Life without hope is death.
In her perpetually single life, Nancy feels trapped and completely void of confidence when it comes to men. On the way to her parents' fortieth anniversary, Nancy runs into a young woman who is on a way to a blind date where she will be recognized based on the book she has with her like in a romantic comedy. They young girl, seeing Nancy in her state, decides to leave Nancy the book in hopes that it will help her. With the book in hand, however, Nancy is mistaken for the young woman by the man she was supposed to be set up with, Jack. Confused at first, but intrigued by Jack's energy, Nancy decides to pretend to be the young woman Jack is looking for. Together they have a fantastical day of adventures in London. From drinking, dancing, and bowling to meeting Nancy's old school stalker, the two seem to be having a lovely time. Nancy's school stalker however sees them while bowling and blows Nancy's cover. Even though Nancy isn't who she said she was, Jack still seems to have some sort of attraction to her. As it comes time for them to separate, Jack has to make a decision. Should he go meet the girl he was supposed to meet or should he stay with Nancy?
Anything Simon Pegg is bound to be fantastic. He must be an utter romantic in his own mind. There is a lack of content about people suffering the single mid life crisis parts of their lives. It's something we tend to glaze over, but even in a super connected world, there is a lack of people to people connection for the middle generation. Things are tough for Nancy and for Jack when they feel they might end up alone. Their chemistry is hilarious, and the story is fun to follow. I'm not just saying that because I love rom coms. Not claiming to be unbiased either though.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Capture of Culture- The Making of "Signs"
Imagine watching your favorite movie. Now imagine watching an hour long documentary showing the making of that movie.
Signs, directed by the infamous M. Night. Shyamalan, was regarded by critics as the beginning of the end for great movies from this once well loved director. It's aliens were confusing to the audience as their weakness was so trivial. The film, however, did very well in theaters and is still talked about today in some circles. In love with practical effects, Shyamalan wrote and directed Signs with hopes that it would give a different twist to the classic story of man who has lost his faith reconnecting with God. Gram, a father of two and widower, has been dealing with loosing his faith and quitting his job as reverend to his small Pennsylvanian town. He begins to find strange things on his land like crop circles and strangers running on his roof at night. It becomes apparent to the family that they are not dealing with humans. As you watch Shyamalan go through his process of writing this film, it becomes clear that this film is not really about the aliens at all, but Gram's journey. The aliens, a product of both special and practical effects, are just a conduit for the story giving the characters life and death situations in which they can discuss the possibilities of a heavenly being. Every aspect of the film is carefully crafted for the viewer. The music is reminiscent of Hitchcock style sound tracks causing suspense in the audience, even though the film was originally going to be without any music. The aliens themselves were gone over and over again as creators had to find a way to making them interesting and scary while still having the ability to blend into their surroundings- a key feature. Shyamalan was a young man when they made this film, and even though he had had much success already, he was still nervous about how much of the film audiences would understand making him very detail oriented in this great film.
I have always loved Signs to my core. All of Shyamalans films, yes all, have some kind of deeper meaning behind them that I think audiences are too quick to judge or miss. This film has been scaring me since I was six years old and will continue to do so until I'm 96 which is why it will always be one of my favorites. That being said, I have always loved to see how they make these things that we love so much, so I was grateful for this "behind the scenes" look of my favorite thing.
Link to Documentary- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7zPmUCuybc
Signs, directed by the infamous M. Night. Shyamalan, was regarded by critics as the beginning of the end for great movies from this once well loved director. It's aliens were confusing to the audience as their weakness was so trivial. The film, however, did very well in theaters and is still talked about today in some circles. In love with practical effects, Shyamalan wrote and directed Signs with hopes that it would give a different twist to the classic story of man who has lost his faith reconnecting with God. Gram, a father of two and widower, has been dealing with loosing his faith and quitting his job as reverend to his small Pennsylvanian town. He begins to find strange things on his land like crop circles and strangers running on his roof at night. It becomes apparent to the family that they are not dealing with humans. As you watch Shyamalan go through his process of writing this film, it becomes clear that this film is not really about the aliens at all, but Gram's journey. The aliens, a product of both special and practical effects, are just a conduit for the story giving the characters life and death situations in which they can discuss the possibilities of a heavenly being. Every aspect of the film is carefully crafted for the viewer. The music is reminiscent of Hitchcock style sound tracks causing suspense in the audience, even though the film was originally going to be without any music. The aliens themselves were gone over and over again as creators had to find a way to making them interesting and scary while still having the ability to blend into their surroundings- a key feature. Shyamalan was a young man when they made this film, and even though he had had much success already, he was still nervous about how much of the film audiences would understand making him very detail oriented in this great film.
