3 Classic Hollywood-related films on this year's Black List

I didn't know this, but every year on December there's a list of Hollywood's most liked unproduced screenplays being published. According to the Black List's official site, a bunch of executives from the industry vote for their favorites and even movies like Juno and Lars and the Real girl were finally produced and released thanks to the list.

Well, I skimmed the pdf file, and three scripts caught my attention:

Home by Christmas - Bob Hope in Korea by Ben Schwartz 

"Young Larry Gelbart goes on tour with his idol Bob Hope in the middle of the Korean War and learns the true price of patriotism."

Grace of Monaco by Arash Amel 

"Grace Kelly, age 33 and having given up her acting career to focus on being a full time princess, uses her political maneuvering behind the scenes to save Monaco while French Leader Charles de Gaulle and Monaco’s Prince Rainier III are at odds over the principality’s standing as a tax haven."

Saving Mr. Banks by Kelly Marcel 

"The story of how Walt Disney got the rights for Mary Poppins."

I'd love the idea of the second one, it would be very interesting to see that political side of Grace Kelly; it would be an awesome movie to watch, especially if they make a good job with the settings. I also liked the third story, I know that the author, P.L. Travers didn't want to sell the rights to Disney because she didn't think it would do justice to her books and he persisted like for 20 years. My problem with the first movie is the line "the true price of patriotism", I don't know how to interpret that.

What do you think? Did you like the plots? Who do you think should play the main parts of these films?

PS- Thanks to all the people who commented or liked my Gift Guide post for classic film fans with a lot of imagination :)

Happy Birthday Julie Andrews!

Thanks for years of joy :)

8 Classic Movies I can watch over and over...

...and I know I won't get tired of them. Ever. That means that if you visit me here in Chile there are a lot possibilities that we end watching one of these (I can be very convincing). And it's weird, because there are films that you really really love, but you wouldn't watch in every occasion. For example, I love Singin' in the Rain, but sometimes I go "Mmm, and have to watch all the musical numbers? And the whole thing with the star that doesn't have a god voice? It's OK, but not for now". Well, here are some films I can watch without over thinking:

Ben - Hur (1959) : Like many of the movies in this list, I've watched Ben Hur with my parents since I was a child. It's so cool. I mean, the classic story of revenge, perfectly done, with great performances and settings. And when you think that you just saw a great scene, a better one follows. My favorite part is, of course, the chariot race, such a terrific climax. We are all rooting for Judah and the horses are so beautiful (gosh, I'm such a serious reviewer)...and then Jesus (!!!) makes a miracle and saves Judah's mom and sister. So, yes, great film. *Patting William Wyler on the back*

An affair to remember (1957): I know that there are people who hate this movie because it's an official remake of Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer's Love affair. Official because both were directed by Leo McCarey, who decided to make an almost exact copy. But even when I like Charles Boyer a lot, I prefer Cary Grant, of course. And Deborah is one of my favorite actresses. And Cary and Deborah are great too at mixing comedy and drama. And Technicolor gives it a special atmosphere. 

And beyond comparisons, the story is so good and romantic and sad and funny at some points. And the old granny! My favorite scenes are when they meet each other in public places on the ship and everyone is staring and whispering, or this one when they plan the 6 months from now thing. Pay attention to the timing of both performers, how they cut each others lines out of emotion. Soo good.

The Searchers (1956) One of my favorite movies from John Wayne. It's so good that I even forgive the racist scenes with the Comanche woman. Another story of revenge, John Wayne looks the whole film for his niece, captured by...Scar. At the end he has to choose between his hate to Indians or little Natalie Wood. Great music, beautiful locations, Jeffrey Hunter, terrific script, memorable performance by Wayne. My favorite scene? I have a lot, but the ending is really special.  What a way to go, John Ford!

Roman Holiday (1951): This is the last movie I discovered from this list. Like two years ago. Even when it has a sad ending, the whole film is so entertaining and Audrey and Gregory give such honest performances. It has so many little memorable moments and makes you feel good. This was the tribute I made some years ago. *Patting William Wyler on the back again*

Hitchcock movies: Obviously, there are some of them I can't stand. Like The Paradine Case. But I LOVE most of Hitch's films. Some of my favorites are Rear Window, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Spellbound, The Birds, Vertigo and Notorious, to name a few. Hitchcock = fun.

