The movie that catapulted John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John to international stardom. Olivia was 29 when she made this film while John was 23 but their characters as Sandy and Danny are high school kids. Olivia was such a sweetheart while John was dashing!
Summer Nights presents two sides of the story: that of a love struck sweet girl who’s thrilled to tell about her encounter with her summer love and that of a cool high school boy who pretends that his date is just a summer fling.
The movie was released in 1978 yet we could still relate to present times how men and women view a relationship. For a man, a summer love could just be a summer love; one that will end as soon as school begins. For a woman, a summer love could be the beginning of a good romance.
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurat
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis,
status malus,
vana salus
semper dissolubilis,
obumbrata
et velata
michi quoque niteris;
nunc per ludum
dorsum nudum
fero tui sceleris.
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!
Translation:
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Fate – monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.
Fate is against me
in health
and virtue,
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!
Found this from youtube—a young Sharon Cuneta singing “To Love Again.” Have you seen her daughter Frankie lately? She looks like her mom in that video.
I’m done reading Cynthia Lennon’s book about her life with John Lennon. It was not a feel-good book, actually. It left me depressed and heart-broken. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good well-written book. Let’s just put it this way; Cynthia narrated her story in such a way that people were able to picture out the details that she wanted to express. What’s good about her was her kindness and her strength to carry on with her life inspite of her failed marriage(s).
I am a late bloomer when it comes to Beatlemania. Yes, I’ve heard their music in the past but I’ve never been so interested on their personal life; only now. I’m addicted to anything about John Lennon considering that I was just a toddler when he passed away. I just love their (Beatles) music!
Furthermore, I have so much respect and admiration for Julian Lennon as a person and as a musician. I love his photos when he was a young boy; he reminds me of my son. What I find most admirable on him is his philantrophy. Ever heard of the https://whitefeatherfoundation.com/ ?
Obviously, based on Julian’s story about the white feather symbol (if you haven’t heard of the story, click the link above please), the White Feather Foundation was named in the memory of that experience. Jules has so much love to give just like Cynthia. I know it’s none of my business but I hope that Jules will have children to pass on his talent and good looks. 🙂
When I was a little child in the mid-80’s, I chanced upon a Beatles cassette tape owned by my father. I played it on and became an instant fan of their music. I particularly liked “Hey Jude,” “Yesterday” and “In My Life.” I thought the four of them were good-looking, too but I was most attracted to John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s looks. John had this rebel-without-a-cause aura in contrast with Paul’s boy-next-door image. There was one cassette tape with “John Lennon” on the cover and I was confused why the sudden change in music style. It would take me to this day to know that the man on the cassette cover was actually Julian Lennon, John’s firstborn.
My curiosity on Julian Lennon started just days ago when I read an article about his mother’s demise. Cynthia Lennon was John’s first wife; in the mid-80’s the wife that I knew of was Yoko Ono. Of course, information about the Lennons were not so accessible during those times; good thing we have the internet now.
And because “Hey Jude” has always been my most favorite Beatles song, I searched for any videos or pictures related to it. How sweet of Paul to compose a song for little Julian! At that time, John was leaving Cynthia and Julian for Yoko Ono. Looking at those pictures at the embedded file, the Lennons’ domestic life was no different from ordinary people. There were best times and there were worst times but I think that love was always there, albeit concealed in many instances.
Julian’s relationship with John was no different from the relationship of today’s children with parents having more time for work than for the family. Of course, there was Yoko at that time and the animosity between step-son and step-mom was like a time bomb ready to explode anytime. I would like to give Yoko the benefit of the doubt that she truly cared for Julian; after all, she was a mother to Kyoko, too. Definitely, a close relationship with Cynthia was out of the question for emotional and common sense reasons.
Paul was like an uncle to Julian and I hate it that not much was written about their relationship after that “Hey Jude” composition. Maybe the Beatles’ was busy touring the world. The love for his friend’s family was evident on Paul and I guess, Julian remembers it up to this day. He wouldn’t be that hurt when he was not invited to Paul’s wedding four years ago if he didn’t regard Paul as family. It was an honest mistake of Paul’s staff and we know that busy people entrust their personal schedule and other stuffs to their assistants. I guess at some point after the divorce, Paul was very careful about carrying on a platonic relationship with Cynthia and Julian. He was like being sandwiched between Yoko and John on one side versus Cynthia and Julian on the other side.
There were good times, too in their life and I don’t believe that the bickering was non-stop since Yoko entered the picture. Yes, maybe, there was more pain than happiness but there were also good times to remember. John may not be the best father for Julian and Sean but I guess he tried his best to be one. I love the Lennons: John, Cynthia, Julian, Yoko and Sean. I wish that Julian (a spitting image of John), Yoko and Sean collaborate to create an album.