I have always loved Signs to my core. All of Shyamalans films, yes all, have some kind of deeper meaning behind them that I think audiences are too quick to judge or miss. This film has been scaring me since I was six years old and will continue to do so until I'm 96 which is why it will always be one of my favorites. That being said, I have always loved to see how they make these things that we love so much, so I was grateful for this "behind the scenes" look of my favorite thing.
Link to Documentary- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7zPmUCuybc
Friday, April 22, 2016
Stream of the Week- The End of the Tour (Prime)
Sometimes you just really need to watch a film where all people do is talk.
David grew up to be a writer, successful in his own little world, when he finds out that another David, David Foster Wallace, has made the next big book. Not only is he incredibly jealous, but also completely intrigued by this author's recluse lifestyle and ultimate insight. As a writer for Rolling Stone, David is able to convince his boss to let him go on the end of David Foster Wallace's book tour to write up a great piece on America's next Salinger. As David begins his journey, he finds David Foster Wallace to be incredibly deep and full of interesting theories on life, people, and the "American" way. Every time that David tries to get close to Foster Wallace's personal life and relations, he pushes away. Somewhere, though, deep down there is a connection between these two writers. One has all the ego of a writer and the love for the attention, the other has the ability to reach people through his work. David finds that he is incredibly enraptured by Foster Wallace's talent and humble attitude even though he is everything that he wants to accomplish.
"The more people think you're great, the more afraid of failure you are." David Foster Wallace is like combining all the deep, philosophical, but totally cool professors you ever had in college and mixing them with great authors. His ideas and brilliance are matched by this sense of immaturity like his constant hunger for processed foods especially candy, his love for his two oversized dogs, and his freedom of wandering thought without realization of responsibility. All they ever do is talk and theorize about the world. It's not a story about the actions of normal people, but of lonely people. Those who are lonely because they are different and those who are lonely because they believe that is the only way to be great. No matter how deep he gets though, David Foster Wallace will always just be Marshall to me with a bandana.
David grew up to be a writer, successful in his own little world, when he finds out that another David, David Foster Wallace, has made the next big book. Not only is he incredibly jealous, but also completely intrigued by this author's recluse lifestyle and ultimate insight. As a writer for Rolling Stone, David is able to convince his boss to let him go on the end of David Foster Wallace's book tour to write up a great piece on America's next Salinger. As David begins his journey, he finds David Foster Wallace to be incredibly deep and full of interesting theories on life, people, and the "American" way. Every time that David tries to get close to Foster Wallace's personal life and relations, he pushes away. Somewhere, though, deep down there is a connection between these two writers. One has all the ego of a writer and the love for the attention, the other has the ability to reach people through his work. David finds that he is incredibly enraptured by Foster Wallace's talent and humble attitude even though he is everything that he wants to accomplish.
"The more people think you're great, the more afraid of failure you are." David Foster Wallace is like combining all the deep, philosophical, but totally cool professors you ever had in college and mixing them with great authors. His ideas and brilliance are matched by this sense of immaturity like his constant hunger for processed foods especially candy, his love for his two oversized dogs, and his freedom of wandering thought without realization of responsibility. All they ever do is talk and theorize about the world. It's not a story about the actions of normal people, but of lonely people. Those who are lonely because they are different and those who are lonely because they believe that is the only way to be great. No matter how deep he gets though, David Foster Wallace will always just be Marshall to me with a bandana.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Capture of Culture- Chuck Norris vs. Communism
Not a stable government, but at least they've got Rocky!
