tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17764127714818294402024-03-06T01:11:23.689-08:00Why Am I Crying in French?My attempt at blogging about Criterion Collection films.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-30756107885033812722020-02-05T11:06:00.001-08:002020-02-05T11:17:20.792-08:00Oscars 2020<br />
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I didn’t
make an Oscar post last year, mostly because I was appalled at what was being
trotted out as “best” of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom
always says, “if you can’t say anything nice,” right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this year has been an enormous
improvement over last year, so I’m pretty giddy for this year’s Oscars to get
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should be fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My analysis here is only going to be what I
think should win (because of course, I’m right) and not what I think will win
(though I may make mention of what the New Academy may do).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless I note otherwise, I’ve seen all the
films in the category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I haven’t seen <i>Pain and Glory</i> and probably won’t before the
Oscars come and go, so my choice here is not completely informed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The four performances I did see were all
quite good but so, so different from each other:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an actor past his prime, a director
blindsided by a divorce, a mentally unstable misfit, and the current pope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to compare these
performances, since the actors are working with a completely different
range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have no problem with
Phoenix, Driver, or Pryce winning (I don’t think that DiCaprio’s performance
was that nuanced).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pryce’s performance
seemed similar to the one Hanks was playing in <i>A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood</i>
in that they are playing two saintly men who have to deal with significant
hardships and not crack, so there’s a lot of control there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phoenix is the opposite of this – a hurt rage
machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driver sort of balances
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The climax of <i>Marriage Story </i>with
Johansson is one of the best scenes from a film this year, and it’s mostly due
to Driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to pick one –
all three are effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll go into this more in detail later in this post, but I was NOT
impressed with <i>The Irishman</i> … except for Pacino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time he showed up on screen, I was like
“ok, here we go!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it’s his normal
schtick of chewing the room up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <i>love </i>that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pesci and Hopkins seem to be playing their
archetypical selves in their roles, and you may be saying to yourself, “But
Mary, isn’t what you are saying the same as Pacino?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, you’re right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I don’t enjoy Pesci or Hopkins as much
as Pacino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few times in <i>Neighborhood
</i>where we get to see why Hanks is given the regard that he is owed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story and most of the acting (outside of
Hanks and Cooper) is very boilerplate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But there are times where Hanks takes Rogers and, just through looks or
facial expression, shows the cracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was interesting to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Pitt was the reason why I enjoyed <i>Once Upon a Time … in
Hollywood </i>as much as I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
used to be a time where I would swear up and down that Tarantino was the most
brilliant American director of his time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His last few films have made me walk back on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I maintain that ever since Sally Menke (his
editor) passed away in 2010, his films haven’t been as good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Pitt is so much fun to watch in <i>Hollywood</i>,
and he makes it look almost effortless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pitt should get it, but if Pacino gets it, I won’t be upset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ok, so this one you shouldn’t listen to me, because I haven’t seen two
of the five performances (Erivo and Zellweger).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>Judy </i>was initially panned so severely (though now, curiously, the
ratings on </span><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/judy_2019"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">RT</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> are
much higher) that I was surprised to see Zellweger nominated and even more
shocked to see her win the Golden Globe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, while I know I <i>should </i>see it, I don’t really <i>want </i>to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just put it at the top of my Netflix cue, so
maybe before Oscars, I’ll get it in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
feel bad for Johansson, as she gave two of the best performances in her career
this year, but being nominated in two different categories means your votes get
split (this will come up again when I talk about <i>Parasite</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see Theron anywhere in her
performance as Megyn Kelly in <i>Bombshell</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ronan was good in <i>LW</i>, but I don’t see her performance as
stellar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be happy with Johansson
or Theron winning here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did not see <i>Richard Jewell</i>, nor do I want to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Bates is an outstanding actress, and
the other four performances in this category were fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really wouldn’t mind any one of these women
winning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a soft spot for Dern, I
must admit, so I’m probably pulling more for her than anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Animated Feature:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t seen any of
these, but <i>I Lost My Body </i>looks cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Cinematography:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as I would deeply love to see <i>The
Lighthouse </i>win for this, as it is its ONLY nomination this year and was my
favorite film of last year, it has to go to Deakins’ work on <i>1917</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did have a shade of doubt cast on it </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRsczqWpr4M"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">by a guy I watch on YouTube</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> not
liking it and pointing out faults, but given the light continuity they went for
(and I think achieved) without digital processing, this is a feat too great to
not acknowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see anything
particularly innovative or beautiful in the other three films.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Costume Design:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of these films are
contemporary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got a movie that
spans 50 years, WWII, early 1980s, late 1860s-early 1870s, and the late 1960s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No real alternate or futuristic universes
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just how well did you represent
the time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would lean towards Rubeo’s
work in <i>Jojo Rabbit </i>(as a particular part of a costume has a searing
effect in the film) or Durran in <i>Little Women</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Director:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hands down:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bong Joon Ho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s had a career of excellently executed films, and I’m so happy to see
him getting some recognition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Runner-up
would be Sam Mendes, as <i>1917 </i>is not just a film but an orchestration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Documentary:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have only seen <i>American
Factory</i>, but it is good enough for me to use in my comp classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know <i>Honeyland </i>is supposed to be
really good (interesting that a documentary is also up for best international
film).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of the other films deal with
Syria, and the other is about democracy in Brazil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Short-Subject Documentary:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No clue on
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Film Editing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The racing sequences in <i>FvF
</i>are tight and effective, but the rest of the movie is meh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you give it the award for just that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure why <i>Jojo </i>is here, and I
love that film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t recall going
“wow, that editing” after seeing it. <i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joker</i>’s a little more complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should go to <i>Parasite</i>, because of
the carefully calculated tension that is built through editing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Did
They Change the Name From Best Foreign Language Film to Best International
Feature Film?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WTF?:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that THIS is the biggest thing that
needs to be changed about the awards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t think the same picture should be up for this (stupidly named) category <i>and
</i>best picture, because the votes will be split, or this will be considered a
consolation prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, <i>Parasite
</i>will win this when it <i>should </i>win best picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People may go with the safer bet to make sure
Ho wins his award.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But think of how many
people may <i>actually </i>get past the subtitle barrier if it won best
picture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my world, <i>Honeyland</i>
would win this, and <i>Parasite </i>wins best picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, that’s not how it is going to go
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, honestly, <i>1917 </i>is an
international film, because Great Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why isn’t it in this category?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stupid.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Makeup and Hairstyling:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
interesting to see more than three films nominated this year – normally, they
only do three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My soft spot is for <i>Bombshell
