#harold chasen imagines

[adamwatchesmovies]

Harold and Maude (1971)

I’m not shocked that Harold and Maude was not well received upon release. When this comedy gets dark, it’s really dark. Its subject material still has some edge today so you can imagine what it was like in 1971. Time’s been (mostly) kind to this black romantic comedy. There are plenty of laughs and moments of sweetness to be found here.

18-yeard-old Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) is obsessed with death. His spare time is dedicated to faking elaborate suicides so he can shock those who discover his “body” when he isn't attending funerals. After being recognized at several funerals by Maude (Ruth Gordon), a free-spirited, live-for-the-moment 79-year-old, she approaches him. From there, an odd relationship blossoms.

There are points where Maude turns into what can only be described as a manic pixie dream girl (despite the term being coined in 2005). She’s a woman whose quirks never seem to end, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds. She steals cars on a whim and defies police officers without ever facing consequences. It’s jarring to see her get away with so much but if you find that it’s rubbing you the wrong way, hold on. As the picture develops, we learn more about her. No big speeches, just little things you pick up here and there. By the time we get to the end, you’ll see. She isn’t simply a construct made to give Harold a new outlook on life, she’s a fully-realized person on her own.

The bond that grows between the leads is what makes the picture so effective. Initially, it looks like that old cliché that opposites attract. He’s young, she’s old. He comes from a rich, affluent family and she’s down to earth. He’s obsessed with death, she’s determined to feel alive. Once we see them sit down and talk, we learn that actually, they're not that different. They're both overcompensating for something. Harold’s obsession with death is used to remind him of what it would be like if he wasn’t there, and of what he’d miss. Similarly, Maude frequently comments on her upcoming 80th birthday; that beyond it, she doesn’t foresee anything. Deep down, they're both sad characters but in different ways. It’s not some fetish or desperation that brings them together. Had they both been in their 20s, you’d get excited to see them kiss. As is, you may still hope for that but you'll need a bit to get used to the idea.

There are many big surprises in Harold and Maude. They make for the kind of laughs that will have anyone with a morbid sense of humor in stitches. I won't dare to spoil any. Instead, I want to discuss the soundtrack. Cat Stevens's Don’t Be Shy and If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out (both composed for the film) perfectly condense all of the picture’s emotions within their melody and lyrics. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear many weeping messes leaving the film because of the latter.

Some elements of Harold and Maude are jarring even to those who will be cheering for a septuagenarian to date an 18-year-old. The humor won’t be for everyone. Even so, the picture has a deep emotional impact. The performances are strong and they’re made even better by a believable relationship and the perfect soundtrack. (July 7, 2018)

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Harold Chasen

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

- You and Harold meet through a certain eccentric 80 year old. 

- Maude flitted through life without a care in the world, relishing in things like joy and romance; even if they weren’t technically her own. So when she sees two strange, lonely little souls going through their day to day lives without a certain somebody to make them smile, she decided that she wanted to do something about it. 

- Chances are, she “collected” you first, forcing her friendship upon you until you couldn’t imagine your life without her chaotic influence. And, after you were perfectly comfortable in her presence, she found the pessimistic Harold and decided that he would be perfect for you. 

- So, you were invited over for some tea and introduced to the young man; shaking his hand before the two of you were ushered to sit at Maude's tiny little table. 

- The interaction was probably sprung on the unsuspecting Harold but; unlike when his mother did it: this time he didn’t mind. Perhaps because it felt so natural....

- When his mother invited women over it always felt overbearing and forced, whereas; while Harold had a bit of an idea as to what Maude was getting at, it still just felt like he’d been invited over to meet another friend of the older woman.

- Maude behaved like her pushy self and you were perfectly pleasant; regarding him with the polite interest of a new friend rather than the polished behavior of someone trying to make a romantic first impression. 

- After the two of you meet for the first time, Maude immediately begins to get the two of you closer, inviting you both out with her on her daily adventures and not so subtly pairing you off together while she does something important to her. 

- Because of this, the two of you wind up getting to know each other and developing a mutual attraction fairly quickly. So much so that Maude doesn’t even have to push you together anymore; you just wind up falling into step with each other naturally. 

