♣ Three reading links at monologuearchive.com:
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¤ Bob Rafelson‘s «Five Easy Pieces» [1970]
Are you cold? I don’t know if you’d be… particularly interested in hearing anything about me. My life, I mean… most of it doesn’t add up to much that I could relate as a way of life that you’d approve of… I move around a lot. Not because I’m looking for anything really, but, because… I’m getting away from things that get bad… if I stay. Auspicious beginnings, you know what I mean?
I’m trying to imagine your… your half of this conversation. My feeling is I don’t know that, er… if you could talk we wouldn’t be talking. That’s pretty much the way it got to be before I left. Are you all right? I don’t know what to say… Tita suggested that we try to… I don’t know. I think that she… I think that she feels that we’ve got some understanding to reach. She totally denies the fact that we were never that comfortable with one another to begin with. The best that I can do is apologize. We both know that I was never really that good at it anyway. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.
* * *
¤ Anthony Hopkins’ The Silence of the Lambs [1991]
DR. LECTER: Oh, Agent Starling… do you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool?
CLARICE: No! I thought that your knowledge…
DR. LECTER: You’re sooo ambitious, aren’t you…? You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well- scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste… Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you’re not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you Agent Starling…?
That accent you’re trying so desperately to shed – pure West Virginia. What was your father, dear? Was he a coal miner? Did he stink of the lamp…? And oh, how quickly the boys found you! All those tedious, sticky fumblings, in the back seats of cars, while you could only dream of getting out. Getting anywhere – Getting all the way – to the F…B…I.
* * *
¤ Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs [1992]
The story looks at what happens before and after (but not during) a botched jewelry store robbery organized by Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney). Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) is a career criminal who takes a liking to newcomer Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) and enjoys showing him the ropes. Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) is a weaselly loner obsessed with professionalism. Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) has just gotten out of jail after taking the rap on a job for Cabot; he’s grateful for the work but isn’t the same person he used to be…
Reservoir Dogs jumps back and forth between pre- and post-robbery events, occasionally putting the narrative on pause to let the characters discuss such topics as the relative importance of tipping, who starred in Get Christie Love!, and what to do when you enter a men’s room full of cops carrying a briefcase full of marijuana.
♦ A hilarious scene from Tarantino’s, where the capo, Joe (Lawrence Tierney) is giving out nicknames for the members of the gang. Not surprisingly, some of them are not very happy with their new a.k.a.s ↓
JOE
… Here are your names… Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink.
MR. PINK
Why am I Mr. Pink?
JOE
Because you’re a faggot, all right?
MR. PINK
Why can’t we pick our own colors?
JOE
No way, no way. Tried it once, it doesn’t work. You get four guys all fighting over who’s gonna be Mr. Black. But they don’t know each other, so nobody wants to back down. No way, I pick. You’re Mr. Pink. Be thankful you’re not Mr. Yellow.
MR. BROWN
Yeah, but Mr. Brown, that’s a little too close to Mr. Shit.
MR. PINK
Mr. Pink sounds like Mr. Pussy. How about if i’m Mr. Purple? That sounds good to me. I’ll be Mr. Purple.
JOE
You’re not Mr. Purple. Some guy on some other job is Mr. Purple. You’re Mr. Pink.
MR. WHITE
Who cares what your name is?
MR. PINK
Yeah, that’s easy for you to say. You’re Mr. White. You have a cool sounding name. All right look, if it’s no big deal to be Mr. Pink, you wanna trade?
JOE
Hey, nobody’s trading with anybody. This ain’t a goddamn fucking city council meeting, you know. Now listen up, Mr. Pink. There’s two ways you can go on this job — my way or the highway. Now what’s it going to be, Mr. Pink?
MR. PINK
Jesus christ, Joe. Fucking forget about it. It’s beneath me. I’m Mr. Pink. Let’s move on.
JOE
I’ll move on when I feel like it. All you guys got the goddamn message? I’m so goddamn mad hollering at you guys, I can hardly talk. Let’s go to work.