During the Communist regime in Romania, all television and films were censored by the government so that they passed the guidelines set up by the regime. People wanted an escape from this and turned to American films. VHS tapes would be smuggled across the border and brought into the house of a Mr. Zamfir. Mr. Zamfir brought in a translator named Irina Nistor to translate each line of the film into Romanian for the public. The films would be sold to distributors and copied before being sold to the public. From there, people who had VCRs would hold "screenings" where anyone who wanted to watch a film would have to pay an entrance fee and then could see the film with their neighbors. It was illegal for these films to be seen by anyone so the stakes were high. Everyone who knew someone with a VCR would bring people to the screenings, but the next day they had to be quiet about what they had seen. This movement swept across the country. They all had seen the films, but no one was allowed to say that they had seen them or take part in the conversations that would follow seeing something that exciting. They grew up listening to Irina Nistor on their television sets and had her voice always on their mind when thinking about films.
As a film lover, I know that films can have great impact on people. What I didn't realize, though, is how grateful for films people can be when they can't take them for granted. Everyone who had access to these screening parties had a changed experience living in the regime. They felt like they had a small bit of freedom, and that makes me proud to say that I want to make films someday.
During the Communist regime in Romania, all television and films were censored by the government so that they passed the guidelines set up by the regime. People wanted an escape from this and turned to American films. VHS tapes would be smuggled across the border and brought into the house of a Mr. Zamfir. Mr. Zamfir brought in a translator named Irina Nistor to translate each line of the film into Romanian for the public. The films would be sold to distributors and copied before being sold to the public. From there, people who had VCRs would hold "screenings" where anyone who wanted to watch a film would have to pay an entrance fee and then could see the film with their neighbors. It was illegal for these films to be seen by anyone so the stakes were high. Everyone who knew someone with a VCR would bring people to the screenings, but the next day they had to be quiet about what they had seen. This movement swept across the country. They all had seen the films, but no one was allowed to say that they had seen them or take part in the conversations that would follow seeing something that exciting. They grew up listening to Irina Nistor on their television sets and had her voice always on their mind when thinking about films.
As a film lover, I know that films can have great impact on people. What I didn't realize, though, is how grateful for films people can be when they can't take them for granted. Everyone who had access to these screening parties had a changed experience living in the regime. They felt like they had a small bit of freedom, and that makes me proud to say that I want to make films someday.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Stream of the Week- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Pants=Love.
In a thrift store, four best friends discovered a pair of pants that magically fit them all. Since their summer plans were going to separate them for the first time since birth, they decide to send each other the pants during the summer so they can spread the magic they all believe they must contain. Lena gets them first, as she is going the farthest away, and the pants make it to Greece. While in the pants, Lena meets Kostas a local fisherman. The confidence she gains from the pants help her to realize that she doesn't want to be the scared one anymore, and she gets a chance to chase after what she wants. Tibby is the next recipient of the pants. Staying at home for the summer, the pants get delivered to Tibby by an unlikely character. Bailey is a 12 year old girl who Tibby met at her place of work when she fainted in the isle. Tibby, annoyed by Bailey's constant presence, agrees to let her help with her "documentary of suck", and Bailey helps Tibby to understand that everything happens for a reason. The pants then head to South Carolina where they find Carmen who has just settled in for a very uncomfortable summer. She was planning on staying with her father for the entire summer, but when she gets there, Carmen finds that he is engaged to be married to a woman with two teenage kids. Carmen feels left out and she begins to brew anger as the wedding plans mount sweeping her up in them. The pants finally make it to Mexico where Bridget is participating in a soccer camp. Completely self destructive and reckless after the death of her mother, Bridget uses the magic of the pants to try and snatch a camp counselor named Eric. It is only after she's done everything to get him that she realizes he wasn't what she wanted, but rather the feeling of living so that she can prove she's not her mother. The summer is full of ups and downs, and the pants are right at the center of all the magic.
The thirteen year old girl in me is screaming at the fact that this is on instant streaming (only if for a little while)! It is a summer romance teenage drama flick and the perfect film to snuggle up with Ben and Jerry during. With a cast of great and diverse actors this film lends itself to being very supportive of women as they grow into their roles in society learning that support from their friends can be the most important thing of all.
