The Basics of Ran

Hey! I know it's been longer than usual, and that's just because I've been in a quieter place lately.

This weekend I was still recovering from feeling sick toward the end of last week, so movies seemed in order Sat evening.

I rented The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Pan's Labyrinth- both of which neither Army nor I had seen. (That sentence is annoyingly correct sounding...ah, well.)

I'd come across the memoir called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly a few times in used book stores, and I always got this strange connection feeling I get sometimes which seems like a nudging: "You should check this out." But I never bought it.

Some of you have heard about this I'm sure. But, for those of us who haven't- I'm happy to tell a bit more about this amazing true story. So at age 42 the top editor of Elle Magazine (in France) has a massive stroke which leaves him completely unable to communicate or move anything besides one eye-- they call this condition "Locked-in Syndrome."

Through special help with a speech therapist, he learns to communicate whole sentences letter by letter through blinking. It is an amazing story. He writes his entire memoir through blinking. He is the only known person to communicate from this place... a place very near death.

The cinematography was beautiful. I think I really needed this story at this point in my life. It's worth seeing when you're in a patient and/or thoughtful mood.

We didn't watch Pan's Labyrinth until last night when Ms. Kaycee could come over and join us. We love Kace and haven't had her over in a while. She's the one who got us to watch Hellboy and Hellboy II both done by director Guillermo Del Toro.

I think Pan's had been a bit too built up for me, but I still really enjoyed it.

Anyway I guess that's really all I feel like writing about right now. Hope you're all well!

P.S. AL BERMAN-- I think you should write again here. It's been TOO long!