Stefan Teplan über Christopher Reeves zweites Leben nach dessen tragischem Unfall

(Erstveröffentlichung als Titelstory des Magazins WELTBILD Nr. 2/1999)

Weltbild-Titel Nr. 2, 1999. Ausriss

Superman war er nicht nur im Film. Stand er nicht vor Kameras, so flog er als Held der Lüfte in alten Doppeldeckern aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg, unternahm Soloflüge über den Atlantik und Nordamerika, konnte drachenfliegen, segeln, sportreiten, tauchen – seiner Abenteuerlust und seinem sportlichen Ehrgeiz schienen keine Grenzen gesetzt. Und als hätte er geahnt, was ihm bevorsteht, schärfte er seiner Mutter Barbara ein: „Wenn ich einmal nicht mehr reiten, schwimmen oder segeln kann, dann ist das Leben für mich nicht mehr lebenswert. Wenn mir je so etwas passiert, dann lass mich abschalten und nicht an Schläuchen hängen.“

Am 27. Mai 1995 war es soweit. Superman Christopher Reeve brach sich das Genick. Bei einem Reitturnier in Culpeper im US-Staat Virginia stürzte er kopfüber von seinem Hengst Buck. Drei Minuten konnte er nicht mehr atmen. Nach vier Minuten wären ernsthafte Hirnschäden eingetreten. Doch von Glück im Unglück zu sprechen, wäre hier makaber, als zu schwer erwiesen sich die Verletzungen, die Reeve bei seinem Unfall erlitt.

Der erste und zweite Halswirbel waren gebrochen. Das hieß: Vom Hals an würde der Schauspieler lebenslang gelähmt bleiben, wahrscheinlich auch nie mehr ohne künstliche Geräte atmen können. Nie mehr reiten, nie mehr schwimmen oder segeln. Für Barbara Reeve war der Fall damit klar. Sie stürmte in das Krankenhaus und forderte, ihren Sohn augenblicklich von den ihn am Leben erhaltenden Schläuchen abzutrennen. Natürlich hörte niemand auf sie. Nach drei Tagen erwachte Reeve aus dem Koma – und wollte Selbstmord begehen. „Vielleicht“, sagte er zu seiner Frau Dana, „wäre es besser, mich gehen zu lassen?“ Unter Dänen brachte Dana hervor: „Ich werde dir zur Seite stehen, egal, was du tun willst, weil es dein Leben und deine Entscheidung ist. Aber  ich möchte, dass du weißt, dass ich bereit bin, den ganzen langen Weg mit dir zu gehen, komme, was wolle.“ Und sie fügte ihren Worten hinzu: „Du bist immer noch du und ich liebe dich.“ „Das war der Satz“, sollte Reeve später schreiben, „der mir das Leben rettete.“

Reeve erinnert sich an diese Szene in seiner Autobiographie „Immer noch ich“, die am 10. Februar in Deutschland erschien. Die Doppelbedeutung des Titels „Still Me“ kommt nur im englischen Original zum Tragen. Er greift, wie die deutsche Übersetzung, die Worte von Reeves Frau auf, heißt aber gleichzeitig auch: „Ich Bewegungsloser“. Als solcher führt Reeve seit jenem Unfall im Mai 1995 das, was er sein zweites Leben nennt. Fünfeinhalb Stunden vergehen jeden Tag allein damit, dass er für den Tag hergerichtet und abends wieder zu Bett gebracht werden kann. Zwei Pfleger müssen ihm beim Aufstehen helfen, zwei beim Zubettgehen. Ein Beatmungsschlauch führt zu einem künstlichen Schlitz in der Luftröhre. Sein Bett ist zugleich seine Toilette, der Stuhlgang muss künstlich eingeleitet werden. Dreimal pro Woche heben ihn Krankenschwestern mit Hilfe eines Tragriemens auf einen Spezialtisch, der von der Horizontalen bis fast zur Vertikalen gekippt werden kann. Ein Gurt über seiner Brust, auf der einst das scharlachrote „S“ für Superman prangte, hält ihn fest, ein weiterer Riemen ist über seine Hüfte gebunden, ein dritter umschließt seine leblosen Knie. Dann geht im Zeitlupentempo sein Kopf leicht nach oben, seine Füße berühren allmählich den Boden. Der Tisch neigt sich um zehn Grad, dann machen die Schwestern eine Pause. 20 Grad, nächste Pause. Den wachsenden Druck seiner 11o Kilo Körpergewicht auf seine zusammengebundenen Beine spürt der gelähmte Reeve nicht. Aber er spürt, je mehr er Tisch sich neigt, verstärkt den Sauerstoffmangel und Druck auf seine Lungen. Trotz des Beatmungsschlauchs schwitzt und keucht er, als der Tisch um 80 Grad gekippt wird. Querschnittsgelähmte müssen diese Prozedur nicht unbedingt auf sich nehmen; aber Reeve besteht darauf. Sie soll in Fällen wie dem seinen vor drohendem Muskelschwund und Osteoporose schützen.