</i>because of the work they did on Theron and Lithgow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Joker </i>is mostly about the character’s
performance and what he did to/with himself, physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see <i>Judy</i>, but I don’t think
everyday Zellweger looks much different (outside of the hair) than real life
Garland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t see <i>Maleficent</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t recall there being much makeup and
hair in <i>1917</i>, outside of showing body wounds, and the shots were so
fast, most of the time, it didn’t register.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Original Score:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of good stuff here
this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, didn’t see <i>SW</i>,
and Williams has enough awards at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I really like Desplat – his work is consistently exceptional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do lean more towards T. Newman than
Gudnadóttir, but it should come down to those two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Original Song:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally, I don’t give a
flying fig about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, I
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Rocketman </i>really impressed
me, as I went into that film thinking I was going to be bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m sad to see that Egerton wasn’t nominated (but glad to see he at
least got a Golden Globe).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a
huge Elton John fan, but there’s no denying his influence on pop music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” should win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any of the other songs win, I will be
legitimately sore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Production Design:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one is
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even I’d admit that <i>The
Irish/Italianman </i>looked good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok,
yeah, <i>Parasite</i> had a pretty house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, there was that scene during the flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things got real technical real quick
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone can have this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Little Women </i>should be on this
list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <i>The Lighthouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Plenty of pretty movies this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Animated Short:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t seen any of
these and am running out of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based
on their posters and plot descriptions, they all sound fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I get a chance to see them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Live Action Short:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen none of
these, and I’m too out of time to try to catch them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These all sound depressing except for <i>Nefta
Football Club</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Sound Editing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did not see <i>Star Wars</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who forgot, sound editing in this
context doesn’t mean splicing sounds together – it means sound capture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that reason, I don’t think <i>SW</i> has
a chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other four, though, did a
good job of this – the throaty roar of the engines in <i>FvF</i>, crowd
calamity and insane laughing in <i>J</i>, the explosions and gunfire of <i>1917</i>,
and the dialog of <i>OUaTi…H</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wouldn’t mind any of those four films winning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would, though, give the edge to <i>FvF </i>and <i>1917</i>, as those
were more technically difficult films to get sound for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Sound Mixing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is post-production
sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see <i>Ad Astra</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather surprised to not see <i>SW </i>in this
one instead of Sound Editing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, all
four of the films I saw in this category were solid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think, like with sound editing, <i>FvF </i>and
<i>1917 </i>probably needed more work in post, so they would be my choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Visual Effects:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t seen <i>The
Lion King </i>or the last <i>Star Wars </i>film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While <i>Endgame</i> was sort of impressive,
the screen was far too busy trying to be epic, and colors were washed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen clips from <i>TLK</i>, and it looks
awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish Disney would stop
rebooting these films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, they are
raking in so much money that they don’t care about art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the de-aging in <i>TI</i> was not
convincing to me (nor were the constant times they were calling the 40-ish
version of DeNiro “kid”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure <i>SW
</i>looked great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d give it to <i>1917
</i>just because of the dead bodies Schofield had to crawl over to get out of
the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal of visual effects is
to make something that isn’t real appear real or plausible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Adapted Screenplay:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m afraid I haven’t
read any of the books the films were nominated on, so I do not know who truly
did the best job. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My three picks are <i>Jojo
Rabbit</i>, <i>Little Women</i>, and <i>The Two Popes</i>, with the edge to <i>LW</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of people got bent out of shape about <i>Joker
</i>not really following that character’s true mythology (while others said it
was perfect – the backstory of that character is deliberately ambiguous).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As can be told by all my other posts, I give
nothing to <i>Irish/Italianman</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Original Screenplay:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure why <i>1917</i>
is nominated for this – there wasn’t very much dialog in the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The screenplay must have looked like a
schematic diagram for what they were going to do with the cameras, actors,
explosions, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are awards for
other departments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Knives Out </i>was
cute, but when compared to these heavy hitters, it looks light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best is <i>Parasite</i>, but it’s in another
language, so people won’t care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As <i>Marriage
Story </i>rests solely on the performances and script, this is a respectable
choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tarantino still has a cult of
personality, and people did like to see Sharon Tate not get horribly
murdered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any one of those three is fine
with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Picture (from least deserving to most):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Irish/Italianman</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
movie was so indulgent of itself that it was somewhat sickening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing someone’s eye color from brown to
blue digitally does not make them Irish, especially when that someone has had a
55-year long career being his Italian self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I saw in an interview that Scorsese wanted to make this film for years
but couldn’t for an assortment of reasons and was so grateful to Netflix to get
a chance before someone dies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
creeped out by the de-aging in films, and </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/james-dean-posthumous-casting-in-new-movie-through-visual-effects-2019-11"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t
see this getting any better</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve seen a Scorsese mobster film,
you’ve seen this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is so thunderstruck
that in this one, you see those gangsters grow old and deal with the
consequences of their wily ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, how
Scorsese has matured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embarrassing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And THREE HOURS AND TWENTY-NINE MINUTES LONG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the joke is, it’s up for best editing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only worthwhile thing in the film is Al
Pacino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest is forgettable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ford v
Ferrari</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m puzzled why this
is nominated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a decent film, but
the world’s full of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m guessing
that they were able to raise the pedigree of this film by its actors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Joker</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve mentioned this before, but <i>Parasite </i>does
what this film is trying to do much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is sort of crazy to see such a critical film of current America (yes,
it is set in an alternate 1980s, but it’s impossible to miss seeing today in
it), the class struggle, and the failure of social programs make this much
money (and a rated R film, at that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Joaquin Phoenix kills it (but he does in every movie – watch <i>You Were
Never Really Here</i> instead of this film).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The score really contributed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
controversy was ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In five
years, what will people remember about this film?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once
Upon a Time … in Hollywood</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a time when Tarantino was razor-sharp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a good film and a lot of fun to watch
(especially when Brad Pitt is on screen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I buy more into the whole “our innocence died the day the Manson family
murdered,” but as a country, we’d already had Civil Rights leaders
assassinated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This certainly hit closer
to home for people in the film industry, as it was some of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like that Tate gets to live here, just as I
liked the theater full of burning Nazis in <i>Inglorious Basterds</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film is beautiful, and I love that there
