A Handful of Dust, featuring the always-amazing Kristin Scott Thomas

I consider the years 1984 and 1988 the two best years of the 80s for films. Those two years contained many wonderful movies and noteworthy performances. One of those performances that stands out to me is that of Kristin Scott Thomas in the 1988 film A Handful of Dust. Directed by Charles Sturridge, the film is set in England during the 1930s. Scott Thomas plays Brenda, the wife a landed aristocrat named Tony. The duo reside in a large estate in the countryside with their young son. Despite the fact that nothing appears to be lacking in Brenda's life, she seems to have grown bored with the relative isolation and the monotonous routine of living in Tony’s ancestral home, known as Hetton Abbey.

After a weekend visit from a friend of Tony’s named Thomas, who’s of a lower social rank, Brenda decides to spend time in London, as she has developed a special interest in Thomas. She fancies Thomas and wishes to get to know him better. She thus begins traveling back and forth from Hetton Abbey to London on a fairly frequent basis, first under the pretext that she’s going visit her sister. Later, she decides to rent a flat in London. It just so happens that the woman she’s renting the flat from is the mother of Thomas. Brenda then very willingly enters into an affair with Thomas, seeing him whenever she’s in London, all the while maintaining the illusion that she simply wants to spend some time away from the idleness of Hetton Abbey to relish the liveliness of London.

Brenda’s trusting and unsuspecting husband has no clue of what’s really going on, though a couple of other people within their social circle are fully aware of the circumstances. She even convinces him to let her sign up for an Economics course -- more of a reason to spend time in London. It’s during one of her stays in London that an unexpected family tragedy leads her back to Hetton Abbey. Once there, she’s determined make the definitive choice to leave Tony. She returns to London to reunite with Thomas, and writes a letter to Tony to inform him that she had been having an affair with Thomas and intends to marry him. She then files for divorce from Tony and seeks a large financial settlement from him, which incidentally would require him to lose his ancestral home.

Tony refuses to grant Brenda the divorce, and instead chooses to travel abroad for a few months. He ventures to South America with an explorer friend of his, and that voyage, as it turns out, will change his destiny and that of Brenda.

The role of Brenda was the breakout performance for Scott Thomas, and it’s a pity that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. Though I must admit that 1988 was a very competitive year for actresses in leading roles. The film boasts a great cast which includes Judi Dench, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Angelica Huston, and Alec Guinness who plays an elderly loner living amidst native Indians in the Amazonian jungle. Altogether, this a very good film which managed to snag an Oscar nomination for its beautiful costume design.

A brief tribute to Ronald Reagan: The greatest president of my lifetime

1981 -1989

With the American presidential election on the horizon, I want to briefly highlight the man I consider the greatest president of my lifetime. Ronald Reagan served two consecutive terms as President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989, and he easily won both elections as landslide victories. As a matter of fact, he won 44 states in the presidential election of 1980, and then 49 states in the presidential election of 1984. I personally have a fond memory of watching his first presidential inauguration on tv in my first grade class, in January 1981.

As president, Reagan was much loved, and there were lots of amazing things about the Reagan years overall (though I can’t possibly mention them all in this one entry). Reagan’s huge triumph in his first presidential election was primarily in response to the disastrous Carter administration of the late 70s. The turnaround that the country experienced during Reagan’s two terms was quite impressive. The decade of the 80s is sometimes referred to as the “Age of Excess” for a reason. It was a time of prosperity. And for me personally, the fact that the 80s was a time was a time of prosperity is probably the most memorable aspect of the Reagan years. The country had a thriving, booming economy. My own parents were able to establish a successful business during that time.

And, one thing that makes Reagan’s accomplishments as president all the more interesting is that it all took place in a time when the USSR was America’s biggest threat, and the Cold War was still in full swing. In the back of many people’s minds, there was the fear of possible nuclear war. Through it all, Reagan managed to keep the threat of the Soviet Union at bay. He proved to be a resolute leader and a statesman, which was exactly what the country needed from the president at the time. In addition, as fate would have it, he even survived an assassination attempt in March 1981.

Dune: A movie I once disliked but I now love

Picture life in the universe in the year 10,191. Such is the basis of the movie Dune, which was adapted from the 1965 novel of the same name, written by Frank Herbert. The story takes place on 4 different planets, and it deals with the harvesting of a so-called spice known as “Melange,” which is used to extend life and to allow an individual to fold space, among other things.

An interplanetary body known as the Spacing Guild arrives at the determination that there may be an interruption to the harvesting of the spice Melange, and thus sends a representative to investigate the circumstances by speaking with the emperor of the known universe, Shaddam IV. What subsequently ensues involves a feud between warring, rival, noble dynasties for control of the spice harvesting and of the planet where the spice is produced: Arrakis…also known as Dune.

 

The leading character, Paul Atreides, is played by Kyle MacLachlan. And, as it turns out, Paul happens to be a messianic figure of sorts, due to his having been conceived by a “Bene Gesserit” mother -- who, like those of her kind, possesses a particular variety of mind powers which Paul himself has inherited.

The movie boasts a stellar cast that includes Francesca Annis, Jose Ferrer, Jürgen Prochnow, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Max von Sydow, Dean Stockwell, Siân Phillips, Everett McGill, Brad Dourif, and Sting. Virginia Madsen plays the emperor’s daughter Irulan, who also happens to serve as the movie’s narrator.

Speaking of the narrator, there are two versions of this movie. One version is known as the “theatrical version,” which is 137 minutes long and features Madsen narrating the opening monologue. The other version is known as the “extended version” or the “tv version”, and it is 176 minutes long. There is a prologue at the beginning of the extended version with an undisclosed male narrator, and it contains paintings which help to set the story up. Also, the extended version lists the director’s name as “Alan Smithee” (rather than the real name of the movie’s director, David Lynch). Supposedly, Lynch did not have a hand in the editing of the extended version and did not want to be associated with it, and therefore the pseudonym “Alan Smithee” was used in place of his own name.

Two additional Dune movie posters

I first saw this movie on cable in the 80s, and I didn't really understand what it was about. In fact, I saw it multiple times back then, and I still didn't understand it. I even found it boring. Now as an adult, the movie makes better sense to me, and thus I have a better appreciation for it. It’s a visually stunning movie, and I really like the whole atmospheric feel that the movie has. It's the type of movie that makes you wanna stay in on a weekend night and watch it in its entirety.

I think a reason why some people don't like this movie is probably because they've only ever seen the extended/tv version and not the theatrical version (which in my opinion is the more coherent version). The extended version is more confusing, and I can understand why people who’ve only seen that version don’t like the movie. But regardless, I can honestly say that I love this movie. It's one of my favorite movies from one of the greatest year for movies: 1984.

Matia Bazar - "Aristocratica"

Matia Bazar is the name of an Italian synthpop/New Wave band that was founded in 1975. The band was originally fronted by a female singer named Antonella Ruggiero (who remained with the band until 1989). One of the band's most popular hits was a song titled “Aristocratica.”

The song dates from 1984, but I personally first learned of the song in 1987 while watching a tv special on European fashion & culture which aired on the HBO network. A short clip of a video to the song was played during part of the tv special.

Unfortunately, the video clip that I originally saw is not available on Youtube (or anywhere else that I've looked). What I remember from that video clip is that Antonella wore outlandish eye makeup and had her hair teased out -- a look similar to the female image on the cover of the band’s “Aristocratica” album:

The geometric green dress on the album's cover was designed by Italian fashion designer Cinzia Ruggeri, and it is known as the “Homage to Lévi Strauss dress”.

The following video features footage of the band performing “Aristocratica” live, interspersed with pictures of the band.