Die Geschichte efolgte zum Buchstart von Reeves Buch "Still Me - Immer noch ich", das in WELTBILD vorabgedruckt wurde. Ausriss aus Weltbild Nr. 2, 1999

Dass er in solchen Momenten ein Bild tiefsten Elends abgibt, weiß Reeve selbst. Aber das ist es sicher nicht, was er mit „zweitem Leben“ meint. Das begann mit der Liebeserklärung seiner Frau an dem Krankenbett, das er bereits für sein Totenlager hielt. Der Erklärung, die ihm so viel Kraft verlieh, dass er – sämtlichen medizinischen Erkenntnissen zum Trotz – felsenfest behauptet: „Ich kann in ein paar Jahren wieder gehen.“ So in drei vielleicht, meint er. Spätestens aber in fünf. Mittlerweile hält ihn niemand mehr deswegen für verrückt. Denn Reeves unglaublicher Überlebenswille hat jetzt schon Berge versetzt.

Lähmungen durch ein gebrochenes Rückgrat galten bislang als irreparabel. Dass hier innerhalb weniger Jahre die Wissenschaft umdenkt, hat Reeve fast im Alleingang geschafft. „Wir leben in einem Zeitalter, in dem nichts unmöglich ist“, verkündet er. Auch nicht das, was man bisher für unmöglich hielt. Dann hatte eben die Wissenschaft nur noch nicht die richtigen Mittel entdeckt. Vielleicht, weil ihr selbst Mittel fehlten? Reeve beschloss, ihr auf die Sprünge zu helfen.

Er sammelte Geld. „Wenn Sie viel für die Erforschung einer Krankheit ausgeben“, erklärt er, „werden Sie auch die Möglichkeit zu ihrer Heilung finden. Wissenschaftler wollen nicht im Verborgenen arbeiten und nicht unterbezahlt werden. Sie wollen Geld verdienen, sie wollen beachtet werden, vielleicht den Nobelpreis gewinnen.“ Mit einer schier unglaublichen Vitalität und unerschütterlichem Optimismus ging Reeve auf Missionsreisen, sammelte, seine Popularität nutzend, Spendengelder in Millionenhöhe, gründete das Reeve-Irvine-Forschungszentrum. An MEDIZINER UND Biologen in aller Welt appelliert er: „Dies ist eine Herausforderung, die ich mit der vergleiche, die John F. Kennedy an die Wissenschaftler gestellt hat, als er sie aufforderte, es möglich zu machen, dass bald ein Mensch auf dem Mond gehen kann.“

Weltbild-Artikel über Christopher Reeve. Ausriss aus Weltbild Nr. 2, 1999

Erster erfolg der Reeve-Mission: Im September 1996 fand der Schweizer Martin Schwab von der Universität Zürich einen Weg, Moleküle zu stoppen, die das Zentralnervensystem hemmen. Ihm wurde die Christopher-Reeve-Forschungsmedaille verliehen – dotiert mit einem Preisgeld von 50.000 Dollar. Dann gelang es schwedischen Wissenschaftlern bei Tierversuchen, durchtrennte Rückenmarkteile mit neuen Nervenbrücken zumindest teilweise zu regenerieren. In wenigen Jahren, hoffen sie, könne man diese Methode auch bei Menschen anwenden. Harlan Weinberg, einer der Ärzte, die Reeve behandeln, zeigt sich bereits vom Optimismus seines prominenten Patienten angesteckt: „Reeves Hoffnungen“, glaubt er, „sind nicht übertrieben. Die Rückenmark-Forschung ist einen großen Schritt weitergekommen.“

Prompt witzelte Schauspielerkollege Paul Newman bei einem Besuch Reeves: „Weißt di was? 1906 bekam ein Wissenschaftler den Nobelpreis für seinen ,Beweis‘, dass Rückenmarkgewebe sich nicht regenerieren kann. Wenn der noch am Leben wäre, müssten wir ihn finden und ihm den Preis wieder abnehmen.“

Leute wie Newman trifft Reeve noch laufend. Hollywood hat „Superman“ nicht abgeschrieben. Obwohl er mit nichts als seinem Gesicht spielen kann, war er in einer Neuverfilmung des Hitchcock-Thrillers „Das Fenster zum Hof“ im letzten Jahr wieder vor der Kamera – mit glänzenden Kritiken nach der TV-Erstausstrahlung im November 1998. Ein Jahr vorher gab er für den Fernsehfilm „In The Gloaming“ sein Debüt als Filmchef hinter der Kamera. Unter der Leitung des Regisseurs im Rollstuhl „arbeitetet jeder in der Crew übereifrig. Und nie kam jemand zu spät“, staunte Reeve. Seitdem gibt er Unternehmern einen entscheidenden Rat: „Setzt einen Menschen mit einer Behinderung ein in den Mittelpunkt eurer Belegschaft. Und eure Arbeiter werden sich weniger beschweren und noch viel produktiver sein. Stellt Menschen mit einer Behinderung ein! Sie motivieren den Rest eures Personals zu Höchstleistungen.“