Yes, my Disney VHS collection :)

Disney movies: Yeah, I still watch my old VHS. I could watch them (and sing along the Spanish version of the songs) anytime. My favorite films are The Beauty and the Beast (by far), Pocahontas, The Lion King, One Hundred Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. Oh, I've recently discovered non-cartoons films produced by Disney, like Hayley Mills' Pollyana and The Parent Trap. Fun, fun, fun.

Gone with the wind (1939) What a movie! Magnificent! I love everything about it (although my least favorite character is Ashley Wilkes). I love even the minor characters, like Prissy (check "A day in the life of Prissy") and Belle Watling. Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel at their best (my favorite scene from them is when Hattie tells Olivia what happened with Clark after Bonnie died, while they go upstairs). Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable making history. The music by Max Steiner. Memorable scene after memorable scene. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. A classic. 

The Sound of Music (1965) I can't count how many times I've seen this movie. I saw it when the Von Trapp kids were my age, I saw it when I though Liesl was old and now I saw it and I think about the passage of time. Anyway, this movie is perfect IMO. A had a teacher who said he won't see it ever ever, because he knew it would be cheesy, but I just love it. 

The songs are perfect, the kids are perfect, Julie, Christopher & Eleanor are perfect, Vienna is perfect...You can watch it when you're sad, when you're happy, when you're bored, etc. One of my favorites scenes is when the kids are singing by themselves, very hungry and sad because Maria is gone, and then a voice joins, and it's Maria! I also love when they sing Edelweiss in the music contest (or when Christopher sings it). Oh the first scene in the mountains. And the ending. And, oh, when The Baroness is playing the most boring game ever with a ball...etc etc etc.

What are the films you can watch over and over and never get tired of?

 More lists :

• The 10 most handsome men from Classic Hollywood
• 10 types of annoying people to watch a movie with
• My top 10 Billy Wilder movies

CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: Torn Curtain (1966)

The event we all were looking forward to is finally here. Yay! At the end of this post I'll add all the links to the other reviews, try to check them all and comment, I'm sure you will be pleased. 

Let me start this review by saying that one of the reasons I became a Classic Movie lover was Mr. Hitchcock. You can read all about that in Hitchcock or how I became a Classic Movie Lover (duh). I've seen more than 30 of his films, even lesser known movies like Family Plot (I don't remember much about it though).

I decided to review Torn Curtain, a movie that critics didn't love and fans don't remember, but I really like. Probably, if it had been made by any other director, it would have a different reception, but hey, it has to compete with films that always are at the top of the lists of best films ever. It's not its fault that it was made by a genius. Maybe you've heard something about it because it marked the end of the collaboration between Mr. Hitchcock and the great composer Bernard Herrmann, but not because it was a correct suspense film.

My dissection of this underrated film, next:

The story:
I know you'll agree with me, Hitchcock was a romantic guy. In my opinion, all his movies are romantic films set in a suspense climate. This one is no exception. In the middle of the Cold War, an American scientist (Paul Newman) and his assistant (Julie Andrews) are in love. They're spending time together in cruise ship heading to Coupenhagen, where he has a scientific conference. She says that they should marry before honeymooning, but they don't seem to care because in the sixties the movie censorship was practically over. Anyway, Julie doesn't know about the "real" plans her fiancé has. He is going to East Berlin (tearing the Iron Curtain) to try to finish his super duper experiment, Gamma 5 aka The MacGuffin of this film, that was cancelled by the American government. With it, the Cold War would be over. The script had many writers and never completely convinced Hitchcock nor Newman.
 I overall liked it because it was never boring.

Suspense:

A lot. Warning, spoilers ahead. Like in every movie from Mr. Hitchcock, there are several sources of tension: the main relationship, the many situations that a normal man has to face in a unknown country, the people they meet, the music, the way Hitch shoots some scenes, etc. At the beginning, from Julie's point of view, we are intrigued by the way Newman starts acting, receiving strange phone calls, lying and being aggressive. Then, when the couple finally arrive to East Berlin (and we learn that Paul was working to steal a formula for the benefit of his own country), he has to face really dangerous situations, even killing a man in one of the most remembered scenes of this movie, plus trying to get vital information for his experiment. Finally Paul and Julie, now reconciled but number one on the most wanted list of the country, have to escape from East Berlin.

