Program – Haunted

The dead sustain us in different ways. Sometimes it’s their memory, maybe it’s their spectral presence, but here are two completely takes on how it feels to miss someone you love, and continue to feel them as a benevolent spirit in your life.

Julia Sweeney’s “God Said, ‘Ha!’” is one of the good versions of a filmed theatrical monologue (as opposed to the sucky ones). She knows how to be funny, and how to dramatize the tragedies (she attends to her brother who is dying of cancer) without being maudlin.

Pedro Almodovar doesn’t really need audience or critical approval to do what he does. I love some of his movies more than others, usually the ones my wife is more partial to. When we both agree that a movie is one of his masterpieces, then we know all the elements he brings – slapstick comedy, soap opera, overwhelming visuals, and getting great performances from his actors – come together wonderfully. “Volver” (Spanish) is one of those movies.