watching horror films doesn’t rank high in my “list of favorite things to do” in my spare time but there are a couple of screen gems that have ironically crept into my all-time favorites.
i usually don’t venture out to watch horror features on my own, but for some reason i steeled myself to watch both Aliens (i was too young when ridley scott’s Alien came out, but i did read the book while i was in my teens, which quite frankly scared me silly) and The Silence of the Lambs.

in retrospect, Aliens is one of only two films that made me go cold the moment i stepped into the theater. the drawn-out, heart-stopping suspense of the film’s first hour only made things worse as my overactive imagination magnified each potential terror.

midway through, i just wanted the whole thing to be over and would have gladly welcomed a respite if it weren’t for the fact that i was irretrievably hooked by Ripley’s plight. those alien monsters terrified me but it was sigourney weaver’s gripping portrayal and the film’s stomach-churning pacing that kept me at my seat.

the other one is The Silence of the Lambs, which left me feeling oppressed and thoroughly pummeled by the time i left the theater. much of its horror lies in the menace that lurked in the shadows and the suggestion of cunning malevolence in hannibal lecter’s (anthony hopkins) polished exterior. of course, it also helped that jodie foster played clarice starling.

and so whenever i feel in the mood to be terrified, i usually put either film in my DVD player. knowing how each movie ends helps blunt some of the effects.

i grew up on james herriot’s tales — or rather his real-life alter ego, country vet james alfred wight. it took me awhile to track down most of his books (see list below) and sometimes it took me years to get my hands on a particular title, but all the efforts i expended was worth it because of the hours and hours of pleasure i derived from reading those stories and imagining myself scampering across the dales.

it will always be a source of dismay to me that i’ve only seen a couple of episodes of the TV series based on these books (starring christopher timothy as the james herriot), so when i caught sight of this YouTube vid — an introductory portion (by chris timothy, of course) of the tribute to the world’s most famous vet, there’s just no way i could leave it alone. and now, i’m posting it here to relive those good old days…

with alf wight gone (he passed away in 1995) and the TV series now defunct, this is like the next best thing — except for the books of course — to a sequel. [note: i've also sort of adopted chris timothy as one of my favorite actors to watch on TV.]

for the first time in many months, i managed to hit the sack before 10 p.m. and found no trouble falling asleep minutes later. the only hassle was i woke up rather early, too — around 4:30am — and it was a bit jarring to wake up before the crack of dawn.

i tried going back to sleep but it was no use. (i guess i’m just one of those people who find it easy to bounce from the bed and and head straight to the bathroom or the kitchen, all bright-eyed and raring to go.) for some reason i was reluctant to do something that might wake up the neighbors — it was the weekend after all. so for the next few moments i ambled about my room, not knowing what to do.

watching TV was out of the question, and somehow the idea of raiding my bookcase for some suitable reading material didn’t seem too promising either. after a few minutes of hemming and hawing, i finally decided to go online — it was unobtrusive, didn’t require too much effort to accomplish, and best of all, there was no strenuous mental activity involved. it was a perfect fit for this particularly quiet time. and with a mug of steaming coffee at my elbow, i was content.

before long, i was happily lost in scanning various sites, news headlines and my blogs. next thing i knew, the sun was already up and my back was beginning to ache (i’ve been hunched over the keyboard in an uncomfortable position for almost 2 hours). i stretched and looked out of my window. somehow it feels strange that i still have a whole day ahead of me.

and so another screen legend passes away…

i never really appreciated paul newman until i started watching old movies. actually i got to know robert redford first, and before these guys i was mesmerized by marlon brando although ironically, i’ve only seen a couple of his movies so far.

but the more that i delved into his life and work, the more i appreciated paul newman. call it what you like, this guy had that old-school “quality.” and surprisingly, he had managed to lead a ’stable’ life, too. he and joanne woodward had an enduring marriage (50 years!) and had several children (along with 3 children from his first marriage). he made several good movies, was nominated several times, and finally won an Oscar for The Color of Money in 1986.

but what surprised and impressed me more was that, outside of his Hollywood career, he raced cars and co-founded a profitable company (Newman’s Own, which makes food sauces). it was gratifying to learn, too, that he donated the profits and royalties he made to charity.

Some of his best works include Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), The Towering Inferno (1974), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973).

paul newman succumbed to lung cancer on sept. 26, 2008. he was 83 years old.