Monday, April 3, 2006

Heaven Can Wait - 1943 - DVD

Saturday, April 1, 2006

In its essence, Heaven Can Wait is one big wisecrack, sneaking in its dialogue, and cathartically funny, so I guess it was a good choice to watch on April Fool's Day. Take the unexpected premise by itself: Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche), a recently deceased playboy pleads his case to the devil so he may join ranks in hell. Through a series of flashbacks that tour through his devious life of cheats and lies he calmly explains to the dark overlord that he deserves nothing more than a reserved spot in the underworld.

Damn him for his infant impropriety when as a beasty child he manages to seduce the family's French maid. And a wrong he has done in his later years when he steals away his own cousin's fiance (Gene Tierney). Though, Henry is a society man, spoiled on riches and therefore, as the story goes, has nothing better to do than instigate trouble. There is an obvious theme in this film that patterns throughout other Ernst Lubitsch pictures (see: Trouble in Paradise), that the upper-class is too rigid in their routine to be interesting. Because Henry craftily makes this crowd entertaining he is good, and thus by the devil's measure itself, a far cry from eternal damnation.

Henry goes to heaven because his past is mocking and funny, and full of nuance; risk and audaciousness makes Henry interesting and what colors his stories. Hell isn't for him. No, it's for the ones who are too bland to notice that in their complacency they're already there.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Basketball Tips(continued) Run HardTRY TO OUT RUN YOUR OPPONENT EVERY TIMEYou will usually break their will with your first three steps. It will help you get easy shots on offense with your fast break. Getting back on defense will help stop their fast break. Two HandsGAIN POSSESSION WITH TWO HANDSCatch the ball with 2 hands-concentrate on the catch before you do anything else. Rebound with 2
More Basketball TipsBe a Good PasserGreat post players can pass off the dribble. By this I mean once they have put the ball on the floor during a post move, they have the skills to immediately pick up the ball, center it and pass it back out to an open perimeter player, teammate cutting freely toward the basket, or with ease back to the person who entered the post pass. I have coached against
PASS TO THE FIRST OPEN PERSONPassing the ball is faster than dribbling it.If you move the ball, you make the defense adjust and they might make a mistake and leave someone(maybe you!) open. Don´t wait for a better pass. Remember - "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
Basketball Fast BreakCourt VisionEvery time players get the ball they should square up and look up the court before initiating transition. Poor court vision results in forced passes, offensive fouls against an unseen defender, and inability to see open teammates who might more easily advance the ball up the court with more effective results.DribblingOnly after the player looks ahead should they

Dave Chappelle's Block Party - 2005 - Film

Saturday, March 25, 2006