Crimes of the Century - No. 5 - The Black Dahlia

THE BLACK DAHLIA, 1947

Set in the post-war Los Angeles boom, the unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short is a cautionary tale about big cities, America's peripatetic population and the dangers of the new vast urban landscapes of the nation.

On Jan. 15, 1947, a severely mutilated, naked body, sliced in half at the waist and a grotesque grimace carved into her face, was found not far from Hollywood. The corpse was that of 22-year-old Short, who had moved to California to from the East Coast to pursue an acting career but ended up serving tables. Reporters gave her the nickname "Black Dahlia," perhaps inspired by the recently released Blue Dahlia, a film in the Hollywood noir style about a fighter bomber accused of the death of his faithless wife. (Short had been engaged to a major in U.S. Air Force but he died in a plane crash in August 1945.)

The case generated a huge list of potential suspects and possible motives, as well as urban legends about the victim's sexual and moral proclivities. With its morbid air of noir nostalgia, the Black Dahlia has also inspired a large number of novels and movies over the years.

***

I find it ironic that Ryan and I just finished watching the first season American Horror Story, and Short was one of the people who were murdered in the haunted house.  If you haven't seen the show, the first season is about a house haunted by ghosts of previously murdered victims, and among the people murdered in the show was Short, played by Mena Suvari.   In one of the episodes she supposedly died accidentally from anesthesia as she was sexually assaulted by a dentist who previously lived in the home. The body was later dismembered by a ghosts.

***

In the coming weeks, as you read through the 25 crimes Time Magazine has selected, you will wonder which of them will remain in the popular, perhaps even the artistic imagination in the years to come? How will they be retold and with what kinds of lessons and cautions in mind?  Visit my blog every Saturday as a new crime will be posted each week.

Movies to Watch - Game Change

I'm sure all of you know by now I'm a political junkie, and that nothing pleases me more than to piss off Gay Republicans (oxy), or Republicans in general.  haha, but I still love ya! :-).  I'm just kidding.

Everyone has their views, and I respect that. So long as it doesn't constitute using vulgar words or calling each other names. I'm cool with debating religion or politics.  I enjoy it.

My only thing is... 

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!!!

A couple of weeks ago HBO released their teaser for it's upcoming adaptation of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's book Game Change, and it seems like it's going to be a thriller of a movie.  Just so you know, Mark Halperin was suspended in 2004 from MSNBC for calling President Obama "a dick" on the Morning Joe show.  Regardless, the movie is about all the inside information Mark received from the McCain and Palin camps during the 2008 Presidential campaign.  And it doesn't look very good for Sarah Palin.  I'm thinking she won't be portrayed very nicely.  The movie stars Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, Ed Harris as John McCain, Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmidt and many others.

While the book does mention the Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama primary fight, their story is not in this movie.  This is more about what transpired when McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate.

OMG Hilarious! - Daddy Drawing

Must Watch: Move

Earlier in the year, actor Andrew Lees took a trip, and it wasn't just any 'ol small trip.  He took a 38,000 mile, 18 flight journey across 11 countries over a period of 44 days.  The short film below is titled "Move," and it's quite entertaining. Take a look.

From Vimeo description:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films..... [source]

WHAT-A-RECIPE - Spaghettos

I'm so definitely trying this recipe at home.  No, these are not "Spaghettios," these are Spaghettos!

You make these tasty treats by simply jabbing dry spaghetti noodles into hot dog chunks and boiling them until the pasta is limp. And don't throw out the water – the petite-flower, giver-goddess comic Judy Tenuta calls it hot dog soup. [source]

How Teachers Grade Tests

This video is too funny for words, but I bet this isn't too off the mark.  I mean, c'mon, really?  Do you actually think a teacher has enough time to go through all those essay questions on your exam?  You know he just dibbles and dabbles here and there, writes a few words of encouragement or disappointment and moves on to the next paper.  Haven't you ever noticed how some of the "red-inked" questions or comments never make sense.