In a world so full of media and material, movies are bound to be made of classic works of literature. I am lucky enough to have my favorite authors' work made into now classic films. Of these authors is the infamous Thomas Hardy (not Bane, the real guy).
Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset, England in 1840. He considered himself to be a poet, but his novels are what he is most remembered for to this day. Novels like Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and Far from the Madding Crowd have been prolific in their reach and make excellent source material for film adaptions. Hardy's work focuses on the decline of "Victorian" society in the rural parts of the English countryside. Much of his work takes place in a made up part of England called "Wessex" which is a combination of areas from Hardy's life time. Before he started writing, Hardy spent time learning architecture as an apprentice and went on to practice the trade. He fell in love and married his first wife Emma in 1874. For the rest of his life, he wrote her poetry. They grew apart, and he remarried, but after her death Hardy continued to write poems addressed to her. When he died, his heart was buried with his first wife and his ashes were sent to the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
A young, poor woman named Tess is forced to claim kin to a rich family when her father discovers that their family name was once well renowned. While in the care of these rich relations, Tess is seduced and raped by the man claiming to be her cousin. With her virtue lost and her cousin unwilling to marry her, Tess is forced to be outcast by all. She moves away to labor as a dairy maid in hopes of earning money for her family, and while away she meets a man by the name of Angel Claire. Angel is the son of a preacher who is studying farming techniques that he plans to one day take with him to Brazil where he hopes to be a successful rancher. Tess and Angel fall madly in love with each other, but Tess is troubled by her past and the loss of her purity. Circumstances lead her to keep silent about her past until the two of them are married, and on the night of their wedding Tess explains her checkered past. Angel, a man of many morals, cannot stand the thought of his Tess being so stained so he makes for Brazil immediately leaving Tess to fend for herself. Tess is tormented by the world for an action that she had no control over and lives her life miserably hoping that Angel will return for her.
Far from the Madding Crowd
Bathsheba Everdeen has inherited her uncle's once great farm upon his death causing her to be the mistress of a large estate and in charge of a great many employees. Gabriel Oak, a shepherd, is passing through Miss Everdeen's land when he comes across a fire. He assists in putting out and Bathsheba asks him to stay on and help her run the farm. The two have a history that makes their new arrangement a bit awkward, but the they decide that they need to work together in order to run a successful farm. Bathsheba's reputation as a beautiful and clever land owner is spreading, however, her neighbor, Mr. Boldwood, is not impressed with her. Slighted by Boldwood, Bathsheba decides to send him a valentine as a joke. Boldwood is entranced by the sentiment he believes comes with the valentine and begins to obsess over the idea of marrying Bathsheba. She, however, has too much of her own farm to run and is far too independent for a marriage. While walking her grounds at night, Bathsheba encounters a solider by the name of Troy. Troy is a dangerous man full of sexual energy that both frightens and excites Bathsheba. In her state of excitement, Bathsheba hastily marries Troy. The two are not well matched, and Troy is still hopelessly in love with his first sweetheart Fanny, who is now carrying his child. When Fanny dies, Troy leaves Bathsheba to fend for herself and her farm. Only Gabriel does not desert her.
The Woodlanders
Raised together in a woodland village, Gracie and Giles were meant to be together. After being sent away for school however, Gracie's well meaning father decides that she's too good for any old oak man of the woodlands. He sets his sights on a better match. A new doctor has moved into a rented house across the way from Gracie's home, and she finds him very attractive. Charmed by this doctor and urged by her father, Gracie agrees to marry the doctor, leaving Giles without a thing. Soon after their return from honeymoon, Gracie's husband Dr. Fitzpiers expresses his dislike for the country folk that Gracie has grown up with and loved. He complains about their culture and class. As if an answer to his disgruntlement, he is called to the house of the Lady who owns much of the woodlands, Mrs. Charmond. A widow, Mrs. Charmond finds Dr. Fitzpiers's wit a welcome change to the country folk sensibilities of her tenants. The two form a relationship and cause unrest in Gracie's life. She has remained faithful to Dr. Fitzpiers even though her attachment to Giles pulls at her. Dr. Fitzpiers and Mrs. Charmond move aboard for a while leaving Gracie completely alone to face loving someone she cannot have.
Thomas Hardy's work often examines the idea of the female character. Often his ladies are multilayered. They are independent with ideas of their own and just as confused by love as men are, though men are portrayed as hopeless when in love with a woman. With the character of Tess, Hardy created a woman who was wronged by her circumstances and seen as someone who did it to themselves. However, when discussing Tess, Hardy claims she is the ideal "pure" woman. She loved only one man all her life and did her best to do right by God. The world saw her as something else because of the horrors that befell her. With Bathsheba, Hardy created a woman who had choices. In the constantly changing landscape of the countryside, Bathsheba has the ability to be independent, but the "ideal man", a solider for his country, is the downfall of her moral character. Gracie, following a father's faulty logic, is caught up in the societies standard of a good match. In all of these cases, the woman are subject the whims of the world and society only to find that their own paths are far better than what they are told they should have. Their characters are strong, and they are faced with moral issues often. The men often play the secondary character as the female characters develop and change to realize their position and place. Perhaps this is why Hardy's work is so interesting to me. I find that his women, though altered by the society they live in and considered tainted by their choices, remain pure in their love of the men they choose.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Stream of the Week- Braveheart
"I will never be on the wrong side again."
In the wake of English rule, the Scotsmen who had lived in tyranny and war for most of their lives, banned together behind the cry of William Wallace to win their freedom. As a young man, William watched as his father and brother died trying to win their rights and Scottish land owners. After being taken by his uncle to be educated, Wallace returned to his homeland in hopes of settling down. The King of England tightened his grip on the Scottish people by granting his English nobles in the land the right to the wedding night of each new bride. It was his hope that this would bring more nobles to Scotland to amplify his control. Wallace, in love with a Scottish woman, marries in secret to avoid having to share his wife with a nobleman. His disobedience leads to her death giving Wallace a reason to rise up against the British forces. Wallace collects soldiers and warriors as he goes campaigning against the English. He attempts to unite the Scottish clans and nobles in hopes of uniting Scotland to overthrow the English throne and put forth their own King- Robert the Bruce. Wallace fights bravely, making himself a legend among the Scottish people. Each time his story is told, new interpretations arise making him almost a mythical being to the Scottish people. The King tries every trick to lure in Wallace and turn him before he can rise too large of a force. He sends his new daughter-in-law, a French Princess, to bribe Wallace with gold and land. Instead, the Princess finds herself faced with a strong man who is unwilling to back down. She respects and "loves" Wallace for this prompting her to become allied to him. She feeds him information about shipments and surprise attacks in hopes of keeping him safe, and in return the Princess is able to get back at the King and Prince for their behavior towards her. Wallace grows strong, but the Scottish nobles are not willing to commit to his cause and lose their land. They betray him one by one which leads to his capture by English forces thus ending the life of the legend William Wallace.
This 1995 film directed by (and starring) Mel Gibson has become a well regarded classic of historical drama films. Winner of the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, Best Effects, and Best Writing for Screen, this film has proven itself an important part of cinematic history by telling a compelling dramatization of an important historical occurrence. For me, one of the most important aspects of this film is that it was directed by the lead actor. The balance between directing each scene and starring in each shot must have caused a great deal of pressure on both the crew and Gibson himself, earning my respect.
In the wake of English rule, the Scotsmen who had lived in tyranny and war for most of their lives, banned together behind the cry of William Wallace to win their freedom. As a young man, William watched as his father and brother died trying to win their rights and Scottish land owners. After being taken by his uncle to be educated, Wallace returned to his homeland in hopes of settling down. The King of England tightened his grip on the Scottish people by granting his English nobles in the land the right to the wedding night of each new bride. It was his hope that this would bring more nobles to Scotland to amplify his control. Wallace, in love with a Scottish woman, marries in secret to avoid having to share his wife with a nobleman. His disobedience leads to her death giving Wallace a reason to rise up against the British forces. Wallace collects soldiers and warriors as he goes campaigning against the English. He attempts to unite the Scottish clans and nobles in hopes of uniting Scotland to overthrow the English throne and put forth their own King- Robert the Bruce. Wallace fights bravely, making himself a legend among the Scottish people. Each time his story is told, new interpretations arise making him almost a mythical being to the Scottish people. The King tries every trick to lure in Wallace and turn him before he can rise too large of a force. He sends his new daughter-in-law, a French Princess, to bribe Wallace with gold and land. Instead, the Princess finds herself faced with a strong man who is unwilling to back down. She respects and "loves" Wallace for this prompting her to become allied to him. She feeds him information about shipments and surprise attacks in hopes of keeping him safe, and in return the Princess is able to get back at the King and Prince for their behavior towards her. Wallace grows strong, but the Scottish nobles are not willing to commit to his cause and lose their land. They betray him one by one which leads to his capture by English forces thus ending the life of the legend William Wallace.
This 1995 film directed by (and starring) Mel Gibson has become a well regarded classic of historical drama films. Winner of the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, Best Effects, and Best Writing for Screen, this film has proven itself an important part of cinematic history by telling a compelling dramatization of an important historical occurrence. For me, one of the most important aspects of this film is that it was directed by the lead actor. The balance between directing each scene and starring in each shot must have caused a great deal of pressure on both the crew and Gibson himself, earning my respect.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Capture of Culture- Tap World
Rhythm is the universal language.
Most cultures have a style of music and a traditional style of dance. Tap, however, came as a combination of two cultures- African Culture and Irish Culture. This blending of cultures led to a style of dance that relied heavily on rhythm as it's foundation. In this way, Tap is able to transcend language barriers to connect people through the communication of rhythm. By following tap dancers from all over the world, Tap World is able to trace the emergence of Tap in various countries and show how each one has put a new spin on it. The older generation of Tap dancers has made way for a new group of highly motivated and innovative group of people who take the old steps and forms and apply them to new genres of music as well as adding new stunts to the style to make it visually more interesting. These artists and creators have to find ways to support themselves with their dancing. Many end up teaching while others dance on the street in hopes of making tips to save up and change their lives. Though the demand for professional Tap dancers is low, they find a way to support each other and act as a cohesive family.
This documentary gives a brief overview of what the Tap culture is like by following various teachers who are bringing Tap dancing to the furthest regions of the world. In Brazil, they might not have the best education system, but they have Tap dance classes. In Taiwan, they might have cultures that don't have native dance styles, but they have Tap. Here in America even, there may be inner city kids who have broken families and low incomes, but they have enough passion in them to Tap dance. As all the teachers state "Rhythm is the way to communicate". It doesn't matter where they are from or who they are, they can Tap.
Most cultures have a style of music and a traditional style of dance. Tap, however, came as a combination of two cultures- African Culture and Irish Culture. This blending of cultures led to a style of dance that relied heavily on rhythm as it's foundation. In this way, Tap is able to transcend language barriers to connect people through the communication of rhythm. By following tap dancers from all over the world, Tap World is able to trace the emergence of Tap in various countries and show how each one has put a new spin on it. The older generation of Tap dancers has made way for a new group of highly motivated and innovative group of people who take the old steps and forms and apply them to new genres of music as well as adding new stunts to the style to make it visually more interesting. These artists and creators have to find ways to support themselves with their dancing. Many end up teaching while others dance on the street in hopes of making tips to save up and change their lives. Though the demand for professional Tap dancers is low, they find a way to support each other and act as a cohesive family.
This documentary gives a brief overview of what the Tap culture is like by following various teachers who are bringing Tap dancing to the furthest regions of the world. In Brazil, they might not have the best education system, but they have Tap dance classes. In Taiwan, they might have cultures that don't have native dance styles, but they have Tap. Here in America even, there may be inner city kids who have broken families and low incomes, but they have enough passion in them to Tap dance. As all the teachers state "Rhythm is the way to communicate". It doesn't matter where they are from or who they are, they can Tap.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Stream of the Week- Kate and Leopold
He is the man that will bring you fresh brioche in bed.
Finding a rip in the space time continuum, Stewart goes back to the 1800s in time and stumbles upon the inventor of the elevator. On his way back to his own time period, Stewart is followed by Leopold, the inventor, and the two of them fall back into the modern age. Feeling responsible for Leopold, Stewart tries to stash him in his apartment, but his nosey ex who lives downstairs, Kate, finds the stranger in Stewart's room and starts asking questions. Unwilling to believe the truth about time travel, Kate decides to regard the stranger Leopold as a complete weirdo with a really odd sense of mannerisms. Because Leopold is now in the future and not in the past where he should be inventing elevators, all of the elevators in the city begin to fail. Stewart ends up falling through an elevator shaft, and while in the hospital, he asks Kate to look after Leo. Kate is a career woman who believes in rational thought, and she refuses to be swept up by Leo's charms. He, however, has other plans as he attempts to sweep Kate right off her feet. But they are from two different eras, and they have different goals in life. It would be impossible for it to work out. Wouldn't it?
I don't care how cheezy or formulaic it is, this is a Meg Ryan rom com, of course I watched it. From the director of, oddly enough, Knight and Day and Walk the Line, this film shows the ever loved cliché that love knows no time periods or bounds. It is a leap that must be taken (literally and metaphorically). It is sweet enough with it's New York charm and romantic sensibilities. Every woman, apparently, wants a good old fashioned prince.
Finding a rip in the space time continuum, Stewart goes back to the 1800s in time and stumbles upon the inventor of the elevator. On his way back to his own time period, Stewart is followed by Leopold, the inventor, and the two of them fall back into the modern age. Feeling responsible for Leopold, Stewart tries to stash him in his apartment, but his nosey ex who lives downstairs, Kate, finds the stranger in Stewart's room and starts asking questions. Unwilling to believe the truth about time travel, Kate decides to regard the stranger Leopold as a complete weirdo with a really odd sense of mannerisms. Because Leopold is now in the future and not in the past where he should be inventing elevators, all of the elevators in the city begin to fail. Stewart ends up falling through an elevator shaft, and while in the hospital, he asks Kate to look after Leo. Kate is a career woman who believes in rational thought, and she refuses to be swept up by Leo's charms. He, however, has other plans as he attempts to sweep Kate right off her feet. But they are from two different eras, and they have different goals in life. It would be impossible for it to work out. Wouldn't it?
I don't care how cheezy or formulaic it is, this is a Meg Ryan rom com, of course I watched it. From the director of, oddly enough, Knight and Day and Walk the Line, this film shows the ever loved cliché that love knows no time periods or bounds. It is a leap that must be taken (literally and metaphorically). It is sweet enough with it's New York charm and romantic sensibilities. Every woman, apparently, wants a good old fashioned prince.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Capture of Culture- Hungry for Change
We're overeating and still starving to death.
We live in a world chalk full of options as well are surrounded by thousands of different diets that all claim to give us the results we want. Scientists, nutritionists, and food lovers, however, are learning that nothing presented to us in that way is good or healthy to us. We eat products that are presented as food, but in truth are really lacking in the nutrients we need to survive. Full of sugar and carbohydrates, foods like soda, baked goods, and "low fat" products draw us in with an initial sugar high, but quickly fall flat as our bodies find that they do not contain the vitamins and nutrients our body wants/needs. The biggest killer of people today and of the next generation will not be tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, it will be improper dieting. One of the largest concerns these food experts have is the amounts of sugar we inhale with each food product we consume. When we eat more than 150 pounds of sugar a year, it becomes apparent that sugar is a drug more than a natural ingredient. Like cocaine, white refined flours and sugars are products that are taken from naturally nutritional foods and oversimplified to the point where they lose all value to the body. High fructose corn syrup is the largest contributor to our over indulgence in sugar intake. The best way for us to live is through knowledge of these factors in hopes that we can find real foods to eat to make our lifespans longer and our actual lives healthier.
I love food documentaries. They are incredibly addicting (forget the sugar). Hungry for change easily fits in the same space as Fed Up, Food Inc., SuperSize Me, and countless others as it examines the same basic "truths" in the food market. Though these films say similar things, I believe it's important to continue watching them in hopes of somehow getting to the general population so that we can change what we eat and what is produced. As more research is produced, more knowledge is exposed, and maybe one day there will be enough to save us all.
We live in a world chalk full of options as well are surrounded by thousands of different diets that all claim to give us the results we want. Scientists, nutritionists, and food lovers, however, are learning that nothing presented to us in that way is good or healthy to us. We eat products that are presented as food, but in truth are really lacking in the nutrients we need to survive. Full of sugar and carbohydrates, foods like soda, baked goods, and "low fat" products draw us in with an initial sugar high, but quickly fall flat as our bodies find that they do not contain the vitamins and nutrients our body wants/needs. The biggest killer of people today and of the next generation will not be tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, it will be improper dieting. One of the largest concerns these food experts have is the amounts of sugar we inhale with each food product we consume. When we eat more than 150 pounds of sugar a year, it becomes apparent that sugar is a drug more than a natural ingredient. Like cocaine, white refined flours and sugars are products that are taken from naturally nutritional foods and oversimplified to the point where they lose all value to the body. High fructose corn syrup is the largest contributor to our over indulgence in sugar intake. The best way for us to live is through knowledge of these factors in hopes that we can find real foods to eat to make our lifespans longer and our actual lives healthier.
I love food documentaries. They are incredibly addicting (forget the sugar). Hungry for change easily fits in the same space as Fed Up, Food Inc., SuperSize Me, and countless others as it examines the same basic "truths" in the food market. Though these films say similar things, I believe it's important to continue watching them in hopes of somehow getting to the general population so that we can change what we eat and what is produced. As more research is produced, more knowledge is exposed, and maybe one day there will be enough to save us all.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Stream of the Week- Philomena
"I didn't see that coming, Martin, not in a million years!"
