoning will add complexity… 

*garam masala — you can find this already made in stores that carry bulk spices. It is a combo of :
Black and white peppercorns.

Cloves.

Cinnamon or cassia bark.

Mace (part of nutmeg)

Black and green cardamom pods.

Bay leaf.

Cumin.

Coriander

 

**Balti seasoning  — this may be a bit harder to find. Penzey’s carries it and most Indian food stores should have it. If you want to make your own, there’s a link below for the recipe. 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/quick-balti-curry-spice-mix-recipe-434889

 

 

Spirited Away (2002) Japanese Anime Hayao Miyazaki, Director

Mischief[image error] loves this movie.
Arguably the lushest cartoon ever made, this is entertaining for adults and children alike. The story is about a bored ten year old girl who finds a hidden world and has a grand adventure that transforms her– pulling her out of her comfort zone to rescue her parents, a mysterious boy and a lonely misguided shadow.
A wildly imaginative adventure that works on many levels.   

Buddhist-Themed films

[image error]  I love discovering Buddhist movies– they’re a little tricky to find. So here’s my list if you are interested. Please let me know if you have some to recommend as well!