Seit Christopher Reeve im Rollstuhl sitzt, verleiht der bekannte Mensch mit einer Behinderung den vielen unbekannten Leidensgenossen, denen er auch sein Buch gewidmet hat, eine Stimme: „Ich kämpfe unter anderem dafür, dass Krankenversicherungen di Deckungssumme bei Behinderungen erhöhen.“ Dass das Limit von einer Million Dollar zu niedrig ist weiß er aus eigener Erfahrung: Allein seine Behandlung kostet 350.000 Dollar pro Jahr. Außerdem wirbt er unermüdlich dafür, dass Menschen mit einer Behinderung realistisch in Filmrollen dargestellt werden. „Meistens sind sie im Fernsehen nur Kranke oder Böswichte“, klagte er kürzlich bei einem Vortrag in Toronto vor 6000 TV-Chefs aus aller Welt. „Wir brauchen ein paar Menschen mit einer Behinderung, die im Film eine Vorbildfunktion übernehmen.“ Er selbst sei nur einer von „49 Millionen Menschen mit einer Behinderung und einer Viertelmillion Querschnittsgelähmten auf der Welt. Wenn mein Unfall zu etwas gut war, dann dazu, dass ich mit den Wissenschaftlern in aller Welt an einer äußerst wichtigen Sache arbeite. Und das tue ich nicht für mich allein. Ich tue es für alle Menschen mit einer Behinderung auf der ganzen Erde.“

Aber er hat noch andere Gründe. Befragt nach seinem größten Wunsch äußert er spontan: „Ich möchte meine Frau Dana umarmen. Und meinen jüngsten Sohn Will Ich finde, darauf hat er ein Recht.“

Von Stefan Teplan alias Daniel Dopplan (s. dazu Erklärung im Kommentar)

© Stefan Teplan

Let me start by saying that I am sorry for not keeping up with the blog very well as of late. My kiddo suddenly needed to have his appendix removed and I have had very severe bronchitis which put me in the emergency room twice.  My son seems to be recuperating nicely and I think I’m actually getting better a little myself.  It’s been a rough couple of weeks for my family and I, but I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel (hopefully, it’s not a train).    At any rate, here is the quote of the week.  I hope it brings a smile to your face and shines a light in your heart.  Take care of yourselves, keep hope alive, and God bless!

Copyright: Misty R. Lemons/Misty Expressions Photography

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

-Christopher Reeve

Author: Marcus T. Anthony
Source: ezinearticles.com

As a person who has worked with a deep connection to Spirit, it has become clear to me that we process not only our individual psychological issues, but the emotional energy of the groups that we are embedded within as a collective. These include smaller groups such as family, school, and community, as well as larger collectives. Certain events, and certain lives resonate with group oversouls, and even the entire human collective oversoul. These events and lives become a kind of living synchronicity. Like all synchronicities, they offer consciousness to those who experience them.

A very poignant example involved the life of actor Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the movie series. The idea of Superman is an archetypical projection of the human ego – the idea of immortality and invulnerability are delusions that the ego puts forward as it confronts the reality that it will inevitably pass. At the level of consciousness, Superman represents the denial of impermanence, embodiment and death. Thus when Christopher Reeve accepted the role of Superman, he literally embodied a collective spiritual issue of the human oversoul. His life became not merely his own, but a channel for the consciousness evolution of humanity.

When Christopher Reeve was thrown from his horse and became a quadriplegic, he became the antithesis of Superman – all too vulnerable and very mortal. He became completely helpless and dependent on others for survival. He became powerless in almost every sense, except for the power to choose his thoughts and attitude.

Within his spirit, and at the deeper level of the human oversoul, Christopher, “Michael Jackson“, Reeve accepted a role as an agent in human consciousness evolution. He soared as high as the ego can fly, and fell as far as it can fall. And it was all for the service of humanity. His life helped us process a little of a collective issue of human egos, the delusion that we have ultimate power and control. The truth is that we do not. We are part of a greater spiritual evolution. And all form passes.

Recently another individual human soul passed away, and his life also served the human collective. Michael Jackson’s life, his music and his individual soul issues resonated deeply with the oversoul of a large segment of humanity – the Generation Xers. What I am about to say is not meant to be disrespectful to Michael Jackson. I write this with no judgment of him as a soul. These perceptions emerge from my intuitive sense of his life and soul issues. We all have soul issues. Michael Jackson’s were probably a little deeper than most, and he just happened to live his in the spotlight.

Michael Jackson never integrated his childhood scars. He did not know how to deal with adult relationships, because his personal boundaries were so diffused as a child that he did not know where “he” ended and others started. He began to push others away. His retreat into child-like behaviours was testament that he had not integrated and owned his inner child. He became a parody of that child because he was not prepared to become the parent to it. He rejected responsibility for himself. An increasing acceptance of responsibility for self and one’s soul issues is a fundamental component of personal, psychological and spiritual development. This is a lifetime process for most of us. Inevitably, most of us never complete the processes.

Yet most significantly, Michael Jackson never accepted his mortality, and thus lived in great fear of death. He spent, “Michael Jackson“, his life attempting to anaesthetise his emotional pain, deny his body, and control and alter his physical form. He orchestrated his life such that he did not have to confront his soul issues, retreating into a fantasy world of his own making. The increasing pain in his body reflected his deep, undressed emotional scars, and as he tried to drug these out of his awareness, he eventually turned so far away from the truth of himself that his spirit vacated his body. He was not able to grow any more as a spirit.

Yet the timing of his passing has its own perfection.

Michael Jackson’s life was archetypal, and his death has created a huge wave in human collective consciousness. This is not because MJ was “weird” or a freak. In fact the media have suddenly stopped referring to him as “Whacko Jacko”. The capacity of Micheal Jackson’s passing to deeply affect the collective human oversoul lies in the fact that Michael Jackson is so definitively human. His denial of death and impermanence, his attempts to shut out his pain, and his inability to integrate his inner child are all prime issues of the Generation X oversoul, and the human collective oversoul in general.