In a thrift store, four best friends discovered a pair of pants that magically fit them all. Since their summer plans were going to separate them for the first time since birth, they decide to send each other the pants during the summer so they can spread the magic they all believe they must contain. Lena gets them first, as she is going the farthest away, and the pants make it to Greece. While in the pants, Lena meets Kostas a local fisherman. The confidence she gains from the pants help her to realize that she doesn't want to be the scared one anymore, and she gets a chance to chase after what she wants. Tibby is the next recipient of the pants. Staying at home for the summer, the pants get delivered to Tibby by an unlikely character. Bailey is a 12 year old girl who Tibby met at her place of work when she fainted in the isle. Tibby, annoyed by Bailey's constant presence, agrees to let her help with her "documentary of suck", and Bailey helps Tibby to understand that everything happens for a reason. The pants then head to South Carolina where they find Carmen who has just settled in for a very uncomfortable summer. She was planning on staying with her father for the entire summer, but when she gets there, Carmen finds that he is engaged to be married to a woman with two teenage kids. Carmen feels left out and she begins to brew anger as the wedding plans mount sweeping her up in them. The pants finally make it to Mexico where Bridget is participating in a soccer camp. Completely self destructive and reckless after the death of her mother, Bridget uses the magic of the pants to try and snatch a camp counselor named Eric. It is only after she's done everything to get him that she realizes he wasn't what she wanted, but rather the feeling of living so that she can prove she's not her mother. The summer is full of ups and downs, and the pants are right at the center of all the magic.
The thirteen year old girl in me is screaming at the fact that this is on instant streaming (only if for a little while)! It is a summer romance teenage drama flick and the perfect film to snuggle up with Ben and Jerry during. With a cast of great and diverse actors this film lends itself to being very supportive of women as they grow into their roles in society learning that support from their friends can be the most important thing of all.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Capture of Culture- From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues
It is the story of the ultimate underdog.
40 years ago, a broke Sly walked up to some producers at a casting call and told them he had a script. It wasn't a story they wanted to make, but they liked his style. From his back pocket Sylvester Stallone pulls out his boxing project, Rocky. It wasn't a well funded project and no one had high hopes. Their choreographer quit, and they didn't know who to cast for the lead character so Sly Rocky stepped in. Stallone went home a wrote out every fight sequence and helped make the training plans. In the second film, when the director quit Sly stepped in again becoming writer, lead actor, and director. Rocky became one of the most loved franchises and rose up the charts every time a new film was released. Decades after Stallone put Rocky happily to bed a newbie came up to him and pitched his film for the Rocky spin off franchise. After his success with Fruitville Station, Stallone was ready to listen to Ryan Coogler. Creed was born. Stallone had to give up his characters to a new generation and found great success. Creed has helped bring a new generation to the Rocky franchise helping continue the ultimate underdog story.
I was never drawn into the Rocky franchise, but I have been fascinated by the success and love that this franchise has received. I appreciate the amount of talent and thought that went into making Rocky accessible to a new audience. Like the Star Wars revamps, this film has become a continuation of a beloved series in hopes of bringing kids to the older films. So far it appears to be a success, but no matter what happens the amount of love, blood, sweat, and tears that went into Rocky will never be forgotten.
40 years ago, a broke Sly walked up to some producers at a casting call and told them he had a script. It wasn't a story they wanted to make, but they liked his style. From his back pocket Sylvester Stallone pulls out his boxing project, Rocky. It wasn't a well funded project and no one had high hopes. Their choreographer quit, and they didn't know who to cast for the lead character so Sly Rocky stepped in. Stallone went home a wrote out every fight sequence and helped make the training plans. In the second film, when the director quit Sly stepped in again becoming writer, lead actor, and director. Rocky became one of the most loved franchises and rose up the charts every time a new film was released. Decades after Stallone put Rocky happily to bed a newbie came up to him and pitched his film for the Rocky spin off franchise. After his success with Fruitville Station, Stallone was ready to listen to Ryan Coogler. Creed was born. Stallone had to give up his characters to a new generation and found great success. Creed has helped bring a new generation to the Rocky franchise helping continue the ultimate underdog story.
