NinadeL

"Life is not what we want, but what we have." Lavish in content, yet totally unacceptable in form. It is impossible to detach oneself from such concrete experiences, anchored in time and space, and speak only about feelings. A poorly grasped concept, yet worthy of internal analysis. Had there been fewer partial failures referring to the reality of 1967 and fashion fads, it could have been great.

In the context of Schorm's abortion documentary Why?, which was made only a year earlier, the topic of birth rates under socialism does not lose its relevance in this film either. Indeed, the policy applied to the family at that time gave strength to relationships whose effects we are still dealing with today. This setting up of marriages and families based only on whether or not an apartment is allocated is truly futile. People would be in the mood, sure. But then what? Moskalyk dared to make an ironic film in the sixties without unnecessarily false artistic ambitions, and that is a pleasure. The length of Kissing-Time Ninety is unintentionally humorous throughout, pointing to the ephemeral life of a sensation that, under the working title of quintuplets, is as topical today as it was then. Moreover, the film features very pleasant civilian performances by Syslová and Vlach.

"Sexus is anonymous, eros is addressable!" - "What do you think about me getting married? I'd meet my wife, we'd talk about Morgenstern, maybe she'd support me. Or I could find something to do for a few hours. At least I wouldn't be so alone... Like the young one who's standing by the metal machine. She might need me. With the prosthetic, I'd love that. I'd love her all my life. And I would be happy, so happy that I might even stop writing."

If I had gone to see films like Vyžilý Boudník in the early 90s, it is clear to me that it would not have been voluntary. Fortunately, today it is only a witness of a time past and an example of how dramaturgy changed immediately after 1989.

At first glance, this is an ordinary youth film from the second half of the 1950s, and at second glance, a unique look at contemporary college life. In just five years since Tomorrow, People Will Be Dancing Everywhere was released, times have changed somewhat, with students of national history being replaced by students of Indian classical literature. The forthcoming thesis on Indian music theory is just the icing on the cake. The main characters are so heavily drawn from life that at times it felt like a feature documentary. An unexpectedly strong mirror of today. It’s just too bad about the violent ending.

I'm going to pretend that something that looks and sounds like Nicki Minaj simply doesn't exist. However, the filler that Madonna put on that pink craziness is kind of funny. You can't listen to it, but you can't get it out of your head either... I thus end up enjoying even the silliest cuts to Katy and Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé. This is just one of the sounds produced in 2015. What will we be listening to in 2030?

A mini Christmas movie in which Hollywood stars play themselves. Norma Shearer puts on make-up, Gable dispenses well-meaning advice, Lionel Barrymore hands out even hotter pastries and Marion Davies is simply herself. Merry Christmas, dear children of 1931!

Let Us Be Gay is very mature material for wallowing in pre-code Hollywood baroque. It took very little and MGM was no longer producing the static talkies it had a year earlier. However, the content is truly perverse. Norma, who had just become the protagonist of The Divorcee, becomes the face of a play that Tallulah Bankhead did in England (and I'm getting the nagging feeling that she did everything in England before Hollywood). The classic arc with the theme of "once upon a time there was a woman, sweet and caring, her husband didn't appreciate her, then her whole world came crashing down and she learned to flirt..." works exactly as it should. After three years of living a boisterous life in Paris, the lovely wife has become an attractive coquette and her ex has finally started to drool in her direction. And now, dear viewers, it's up to you whether or not you want a happy ending. And wouldn't a possible re-marriage ending be more of a play on grief in your eyes? The Private Festival with Norma continues.

"Misery" is one of those tracks you need to listen to. It sounds unusual the first time you hear it, but within the whole album, it’s just an introductory chapter to the story of how Gwen became a new person. However, directed by Sophie Muller, "Misery," like "Early Winter" before it, has become a highly attractive fashion item. The amount of ideas in such a small space never ceases to amaze me, especially knowing that Gwen has been working with Sophie for so many years! In fact, thanks to "Misery" I finally found a new path to the entire album and I'm starting to listen to it without the emotions that are so easy to project into... Bravo, Gwen!

On the one hand, I always appreciate a pre-1930 sound film, which The Last of Mrs. Cheyney definitely is (and it's not even a talkie part), but it is of little use because these early MGM vehicles are extremely static. Although it is an interesting conversation film, it lacks pace and a special mood that isn't just defined by the actors within their dialogue. True, Norma has one absolutely brilliant dress with a bow in the back and a skirt in the front, but overall this project hasn't really become one that I love.