In Michael Jackson’s passing, Generation X is forced to confront these issues at a deep level. So, don’t be surprised if you find yourself facing some unexpected emotional issues in the coming days and weeks. It is not just you. It is “we”. The ocean has stirred, and a wave is descending. The tsunami though, is meant to be. Ride with it wherever it takes you, and you will be just a little bit freer.

Marcus Anthony (PhD.) is a Futurist who lives and works in Hong Kong. He is an elected member of the World Futures Studies Federation and the author of Integrated Intelligence. You can comment on this article on his blog/web site http://www.mindfutures.com

Ficção científica e religião tem mais em comum do que se imagina. Seria porque ambas lidam com o inacreditável, cada uma a sua maneira ? Só isso ? O sci-fi, de hábito, projeta uma realidade que a lei natural não sanciona. Viagens no tempo e tele-transporte, pra ficar nos exemplos clássicos. Ainda sim realidades. Religião exalta Deus, revelações, profetas cuja única legitimidade é a fé de quem crê. Mas não podemos testar isto em laboratório e, tâo-pouco, fiéis coerentes com suas próprias crenças. Nada existe exceto aquilo que os olhos podem ver. E o que podem ver é, nada mais nada menos, do que o infinito.

John Carpenter é um mediador competente. Talvez o único e o melhor do gênero a concretizar a síntese entre religião e ficção-científica. Certo, “A Cidade dos Amaldiçoados” é uma refilmagem de um filme já genial. Mas incorpora, ainda, elementos originalmente carpentianos.

Qual a diferença entre nascer de um ventre físico e o surgimento da consciência ? Temos duas certidões de nascimento contíguas. Desistir da procura das origens e ficar atento aquilo que a própria inteligência gera é um índice de evolução da humanidade. De repente, somos brindados com um novo salto evolutivo, mas adivinhem … É um filme de terror, uma raça superior é capaz de matar apenas com o olhar, não se deixam enganar pelos sentimentos. É claro que os seres humanos comuns são inimigos em potencial.

É aí que entra a sensibilidade de Carpenter para dar a exata medida de um conflito que não pode acabar em mútua e gratuita destruição.

Assista o trailler:

Real Heroes

We love Adam West, Christopher Reeve and Linda Carter… Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman…

PREFACE: I mentioned back in Random Factoid #42 that I had gone through a stint of reviewing movies when I was 13. After rummaging through my old home computer, I managed to find some of these reviews. In a special five day mini-series, I will reveal these reviews in their unadulterated form. I leave it up to you to comment, see how my style has changed (or maybe hasn’t). The second movie reviewed in the series is “Superman Returns.”

Silence. It is something you don’t get much in the summer, whether or not you are at the movies. This summer, Hollywood has produced mostly big, loud films that just ruin our eardrums. Silence gives the audience some time to think or to marvel about what is on the screen, while sometimes talking will just get overwhelming. Bryan Singer uses silence perfectly in the triumphant return of a disgraced series. It took plenty of changes in the cast and the director, but the wait was worth it. Brandon Routh dazzles as he tries to fill the enormous shoes left by the late Christopher Reeve, and the same goes for Kevin Spacey as he does a wonderful job as Lex Luthor. Everything is done to perfection. Before a big event, there is always some sort of silence for you to get the feel and to really get pulled in. The best example of this Superman returns to Earth after trying to find the distant remains of his home planet. His alter ego, Clark Kent goes back to work for The Daily Planet to find out that his perennial fave Lois Lane (stunningly beautiful Kate Bosworth) not only has a child with her boyfriend but has won the Pulitzer Prize for her article “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman.” Lex Luthor is once again looking for a way to kill Superman. He collects some crystals from the Fortress of Solitude and combines it with Superman’s fatal weakness to try to destroy him once and for all. Along the way, the film is packed with emotion and intriguing plot twists. The best thing about Superman Returns is how it pays homage to its past by inserting clips of Marlon Brando from the original series. This is what a summer blockbuster should be, with action, emotion, and a perfect balance of silence. This movie is breathtaking and a work of magic in a summer littered with movies that Superman couldn’t save.

Somewhere in Time Weekend at the Grand Hotel

In case you have never seen the movie, that’s as far as I will go into the plot.  If, after reading this post, you are tempted to run out and rent a copy (which I highly recommend), you will also need to go by and get a box of tissues  before returning home and starting that DVD player.  I made the mistake of watching it (for maybe the 10th time) Saturday afternoon, and Bear and Maddie didn’t know what was going on, I was crying so hard.  But don’t let a good cry stop you from watching the movie.  Believe me, this one is worth the tears!

Somewhere in Time is one of my top five favorite romantic movies, and I have been a fan for many years.  When I first saw it, soon after its release in 1980, I did not know it was filmed on Mackinac Island – did not even know Mackinac Island existed, for that matter.  Except for two or three short scenes filmed in Chicago, the entire movie was filmed on the island, after the Hotel del Coronado (where the story is based in Bid Time Return, the novel from which the movie was adapted) was rejected because the hotel had undergone too many modern renovations.  I just knew it was an incredibly romantic film, filled with beautiful people and beautiful costumes.  The music plays its own role in the movie – the score by John Barry is, to me, the most beautiful ever written for a movie.  You will hear it played a lot in shops on the island – where CD’s of the soundtrack and DVD’s of the movie are sold in almost every store.