- Harold definitely goes to Maude to ask what he should do about his growing feelings for you; and eventually how he should ask you out and where to take you. 

- You probably aren’t completely aware that you’re being taken out on a date when Harold first asks if you want to come with him to the amusement park; you just think he wants to spend some time with you or that Maude was busy. 

- So when you’re sitting together and he presents you with an engraved coin that confesses that he loves you, you’re arguably a little surprised. But, regardless of how shocked you are, you can’t help but smile and tell him that you love him too, clutching the coin tightly in your hand. 

- The two of you share your first kiss right then and there, leaning in and pressing your lips together like a vow: a promise that your new relationship starts now and never ends. 

- There’s quite a bit of Pda in your relationship; though you usually stick to rather innocent and reserved forms of it. You’re the first person he’s ever really loved so he enjoys touching you and doing the usual things that couples do.

- Leaning your head on his shoulder. He likes to wrap his arm around you and lean his head on yours whenever you do.

- Interlocked arms or holding onto his arm as the two of you are sitting or walking together.

- Handholding.

- Soft, delicate kisses.

- Long, passionate kisses.

- He usually doesn’t use pet names but he doesn’t mind using them or having you use them on him if it’s something that you like doing. If you do want him to use pet names then he tends to call you darling or sunshine; or something specific that relates to you like sunflower or curly sue. 

- The two of you cuddle a lot; it’s one of his favorite things to do. You usually end up with your head on his chest and his arm wrapped around you, his hand cupped around your side.  

- Him carrying you on his back. He loves racing down some beaten path with you clutching onto his shoulders, laughing as the wind blows through your hair. 

- Harold sort of just lets you drag him through whatever you want to do. He’s just there for the ride whenever you want him to be; and enjoys seeing you so happy just because he’s willing to go along with you.

- Having your own little adventures and doing a new thing every day.

- Meeting early in the morning and spending the entire day out with each other.

- Tea parties.

- Watching buildings getting torn down together. 

- Picnics; sometimes at your favorite headstones or on the rubble of old buildings. 

- Strolling through graveyards and attending funerals together. 

- Dancing together. 

- Laying in the back of his hearse. 

- Cruising around town and going on road trips; especially after Maude’s death: it’s the way that the two of you honor her and her love of experiencing new things. 

- Random visits. The both of you just show up at each others homes whenever you feel like it; hoping that the other is actually home to answer the door. 

- Stargazing and admiring the world around you together. 

- Carnival and amusement park dates.

- Spontaneous gifts. Sometimes sentimental, other times just something he knows you’ve wanted; he’s got enough money to spend on them either way. 

- He thinks of everything when it comes to surprising you. Whenever he wants to celebrate something special or just do something sweet to let you know that he cares, he always manages to come up with an evening that seems like it was pulled right from your own imagination.

- He loves listening to you talk and tell stories. He never gets tired of it and always acts like its his first time hearing them; even if you cycle through the same ones over and over again. 

- Taking turns sharing your interests with each other. He likes getting little glimpses into the things that you enjoy doing.

- Helping to break him out of his shell and inspiring him to enjoy the life that he has.

- Doing whatever you feel like and not letting the world judge you for it.

- Him taking up a hobby to impress you and make you happy, like how he took up the Banjo for Maude; which he plays for you often.

- Picking flowers and making flower crowns. 

- Combing each others hair, zipping up dresses, helping the other put on their coat, etc. The two of you are constantly grooming and otherwise tending to each other. 

- Him complimenting you and telling you how much fun he’s had with you. He can’t help but express how much you mean to him and how much you’ve helped to improve his life. It’s important to him that you know. 

- He’s memorized all of your little ticks and quirks: like the way you lick your lips before speaking or brush your hair behind your ear when you're nervous. Every now and again, he’ll bring it up to you, asking you if you know that you do said thing or telling you that it’s cute. 

- The two of you have made a game of choosing different things that remind you of the other person: types of flowers, animals, etc. Whenever he sees them, it always makes him smile and think of you.

- Him acting like the perfect gentleman: always pulling out your chair, holding doors open, or giving you his coat. His mother probably instilled a whole bunch of etiquette onto him from the minute he was born so it’s second nature to him at this point. 

- Helping him get out of the predicaments his mother gets him into. 

