ORCHIDS IN THE MIRROR - SNOPSIS

ORCHIDS IN THE MIRROR©

- Marilyn 

Log line:  A romantic, comedy drama about two professional women who are leaders in their chosen field through original conceptualization of their work.  Set around these sassy, modern women are other characters who provide inspiration, challenges and enhance personal evolution.

Synopsis:  Cassia, lover of art deco and classic styling    inherited a failing Winery from her deceased father.  She has only her own courage to rely on in order to make Cassias’ Heritage; her winery a success.  Mitsuka owns her own highly successful architectural firm and handles her clients with understated poise.  She is encouraging of Cassia’s endeavors and handles Rosemary, her visiting, neurotic mother with unconditional patience and humor until she dies suddenly.  An unconventional resolution takes place suggested by Jasuma, Cassia’s eclectic professional painter who was hired by Mitsuka to redecorate part of Cassia’s estate home.  Ron, the next door neighbor adds color with his disarming demeanor and love of reconditioning antique cars.  Cassia’s sister Amanda visits for the funeral where the women sneak wine to the grave site to avoid depression over the death and coax the priest to drink with them during the service.  Important turning points and confessions occur in the three women’s lives after the funeral when they return to Cassia’s place and deal with Rosemary’s death.

Wine is fermented and crafted magically by Cassia with the help of her growth and pesticide advisor Herb who is easily bribed to show up on short notice with his love of chocolate chip cookies.  Mitsuka surprises Cassia by putting up for sale her downtown condo to move in with Cassia.  A wine tasting is held that gives Cassia the results she desired to be fully confident in entering the last wine festival of the year.  Cassia attends the festival and enters two of her wines in the white and red categories.  She meets Elena a rival who is silently prejudicial and enjoys robbing confidence of weak people.  Failing completely to do so with Cassia, however who although ethereal looking is quietly immovable in her confidence.  A partly depressed young entrant failing to win Cassia over as a potential date confides in her some of his failings in commitment to his craft.  Rescued by winning the silver medal Cassia leaves the event where Elena the previous silver medal winner wins nothing.  A dinner at their mutual friend’s restaurant Le Forêt with Jasuma features the topic of depressed youth, antiquated politics and how cataclysmic realities may be avoided. 

Winding down from Mitsuka’s contractual obligations and Cassia’s winery celebration Cassia goes shopping to books a business trip to Glastonbury to research an earth’s lay line friendly village builder who is providing some of the building technology that she is incorporating into her design.  Ron and Mary join them for a drink and discuss the lay lines and different vortexes on earth and how the mind of people living in those areas affects the planet in anticipation of their trip to Glastonbury.  Jasuma is back the next day with Mitsuka’s new home office wall paint that Cassia this time arranged as a surprise to celebrate her moving in.

Amanda her sister moves to town and helps Cassia run the winery. She meets Denise an attractive woman who owns a paint store and they begin an affair. Denise has a dirty talking parrot and falls for Amanda’s charms. He introduces her to Cassia who likes her and she herself has a proposal from Mitsuka to marry heating their relationship up.  Mitsuka continues to find success in architecture and Cassia’s wines begin to win awards.

Denise and Amanda hit the party scene for a wild night with Cassia and Amanda at a lesbian private party. The girls go wild with some engaging in topless dancing and takeover of the party begins by giddy and brave patrons. Mitsuka decides to finally take an Island holiday with Cassia and after a night of loud lusty lovemaking between Denise and Amanda, the next day a humorous moment of carrying luggage to the door for their trip is acted out by Cassia with orgasmic overtones teasing the other couple. Mitsuka and Cassia finally hit the beach in the Caymen Islands in the final scene of the film. 

Most of the characters in this movie are cynics as far as bunk is concerned religion even old new ageism their spirituality comes out in how they live; perusing careers, their relationships; artistry even the lovemaking that is depicted as heavenly. Ideally this film has a very good cinematographer that captures 'life' as picturesque and the ethereal beauty of women contrasting with their strength in the work world and moments of sharp wit. 

                        

CLOUD NINE - SYNOPSIS

CLOUD 9 AND A SLICE OF CHEESE©

- Marilyn 

LOG LINE: Cloud 9 and a Slice of Cheese is a slightly dark, slightly campy yet stylish film set in the 50’s dealing with L.A life during the grey alien invasion with shocking twists of revelation.