I did not know about the Somewhere in Time weekends at the Grand until last year, when we were on the island for the first time in the fall.  I noticed couples downtown in period costume and asked questions about what was going on.  I quickly learned that hundreds of couples, individuals, and entire familes converge on the Grand Hotel one weekend in the fall to go “back to time” to 1912 – the year to which Richard returned to find Elise.

This was the 19th annual Somewhere in Time weekend, and I took pictures on Thursday afternoon and Friday, at the Grand and downtown. 

Photographs of Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, which hang in the Grand Hotel with a grouping of photographs from the filming of the Somewhere in Time.

A collage of photographs from the film.

This is the first couple I saw in period dress. Watching them walk down the hall on the ground level of the Grand really plays tricks on your mind, especially if you have seen the movie.

Six ladies enjoying high tea at the Grand on Thursday afternoon.

This couple was having drinks in the Audubon Bar, and they were gracious enough to stand and let me take a photograph.

These two ladies were downtown shopping. There are a couple of shops on Market Street that carry Victorian Era vintage clothing.

This policeman from 1912 and his wife posed in front of the Little Stone Church parsonage.

These ladies had just participated in a fashion show at the Grand.

For some, the Somewhere in Time weekend is a family affair. These two young ladies were decked out for a carriage ride around town.

Waiting on a presentation to begin on Victoria hair styling.

Some Somewhere in Time trivia from the Internet Movie Database:

• The use of cars for the movie required special permission from the town. Although cars were allowed for filming, the cast and crew weren’t allowed to drive them outside of actual filming for the movie.  When the cars used for the production and equipment had to be moved from one location site to another, the city would not allow the motorized vehicles to move any faster than a person could walk.  To ensure this rule was adhered to, a person was assigned to walk in front of every motorized vehicle used on the island.
• After the Hotel del Coronado was ruled out, the production team discovered the Grand Hotel in a catalog listing of Victorian Era hotels.
• When the crew arrived on the island for a “first visit” they were amazed to discover the Mission Point Resort property included a working sound stage and former college dormitories.  All of the crew was housed there during filming, and the sound stage was used extensively. 
• The movie was filmed in July, during one of the Grand Hotel’s busiest months.  Guests at the hotel were given priority over film schedules, and on many evenings when the last guest had left the dining room, a production crew would come in and turn the entire room into its 1912 twin.  After filming until the early morning hours, the process worked in reverse, and by the time the first breakfast guest arrived, everything was back as it should be.
• There is a cameo by Richard Matheson, who wrote the book the movie is based on. The author and screenwriter is the man Collier runs into as he is leaving the bathroom after shaving.
• The gazebo built and used in the film now sits next to Fort Mackinac high on a bluff overlooking Marquette Park. It used to reside on the Governor’s Estate, but was moved to its new location in the winter of 2006.
• While Christopher Reeve was filming this movie, the local theater (at Mission Point) decided to show his latest hit Superman (1978). Many of the “Somewhere” cast joined the locals for the event. Early into the screening, the sound went out. Reeve, who was seated next to Jane Seymour, stood up in the audience and delivered all the lines.
• The moment when Richard first sees the portrait of Elise in the film was also the first time Christopher Reeve saw the portrait. The director’s objective was to get a genuine reaction from him, so it was kept hidden from Christopher Reeve until the moment Richard first turns and sees it.
• There were problems with the original footage of Elise performing on stage, so the scenes of her had to be re-shot. The second time around, Jane Seymour delivered the speech to the author and screenwriter Richard Matheson instead of Christopher Reeve. Matheson was supposedly so moved and upset by the experience, he had to call his wife and return home immediately.
• The actresses who auditioned for the role of Elise were all asked if they had ever been in love before. Jane Seymour was the only actress who answered no.  Seymour showed up for the auditon in period costume and told the producer and director, “I am Elise.”
• The movie was based on the author’s dream about meeting renowned stage actress Maude Adams. He never met her in real life, only saw her portrait in Piper’s Opera House and fantasized what it would be like to go back in time and meet her; hence the character Richard has the same first name as the author.
• Jeannot Szwarc ran into a small problem directing both Christopher Reeve and Christopher Plummer in the same scene. When he said, “Chris,” both men replied, “Yes?” He said that this would never do, so he consulted with producer Stephen Deutsch, and together they decided that from now on, Christopher Plummer would be known as “Mr. Plummer”, and Christopher Reeve would be known as “Bigfoot”.
• Jane Seymour suggested composer John Barry to director Jeannot Szwarc as a candidate to compose the score for Somewhere in Time, but Szwarc balked at the idea, saying that because of their tight budget, they couldn’t even afford to ask him. But Jane said that Barry was a friend of hers and that she would ask him. She told Barry about the project, he loved it and agreed to do it.

I’m providing a link below to go to a slideshow produced at last year’s Somewhere in Time weekend.  It is excellent and will give you a much deeper insight into what the weekend is all about than the few photos I was able to get.  After that, come back here and click on the second link below for the original movie trailer for Somewhere in Time.  I promise after watching it, you will want to see it again – or maybe for the first time ever!

