Mae @ Rainydayinmay

Trade…

Published on February 2, 2008 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay11 Comments

My heart is really heavy.
There was a film that I was assigned to review named Trade, this summer. The film didn’t do well and wasn’t released nationally so I had to wait until it’s DVD release.
Trade was released on DVD this week, and so it was with eagerness that my friend, her husband and I sat down to watch it. Having extensive experience in dealing with survivors of sexual abuse, we expected a movie which would advocate for them. We knew it’s content was of that nature… With sexual abuse being so often swept under a rug because the world, in majority, still cares about their discomfort when dealing with it- I was ready to see a film released to raise awareness…

And this is when the film person in me has to step up and ask: how much is too much?

Scenes of men in bushes with children; a very blatant rape scened shot cold and honestly… I am that Christian who defends the films, at times, for the “offensive” material they carry. When someone complains about “S**t” of “F**K” being in a film that is intense and action packed, I point out that the bad guy wouldn’t seem so bad if suddenly he yelled “Grab your shoot and shut the flippin heck up!”
I can be the overly tolerant one, at times…
The more liberal one…

And yet this movie made me squirm and cringe. A lot. This movie made all three of our hearts ache, and the general consensus was this:
– this was never intended to be the movie that everyone walks away from, saying “i really loved this movie!”
– this movie was made for awareness purposes.
– this movie is gritty and raw, and as horribly painful as it is to watch- it likely doesn’t touch the real surface of what the sex trade industry, it’s workers or it’s victims lives are like…

But again, still, after my review is written and submitted- I have to ask: how much is too much?
In the name of awareness… In the name of an abuse which is still so much a secret… In the name of ruined children, crime, hatred and brutality— how much enactment is too much?
It’s been over 24 hours since I saw this movie, and my regular every day life has moved on. But my heart is still there, watching. Remembering. Aching.

Give-Away-Shmiv-away…

Published on January 30, 2008 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay10 Comments

I love hosting this give away.
I love it!
The most annoying thing, (well, the ONLY annoying thing) seems to be that my link on the main site is messed up and it automatically links back to a post in December. I have NO idea why, but I have TONS of comments there, and on my giveaway post.

However, here is the thing…
I love doing this giveaway!
I love it!
(is this sounding repetitive yet?)

I was telling my wonderful husband all about it, last night, and although he was less thrilled than I was- he thought it sounded cool. I told him that these carnivals are something which seem to happen quarterly. (I couldn’t be sure, as I am new to this whole blog carnival thing, but the word on the cyber street was that this was a regular occurrence.)
Anyway, he shocked me by saying: Why stop there? Why only 4 a year?
And he is right!
So, I thought about this…
And thought.
And I decided that I am going to do a give-away a month! (at least for 2008)
And, because I am feeling completely narcissistic, I will be giving away something which fits into my “favorite things” category!
So… Because February is literally, right around the corner, I am going to take a couple of days to figure out the perfect February favorite- and on Friday (February 1st) I will let you know!
“
But don’t forget my current giveaway which is technically the January Favorite!!!!

Sad day…

Published on January 23, 2008 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay24 Comments

It was a really sad day. A sad day at home, a very hard day as a parent…

And then sad as a film lover.

It’s interesting to know that friend’s reach out to one another when a celebrity dies, but they do. We do… It’s strange to have your best friend phone from the other side of the country. I know that when Princess Diana was killed, the world felt as though it stopped spinning. I imagine to most people, especially those Christians who were disappointed in the making of the film Brokeback Mountain, that the passing of Heath Ledger isn’t of the same caliber. ***

To a film lover it could be…

When I started writing about films just over five years ago, I launched in with starry eyes. I giggled like a school girl at the thought of meeting “movie stars”. It took my first press junket and three interviews when I worked with Allied, to finally realize that there isn’t anything any different about them, than us. Sure, some of them are arrogant and entitled, but so are some of us.

From that point, attending interviews and screenings was a lot less intimidating. It was with a peaceful excitement that I planned my trip to Sundance this week. (which is now changed due to Home Schooling) In fact, I have a small list of people I would love to interview. People who I think are courageous or clever. People with insatiable talents.

Heath Ledger was on my list…

Not because he was beautiful, but because he was one of the few incredibly gifted actors in the industry. With his role as the Joker in the new Batman, we would have finally seen him cast in every type of role- and he could do them all wonderfully.

So, yes… I am sad. Sad at a missed opportunity, sad for his little girl to grow up with out her daddy. Sad for our industry…

This is just a tragic loss.

***(By this I am not intending, at all, to insult Believers. I am a Christian. Proudly so. And I know that it was mostly Christians who found it a tragedy that HL or JG would take the BM roles that they did. This isn’t intended to be a religious dispute, I am simply saying that there are people who are saddened and shocked by this, and people who aren’t due to their dislike of him since Brokeback. There are also a lot of people (my mother for one) who will say “Who is Heath Ledger???”… And so my point, in comparison to Diana was that everyone knew who she was, and found the news of her death shocking… But not to everyone, will this be equally as tragic. It was a simple statement and I apologize for any offense taken.)

midnight…

Published on January 8, 2008 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay16 Comments

On phone call number three with my brother in law, I remember sherri saying her pregnant friend had be dilated to 4. So i told him “maybe she left in a hurry to go be with her, and forgot her phone…”

He was still fearful, because of her past… I was in a bad place.

This morning however, the situation is solved.

I had been right.

The friend was in a lot of pain and wanted someone to sit with her until her hubby was off work. Then, the weather made the late night drive home, tough.

and all is well.

oh yeah, and now I have a key… :)

Thanks for all of your concern and well wishes!

Tragedy averted…

But what’s with all of this snow?

M is for…

Published on January 7, 2008 by Mae @ Rainydayinmay8 Comments

M is for Movie– Steel Magnolias. Sad. Stupidly sad. Not a movie one should watch after having just lost a friend. Sad. Sad.

M is for Me– Me annoyed at the attention spans of husbands. (namely mine!)

M is for Maddening– Maddening: Costco on a Sunday afternoon, 2 hours after all churches (Christian, Catholic and LDS) released…

M is for Maybe– Maybe… Maybe… Maybe…

M is for Meal-Plan-Monday–

Monday: B- Peanut Butter Toast, Orange, Warm Apple Cider
L- Grilled Cheese, Soup
D- Barbecue Chicken, Creamy Augratin Potatoes, steamed squash
and sugar snap peas.

Tuesday: B- Blackberry Oatmeal, toast, OJ
L- Taco Salad, Banana, juice
D- Morningstar Farms Prime Griller, Whole Wheat Bun,
swiss, lettuce, tomato & ranch pasta salad

Wednesday: B- cereal, juice, blueberries
L- turkey sandwich, pasta salad, gogurt
D- Chicken tenders, homemade mac & cheese, steamed peas

Thursday: B- Toaster Strudel, yogurt, fresh berries
L- leftover chicken tenders, string cheese, applesauce
D- Homemade pigs in a blanket, soup

Friday: B- scrambled egg with cheese, sausage patty, toast, juice
L- half turkey sandwich with cranberry spread, baked beans, pickle
D- swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, steamed asiago broccoli