“Hero of the Rails,” “The Great Discovery,” and “Calling All Engines” are included in this terrific collection featuring Thomas and his friends. There are also bonus features, deleted scenes, games, and even a karaoke sing-along.
I have one to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Thomas” in the subject line and tell me your favorite Thomas character. Don’t forget your address! (U.S. addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner on March 9. Good luck!
Movie Star Turned Nun: Dolores Hart from Elvis to the Cloister
Posted on March 5, 2012 at 8:00 am
When Delores Hart was a movie star she kissed George Hamilton and Elvis on screen. But she left to become a nun. She is now Morther Delores, and is now Prioress of the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut. This year she attended the Oscars because she is the subject of one of the nominated films, a HBO documentary short called “God is the Bigger Elvis.”
TA: What did you want to achieve? What did you want people to know?
MDH: We wanted them to take away the truth as they could perceive it. We hoped that they would, by coming into the reality of an experience, find themselves connected to something that would make sense to them. We didn’t set up an idea ahead of time. That would deny the Holy Spirit his opportunity to teach them, for them to experience what was for them to experience. We wanted to be there as the conduit, because I believe that every good teacher is meant to be the open book so that those who come in can find what they must learn to help them to know what is true.
TA: One of the fascinating aspects of cloistered life the movie reveals is that sexuality doesn’t end at the cloister doors — but perhaps our notion of it does. One nun discusses her union with others when singing, for example….
MDH: One of the key factors is that in all generations, in every generation, ever since Rome, sexuality has always been understood in one dimension, and that’s always been carnality of the experience of the male and female exploitation of one another. That’s always the limitation of sexuality, but I think that anyone who really knows what love is, you know that sexuality has the fullness of the human experience of love — that’s not limited to one or two bangs in bed. That’s not what it means. And, if it does, I think the human beings are really lost and caught in a terrible network of limitation and psychological doom, because what is our life worth?
The movie will be on HBO staring Thursday, April 5, 2012.
“Brave” is Pixar’s first film with a female lead character. She is a medieval Scottish princess named Meridia, with the voice of Kelly Macdonald of “Boardwalk Empire” and “No Country for Old Men.”
The current issue of Time has a terrific background story on the development of the movie. The original idea came from Brenda Chapman, who was inspired by her Scottish heritage and some of her tussles with her strong-minded five-year old daughter. Chapman became Pixar’s first woman director, but was then replaced by Mark Andrews, who enjoys martial arts and sword-fighting.
His final version of Brave is brawnier than Chapman’s original pitch: more bows, more arrows, more bear fighting. Andrews loves action films. He left his job as second-unit director of Disney’s upcoming sci-fi movie John Carter to direct Brave. Brave has a lot of action. A major character’s leg is amputated and a woman sustains an ass pinch before the opening credits. Chapman, who still works at Pixar and watches occasional reels of Brave, seems leery of some of the changes. “Even when I was on it, there was sometimes so much action that I said, ‘Pull it back.’ The last version I saw had a lot of action, but I know it’s all shifting,” she says. “Where we’re going to land is a hybrid,” Sarafian says. “Heart and original story from Brenda, with the energy and entertainment and adventure that Mark brings. That’s the goal.” Chapman and Andrews will be credited as co-directors.
That juxtaposition sounds very promising — as does the advance word about some technological advances that should make for some dazzling visuals. Here’s the latest trailer:
The new HBO movie from the people behind the sharp political drama “Recount” is about the McCain-Palin campaign. It stars Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson, and Julianne Moore.
Be sure to watch PBS tonight to see “Big Band Vocalists” with the “crooners” and “canaries” of the 1940s, featuring the greatest vocalists of the period when they started their careers performing with orchestras and dance bands. Among the legendary artists included in the rare, vintage footage are Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, Doris Day, Helen Forest with the Harry James Orchestra, Peggy Lee with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, June Christy, Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting, Jo Stafford and the Pied Pipers with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and many more favorites from the World War II era. Nick Clooney (George’s father) and Peter Marshall host.