As an Irish young woman, Philomena met a stranger at a fair and caught up in the moment, conceived a child. Her father sent her to the nuns, and after having her child, Philomena was contracted to work in the laundry department of the abbey along with all the other unwedded mothers. They were allowed to see their children for an hour a day, and every so often a big car would come and take a child away. The nuns adopted those children out to Americans without telling their mothers. Philomena had to watch as her son Anthony was taken from the abbey, and there was nothing she could do to lay claim on him. For 50 years, Philomena prayed and searched for Anthony. She visited the abbey often to find information, but they claimed all their records were lost in a huge fire. Her daughter, now aware of what her mother went through, talks to a reporter to try and get him interested in the story. Martin, a recently fired BBC affiliate, is hesitant to take the story at first, but he begins to see it as a human interest story. After some digging, and no help from the nuns, Martin learns that the children were adopted out to America. Martin gets him and Philomena on a plane immediately to DC in hopes of finding her Anthony. They discover, through some digging, that Anthony worked on the republican campaigns of several presidents, was in a homosexual partnership, and died of aids several years earlier. Philomena is devastated, but there is still something she needs to know about Anthony- did he ever wonder about her?
From the director of High Fidelity and The Queen (an odd track record if you ask me), Philomena is based on a true story and adapted from the book written by Martin about the journey he and Philomena took to find her son. Philomena has an excellent sensibility to her, as she is both the adorably talkative grandmother who will tell you her whole life story and the tough nurse who has seen it all. It's the kind of story that we don't think about or ask questions about, but it's one that we should all be willing to learn about.
As an Irish young woman, Philomena met a stranger at a fair and caught up in the moment, conceived a child. Her father sent her to the nuns, and after having her child, Philomena was contracted to work in the laundry department of the abbey along with all the other unwedded mothers. They were allowed to see their children for an hour a day, and every so often a big car would come and take a child away. The nuns adopted those children out to Americans without telling their mothers. Philomena had to watch as her son Anthony was taken from the abbey, and there was nothing she could do to lay claim on him. For 50 years, Philomena prayed and searched for Anthony. She visited the abbey often to find information, but they claimed all their records were lost in a huge fire. Her daughter, now aware of what her mother went through, talks to a reporter to try and get him interested in the story. Martin, a recently fired BBC affiliate, is hesitant to take the story at first, but he begins to see it as a human interest story. After some digging, and no help from the nuns, Martin learns that the children were adopted out to America. Martin gets him and Philomena on a plane immediately to DC in hopes of finding her Anthony. They discover, through some digging, that Anthony worked on the republican campaigns of several presidents, was in a homosexual partnership, and died of aids several years earlier. Philomena is devastated, but there is still something she needs to know about Anthony- did he ever wonder about her?
From the director of High Fidelity and The Queen (an odd track record if you ask me), Philomena is based on a true story and adapted from the book written by Martin about the journey he and Philomena took to find her son. Philomena has an excellent sensibility to her, as she is both the adorably talkative grandmother who will tell you her whole life story and the tough nurse who has seen it all. It's the kind of story that we don't think about or ask questions about, but it's one that we should all be willing to learn about.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Capture of Culture- Twilight in Volterra
It is a city with a mysterious past and a new pop culture fatal attraction.
In Stephanie Meyer's series, Twilight, an ancient tribe of Vampires known as the Volturi reside in the Etruscan city of Volterra. Without ever visiting the city, Meyer weaved an entire storyline around this obscure ancient village. Upon reading her novel, New Moon, many inhabitants were amazed at how accurate Meyer's description of the city turned out to be, and as popularity in the book began to rise, so did the tourism in Volterra. Using this new found fame to their advantage, the board of tourism of Volterra set to create a tour specifically crafted to take eager readers on an hour long tour of the city in which they could explore all the locations of important events in the novel. With each tour, a plethora of fans swoops in engulfing the city's rich history as it has mysterious locations such as the prison and the asylum all coming together to make a perfect location for the speculation of the supernatural. This documentary takes interviews with fans and tour guides alike to show how accurate the story is to the actual setting of Volterra and to show how the modern novel has impacted the ancient city.
Without ever reading the books or seeing more than the first film, I was interested in the actual history of the mysterious town and how it got to inspire such a popular series. Twilight, though not my cup of tea, has greatly affected tourism in this small village, bringing to light how important it is as a city. Volterra was the largest city in Italy at one point, housing more than Rome at a certain time in history. Without the use of it in the Twilight series, Volterra might have gone undiscovered by many travelers as a hot spot of activity and mysterious history.
In Stephanie Meyer's series, Twilight, an ancient tribe of Vampires known as the Volturi reside in the Etruscan city of Volterra. Without ever visiting the city, Meyer weaved an entire storyline around this obscure ancient village. Upon reading her novel, New Moon, many inhabitants were amazed at how accurate Meyer's description of the city turned out to be, and as popularity in the book began to rise, so did the tourism in Volterra. Using this new found fame to their advantage, the board of tourism of Volterra set to create a tour specifically crafted to take eager readers on an hour long tour of the city in which they could explore all the locations of important events in the novel. With each tour, a plethora of fans swoops in engulfing the city's rich history as it has mysterious locations such as the prison and the asylum all coming together to make a perfect location for the speculation of the supernatural. This documentary takes interviews with fans and tour guides alike to show how accurate the story is to the actual setting of Volterra and to show how the modern novel has impacted the ancient city.
Without ever reading the books or seeing more than the first film, I was interested in the actual history of the mysterious town and how it got to inspire such a popular series. Twilight, though not my cup of tea, has greatly affected tourism in this small village, bringing to light how important it is as a city. Volterra was the largest city in Italy at one point, housing more than Rome at a certain time in history. Without the use of it in the Twilight series, Volterra might have gone undiscovered by many travelers as a hot spot of activity and mysterious history.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Stream of the Week- Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Sometimes New York doesn't feel big enough for two people in a fight.
Naomi and Ely have been best friends forever. They've always been neighbors in their building and have always had each other's backs. Over the years, the two of them decided to make a "no kiss list", a list of boys they both were attracted to. They figured if they could avoid fighting over boys, they'd be better off. It's their first year out of high school, and Ely is coming out of his shell more. It makes Naomi nervous because she's always loved him, but he'll never love her back in that way. To battle his new found confidence, Naomi settles for boyfriend Bruce, who she only tolerates. As Bruce is coming to pick her up one night, he and Ely share a moment in which they both realize they are attracted to each other. They try to keep it from Naomi, but Ely can't so he tells her. By doing this to Naomi, Ely has brought up some very difficult emotions so the two being a blown out brawl. Neither of them want to budge on their positions or admit that they miss each other when they stop talking. Naomi finds some solace with gentleman and doorman Gabriel and as she spends less time with Ely the more she realizes that no matter what Ely is still a huge part of who she is, and she's not ready to give that up.
From the director of Dear Dumb Diary and the writer of Step Up (3D), this movie didn't look like it would hold up. However, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List deals with some very difficult subject matter when it comes to being a young adult in the world. Not only do they have to learn their own boundaries, but they also have to define what everyone else's boundary is in relation to theirs in order to create harmony in their building. In a world where 14 yr olds look like they're 20, it can be difficult to understand sexuality and sexual orientation. By examining what happens when girls feel so comfortable around gay men, this film touches on some important issues.
Naomi and Ely have been best friends forever. They've always been neighbors in their building and have always had each other's backs. Over the years, the two of them decided to make a "no kiss list", a list of boys they both were attracted to. They figured if they could avoid fighting over boys, they'd be better off. It's their first year out of high school, and Ely is coming out of his shell more. It makes Naomi nervous because she's always loved him, but he'll never love her back in that way. To battle his new found confidence, Naomi settles for boyfriend Bruce, who she only tolerates. As Bruce is coming to pick her up one night, he and Ely share a moment in which they both realize they are attracted to each other. They try to keep it from Naomi, but Ely can't so he tells her. By doing this to Naomi, Ely has brought up some very difficult emotions so the two being a blown out brawl. Neither of them want to budge on their positions or admit that they miss each other when they stop talking. Naomi finds some solace with gentleman and doorman Gabriel and as she spends less time with Ely the more she realizes that no matter what Ely is still a huge part of who she is, and she's not ready to give that up.
From the director of Dear Dumb Diary and the writer of Step Up (3D), this movie didn't look like it would hold up. However, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List deals with some very difficult subject matter when it comes to being a young adult in the world. Not only do they have to learn their own boundaries, but they also have to define what everyone else's boundary is in relation to theirs in order to create harmony in their building. In a world where 14 yr olds look like they're 20, it can be difficult to understand sexuality and sexual orientation. By examining what happens when girls feel so comfortable around gay men, this film touches on some important issues.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Capture of Culture- Do I Sound Gay?
"We're taught that our voice is who we really are."
Recently single David has recently discovered that listening to his own voice makes him uncomfortable. He doesn't feel at all connected with the tone and quality he has in his voice because it sounds "gay". David, who is a gay man, is determined to sound more "straight". By talking to the best vocal coaches in the business, he beings to make progress on his quest, but he also begins to find where the idea of sounding "gay" comes from. Many gay men talk about growing up listening to their mothers and sisters because it was more fun to them, and that is where they think their voices came from. Others blame a speech impediment lisp. Each one has a different theory, but each interviewed person also says you have to come to terms with the way you sound; you are not your voice, but it is an extension of who you are. David, making progress with his training, is not satisfied. No matter how hard he tries, something in his inflection keeps him from sounding "straight". By interviewing several famous faces of the gay community, David begins to realize that sounding "gay" doesn't matter because if you are gay you should wear it loud and proud.
As a first time film maker, David Thorpe does a rather good job of collecting various interviews for his doc as well as some great archival footage. He doesn't focus much on his personal journey unless in a quickly edited passing section, and he never follows up with a clear piece of proof that he's made any progress in his personal mission to sound "straight". It isn't the kind of film that gives any answers, but it does bring up something to talk about which I think can be just as important. Someone has to ask the questions, even if we have to figure out the rest alone.
Recently single David has recently discovered that listening to his own voice makes him uncomfortable. He doesn't feel at all connected with the tone and quality he has in his voice because it sounds "gay". David, who is a gay man, is determined to sound more "straight". By talking to the best vocal coaches in the business, he beings to make progress on his quest, but he also begins to find where the idea of sounding "gay" comes from. Many gay men talk about growing up listening to their mothers and sisters because it was more fun to them, and that is where they think their voices came from. Others blame a speech impediment lisp. Each one has a different theory, but each interviewed person also says you have to come to terms with the way you sound; you are not your voice, but it is an extension of who you are. David, making progress with his training, is not satisfied. No matter how hard he tries, something in his inflection keeps him from sounding "straight". By interviewing several famous faces of the gay community, David begins to realize that sounding "gay" doesn't matter because if you are gay you should wear it loud and proud.
As a first time film maker, David Thorpe does a rather good job of collecting various interviews for his doc as well as some great archival footage. He doesn't focus much on his personal journey unless in a quickly edited passing section, and he never follows up with a clear piece of proof that he's made any progress in his personal mission to sound "straight". It isn't the kind of film that gives any answers, but it does bring up something to talk about which I think can be just as important. Someone has to ask the questions, even if we have to figure out the rest alone.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Stream of the Week- Nightcrawler
If it bleeds, it leads.
Finding the life of a thief and trick turner to be unfulfilling and unstable, Louis Bloom decides he needs a profession. As he's driving home one night, he comes across a traffic accident. Originally, he's drawn in by the flames of the scene, but as he continues to watch the fire and first response to the crash unfold, he sees a man with a camera show up to the site to record the event. The camera man is a "stringer", an independent that news services use to get extra footage of crimes, collisions, fires, and other disasters for their shows. Immediately, Bloom knows it's something he can sink his teeth into. Starting with a low budget camera and no idea of how to gain his shots, Louis films a victim of a shooting. He drives this footage, after received, to the nearest news station where he meets Nina, the director of news. Nina is impressed with Louis's eye and tells him if he ever has anything he should bring it to her first. Louis begins to brand himself as a company. He immediately hires an employee, Rick, who he uses to navigate the streets of L.A. as he races from site to site getting better and more graphic shots for Nina's station. As he continues to bring in footage, he forms an attachment to Nina who is honestly more interested in her job than him. He begins to threaten her that if she doesn't go out with him, he will stop bringing her footage. She needs that footage to bolster her rating which are dropping now that she's on the graveyard shift. With better tapes, Louis is able to buy a better car and better equipment, but his need for "the shot" has begun to mess with his already morally skewed perspective. At several sights, Louis movies bodies or pieces of evidence before the police get there in order to make the shot more interesting to viewers and to Nina. His finest moment as a news collector comes when he is able to film a break in and robbery just as the suspects are leaving. The story is exactly what Nina is looking for, urban crime creeping into the once safe suburbs with minority perpetrators, middle to high class citizen victims, in mostly white neighborhoods. That's the stuff she can sell as a package on the increasingly dangerous environment created in the city which draws viewers in. Louis withholds valuable evidence in this last case which erases the line between crime capturer to criminal.
Nominated for an Oscar for it's screenplay and a Golden Globe for it's lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler is a fantastic piece of drama that digs deeply into the mind of a psychopathic main character. Louis Bloom would've been a great salesman if he had had proper training and someone with patience to teach him. He's a fast learner and quick on his feet which helps him with negotiations, which he happens to be fantastic at. His obsessive nature mixed with his somewhat morbid tastes and need for routine all suggest that he's got some sort of mental instability that drive him to be so focused on his work. Played by the brilliant Jake Gyllenhaal, Louis is almost terrifying when he loses his temper or what we perceive as his humanity. When he talks to Nina about his feelings for her, he delivers his proposition to her as if it is a contract, he clinically dissects human emotion and uses logic to explain emotion in a way that comes across as slimey and insincere. Nina opposite also does a fantastic job of just being off the normally written human character as she is driven solely by her job and pushing the envelop of what is appropriate to show on her news station. Nina is brilliantly played by Rene Russo who gives her a mixture of an understanding mentor mentality and equally hungry reporter. Nightcrawler comes from Dan Gilroy writer of Real Steel and the Bourne Legacy. Combined with his talented cast, Gilroy is able to write and direct a film that is both incredibly interesting to observe and terrifying at the same time.
Finding the life of a thief and trick turner to be unfulfilling and unstable, Louis Bloom decides he needs a profession. As he's driving home one night, he comes across a traffic accident. Originally, he's drawn in by the flames of the scene, but as he continues to watch the fire and first response to the crash unfold, he sees a man with a camera show up to the site to record the event. The camera man is a "stringer", an independent that news services use to get extra footage of crimes, collisions, fires, and other disasters for their shows. Immediately, Bloom knows it's something he can sink his teeth into. Starting with a low budget camera and no idea of how to gain his shots, Louis films a victim of a shooting. He drives this footage, after received, to the nearest news station where he meets Nina, the director of news. Nina is impressed with Louis's eye and tells him if he ever has anything he should bring it to her first. Louis begins to brand himself as a company. He immediately hires an employee, Rick, who he uses to navigate the streets of L.A. as he races from site to site getting better and more graphic shots for Nina's station. As he continues to bring in footage, he forms an attachment to Nina who is honestly more interested in her job than him. He begins to threaten her that if she doesn't go out with him, he will stop bringing her footage. She needs that footage to bolster her rating which are dropping now that she's on the graveyard shift. With better tapes, Louis is able to buy a better car and better equipment, but his need for "the shot" has begun to mess with his already morally skewed perspective. At several sights, Louis movies bodies or pieces of evidence before the police get there in order to make the shot more interesting to viewers and to Nina. His finest moment as a news collector comes when he is able to film a break in and robbery just as the suspects are leaving. The story is exactly what Nina is looking for, urban crime creeping into the once safe suburbs with minority perpetrators, middle to high class citizen victims, in mostly white neighborhoods. That's the stuff she can sell as a package on the increasingly dangerous environment created in the city which draws viewers in. Louis withholds valuable evidence in this last case which erases the line between crime capturer to criminal.
Nominated for an Oscar for it's screenplay and a Golden Globe for it's lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler is a fantastic piece of drama that digs deeply into the mind of a psychopathic main character. Louis Bloom would've been a great salesman if he had had proper training and someone with patience to teach him. He's a fast learner and quick on his feet which helps him with negotiations, which he happens to be fantastic at. His obsessive nature mixed with his somewhat morbid tastes and need for routine all suggest that he's got some sort of mental instability that drive him to be so focused on his work. Played by the brilliant Jake Gyllenhaal, Louis is almost terrifying when he loses his temper or what we perceive as his humanity. When he talks to Nina about his feelings for her, he delivers his proposition to her as if it is a contract, he clinically dissects human emotion and uses logic to explain emotion in a way that comes across as slimey and insincere. Nina opposite also does a fantastic job of just being off the normally written human character as she is driven solely by her job and pushing the envelop of what is appropriate to show on her news station. Nina is brilliantly played by Rene Russo who gives her a mixture of an understanding mentor mentality and equally hungry reporter. Nightcrawler comes from Dan Gilroy writer of Real Steel and the Bourne Legacy. Combined with his talented cast, Gilroy is able to write and direct a film that is both incredibly interesting to observe and terrifying at the same time.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Capture of Culture- Everybody Street
"It's a way to read your culture."