The last part is the best and contains my favorite scene in the whole movie: the bus scene. The couple is helped by an organization called "Pi", which has a fake bus in which Paul and Julie have to travel in their escape. To make things look real, "agents" of Pi travel in this bus. Well, the whole sequence is great: the real bus approaches and if the officers on the road notice it, they might suspect. It's one of the best examples of Hitchcock's work and just because of it I would recommend this movie.

Newman and Andrews were the studios' choice.

Leading actors:

When I think about improbable casting, I always remember this movie (and well Robert Mitchum + Katharine Hepburn + Robert Taylor in Undercurrent and some others). The thing goes this way: Hitchcock wanted Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant, but Universal, "suggested"  Julie Andrews who had just released The sound of music and Paul Newman. So, there you have, four incredibly blue eyes put together for the first and only time in a movie. But not everything is great. I've thought a lot about this, and came to the conclusion that maybe some people don't like this movie because Paul and Julie don't seem to have a grrrreat chemistry. They look great together, they're even shown in bed together, but in my opinion their relationship was cold as the Cold War. But I really don't mind, because it works anyway, since they are arguing, being chased or just in different places most of the time. 

With Lila Kedrova who plays one of my fave characters of the movie.

Supporting Cast:

Terrific, they really stand out. We have Wolfgang Kieling as the German agent that follows Paul Newman everywhere. He's tough, solid, menacing, but has charisma. Then there's Tamara Toumanova, who plays a Russian ballerina who's jealous of Paul Newman because he's stealing her all the attention of the press. She's mainly a comic relief at some points, but also represents a menace. Also great was Lila Kedrova as the extravagant Polish woman that needs a "sponsor" to go to America. Lila gave her character such a pathetic quality, that I always remember her.

Plus Ludwig Donath who plays Professor Lindt, the guy who knows the formula and all the "Pi" agents are really great because all of them seem to have a background and not only a being a random character.

Music:

Hitchcock wanted a more commercial score for this movie and didn't like what Bernard Herrmann had done. So he fired him, ending one of the greatest collaborations between a director and a music composer. He hired English composer John Addison, who did a great job in my opinion and it even sounds like something Bernard would have composed. The main theme, a fast melody which features tense violins with some reliefs coming from the clarinets, is one of my favorites and it fits in a great way the bus scene. I also love the Love Theme. 

Some people say that Herrmann's score would have been a great addition to this film; some DVDs include bonus scenes with this score and even people in Youtube have made the experiment with the Intro, After Gromek's death, The Formula, etc. Well, I think it would have been great too, but I don't have problems with Addison's music. You can read more about Herrmann and Hitch in this great article.

Final Thoughts:
This movie should definitely be more appreciated. It contains all the signature elements from Mr. Hitchcock's movies and it's never boring. Maybe Paul and Julie didn't have the greatest chemistry ever but it's not a tremendous con; I've seen Torn Curtain many times and it has never bored me.
I like the fact that Hitch continued using his usual methods even in the mid sixties, like shooting in front of screens.
I don't mind it at all, because his works were from a parallel world, a wonderful world constructed entirely by him and with his own rules.

 CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: The complete list 

(Updated with the published entries)

Official site: http://clamba.blogspot.com/

1. The Birds – Classic Film & TV Café 
2. Dial M for Murder – True Classics: The ABCs of Film 
3. The Lady Vanishes | North by Northwest | Under Capricorn – MacGuffin Movies 
4. Lifeboat – Classicfilmboy’s Movie Paradise 
5. The Man Who Knew Too Much – Reel Revival 
6. Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Carole & Co.
7. North By Northwest – Bette’s Classic Movie Blog 
8. Notorious – Twenty Four Frames 
9. The Pleasure Garden – Thrilling Days of Yesteryear 
10. Rear Window – Java’s Journey 
11. Rebecca­ – ClassicBecky’s Film and Literary Review 
12. Rope – Kevin’s Movie Corner 
13. Shadow of a Doubt - Great Entertainers Media Archive
14. The 39 Steps – Garbo Laughs 
15. Three Classic Hitchcock Killers – The Lady Eve’s Reel Life 
16. Torn Curtain - Via Margutta 51 
17. The Trouble with Harry – Bit Part Actors 
18. Vertigo – Noir and Chick Flicks 
19. The Wrong Man – The Movie Projector
20. Marnie - My Love for Old Hollywood

"The Sound of Music" cast reunion at Oprah's show

There are some especial articles over Oprah's website about "The Sound of Music" that maybe you'd like to check like Where Are the Sound of Music Stars Now? and a chapter from Mr. Plummer's autobiography dedicated to the movie.

