Tragic Kingdom

If you haven't guessed by now, yes this is what Ive been up to these last few days - killing braincells by watching movies about famous and non famous peoples out of control drug problems. I'm drawn to the gritty story lines and tragic endings, so I thought I would share.

The Doors - Amazing movie. Val Kilmer literally killed it in this one.. I couldn't have imagined anyone else playing the Lizard King. And Meg Ryan as an "ornament".. pretty hysterical. There were a few really funny lines, here are some of them:

• Jim: "Where's your will to be weird?"
• Jim: "Actually I don't remember being born, It must have happened during one of my black outs."
• Jim: "This is the strangest life I've ever known."
• Ray Manzarek: "I feel the universe functioning perfectly but I'm still perfectly locked inside myself. Instead of oneness, I feel isolation."

Factory Girl - Well what can I say except, I really didn't like Sienna Miller in the role of Edie. She was just bratty and her accent was forced.. and this is weird considering I love Sienna. Plus she didn't have that innocent doll-like quality that the real Edie had. Other than that it was another crazy tragic story about the poor little rich girl, still a must see in my opinion, especially for the artsy fashion types.. And how handsome was Hayden Christensen? My oh my.

• Andy Warhol: [to Edie] "You're the boss, applesauce."
• Edie Sedgwick: "I went to a party once, and there was a palm reader there and when she looked at my hand, she just froze. And I said to her "I know. My lifeline is broken. I know I won't live past thirty."
• Andy Warhol: "I wonder if people are going to remember us?"
  Edie Sedgwick: "What, when we're dead?"
  Andy Warhol: "Yeah."
  Edie Sedgwick: "Well I think people will talk about how you changed the world."
  Andy Warhol: "I wonder what they'll say about you... in your obituary. I like that word."
  Edie Sedgwick: "Nothing nice, I don't think."
  Andy Warhol: "No no, come on. They'd say, "Edith Minturn Sedgwick: beautiful artist and actress..."
  Edie Sedgwick: "...and all around loon."
  Andy Warhol: "...Remembered for setting the world on fire..."
  Edie Sedgwick: "...and escaping the clutches of her terrifying family..."
  Andy Warhol: "...Made friends with eeeeverybody, and anybody..."
  Edie Sedgwick: "...creating chaos and uproar wherever she went. Divorced as many times as she married, she leaves only good wishes behind."
  [laughs]
  Edie Sedgwick: "That's nice, isn't it?"

Sid & Nancy (Love Kills) - I personally am a huge fan of Gary Oldman, and while I really loved him in the movie, the chick who played Nancy was kinda old looking and nothing like the real Nancy looks-wise. Courtney Love auditioned for that role and while they gave her a smaller role for not being an experienced actress, after watching the movie, I think maybe Courtney would have done a better job.. and she looks so much like Miss Spungen, its almost scary.

• Nancy: "I'll never look like Barbie. Barbie doesn't have bruises."
• Nancy: "I hate my fuckin' life."
  Sid: "This is just a rough patch. Things'll be much better when we get to America, I promise."
  Nancy: "We're in America. We've been here a week. New York is in America, you fuck."
• Nancy: [Pointing] "No! Look, that's the roller ramma. Sid, I won a roller skating trophy there when I was six years old."
  Granma: "Nancy, don't fib."
  Nancy: "Fuck you, Grandma."

Christiane F. - Wir Kinder Vom Bahnhof Zoo - Man this movie just blew me away. Its a true story about a girl living in Berlin in the 70's who started doing heroin when she was only 13 yrs old. The girl who played Christiane was actually 14 at the time they were shooting the movie, and there are some really graphic scenes, cringe worthy in fact, but so gripping and honest. It shows how she slips deeper into her addiction, and turns to prostitution at the age of 14 together with her boyfriend. If you get queasy easily, then this movie is not for you. A friend of mine told me that growing up in Germany, they made them watch the movie in school, to steer them away from possible drug usage. The real Christiane F. is still alive and has a son, but still relapses regularly, and last thing I read her son was taken away from her by child services.
A very honest and no-nonsense movie, oh and with a cameo by David Bowie, who also handled the soundtrack.

Its good to watch a movie every now and then that will make you think and possibly appreciate your life so much more. Even if that only lasts a minute or so.

♥

Photo Source - Google

PS: Only the Christiane F. photos are the ones from the movie.