The street photographers of New York have captured decades of intensely true to life scenes that depict what it's like to live in the world we do. By following gangs, photographers got insight into the underground life in the city. Faced with guns, violence, and drugs, they did their best to capture it. Others focused on the above ground- taking pictures of every "interesting" person they came across on the street. With the new wave of digital photography, they discuss the evolution of the game. Some prefer the new style. It keeps them from being limited by development costs and allows them to store their photos more effectively. Others see the digital revolution as a cop out keeping real photographers from doing their jobs and getting their gigs. Each of the several photographers interviewed has a different story and different experiences that come together to explain the type of person it takes to tough it out as a street photographer. You have to be unafraid and well prepared because each turn could be a new shot.
I've always been interested in photography documentaries and New York City films. The pairing of the two topics lends itself to a wide variety of possibilities. Though the documentary only contains interviews, it does chronicle some of the most important times in the city through photographs. Street photography is an important art and captures what it's like to have daily routines rather than well thought out shots perfectly planned and executed.
The street photographers of New York have captured decades of intensely true to life scenes that depict what it's like to live in the world we do. By following gangs, photographers got insight into the underground life in the city. Faced with guns, violence, and drugs, they did their best to capture it. Others focused on the above ground- taking pictures of every "interesting" person they came across on the street. With the new wave of digital photography, they discuss the evolution of the game. Some prefer the new style. It keeps them from being limited by development costs and allows them to store their photos more effectively. Others see the digital revolution as a cop out keeping real photographers from doing their jobs and getting their gigs. Each of the several photographers interviewed has a different story and different experiences that come together to explain the type of person it takes to tough it out as a street photographer. You have to be unafraid and well prepared because each turn could be a new shot.
I've always been interested in photography documentaries and New York City films. The pairing of the two topics lends itself to a wide variety of possibilities. Though the documentary only contains interviews, it does chronicle some of the most important times in the city through photographs. Street photography is an important art and captures what it's like to have daily routines rather than well thought out shots perfectly planned and executed.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Stream of the Week- Batman Begins
Because the secret lies in the blue flowers. Shhhh don't tell anyone.
As a child, Bruce Wayne was traumatized first when he fell down a well and was attacked by bats and then again when his parents were killed in front of him. For the rest of his life, Bruce blamed himself for their deaths. As a young man, he was lost and fell into a criminal lifestyle becoming a part of a ring of thieves. From within a prison, Bruce Wayne is inducted into the "League of Shadows", a collection of criminals trained to take down civilizations in their prime to maintain the "balance" between crime and fear in the public. Once Bruce is told of the plan put in place by the League to take down Wayne's hometown Gotham, a center for both crime and industry with the company Wayne Enterprises- a family business with Bruce as it's remaining lineage. Wayne decimates the league's headquarters and returns to Gotham in hopes of restoring order by removing the most prominent drug lords and criminals. However, when Bruce comes back after 7 years of lying low, Gotham is in too deep in their own problems for him to bail it out alone. Bruce decides the best way to restore order is to become a symbol of justice. He draws on his childhood memories and becomes what he fears most- Batman. Batman Bruce takes down a head figure in the drug industry, but quickly learns of a political scandal/ take down plan that stems from a doctor housing psychiatric patients on an island within the city. He uses fear tactics and a hallucinogenic drug to make his patients fear him. This doctor begins dumping the drug into the water supply putting all of Gotham at risk. Batman is the only one who can save them now.
Christopher Nolan reinvented the comic book movie genre with this introduction to the Batman story. The film is dark and gritty to capture the feeling of a broken city riddled with crime. In contrast, moments of humor and one liners a sporadically placed to give the film a break from it's completely serious and heavy feel. All the characters are well set up giving them a chance to be introduced and then expanded in the next film. Is the idea of all this crime and mayhem concentrated in one city a bit far fetched? Yes, but all superhero films have to start somewhere and that somewhere might as well be based in a place with a cool name like Gotham.
As a child, Bruce Wayne was traumatized first when he fell down a well and was attacked by bats and then again when his parents were killed in front of him. For the rest of his life, Bruce blamed himself for their deaths. As a young man, he was lost and fell into a criminal lifestyle becoming a part of a ring of thieves. From within a prison, Bruce Wayne is inducted into the "League of Shadows", a collection of criminals trained to take down civilizations in their prime to maintain the "balance" between crime and fear in the public. Once Bruce is told of the plan put in place by the League to take down Wayne's hometown Gotham, a center for both crime and industry with the company Wayne Enterprises- a family business with Bruce as it's remaining lineage. Wayne decimates the league's headquarters and returns to Gotham in hopes of restoring order by removing the most prominent drug lords and criminals. However, when Bruce comes back after 7 years of lying low, Gotham is in too deep in their own problems for him to bail it out alone. Bruce decides the best way to restore order is to become a symbol of justice. He draws on his childhood memories and becomes what he fears most- Batman. Batman Bruce takes down a head figure in the drug industry, but quickly learns of a political scandal/ take down plan that stems from a doctor housing psychiatric patients on an island within the city. He uses fear tactics and a hallucinogenic drug to make his patients fear him. This doctor begins dumping the drug into the water supply putting all of Gotham at risk. Batman is the only one who can save them now.
Christopher Nolan reinvented the comic book movie genre with this introduction to the Batman story. The film is dark and gritty to capture the feeling of a broken city riddled with crime. In contrast, moments of humor and one liners a sporadically placed to give the film a break from it's completely serious and heavy feel. All the characters are well set up giving them a chance to be introduced and then expanded in the next film. Is the idea of all this crime and mayhem concentrated in one city a bit far fetched? Yes, but all superhero films have to start somewhere and that somewhere might as well be based in a place with a cool name like Gotham.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
An Examination of Killer Animal Films- Congo, Jaws, and The Ghost and the Darkness
Steaming from legend, films with killer animal villains have similarities in how they present both their main characters and beasts.
Congo
Based on a Michael Crichton novel, Congo is the story of three different missions combined on one expedition that leads it's characters deep into the heart of the Congo where they find a forbidden city guarded by well trained killer gorillas. The city they protect is part of a myth that tells of great riches inside the walls. This is the reason for expedition for Herkermer Homolka, a treasure hunter in search of the huge diamonds rumored to be hidden inside the city. Also in search of the diamonds, but for a scientific reason, Dr. Karen Ross is also part of this expedition. Her hope is that the diamonds can be used for her company to produce laser technology as well as lead her to her missing fiancé who went into the jungle also searching for the diamonds. Finally, there is the story of Dr. Peter Elliot who plans on returning his trained gorilla, Amy, back to her homeland. Brought together by political unrest in the country and monetary needs, the rag tag group all find what they are looking for in the hidden city in the deep Congo. Their journey there, however, leads them to stumble on a hidden group of domesticated, trained killer gorillas who have guarded the city and it's good for centuries.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Faced with the task of building a bridge as part of a railroad expedition across Africa, passionate engineer John Patterson becomes a leader of many workers. His trip begins successfully as he and his team begin to build a great bridge as part of the railroad. However, part way through the build, lions begin to attack workers in their beds. No one feels safe due to the savage attacks caused by these animals. They kill for sport not for food. Patterson determines there are two lions causing these issues, and the locals call them The Ghost and The Darkness. He begins to hunt the beasts. They allude him at every turn and rack up at least 50 of his crew members. His employers bring in expert hunter Charles Remington to help take care of the problem, but Remington is unsuccessful like Patterson because the lions do not act like normal lions. They see his every move ten steps before he makes it. The two stalk the lions deep into the night, and while under attack manage to kill one. This leaves the remaining lion vengeful for the death of his companion and his terror reigns over the men.
Jaws
If you haven't seen Jaws, we can't be friends. A small vacation island becomes riddled with rumors of sharks as several people get gobbled up while in the water. The local law enforcement attempts to handle the situation the best they can with Chief Brody at the helm. He plans to shut down the beaches and call in experts to take care of their growing problem. But, being that Amity is a vacation town and it's only now the beginning of the season, the city council votes that the beaches stay open. With a crowded beach and filled shallow ocean, the shark is tempted back and a small boy is devoured while on the water. Now the islanders and the council are starting to get worried. A reward is put upon the shark's head and Brody goes to the only man he thinks can catch the killer- Quint, a local shark hunter. With a hired shark expert, Hooper, the three men take to the sea to track down the "smartest fish" that ever lived.
Killer animal movies seem to follow a similar structure. They introduce characters by presenting them with a task that will take them into the heart of the animal's territory. For Jaws, it was the open sea, for Congo the deep jungle, and for The Ghost and the Darkness that wilderness was Africa. Though the location is the animal's habitat, the human presence in the location makes them feel as if every time they are attacked by the animal they are being invaded in their own space. They are not. For example, The Ghost and the Darkness takes place on the site of a new railroad bridge being built in the heart of Africa. This is prime lion country being invaded by human activity. It is expected for animals to lash out and protect their environment, but because it is human occupied, it is the humans who feel violated.
These movies also follow a pattern of not revealing their villains for quite some time. In Congo, the killer gorillas are not shown until the last twenty minutes of the film. The Ghost and the Darkness lions are not revealed in full form until a half hour in, and Jaws saves it's money shot for almost half way through the movie. Originally used as a method of suspense, the tension created by not knowing adds to the terror as the creature grows more violent and racks up the body count. This is now patented for horror/monster films.
Opening scenes also are very important to the killer animal movies. Jaws opens with the infamous scene of the attack on a young girl swimming. This scene is gruesome and was incredibly useful in getting audiences hooked for what was to come with the rest of the film. Likewise Congo opens with the destruction of a campsite and the killing of many men in order to catch the viewer's attention and give them a glimpse of the creature responsible. Only partial images are ever shown so that the real reveal can be more enticing and anticipated.
Congo
Based on a Michael Crichton novel, Congo is the story of three different missions combined on one expedition that leads it's characters deep into the heart of the Congo where they find a forbidden city guarded by well trained killer gorillas. The city they protect is part of a myth that tells of great riches inside the walls. This is the reason for expedition for Herkermer Homolka, a treasure hunter in search of the huge diamonds rumored to be hidden inside the city. Also in search of the diamonds, but for a scientific reason, Dr. Karen Ross is also part of this expedition. Her hope is that the diamonds can be used for her company to produce laser technology as well as lead her to her missing fiancé who went into the jungle also searching for the diamonds. Finally, there is the story of Dr. Peter Elliot who plans on returning his trained gorilla, Amy, back to her homeland. Brought together by political unrest in the country and monetary needs, the rag tag group all find what they are looking for in the hidden city in the deep Congo. Their journey there, however, leads them to stumble on a hidden group of domesticated, trained killer gorillas who have guarded the city and it's good for centuries.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Faced with the task of building a bridge as part of a railroad expedition across Africa, passionate engineer John Patterson becomes a leader of many workers. His trip begins successfully as he and his team begin to build a great bridge as part of the railroad. However, part way through the build, lions begin to attack workers in their beds. No one feels safe due to the savage attacks caused by these animals. They kill for sport not for food. Patterson determines there are two lions causing these issues, and the locals call them The Ghost and The Darkness. He begins to hunt the beasts. They allude him at every turn and rack up at least 50 of his crew members. His employers bring in expert hunter Charles Remington to help take care of the problem, but Remington is unsuccessful like Patterson because the lions do not act like normal lions. They see his every move ten steps before he makes it. The two stalk the lions deep into the night, and while under attack manage to kill one. This leaves the remaining lion vengeful for the death of his companion and his terror reigns over the men.
Jaws
If you haven't seen Jaws, we can't be friends. A small vacation island becomes riddled with rumors of sharks as several people get gobbled up while in the water. The local law enforcement attempts to handle the situation the best they can with Chief Brody at the helm. He plans to shut down the beaches and call in experts to take care of their growing problem. But, being that Amity is a vacation town and it's only now the beginning of the season, the city council votes that the beaches stay open. With a crowded beach and filled shallow ocean, the shark is tempted back and a small boy is devoured while on the water. Now the islanders and the council are starting to get worried. A reward is put upon the shark's head and Brody goes to the only man he thinks can catch the killer- Quint, a local shark hunter. With a hired shark expert, Hooper, the three men take to the sea to track down the "smartest fish" that ever lived.
Killer animal movies seem to follow a similar structure. They introduce characters by presenting them with a task that will take them into the heart of the animal's territory. For Jaws, it was the open sea, for Congo the deep jungle, and for The Ghost and the Darkness that wilderness was Africa. Though the location is the animal's habitat, the human presence in the location makes them feel as if every time they are attacked by the animal they are being invaded in their own space. They are not. For example, The Ghost and the Darkness takes place on the site of a new railroad bridge being built in the heart of Africa. This is prime lion country being invaded by human activity. It is expected for animals to lash out and protect their environment, but because it is human occupied, it is the humans who feel violated.
These movies also follow a pattern of not revealing their villains for quite some time. In Congo, the killer gorillas are not shown until the last twenty minutes of the film. The Ghost and the Darkness lions are not revealed in full form until a half hour in, and Jaws saves it's money shot for almost half way through the movie. Originally used as a method of suspense, the tension created by not knowing adds to the terror as the creature grows more violent and racks up the body count. This is now patented for horror/monster films.
Opening scenes also are very important to the killer animal movies. Jaws opens with the infamous scene of the attack on a young girl swimming. This scene is gruesome and was incredibly useful in getting audiences hooked for what was to come with the rest of the film. Likewise Congo opens with the destruction of a campsite and the killing of many men in order to catch the viewer's attention and give them a glimpse of the creature responsible. Only partial images are ever shown so that the real reveal can be more enticing and anticipated.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Stream of the Week- Moonrise Kingdom
"Our daughter has been abducted by one of these beige lunatics."
In a tale of true puppy love, Kaki scout Sam decides to run away with his pen pal Suzy. At the age of 12, he is perfectly skilled to live in the woods on the small island on which he lives with the other scouts. Through a series of letters, he and Suzy decide to run away together to get away from both of their distressing home lives. Suzy and Sam both suffer from preteen angst and have trouble fitting in with their surroundings. Armed with a suitcase full of books, a kitten, a record player, and all of Sam's wilderness gear, the two head off into the woods following an old Indian trail. Once discovered as missing, the scouts form a troop to find missing Sam along with the only island policeman Captain Sharp. While canvasing local houses for Sam, Sharp discovers Suzy is missing as well which makes the search gain more momentum. Sam and Suzy continue to have adventures and manage to escape the clutches of the scouts one time before settling on a small beach on the far side of the island where they set up camp. Their love is innocent enough as their understanding for each other grows.
Unfortunately, the two are discovered by Suzy's parents, the troop, and Captain Sharp on their beach one morning. Suzy is returned home, and Sam is sentenced to social services due to his foster parents deciding they don't want him back from camp. Moved by their devotion to one another, the scouts decide to break Sam and Suzy out so that they can be together. They cross the local water ways to another camp where one of the boys has a cousin whom he is sure can help Suzy and Sam find a better life together. Before they can escape the island, a storm erupts trapping all of the characters in a small church where Sam and Suzy must decide on what to do next because they can't keep running.
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, Moonrise Kingdom is a lovely off-beat adventure that takes awkward up to the next level with it's somewhat nostalgic and adorable style. Famed director, Wes Anderson, has a knack for timing with his fast paced writing and interesting editing that gives the entire film an other worldly feeling to it. The kids are perfectly suited as preteens with anger issues who just want to be understood, and the film tackles issues in a non superficial, but not super deep way. It examines the issues without any sort of judgment- issues like affairs, children with "social anxiety", and love. All of these topics get treated with the same banter that is delivered as though it has meaning, but is not being torn apart by any sort of critique. It's just being presented as a set of accepted facts. That, to me, makes for a very interesting story. It also helps that this film was wonderfully crafted in a whimsical manner that makes even the most stoic of figures feel a little something for these two kids in love.
In a tale of true puppy love, Kaki scout Sam decides to run away with his pen pal Suzy. At the age of 12, he is perfectly skilled to live in the woods on the small island on which he lives with the other scouts. Through a series of letters, he and Suzy decide to run away together to get away from both of their distressing home lives. Suzy and Sam both suffer from preteen angst and have trouble fitting in with their surroundings. Armed with a suitcase full of books, a kitten, a record player, and all of Sam's wilderness gear, the two head off into the woods following an old Indian trail. Once discovered as missing, the scouts form a troop to find missing Sam along with the only island policeman Captain Sharp. While canvasing local houses for Sam, Sharp discovers Suzy is missing as well which makes the search gain more momentum. Sam and Suzy continue to have adventures and manage to escape the clutches of the scouts one time before settling on a small beach on the far side of the island where they set up camp. Their love is innocent enough as their understanding for each other grows.
Unfortunately, the two are discovered by Suzy's parents, the troop, and Captain Sharp on their beach one morning. Suzy is returned home, and Sam is sentenced to social services due to his foster parents deciding they don't want him back from camp. Moved by their devotion to one another, the scouts decide to break Sam and Suzy out so that they can be together. They cross the local water ways to another camp where one of the boys has a cousin whom he is sure can help Suzy and Sam find a better life together. Before they can escape the island, a storm erupts trapping all of the characters in a small church where Sam and Suzy must decide on what to do next because they can't keep running.
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, Moonrise Kingdom is a lovely off-beat adventure that takes awkward up to the next level with it's somewhat nostalgic and adorable style. Famed director, Wes Anderson, has a knack for timing with his fast paced writing and interesting editing that gives the entire film an other worldly feeling to it. The kids are perfectly suited as preteens with anger issues who just want to be understood, and the film tackles issues in a non superficial, but not super deep way. It examines the issues without any sort of judgment- issues like affairs, children with "social anxiety", and love. All of these topics get treated with the same banter that is delivered as though it has meaning, but is not being torn apart by any sort of critique. It's just being presented as a set of accepted facts. That, to me, makes for a very interesting story. It also helps that this film was wonderfully crafted in a whimsical manner that makes even the most stoic of figures feel a little something for these two kids in love.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Capture of Culture- The Real Beauty and the Beast
The real story didn't come complete with talking candlesticks and musical numbers.
