Autumn is the Time For Bergman

I recently had a revelation that I haven't posted her in a long time and that I would like to attempt to get back in to Bergman blogging.

I just wrote a post on my blog, Alexis Morrell Comedy, about Ingrid Bergman and the film "Autumn Sonata."

I'd like it to be available to everyone here as well, so here is a link: "Autumn Sonata"

I feel badly for not continuing my work here. I have been in graduate school and then have been working in film since. I guess I have to, like Ingrid, follow my dreams.

I did visit the TCM Film Festival this past year, I also thought about Ingrid on her birth/death day and have been longing to write to you all once again.

If you went to the TCMFF, please feel free to post comments and thoughts! I hope that I can figure out a way to go again this year. I have lost my status as a student, so those passes are no longer at my disposal... Official first world problems.

Event Through USC SCA

"Out Of The Archives" is an event happening now at USC SCA (aka, where I go to school). There is a huge collection of USC Warner Bros. Archives, stills from films, including Casablanca, on display from today September 16th through December 12th. The event is taking place at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (you might know them for the "Oscars") in the Academy Grand Lobby Gallery . Admission is free-- so if you're in the Los Angeles area, you should check it out! There are also rare photos of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, among others.

I'm hoping to get a free minute to get over there and see the photos... this semester has been insanely busy! Hope everyone is doing well.

Ingridly love,

Alexis

Ruby's Idea

One of our fellow Ingrid Fans, Ruby, had a marvelous suggestion under one of the comments of a recent post. She suggested that I write about who, what, why, where, when & how about Ingrid. Or in her (better) words "..the reasons I love Ingrid or curiosities, things about her I mean..."

So I am going to tell you about my reasons for loving Ingrid Bergman and what I am out to find or figure out thanks to her life or about her life. But let me tell you, the fun doesn't stop there, no way. I want YOU to respond with what Ingrid Bergman has done for you and what you do for her. How has she affected you? When did you start adoring her life, work, spirit, etc.? Anything Ingrid is welcome. I would like to hear from you in the comments, on Twitter, Tumblr, or send me a post that you have posted on your blog... I'll repost it (PUBLICITY for your blog. Yay!).

Here goes nothing:

What: My "Ingrid Friedel Bergman-Lindstrom-Rossellini-Schmidt Addiction/Fandom"

How/Who: I discovered Ingrid Bergman purely by accident, well I'd say more, the stars aligned and new light was shed in my life, but less dramatically-- by accident.

I have always been a fan of classic television and film. My parents influenced and encouraged this, as well as, participated in the hobby. I was watching TCM one night and came across this film Gaslight. As most of us know, this was Ingrid's first Oscar win, Angela Lansbury's first film, Charles Boyer's (looking handsome as ever) and Ingrid's first (of many) paring and directed by the fabulous George Cukor.

When I saw it, it was just a really creepy movie that kept getting better and better.

I consider myself lucky to have seen this as my first Ingrid film. She is spectacular. I mean her singing and jovial nature juxtaposed with her screaming and insanely amazing "knife scene" at the end. Brilliance in a can (literally, since film was canned in those days... hehe... film nerd joke!). I, then, decided that I was going to find all of Ingrid Bergman's films. With research and breaking my former thoughts of her just being a blown up icon-- how wrong was I!? I do want to say "Thanks Dad" for helping me feed my Classic Film addiction, day in and day out. :)

When: This was, embarrassingly, 3 years ago. I was just coming off an Anne Bancroft bender.

Why: Ingrid Bergman was devoted to her work and was described (by her daughter Pia) as "a train on the tracks" so I think if you weren't going the same way, look out. I feel that I am the same type of person. I think she was a woman who lived to act and did it well. She was incredibly human and made many mistakes, but never regrets. She seems exciting to me and I think she is one of the most beautiful creatures ever printed on celluloid.

Her career was beautiful as well... her history is thick with drama, adventure and interesting as hell. For these reasons, and many more, I follow the book of Ingrid.

Where: I originally discovered Ingrid Bergman in Easton, Maryland. I continued my research from the Eastern Shore-- but now I discover her wherever I go.

Including...

My School,

the MoMA in NYC and everywhere!

New Videos!

I have just finished my first semester at USC SCA, with the exception of my 510 paper in which I will compare Ingrid Bergman in "A Woman's Face" to the play "Hedda Gabler."

I haven't been posting that often because of my course load and I'm hoping summer vacation will change things. If you are or were curious about what I've been up to-- here are some examples.
The first is a film I directed...

Original Notorious Poster from USC SCA

This is the poster I wrote about before. It's an original print from 1946. Cary Grant looks like Frankenstein's Monster. LOL.

This is hanging in the lobby of my school along with posters from Psycho and other Hitchcock films. Then you walk the hallways and there are posters from every movie you can imagine- most are signed. It's pretty awe inspiring.

I love my school! :)

First Day of School and Notorious!

This is a picture of me on my first day of film school. It resembles the type of picture we used to take every day on the first day of school.

For example, here's one of Julia on her first day of Pre-school (since I don't have any adorable pictures of yours truly. LOL)

It's fun to do these, I recommend it.

On to my day...

I woke up ready to roll. My roommates and I all walked together to our first class, Concepts of Cinematic Production (to which I might refer to as 510). This class is taught by Pablo Frasconiand Tomlison Holman. This class seems like it will teach us all the language of film, production, direction and sound. It involved the entire Spring 2010 class, and we each had to give a 1 minute autobiographical introduction. I almost barfed all over the microphone.

Though I wasn't first or even last, I was incredibly nervous. I am fine with getting in front of people when I'm singing, acting, improvising, giving a speech, answering questions-- sure it makes me nervous, but I get over THAT. This, this was talking about myself!! I can't do that. My statement of purpose took me like 2 months to finally write on paper! I can give you stories about life all day, but if you want me to tell you my accomplishments, I can't just list them... who does that?!

