Did You Watch Grey Gardens?

I was fascinated by it - by both the house and the women. Here's a photo of the movie house.

Taberandrew flickr

This is a photo of the actual house in East Hampton, NY, restored today.



Here is a photo of the original from the inside looking out.

This photo shows the actual property in its eventual state of disrepair. Posing in front is Edith Bouvier Beale, Little Edie, Jackie Kennedy's cousin.

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange did a fabulous job recreating the real-life characters from the Maysles brothers original 1975documentary film "Grey Gardens."

Here are some photos of the set interiors. I am in love with the cane chairs and I want desperately to see the kitchen (the only kitchen shot was in the dark at night).

As you can see, this photo depicts years of neglect.

This was the actual photo taken by Sally Quinn (who now owns it with her husband, Ben Bradlee) before their restoration. Mind you, this was after Jackie and Ari Onassis fixed it up so it was habitable. Sally said she touched a key on the piano and it went right through the floor.

The NYTimes has done a few articles on the house. You will want to click here for the link and also look up the slideshow to the Secret Gardener in the lefthand Multimedia column.

After I watched the movie on DVR, I stayed up late watching the original movie on YouTube. You can click here to see it. Additional parts are listed on the right side.

Liberty Post has done quite a few posts on this eccentric couple. Find her recent post here and click various links for previous posts and references. There's a blog devoted entirely to Grey Gardens and its inhabitants: here. Visual Vamp has some great photos and information, here. As well as A Bloomsbury Life, here.

Looks I have some ordering to do on Amazon.

I am Obsessed with Polygamy.

Do you watch The Big Love?

I had never watched it until the whole polygamy compound raid last spring and I was curious about it. Over that late spring and summer I watched the previous episodes to get caught up and I have so say that it's quite a compelling watch.

The Big Love is about a modern sort of polygamist family, if that's not an oxymoron. The women look like just anyone - well, except for Nicki, played to selfish, manipulative perfection by Chloe Sevigny. Nicki is the daughter of Roman Grant, the "prophet," who is not fond of her husband. There are 3 wives and one husband - can you imagine? - 3 houses, 3 mortgages, 3 sets of bills, 3 sets of jealousy, many children... The wives are constantly vying for their husband's attention and "First Wife" position, even though "First Wife" is clearly defined, there are constant power struggles, as you can imagine.

The story is complicated by the fact that they live in a regular neighborhood and work regular jobs and have to blend. Bill, the lead character and main polygamist character, owns a chain of home improvement stores and also must blend into the business world. And then there are the ancillary characters, some of whom are insane, making this one fascinating night of TV. You can go here to get quickly caught up on the storyline.

You may also have seen The Big Love in the news this week. Seems the Mormon Church isn't taking too kindly to its intention to show a sacred endowment ceremony (I think it airs tonight). For the story, click here.

I don't watch much TV these days, but this is on my list, as well as those fabulous Kiwi boys from Flight of the Conchords (thanks, Raina!). Tune in tonight.