Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Cast Away (spoiler everyone) & Stuff

Last night, while waiting to go to dinner w/ some friends, I caught ... for like the 20th time - no joke - the movie Cast Away. I absolutely love this movie. I could prob watch it another 20 and not get bored. There are just some movies like that... there are others that I feel this way about, but this is one of the biggest ones for me.

I think one thing that gets me every time in this movie is the scene right before the plane is about to crash into the water, and his character is standing in the plane, holding on to those straps.... and it's at that moment that he sees the Pacific coming right at him and boom... they've crashed. Then you see him underwater w/ the life boat and it gets snagged going up, then breaks and he breaks the surface only to be heading towards one of the plane's engines - which is on fire. For anyone that's afraid of flying - like myself - this all is pretty terrifying. Every time I see it, I clinch my fists and wait for the impact. Always thinking about what I'd do if in that situation... last night was no exception.

Tom Hanks is sooo great in this movie. I love everything about it. I especially like when he starts finding all the Fed Ex packages, he opens them and starts using the various presents/gifts and such to help him on the island. One thing that makes me grimace is when he's trying to make fire and breaks that stick on his hand.... uuuhhhh! The pain of it! Then he picks up the soccer ball and throws it... causing a blood stain on the ball. This is when we are introduced to Wilson. I love Wilson. I cried when Wilson got lost at sea... seeing Tom Hank's character there on his raft, crying out his soul for all the years he's been lost on that island and now... to lose Wilson... it broke my heart. It breaks it every time I see it and last night it did the same. Again, I started crying. I weeped w/ him... I mourned Wilson. I can hear him saying, "I'm sorry Wilson"... while he cries and cries. It was so sad.

I loved how he talked to Wilson... the relationship he built with the ball and how it helped his character to survive all those years. What a great story... I think it would greatly help one's mental state to have such a inanimate object to talk to... one would need that to survive... I know I would. I have a little Wilson sitting on my desk here at work. My younger Sis, Jahooni, gave it to me before I moved to Bahrain. You can put in on the top of a pencil if you wan't, but I leave it sitting next to my monitor. I love that little ball. It looks just like Wilson from the movie. I adore it. Not a lot of ppl know Wilson... more should.

I also love the scene when Tom Hank's character makes fire. When he's dancing around and singing "Light My Fire" and burns his hand and is happy about it. It's really great.... shows just how much we take for granted in life... or at least for me it does.

I struggle along w/ his character in this movie... I applaud him, I encourage him, I stand by him. I cry for him when he gets saved, goes back and the love of his life is married with a baby girl. She looked for him ... knew he wasn't dead, but was encouraged to move on... so she did. And it breaks her heart to see him again... to lose him all over again....

I also loved the scene when he's on the raft and has given up on life... and the whale, who has been swimming along w/ him for prob some hundred odd miles, possibly, wakes him up by blowing water on him... so that he can awaken to see that a ship is passing. What a great moment. Even when he's on the raft and is out in the dead of night in the middle of the ocean somewhere and the whale surfaces and comes up beside him to get a look and his character just stares at the whale... what a profound moment.

aaahhhhh.... this is one of my all time favorite movies. I really enjoy everything that Tom Hanks does. I've loved him since he was on Bosom Buddies... which was a TV sitcom he did years ago. He and his friend dressed up like women so that they could get cheap rent in an apt. bldg. that was leased to women only. It was cute and funny..... I also loved him in Big - another movie that I enjoy... altho I don't watch it often. I also really enjoy when he's paired w/ Meg Ryan... one of my all time favorite actresses.

If you've never taken the time to watch Cast Away... I highly recommend it.

It's Wednesday... which is my Friday, so tomorrow starts the weekend. We were supposed to have our dryer installed but the plumber has cancelled on us yet again. I'm bummed. I was really looking forward to doing some laundry - I have TONS to do - and drying some clothes. I love the smell of clothes from the dryer... after having been tossed around w/ Snuggle! I don't know when we're going to find a plumber that can hook this baby up... I'm more than ready.

We don't have a lot planned this weekend. Ali Al Saeed is coming to the studio this afternoon and tomorrow to start recording his book of short stories, called Moments. I think this will be a week long process if not longer. I can't wait to hear it. Ali is a great writer and I've read his book, QuixotiQ - which was a really great ride (I highly recommend it) - and I've read several of his short stories, which I also loved, so... I'm sure Moments will be great. I can't wait. Then, on July 1st, the book launch for Models of Success is happening and my hubby's music will be played for the launch.