Please watch these videos from today's show (before they are taken down) UPDATE: They were taken down, sorry. This is kind of my favorite movie and it was great and sad at the same time to see the "kids", Julie and Christopher Plummer together again. I wish Eleanor Parker was there too. My favorite parts: Christopher blowing the whistle to call the now grown-up "Von Trapp children", the interview to the whole cast (Liesl saying that she indeed learned something from Christopher: how to drink), the pictures and behind the scenes clips, the presentation of the grand grand children of the real Maria....enjoy:

Proust Questionnaire Answered by Classic Actors

I had no idea Vanity Fair included the Proust Questionnaire in its pages (which is not very strange since I don't read it). It was a great surprise and an interesting reading to found these famous questions answered by Classic Actors in the the past two years. Things that were mentioned by more than one interviewee: love for their gardens and nature, chastity as the most overrated virtue, George Sand as the historical figure they relate with. Also, why does Julie Andrews hate her nose so much?? That was weird.
I added the link to the original article in VF below the names (they include recent pictures or caricatures of each star):

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND
Original article in VF

What is your greatest fear?
The loss of physical, financial, and psychological independence.

Which living person do you most admire?
Nelson Mandela.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Champagne.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Change “is” to “are” and the answer is my two children.

When and where were you happiest?
In their company, each of us doing his/her own thing in perfect harmony.

Which talent would you most like to have?
The gift of coolheadedness or the ability to tap-dance.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
To have my son alive again, happy, healthy, and engaged in the work he loved most.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Person: as me, myself, and I.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
Thing: as a California redwood tree—tall, strong, deep-rooted, long-living, aromatic, benevolent, reaching toward the sun, the moon, and the stars.

What are your favorite names?
Alexandra and Alexis.

What is your most treasured possession?
The christening cup of Geoffrey Raoul de Havilland, given me by his mother after his death on September 27, 1946, while attempting to break the sound barrier in the DH-108, the de Havilland experimental plane.

What is your favorite occupation?
Doing cryptic crosswords or, equally, reading tales of mystery and imagination.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Make that plural and the answer is clear-sightedness, humor, fairness, fidelity to purpose.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Thoughtfulness.

What is it that you most dislike?
The deception and exploitation of the naïve and defenseless.

How would you like to die?
I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword.

What is your motto?
“Dominus Fortissima Turris.” (Variously translated as “God is the strongest tower” or “God is my tower of strength.”)

JOAN FONTAINE
Original article in VF

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Working in my garden while my five A.S.P.C.A. dogs smell the roses … or water them.


What is your greatest fear?
As I lost my Brentwood, California, house and its contents in a firestorm in 1964, I fear the same might happen to Villa Fontana.


Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Eleanor of Aquitaine, as she was my all-time favorite role, in The Lion in Winter, and which gave me the best reviews of my career.


What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying a car just for my canines.


What is your favorite journey?
Portofino to Capri.


What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Virginity.


On what occasion do you lie?
When being tactful … or evasive.


Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Ah!”


What or who is the greatest love of your life?
The English language.


What is your current state of mind?
Contentment.


If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Recklessness.


What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impulsiveness.


What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Gossiping, denigration, chitchat, disloyalty.


What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Peace and tranquillity.


What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Losing a child.


What is your most treasured possession?
My house and its three acres of gardens, in the woods.


What is your most marked characteristic?
Independence, sense of humor.


What is the quality you most like in a man?
Knowledge and respect, affection without demands.


What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Intellect, honesty, openness, loyalty.


Who are your favorite writers?
Du Maurier, Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontës, Gwendolyn Brooks.


Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
D’Artagnan, from The Three Musketeers, who taught me some things were going on in Milady’s boudoir. My mother, when I questioned her at 10 years old, said, “You’ll have to ask someone else.”