are some directors that won’t let analog film die and make a stink about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just wasn’t as good as the others
that come after this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Marriage
Story</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is at the same
level as <i>Little Women</i>, but because you leave <i>LW </i>feeling good and
this feeling awful, this was a bit lower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The performances and the script in this are what made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story itself isn’t all that new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Kramer vs. Kramer </i>was 1979.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Little
Women</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was fun to
watch, even when it wasn’t (like the dying sister).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, Chris Cooper should be up for an
Academy Award for best supporting actor, because every time he was on screen
(and it’s precious little), he totally broke my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was great in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Timothée Chalamet is actually starting to
grow on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was feminist without
harping on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was delicately made,
and everyone looked like they were invested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m thinking that Gerwig is quite a director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also kind of tickled to see Streep and
Cooper in a film together again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1917</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a technical achievement, and I’m
interested in WWI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roger Deakins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a heavy story – it's a race against
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s tragic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For me, it worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jojo
Rabbit(s)</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The (s) is because
at my house, that’s how we say the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really loved this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Child
actors can be really hit-or-miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roman
Davis and Archie Yates were awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t know Sam Rockwell or Scarlett Johannson were in it, and they were both
awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taika Waititi as Imaginary
Friend Hitler was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story was
engaging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think some people can’t take
Nazis being humanized, but there is so much fun poked at them in this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really well-made, and it has a good
heart (like <i>LW</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Parasite</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is such an intricate film, so beautifully
crafted in every aspect of the categories above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it will probably only get best
international film (ugh), but it is way out there past these other films.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll be
sure to get caught up on the films I missed (maybe not the shorts or the documentaries).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be wild to see what actually wins –
if it’s politics or merit that triumphs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-54862169615122680182018-02-28T09:27:00.000-08:002018-02-28T11:12:55.858-08:00Oscarzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I've
really let this blog go. Been so
busy. I do miss it, creating the
posts. But, no guilt will stop my Oscar
post. This is mostly what I think <i>should
</i>win, not what will actually win, so don't bet your Oscar pool money on what
I have here. Onward!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Actor: The only one I haven't seen in
this category is Denzel Washington's <i>Roman J. Israel, Esq.</i> From what I've heard, it wasn't that great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Why was
he nominated? Well, he's Denzel
Washington. I think the Academy from
here on out will start treating him like they do Streep. And (and this will be a refrain you will hear
a lot in this post, so you can go ahead and call me racist and sexist right
now), </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.oscars.org/news/academy-takes-historic-action-increase-diversity" target="_blank">the Academy has drastically changed its voting body make-up within the last year</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">, so
you're going to start seeing films and performances nominated that you wouldn't
see before (sort of like how the literary canon started changing in the 1960s
and continues to change today). That's
also why Daniel Kaluuya is up, too. <i>Get
Out </i>was a good film and made a significant statement that is to be
applauded, but when you compare Kaluuya's performance to, say, Christian Bale's
performance in <i>Hostiles</i>, it's pretty obvious who did heavier
lifting. And, although Daniel Day Lewis
says this is it for him, he cannot beat what Gary Oldman did in <i>Darkest Hour</i>. No one can, or should, beat Oldman. As for Chalamet, who was flipping in <i>everything
</i>(I saw <i>Call Me By Your Name </i>and <i>Lady Bird </i>on the same day,
not knowing he was in both, then he pops up in <i>Hostiles </i>as a French
Union solider and is in the movie for literally 5 minutes, I was like
"Jesus, what else is this kid in this year?" [answer: a film called <i>Hot Summer Nights</i>]). If you like emo teens, you'll like him. Guess where I fall on that.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Actress: Here's another category where I
think there should be little debate on who gets the prize. FRANCES MCDORMAND. Why is there anyone else nominated? Yeah, the other actresses did that whole
acting thing, whether they were romancing sea monsters, tolerating
high-pressure board meetings, being emotionally obliterated by their mothers,
or just shopping with their mothers (just realized 3 of these 5 performances
focused on mother / daughter relationships, all of which are fraught with
problems). McDormand just owns so hard
in <i>Three Billboards</i>. I didn't see
<i>I, Tonya </i>and honestly don't want to but may.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actor in
a Supporting Role: Ok, yet another easy
one. Sam Rockwell. I didn't see <i>The Florida Project</i>, and
Willem Dafoe is good in everything, but from the clips I've seen of Dafoe's
performance, it doesn't look like he had to reach far. Nor did Plummer (he's getting the nod for the
situation he acted in, not his acting). Jenkins was solid. I'm hoping the vote for Rockwell doesn't get
split with Harrelson, because both guys did such a great job in <i>Three
Billboards</i>. But Rockwell had more to
do, and he did it a little better than Harrelson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actress
in a Supporting Role: This is going to
be weird, because if I end up not seeing <i>I, Tonya</i>, I'll still be
maintaining that Allison Janney should win this. One, she's great. Two, I've seen a lot of interviews with her
about this role, and she's flexing here.
Three, the clips I've seen of her performance are devastating. I saw everyone else nominated. Blige was good in <i>Mudbound</i>, but she's
not in it very much. Metcalf is good,
too. But, she's lost the role of
belligerent mother to Janney. Spencer is
good, too. But, she's not incredibly
central to the film. She's almost token
in it. If anyone gives Janney a run for
the money, it should be Manville from <i>Phantom Thread</i>. She was totally delicious and elevated every
scene she was in. And that's big when
you're playing tennis with DDL. And she
wins a lot. Still, Janney should take
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Animated Feature: Why are <i>Boss Baby </i>and
<i>Ferdinand </i>up for this? Where's <i>Silent
Voice</i>? Was this the best group they
could field? Don't get me wrong, I loved
<i>Coco</i>. I saw it twice in theaters. But, there's simply no comparison to how
drop-dead gorgeous <i>Loving Vincent </i>is.
It is in my top 5 films of the year.
See this movie. It won't win,
because it isn't Pixar. But damn. <i>The Breadwinner </i>looks pretty serious
and is from the same people that did <i>Song of the Sea </i>and <i>The Secret
of Kells</i>. Will try to catch it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Cinematography: Oooohhhhhh, boy. Please give Roger Deakins his Oscar. He's earned it. My god, John Bailey's the damn President of
the Academy right now. They <i>can't </i>mess
this up this year. And, honestly,
Hoytema should probably win for the feat that was shooting <i>Dunkirk </i>in
flipping IMAX and the pure scale of that film.
But … this is Deakins' THIRTEENT nomination. Seriously.
Stop it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Costume Design: Mark Bridges for <i>Phantom
Thread</i>. Yeah, the other films have
good looking costumes in them. But, <i>PT
</i>was <i>about </i>dress making. If
Bridges doesn't win and it goes to Durran for <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>,
that's just people giving something to Disney because they only make box office
pictures and don't have a prestige piece that can win something in a
significant category. But, everyone
wants some of that Disney Money©®.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Directing: While everyone is
twitterpated with Greta Gerwig's <i>Lady Bird</i>, I don't see anything particularly
stunning with the film. It is a TV movie
which is elevated by its actors and writing.
Straightforward narrative storytelling.
The Oscars wanted to nominate a woman.
They <i>should </i>have nominated Katheryn Bigelow for <i>Detroit</i>,
but gee, she's 67 years old, and this is all about new, fresh, young. Sad. I
think it is interesting that Peele is nominated. <i>Get Out </i>hit people like a slap in the
face. But, I think he's being nominated
more for who he is and what the film did, and not the film itself. That really leaves three candidates. del Toro did a lot with a little budget on a
passion project that was very close to his heart. It's an interesting film, and I'm surprised
it is getting as much attention as it is.
I love <i>Phantom Thread</i>, but I think it may be a bit too restrained
for this year (look at the other entries in this category – PTA's movie was
just too quiet). The obvious choice, to
me, is what Nolan did with <i>Dunkirk</i>.
That film is a technical achievement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Documentary Feature: So, I did something
really dumb. I had a day on the weekend
to myself and found out that four of the five documentaries were available on
streaming services that I have (Amazon and Netflix). So, I said "fuck it! Let's watch them all!" I forget how depressing documentaries can
be. And, I just happened to watch them
in the order of least to most depressing.
Yay. The only one I didn't see
was <i>Faces Places</i>, the doc on Agnes Varda. I'm sure that's lovely. I probably won't see it by Oscar Night. As to the other four, <i>Abacus: Small Enough to Jail</i> is a PBS Frontline
show. It's a nice David and Goliath
story, but ultimately, PBS looks like it was trying too hard (too many staged
shots of the family and Chinese Americans looking defiant). <i>Strong Island </i>is brutal, but it's also
self-indulgent (and to say that is risky, since it implies denial of the
situation, of which I am not doing). The
two that are competing here are <i>Icarus </i>and <i>Last Men in Aleppo</i>.
Both are very different movies. One is
about the Russian state-sponsored doping of athletes and the other is about the
White Hats in Aleppo trying to dig bodies (mostly dead and in pieces but every
once in a while, they get to save someone).