Petrus Gonsalvus was found and given as a gift to a newly crowned king. Covered from head to toe with thick fur, it was assumed that Petrus was the creature of legend- a wild man. Stories had been passed down for ages that wild men hid in the shadows and snatched up children to devour in the night. Petrus, however, was found as a child and had not been raised yet with any violent tendencies. So his "owner", the king, decided to raise him as a gentleman with a noble education. Petrus spent his time being raised in the court as a noble man who had the duty of marrying and reproducing. After the king's death, the queen made it her mission to find a wife for the "beast". She selected a woman named Catherine who she arranged to be his bride. It was the queen's wish that the two would breed more "wild men" for her to experiment on, but the first two children of Petrus and Catherine were normal. Of their seven children, four had the mutation causing hair to cover their entire bodies. The family of "beasts" became famous and were forced to tour the county as icons of curiosity. Their children were traded out as gifts from rulers making a mockery out of the family.
This documentary is a special done by the Smithsonian Channel. The film attempts to uncover some of the secrets around hypertrichosis which is the genetic mutation that causes hair to grow all over the body in rapid amounts. By comparing the case of Petrus and Catherine to a modern day "wolf man", the film shows the progression of knowledge about the disease. However, not much is still known today about the mutation which is why the story of Petrus and Catherine is still useful in a lot of ways to the research of the disease. It helps give a little background to the famous story and even more famous children's film produced by Disney. Was it really a happy ending after all for the beast and his beauty?
Petrus Gonsalvus was found and given as a gift to a newly crowned king. Covered from head to toe with thick fur, it was assumed that Petrus was the creature of legend- a wild man. Stories had been passed down for ages that wild men hid in the shadows and snatched up children to devour in the night. Petrus, however, was found as a child and had not been raised yet with any violent tendencies. So his "owner", the king, decided to raise him as a gentleman with a noble education. Petrus spent his time being raised in the court as a noble man who had the duty of marrying and reproducing. After the king's death, the queen made it her mission to find a wife for the "beast". She selected a woman named Catherine who she arranged to be his bride. It was the queen's wish that the two would breed more "wild men" for her to experiment on, but the first two children of Petrus and Catherine were normal. Of their seven children, four had the mutation causing hair to cover their entire bodies. The family of "beasts" became famous and were forced to tour the county as icons of curiosity. Their children were traded out as gifts from rulers making a mockery out of the family.
This documentary is a special done by the Smithsonian Channel. The film attempts to uncover some of the secrets around hypertrichosis which is the genetic mutation that causes hair to grow all over the body in rapid amounts. By comparing the case of Petrus and Catherine to a modern day "wolf man", the film shows the progression of knowledge about the disease. However, not much is still known today about the mutation which is why the story of Petrus and Catherine is still useful in a lot of ways to the research of the disease. It helps give a little background to the famous story and even more famous children's film produced by Disney. Was it really a happy ending after all for the beast and his beauty?
Friday, November 6, 2015
Stream of the Week- Serendipity
What is fate and destiny if not entirely timing.
Jonathon and Sarah met when they touched hands while trying to buy the same pair of gloves. It was destiny that they should meet in this way. There were all sorts of signs, at least that's what Sarah said. Jonathon was just so enraptured by her that he suggested they go out for ice cream. Their sweet stop turned into an entire night of very winter in New York activities including ice skating and a stop at the Waldorf. When the night was over, Sarah was determined not to trade numbers. If it was meant to be it would be. But unwilling to give up, Jonathon was insistent on at least knowing her last name. Sarah decided that Jonathon would write his name and number on a 5 dollar bill and she would in a book. She then spent the bill and traded in the book. If they were ever to cross paths with those items again in their lives they would know that they were meant to be together. Time passed and neither got their objects so they made separate lives. Both of them were engaged and close to a wedding, but they still had the thoughts of each other in the back of their minds. Jonathon decided he wouldn't give up, so he started searching for any clues that would lead him to Sarah. Eventually he found her bank account number and where she used to live. This lead him to her new address in another city. Sarah on the other hand was still missing him so she bought a ticket to New York on a whim in search of Jonathon. Fate wasn't done with these two yet.
From the director of Hector and the Search for Happiness and the writer of Mirror Mirror, this light hearted film is incredibly frustrating for anyone who can tell when people are supposed to be together. The characters of Jonathon and Sarah, though unrealistic, are well matched only because there is an air of mystery to them. Their entire lives fall apart in search of love, and even if they find each other, how do they know that's it. With an interesting concept and a solid cast, Serendipity is a good New York love watch, as are they all.
Jonathon and Sarah met when they touched hands while trying to buy the same pair of gloves. It was destiny that they should meet in this way. There were all sorts of signs, at least that's what Sarah said. Jonathon was just so enraptured by her that he suggested they go out for ice cream. Their sweet stop turned into an entire night of very winter in New York activities including ice skating and a stop at the Waldorf. When the night was over, Sarah was determined not to trade numbers. If it was meant to be it would be. But unwilling to give up, Jonathon was insistent on at least knowing her last name. Sarah decided that Jonathon would write his name and number on a 5 dollar bill and she would in a book. She then spent the bill and traded in the book. If they were ever to cross paths with those items again in their lives they would know that they were meant to be together. Time passed and neither got their objects so they made separate lives. Both of them were engaged and close to a wedding, but they still had the thoughts of each other in the back of their minds. Jonathon decided he wouldn't give up, so he started searching for any clues that would lead him to Sarah. Eventually he found her bank account number and where she used to live. This lead him to her new address in another city. Sarah on the other hand was still missing him so she bought a ticket to New York on a whim in search of Jonathon. Fate wasn't done with these two yet.
From the director of Hector and the Search for Happiness and the writer of Mirror Mirror, this light hearted film is incredibly frustrating for anyone who can tell when people are supposed to be together. The characters of Jonathon and Sarah, though unrealistic, are well matched only because there is an air of mystery to them. Their entire lives fall apart in search of love, and even if they find each other, how do they know that's it. With an interesting concept and a solid cast, Serendipity is a good New York love watch, as are they all.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Capture of Culture- Through the Woods
When two quirky pals get ahold of guitars and hike up the trail who knows what's gonna happen.
As advocates of music education and family music, the Okee Dokee Brothers decided to take their love of the outdoors and head up the Appalachian trail to study folk music and it's effects on the people living around this mountain range. Armed with supplies, a banjo, and a guitar the boys started their adventure. Together they wrote songs about their experiences and discussed how it can be difficult to articulate what when experiencing such an awe for nature within the context of their folk genre. Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, being best friends since childhood, are Grammy Award Winners and take their beliefs in music to the next level as they produce these types of films and adventure for others to get inspired by. They focused on the influence of folk music on the young people on the trail, meeting up with some very talented young musicians who prove that music can transcend the generations. By playing and writing their own music, as well as attempting to play with other Appalachian musicians, the Okee Dokee Brothers manage to create a fun and entertaining exploration of a music form that not many people tend to hear.
The entire film was set up in a more "vlog" style than a documentary. With a Ken Burns parody feel to one portion and other somewhat staged scenarios, the film is definitely targeted at a younger audience. Some clever intersperced editing is used for portions as well as quite a few musical performances set up like music videos. This adds to the overall lighthearted feel of the film. It seems to be more targeted at a younger audience, but still holds enough viable information and somewhat awkward humor that can make it a family watch documentary as opposed to a highly informative dry film on folk music on the Appalachian trail.
As advocates of music education and family music, the Okee Dokee Brothers decided to take their love of the outdoors and head up the Appalachian trail to study folk music and it's effects on the people living around this mountain range. Armed with supplies, a banjo, and a guitar the boys started their adventure. Together they wrote songs about their experiences and discussed how it can be difficult to articulate what when experiencing such an awe for nature within the context of their folk genre. Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, being best friends since childhood, are Grammy Award Winners and take their beliefs in music to the next level as they produce these types of films and adventure for others to get inspired by. They focused on the influence of folk music on the young people on the trail, meeting up with some very talented young musicians who prove that music can transcend the generations. By playing and writing their own music, as well as attempting to play with other Appalachian musicians, the Okee Dokee Brothers manage to create a fun and entertaining exploration of a music form that not many people tend to hear.
The entire film was set up in a more "vlog" style than a documentary. With a Ken Burns parody feel to one portion and other somewhat staged scenarios, the film is definitely targeted at a younger audience. Some clever intersperced editing is used for portions as well as quite a few musical performances set up like music videos. This adds to the overall lighthearted feel of the film. It seems to be more targeted at a younger audience, but still holds enough viable information and somewhat awkward humor that can make it a family watch documentary as opposed to a highly informative dry film on folk music on the Appalachian trail.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Stream of the Week- Yours, Mine & Ours
Imagine having 17 brothers and sisters.
After high school, sweethearts Helen and Frank moved into different circles and had families of their own. Big families. After some personal tragedy in the death of their spouses, the two rekindle their love and spontaneously get married. Unfortunately, this means that their already large families will have to be blended. Helen has 10 kids of her own, and Frank has 8. Together they have a full house. Initially, the kids fight constantly because they are upset with their new move. However, once a common enemy is found, that enemy being mom and dad, the two families unit with one purpose-get it all back to the way it was before they got married. With their antics in place, the kids cause a ton of trouble and successfully split the family over their difference in parenting views. Frank is a sailor and an admiral. His technique is very terse and effective. His kids have schedules and plans and orders. Helen, on the other hand, is a free spirit who lets her children be as creative as they can be within her home. When they two come to blows over how to raise the kids, it's enough to split them up, and it all happens just as the kids are beginning to bond.
With a track record which includes the Smurfs movies and Home Alone 3, this film didn't appear to have a good start, but with a cute script and a Cheaper by the Dozen feel, this film easily will win anyone over. Nominated for a Young Artist award, the entire cast of children brilliantly blended together to form characters with clear and distinct personalities and worked well with each other. The film does prove an important point- that opposites work well together. Though the parents have different views on everything, they are able to balance out each other and do parenting to the best of their abilities. This 2005 film is a remake of the 1968 movie in which Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda played the characters of Frank and Helen.
After high school, sweethearts Helen and Frank moved into different circles and had families of their own. Big families. After some personal tragedy in the death of their spouses, the two rekindle their love and spontaneously get married. Unfortunately, this means that their already large families will have to be blended. Helen has 10 kids of her own, and Frank has 8. Together they have a full house. Initially, the kids fight constantly because they are upset with their new move. However, once a common enemy is found, that enemy being mom and dad, the two families unit with one purpose-get it all back to the way it was before they got married. With their antics in place, the kids cause a ton of trouble and successfully split the family over their difference in parenting views. Frank is a sailor and an admiral. His technique is very terse and effective. His kids have schedules and plans and orders. Helen, on the other hand, is a free spirit who lets her children be as creative as they can be within her home. When they two come to blows over how to raise the kids, it's enough to split them up, and it all happens just as the kids are beginning to bond.
With a track record which includes the Smurfs movies and Home Alone 3, this film didn't appear to have a good start, but with a cute script and a Cheaper by the Dozen feel, this film easily will win anyone over. Nominated for a Young Artist award, the entire cast of children brilliantly blended together to form characters with clear and distinct personalities and worked well with each other. The film does prove an important point- that opposites work well together. Though the parents have different views on everything, they are able to balance out each other and do parenting to the best of their abilities. This 2005 film is a remake of the 1968 movie in which Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda played the characters of Frank and Helen.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Capture of Culture- Back in Time
"Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has."
Thirty years ago, a cultural phenomenon began with the release of a little time travel film called "Back to the Future". With Spielberg's name attached and Zemeckis's writing and directing credentials, the film was destined to be well liked by audiences, however, no one could have predicted how far it possibly could go. Today, sites and books are dedicated to finding meaning in every minuet detail of the film. Lego sets of deloreans are released and reenactments are played alongside films. People build their own cars and meet up independently to share in a culture that has been created by the quirkiness of characters like Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Back in Time is a collection of all those fans and creators coming together to discuss the impact that the filming process had on them as well as it's impact now on culture. Hover boards, for example, have become a huge challenge for scientists and machinist hacks. Watching the movie inspired so many to try and invent the technology that would make that a possibility today. The interaction between creators and fans is definitely and interesting one to watch unfold. Some fans get so involved that they become part of the creative crew by becoming experts on topics that didn't even cross the minds of the original makers when they started the filming process.
Films take on and preserve very important parts of our history. Movies like Star Wars, Jaws, and Back to the Future embody a summer blockbuster feeling that was very important to the late 70s, 80s part of our history. They are the films that will stand the test of time and tell our grandchildren what life was like for those who grew up in those eras. Back to the Future is the kind of film that can transcend generations which is why it will go down in history as one of the greats.
Thirty years ago, a cultural phenomenon began with the release of a little time travel film called "Back to the Future". With Spielberg's name attached and Zemeckis's writing and directing credentials, the film was destined to be well liked by audiences, however, no one could have predicted how far it possibly could go. Today, sites and books are dedicated to finding meaning in every minuet detail of the film. Lego sets of deloreans are released and reenactments are played alongside films. People build their own cars and meet up independently to share in a culture that has been created by the quirkiness of characters like Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Back in Time is a collection of all those fans and creators coming together to discuss the impact that the filming process had on them as well as it's impact now on culture. Hover boards, for example, have become a huge challenge for scientists and machinist hacks. Watching the movie inspired so many to try and invent the technology that would make that a possibility today. The interaction between creators and fans is definitely and interesting one to watch unfold. Some fans get so involved that they become part of the creative crew by becoming experts on topics that didn't even cross the minds of the original makers when they started the filming process.
Films take on and preserve very important parts of our history. Movies like Star Wars, Jaws, and Back to the Future embody a summer blockbuster feeling that was very important to the late 70s, 80s part of our history. They are the films that will stand the test of time and tell our grandchildren what life was like for those who grew up in those eras. Back to the Future is the kind of film that can transcend generations which is why it will go down in history as one of the greats.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Stream of the Week- Zathura: A Space Adventure
Not all games are safe to play.
Danny and Walter were always fighting. As brothers, they were in constant competition with each other for both affection and for physical wins. While they are fighting, Danny stumbles across a board game in his father's basement called Zathura. Danny wants to play and drags Walter into it. As they begin to play, strange things begin to happen. A meteor shower rains in their living room, and a robot tries to kill them. All of these events occur on each turn. Slowly the boys find themselves in more and more trouble with each spin. On one turn they have to save a stranded astronaut who helps the boys take on the alien life forms that have been chasing the boys through the galaxy with each turn. Along the way, Danny and Walter continue to feud, but it only hinders their ability to take on new tasks. With the astronaut by their side, the only way to finish the game is to keep playing and hope that it will take them out of the galaxy in which they are trapped.
Like the 1995 Robin Williams' classic Jumanji, Zathura follows the arc of being trapped within a game and learning through it how to appreciate what you have and who you know in the life you are given. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef, Elf), this story hits several important themes. First of all, the film addresses what it's like to be in a separated family as the dad talks about his lack of ability to give all of his children his full and complete attention all of the time. Zathura also explores the idea of taking things for granted and giving back as shown by Walter's decision to use one of his wishes on the astronaut. Because Jumanji and Zathura come from the same writers, the game serves as a tool in both to teach a valuable lesson to it's players. Not only do they have to learn how to work together, but they must also learn what is truly important in order to become successful in their tasks.
Danny and Walter were always fighting. As brothers, they were in constant competition with each other for both affection and for physical wins. While they are fighting, Danny stumbles across a board game in his father's basement called Zathura. Danny wants to play and drags Walter into it. As they begin to play, strange things begin to happen. A meteor shower rains in their living room, and a robot tries to kill them. All of these events occur on each turn. Slowly the boys find themselves in more and more trouble with each spin. On one turn they have to save a stranded astronaut who helps the boys take on the alien life forms that have been chasing the boys through the galaxy with each turn. Along the way, Danny and Walter continue to feud, but it only hinders their ability to take on new tasks. With the astronaut by their side, the only way to finish the game is to keep playing and hope that it will take them out of the galaxy in which they are trapped.
Like the 1995 Robin Williams' classic Jumanji, Zathura follows the arc of being trapped within a game and learning through it how to appreciate what you have and who you know in the life you are given. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef, Elf), this story hits several important themes. First of all, the film addresses what it's like to be in a separated family as the dad talks about his lack of ability to give all of his children his full and complete attention all of the time. Zathura also explores the idea of taking things for granted and giving back as shown by Walter's decision to use one of his wishes on the astronaut. Because Jumanji and Zathura come from the same writers, the game serves as a tool in both to teach a valuable lesson to it's players. Not only do they have to learn how to work together, but they must also learn what is truly important in order to become successful in their tasks.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Capture of Culture- Super Size Me
Nothing says healthy and safe like a clown.