Who are your heroes in real life?
Winston Churchill. Alas, no “greats” today, except Mother Teresa.


If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Me again. “Get it right this time!”


What is it that you most dislike?
Noise.


How would you like to die?
In bed—alone.


What is your motto?
“Free at last!”

JULIE ANDREWS
Original article in VF

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Can I get back to you on that?

What is your greatest fear?
Fear!

What is your most marked characteristic?
I bet you thought I was going to say my nose.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I interrupt too much.

Which living person do you most despise?
’enry ’iggins!

What is your greatest extravagance?
Flowers.

What is your current state of mind?
Hopeful.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Chastity.

On what occasion do you lie?
Occasionally. If I feel it’s kinder than the truth.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My nose.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence and a sense of humor.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
A sense of humor and intelligence.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Do you know what I mean?” or “Are you all right?”

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family.

When and where were you happiest?
In London. When Blake [Edwards, her husband since 1969] made me laugh so much I wept. Blake says I slept with a smile.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My nose.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Next time around, I plan to be a classical composer.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The miracle of giving birth.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A meadowlark.

Where would you like to live?
Where there are meadowlarks.

What is your most treasured possession?
Family photographs.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being without hope.

What is your favorite occupation?
Pottering in my garden.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Charlie Brown.

What are your favorite names?
Those of my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

What is it that you most dislike?
Poverty, hunger, unhappiness.

How would you like to die?
Peacefully—holding my mate.

What is your motto?
“When in doubt, stand still."

JANE FONDA
Original article in VF

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being totally present and at peace in the moment—and knowing that my children and grandchildren are all right.

What is your greatest fear?
That we won’t act fast enough to save the planet.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
The tendency to withdraw into myself.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cynicism.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying large trees to place around my ranch house. (I am too old for saplings.)

What is your current state of mind?
Acceptance.

On what occasion do you lie?
When the truth will serve no purpose and only hurt.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My naked self in an overhead light.

Which living person do you most despise?
Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Kissinger—just about equally—for their cynicism and disdain for life.

What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My children and grandchildren.

When and where were you happiest?
Hiking to the top of a 14,000-foot mountain.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My inability to have a long-term intimate relationship.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Never settling for what is, but striving for “What if … ?”

Where would you like to live?
Right where I am.

What is your most treasured possession?
My ranch and its ever changing wildness.

What is your favorite occupation?
Mountain climbing.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Being down to earth.

Who are your favorite writers?
Proust, Shakespeare.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Abraham Lincoln.

What is it that you most dislike?
A lack of compassion.

What is your greatest regret?
Regrets are a waste of time except as things to learn from.

Which talent would you most like to have?
To be able to sing.

How would you like to die?
In my home, in bed, surrounded by my family. I can see it all quite clearly, and I am not afraid of it.

What is your motto?
“It’s better to be interested than interesting.”

TONY CURTIS
Original article in VF

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Top billing.


What is your greatest fear?
People might not remember me.


What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Forgetting people’s gifts.


What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Bad breath.


Which living person do you most admire?
Arnold Schwarzenegger.


What is your current state of mind?
There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun.


What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Saying hello.


On what occasion do you lie?
When it looks like I’m in trouble.


What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Not much.


What is the quality you most like in a man?
Good nature.


What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Voluptuousness.


Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Thanks a lot,” whether I mean it or not.


What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife, Jillie.


Which talent would you most like to have?
That of a brain surgeon.


If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d be three inches taller.


What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being unique.


If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
The son of Ali Baba.


What is your most treasured possession?
An excellent mind, good health, and a pair of legs to run.


What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
To lose one’s brother.


What is your favorite occupation?
Acting in the movies.


What is your most marked characteristic?
My charm and intelligence.


Who are your favorite writers?
Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Charles Schulz.


Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Tarzan.


Which historical figure do you most identify with?
The Medici prince.


Who are your heroes in real life?
Drug enforcers.


What is it that you most dislike?
Bullshit.


What is your greatest regret?
That I never had a regular education.


How would you like to die?
Alone.


What is your motto?
“Fuck ‘em and feed ‘em fish.”

CATHERINE DENEUVE
Read the original article in VF

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
George Sand.


Which living person do you most admire?
Aung San Suu Kyi.


What is your greatest fear?
The war.