<i>Last Men</i> packs a more immediate, visceral punch, but the
lingering sting of <i>Icarus</i> is frightening, especially when the news is
blaring how Russia is GOING to interfere with midterm 2018 elections. There are people in this world that are truly
unscrupulous, and they will do <i>anything</i> to get what they want. I'd be happy if either picture wins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Documentary Short: I saw </span><i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.topic.com/edith-eddie" target="_blank">Edith+Eddie</a></span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, and if
you click on the link, you can, too. I
saw </span><i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09M3C4VD1Fg" target="_blank">Heaven Is A Traffic Jam on the 405</a></span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, and if you click on the link,
you can, too. <i>Heroin(e) </i>is on
Netflix. You can watch </span><i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7cW60vhP4Y" target="_blank">Knife Skills</a></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">here. <i>Traffic Stops </i>is on HBO, so I can't
see it. Enjoyed <i>Knife Skills </i>for
its message of empowerment. The other
three I saw were significant downers, as most documentaries are. <i>Heroin(e) </i>does have somewhat of a
possible message of hope, but mostly people are dropping like flies because of
opioids, and very little seems able to stop that. I felt like I was only getting one side of
the story with <i>Edith+Eddie</i>, and a pathos-based one at that (if the
daughter in Virginia is the one closest to Edith and takes care of her, why
does the distant daughter have POA?). <i>405
</i>was too difficult to watch for me – just because it was hard to track
what was going on with Mindy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Film
Editing: The only one I haven't seen is <i>I,
Tonya</i>. <i>Three Billboards </i>and <i>Shape
of Water </i>don't really do anything interesting or innovative – they are cut
for narrative effect. Two films that <i>do
</i>do interesting things with their cuts are <i>Baby Driver </i>and <i>Dunkirk</i>. Both qualify as "action"
films. I have to go with <i>Baby Driver </i>on
this, as there's some really interesting editing to music in this film that
made it fresh and engaging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Foreign
Language Film: I have seen NONE of
these. A safe bet would be that <i>Loveless
</i>won't win because Russia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Makeup
and Hairstyling: I haven't seen <i>Victoria
& Abdul </i>or <i>Wonder</i>, but that doesn't really matter because <i>Darkest
Hour </i>will win this, no problem. Gary
Oldman doesn't look a THING like Churchill in real life, but damn it if you
think that's Churchill on the screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Musical
Score: Ok, can we STOP nominating John
Williams? You think the score for <i>The
Last Jedi </i>was noticeable? Stop
fooling yourself. Everyone else in this
category could win, because all four other scores are effective. But honestly, this should go to Jonny
Greenwood. The music in <i>Phantom
Thread </i>was so perfect for what the film was doing. Spot on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Music
(Original Song): </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iDxU9eNQ_0" target="_blank">"Remember Me" from Coco!!!</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Why is anything else
in this category? Granted, I watched <i>Mudbound
</i>and <i>Call Me By Your Name</i>. </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQT32vW61eI" target="_blank">The music in <i>CMBYN</i> is 80s pastiche</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2ht5aF-2E" target="_blank">I don't remember what played over the credits in Mudbound, but the song sure wasn't in the film, so whocares</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">? Didn't see the other
two. My personal favorite? </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg8116aeD7E" target="_blank">"Un Poco Loco."</a></span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Production
Design: This is maybe the hardest
category to vote on, since these five movies had such a distinct look. I'd say this is a race between <i>Blade
Runner 2049 </i>and <i>The Shape of Water</i>.
The edge goes to <i>Blade Runner 2049 -</i> the world-building is
amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Animated
Short Film: Didn't see any but will be
seeing them before Oscars – may update.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Live
Action Short Film: Didn't see any but
will be seeing them before Oscars – may update.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sound
Editing: Honestly, this is hard, because
I cannot tell if the sound in <i>Phantom Thread </i>is production or
post-production. If it's in production,
it should win this, but IT ISN'T EVEN NOMINATED! Assholes.
This should probably go to <i>The Shape of Water</i> because it seems
the least likely to have had a ton of post-production done to it. But, that isn't saying much, and that may not
be accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sound
Mixing: ALL these films look like they
had a ton done in post. So now the
decision is about which had the most heavy lifting. Geez.
Tough. WWII film. Sci-fi film. Car stunt action film. Obligatory <i>Star Wars</i>. That's why I put <i>Shape of Water </i>in
sound editing. Um … DAMN! This is HARD!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Visual
Effects: People are really high on
giving <i>War for the Planet of the Apes </i>something, since the series is A)
groundbreaking technologically and B) at its end. I couldn't get into <i>GofGV2</i> - something
was off (probably plot), but as a result, I don't remember much about the
visual design. <i>Star Wars </i>was
actually kind of sloppy in places (mostly notably the Planet Monaco
sequence). Didn't see <i>Kong: Skull Island</i>. Give it to <i>Blade Runner 2049</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adapted
Screenplay: This one is tough for me because
I really liked <i>Molly's Game </i>and <i>The Disaster Artist</i>. I've been listening to the audio book of <i>TDA</i>,
which is read by Greg Sestero. And, I
love Sorkin. And, from a storytelling
perspective, <i>Mudbound </i>was solid.
There's going to be negative blowback on James Franco, so that might
shoot any mention of <i>TDA </i>in the foot.
Going with Sorkin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Original
Screenplay: I honestly don't know how
much hate is now leveled at <i>Three Billboards</i>, but it should really
win. Otherwise, people will be dying to
give the awards to either Gerwig or Peele.
I'd go with Peele, if people can get over stupidity and just give it to
McDonagh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best
Picture (in order from least to most deserving):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Call Me
By Your Name </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Guadignino, 2017) – Full disclosure, I <i>loved </i>Luca
Guadagnino’s <i>A Bigger Splash </i>(2015).
And, it wasn’t just for Matthias Schoenaerts (but, he was good in it) and that it
was a great adaptation from the novel (from Alain Page, which was already
adapted into the movie <i>La piscine</i> (1969)]. You had a bizarre love square with
Schoenaerts in a relationship with rock star Tilda Swinton (this movie was so
well-cast), having this amazing villa in an Italian south sea (read
Mediterranean) island villa to try to recoup from speech loss (because she’s a
singer). But Ralph Fiennes and his
“daughter” Dakota Johnson show up, and things get way complicated. It is the first film that I’ve seen to incorporate
the Syrian crisis that wasn’t a documentary.
It was a compelling story, well-acted, well shot (my god, this film was
gorgeous). And, the use of food in this
movie was so sensuous. I couldn’t
understand why <i>ABS </i>wasn’t better received.
So, my expectations were high for this film. And this film was so BORING. Holy shit.
Ridiculously educated archaeology professor and his wife take his
ridiculously educated son to the north of Italy, which they do every year, and
there is the promising grad student working on whatever paper or theory they
are working on. There literally isn’t anything that happens in this movie other than two men
fall in love (I guess) while they are able to swim, ride bikes, eat <i>al fresco</i>,
and go into town to pick up wonderful wine.
It is so goddamn boring. The
interjection of 1980s pop songs, the awkward editing, and overall content of
this film lead me to believe that even in the face of knowledge of actors and
timelines, this film was made before <i>A Bigger Splash. </i>It seemed so more sophomoric, with casual
errors in editing and an abrasive use of music that is trying to mirror 1980s
John Hughes films but ultimately is lifeless.
I am so disappointed in this. <i>A Bigger Splash </i>was so much more
tightly edited and written, and this film is so loose and pointless. When I explained this to Kim, she made a
great point that the things that happen to this kid and the level of acceptance
that the protagonist in this film experiences is almost like a re-writing of
history. Few teenagers in 1983-84 would
have expected a pass like this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Post
</span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Spielberg,
2017) – I love Spielberg. I love
Streep. Hanks is pretty loveable. He's pretty much the modern-day Jimmy
Stewart. However, this movie was <i>boring</i>. People talking in rooms. People talking on the phone. And it was so message-heavy. It felt to me like a WWII studio propaganda
film, but instead of supporting the war, this was about supporting a leftist
agenda (women's rights, freedom of the press).