Oh yeah, for those of you who don't really know my husband or about him, he's a musician/composer/producer in his off time - after working hours. He'd love to do it full-time and, hopefully, one day, he'll be able to do just that. But, if you're interested in hearing some of his music, go to Alfanan's Radio and you can hear some of it there. He's also at garageband for any of you who might be interested. And... I'll do a plug for myself here... I sing on the song Far Away, which you'll find there... in case you wanna get a taste of the beautiful music we make together! ;)

anyway... have a great weekend everybody....

Peace Out!

9 comments:

Olivia said...

I haven't seen that movie, you know...but I don't mind spoilers, and in fact reading your description makes me finally want to see it.

Tom is a good actor. I loved him in Apollo 13 and of course Forrest Gump...well, and everything really (after the naff 80s), though I haven't seen the one where he's stranded inthe airport yet either :P

OK it's nearly 1.30am (how do people with full time jobs do blogs???)

So I am off now to call my Mum in Canada and I will try to listen to some of your hubby's music soon. Don't let me forget!

Um Naief said...

Olivia, I loved Forrest Gump. The movie w/ him in the airport wasn't that good... I was dissappointed w/ it. It felt sorta stale. Me.. I do blogs mainly at work, even tho I hate to admit it. I'm not busy at work, at all, so I tend to blog. I don't blog on weekends usually or at night. Sometimes I read them at night, but not usually. Now... if I got busy at work, you'd prob see a lot less blogging from me! :) I hope you enjoy the music. Let me know.

Leilouta said...

Tooners, It is the same with my husband. He used to play in a band and now he practices with his brother once a week in the basement. He jokes about doing it full time once we become rich :)
I will listen to your husband's music later at home. We are not allowed to do that here at work. Have a good weekend. I really enjoy your comments.

MoClippa said...

WIIIIIILSOOOOOOOOOON!

*clippa cries every time without fail*

Olivia said...

Oh I listened to it this morning and forgot to comment!

Your hubbys music is really sophisticated, and nicely chilled too.

...

I have heard lots of people were disappointed with the airport one. The first thingthat I can't get past is, whether his country had a coup or not, they'd probably be able to dump him in the new one, or at least give him asylum in the US. But oh well, there's no story without the situation...

You wouldn't believe how many of the people on 20six blog from work and keep the comments flying.

The Moody Minstrel said...

I really liked that movie, too. Tom Hanks is definitely one of my favorite actors because he's so versatile.

I'm impressed with the music! I didn't know that's what your husband did!

You know I'm also a composer/musician in addition to being a band director. I've done a fair amount of session work in Tokyo, but I have yet to put out a professional release of my own yet (not that people haven't been getting on my case to try it). So far I just have a whole rack of demo CDs that I sometimes foist on people. I guess I've always just looked at it as a hobby rather than something to take too seriously.

That is a good track...quite different from what I usually do, but I still like it!

Um Naief said...

leilouta, wow, we do have a lot in common! my husband was in a band when he was in high school and did a little bit of that in the States, but he works mainly solo now. he prefers it.

olivia, i'm glad you like the music. it is good chill out music, and he sings too... in Arabic. i'm working on getting him to upload these songs.

moody, i'd love to hear some of your music. i had no idea that you compose. do you have a studio? what instruments do you play? my husband's working on his 3rd CD... his first did real well here in the ME and the 2nd did good over in the US w/ CD Baby and such. why not put some of your stuff online?

The Moody Minstrel said...

I have a home studio that I've slowly amassed over the past decade and a half since coming to Japan. Any serious artist would probably laugh at my setup; it's a lot better than it used to be, but it's still rather simple and dated (i.e. I record on an 8-track MD recorder...not yet gone HDD or direct-to-computer...and my effects rack is nothing to be excited about). Still, it serves my needs (so far), and I'm happy about some of the demo work I've produced. Others have been pestering me to put stuff online if not have a professional CD made, especially since I've done session work on other artists' albums. Maybe I should start looking into it...

My main instruments are clarinet and saxophone, but I mainly play guitar, bass, and keyboards for my home recording (with a lot of other toys thrown in...I collect musical instruments). My style is mainly what you'd call progressive rock (strong Jethro Tull and Rush influences with a bit of ZZ Top, British alternative, New Order, Tangerine Dream, and Enya thrown in for effect).

Good grief! Why am I blabbering about myself on your comment thread? Maybe I need to try coming up with 29 things to say about myself on my own blog...a la Olivia's suggestion! *blush*

Um Naief said...

moody... i'd love to hear some of your music. i think it's a great idea to put a CD together. there are some great sites for artists out there.... garageband being one of them. many have gone down in the past few years... and myspace is now doing music... but don't know how good that site it.

my husband plays the piano, nay, oud, he sings, and plays a little guitar. me... i started taking piano lessons and then stopped. i tried playing the guitar but didnt continue. it hurt a lot, so i gave up. i love the piano tho and hope to pick it up again.

i think you need to do the list about yourself.... i can't wait!!