* * *
¤ Cameron Crowe‘s Almost Famous [2000]
Set in 1973, the film chronicles the funny and often poignant coming of age of 15-year-old William, an unabashed music fan who is inspired by the seminal bands of the time. When his love of music lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview the up-and-coming band Stillwater — fronted by lead guitar Russell Hammond and lead singer Jeff Bebe — William embarks on an eye-opening journey with the band’s tour, despite the objections of his protective mother (Frances McDormand)
RUSSELL: It’s Russell Hammond, I play guitar in Stillwater! Hey, how does it feel to be the mother of the greatest rock journalist we’ve met? (… !…) Hello … Hello?
…Look, you’ve got a great kid here– there’s nothing to worry about! We’re taking good care of him! And you should, you know, you should come to a show sometime! Join the Circus!
ELAINE: Listen to me, mister. Your charm does not work on me. I’m onto you. Of course you like him.
RUSSELL: Yes.
ELAINE: He worships you people and it’s fine with you, as long as he helps make you rich.
RUSSELL: Rich? I don’t think so –
ELAINE: Listen to me. He’s a smart, good- hearted, 15 year-old kid, with infinite potential. This is not some apron-wearing mother you’re speaking to. I know all about your Valhalla of Decadence, and I shouldn’t have let him go. He is not ready for your world of compromised values, and diminished brain cells that you throw away like confetti. Am I speaking to you clearly?
RUSSELL: Yes, ma’am.
ELAINE: If you break his spirit, harm him in any way, keep him from his chosen profession — which is law, something you may not value but I do — you will meet the voice on the other end of this telephone. And it will not be pretty. Do we understand each other?
RUSSELL: Oh yes… ma’am
ELAINE: I didn’t ask for this role, but I’ll play it. Now go do your best. «Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aide!» Goethe said that. It’s not too late for you to be a person of substance, Russell. Please get my son home safely. You know, I’m glad we spoke.
* * *
⇓ 7 Movie Endings . . .
0′ 00″ . . . Gattaca (1997)
For someone who was never meant for this world… I must confess I’m suddenly having a hard time leaving it. Of course, they say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star. Maybe I’m not leaving. Maybe I’m going home.
1′ 09″ . . . American History X (1998)
2′ 30″ . . . Platoon (1986)
I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy, we fought ourselves – and the enemy was in us … The war is over for me now, but it will always be there – the rest of my days. As I am sure Elias will be – fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called possession of my soul … There are times since I have felt like the child born of those two fathers … but be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach to others what we know and to try with what’s left of our lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life
4′ 24″ . . . Memento (2000)
6′ 36″ . . . A Beautiful Mind (2001)
¤ Mary Harron’s «American Psycho» ⇓ [2000]
There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused… and my utter indifference toward it, I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp… and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. In fact, I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape. But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis. My punishment continues to elude me… and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself. No new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant… nothing.
* * *
¤ Danny Boyle‘s Trainspotting [1996]
A Scottish comedy drama film based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh (who played hapless drug dealer Mikey Forrester). The movie stars Ewan McGregor as Renton, and follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life.
. . . Renton, Spud, Tommy and Sick Boy go for a day out ⇓ Tommy suggests going for a walk
There.
Are you serious?
Well, what are you waiting for?
I don’t know, Tommy. This is not natural, man.
It’s the great outdoors. It’s fresh air!
Look, Tommy, we know you’re getting a hard time off Lizzy, but there’s no need to take it out on us.
Doesn’t it make you proud to be Scottish?
It’s shite being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the low, the scum of the fucking earth, the most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English; I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can’t even pick a decent culture to be colonized by. We are ruled by effete arseholes. It’s a shite state of affairs, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won’t make any fucking difference.
· · · In the closing scene, Renton decides to quit heroin, travels to London and vows to live the stable traditional life he described at the beginning of the film.
RENTON (Ewan McGregor):
So why did I do it? I could offer a million answers, all false. The truth is that I’m a bad person, but that’s going to change, I’m going to change. This is the last of this sort of thing. I’m cleaning up and I’m moving on, going straight and choosing life. I’m looking forward to it already. I’m going to be just like you: the job, the family, the fucking big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing the gutters, getting by, looking ahead, to the day you die.
•⇒noputhyfooting.wordpress.com/2012/mikes-the-man-extract-from-trainspotting/
¤ Irving Welsh interviewed by The Economist [February 2012]
⇒ «We are always moving towards failure…» ⇐
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