Just so thoughts (Claude Chabrol)

Only recently I decided to watch Claude Chabrol's earliest three movies, since I'm not sure whether I have ever seen them before (although in the 70s I did see a nearly complete retrospective). To do so I need to purchase them on DVD, so I did some research about German editions.
It's a popular cliche about German culture that it's 'deep' and 'heavy' and 'dark', and I do enjoy the tweets by @NeinQuarterly and @WernerTwertzog that lovingly and profoundly mock Teutonic culture.
However, cliches always do have a hint of truth in them, and I came to think about that when I found out the German release titles for Claude Chabrol's movies. German distributors in general invent often ridiculous titles and usually are not translations of the original titles. Obviously, there's a notion that the German audience must be specifically addressed in order to be able to attract their intention.

So here they are:
  
Le beau Serge (1958) ----------> Die Enttäuschten ("The Disappointed")

Les cousins (1959) -------------> Schrei, wenn du kannst ("Scream, if you can")

Les bonnes femmes (1960) ---> Die Unbefriedigten ("The Unsatisfied")
 

Just so thoughts (habits)

It is sometimes amazing to learn that you have adopted certain habits you're not even aware of. Recently a good friend of mine pointed out how fascinated she is to watch me eating a meal.
The German way of eating is to have the fork in your left hand, the knife in your right. Whatever it is you're having, you cut off a singular piece, then bring it to your mouth with the fork from the left, then go on to cut the next. The American way is different: you cut off several pieces, then lay down the knife, switch the fork to your right hand and then proceed to eat the cut pieces.
I'm an American who emigrated as a child to Germany in 1971 and have been living here ever since. I was certain that I had fully adopted the German habit of eating. However, my friend pointed out to me that I actually cut a singular piece, switch American-style to the fork to eat it, then switch  back again to cut the next piece. It's basically the American way, but with me it's one piece at a time. I had never noticed this, but checked on myself and it's actually true...

Just so thoughts

Coming home from work last Sunday I noticed a poster for an upcoming concert organized by our local Jazz Club, which rarely brings interesting artists to Regensburg. But this time - to my great astonishment - it'll be James 'Blood' Ulmer, one of the heroes of my youth! I still have his early collaboration with Ornette Coleman (another hero of mine!), Tales of Captain Black, and my favourite album of his with the Music Revelation Ensemble: No Wave. I recently went through some pain trying to get his 'hit' album Are You Glad to be in America? on cd, it's being sold at unreasonable prices. At the time (late 70s/early 80s) I was so keen to see him live, but always missed the opportunities, and most of my friends did not share my passion for his music. Nowadays, Ulmer is playing straight blues, but he's still a fanatstic guitarist, and you will always be able to recognize the sound of his guitar playing, be it free jazz or blues. So, on January 24, 2012 I'll finally get to see James 'Blood' Ulmer live in concert.