The Record

I just watched a woman being stoned to death and it's hard to get the image out of my mind. I suspect it will stay there permanently. Fantastic, riveting, horrific film, made worse by the fact that it's a true story. Phenomenal cast. This particular story occurred in 1986, but stoning is widespread and current. Some may remember the thirteen year old girl stoned in a stadium in Nov 2008 in Somalia because she admitted to the wrong people that she'd been gang-raped.

I didn't know they sunk you half in a hole (to keep you somewhat immobilized) and threw the stones at the top half of your body.

Yesterday I watched the film Winter's Bone, equally as riveting. Another fantastic film, a different set of remarkable actors and actresses. If you haven't seen it; it's worth every minute. It takes place in southern Missouri on the Arkansas border, deep into the hills. A girl of 17 needs to find her Dad, the family "Cooker" (of crank), who's disappeared and the extended family ain't talking. This film goes to dark places and I'm not kidding when I say that. This side of rural America doesn't show up much on the news.

Tuesday I went to see my first on-screen movie in over a year: The King's Speech. I thoroughly enjoyed it.