Documentary director Morgan Spurlock wanted to know what would happen if a person consumed only McDonald's for every meal for an entire month. With a self designed experiment, he was able to find out. Before beginning his burger binge, Spurlock consulted four different doctors and nutritionists to see what they thought the results would be and to enlist their help if his health began to go south. Each of the doctors were optimistic, believing there wouldn't be too drastic of a change in the already healthy Morgan Spurlock. A week in, however, he had already gained back 5% of his body fat and was shooting his sugar levels to their max. While on his McDonald's cleanse, Spurlock interviewed doctors across the country and food lovers to find out how far the impact of fast food had reached. When in a school, Spurlock was able to examine the lunches provided to students on a daily basis. There, where children are to be kept safe, was the biggest discrepancy between what the teachers believed the children would decide on and what the kids actually decided to eat. Their habits leaned towards the high calorie, sugar dense, and processed foods while teachers and administrators turned a blind eye to their choices. By the end of the month, Spurlock had done some serious damage to his health which could have caused permanent damage if he had continued with the experiment. His conclusion? People need to be educated about what they are eating. If Ronald McDonald is slowly killing you- you might as well be aware of it.
Nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar, Super Size Me is an entertaining look at the fast food industry that can also give people something real to take in as they watch Spurlock's health decline so rapidly. No one learns the same way as their peers, so providing various stats and facts as well as visual representations of the negative effects of fast food consumption really makes the documentary able to have a wider audience and following. Before the film was even released, McDonald's took the super size option away. How's that for impact, America?
Documentary director Morgan Spurlock wanted to know what would happen if a person consumed only McDonald's for every meal for an entire month. With a self designed experiment, he was able to find out. Before beginning his burger binge, Spurlock consulted four different doctors and nutritionists to see what they thought the results would be and to enlist their help if his health began to go south. Each of the doctors were optimistic, believing there wouldn't be too drastic of a change in the already healthy Morgan Spurlock. A week in, however, he had already gained back 5% of his body fat and was shooting his sugar levels to their max. While on his McDonald's cleanse, Spurlock interviewed doctors across the country and food lovers to find out how far the impact of fast food had reached. When in a school, Spurlock was able to examine the lunches provided to students on a daily basis. There, where children are to be kept safe, was the biggest discrepancy between what the teachers believed the children would decide on and what the kids actually decided to eat. Their habits leaned towards the high calorie, sugar dense, and processed foods while teachers and administrators turned a blind eye to their choices. By the end of the month, Spurlock had done some serious damage to his health which could have caused permanent damage if he had continued with the experiment. His conclusion? People need to be educated about what they are eating. If Ronald McDonald is slowly killing you- you might as well be aware of it.
Nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar, Super Size Me is an entertaining look at the fast food industry that can also give people something real to take in as they watch Spurlock's health decline so rapidly. No one learns the same way as their peers, so providing various stats and facts as well as visual representations of the negative effects of fast food consumption really makes the documentary able to have a wider audience and following. Before the film was even released, McDonald's took the super size option away. How's that for impact, America?
Friday, October 16, 2015
Stream of the Week- Up in the Air
Every flight needs a copilot.
Ryan Bingham has been living in and out of airport terminals for so long that they have become his sense of home. He doesn't take anymore than a carry on anywhere including where he goes emotionally. On a layover, he meets the beautiful Alex who is just like him- constantly traveling with no desire for roots and a love for the road. For the first time, he really has something to hang on to. But his life is dedicated to work. His company has decided to change their delivery methods. No longer will they be up for hire to fire your employees in person, but they can do it now over a computer call thanks to newbie Natalie. Before they green light the program, Ryan convinces his company to let him go out on the road one more time for a tour. The only problem is that he has to take Natalie along to show her the ropes. With Natalie by his side, Ryan is finding a whole new human side to him that wants the baggage and the roots and the feeling of being tied down. With Alex around he feels like he can finally belong to someone. But the road is home, and that could be enough to keep him from becoming the person he needs to become.
As the winner of a Golden Globe for best screenplay, this George Clooney film hits quite a few emotions all at once. From the director of Juno, Up in the Air is a new way to show what happens when you lose your way and get stuck in your work. By being married to his work, Ryan never really lived. He had no passion and his only goal was to get more miles added to his record. By meeting two incredibly different women, Ryan's life is changed. Natalie has a totally different view of life. She wants to get married and have a life that matches what she always dreamed of. Alex is the women on the run. She finds the air an escape from life that gets confusing on land. With these two points of view, Ryan is able to find his way.
Ryan Bingham has been living in and out of airport terminals for so long that they have become his sense of home. He doesn't take anymore than a carry on anywhere including where he goes emotionally. On a layover, he meets the beautiful Alex who is just like him- constantly traveling with no desire for roots and a love for the road. For the first time, he really has something to hang on to. But his life is dedicated to work. His company has decided to change their delivery methods. No longer will they be up for hire to fire your employees in person, but they can do it now over a computer call thanks to newbie Natalie. Before they green light the program, Ryan convinces his company to let him go out on the road one more time for a tour. The only problem is that he has to take Natalie along to show her the ropes. With Natalie by his side, Ryan is finding a whole new human side to him that wants the baggage and the roots and the feeling of being tied down. With Alex around he feels like he can finally belong to someone. But the road is home, and that could be enough to keep him from becoming the person he needs to become.
As the winner of a Golden Globe for best screenplay, this George Clooney film hits quite a few emotions all at once. From the director of Juno, Up in the Air is a new way to show what happens when you lose your way and get stuck in your work. By being married to his work, Ryan never really lived. He had no passion and his only goal was to get more miles added to his record. By meeting two incredibly different women, Ryan's life is changed. Natalie has a totally different view of life. She wants to get married and have a life that matches what she always dreamed of. Alex is the women on the run. She finds the air an escape from life that gets confusing on land. With these two points of view, Ryan is able to find his way.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Capture of Culture- Art and Copy
In the world of advertising there are those who "have it" and those who don't.
Before Beats were sold by music videos, advertising was a small market full of crazy creatives with wacky ideas on how to change the world. Armed with wicked senses of humor, artists and misfits flocked to the world of advertising in an attempt to find their voice. Advertising is a form of mental manipulation; it takes a very special kind of person to do it right. Some of the most powerful political ads like "count down" and "it's morning in America" came from the same people who designed the ads for colorful airlines and VW Bugs. With a certain style to each person they were able to find new ways to market and sell products to a willing audience of consumers. Now days, ads rely heavily on product recognition and celebrity endorsement, but advertising has grown into such a large industry now. Like internet companies, advertising companies have become creative environments for their employees to work. With oversized birds' nests, rock band performances, and basketball courts some of the best advertising firms look more like google and facebook headquarters. All this just to sell you something.
I was impressed by how controversial these advertisers strive to be. They're so cutting edge and right on the line of "acceptable". They weren't afraid to push the limits in their day which I think is admirable considering in their business if the customer is offended you've lost them. They truly believed they would change the world with their work, and I think they did. Powerful ads can do a lot more than we think. A political ad can change your opinion of a candidate. A cool looking car ad can make you look at a brand of vehicle you might not have considered before. It's all a science in the art of balance.
Before Beats were sold by music videos, advertising was a small market full of crazy creatives with wacky ideas on how to change the world. Armed with wicked senses of humor, artists and misfits flocked to the world of advertising in an attempt to find their voice. Advertising is a form of mental manipulation; it takes a very special kind of person to do it right. Some of the most powerful political ads like "count down" and "it's morning in America" came from the same people who designed the ads for colorful airlines and VW Bugs. With a certain style to each person they were able to find new ways to market and sell products to a willing audience of consumers. Now days, ads rely heavily on product recognition and celebrity endorsement, but advertising has grown into such a large industry now. Like internet companies, advertising companies have become creative environments for their employees to work. With oversized birds' nests, rock band performances, and basketball courts some of the best advertising firms look more like google and facebook headquarters. All this just to sell you something.
I was impressed by how controversial these advertisers strive to be. They're so cutting edge and right on the line of "acceptable". They weren't afraid to push the limits in their day which I think is admirable considering in their business if the customer is offended you've lost them. They truly believed they would change the world with their work, and I think they did. Powerful ads can do a lot more than we think. A political ad can change your opinion of a candidate. A cool looking car ad can make you look at a brand of vehicle you might not have considered before. It's all a science in the art of balance.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Stream of the Week- While You Were Sleeping
Because sometimes all love needs is a coma.
Lucy spent her life watching people get on and off trains. There were the usuals that she saw everyday. One of those was Peter, an attractive business person who Lucy fell for over time. One day, Peter is waiting for a train when he gets mugged and pushed on to the tracks. Lucy manages to roll him off the tracks and save him, but he is still unconscious when she moves him. When Peter gets moved to the hospital, they won't let Lucy see him because she isn't family. A nurse tells the doctor that Lucy is Peter's fiancé which allows her into the ICU. Soon the story of Lucy being Peter's fiancé who saved him off the tracks spreads, and Peter's family soon meets her. Lucy is too far in now to tell them it's all a lie, so she plays along. Her week of being Peter's fiancé allows her to have a family for the first time and truly makes her happy. While waiting for Peter to wake up, Lucy spends much of her time with Peter's brother Jack. Lucy and Jack seem to be perfectly made for each other in everyway. When Peter wakes up, however, Lucy knows she'll either have to tell the truth or marry Peter even though now her heart belongs to Jack.
Who doesn't love a 1995 rom com directed by the same man who directed the first two National Treasure films? Nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, Sandra Bullock once again plays the likeable, relatable, yet completely enchanting heroine who carries the film with her balance of awkward comedy and charm. Between Speed, Miss Congeniality, and this film Sandra Bullock has established herself in the roll of the hardworking average girl destined for greatness. And though it's cheesy, this film really is a little gem. While You Were Sleeping truly captures the dynamic of a crazy family while still keeping to the genre norms when it comes to impossible situations and falling in love with the opposing personality. What more can you ask for in a rom com?
Lucy spent her life watching people get on and off trains. There were the usuals that she saw everyday. One of those was Peter, an attractive business person who Lucy fell for over time. One day, Peter is waiting for a train when he gets mugged and pushed on to the tracks. Lucy manages to roll him off the tracks and save him, but he is still unconscious when she moves him. When Peter gets moved to the hospital, they won't let Lucy see him because she isn't family. A nurse tells the doctor that Lucy is Peter's fiancé which allows her into the ICU. Soon the story of Lucy being Peter's fiancé who saved him off the tracks spreads, and Peter's family soon meets her. Lucy is too far in now to tell them it's all a lie, so she plays along. Her week of being Peter's fiancé allows her to have a family for the first time and truly makes her happy. While waiting for Peter to wake up, Lucy spends much of her time with Peter's brother Jack. Lucy and Jack seem to be perfectly made for each other in everyway. When Peter wakes up, however, Lucy knows she'll either have to tell the truth or marry Peter even though now her heart belongs to Jack.
Who doesn't love a 1995 rom com directed by the same man who directed the first two National Treasure films? Nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, Sandra Bullock once again plays the likeable, relatable, yet completely enchanting heroine who carries the film with her balance of awkward comedy and charm. Between Speed, Miss Congeniality, and this film Sandra Bullock has established herself in the roll of the hardworking average girl destined for greatness. And though it's cheesy, this film really is a little gem. While You Were Sleeping truly captures the dynamic of a crazy family while still keeping to the genre norms when it comes to impossible situations and falling in love with the opposing personality. What more can you ask for in a rom com?
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Capture of Culture- Capital C
"You don't have to wait around for companies anymore."
It is incredibly difficult for businesses to get any type of funding from corporations without those companies wanting their image to be changed. Creators don't have the chance to create to their full potential when tied to purse strings. Small town businesses and innovators were forced to go to big box companies and pitch their ideas often with the notion that they would have to give up something significant in order to be funded- maybe it would be ownership, maybe it would be their image. Then crowd funding appeared on the market. Through the interconnected nature of the internet, crowd funding takes creators and puts them in touch with the general public of people who want to fund projects. Through goal setting and the promise of products in return, people can start their own projects that take their idea and what they want and make it possible. Capital C follows the stories of several different crowd funded projects as they go from hitting their goal to product production. These projects consume their entire lives because it becomes their passion. Those are the types of people that consumers want making their products.
Capital C does a great job of putting a positive light on the subject of crowd funding. Too often, these types of documentaries turn into shows about how people's lives are overrun and taken over by their work. With plenty of candid interviews, this documentary does a good job of showing the passion behind this work. It is important to see how the creators react to the feedback and trials they receive through the crowd funding. One group has to deal with a copy cat company; another has to makes sure their product is approved by their funders before they can mass produce it. The connection is greatly explored and well presented. Plus who doesn't love stories about people who make cozy socks for your beverages?
It is incredibly difficult for businesses to get any type of funding from corporations without those companies wanting their image to be changed. Creators don't have the chance to create to their full potential when tied to purse strings. Small town businesses and innovators were forced to go to big box companies and pitch their ideas often with the notion that they would have to give up something significant in order to be funded- maybe it would be ownership, maybe it would be their image. Then crowd funding appeared on the market. Through the interconnected nature of the internet, crowd funding takes creators and puts them in touch with the general public of people who want to fund projects. Through goal setting and the promise of products in return, people can start their own projects that take their idea and what they want and make it possible. Capital C follows the stories of several different crowd funded projects as they go from hitting their goal to product production. These projects consume their entire lives because it becomes their passion. Those are the types of people that consumers want making their products.
Capital C does a great job of putting a positive light on the subject of crowd funding. Too often, these types of documentaries turn into shows about how people's lives are overrun and taken over by their work. With plenty of candid interviews, this documentary does a good job of showing the passion behind this work. It is important to see how the creators react to the feedback and trials they receive through the crowd funding. One group has to deal with a copy cat company; another has to makes sure their product is approved by their funders before they can mass produce it. The connection is greatly explored and well presented. Plus who doesn't love stories about people who make cozy socks for your beverages?
Friday, October 2, 2015
Stream of the Week- I.Q.
Love is unquantifiable.
When Albert Einstein's niece pulls into a garage with fiancé James in tow, Ed, a simple mechanic with a love for science, falls immediately in love. Desperate to see her again, he goes to the billing address left on the repair slip for her car and finds Albert Einstein. Ed convinces Albert that his and Catherine's lives are intertwined and together they would be forever happy. Albert cannot resist the challenge of getting Ed and Catherine together, so with a group of his science buddies, they make Ed into the kind of man Catherine would appreciate- a genius. Together, they hatch a plan to pawn off as Ed's theories on Cold Fusion which would help put a rocket in space. Ed's "theory" completely enthralls Catherine as they begin to spend time together so that Ed can present his work at a science conference. Ed's lies begin to build up as Catherine falls even more in love with him. On the side, her fiancé James begins to pale in comparison as he doesn't truly foster Catherine's own scientific endeavors. Catherine continues to work on Ed's theories and begins to see flaws in the study. She is just about to expose Ed for a fraud and ruin his chances of ever being with her.
Am I a sucker for a rom com? Do I love Meg Ryan? If you can answer both of these as yes then you are in luck. This film is cheesey and light which makes it a perfect afternoon watch. Walter Matthau plays an excellent matchmaker as Albert Einstein, and the film benefits from his crazy antics. Even a man of science can have a theory on love. Though a bit one dimensional, all the characters mesh well together in a cute way which really makes no villain and a trio of heroes. Ed really is a smart guy just not a PhD, and Catherine may be a mathematician, but she also wants to be wooed. From the director of Roxanne, another sweet rom com, this film is an easy watch.
When Albert Einstein's niece pulls into a garage with fiancé James in tow, Ed, a simple mechanic with a love for science, falls immediately in love. Desperate to see her again, he goes to the billing address left on the repair slip for her car and finds Albert Einstein. Ed convinces Albert that his and Catherine's lives are intertwined and together they would be forever happy. Albert cannot resist the challenge of getting Ed and Catherine together, so with a group of his science buddies, they make Ed into the kind of man Catherine would appreciate- a genius. Together, they hatch a plan to pawn off as Ed's theories on Cold Fusion which would help put a rocket in space. Ed's "theory" completely enthralls Catherine as they begin to spend time together so that Ed can present his work at a science conference. Ed's lies begin to build up as Catherine falls even more in love with him. On the side, her fiancé James begins to pale in comparison as he doesn't truly foster Catherine's own scientific endeavors. Catherine continues to work on Ed's theories and begins to see flaws in the study. She is just about to expose Ed for a fraud and ruin his chances of ever being with her.
Am I a sucker for a rom com? Do I love Meg Ryan? If you can answer both of these as yes then you are in luck. This film is cheesey and light which makes it a perfect afternoon watch. Walter Matthau plays an excellent matchmaker as Albert Einstein, and the film benefits from his crazy antics. Even a man of science can have a theory on love. Though a bit one dimensional, all the characters mesh well together in a cute way which really makes no villain and a trio of heroes. Ed really is a smart guy just not a PhD, and Catherine may be a mathematician, but she also wants to be wooed. From the director of Roxanne, another sweet rom com, this film is an easy watch.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Capture of Culture- Iris
"I love the process more than wearing them."
For decades, Iris Apfel has been a stylistic trend setter in New York and in the fashion world. Her eclectic style and vast collection of costume jewelry has made her the go to expert on how to best set up and display jewelry and fashion in museums and windows. In her younger days, Iris was an interior designer with a wide range of cliental. Her clients wanted what they couldn't find anywhere else, so Iris spent all of her time searching the globe for the most unique and eccentric pieces she could. Eventually, her design was able to find it's way into a very interesting market- the textile industry. Iris designed textiles based on old world designs each of which was one of a kind and well produced. Her talents with fabric design often lent her to working with the White House on restoration projects and the decorating of the building. Iris's collection of interesting clothing designs and jewelry continues to display all over the world. Her new interests revolve around her design company. She designs jewelry and accessories which she promotes endlessly with talks and TV appearances. She still goes to all the shows and parties and openings as New York's golden girl of fashion. Her sense of humor and grandness at her age have made her an important part of the fashion industry. She truly is the definition of the industry.