- Dear god, the first time his mother met you, she just about lost her mind. She was ready to throw you in a wedding dress the moment you stepped through his front door. 

- He somehow always knows how to cheer you up and get your mind off of things that upset you; yet he oftentimes only does so incidentally. He doesn’t even know how he manages to succeed himself half the time. 

- Harold tends to stay fairly “blank” when he’s jealous, rarely giving away just how much he’s affected by something with the facial expressions that he pulls. He purposefully tries to appear as nonchalant as possible, putting on a happy face and trying to ask a few questions about the situation to see if he actually needs to be worried. 

- You’re the most important person in his life so he’s obviously a bit protective of you; though it’s more in the sense of keeping you healthy rather than keeping you safe. He’s more likely to tell you to put on a coat or to sleep more than he is to fight someone for you. 

- Harold is; frankly, really bad at fighting with you, so even if the two of you did regularly have something to argue about, they wouldn’t last very long. 

- Whenever you do manage to have a fight, he tries to mend things between you pretty quickly. He doesn't want to stay mad at you and have you mad at him so he’ll just do his best to work things out before the two of you get to a point of being angry with each other. 

- He loves telling you that he loves you. There’s just something so nice about being able to love someone; especially someone as amazing as you, and to be able to show it and tell them that you do every single day. 

- Harold proposes pretty quickly. He knows that he loves you and wants to keep you by his side for the rest of his life so don’t be surprised if he pops the question after a meager few months. 

[leslucarnesdesnuits-blog]