Ok, maybe "leftist" or "liberal" isn't the best way
to peg it, but it certainly seems very anti-Trump message. I'm not for Trump, but this was extremely
blatant. If you compare / contrast this
with <i>Spotlight</i> (2015), I'd argue you see a more even portrayal of
journalism in <i>Spotlight</i>. It was
just a disappointment. Hopefully, <i>Ready,
Player One </i>will put Spielberg back in charge of something more suitable to
his style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lady
Bird </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Gerwig, 2017) – Yes, the relationship between the mother and
daughter seems real and unaffected.
That's largely due to the great performances of Metcalf and Ronan. Ronan is a great young actress. I've liked her in everything I've seen her
in. But I'm too old to care about high
school, and I'm not nostalgic for my high school days whatsoever, so I am <u>not</u>
the audience for this film. Yes, it has
good writing. But, it just came off to
me as a Lifetime movie with talent.
There was no need to see this on a big screen.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Darkest
Hour </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Wright, 2017) – <i>Darkest Hour </i>is like an action film
if you replaced the action sequences with speeches. I enjoyed watching it because I love the era,
Oldman, and Scott-Thomas. It is quite a
good companion piece / double feature to <i>Dunkirk</i>. And both movies are trying to give a shot in
the arm to countries who want so badly to be on the right side of things in an
era where the bad guys are harder to detect.
Remember when the Allies kicked Hitler's ass? Remember?
Good times. Now, people just bomb
subways and run over people in trucks.
Not very sporting. Have hope,
western civilization. If Churchill
really did drink as much as he did, how did he ever get anything done?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Get Out </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Peele,
2017) – This movie was refreshing, the same way that Spike Lee's <i>Do the
Right Thing </i>was a wake-up call in 1989.
It's also a real rarity to see a thriller / horror film get
nominated. Performances were good. Writing was good. Directing was good. I think people are reading an awful lot into
it, which stands to reason, given the current political climate. But, best picture?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dunkirk </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Nolan,
2017) – I’m not going to change my opinion on this, no matter what I read (in
fact, what I read reinforces what I think about this film). Have you ever gone to an IMAX theater at a
museum? It was just for the experience. If you would ever like to experience what it
was like to be a retreating force on the beaches of Dunkirk, I can’t endorse a
movie experience like this more. Seriously, if you didn’t see this in 70 mm or IMAX,
you missed this film. And no, watching
it on your big screen TV is not sufficient.
Nolan had a vision. A vision that required grown men to cart 70 mm
cameras in these environments. Which is
why if anyone other than Nolan wins best director, people don't get it. This is not a character or
plot-driven movie. This is a movie meant
to capture a moment in time. And Nolan
is BRILLIANT in what he does here, and the scale is enough to make Spielberg
choke (seriously, how would Spielberg have directed this?). However, this tells no story and has no
characters. Why did Nolan squander Tom Hardy as someone behind a flight mask for the whole of this movie?
Why? Seriously? Why did you do that, Nolan? He’s a great ACTOR. You wasted his time for a trailer
marquee. I loved this, just not as a
movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Shape of Water </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(del Toro, 2017) – This film has an edge over <i>Dunkirk
</i>because it has characters and a story.
Everything about this movie loves movies. It really wouldn't shock me if this wins best
picture, because Hollywood loves movies that love the industry (though you can't judge that by last year's best picture). It is a little weird, which is fine. And, it's got Michael Shannon, being creepy,
which is <i>more </i>than fine with me.
I didn't quite buy the relationship that grows between the mer-man and
Elisa, so a lot of this movie was me enjoying the technical aspects (set
design, cinematography, Shannon, the score).
And, I like the whole Commie plot.
And wouldn't you know it, Nigel Bennett popped up in it! I haven't seen him in years! Good to see he's working (though to check out
his IMDb page, he's done a ton of TV up in Canadia). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Phantom
Thread </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Anderson, 2017) – Ok, so no every PTA movie is a
masterpiece, but you can always tell he's trying for something meticulous. He definitely achieved that here. This movie is gorgeous. The dynamic of the relationship between
Reynolds Woodcock (god, that name) and Alma is such a weird dance, and Cyril
injects such necessary grounding at points.
This is "dainty."
Acting, directing, costumes, music, set design, cinematography, sound
design – so much is right with this movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Three
Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri </span></i><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(McDonagh, 2017) – Just got it
in the mail yesterday, so can't wait to see this again. This is not, on a technical level, the best movie,
but the acting is outstanding and the story is compelling. It's topical without being as in-your-face
about it as <i>The Post </i>or <i>Get Out </i>or <i>Lady Bird</i>. This is great writing, but what else do you
expect from an accomplished playwright?
Everyone is acting so hard in this.
One scene will always stick with me as one of the greatest moments in
acting I've seen on screen – between McDormand and Harrelson where they are
sparring and then he coughs blood on her.
That obliterated me. Rockwell is
great. I'm so sad to see the blowback
this movie has received in the past month, almost like people are looking for a
reason to hate it. Don't give me that
b.s. about a Brit can't write about American racism. He's a <i>writer</i>. That's what they do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">And
there you have it.</span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I think it's going to
be a wild night.</span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I can't tell how much
the new demographic of Oscar voters will affect the outcome, but we may get a
sure sign of a serious sea-change, depending on how the envelops open.</span>Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-39646121328364943822017-02-19T13:37:00.000-08:002017-02-21T14:00:55.246-08:00Everyone Put Your Flags Down for a Minute, and Let's Talk about the Oscars!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Politically, racially, and gendered-charged
year. 2016. After the #OscarsSoWhite scandal last year,
and the push for more diversity within the membership of the Academy of Motion
Pictures, Arts and Sciences (as well as new guidelines meant to exclude
previous members who weren’t considered “active” in the industry anymore), what
we are seeing in this year’s nominees is a distinctive divide between the more
conservative (and possibly older) members of the Academy and the more liberal
(as well as younger and more diverse) members.
So, while initially I was scratching my head at some of these nominees,
I eventually came to the sad realization that there’s a lot going on this year
that doesn’t really have anything to do with (or at least the focus isn’t) the
artistic merit of a film. What you have
is people voting with their politics. When
one couples the fact that it’s the industry voting on its own as well as money
as well as feeling the need for art to represent / reflect the times it was
created in, I’m coming closer and closer to treating the Oscars as being mostly
superfluous. I still had a lot of fun
watching these films, and I have seen almost all of the films up for
nominations (I will note after the category which films I didn’t see, so assume
all others I did see). Your immediate
counterargument to this, as my lovely wife noted, is “no one said you have to
watch them all.” However, I’m also
noticing (and maybe this runs parallel with the whole politicizing of art) that
a lot of commentary associated with talking about Oscar nominations this year
includes the phrase “well, I haven’t seen the movie, but …” People are firing off a lot of opinions on
films that they haven’t seen, which is unfair and ignorant. So, I’m not going to be one of those
people. Already, in more than one
instance, I’ve had my mind changed on what I expected to see and what I
actually saw (and it was extremely pleasant and affirming). I’ve also had those moments in prior
years. So, I have an overall personal
feeling of responsibility and respect. I’m
<u>not</u> going to sell these films short.