Documentaries like this are so enjoyable because they expose a point of culture while also serving as a catalogue of images of what is part of that industry. Legendary documentary maker Albert Maysles made this film just before his passing in early 2015. Iris is considered his last film and acts as a great bookend to a long career. It's fun and exciting and full of fantastical witticisms made by fashion maven herself, Iris Apfel.
For decades, Iris Apfel has been a stylistic trend setter in New York and in the fashion world. Her eclectic style and vast collection of costume jewelry has made her the go to expert on how to best set up and display jewelry and fashion in museums and windows. In her younger days, Iris was an interior designer with a wide range of cliental. Her clients wanted what they couldn't find anywhere else, so Iris spent all of her time searching the globe for the most unique and eccentric pieces she could. Eventually, her design was able to find it's way into a very interesting market- the textile industry. Iris designed textiles based on old world designs each of which was one of a kind and well produced. Her talents with fabric design often lent her to working with the White House on restoration projects and the decorating of the building. Iris's collection of interesting clothing designs and jewelry continues to display all over the world. Her new interests revolve around her design company. She designs jewelry and accessories which she promotes endlessly with talks and TV appearances. She still goes to all the shows and parties and openings as New York's golden girl of fashion. Her sense of humor and grandness at her age have made her an important part of the fashion industry. She truly is the definition of the industry.
Documentaries like this are so enjoyable because they expose a point of culture while also serving as a catalogue of images of what is part of that industry. Legendary documentary maker Albert Maysles made this film just before his passing in early 2015. Iris is considered his last film and acts as a great bookend to a long career. It's fun and exciting and full of fantastical witticisms made by fashion maven herself, Iris Apfel.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Stream of the Week- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
You've got 21 days left, and you don't want to spend it with just anyone.
Dodge spent his whole life being afraid of dying alone, but now that a 70 mile wide asteroid he's got no one to be with. His wife leaves him when she finds out that there is no hope for the planet and they've only got three weeks left to go. After a run in with the neighbor girl, Penny, Dodge decides that he's going to go find his high school sweetheart before the end. That night, however, jump starts the journey when riots break out in the city. Attempting to get out from the fray, Dodge, a stray dog named Sorry, and Penny leave the city. Penny wants to get home to her family across the pond, but she missed all the last flights out of the country, so Dodge offers to take her to a "friend" that he has that owns a plane if she'll go with him to see his sweetheart. Penny is a free spirit and a hopeless romantic which plays off of Dodge's very minimalistic life full of routine. Along the way, they meet a trucker who hires a hit squad, a very "friendly" group of waiters, an Ex of Penny's who is prepared for the end of the world, and finally Dodge's father. As the two journey across state lines, they open up to each other learning more about themselves and how they plan to spend their end of the world.
The writer and director of this film, Lorene Scafaria, also directed several New Girl episodes and was an extra on Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Her cutesy apocalyptic style gives the film a very sentimental feel while still exploring the idea of how people will act when they know the world is going to end. Shout out to the dog, Aleister, who played Sorry and was crazy adorable as a sidekick to the great chemistry between romantic Penny and quiet Dodge. Penny is so open about her whole life constantly telling stories and explaining her thoughts. Dodge, on the other hand, never explains himself or where he came from. He just listens. The two of them find that they aren't really alone after all. They have each other, and that's more than enough.
Dodge spent his whole life being afraid of dying alone, but now that a 70 mile wide asteroid he's got no one to be with. His wife leaves him when she finds out that there is no hope for the planet and they've only got three weeks left to go. After a run in with the neighbor girl, Penny, Dodge decides that he's going to go find his high school sweetheart before the end. That night, however, jump starts the journey when riots break out in the city. Attempting to get out from the fray, Dodge, a stray dog named Sorry, and Penny leave the city. Penny wants to get home to her family across the pond, but she missed all the last flights out of the country, so Dodge offers to take her to a "friend" that he has that owns a plane if she'll go with him to see his sweetheart. Penny is a free spirit and a hopeless romantic which plays off of Dodge's very minimalistic life full of routine. Along the way, they meet a trucker who hires a hit squad, a very "friendly" group of waiters, an Ex of Penny's who is prepared for the end of the world, and finally Dodge's father. As the two journey across state lines, they open up to each other learning more about themselves and how they plan to spend their end of the world.
The writer and director of this film, Lorene Scafaria, also directed several New Girl episodes and was an extra on Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Her cutesy apocalyptic style gives the film a very sentimental feel while still exploring the idea of how people will act when they know the world is going to end. Shout out to the dog, Aleister, who played Sorry and was crazy adorable as a sidekick to the great chemistry between romantic Penny and quiet Dodge. Penny is so open about her whole life constantly telling stories and explaining her thoughts. Dodge, on the other hand, never explains himself or where he came from. He just listens. The two of them find that they aren't really alone after all. They have each other, and that's more than enough.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Marion Dougherty
Sometimes you have to go with your gut. Not all guts are equal.
Every movie is just a bare bones script without the addition of talent to bring to life a two dimensional role. It is the job of the actors to bring that script to life. Who picks the actors to take on this momentous task? The casting directors. Marion Dougherty grew up in a small Pennsylvania town (my hometown!!) and eventually became the best of the best in the casting world. Before there was even a market for her skill, she was casting the Kraft Theater TV show. She discovered actors like Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Close, and James Dean. Most of her career went uncredited, but Marion Dougherty is the reason that casting exists today.
Before casting, studios would bring actors on through contracts. They would take these contrasted actors and give them weekly lessons and weekly salaries. Clint Eastwood was one of these contracted actors to a studio. However, once added onto a contract it was very easy to be stuck with the same type cast over and over again. "Oh, you played the doctor last time? Yeah do that again." The entire career of a contract actor to a studio depended on their first job with that studio because that is the type of character they would play for the rest of their careers. Marion had a different approach. She was originally brought on to work at Kraft Theater by a friend who needed an assistant. She quickly came up with her own system for casting these pieces. Instead of reducing actors to one sort of role, Marion would list any ideas that would come to her mind while they were auditioning onto a note card and catalogue it. These cards would hold details about their person, the types of characters she thought they could try, and who they most looked like. Marion's system worked famously as she was able to bring in a host of great actors to star as one episode characters on her show. She also loved to discover new film talent. Most of her favorite and most successful actors came from the stages of the New York scene. Marion would go from her brownstone office to a theater to see the fresh faces in hopes of finding one that could make her hair stand up on the back of her neck. That's when she knew she had a live one. It happened with Al Pacino, so she must have done something right.
Quite quickly, Marion shifted from TV shows to films with the help of George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and Slap Shot). George was a long time friend and confidant after their first jobs together casting The World of Henry Orient. After that first experience, they hardly worked without each other. Marion had an eye for who would work well together as a duo. She did so with Butch and the Kid in Butch Cassidy and she did it for the duo in Midnight Cowboy. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for casting directors to get any credit from the studios or the academy. Technically, their field didn't exist. Some directors didn't even like the title of the casting department heads. They believed that "director" should be reserved for them and them alone. Marion pushed on and eventually found herself working with a studio as their head of casting. That's how she got actors like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover to work on the screen together in Lethal Weapon. Studios didn't like how she operated though. They were moving in the direction of getting larger names, not better faces for the roles. Marion was soon booted from the company roster as they thought her job didn't help their cause.
So Marion may not have won any awards, but she did touch a ton of lives and changed the way films were made- with focus on the actors, not the type cast. That's pretty important now days. It's nice to know that a girl from my hometown could make such a difference.
For more information check out Casting By (documentary on Netflix) and My Casting Couch was too Short (book).
Every movie is just a bare bones script without the addition of talent to bring to life a two dimensional role. It is the job of the actors to bring that script to life. Who picks the actors to take on this momentous task? The casting directors. Marion Dougherty grew up in a small Pennsylvania town (my hometown!!) and eventually became the best of the best in the casting world. Before there was even a market for her skill, she was casting the Kraft Theater TV show. She discovered actors like Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Close, and James Dean. Most of her career went uncredited, but Marion Dougherty is the reason that casting exists today.
Before casting, studios would bring actors on through contracts. They would take these contrasted actors and give them weekly lessons and weekly salaries. Clint Eastwood was one of these contracted actors to a studio. However, once added onto a contract it was very easy to be stuck with the same type cast over and over again. "Oh, you played the doctor last time? Yeah do that again." The entire career of a contract actor to a studio depended on their first job with that studio because that is the type of character they would play for the rest of their careers. Marion had a different approach. She was originally brought on to work at Kraft Theater by a friend who needed an assistant. She quickly came up with her own system for casting these pieces. Instead of reducing actors to one sort of role, Marion would list any ideas that would come to her mind while they were auditioning onto a note card and catalogue it. These cards would hold details about their person, the types of characters she thought they could try, and who they most looked like. Marion's system worked famously as she was able to bring in a host of great actors to star as one episode characters on her show. She also loved to discover new film talent. Most of her favorite and most successful actors came from the stages of the New York scene. Marion would go from her brownstone office to a theater to see the fresh faces in hopes of finding one that could make her hair stand up on the back of her neck. That's when she knew she had a live one. It happened with Al Pacino, so she must have done something right.
Quite quickly, Marion shifted from TV shows to films with the help of George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and Slap Shot). George was a long time friend and confidant after their first jobs together casting The World of Henry Orient. After that first experience, they hardly worked without each other. Marion had an eye for who would work well together as a duo. She did so with Butch and the Kid in Butch Cassidy and she did it for the duo in Midnight Cowboy. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for casting directors to get any credit from the studios or the academy. Technically, their field didn't exist. Some directors didn't even like the title of the casting department heads. They believed that "director" should be reserved for them and them alone. Marion pushed on and eventually found herself working with a studio as their head of casting. That's how she got actors like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover to work on the screen together in Lethal Weapon. Studios didn't like how she operated though. They were moving in the direction of getting larger names, not better faces for the roles. Marion was soon booted from the company roster as they thought her job didn't help their cause.
So Marion may not have won any awards, but she did touch a ton of lives and changed the way films were made- with focus on the actors, not the type cast. That's pretty important now days. It's nice to know that a girl from my hometown could make such a difference.
For more information check out Casting By (documentary on Netflix) and My Casting Couch was too Short (book).
Friday, September 18, 2015
Stream of the Week- Leap Year
Thank goodness for superstitions and traditions.
Anna had a plan. She always had a plan. Her perfect boyfriend, Jeremy, and almost apartment were exactly what she had always wanted. But after four years, Jeremy still hadn't proposed. So while he went away to a conference in Dublin, Anna decided to take part in an old Irish tradition and propose to Jeremy on February 29th on the Leap year. Her plan was to get there in time to surprise him and be completely ready, however, mother nature had a different plan. After a storm, Anna's plan got grounded as did the ferry that was to take her to Dublin. She had no where to stay and night was fast approaching. Tired and completely soaked from the lovely weather of the countryside, Anna stops in a pub to ask for a taxi. Unfortunately, the only taxi driver around was the owner of the pub, a young man who from the start really rubbed Anna the wrong way. But she was desperate, So in the morning, Anna and the detestable Declan hopped in an old car set out for Dublin. Their trip starts out bumpy when Anna accidently gets the car stuck in a lake forcing Declan and herself to walk the highway to the nearest town. They miss the train to Dublin and end up getting stuck in a B&B where they have to act like they are a married couple in order to get a room. All in all, Anna starts to soften to Declan's opinionated and rough ways as he starts to fall for her over prepared commanding way. By the time Anna finally reaches Dublin, she's not even sure that proposing to Jeremy is the way to go.
From the writers of Maid of Honor, this romantic comedy takes the usual "hate you, like you, marry me" bit to a different location somewhat reminiscent of the Decoy Bride (a personal favorite). The Highland flair infused in the film is steeped with tradition and the simple pleasure of being content in the country. You don't always need a plan to be happy. The characters portrayed by Amy Adams and Matthew Goode appear to be complete opposites of each other which makes them perfectly suited for arguing in the beginning and well placed to change each other's lives.
Anna had a plan. She always had a plan. Her perfect boyfriend, Jeremy, and almost apartment were exactly what she had always wanted. But after four years, Jeremy still hadn't proposed. So while he went away to a conference in Dublin, Anna decided to take part in an old Irish tradition and propose to Jeremy on February 29th on the Leap year. Her plan was to get there in time to surprise him and be completely ready, however, mother nature had a different plan. After a storm, Anna's plan got grounded as did the ferry that was to take her to Dublin. She had no where to stay and night was fast approaching. Tired and completely soaked from the lovely weather of the countryside, Anna stops in a pub to ask for a taxi. Unfortunately, the only taxi driver around was the owner of the pub, a young man who from the start really rubbed Anna the wrong way. But she was desperate, So in the morning, Anna and the detestable Declan hopped in an old car set out for Dublin. Their trip starts out bumpy when Anna accidently gets the car stuck in a lake forcing Declan and herself to walk the highway to the nearest town. They miss the train to Dublin and end up getting stuck in a B&B where they have to act like they are a married couple in order to get a room. All in all, Anna starts to soften to Declan's opinionated and rough ways as he starts to fall for her over prepared commanding way. By the time Anna finally reaches Dublin, she's not even sure that proposing to Jeremy is the way to go.
From the writers of Maid of Honor, this romantic comedy takes the usual "hate you, like you, marry me" bit to a different location somewhat reminiscent of the Decoy Bride (a personal favorite). The Highland flair infused in the film is steeped with tradition and the simple pleasure of being content in the country. You don't always need a plan to be happy. The characters portrayed by Amy Adams and Matthew Goode appear to be complete opposites of each other which makes them perfectly suited for arguing in the beginning and well placed to change each other's lives.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Capture of Culture- Just About Famous
People think they're crazy. They're not. They're just crazy passionate.
There's such a large population of people who look like celebrities. They do parties, performances, and even funerals. Every year the Sunburst Festival is held as a place for all of these entertainers to come together and work on collecting agents as well as connect with other performers. Some of them want billboards with their act on them. Some of them just want to dance on a stage and give fans the chance to get close to their favorite performers. Either way, each year lookalikes flock to the Sunburst festival to congregate and perform. The lookalikes, or impersonators, are very adamant about one thing- they are not crazy. They take their looks and use them to start careers in which they can change the way people look at aspects at life. For the Bill Clinton and George Bush impersonating crew, their looks give them the chance to talk to college kids and real people about politics and the government. They have used their looks to become educators bringing important information to the masses in a different way. For the Madonna impersonator, it's all about performing for fans. People love Madonna, and she wants them to have the chance to have their Madonna moment. For an Obama impersonator, it's all about getting people to vote and become educated about local politics. They lookalike and use it to help spread the messages they find so relevant and important to society.
This film catalogues a few of the performer's journeys as they prepare for Sunburst and take their characters to the next level. Directors Jason Kovacsey and Matt Mamula expanded Just About Famous from a short documentary they made in 2010. They mix the stories that people have being lookalikes with festival preparation and footage showing the true life of an impersonator.
There's such a large population of people who look like celebrities. They do parties, performances, and even funerals. Every year the Sunburst Festival is held as a place for all of these entertainers to come together and work on collecting agents as well as connect with other performers. Some of them want billboards with their act on them. Some of them just want to dance on a stage and give fans the chance to get close to their favorite performers. Either way, each year lookalikes flock to the Sunburst festival to congregate and perform. The lookalikes, or impersonators, are very adamant about one thing- they are not crazy. They take their looks and use them to start careers in which they can change the way people look at aspects at life. For the Bill Clinton and George Bush impersonating crew, their looks give them the chance to talk to college kids and real people about politics and the government. They have used their looks to become educators bringing important information to the masses in a different way. For the Madonna impersonator, it's all about performing for fans. People love Madonna, and she wants them to have the chance to have their Madonna moment. For an Obama impersonator, it's all about getting people to vote and become educated about local politics. They lookalike and use it to help spread the messages they find so relevant and important to society.
This film catalogues a few of the performer's journeys as they prepare for Sunburst and take their characters to the next level. Directors Jason Kovacsey and Matt Mamula expanded Just About Famous from a short documentary they made in 2010. They mix the stories that people have being lookalikes with festival preparation and footage showing the true life of an impersonator.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Stream of the Week- My Best Friend's Wedding
Maybe there won't be marriage, maybe there won't be sex, but by God there will be dancing.
After nine years of friendship and constantly putting Michael in the friend zone, Julianne must confront her actual feelings when she finds out Michael is engaged to the lovely Kim. It's all rushing pretty fast at her, and Julianne only has four days to fly to his wedding and break them up because she can't stand to have him love another woman more than he ever loved her. With her gay best friend on speed dial, Julianne rushes to Chicago only to meet Kim and realize that she's perfect. She has no flaws, and the one's she does have Michael thinks are cute. After multiple attempts to break them up through manipulation, Julianne thinks she has the perfect plot. She uses Kim's father's huge business as a chance to take a stab at what Michael loves- his job. She thinks that if she impersonates Kim's father in an email to Michael's current employer telling him that his job is in the way of Kim's happiness, Michael will see how manipulative Kim can be. But, the manipulation is all on Julianne's part. She confesses her love for Michael with a kiss that Kim sees, and she is forced to come to terms with the truth, Michael loves Kim, and she was just playing the bad guy.