What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Having too many things on my mind at the same time.


What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Inconsistency.


What is your greatest extravagance?
Spending all my money when I was 17 years old to buy an Hermès Kelly bag.


What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Beauty.


What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My left ear.


Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Je ne finis pas mes phrases. [I do not finish my sentences.]


What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Nature.


Which talent would you most like to have?
The gift of a scientific mind.


What is your current state of mind?
Restless.


If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My future.


If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
Nothing.


What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A wild garden.


If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A lime tree.


What is your most treasured possession?
Lucidity.


What is your favorite occupation?
Playing in the garden.


What is your most marked characteristic?
Impassivity.


What is the quality you most like in a man?
Fantasy and talent.


What do you most value in your friends?
Uniqueness.


Who are your favorite writers?
Rainer Maria Rilke.


Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Mandrake the Magician.


What is it that you most dislike?
Insects.


How would you like to die?
In my sleep or standing.


What is your motto?
“À coeur vaillant, rien d’impossible.” [With a valiant heart, nothing is impossible.]

SHIRLEY MACLAINE
Original article in VF

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Searching for it.

What is your greatest fear?
The violence of enlightenment.

Which living person do you most admire?
The people who work with and for me.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My impatience, which can cause me to be really caustic and rude.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Same. We detest in others what we detest in ourselves.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Monogamy.

On what occasion do you lie?
When I eat sugar and say it doesn't matter.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My bloated stomach after eating sugar.

What is your greatest regret?
Not spending more time with my daughter when I was working.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My dog Terry. All of nature.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Being patient with people who have no work ethic. Maybe they have something to teach me.

What is your current state of mind?
Content, but discontent with the leadership worldwide.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Being able to do nothing.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The way I think.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A zillionaire who gives away all his money. Yes, I would like to come back as a rich man who would live without corruption, respect nature, women, and small, insignificant things.

What is your most treasured possession?
Two necklaces from my Santiago de Compostela Camino. All of my animals.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Prison.

Where would you like to live?
Wherever I am with Terry, but not in a confined space. New Mexico is fine for me.

What is your most marked characteristic?
My humorous cynicism.

Who are your favorite writers?
Those who tell the truth about themselves.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
I don't read fiction. My life is fiction.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Those who are optimistic through pain. I am a physical pussy unless I'm dancing or working out.

What is it that you most dislike?
People who don't care about themselves.

What is your motto?
"I am part of God in Light."
 

LUISE RAINER
Original article in VF

What is your current state of mind?
I have never had a current state of mind. My mind changes a great deal. I am very affected by any sorrow or sad thing, and I am very affected by joy and beauty.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
First of all, to be in love. The second way of being very happy is to be able to get the best out of yourself, whatever it is.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
One can be more than once in love—that’s the most important thing. The great loves of my life are my husband of 45 years, my daughter, and my first husband. These were my three great loves, but I’ve had other ones in between. They might not have been as great, but how can you weigh love? You cannot put it on a scale.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
To strive to get the best out of himself.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
An inner and outer elegance.

Which living person do you most admire?
Mandela. Also, artists and painters. I admire people who are creative.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Mountain climbing.

When and where were you happiest?
In the mountains, climbing into beautiful places—anything that has to do with nature. I feel best in nature or near nature. And I was most happy, of course, when I was with my husband and we were in beautiful landscapes.

On what occasion do you lie?
I lie sometimes to cover up whatever it is that needs to be covered up. I do not want to sound grandiose, but I sometimes feel I want to agree to make the questioner happy. But not often.

What is your greatest fear?
To be abandoned.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My inferiority complex.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
To be dishonest. Sometimes people have to be dishonest in order not to hurt, but if someone is basically dishonest, that is a different matter.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To know yourself is very difficult, and I cannot answer questions like this. I am not on an analyst’s sofa!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
One of the many I admire is [19th-century female French novelist] George Sand.

What is your greatest regret?
My greatest regret is that I have not given out much, much more, because inside me there is much, much more that I would have liked to give. It sounds arrogant, but it is the truth: I do not feel I have given out even part of what I can give out.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I could say such and such a film or something, but I can also say that it has been to overcome situations that would make me unhappy. Or to have the important things in life. To have the value of not losing perspective, and keeping a sense of humor.