Onward!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actor in
a Leading Role: <a href="http://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/23rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards">The
SAG Award went to Washington</a>. I
don’t understand that. There seems to be
a lot of love for Washington out there. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/casey-affleck-sexual-assault-claims-allegations-accusations-manchester-by-the-sea-actor-a7517996.html">There
is also a lot of backlash with sexual harassment scandals involving Affleck</a>. </span><a href="http://www.theasc.com/site/news/denzel-washington-to-be-honored-with-asc-board-of-governors-award/"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For the
American Society of Cinematographers, Washington won their Board of Governers
Award</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Holy shit. He’s never even done cinematography for a
film. I know it’s about a lifetime of
contribution, but really? He’s 62. He has plenty more years of film work in
front of him. There’s something about
his performances that always have a kernel of similarity to all his other
performances. I realize I’m biased
because I hate the character he plays (Troy Maxson), but when you put his
performance up next to Casey Affleck’s outstanding job in <i>Manchester by the Sea</i>, it should literally be a no-brainer. As much as I like Ryan Gosling, I’m not sure
why he’s nominated. He did a solid job,
and his dancing was great (singing was ok).
But, best actor? It is interesting
that Viggo Mortensen is nominated. His
work in <i>Captain Fantastic </i>is very
good – a different kind of contained that what Affleck does. It’s a great film. However, the ending was really stupid (You
think Frank Langella isn’t going to try to track down those kids? Fat chance.).
Of course, the ending has nothing to do with Mortensen’s competent work
in the film. That leaves Andrew
Garfield, who had two physically and mentally brutal performances last
year: <i>Silence </i>and <i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>. Both are outstanding, courageous pieces of
work. Based on merit, the order should
be: Casey Affleck, Andrew Garfield,
Viggo Mortensen, Denzel Washington, Ryan Gosling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actress
in a Leading Role (I didn’t see <i>Elle</i>): I find this category odd. I don’t know why Viola Davis isn’t up for
it. I don’t see her role as supporting. If she were in this category, she would still
win. I’m at a marked deficit because
from what I’ve seen of trailers, Isabelle Huppert did a wonderful job. As for the others in this category, I have
issues with 3 of 4. The first is Meryl
Streep. I didn’t like <i>Florence Foster Jenkins</i>. In fact, it made me a little angry. I get that you love someone so much you want
to shield them from negativity, but the amount of effort put into keeping the
fact that Jenkins, who was already suffering from dementia brought on by syphilis,
was a horrible singer yet still wanted to perform, was really ridiculous and
wasteful. That may sound callous on my
part, and I know this was based on a true story, but not only was the original
situation ludicrous, but making a movie about it was further indulgent. My guess is her performance is spot-on to the
actual Jenkins, but ultimately, I didn’t care.
Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Jackie Kennedy was, as Streep’s,
well-studied. From archival footage, she
sounded and acted just like Jackie. I
don’t know much about the historical JKO, so I was hoping that this film would
help me understand her a little bit better.
It didn’t. I walked out feeling
mostly uninformed. And, I think, that
might have been part of the film’s point.
I don’t think it was trying to answer questions. It was a film I was thinking about days after
I saw it. So, yeah, Portman did a great
job. The third issue has to do with Ruth
Negga’s nomination for <i>Loving</i>. Like Washington and Davis in <i>Fences</i>, I don’t think you could have had
a successful movie in <i>Loving </i>without
both Negga’s and Edgerton’s portrayals of Richard and Mildred Loving. Both of them did outstanding work which was
the opposite of what happens in <i>Fences</i>. It’s a very quiet film. Very respectful of its subject. So, why isn’t Edgerton nominated, yet Negga
is? It isn’t right. I don’t have a problem with Stone’s
nomination, and she did practically sparkle in every scene she was in. She did win the SAG award for best
actress. So, not only is it a safe bet,
but it’s pretty accurate. Merit: Stone, Portman, Negga, Streep (cannot place
Huppert).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Supporting Actor: This one is tough. This may actually be more challenging than
Best Actor. My clear and very easy
choice is Michael Shannon, because his work in <i>Nocturnal Animals </i>is so ridiculously good (as well as the, no
kidding, 9 other films he was in in 2016).
I don’t think Jeff Bridges should win.
He’s essentially doing a more hard-core version of Tommy Lee Jones’ Ed
Bell character from <i>No Country for Old
Men</i> (2007). Not a big deal,
especially for Bridges. I’m not really
sure why Hedges is nominated, other than trying to get someone nominated that’s
under the age of 30. Yeah, he does fine
in <i>Manchester</i>, but I don’t see a lot
of acting (maybe in one or two scenes).
It doesn’t help that he’s working next to Affleck and how great Affleck
is in the film. Mahershala Ali won the
SAG award, and his performance was good.
But really who it should go to is Dev Patel. His work in <i>Lion </i>is raw and emotional.
He should share the nomination with Sunny Pawar, the little boy who
plays the young Saroo in the first part of the film. Merit:
Dev Patel, Michael Shannon, Mahershala Ali, Lucas Hedges, Jeff Bridges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actress
in a Supporting Role: The work done in
this category was very strong. Viola
Davis’ Rose tore at my heart. As I
argued previously, she should be up for Best Actress. This was not a supporting role. Naomie Harris’ work in <i>Moonlight</i>, while clichéd, was solid. When you find out she did all of her scenes
in three days, it makes her work shine even more. She’s the only actor that is in all three
parts of <i>Moonlight</i>. She’s the through-line. Octavia Spencer is stalworth, but to me, she
sort of has only two modes in this film:
steadfast friend and chin-up-in-the-face-of-discrimination. I don’t see a lot of range in what she does
in the film. The one that did have the
most range, even though she’s not in the movie all that much, is Nicole
Kidman. You see so many sides to that
character and understand so much of what she has been through. That’s talent to convey all those states of
mind. While Michelle Williams was good,
she’s in so very little of <i>Manchester by
the Sea </i>that I don’t think this is a fair nomination. Some have likened her nomination to that of
Judi Dench’s <i>Shakespeare in Love </i>or
Viola Davis’ <i>Doubt </i>nominations for 8
minutes of screen time. I’m not trying
to say the work wasn’t good. But there’s
a reason why the word “supporting” is in this category. I think there should be more significant
contribution to the film overall.
Order: Viola Davis, Naomie
Harris, Nicole Kidman, Octavia Spencer, Michelle Williams (hey! alphabetical order!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Animated
Feature Film (<i>My Life as a Zucchini </i>won’t
be released near me until after the awards):
I really enjoyed the films in this category, some of which surprised
me. <i>Kubo
and the Two Strings </i>was masterful.
That’s the first one I saw in the category. When I saw that, I felt that none of the
others would be able to hold a candle.