I was never drawn into the Rocky franchise, but I have been fascinated by the success and love that this franchise has received. I appreciate the amount of talent and thought that went into making Rocky accessible to a new audience. Like the Star Wars revamps, this film has become a continuation of a beloved series in hopes of bringing kids to the older films. So far it appears to be a success, but no matter what happens the amount of love, blood, sweat, and tears that went into Rocky will never be forgotten.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Stream of the Week- Must Love Dogs
It is always the least qualified in love who seem to have the most advice.
Sarah is a divorced woman with a very nosey family who just wants her to be happy again. Jake is a recently divorced man with a romantic soul and an over sexually motivated best friend. This, my friends, is the basis for another rom com. Sarah's sisters decide to set her up an online dating account. Within the first day, Sarah has 18 responses and none of her dates go well. Jake's friend sees Sarah's add and sends her a message pretending to be Jake. He offers that they meet in a local dog park since Sarah's profile states "must love dogs". With a rough start (pun semi intended), the two are intrigued but not enough to make anything out of their chemistry. Sarah is dealing with her own issues when she starts falling for the recently separated father of one of her preschool students. He strings her along, but just like all of her other experiences, he falls flat. Jake continues trying to impress, but the timing just always seems to be off. Sarah just wants someone who loves every piece of her, and Jake doesn't think that's too much to ask- even if she doesn't know it yet.
From the writer of dozens of TV episodes highlighting family interactions, Must Love Dogs is more about the interactions of family members and finding love later in life than being utterly romantic. Like When Harry Met Sally, the film opens and closes with couples talking about their relationships or where to meet other people. Like every John Cusack movie, Jake is a bit on the introspective weird side and Sarah is the type of girl who seems to be too pretty to be down on her luck. But, love always does seem to work in mysterious ways. And, if that's not enough for you, Christopher Plummer reads poetry.
Sarah is a divorced woman with a very nosey family who just wants her to be happy again. Jake is a recently divorced man with a romantic soul and an over sexually motivated best friend. This, my friends, is the basis for another rom com. Sarah's sisters decide to set her up an online dating account. Within the first day, Sarah has 18 responses and none of her dates go well. Jake's friend sees Sarah's add and sends her a message pretending to be Jake. He offers that they meet in a local dog park since Sarah's profile states "must love dogs". With a rough start (pun semi intended), the two are intrigued but not enough to make anything out of their chemistry. Sarah is dealing with her own issues when she starts falling for the recently separated father of one of her preschool students. He strings her along, but just like all of her other experiences, he falls flat. Jake continues trying to impress, but the timing just always seems to be off. Sarah just wants someone who loves every piece of her, and Jake doesn't think that's too much to ask- even if she doesn't know it yet.
From the writer of dozens of TV episodes highlighting family interactions, Must Love Dogs is more about the interactions of family members and finding love later in life than being utterly romantic. Like When Harry Met Sally, the film opens and closes with couples talking about their relationships or where to meet other people. Like every John Cusack movie, Jake is a bit on the introspective weird side and Sarah is the type of girl who seems to be too pretty to be down on her luck. But, love always does seem to work in mysterious ways. And, if that's not enough for you, Christopher Plummer reads poetry.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Capture of Culture- Barista
Who knew that there were so many people obsessed with aprons and coffee?
In an industry where artisans are underrated by the people they serve, baristas have to find other ways to hone their craft and show off their skill. Every year thousands of baristas take part in regional and national competitions to show off their creativity and skill. This story of five different baristas vying for the top follows these coffee experts as they prepare and compete in the national championships. There are three rounds which each contestant must compete in- the espresso, the cappuccino, and the signature drink. During each round, they are judged on the flavor of their creations, the presentation of the drinks, and awarded and deducted points based on their use of the machines, their level of cleanliness in the station, and how much product they waste based on spills or coffee ground crumbs. Each contestant is attempting to do something that no one has ever scene before. Some try to make ice cream others even try distilling coffee, all for the glory of making themselves differentiated enough from their competition in order to win.