Harold et Maude  (Harold and Maude)USA - 1971 Réalisation : Hal Ashby Scénario : Colin Higgins. Image : John A. Alonzo. Montage : William A. Sawyer, Edward Warschilka. Musique : Cat Stevens. Production : Colin Higgins, Charles Mulvehill. Interprétation : Ruth Gordon (Maude), Bud Cort (Harold), Vivian Pickles (Mrs Chasen), Cyril Cusack (Glaucus)... Date de sortie : 14 mars 2012 Durée : 1h31 Harold et Maude réalisé par Hal Ashby Harold aime Maude, Maude aime Harold. C’est ainsi que les deux héros résument de manière naïve la simplicité de leur histoire. Rien de très original si ce n’est que le jeune homme vient tout juste d’avoir dix-huit ans et que sa fiancée est sur le point de fêter ses quatre-vingts printemps. Rythmé par les chansons de Cat Stevens et avec un duo d’acteurs qui s’impose comme une évidence, ce petit bijou d’humour noir et de délicatesse est à redécouvrir d’urgence en copie neuve. Alors qu’avec Le Lauréat|analyse du film Le Lauréat (1968) et Un été 42 (1970), le cinéma post-flower power semblait avoir réglé son complexe d’Œdipe, Harold et Maude pousse le bouchon encore plus loin en imaginant une relation amoureuse entre un jeune garçon neurasthénique et une octogénaire excentrique, digne parente politisée de la Folle de Chaillot ou de la Madame Madrigal des Chroniques de San Francisco. Libertaire et trop dérangeant pour l’Amérique de Richard Nixon (pour se prévaloir de toute tôlée, la Paramount n’accepta pas qu’une scène d’amour entre les deux protagonistes soit tournée), le film fut d’abord un échec critique et public cuisant avant de voir sa carrière relancée grâce au très bon bouche-à-oreille sur les campus américains. Le réalisateur Hal Ashby, avant tout connu pour son excellent travail de monteur (il a été oscarisé pour le film Dans la chaleur de la nuit|critique du film Dans la chaleur de la nuit de Norman Jewinson) se rattrapera heureusement quelques années plus tard en rencontrant le succès avec Retour (1978), considéré comme l’un des meilleurs films sur la guerre du Viêt-Nam. Le public français, lui, fut beaucoup plus réceptif à cette histoire atypique qui sortit sur nos écrans fin 1972. À tel point qu’une adaptation théâtrale est montée par Madeleine Renaud et Jean-Louis Barrault. Colin Higgins qui venait juste d’adapter Harold et Maude participa également à cette transposition scénique en collaboration avec Jean-Claude Carrière, qui devint une pièce fétiche de Renaud-Barrault, reprise il y a dix ans par Danielle Darrieux. La réussite de Harold et Maude, c’est son parfait équilibre entre un humour macabre et une grande légèreté, sa faculté désinvolte à renverser les tonalités dans une même scène (comme ce passage bouleversant où Maude revient, les larmes aux yeux, sur la mort de son mari avant de proposer une danse à Harold, avec l’allégresse d’une petite fille) et à raconter avec une pudeur exemplaire une histoire d’amour qui n’a d’extraordinaire que son extrême évidence. Les séquences les plus réussies sont évidemment celles qui exploitent jusqu’au bout ces décalages sans avoir peur de flirter avec un surréalisme pince sans rire, quitte à devenir un ovni entre Tueurs pour dames et Six Feet Under. Les faux suicides d’Harold, hilarants dans leur absurdité, en sont les meilleurs exemples. Imaginez un peu la scène : le garçon noyé le corps en croix tel le héros de Sunset Boulevard|critique du film Sunset Boulevard (Boulevard du crépuscule), et sa bourgeoise de mère qui nage à ses côtés avec un calme olympien ; ou encore cette scène où la marâtre remplit pour son fils un questionnaire d’agence matrimonial et ce dernier qui se fait sauter la cervelle… sans susciter la moindre réaction. Il fallait oser, également, entourer l’histoire d’amour entre Harold et Maude d’une poésie funèbre. Tous deux adeptes des enterrements et de morbidité, ils se rencontrent en effet lors de diverses oraisons comme d’autres pique-assiettes auraient fait connaissance dans des soirées mondaines. Et c’est avec un malin plaisir qu’ils se permettent de voler les corbillards à la barbe de la police. Il est évident que Harold et Maude ne serait rien sans son duo d’acteurs impeccables. Protégé de Robert Altman avec qui il venait de tourner Mash, Bud Cort a d’abord hésité (de peur d’être ensuite catalogué dans ce genre de rôles) à jouer le rôle d’Harold. Bien mal lui en a pris puisque avec son teint gothique, sa bouille de gamin et ses grands yeux bleus, il apporte un trouble burtonien à son personnage. Dans le rôle de Maude, la pétillante Ruth Gordon s’impose comme une évidence, elle qui, dans sa longue carrière, a joué aussi bien les scénaristes féministes (elle a notamment signé pour Cukor les scénarios de Madame porte la culotte et de Mademoiselle Gagne-Tout|critique du film Mademoiselle Gagne-Tout) que les actrices maléfiques (la voisine diabolique du non moins fantastique Rosemary’s Baby|critique du film Rosemary’s Baby de Roman Polanski). La bande son admirable, signée Cat Stevens, rappelle des collaborations similaires dans le cinéma Hollywoodien de cette époque, notamment le travail de Simon & Garfunkel sur Le Lauréat ou des Bee Gees pour La Fièvre du samedi soir. Esthétiquement parlant, le réalisateur usant allègrement de la longue focale et n’ayant pas peur de proposer des champs/contrechamps audacieux ou des effets de style plutôt bien vus (la scène d’ouverture où l’on voit se préparer le premier suicide d’Harold à hauteur de pieds). Harold et Maude est donc bien un film de son temps et l’on comprend que pour l’époque, ce duo atypique était suffisamment transgressif pour que le film ne soit appréhendé que sous cet angle. Quarante ans plus tard, leur histoire d’amour peut être plus largement lue comme une allégorie libertaire de tous les couples en marge d’une société formatée par les carcans idéologiques et religieux. L’un des moments les plus ironiques du film est sans doute lorsque Harold annonce à sa mère son intention de se marier avec une femme de quatre-vingts ans. Juste après cet ersatz de coming-out, se succèdent trois plans fixes sur trois figures symboliques qui viennent donner leur avis sur une liaison inacceptable : l’oncle militaire (qui fait aussi office de figure patriarcale), le psychiatre et le curé. Quarante ans plus tard, c’est aussi le fond même de l’histoire qui nous saute aux yeux et l’omniprésence donnée à la mort. Harold, en effet, est dans une démarche presque pascalienne puisqu’il se divertit de la mort en la mettant en scène, non pas tant pour la conjurer que pour essayer de se rendre intéressant aux yeux de sa mère. Ce n’est pas un hasard que de toutes les prétendantes qui lui sont présentées, la seule envers qui il montre un semblant d’intérêt soit l’actrice, sobrement appelée Fleur d’Oranger, qui lui mime la mort de Juliette avec une emphase grotesque. D’une certaine manière, Maude prend également la mort en diversion. Mais à l’inverse d’Harold, cette hédoniste embrasse la vie et s’en sert de terrain de jeu. Elle se présente elle-même comme une révolutionnaire généreuse qui goûte aux plaisirs de la chair, à la joie de briser les codes et aux bienfaits de la nature (ce qui donne lieu à une séquence décalée où elle embarque un arbre en pot dans sa décapotable pour le replanter dans la forêt). Mais ce qui oppose les deux personnages, c’est qu’Harold n’a pas encore d’histoire. Comme il le dit lui-même avec ironie : « Je n’ai rien vécu, mais je suis mort plusieurs fois. » Par l’intermédiaire du personnage, Hal Ashby et Colin Higgins se moquent certainement d’une jeunesse bourgeoise attentiste qui croit qu’aux yeux des autres, la vie n’aurait de sens que dans la mort. L’optimisme de Maude, au contraire, est l’expression de ces générations qui sont passées par les horreurs imprescriptibles de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Le sens profond de Harold et Maude pourrait alors être concentré dans une scène d’une pudeur exemplaire : les deux amoureux sont face à la mer, à admirer un coucher de soleil. Un regard d’Harold sur l’avant-bras dénudé de la vieille dame. Un numéro. La trace indélébile des camps de concentration. Il n’en sera pas plus raconté sur l’histoire de Maude et pourtant il en est déjà dit beaucoup.

