Pardon me but my age is showing!

Richard Harris in the '60's.

I'm home with a hacking cold and have glued myself to my computer. I found myself looking actresses and actors, okay, mostly actors, who were interesting to me when I was younger, in my 20's and 30's. Men like Michael Caine, Richard Burton, and Richard Harris. The first film I saw Harris in was "This Sporting Life" in 1963, he received "Best Actor" at Cannes, and later there was "The Field" in 1990 for which he received an Academy Award Nomination for "Best Actor"; he had quite a career before Harry Potter. My young sons and I saw him in Seattle onstage in "Camelot." He did appear to be a wee bit drunk, but he was marvelous and thrilling to watch.

Add Peter O'Toole and Robert Shaw, who was also an author of some success. Did anyone else see Richard Burton's "Hamlet?" I guess the official title was "Richard Burton's Hamlet." It had a wildly successful theater run, was filmed and was released for one week only in September of 1964. It received poor reviews much to my puzzlement, ahead of its time maybe. Then all copies were destroyed and it was thought to be gone until Burton's widow found a copy in their house. I think its out on DVD so maybe you can check it out yourself if you are inclined. Okay, so Michael Caine is still around as is Peter O'Toole, just barely. And, why am I looking up old, dead, guys anyway? I must be feeling mortal while trying to crack a rib coughing. Or just morbid.

There are some more recent vintages; I really admire Gabriel Byrne, really admire him, yum, and Daniel Day-Lewis, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Farrell ("In Bruges" is wonderful), and they are Irishmen all, well, Day-Lewis is half-Irish but so am I. But I didn't bother to look them up today. Except for young Colin they are all better behaved than their predecessors and certainly quite talented. Still I miss those other guys. The world I came out of is swiftly disappearing. Maybe I'd better score a version of Burton's "Hamlet" to share with my grandkids. Some are being home schooled, I can run the Film Portion of The Curriculum. I got the 12 year old to watch the 1956 "War and Peace" with Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn. When they are older, if I can get a copy of it I will try to lure them into watching the 1967-68 Russian version "Voyna i mir," in segments though, it is 7 hours long but majestic and follows the book very closely; and it is gorgeous.

Audrey Hepburn, if I'm too bleary to read this afternoon, I'll look her up, for starters. Off for a nap.

Carts of Darkness

I didn't make this title up. Hubby gets email from the Canadian National Film Board with films they promote, watchable on their site. The last one was about the documentry "Carts of Darkness." I laughed when I saw the title but I wasn't laughing later. The protagonists include filmmaker Murray Siple, a young man in a wheelchair, and several men living primarily on the streets of Vancouver, B.C. who are also linked as they pick bottles and cans for cash. It lasts an hour and it is more than worth the viewing. I personally don't buy the idea that people, especially the elderly and kids, want to live on the street and Murray Siple has provided the evidence. And he has shown the humanity of these men. The mens' lives are drawn against the glorious backdrop of a sunlit, prosperous Vancouver. You can watch it on your computer. Be prepared to spend an hour. It will give you a new view of homelessness, break your heart in places, and you won't ever see grocery carts the same way again. http://www3.nfb.ca/webextension/carts-of-darkness/about.php

The film's music is contemporary and wonderful. The closing piece "Don't Run Our Hearts Around," is by Black Mountain, a self described Canadian psychedelic rock band. I can't speak for the complete album, haven't heard it yet. Here's a video for the song on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU2UgtzVMsM.