I don't even like coffee, but I appreciate an art form when I see it. These people spend their entire lives in pursuit of perfection, something that can never be achieved. Their salaries aren't enough to sustain their work so they have to be so driven by passion in order to continue in their pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. They have to know the science behind the beans and the process of forming a drink from them. They must know flavor profiles and understand how to talk to customers. All of this training and preparation so that you can have a nice little doodle on your cappuccino. That's a lot of work for a piece of art.
In an industry where artisans are underrated by the people they serve, baristas have to find other ways to hone their craft and show off their skill. Every year thousands of baristas take part in regional and national competitions to show off their creativity and skill. This story of five different baristas vying for the top follows these coffee experts as they prepare and compete in the national championships. There are three rounds which each contestant must compete in- the espresso, the cappuccino, and the signature drink. During each round, they are judged on the flavor of their creations, the presentation of the drinks, and awarded and deducted points based on their use of the machines, their level of cleanliness in the station, and how much product they waste based on spills or coffee ground crumbs. Each contestant is attempting to do something that no one has ever scene before. Some try to make ice cream others even try distilling coffee, all for the glory of making themselves differentiated enough from their competition in order to win.
I don't even like coffee, but I appreciate an art form when I see it. These people spend their entire lives in pursuit of perfection, something that can never be achieved. Their salaries aren't enough to sustain their work so they have to be so driven by passion in order to continue in their pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. They have to know the science behind the beans and the process of forming a drink from them. They must know flavor profiles and understand how to talk to customers. All of this training and preparation so that you can have a nice little doodle on your cappuccino. That's a lot of work for a piece of art.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Stream of the Week- Documentary Now!
7 episodes, 7 stories, 2 comedians and it's fantastic.
With the premise that Documentary Now! is a television series that has been around for 50 seasons worth of classical documentary entertainment, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen come together to produce 6 short documentary spoofs which they examine the weird and entertaining worlds that documentaries find. The first of the series, Sandy Passage, is reminiscent of first person horror films. The camera is in a first person POV, and the characters are incredible ominous. With hints of Blair Witch and The Visit, Sandy Passage sets a fantastic tone for the remainder of the season. The second episode explore investigative journalism documentaries with a trip to Mexico. Hader and Armisen make fun of the different styles of these types of filmmakers by playing three different sets of documentary makers. The third episode, Kunuk Uncovered, examines the beginning of documentary making and the amount of truth that may or may not be in the first documentary style films. The fourth installment spoofs classic crime documentaries while the sixth is a parody of a classic weird traditions of small communities style film. The last two episodes of the first season come together to form one documentary that takes the phenomenon known as a music documentary to a new level.
With little to no knowledge of what I was getting myself into, it was so easy to get swept up in the worlds these films created. Each of them was something that could easily be made into a documentary in this information driven age. Every episode had a distinct flavor and feel, and each film had special guest stars to help give a wink to the audience during the film. I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple performances of Hader and Armisen. Each character was unique and specific to that episode and film. Overall, it was a great satirical series that made me laugh more than I expected to.
With the premise that Documentary Now! is a television series that has been around for 50 seasons worth of classical documentary entertainment, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen come together to produce 6 short documentary spoofs which they examine the weird and entertaining worlds that documentaries find. The first of the series, Sandy Passage, is reminiscent of first person horror films. The camera is in a first person POV, and the characters are incredible ominous. With hints of Blair Witch and The Visit, Sandy Passage sets a fantastic tone for the remainder of the season. The second episode explore investigative journalism documentaries with a trip to Mexico. Hader and Armisen make fun of the different styles of these types of filmmakers by playing three different sets of documentary makers. The third episode, Kunuk Uncovered, examines the beginning of documentary making and the amount of truth that may or may not be in the first documentary style films. The fourth installment spoofs classic crime documentaries while the sixth is a parody of a classic weird traditions of small communities style film. The last two episodes of the first season come together to form one documentary that takes the phenomenon known as a music documentary to a new level.
With little to no knowledge of what I was getting myself into, it was so easy to get swept up in the worlds these films created. Each of them was something that could easily be made into a documentary in this information driven age. Every episode had a distinct flavor and feel, and each film had special guest stars to help give a wink to the audience during the film. I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple performances of Hader and Armisen. Each character was unique and specific to that episode and film. Overall, it was a great satirical series that made me laugh more than I expected to.
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