Next, I saw <i>Moana</i>. As much as I’d like to poo-poo the juggernaut
that is Disney, I couldn’t help but find the film adorable. Princess Moana has come a long way from the
princesses of Disney past. When I’d see
posters for <i>Zootopia</i>, it just looked
too goofy to be good. When it won the
Golden Globe for best animated feature, I was shocked. So, I watched it. It was so relevant to what is going on now
with Trump’s all-out policies on immigrants and Muslims, yet also folded in gender
politics and perseverance. The film has
so much <i>heart </i>to it. It was wonderful storytelling. I was disappointed in <i>The Red Turtle</i>, which I fully expected to be at my top, because it
is produced by Studio Ghibli (even though it was made by a Dutch animator Michael
Dudok de Wit) and executive produced by my all-time favorite, Isao
Takahata. The film was beautiful (looked
like a modern Japanese wood-block print), but it was also pretty slow and
overly metaphorical while not always maintaining the metaphors. The trailer for <i>My Life as a Zucchini </i>looks amazing and deals with children living
in a foster home. Pretty serious
stuff. But, nothing’s going to beat <i>Zootopia</i>. Merit:
<i>Zootopia, Kubo and the Two
Strings, Moana, The Red Turtle </i>(cannot place <i>My Life as a Zucchini</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Cinematography
(Did not see <i>Silence </i>– sorry, Marty): <a href="http://www.theasc.com/site/asc-awards/">This got more interesting when
the ASC gave their award to <i>Lion</i></a>. But when you couple that with the fact that Greig
Fraser was also DP on <i>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</i> in the same year,
that’s pretty impressive. The dream-ish
sequences in <i>Lion </i>are striking. The camera work in <i>Arrival </i>and <i>Moonlight </i>is
also appropriate and effective, each evoking a tonal sense for the films. From what I’ve heard about the production of <i>Silence</i>, it was a Bataan Death March in
Taiwan. It sounded horrible. Mud.
Typhoons. Constant rain. Short shooting schedule. Poor Marty.
But I don’t see how anyone can fail to acknowledge how drop-dead
beautiful <i>La La Land </i>was. Linus Sandgren did an amazing job. He’s also DPed David O. Russell’s last two
films. Loved his work on <i>American Hustle</i>. This should be his award to lose. Order:
Sandgren (<i>La La Land</i>), geez this
is hard … um … Fraser (<i>Lion</i>), Young (<i>Arrival</i>), Laxton (<i>Moonlight</i>) (cannot place Prieto).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Costume
Design (didn’t see <i>Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them</i>): When you think
of costume design, you usually think of period pieces or fantasy. </span><a href="http://costumedesignersguild.com/awards-2017/"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact, they actually
break down their awards into different categories based on genre</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Clever.
Their ceremony is a week before the Oscars. Their nominees are really interesting. I don’t know if I’d consider <i>La La Land</i> fantasy, so it’s an odd duck
in this category. But the CDG has a
category for contemporary, so there you go.
Marion Cotillard’s gowns in <i>Allied
</i>were indeed beautiful, and I know a lot of work went into the costumes for
that film. So, I have to divorce my
apathy to that film when I consider this.
Yeah, the costumes in <i>Beasts </i>were
interesting. As were the costumes in <i>FFJ</i>.
And <i>Jackie</i>. Merit:
<i>Jackie</i>, <i>Allied</i>, <i>La La Land</i>, <i>FFJ</i> (cannot place <i>Beasts</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Directing: <i>DAMIEN
CHAZELLE</i>!!! You can practically <i>see </i>the love in each frame of that
film. The other films are well-directed,
without a doubt. </span><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/07/the-cinematic-traumas-of-kenneth-lonergan"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning
about Lonegan’s coming off of the nightmare litigations with <i>Margaret </i>(2011) and him taking over this
film and how hard this film is bears true testimony to his adherence to his
craft</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Barry Jenkins’
personal attachment to the story of Chiron also shows the depth of
responsibility and reverence for the materials he worked with. The full commitment of Mel Gibson to tell the
story of Desmond Doss in <i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>
was inspiring. The body of work Denis
Villeneuve is amassing displays significant talent. All of these films are good. But, when I think about what I will buy and
rewatch, this is easy. Order: Chazelle (<i>La
La Land</i>), Lonegan (<i>Manchester by the
Sea</i>), Villeneuve (<i>Arrival</i>), Gibson
(<i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>), Jenkins (<i>Moonlight</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Documentary
– Feature (Fuck you, Academy. I am not
watching 7 hours and 47 minutes of what is essentially an </span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/12/is-oj-simpson-made-in-america-a-tv-show-or-a-movie/509963/"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ESPN
documentary mini-series</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Just because it was shown in theaters a few times does not make it a
movie.): I think this is where you will
see politics in total play here, and it will give liberals an anxiety attack to
judge whether they should give the award to a film about Lampedusa, a city in
Sicily that processes refugees fleeing Africa and the Middle East on boats
across the Mediterranean Sea, mostly with disastrous results, or one of three
documentaries on the African-American experience. The darkest horse in the group is <i>Life, Animated</i>, which tells the story of
an autistic boy who uses Disney films to communicate. In light of the other four films nominated,
this one comes off as kind of a joke. I
honestly did not get <i>Fire at Sea </i>beyond
the obvious juxtaposition of everyday life in Lampedusa to the horrors of the
refugees. The long passages following
the boy around were so slow and wasteful.
What <i>should </i>win, and what <i>everyone </i>should see is <i>I Am Not Your Negro</i>. James Baldwin’s eloquence is so beautiful and
painful. Expertly edited archival
footage, coupled with Samuel L. Jackson’s almost-whispered readings of Baldwin’s
text is, in my estimation, one of the best films of the entire year. It really makes <i>13<sup>th</sup> </i>look pale in comparison. Order:
<i>I Am Not Your Negro</i>, and
forget the rest, really.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Documentary
– Short Subject: I won’t be seeing these
until Mom gets here next weekend, so, my apologies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Film
Editing: Films are made and broken in
post-production. One thing I am learning
from listening to interviews with producers, directors, and editors is that the
films they want to make are not the films we end up seeing. So much gets compromised. This is essentially the same list as best
director, only with <i>Manchester by the Sea
</i>swapped out with <i>Hell or High Water</i>. Why is that?
Is it because there were bank robberies and car chases? That seems a bit lame. The non-linear storytelling in <i>Manchester </i>was quite compelling and, by
extension, well-edited. Anyways. Normally when I think of something as being
“well-edited,” I’m looking at action sequences or dance numbers. Not sure why <i>Moonlight </i>is here. It really
should come down to <i>Hacksaw Ridge </i>and
<i>La La Land</i>. And since there’s a lot of long takes in <i>La La Land</i>, the really tight editing in
that film comes in the sequences at the end (the “what-could-have-been,” which
was highly effective). </span><a href="https://americancinemaeditors.org/eddie-awards/eddie-winners/"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What the
American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Awards did was give <i>Arrival </i>best edited dramatic feature and <i>La La Land </i>best comedy feature</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. (My) Order:
John Gilbert (<i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>),
Tom Cross (<i>La La Land</i>), Joe Walker (<i>Arrival</i>), Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon (<i>Moonlight</i>), Jake Roberts (<i>Hell or High Water</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Foreign
Language Film (<i>Land of Mine </i>will not
be released in my area until after the awards.
Was going to see <i>Toni Erdmann</i>,
but was always put off by the fact that it is 2 hours and 42 minutes
long): I realize only seeing 3 of 5
nominees puts me at a disadvantage here.
I’m still rather puzzled why, after all the attention it got, <i>The Handmaiden </i>was not nominated for
this category (edit 2/21/17: Apparently, South Korea didn't submit it. Why? Beats me.). For me, watching <i>A Man Called Ove </i>was a very similar
experience to watching <i>The 100-Year Old
Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared</i>, which was a Swedish film up
for best makeup in 2014. Both films are
very similar: an actor is aged through
makeup to look at various parts of his life.