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/slideshows/20080518somewhere-in-time/

Eva Marie began her first step into the world of pretentious film watching late last night after an extended nap, and I could not have been prouder.

I had been watching a few Netflix Instant Queued movies on the Xbox during Julia and Eva’s last nap. Among the films I sampled, 1) Christopher Reeve: Hope in Motion, a documentary about Christopher Reeve’s amazing strides to eventually walk again after his paralyzing accident. 2) Visioneers, an independent, dystopian, dark comedy staring Zach Galifianakis. 3) Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie, a documentary about two semi-losers down on their luck in their search to definitively document “the Bigfoot”. 4) Various Knight Rider episodes and you guessed it, 5) Some season one, original series Star Trek episodes.

At this point, the girls awoke hungry and I put on a selection from the Film Movement series, an independent foreign film DVD of the month club. It was approximately 2am or so- the perfect time for foreign film viewing. The selection was an 8 minute short entitled Das Rad- translated to “The Wheel”.

It is a German stop-motion animation about two rock creatures who see time pass by on an accelerated scale- as rocks’ lives span far longer than a human life (think heightened rock versions of the Ents- the slow tree people from Lord of the Rings). The anthropomorphic rocks see the progress of time, the introduction of man, the creation of a road and technology, the frightening rise of human civilization, and that rise as a threat to their very existence.

The family gathered on the couch, as we typically do once or twice through the early hours of the morning with young Eva, and watched engaged as a family. Despite the thick unintelligible German and quick English subtitles, the film connected with Eva (most likely due to the cute rock people character design). It was nice to see a film of substance wash over my young girl. She’s definitely going to be a well versed cinemaphile some day.

Very interesting article from Entertainment Weekly where ‘Twilight’ author discusses her 12 ‘Twilight’ Inspirations.  Check it out!

From EW.com:

JANE EYRE

”I read it when I was nine,” says Meyer, ”and I’ve reread it literally hundreds of times. I do think that there are elements of Edward in Edward Rochester and elements of Bella in Jane. Jane was someone I was close to as a child — we were good friends! I think in some ways she was more real to me than any other fictional heroine.”

 

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

”The series influenced how my series turned out. Because I was never a fan of the stories where everything ends and they kiss at the wedding. Anne of Green Gables started out with her as a child, she had a very fully described adolescence, she had a book-long engagement, we got to see her wedding, we got to see her have her first child and lose her first child, we got to see her children grow up. We got the whole life, and I loved that.”

X-MEN CARTOONS

”This is crazy, but those Saturday-morning cartoons…I was always fascinated with the X-Men. I love the idea of a group of people and all of them can do something really well. They’re special, but they’re strongest when they work together. Maybe that comes from having a big family, but I always clicked into that kind of story. And I think that really came into play when I was subconsciously forming the Cullen family. Though I certainly wasn’t thinking about Cyclops when I was writing about them, I think it was there in the layers underneath.”

MUSE

”They universally work for my writing style. If I have to write a scene of despair, ‘Apocalypse Please’ will work. And if I have to write an action scene, I can put on ‘Assassin.’ If I have to write a scene about love, ‘Starlight’ will work. They have so many emotions!”

 

LINKIN PARK

”Essential to me in the beginning! Something about the tempo of their songs really kept the action in the novel. Otherwise it might have been a lot more sedate! ‘By Myself’ was a song I listened to in loops because just the sound of it, and the words of aloneness, the attackers behind you. That was really a great one for me.”

MARJORIE FAIR

”For New Moon they were absolutely essential. They can put you into a suicidal state faster than anything I know. It’s just this heartbreaking music where the pain is done so beautifully. It really got me in the zone for writing about a person who is horribly depressed and yet not at all showing it. She’s not wearing black and refusing to come out of her room and yelling at the people she loves. She is completely containing it inside herself. Their songs really made it beautiful for me.”

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

”This band is so in touch for me with Jacob’s character. This really raw, uncontrolled emotion — where it’s not about some person who’s grown up and callused over and learned how to control things. It’s someone who’s feeling it for the first time and just wants to go out and blow things up. The song ‘Famous Last Words’ is a really romantic version of Jacob saying, ‘Okay, I’m putting myself out there, and you’re probably going to break me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still going to make the offer.’ ”

SOMEWHERE IN TIME

”The one movie that I watched a lot as a kid. It combined music into the story. Oh my gosh, with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. The music is Rachmaninoff, and every time you hear that song, you’re poised to fall in love. The relationship there is just this impossible thing that he makes possible. That had to be an influence on me.”

BABY MAMA

”When I’m on the road, I need a comedy that is as mindless as I can find. I watched Baby Mama on tour. I love Tina Fey. I think she may be the most adorable person on the face of the planet. And Amy Poehler is a close second.”

HGTV

”When I’m not on tour, when I’m home — here comes the geek girl — what I have on almost all the time is the Home and Garden TV channel. I adore House Hunters International, I adore Designed to Sell; I just love looking at all the houses and watching people get their houses all prettied up. HGTV is a safe place, and everyone is always happy.”

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

”Isn’t Iron Man the best superhero movie that’s ever been done? That’s how you should feel coming out of a movie. You go in, you’re excited, you come out all jazzed and pumped. The best parts of that movie are when it was only him. I’m so glad he’s back.”