This film directed by P.J. Hogan (Muriel's Wedding, Confessions of a Shopaholic) was one of the highest grossing films in 1997 as well as one of Julia Robert's most famous films (after Pretty Woman of course). The film was well praised by critics for it's spin on the genre by turning the main character into the "bad guy" until she learns her lesson. On top of that, there are spectacular performances by the charming Rupert Everett (great name) and Julia Roberts.
Personally, I can watch rom com's all day, but what I really enjoy about this film is how it doesn't exactly end the romantic way that we think it should. The resolution isn't ideal, but that is true to life, and that is all I can ask a film to be.
After nine years of friendship and constantly putting Michael in the friend zone, Julianne must confront her actual feelings when she finds out Michael is engaged to the lovely Kim. It's all rushing pretty fast at her, and Julianne only has four days to fly to his wedding and break them up because she can't stand to have him love another woman more than he ever loved her. With her gay best friend on speed dial, Julianne rushes to Chicago only to meet Kim and realize that she's perfect. She has no flaws, and the one's she does have Michael thinks are cute. After multiple attempts to break them up through manipulation, Julianne thinks she has the perfect plot. She uses Kim's father's huge business as a chance to take a stab at what Michael loves- his job. She thinks that if she impersonates Kim's father in an email to Michael's current employer telling him that his job is in the way of Kim's happiness, Michael will see how manipulative Kim can be. But, the manipulation is all on Julianne's part. She confesses her love for Michael with a kiss that Kim sees, and she is forced to come to terms with the truth, Michael loves Kim, and she was just playing the bad guy.
This film directed by P.J. Hogan (Muriel's Wedding, Confessions of a Shopaholic) was one of the highest grossing films in 1997 as well as one of Julia Robert's most famous films (after Pretty Woman of course). The film was well praised by critics for it's spin on the genre by turning the main character into the "bad guy" until she learns her lesson. On top of that, there are spectacular performances by the charming Rupert Everett (great name) and Julia Roberts.
Personally, I can watch rom com's all day, but what I really enjoy about this film is how it doesn't exactly end the romantic way that we think it should. The resolution isn't ideal, but that is true to life, and that is all I can ask a film to be.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
M. Night. Shyamalan
Signs
Reverend Graham Hess has recently lost his wife and his faith. His life was turned upside down when his beloved wife Colleen was hit by the local vet when he fell asleep driving. Her final words to Graham were "See. Tell Merrill to swing away." At the time it seemed as if Colleen was flashing back to the baseball games they used to watch to support Graham's brother Merrill. Merrill, no longer a baseball player due to an arm injury, has moved back home to help his brother Graham raise his two children, Bo and Morgan, now that Colleen is gone. Graham is busying himself with his morning routine when he hears his daughter Bo screaming outside in the family's cornfield. Alarmed, both Graham and Merrill run to the sounds of Bo and Morgan to find that in the center of their field, crop circles have been drawn in the corn. Hundreds of stalks of corn have been bent over, not broken, creating elaborate patterns in the corn from above. At first, Graham assumes that the crop circles are the product of a prank pulled by some of the teenage hooligans around the area, but the next night Graham sees what he thinks to be one of those boys on his roof. Graham and Merrill go outside to chase the perpetrator off only to find that the figure is twice as fast as them and can jump from the ground to their roof with no trouble. The manage to run him off their roof and into the cornfield. The authorities are called the next morning. Officer Paski comes to the Hess home to take down a description of the perp and explains that other strange things have been happening around the area. Animals are acting up; they get edgy and defensive as if they are being chased by a predator. Strangers have been seen in the shadows lurking around homes in the town. Similar crop circles to the ones in the Hess field start showing up all over the world causing wide spread panic. Many scientists start to theorize as to where they are coming from. Their conclusion? Aliens. Fascinated by the idea of aliens, Graham's children Bo and Morgan begin to read up on the topic drawing the conclusion that either the aliens are just making contact or they're hostile. Graham is still not a believer. Lights appear in the sky above major cities, and Morgan beings to pick up weird signals on Bo's old baby monitor which he believes is the aliens talking to each other. One afternoon, Graham receives a panicked phone call from the vet who killed Colleen. When arriving at the house, Graham discovers that this vet has found and trapped one of the creatures in his cupboard. Still not convinced, Graham attempts to observe the creature from under the crack of the door. The alien reaches out it's hand and tries to hurt Graham who responds by cutting the fingers off of the exposed hand. Graham returns to his home and tries to convince his family to leave the area, but they are unwilling to move, so instead they decide to fortify their home to survive the invasion. On the outside, people are battling the aliens trying to find their weakness. After a tense night hiding in the basement while the aliens try to find a way in, the Hess family thinks the coast is clear. It is not.
The Sixth Sense
Once a great child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe is attacked in his home by a former patient. Several months after the attack, Malcolm is recovered and shifts his focus onto a new subject who has similar traits and issues as the former patient who attempted to kill him. Cole, a young boy living with his single mother, is an outcast in his age group due to his odd behaviors. He draws pictures of violent scenes and wakes up with scratches on his arms. Cole is reluctant to talk to Malcolm, but after so tired of being scared and alone and having multiple episodes which take him to the hospital, Cole let's Malcolm in on his secret- he sees dead people. It doesn't matter how they died or where they are from, Cole is able to see them as they attempt to communicate with him. Cole is frightened, and rightly so. He doesn't know how to handle their menacing nature except to keep it to himself and hide. Meanwhile, Malcolm is dealing with his own demons at home because his once loving wife, Anna, has been ignoring him since the day of the attack. She spends her time alone and unhappy while the two of them pass like ships in the night. Malcolm is unsure of what he has done or how to handle the situation. Malcolm suggests to Cole that he listen to the ghosts that come and visit them. His theory is that they want to communicate a message and will leave him alone once their final wishes are completed. Cole is frightened, but attempts it. He is able to help some of the ghosts that come to visit him. Their problems make them less frightening to Cole, but their presence is still unsettling and will remain to haunt him forever. Now comfortable facing his own issues, Cole discovers something about Malcolm that explains his odd predicament with both Anna and the physical world in general.
Unbreakable
Elijah Price has been plagued with a type of disease that makes his bones very brittle and able to break all his life. His medical conditions have limited in him in every way, but his obsession with comic books and super heroes have been an escape from his person issues. After every disaster, Elijah looks for some sort of sign to prove that superheroes are real- one survivor in a deadly accident. Hotel fires and train wrecks have all been extensively researched by Elijah in hopes of finding a survivor. That survivor is David. David is the lone survivor of a massive train accident and he leaves without a scratch. Now on his radar, Elijah attempts to contact David to see if he is the real McCoy. At first, David doesn't believe Elijah's crackpot theories about him being a superhero, but soon David realizes that he's never taken a sick day at work and has never had an injury except for one that he fabricated in order to stop playing football and be with his high sweetheart. Elijah also get the idea of David being a superhero into the head of David's son, Joseph. Joseph becomes convinced that David is a superhero and attempts to prove it by pulling a gun on his dad. David is not convinced and has to talk David down from shooting him. But in the back of David's mind, the idea of being a superhuman is even more pronounced. People brush past him and he is able to see what they have just done, like visions in his mind. David goes to a crowded station in order to test his strengths. A man brushes past him that puts a vision of a family in trouble in his mind, so David follows him. David fights both the assailant and his greatest weakness- his inability to swim, in order to save the family. His triumph does not go unnoticed. He visits Elijah to speak over his work, but quickly finds that Elijah's attempts to find someone like David were not entirely research only. Elijah himself caused many of the accidents he looked through in order to find David.
The Village
For years, the inhabitants of Covington Woods had been undisturbed by those who were not talked about. These who were not discussed were creatures who lived in the woods striking fear into the hearts of the inhabitants of the village. Without modern technology, the people in the village are susceptible to illness. After the death of a young village boy, Lucius Hunt a council member's son offers, to go through the woods to a "town" in order to collect medicine that could save lives in the future. The Council members, however, deny him permission. The village members know that Lucius would go to the woods and be attacked and never return if he were to come across one of those who are not talked about. His request is forgotten and life continues. The creatures, however, start to creep into the village leaving behind dead and skinned animals as warnings to the members of the village not to venture into the woods. It appears as if there are many secrets surrounding these killings. Meanwhile, Ivy Walker, a blind daughter of another council member, grows close to Lucius. She knows that he loves her, but is too shy to say so. Ivy knows that no matter what Lucius will protect her. So when the creatures invade the village one night, Ivy waits patiently in the open with her hand outstretched hoping that Lucius will be there to take it. She is almost attacked by a creature, but her instincts are right and Lucius saves her in the nick of time. Ivy is a kind soul with no fear. She takes care of everyone, including Noah, a young man who has a developmental disability and often gets himself in trouble. It is Ivy's close friendship that leads to an issue with Lucius. After Lucius and Ivy announce their engagement, Noah is confused and outraged. He goes to the home of Lucius and stabs him in anger. Lucius could die without proper medication prompting Ivy to ask her father for permission to go out into the woods to find a town with medication that can save Lucius. Before he can send her on her way, Ivy's father tells her the deepest secret of the Village. It's all a farce. The creatures are a fabrication of suits and sound effects created by the council members. The creatures are the only things keeping all those inhabiting the village within the village limits. Outside of this controlled area, all the world is in turmoil. Every day, dozens of people die due to violence and human angst. The Walkers as well as all the other council members were plagued with heartache before the inception of the village. Their hardships in the real world made them decide to fabricate a simpler one in which their children and grandchildren would be safe to grow. Armed with the knowledge that all she fears is a lie, Ivy takes her journey through the woods. It is Ivy's bravery and love that make her able to venture into a totally different world, get the needed medicines, and return to Covington to keep all of the fellow village members safe from the violence of the outside world.
Lady in the Water
Maintenance man of a condominium Cleveland has never felt important. He does not feel as though he has a purpose. One night when prowling around the pool looking for anyone breaking the rules of being in after dark, Cleveland falls into the pool. When he wakes up, he's been dragged into his home just off the pool by a strange girl who is now wearing one of his dress shirts. She is obviously distressed and does not want to talk about who she is or where she came from, but she is frightened so Cleveland lets her stay a bit longer. After some time has passed, Cleveland decides he needs to get her home that night. He attempts to take her outside, but when he gets near the water, a large dog like beast covered in grass tries to attack him and the girl, whose name Cleveland soon discovers is Story. Story says that she is a narf, but Cleveland doesn't know what that means so he asks one of his tenants about the word, and she tells him it is part of an ancient bed time story. Over the next few days Cleveland tries to get the rest of the story about the narfs, who are sea nymphs, out of the mother of his tenant. He learns that Story has been sent to the human world by her people to give inspiration to an important person, known as the vessel, in order to spark change in the world. Story knows that her vessel is a writer who will write a very important book that will one day inspire a great leader. Armed with this knowledge, Cleveland sets out to find Story's vessel in his apartment buildings. After several tries, he finds out that one of his tenants, Vick, is writing a political book that story tells him will change the course of history. Now that Story has met and inspired Vick to continue writing, it is time for her to return home. However, the beast in the grass is constantly prowling the area making it impossible for Story to get picked up by the "great eagle" that is to carry her back to her world. Other characters in the bed time story are defined in roles that will help a narf get home. Story's group of people are all tenants in the building that do mundane things as defined by society, but make them perfect for helping Story make it back to her home.
The character of Mr. Farber is a film critic. It is his commentary on the simplistic and unoriginal plot of modern day films that leads to Cleveland's finding of the people that help Story. His end, though hilarious, appears to be a stab at the critics of Shyamalan's work, as if he can kill of their words by killing off their character. The character is cynical and monotone. His opinions are generic as he talks about the unoriginality of films because they appear to be the same as many modern day critics. However, Shyamalan gives them an entirely original script such as this one, and they still won't be satisfied.
Like many of Shyamalan's films, this story presents the idea that everyone of us is destined to do something. Nothing is an accident. This film was nominated (and won) quite a few "worst" awards for actors, direction, screenplay etc. as did Signs and The Village. Shyamalan's direction with these films came across as confusing to audiences and critics, but they didn't see the bigger picture. All of Shyamalan's scripts were all ways to tell us the same thing- there is a path that we are on predetermined for us, and none of us can survive if those around us are not on their paths. For example, in Signs, the character of Merrill is noted as a baseball player. He holds the records for the most strikeouts in the minor league, but in his defense he said "it felt wrong not to swing". As the Reverend's wife is dying, she tells her husband that Merrill is to swing away. At the time, Graham doesn't see anything in it except maybe a memory that is resurfacing in her mind. But it is that phrase that prompts him to tell Merrill to swing away and eventually take down the alien that is still in the house. In The Village, Ivy's character is blind. This may appear as a handicap to others, but in truth it makes her stronger because she cannot be afraid of what she sees. This makes her the only person who can successfully go to the towns and retrieve the proper medicine. Each trait held by these people is part of the path that takes them to where they need to be in order to reach "enlightenment" or the end of the film. It comes across as social commentary to me.
Shyamalan is consistent in some of the ways he writes and shoots his films. For starters, he's in all of them as a minor character, which some attribute to an admiration for director Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds) who did the same. Shyamalan also uses a technique in Signs, The Village, and Lady in the Water that connects the three. This is his use of reflections to show information that surprises the audience. In Signs, the TV is brought into the room after the attack to reflect an alien in the living room (a jump scare for sure, I'm still terrified that one day it will happen to me). In The Village, Shyamalan's character is revealed using the reflection of his face in the glass door of the medicine cabinet. In Lady in the Water, the eyes of a snark, or the grass dog, are reflected in the door of a washing machine.
His new direction is not something I am looking forward to, but the track record of Shyamalan is better than most would assume. There was a time when he could make gold.
Reverend Graham Hess has recently lost his wife and his faith. His life was turned upside down when his beloved wife Colleen was hit by the local vet when he fell asleep driving. Her final words to Graham were "See. Tell Merrill to swing away." At the time it seemed as if Colleen was flashing back to the baseball games they used to watch to support Graham's brother Merrill. Merrill, no longer a baseball player due to an arm injury, has moved back home to help his brother Graham raise his two children, Bo and Morgan, now that Colleen is gone. Graham is busying himself with his morning routine when he hears his daughter Bo screaming outside in the family's cornfield. Alarmed, both Graham and Merrill run to the sounds of Bo and Morgan to find that in the center of their field, crop circles have been drawn in the corn. Hundreds of stalks of corn have been bent over, not broken, creating elaborate patterns in the corn from above. At first, Graham assumes that the crop circles are the product of a prank pulled by some of the teenage hooligans around the area, but the next night Graham sees what he thinks to be one of those boys on his roof. Graham and Merrill go outside to chase the perpetrator off only to find that the figure is twice as fast as them and can jump from the ground to their roof with no trouble. The manage to run him off their roof and into the cornfield. The authorities are called the next morning. Officer Paski comes to the Hess home to take down a description of the perp and explains that other strange things have been happening around the area. Animals are acting up; they get edgy and defensive as if they are being chased by a predator. Strangers have been seen in the shadows lurking around homes in the town. Similar crop circles to the ones in the Hess field start showing up all over the world causing wide spread panic. Many scientists start to theorize as to where they are coming from. Their conclusion? Aliens. Fascinated by the idea of aliens, Graham's children Bo and Morgan begin to read up on the topic drawing the conclusion that either the aliens are just making contact or they're hostile. Graham is still not a believer. Lights appear in the sky above major cities, and Morgan beings to pick up weird signals on Bo's old baby monitor which he believes is the aliens talking to each other. One afternoon, Graham receives a panicked phone call from the vet who killed Colleen. When arriving at the house, Graham discovers that this vet has found and trapped one of the creatures in his cupboard. Still not convinced, Graham attempts to observe the creature from under the crack of the door. The alien reaches out it's hand and tries to hurt Graham who responds by cutting the fingers off of the exposed hand. Graham returns to his home and tries to convince his family to leave the area, but they are unwilling to move, so instead they decide to fortify their home to survive the invasion. On the outside, people are battling the aliens trying to find their weakness. After a tense night hiding in the basement while the aliens try to find a way in, the Hess family thinks the coast is clear. It is not.
The Sixth Sense
Once a great child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe is attacked in his home by a former patient. Several months after the attack, Malcolm is recovered and shifts his focus onto a new subject who has similar traits and issues as the former patient who attempted to kill him. Cole, a young boy living with his single mother, is an outcast in his age group due to his odd behaviors. He draws pictures of violent scenes and wakes up with scratches on his arms. Cole is reluctant to talk to Malcolm, but after so tired of being scared and alone and having multiple episodes which take him to the hospital, Cole let's Malcolm in on his secret- he sees dead people. It doesn't matter how they died or where they are from, Cole is able to see them as they attempt to communicate with him. Cole is frightened, and rightly so. He doesn't know how to handle their menacing nature except to keep it to himself and hide. Meanwhile, Malcolm is dealing with his own demons at home because his once loving wife, Anna, has been ignoring him since the day of the attack. She spends her time alone and unhappy while the two of them pass like ships in the night. Malcolm is unsure of what he has done or how to handle the situation. Malcolm suggests to Cole that he listen to the ghosts that come and visit them. His theory is that they want to communicate a message and will leave him alone once their final wishes are completed. Cole is frightened, but attempts it. He is able to help some of the ghosts that come to visit him. Their problems make them less frightening to Cole, but their presence is still unsettling and will remain to haunt him forever. Now comfortable facing his own issues, Cole discovers something about Malcolm that explains his odd predicament with both Anna and the physical world in general.
