LEAVES OF GRASS: November 2006

Monday, November 27, 2006

OLD HOUSES IN SÃO JOSÉ DO RIO PARDO

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São José do Rio Pardo is a town located in the northeast of São Paulo's state, in Brazil. Those old houses are linked to the historical and cultural patrimony of the town. São José do Rio Pardo é uma cidade localizada no nordeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Estes casarões antigos fazem parte do patrimônio histórico e cultural da cidade.Photos by Carlos Alckmin Mascaro

Update: You all are invited to see the beautiful post made by Jade, from Arboreality – Tree Blogging. She hostess the Festival of the Trees 6! And Leaves of Grass is also there!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

LIFE AND DEATH OF A BEAUTIFUL TREE

I took this photo at my neighborhood, in July 2005. This beautiful tree was at this time vigorous and healthy. As a result of some root disease, the tree beginning to die.

Yesterday we had a day of violent gale and storm.

Unfortunately that tree was too weak and fell down after a day of very heavy winds and rains.

Photos by Sonia de Amorim Mascaro

Click on photos to enlarge

Friday, November 17, 2006

THE STRAIGHT STORY - HISTÓRIA REAL

THE STRAIGHT STORY

I love so much the movie "The Straight Story", by David Lynch. (In Lynch's site you can download MP3 music). I recorded the movie and I can see it film over and over. It's a beautiful, moving , sensible and emotional film I've ever seen. It's a loving story about family, friendship, generosity and reconciliation. I would highly recommend it. After seeing this film I feel like I know just a little bit more about the USA. I like so much that story, the plot, original music, the location and so on. Really this is "My Classic Movie". This film describe a real story of Alvin Straight, (1920-1996), from Laurens, Iowa, the real-life person on whom his portrayal of a 73-year-old man who rode a tractor across the country was based. You can see here the real Alvin Straight. The casting is great. Richard Farnsworth turns in a beautiful performance as do the rest of the cast, most notably Sissy Spacek in an endearing performance as his daughter, and Harry Dean Stanton in a small role.

This film has memorable quotes, like this one:

Alvin Straight: You don't think about getting old when you're young... you shouldn't.

Cyclist #1: Must be something good about gettin' old?

Alvin Straight: Well I can't imagine anything good about being blind and lame at the same time but, still at my age I've seen about all that life has to dish out. I know to separate the wheat from the chaff, and let the small stuff fall away.

Cyclist #2: So, uh, what's the worst part about being old, Alvin?

Alvin Straight: Well, the worst part of being old is rememberin' when you was young.

Farnsworth, who had been involved in filmmaking for more than 60 years, was nominated in 2000 for an Oscar for best actor for his performance in "The Straight Story." It was the second nomination for Farnsworth, who was nominated for the 1978 film "Comes a Horseman." At 79, he was the oldest leading actor Oscar nominee. "Titanic" star Gloria Stuart was the oldest performer ever nominated when she was nominated for supporting actress at 87. But unfortunately, in my point of view, the Oscar went to Kevin Spacey, who won for his portrayal of a suburban father in "American Beauty."

You can see here Richard Farnsworth’s filmography. In October 2000, Richard Farnsworth (1920-2000), died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 80. His fiancée Jewely Van Valin said Farnsworth was diagnosed several years ago with terminal cancer, which had left him partially paralyzed. He struggled with the pain while he was working on "The Straight Story," she said.

HISTÓRIA REAL

Gostei muito do filme "História Real", ( The Straight Story, 1999) dirigida por David Lynch. (No site de Lynch você pode fazer o download de músicas em MP3). É um belo filme, comovente e sensível. Fala sobre a família, a amizade, a generosidade, a reconciliação. Gosto de tudo neste filme: da história, das falas, da música, da locação na pequena cidade do oeste americano, da lentidão das cenas, enfim este é o "Meu Clássico"!

O filme foi baseado numa história real. Alvin Straight (1920-1996) morava na pacata cidade de Laurens, Iowa, USA e sua história é uma comovente jornada de persistência e reconciliação. Veja aqui o verdadeiro Alvin, que tem seu nome escrito na galeria dos famosos cidadãos de Iowa.

O elenco é muito bom: Alvin Straight é vivido por Richard Farnsworth, sua filha Rose é Sissy Spacek e seu irmão Lyle é interpretado por Harry Dean Staton. Você encontra o filme nas locadoras em versão VHS e DVD.

O filme tem cenas lindas e você pode ler algumas de suas memoráveis frases . Por este filme Richard Farnsworth se tornou em 2000 o ator mais velho a receber uma indicação ao Oscar como Melhor Ator. Infelizmente, na minha opinião, ele perdeu o Oscar para Kevin Spacey, em "Beleza Americana" (American Beauty).

Além de "História Real" , Farnsworth participou de “Raízes da Ambição”, pelo qual também ganhou uma indicação ao Oscar de Melhor Ator Coadjuvante e do suspense “Louca Obsessão”, entre outros. Veja sua filmografia aqui. Richard Farnsworth (1920-2000) tinha um câncer terminal e quando gravou o filme de Lynch já estava muito doente. Aos 80 anos atirou contra si próprio e morreu em sua casa, no Novo México.

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Friday, November 10, 2006

GRAFITTI OR VANDALISM?

This is my submission for today's Photo Friday theme Gross.

These photos make me reflect about the boundary between vandalism and graffiti.

What do you think about it?

The Edifício São Vito ( São Vito Building ) in the east of São Paulo’s downtown, is a 28 story building rise in 1959. Nowadays this building has deteriorated and was occupied by homeless, unemployed or engaged on informal activities, as you can see here . The building that you can see in first plane is the Mercado Municipal Paulistano ( São Paulo Municipal Market) build in 1932.