 

STRANGER THAN FICTION

”There’s a scene where [the fictional character] Emma Thompson’s character created…tracks her down and walks into her living room and he goes, ‘Hey, I’m Harold Crick.’ And she collapses to the floor and says, ‘I know.’ That moment makes me cry. Imagine what that would be like! I actually did have a dream after Twilight was finished of Edward coming to visit me — only I had gotten it wrong and he did drink blood like every other vampire and you couldn’t live on animals the way I’d written it. We had this conversation and he was terrifying.”

View Source.

Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.

But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength” [unknown].

Life is hard.  There, I’ve said it. Some days, the only thing keeping you going is the momentum from yesterday. (And thank goodness for that or you might be at a stand still.)

Headlines are horrifying. Deadlines demand your attention. Circumstances are conspiring. Resources are disappearing. Dead ends. Rejections. Dark clouds. Murphy’s Law is in full effect. You’re not even sure you’re strong enough to make it . . . one . . . more . . . day.

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t give up! You’re developing strength and perseverance.

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength” [Arnold Schwarzenegger].

I’m confident you can get through this! I came across an article the other day entitled, You can walk farther than you think. I believe the concept behind the headline is applicable to every area of our lives:

Walk until you are too tired to continue.

Rest.

Then walk some more.

~ Bernarr Macfadden

See what I mean? I’m certain you can do this!  If life is difficult right now. If the giants have been relentless and the fight has been long. If the fog is rolling and and you’re tired too continue. It’s time to rest. Take a nap. Pull down the shades, pull up the covers and lie in bed a while.

Then, get up and walk some more.

As Christopher Reeve said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

I have no doubt that you can walk farther than you think. You are a hero.

Whatever you are, be a good one!

Deanna

Azi, 25 septembrie 2009, Christopher Reeve ar fi împlinit 57 de ani.

Pentru cei care nu ştiu, el este actorul care a jucat celebrul rol al lui Superman şi care a avut un accident de echitaţie cu o leziune vertebro-medulara la nivel  C1 (în punctul în care coloana vertebrală se uneşte cu craniul), în urma căreia a fost imobilizat într-un scaun rulant, depinzînd, pînă la sfîrşitul vieţii, de un aparat respirator.

Chiar şi după accident, Christopher Reeve a regizat şi a jucat în filme, a  scris cărţi, a fost tatăl copiilor săi. Cea mai mare ambiţie a sa a fost lupta pentru găsirea unui remediu pentru traumatismul vertebro-medular. Prin intermediul fundaţiei Christopher and Dana Reeve a facut advocacy în Statele Unite pentru acordarea de fonduri în cercetare, militînd pentru îmbunătăţirea calităţii vieţii persoanelor cu dizabilităţi, creînd programe aplicate pentru ca persoanele cu traumatisme pe coloana vertebrală să se recupereze, să cîştige în mobilitate, să trăiască mai mult, mai activ, mai sănătos. A crezut pînă la capăt în visul său de a ajunge să-şi ţină în braţe mezinul.

Christopher Reeve a crezut cu tărie în potenţialul imens al cercetării în medicină şi a avut convingerea că remediul pentru TVM va fi descoperit mai devreme sau mai tîrziu, subliniind mereu că singurele obstacole în această cursă  sînt de ordin financiar şi politic.

Pe lîngă centrele de recuperare create pe întreg teritoriul Statelor Unite şi a granturilor oferite organizaţiilor cu iniţiative in sprijinirea persoanelor cu dizabilităţi, Fundaţia Christopher and Dana Reeve susţine ample programe de cercetare la nivel internaţional pentru afecţiunile neurologice şi ţine evidenţa testelor clinice realizate pentru potenţialele remedii din medicină.

Anul trecut, pe cînd ne aflam în Germania, am urmarit gala premiilor CNN acordate unor personalităţi care s-au afirmat în diverse domenii. Titlul de “Hero’s hero” a fost acordat prin vot unanim lui Christopher Reeve, personaj devenit simbol al luptei pentru viaţă, speranţă şi demnitate, a cărui determinare a devenit astăzi inspiraţie si model existenţial pentru milioane de oameni din lumea intreagă.

Ne alăturăm celor care onorează astăzi amintirea acestui om extraordinar care a fost Christopher Reeve, reiterînd moto-ul funadaţiei care duce mai departe, prin cei trei fii ai săi, efortul de a descoperi remediul pentru afecţiunile presupus incurabile: Go Forward!

http://blogsurfer.us                                                  http://alphainventions.com

Happy Birthday to Dave C.!

Hi. What else do we have for you today?….

We’ve Got Music Notes
~1968, Welsh singer Mary Hopkin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Those Were The Days’. Hopkins had signed to The Beatles Apple label after appearing on UK TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.
~1969, John Lennon recorded the track ‘Cold Turkey’, with Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voorman and Yoko.
~1980, John Bonham, drummer with Led Zeppelin, died aged 32 after a heavy drinking session. ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarist’s Jimmy Page’s house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption, (40 shots in 4 hours). During live sets his drum solo, ‘Moby Dick,’ would often last for half an hour and regularly featured his use of his bare hands. In 2007, Ludwig issued a limited edition drum kit in Bonham’s memory.
~2000, Ozzy Osbourne formally requested that Black Sabbath be removed from the nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Calling the inclusion “meaningless”, Osbourne went on to say “Let’s face it. Black Sabbath have never been media darlings. We’re a people’s band and that suits us just fine.”