SYNOPSIS: Eclectic patrons visit the Cloud 9 Bar in Los Angeles during the late 50’s. Cat and Dick a modern young couple with an edge frequent the establishment and meet Ivan a Russian immigrant who is into low key organized crime unknown to most who are no in his crime circles. Detective Harris and Smith visit the bar to question Ivan about an old friend Squigley who recently robbed an armored truck. He denies any connection to the activity as it’s a fifteen year dated lead and they leave.

Betty’s Diner experiences phenomenon of two men dropping off a grey alien leaving it in one of her booths on the table. Ivan and Virginia an attractive secretary meet walking into the diner over the body. He takes it off Betty’s hands to sell to a contact of his.  The detectives show up at his apartment he lies Betty is insane; there is no alien body. They leave and he arranges Jonsey Lowerman to view the body (on ice in a meat packer’s storage) for purchase. Lowerman shows up and buys it for twenty grand.

The young gang of friends, Cat, Dick, Jake, Danny, a young cop and Kelly a car racer hang out at the pool hall and racing track for Kelly’s big race in fine style of ‘modern’ young 50’s people.

Meanwhile L.A. continues to experience grey alien phenomenon of shot down disks mysteriously vaporized with the evidence disappearing largely except for a handful of incidences. The activity is all the rage with some and tight lipped denial for others.

Ivan and Virginia pretend Ivan is an invalid after a car accident they invite Squigley to dinner with a fake sob story he gives them money for covering for him with the detectives.

The CIA shows up and interviews Betty Fred and Harriet; two people who’s field was ‘vandalized’ with a crop circle forming mysteriously. They shut them up and leave to see what else is brewing in L.A. regarding UFO’s. Only sources reporting the UFO activity are tabloids; regular paper claims they are a hoax. Cat has déjà seeing photos Danny sneaks out of the police station (agreed to by detectives since CIA is showing up to confiscate the files the next day).

Ivan meets Irving who sells him secret photos of the greys making crop circles. Ivan sells them to Lowerman for his in house secret museum of ‘artifacts’ of extra terrestrial origin.

Squigley is robbed of a carving he made by a grey who visits his hide out and it is dropped for the detectives to find.

Lowerman’s following grows visiting his display as more join the secret society of ‘disclosure’ of ET’s being real.  Meanwhile Ivan’s relationship with Virginia heats up and he involves her in his money laundering operation. Cat is pregnant with Dick’s baby seeing the crop circle seeding connection more each day. Marion a psychic does a reading explaining the ET’s seeding and predicted timeline for the USA amongst movie stars and Washington DC government activity hay day. She warns Ivan of the dangers of organized crime growing. She mentions the challenges of planned awakening of people according to how the seeds live in society; what can hinder the awakening or it has to wait future generations to do it.

Organized crime heats up and the Gangster Squad is formed harassing the Dragna mob family as Danny is promoted and joins it and goes undercover. Lowerman is still a hit Ivan fakes a CIA raid of his premises to rob crooks for the full money stolen stash of theirs to be his. It works and he keeps the money.

Virginia lies to Ivan she’s pregnant by an ex flame as her clandestine affair with Jake heats up. He gives her money for her pregnancy and she leaves him with a suitcase of laundered money. She gets pregnant for real with Jake’s baby and lives the luxurious life of shopping.

Ivan meets Petrushka a blond Russian consulate’s daughter at the Cloud 9. She gets pregnant and he finally leaves organized crime. All the babies are born to the three couples they enjoy parenthood and navigate the L.A crime scene and ET’s activity.

A shift to the wild 60’s is shown with Desiree, Petrov and Milton; the couple’s three children attending a wild drug and sex party in their college years. Meanwhile the bartender at the Cloud 9 winds down reading of drug induced LSD deaths from escalating drug use by the youth of the 60’s. He decides to close the bar as they encroach upon it to plan drug taking escapades on his premises. An ominous revelation is left with the viewers of what delayed mass awakening in the last two generations as the film closes poignantly with the close of the 50’s era heralding the 60’s wildness with its risks.