Unbreakable
Elijah Price has been plagued with a type of disease that makes his bones very brittle and able to break all his life. His medical conditions have limited in him in every way, but his obsession with comic books and super heroes have been an escape from his person issues. After every disaster, Elijah looks for some sort of sign to prove that superheroes are real- one survivor in a deadly accident. Hotel fires and train wrecks have all been extensively researched by Elijah in hopes of finding a survivor. That survivor is David. David is the lone survivor of a massive train accident and he leaves without a scratch. Now on his radar, Elijah attempts to contact David to see if he is the real McCoy. At first, David doesn't believe Elijah's crackpot theories about him being a superhero, but soon David realizes that he's never taken a sick day at work and has never had an injury except for one that he fabricated in order to stop playing football and be with his high sweetheart. Elijah also get the idea of David being a superhero into the head of David's son, Joseph. Joseph becomes convinced that David is a superhero and attempts to prove it by pulling a gun on his dad. David is not convinced and has to talk David down from shooting him. But in the back of David's mind, the idea of being a superhuman is even more pronounced. People brush past him and he is able to see what they have just done, like visions in his mind. David goes to a crowded station in order to test his strengths. A man brushes past him that puts a vision of a family in trouble in his mind, so David follows him. David fights both the assailant and his greatest weakness- his inability to swim, in order to save the family. His triumph does not go unnoticed. He visits Elijah to speak over his work, but quickly finds that Elijah's attempts to find someone like David were not entirely research only. Elijah himself caused many of the accidents he looked through in order to find David.
The Village
For years, the inhabitants of Covington Woods had been undisturbed by those who were not talked about. These who were not discussed were creatures who lived in the woods striking fear into the hearts of the inhabitants of the village. Without modern technology, the people in the village are susceptible to illness. After the death of a young village boy, Lucius Hunt a council member's son offers, to go through the woods to a "town" in order to collect medicine that could save lives in the future. The Council members, however, deny him permission. The village members know that Lucius would go to the woods and be attacked and never return if he were to come across one of those who are not talked about. His request is forgotten and life continues. The creatures, however, start to creep into the village leaving behind dead and skinned animals as warnings to the members of the village not to venture into the woods. It appears as if there are many secrets surrounding these killings. Meanwhile, Ivy Walker, a blind daughter of another council member, grows close to Lucius. She knows that he loves her, but is too shy to say so. Ivy knows that no matter what Lucius will protect her. So when the creatures invade the village one night, Ivy waits patiently in the open with her hand outstretched hoping that Lucius will be there to take it. She is almost attacked by a creature, but her instincts are right and Lucius saves her in the nick of time. Ivy is a kind soul with no fear. She takes care of everyone, including Noah, a young man who has a developmental disability and often gets himself in trouble. It is Ivy's close friendship that leads to an issue with Lucius. After Lucius and Ivy announce their engagement, Noah is confused and outraged. He goes to the home of Lucius and stabs him in anger. Lucius could die without proper medication prompting Ivy to ask her father for permission to go out into the woods to find a town with medication that can save Lucius. Before he can send her on her way, Ivy's father tells her the deepest secret of the Village. It's all a farce. The creatures are a fabrication of suits and sound effects created by the council members. The creatures are the only things keeping all those inhabiting the village within the village limits. Outside of this controlled area, all the world is in turmoil. Every day, dozens of people die due to violence and human angst. The Walkers as well as all the other council members were plagued with heartache before the inception of the village. Their hardships in the real world made them decide to fabricate a simpler one in which their children and grandchildren would be safe to grow. Armed with the knowledge that all she fears is a lie, Ivy takes her journey through the woods. It is Ivy's bravery and love that make her able to venture into a totally different world, get the needed medicines, and return to Covington to keep all of the fellow village members safe from the violence of the outside world.
Lady in the Water
Maintenance man of a condominium Cleveland has never felt important. He does not feel as though he has a purpose. One night when prowling around the pool looking for anyone breaking the rules of being in after dark, Cleveland falls into the pool. When he wakes up, he's been dragged into his home just off the pool by a strange girl who is now wearing one of his dress shirts. She is obviously distressed and does not want to talk about who she is or where she came from, but she is frightened so Cleveland lets her stay a bit longer. After some time has passed, Cleveland decides he needs to get her home that night. He attempts to take her outside, but when he gets near the water, a large dog like beast covered in grass tries to attack him and the girl, whose name Cleveland soon discovers is Story. Story says that she is a narf, but Cleveland doesn't know what that means so he asks one of his tenants about the word, and she tells him it is part of an ancient bed time story. Over the next few days Cleveland tries to get the rest of the story about the narfs, who are sea nymphs, out of the mother of his tenant. He learns that Story has been sent to the human world by her people to give inspiration to an important person, known as the vessel, in order to spark change in the world. Story knows that her vessel is a writer who will write a very important book that will one day inspire a great leader. Armed with this knowledge, Cleveland sets out to find Story's vessel in his apartment buildings. After several tries, he finds out that one of his tenants, Vick, is writing a political book that story tells him will change the course of history. Now that Story has met and inspired Vick to continue writing, it is time for her to return home. However, the beast in the grass is constantly prowling the area making it impossible for Story to get picked up by the "great eagle" that is to carry her back to her world. Other characters in the bed time story are defined in roles that will help a narf get home. Story's group of people are all tenants in the building that do mundane things as defined by society, but make them perfect for helping Story make it back to her home.
The character of Mr. Farber is a film critic. It is his commentary on the simplistic and unoriginal plot of modern day films that leads to Cleveland's finding of the people that help Story. His end, though hilarious, appears to be a stab at the critics of Shyamalan's work, as if he can kill of their words by killing off their character. The character is cynical and monotone. His opinions are generic as he talks about the unoriginality of films because they appear to be the same as many modern day critics. However, Shyamalan gives them an entirely original script such as this one, and they still won't be satisfied.
Like many of Shyamalan's films, this story presents the idea that everyone of us is destined to do something. Nothing is an accident. This film was nominated (and won) quite a few "worst" awards for actors, direction, screenplay etc. as did Signs and The Village. Shyamalan's direction with these films came across as confusing to audiences and critics, but they didn't see the bigger picture. All of Shyamalan's scripts were all ways to tell us the same thing- there is a path that we are on predetermined for us, and none of us can survive if those around us are not on their paths. For example, in Signs, the character of Merrill is noted as a baseball player. He holds the records for the most strikeouts in the minor league, but in his defense he said "it felt wrong not to swing". As the Reverend's wife is dying, she tells her husband that Merrill is to swing away. At the time, Graham doesn't see anything in it except maybe a memory that is resurfacing in her mind. But it is that phrase that prompts him to tell Merrill to swing away and eventually take down the alien that is still in the house. In The Village, Ivy's character is blind. This may appear as a handicap to others, but in truth it makes her stronger because she cannot be afraid of what she sees. This makes her the only person who can successfully go to the towns and retrieve the proper medicine. Each trait held by these people is part of the path that takes them to where they need to be in order to reach "enlightenment" or the end of the film. It comes across as social commentary to me.
Shyamalan is consistent in some of the ways he writes and shoots his films. For starters, he's in all of them as a minor character, which some attribute to an admiration for director Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds) who did the same. Shyamalan also uses a technique in Signs, The Village, and Lady in the Water that connects the three. This is his use of reflections to show information that surprises the audience. In Signs, the TV is brought into the room after the attack to reflect an alien in the living room (a jump scare for sure, I'm still terrified that one day it will happen to me). In The Village, Shyamalan's character is revealed using the reflection of his face in the glass door of the medicine cabinet. In Lady in the Water, the eyes of a snark, or the grass dog, are reflected in the door of a washing machine.
His new direction is not something I am looking forward to, but the track record of Shyamalan is better than most would assume. There was a time when he could make gold.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Stream of the Week- Bandslam
Dear David Bowie,
If Manhattan and Annie Hall are love letters to New York, then Bandslam is a love letter to the power of music. Will Burton has been bullied by all the kids in his school since his dad got a DWI and hit a kid walking home from school with his car. In his solitude, Will has become an expert in all things music. His mom gets a new job in New Jersey which takes Will to a new school. On his first day, Will hears about an event called Bandslam which is a yearly contest between high school bands around the area all competing for a record deal. Early on in his first week, Will meets senior Charlotte. She asks him to help her with an after school day care program, and, once she hears he knows about music, she asks Will to listen to her band which is trying to go up against the school favorite band Glory Dogs in Bandslam. Will thinks the passion is great, but the band is in rough shape considering they don't have a drummer or even a useable name. Will begins to work his managerial magic and finds the band a drummer. He also wants a fuller sound, so he brings in some side players to bring a brassy, mellow sound to the group which he has aptly named I Can't Go On, I'll Go On. As Will becomes more comfortable in his new school, he begins to spend some time with a girl in his human studies course, Sa5m (the 5 is silent). The two become close, but Sa5m tells Will about Charlotte's strange past. The year before, she was a cheerleading captain and jr. prom queen. It doesn't really make sense for her to have given all that up so suddenly to start working at a day care and hang out with weirdo musicians like Will and the band. Right before Bandslam, Charlotte's dad dies exposing her real reasons for her life change- her dad hated the way she was when she was popular. He didn't like the way she treated kids like Will before, so she changed her lifestyle to appease him. With him gone, though, she has no reason to continue with the band so she drops out. This leaves I Can't Go On, I'll Go On without a singer for Bandslam. There's no telling how they'll pull it off.
From the screenwriter of D.U.F.F., Bandslam is like an updated version of School of Rock for high school kids. There is a clear connection of transcending all stereotypes and music. No matter what issues the kids have before, they can all be equals when they go out on that stage. Sa5m is played by Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical, Beastly) and plays the opposite of Charlotte played by Aly Michalka (Cowbells, Easy A). Sa5m is the gothic former stutterer who is an unlikely match to Charlotte's super up front demeanor. The two play off each other when it comes to getting the attention of Will. He is fascinated by the sheer coolness of Charlotte and the fact that she is a senior talking to him, the new kid. But when he realizes that Charlotte is playing him for her dad's sake, his alliances swing pretty quickly to what he knows is real- Sa5m's steady personality. It's a great story about growing up and becoming who you are through the power of music (as cliché as that sounds).
If Manhattan and Annie Hall are love letters to New York, then Bandslam is a love letter to the power of music. Will Burton has been bullied by all the kids in his school since his dad got a DWI and hit a kid walking home from school with his car. In his solitude, Will has become an expert in all things music. His mom gets a new job in New Jersey which takes Will to a new school. On his first day, Will hears about an event called Bandslam which is a yearly contest between high school bands around the area all competing for a record deal. Early on in his first week, Will meets senior Charlotte. She asks him to help her with an after school day care program, and, once she hears he knows about music, she asks Will to listen to her band which is trying to go up against the school favorite band Glory Dogs in Bandslam. Will thinks the passion is great, but the band is in rough shape considering they don't have a drummer or even a useable name. Will begins to work his managerial magic and finds the band a drummer. He also wants a fuller sound, so he brings in some side players to bring a brassy, mellow sound to the group which he has aptly named I Can't Go On, I'll Go On. As Will becomes more comfortable in his new school, he begins to spend some time with a girl in his human studies course, Sa5m (the 5 is silent). The two become close, but Sa5m tells Will about Charlotte's strange past. The year before, she was a cheerleading captain and jr. prom queen. It doesn't really make sense for her to have given all that up so suddenly to start working at a day care and hang out with weirdo musicians like Will and the band. Right before Bandslam, Charlotte's dad dies exposing her real reasons for her life change- her dad hated the way she was when she was popular. He didn't like the way she treated kids like Will before, so she changed her lifestyle to appease him. With him gone, though, she has no reason to continue with the band so she drops out. This leaves I Can't Go On, I'll Go On without a singer for Bandslam. There's no telling how they'll pull it off.
From the screenwriter of D.U.F.F., Bandslam is like an updated version of School of Rock for high school kids. There is a clear connection of transcending all stereotypes and music. No matter what issues the kids have before, they can all be equals when they go out on that stage. Sa5m is played by Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical, Beastly) and plays the opposite of Charlotte played by Aly Michalka (Cowbells, Easy A). Sa5m is the gothic former stutterer who is an unlikely match to Charlotte's super up front demeanor. The two play off each other when it comes to getting the attention of Will. He is fascinated by the sheer coolness of Charlotte and the fact that she is a senior talking to him, the new kid. But when he realizes that Charlotte is playing him for her dad's sake, his alliances swing pretty quickly to what he knows is real- Sa5m's steady personality. It's a great story about growing up and becoming who you are through the power of music (as cliché as that sounds).
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Music=Love- Once, Begin Again, Song One
It seems that Once created a new sort of film about the power of music and romance. These aren't musicals or documentaries about music, rather cataloged journeys in music.
Once
Nothing is as raw and gut wrenching as the sound of Glenn Hansard. Period. End of Story.
A young man who is a brilliant songwriter spends his days busking on the streets of Dublin. One day he meets a lovely girl who tells him he is the best songwriter she's ever heard. Slowly the two start to swap stories of their tragically broken romantic lives while being surrounded by beautiful music. The girl convinces the boy that he needs to go and find the girl that he writes all his songs about, but before he goes he decides to record the songs he's written with the girl and take them with him to secure a record deal. With the girl in his corner, the two assemble a band and secure a studio which they take over for a weekend recording a whole album in order for him to get his demo in. The don't have names. They're just boy and girl. The music is perfectly crafted to convey their feelings of past loves and their present emotions. They can't chase what they have, but only let it sizzle as they sing.
This film was a break through as a beautifully crafted independent music film that captured the story of what it was to be a musician without any way of making it. The film won an Oscar for the song "Falling Slowly" and was nominated for two separate Grammies. Once took the world by storm. It show cased the life of musicians in a different way and was raw in it's presentation of a beautiful love story. (And in true Carney fashion- ended without a ride into the sunset.)
Begin Again
With some recent success, Greta and her boyfriend Dave move to New York so that Dave can focus on his music career and brand new recording contract. While in the city, Dave falls for a girl who works at the record label and leaves Greta to explore that new path. Heartbroken, Greta crashes with an old friend for a few days before planning to fly home. One night, her friend Steve drags her out of the house to play a song at his gig in a local bar. In the audience is drunk, washed up, has been Dan. Recently fired from his record label, Dan's life is a mess. But, after hearing Greta's one song, Dan thinks there is hope left in the world for music. He tries to convince his old record label to take Greta on, but they aren't buying it, so the duo sets out to record and album using the streets of New York as their live room. The team pick up musicians and begin recording all over the city in places where no one would try it. In the process, Greta learns she doesn't need Dave, and Dan finds some control over his life. Through the power of music, the two of them are propelled into new chapters of their lives.
Unlike Once and Song One, Begin Again did not start with a musician as one of the main characters, but rather left that spot for Adam Levine as the jerk boyfriend who dumps Greta after moving to the city. The creators of Begin Again didn't even know if Keira Knightly could sing before casting her as Greta, songstress. Mark Ruffalo as Dan did play some bass, but both of their experience was limited when it came to making that the forefront of the film. Writer and Director John Carney also wrote and directed Once. Begin Again is clearly more commercialized than Once with cameos from Adam Levine and CeeLo Green, but it follows the similar pattern of one musician attempting to get a reluctant musician to join his merry band of thieves in the production of an album. Once had the authentic feel, but Begin Again had the production value.
Even the posters for Once and Begin Again are similar. The two main characters are in a city background with a guitar, and they are looking at each other. Tell me that doesn't look the same.
Song One
After her brother is in a terrible car accident causing him to be unconscious, Franny is called back home to be at her mother's side. Franny is lost. In order to connect with her brother Henry before it's too late, she decides to follow the path that he took in his songwriting journal. She goes to his favorite clubs to hear his favorite bands, and she meets his favorite singer- James Forester. After his set, Franny approaches him and tells him about Henry's condition and hands him Henry's demo. It's what he would've wanted. The next morning, James shows up at Henry's hospital room to see him and Franny. Franny explains to him what she's been doing for Henry, recording sounds and places that he would remember and playing them back to him. Franny invites James to go see a group that she plans on seeing that night in honor of Henry, so he tags along. Together, the two of them discover a connection to music through Henry's love for it. They stay up all night traveling the city streets and talking all while James plays his guitar. As Henry continues to be asleep, Franny and James continue to be together always. They find little groups to listen to, and Franny's mom accepts him into their little group as they wait for Henry to wake up.
Unlike Begin Again and like Once, Song One chose to feature musician Johnny Flynn as the character of James Forester (even if he didn't personally write the songs he sang). First time feature length Director and Writer, Kate Barker-Froyland captures the essence of one kid's music preference (Franny's brother Henry) and shows how it plays in the romancing of two individuals. Henry's music is the soundtrack for Franny and James which is why the soundtrack is alternative with folk elements. There is a diversity of genre's but not different enough to not be conceivable as one man's playlist. Because James is a real musician the performance feels more authentic even if the love aspect of the film is a bit contrived. The love story is short and drawn out of the film's 86 min runtime, but the music still plays as important of a role as it does in Once and Begin Again.
Films featuring music but not being musicals did not start with Once. Heck some of my favorite films like School of Rock and Bandslam had the same idea, but there was a success to Once that had not come before that outlined the musically driven romance as a genre. Once went on to become a Broadway musical and helped launch the career of Glenn Hansard (who also wrote a track for Begin Again). This sort of film is for those of us who love music, but who can't stand the idea of people breaking out into song and dance every time something happens. It's an evolution of music and cinema that changes the way music influences audience. The soundtracks of these films are also amazing at capturing a wide range of musical styles and cataloging them as part of a storyline romance. I personally own all three soundtracks because they're that good.
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