We Have Your Firsts
~1639 1st printing press in America
~1956 1st transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation
~1965 The Beatles cartoon series premiered on ABC TV in the US. The first story was titled ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and had the group exploring the ocean floor in a diving bell where they met a lovesick octopus.
~1970, the first episode of The Partridge Family was shown on US TV, featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce.

Then There’s Always Recent Late Night Humor
(Conan, Fallon, Leno)
~When President Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly today, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi applauded for him, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad refused to applaud. But the big surprise was when Kim Jong Il started the wave.
~The Japanese prime minister wanted to thank Obama for all the money Japan got for the Cash for Clunkers program.
~Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi talked at the U.N. today. He went on forever about Israel, the swine flu, and even the JFK assassination. Where was Kanye West to grab the microphone from him?
~Gadhafi talked so long, even Joe Biden was like, “Enough! Enough!”
~There’s a new book out about Barack and Michelle Obama’s marriage, and in it, it says that Michelle was very upset by all these drooling blondes that would rub up against her husband. She said one blonde was particularly suggestive and was rubbing up against him. Finally Michelle said, “Look Chris Matthews, get away from my husband.”

How About They Walk Among Us
~The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it’s safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, “What on earth are blind people doing driving?!”
~We were having a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker, as she was leaving the company due to ‘downsizing.’ Our manager commented cheerfully, “This is fun. We should do this more often.” Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare. This was a lunch at Texas Instruments.
~When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. “Hey,” I announced to the technician, “It’s open!” His reply, “I know. I already got that side.” This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, MS .

Big Birthdays
~1952 Christopher D’Olier Reeve, born in NYC;  died Oct 10, ‘04 in Pound Ridge, NY.

~1961 Heather Deen Locklear, born in Westwood, LA, Calif…primarily known for her television work, her most notable roles being “Sammy Jo Carrington” on the 1980s soap opera Dynasty, “Officer Stacy Sheridan” on the 1980s cop drama T. J. Hooker, “Amanda Woodward” on the 1990s soap opera Melrose Place, and “Caitlin Moore” on the sitcom Spin City.

~1965 Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. aka Will Smith, born in Wynnefield, West Philadelphia, PA…how can one briefly sum up? Actor, rapper, film producer, record producer, television producer…nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

And Your Really Big SnJ
Birthday for Today…
~1949 Anson Williams LA Calif, actor/director, we know him best as Potsie on Happy Days. Fun Fact: Anson Williams is the second cousin of Dr. Henry Heimlich, known for creating the Heimlich Maneuver for treating choking victims.

Hope this helped your day a little…Thanks for swinging by.

On September 25:

1513 Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean.

1819 Samuel Marsden planted what is believed to have been the first grape vines in New Zealand.

1897 US writer William Faulkener was born.

1921 Sir Robert Muldoon was born.

1929 English comedian Ronnie Barker was born.

1929 US broadcaster Barbara Walters was born.

1944 Michael Douglas was born.

1946 English actress Felicity Kendal was born.

1952 US actor Christopher Reeve was born.

1962 The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria was proclaimed.

1969 English actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was born.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

Nakapanood ako ulit ng tragic pero naiibang love story ng old fick na “Somewhere Time.” Pinagbibidahan ito ng yumaong aktor at mas kilalang SuperMan na si Christopher Reeve at ng magandang si JANE Seymour ( yung ganda niya parang yung crush kong si Catherine Zeta Jones).

Somewhere in Time (original copy)

Siguro ngayon naging ordinaryo na lang ang love story na may twist na time travelling o yung mahal noong isang tao sa story ay nabuhay sa nakalipas.Pero noong napanood ko ang 1980 film na ito noong high school ako saVHS pa ay sobrang naantig ako. Karagdagan pa yung na napaka-familiar background music dito.

Dito talagang babalik ka sa nakalipas, kasi yong pagkakagawa pa lang ng film na ito ay ni wala pa ako sa plano ng aking mga magulang. tapos ang masaya pa ay nag- time travel pa talaga si Richard (Mr. Reeve) sa taong 1912 para lang sa babaeng kinahuhumalingan niya. in fairness naman talaga, kung ganoon ka-classic ang beauty.

Marahil dala ng napanood ko ulit, napaisip ako. Ano nga bang sandali o eksaktong petsa ng buhay ko ang gusto kong balikan? Alam n’yo kahit masarap balikan yung mga sandaling naglalaro lamang ako sa ilalim ng ulan, masayang gumagawa ng activities noong high school at ma-anime na ma-anime pa, ayoko na sila balikan.

Napagtanto ko na ang nakalipas sa akin ay isa na lamang dapat ala-ala at ayoko rin naman alamin masyado ( konti lang hehhee) ang hinaharap. Ang nais ko ay mamuhay sa kasalukuyan kahit siguro mas mahirap at maraming challenge. Kahit pa halimbawa, yung memory ko ay mabura at balik din sa time na pupuntahan ko. Kung ano man ako ngayon, dahil yun sa napagdaanan ko at magiging pundasyon ko sa hinaharap.

hayyyy.. may naalala tuloy ako na mahirap kalimutan… charot!