From the Attic
Random Ramblings
by T. Owen Stark
Goodbye Mr. Newman
What are we looking forward to when we head to the theatre? Do
we want action? Do we want to be scared? Is great cgi paramount
in making our decision on what film we're going to spend our
hard earned eight bucks on? When was the last time you saw a
film because it had a particular actor in the lead role? Today,
the actor is rarely the star of the film. Today, the big star
rarely assures a big hit.
Let me take you back to a time when acting
was truly an art form. A time when the name, the face and the
style brought you into the movie house. Clint Eastwood, Kirk
Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford. If these
guys were in it, I knew I was in for a great 90 minutes.
In the midst of my love affair with movies,
along came a film called 'Cool Hand Luke', and all of these guys
took a back seat to Paul Newman, at least for a while. Perhaps
the greatest performance I'd ever seen, or ever will see in film.
I still watch it to this day and wonder just what was going on
in Newman's head while he was making that film. He manages to
encompass every tortured and misunderstood soul who ever questioned
their existence with his silence, his smirk, his gaze and ultimately;
his 'failure to communicate'. This great performance is only
one of many. Newman has always seemed to play complex, moody
and above all, 'human' characters in such movies as 'Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof', 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', 'The Hustler',
"The Verdict' and his Oscar winning performance in 'The
Color of Money'.
His humanity was evident off the screen
as well. He was not the typical 'Hollywood' actor. His 50 years
of marriage to Joanne Woodward was a rarity in Hollywood as was
his generosity. Profits from his food company sales went directly
to charities.
One of the nice things about getting older
is that you can pass on the positive things you came across in
life to those that are younger. There is nothing more satisfying
to me than to have someone let me know that they loved a film
I suggested. If you're a movie fanatic like I am, and you haven't
seen 'Cool Hand Luke', you are a fortunate soul for you have
a great experience ahead of you. But don't stop there. A world
of great films are there to discover. In addition to those mentioned,
here's a list of some of my favorites:
Lust For Life
- Kirk Douglas
Bullitt - Steve McQueen
Three Days of the Condor - Robert Redford
Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood
Atlantic City - Burt Lancaster
Goodbye Mr. Newman
You will be missed!
© 2008 T Owen Stark
Are You Entertained
Frame by frame I sit and view
The story unfold like a gentle sigh
Or a savage scream
Spellbound in this intoxicating isolation
Carried from my mundane truth
I fuse with the flicker and sounds
That emanate from this giant looking glass
Igniting emotions long departed from this life
What a wondrous thing it is
To be moved by lights and words
Woven in a veil of music
Taken away if only for a brief time
To live another's story
As the credits roll
As the lights fade in
As the picture fades out
I turn my collar
Head into the cold evening
To play the scene from which I escape
Every now and again
Tom Owens was born in Washington
DC. After living in Maryland for many years, he became a single
parent and now resides in Virginia with his children who are
the first 3 loves of his life. The other three are music, movies
and The Washington Redskins. Tom also dabbles in poetry. You
can read more of his poetry at http://starkimages.blogspot.com/
Send Tom a message either directly or using
the Word Catalyst feedback form. For more from Tom visit the
Word Catalyst archives or his online
home.
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