[delphinaout]

Tag Game. Finally. Yes.

Rules: Tag 20 amazing followers you want to get to know better!

Tagged by: @prayfordream

Name: Delphine

Nicknames: Delph, raton, yaya. and if you have 3h I can give you the entire list.

Gender: Female

Star Sign: virgo

Height: 155 cm

Sexual Orientation: I might be straight. Sapiosexual,  Acousticophiliac, Erotophonophiliac. Seriously, don’t ask.

Hogwarts House: Am I a Hufflepuff or Griffindor ? Still wondering.

Favorite Color: Idk.

Favorite Animal: Tardigrades of course! platypuses, sloths, otters. 

Average Hours of sleep: My day is basically fucked up and I will hate the entire world If I don’t sleep AT LEAST 9 hours. 

Cat or dog person: I have both. And y’all like “ but which one do you prefer ? “ Seriously, no favoritism between my babies.

Favorite Fictional Characters: Severus Snape ( i’m in love with him since the beginning ok don’t judge me) Rudy Wade, Credence Barebone, Nakata, The Grim Reaper ( from Goblin), Harold Chasen, Brienne of Tarth, Simon Bellamy, the 11th (and the 12th) Doctor, 

Number of blankets I sleep with: One. Or two. who cares..

Favorite Singer/Band: Jake bugg, Agnes Obel, la femme, Panic At The Disco, KOHH, Infected Mushroom ( don’t even judge me), Imagine Dragons, Chameleon Circuit, Cat Stevens, Back Number, Ghost, Radwimps, Illion, Alt-j, TheFatRat, Remioremen, Twenty-one Pilots, Die Antwoord, Angus & Julia Stone, Joe Hisaishi, Oomph!, Iggy Pop, Rotfront, Happy End, Cocco ETC.

Dream Trip: Ehm... I really want to go to Mexico and Mongolia (<3)  Also, in Indonesia, India, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Peru, Uzbekistan ....

Dream Job: Hey i’m studying Japanese in college and I suck okay ? I just want a good job and it will be okay. I used to dream about being a lawyer.

When was this blog created: 2015?

Current number of followers:  Between 100 and 150. Most of time. Do I have to count pornblogs ? 

When did your blog reach its peak?: who cares ? I really never checked it. 

What made you decide to make a Tumblr?: My high school friends. Mostly

Here. It’s done. @ra-men-noodle @thedexterminator-blog ( Heya)  @octopurpleprincess @laly-art @sanshu-seiso @azukimystrawberry