So after my "speech" which involved me plugging my Ingrid Bergman blog and looking like a total idiot in front of everyone (does anyone doubt that I'm the Mary? If you do, feel free toemail me because I'd love to hear otherwise. LOL), we watched some film clips and learned some concepts. That was exhausting!

I walked home after class and sat down to eat some lunch, pizza, in front of the television. Now, though this pizza wasn't very good, it was still pizza, which is one of my favorite things on this earth. When I turned the channel, Bewitched was on! Well, what a great way to continue my first day of film school. I'd like to credit Bewitched with my first cognizance of what I wanted to be when I grew up: A witch. Well, once I found out that magic isn't necessarily probable or even possible (and generally creepy) I figured the next best step was learning how to make magic-- aka Film/Television. Signed, sealed, delivered...I'm yours, film.

Watching Bewitched, eating pizza, all after my first film class, could this day get better? Yes.

My other class of the day was a meeting for 507, my Production-1 class. My SA, Dennis, was awesome. He gave us instructions with great detail and was completely on our side. A fantastic reminder of why we pay so much to go here.

The class is filled with people I have come to be friends with and more friends to come. It is also taught by Jim McBride, who is a director and has done many films (if you want to know what, follow the link on his name).

This class was interesting. A little hard to follow at first because Jim is new and we are as well. Once we got going, though, it was fine. It became even better after our 15 minute break. The first film we were analyzing shots of was: Notorious! I was totally geeking out.

This seemed like a sure sign that I am in the right place right now. I mean, for real?!

The day was a great one.

Though I have to end on a sad note. My Aunt Mary passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Ingrid Bergman once said "Cancer victims who don't accept their own fate, who don't learn to live with it, will only destroy what little time they have left." Aunt Mary wouldn't speak to us about her cancer, she just lived everyday for the best. She was a great supporter of mine and was a huge maternal influence on my Mom and her sisters. We will all miss her very much but it is good to know her suffering is over.

Thank you for reading.

My School is SO COOL

I've been kind of busy, moving, meeting new people in this grand city of L.A. but Ingrid has been EVERYWHERE!!!

Here's a little story for you...

The other day, I decided to go for a run. I wanted to scope out the neighborhood and get my bearings a bit. I ran to campus, which is about a mile away and walked around. The campus is really pretty. There are palm trees and gorgeous buildings everywhere but a lot of construction. The construction actually forced me to see more of campus than I had planned, but it was nice none-the-less.

I went over to the SCA building, which is the newest building that carries three somewhat significant names in the film world: Steven Speilberg, George Lucas and the Academy of Motion Pictures... do you know who these people are? I hear they make indies.

I went into the Speilberg wing and no one was in the lobby. This moment of solitude and this gorgeous building weighed heavily. It was like the air was thick with happiness and my realization that I am finally about to make it happen.

I walked over to a wall of plaques dedicated to financial contributors and saw Mary Pickford's name and Alma and Alfred Hitchcock... pretty rad.

That wing drew me to some more happies- there were original classic movie posters everywhere, from George Lucas' personal collection. The Hitchcock ones are the coolest, but there was one in particular that really showed me this is where I should be. Notorious! A 6 foot tall, original print from 1946. Though Cary Grant's face has turned green (I guess he started drinking the poison?) and the color is weird on it, it was still pretty freaking awesome.

Thank you for reading.

Alexis :)

The Ads and TUMBLR!

Hey everyone-

Just a note, I am working on the Casablanca post. It's going to take some time because I want it to be amazing!!!

I just wanted to let you all know why I put up obnoxious ads. I normally wouldn't do such a thing because I think they make the place look cluttered and noisy with commercialism, but, I am trying to make a few bucks for Film School (USC SCA).

Me, Alexis, as a unicorn...at a wedding being silly

I have been trying every outlet possible, so please don't feel used!! It is just another way the internet might work to pay for a pencil or a salad. Lol. Especially in this economy--BLURG!

Well, I'll be sure to post soon and thanks again for your readership and your love of Ingrid! Be sure to check out my tumblr page and my twitter page! I'd love to chat it up with fellow Classic Film buffs and Ingrid Fans! :)

Donate Button- No Obligation

Hi everyone.

So this might seem lame, but I'm just trying to use all of my resources here... bare with me.

I have added a "Donate" button on the side bar. This is kind of like if I ran an "Ingrid Bergman Themed Car Wash" --that is if the website were a team or event and Pay Pal was the car wash.

I have decided to put this up as a fund raiser for school. I will be going to University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts for an M.F.A. in Film/Television Production, in January. I am trying to make my dreams come true, my dreams of making films, and it is largely inspired by Ingrid and all of you.

You keep my classic film love alive and well with comments, conversation, contribution, promotion, and of course all of your general love of the genre (as more than just "old movies").

I'm not trying to run a scam or hit anyone up here--please know this. I am just exploring all options and putting it out there.

Please keep returning, even if you don't donate. I still want feedback!

Thanks for your time,

Alexis

PS

I'm almost done the Adam Had Four Sons post, I promise release soon!!!

Goldstein Reviews Write Up

One of my future USC SCA Trojans has written a doozie of a write up for my blog! Will Goldstein pens the blog Goldstein Reveiws-Balanced Film Commentary and this blog covers various aspects of film; reviewing, must-sees, classic hits, etc. It is a well articulated commentary based on Will's opinions but also his education in film. His point of view leaves room for argument and like any good author, he entices the reader to bring their POV to the table in an open forum. His blog is entertaining and informative--I suggest checking it out.

The write up about Ingrid Bergman Life and Films can be found here: For Those Interested in the Classics, Read On...