While <i>100 </i>got really goofy
after a while, this other Swedish film (oddly enough, not made by the same
people but being really tonally similar), was a better film of the two. <i>Tanna </i>was
<i>Romeo and Juliet </i>in the jungle. It was beautiful (the shots that included the
lava flying from the volcano were amazing), and the Nauvhal language is so
alien, like most of the world we see in the film. <i>The
Salesman</i>, directed by Asghar Farhadi, whose 2011 film <i>A Separation </i>won in this same category, was really built-up, so
when I watched it, I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. Yes, it was a good story (sort of, maybe),
but I don’t see anything particularly innovative here. So … I’m assuming that film will win, simply
due to the fact that it was made in Iran.
None of the films I saw really impressed me. From what I’ve seen of <i>Land of Mine</i>, it tells an amazing story. I don’t think I’ll vote on this category
here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Make-up
and Hairstyling: Um … I only saw <i>A Man Called Ove</i>. I wasn’t going to watch <i>Suicide Squad </i>or <i>Star Trek
Beyond </i>just for this category. So, a
superhero movie, a science fiction movie, and a quirky Swedish film. It’d be great to see the Swedish film win,
just for giggles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Original
Music Score (did not see <i>Passengers</i>): The score for <i>Lion </i>really stands out to me here.
I realize this is Thomas Newman’s (<i>Passengers</i>)
13<sup>th</sup> nomination, but that film got little attention. Since I’m fairly sure Justin Hurwitz is going
to win in the Best Original Song category, he may get a pass on his score
(splitting the vote could be an issue for him, too). I’d say another strong contender is
Britell. The music in <i>Moonlight</i> really heightened individual
scene moods. But, I could say the same
thing for <i>Lion</i>. This is another really tough one. Merit:
<i>Moonlight, Lion, La La Land,
Jackie</i>. (cannot place <i>Passengers</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Song: Normally, I don’t care at all about this
category. I think it’s a waste of
time. NOT THIS YEAR! The Academy <i>should </i>go to “</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DijItQXMM"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You’re
Welcome</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">” from <i>Moana</i>, but it’s not up. If you ever see Kim, please let her how sorry
you are for her that she has to listen to me sing this all the time. I didn’t see <i>Trolls</i>, but I listened to “</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru0K8uYEZWw"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Can’t
Stop the Feeling</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">,” which
is a fun song. And everyone loves Justin
Timberlake. That’s not winning, but it
will make it fun for Timberlake to perform at the ceremonies. Also, I didn’t see <i>Jim: The James Foley Story</i>,
but I listened to “</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAsiKC5krz4"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Empty Chair</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">” by Sting, and … Sting’s getting
old. Initially, I didn’t know if it was
him singing or whoever J. Ralph was.
Also, why wasn’t that film nominated for best documentary? Sounds like it was pretty good. I could venture a guess. The song is very sad, and in the face of all
these other fun songs, there’s no way it has a chance. So, that leaves the two songs from <i>La La Land </i>and “How Far I’ll Go” from <i>Moana</i>.
I’d go: “City of Stars,” “Audition,”
“How Far I’ll Go,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” and “The Empty Chair.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Production
Design (did not see <i>Beasts </i>or <i>Passengers</i>): Yeesh, another tough one. There are some specific worlds created
here. I’d say <i>La La Land </i>is the <i>least </i>worthy,
since most of its locations were real. <i>Hail, Caesar! </i>is another movie about
movies, and it was a period piece, and the movie within a movie was a Roman
epic, so they had harder work to tackle.
That leaves you with the fantasy world of <i>Beasts</i>, the completely outer space <i>Passengers</i> and the interior spaceship of <i>Arrival</i>. </span><a href="http://www.adg.org/?art=adg_awards"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like costumes, the Art Directors
Guild also breaks down their awards into contemporary, period and fantasy</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <i>They </i>recognized
(read: nominated) <i>Nocturnal Animals</i>. <i>They </i>get
it. As far as what to pick that’s
actually up: <i>Arrival, Hail, Caesar!, La La Land</i>.
(cannot place the other two)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Short
Animated Film: I won’t be seeing these
until Mom gets here next weekend, so, my apologies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Short
Live Action Film: I won’t be seeing
these until Mom gets here next weekend, so, my apologies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sound
Editing (This is the only award <i>Sully </i>is
up for, and I’m not going to watch that movie just for this.): I thought <i>Hacksaw
Ridge </i>had this in the bag. <i>Then </i>I saw <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>. Ho-ly
shit. Wow. Damn.
Merit: <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>, <i>Hacksaw
Ridge, Arrival, La La Land</i>. (cannot
place <i>Sully</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sound
Mixing: I thought <i>Hacksaw Ridge </i>had this in the bag.
<i>Then </i>I saw <i>13 Hours:
The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi</i>.
Wow. Damn. That was pretty similar. However, whereas <i>HR </i>has part of the film that is not in combat, almost all of <i>13 Hours</i> is either waiting to get
attacked or getting crazy attacked. And
that film is 2 hours and 24 minutes long.
Merit: <i>13 Hours, Hacksaw Ridge, Arrival, Rogue One, La La Land.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Visual
Effects: I thought <i>Dr. Strange </i>had this in the bag.
<i>Then </i>I saw <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>. I still think <i>Dr. Strange </i>was amazing. But
it was amazing <i>fantasy</i>. Watching <i>Horizon</i>,
I feel like I know what those men and women went through during that
disaster. The realism was
incredible. I am quite tickled / pleased
that <i>Kubo and the Two Strings</i> was
given a nod here. That’s extremely rare
to see for an animated film. </span><a href="http://www.awn.com/vfxworld/explore-vfx-laika-s-kubo-and-two-strings"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However,
the stop motion work they did on <i>Kubo </i>was
astounding</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. </span><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2017-visual-effects-society-winners-ves-society-honors-winners-complete-list-966478/item/outstanding-visual-effects-an-animated-feature-962886"><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While <i>The Jungle Book</i> won most of the Visual
Effects Society awards (for photoreal categories), <i>Kubo </i>won for best animated visual effects</span></a><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. It’s nice to see someone other than Disney
win something. That’s respect. I love VFX.
These awards are cool. Merit: everyone.
Even though I didn’t like <i>The
Jungle Book</i>, I have no problem saying the VFX were impressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Adapted Screenplay: So, THIS IS MY CATEGORY. However, out of the 5, I’ve only read
one. The weirdness is, I’ve <i>taught </i>that one. I’m of course talking about <i>Fences.</i>
And I would be an idiot to hate on August Wilson. I’ve loved this play since I first
encountered it. However, there are
better stories being told here. Not
going to lie – Luke Davies adaptation of the real story of <i>Lion </i>is what should win.
Sorry, but this is too compelling and blows away the other four. After that, this gets complicated. Technically, <i>Hidden Figures </i>should come second, given how amazing that true
story is. That leaves you with <i>Arrival</i> and <i>Moonlight</i>. Order: <i>Lion</i>,
<i>Fences</i>, <i>Moonlight</i>, <i>Hidden Figures</i>,
<i>Arrival</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Original Screenplay (did not see <i>20<sup>th</sup> Century Women</i>): There are two real contenders here: <i>La La
Land</i> and <i>Manchester by the Sea</i>. <i>Hell or
High Water </i>was good, but the acting in it made the writing shine more than it
did (though you could say the same for <i>Manchester</i>). <i>The
Lobster </i>is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in years (not from an
execution point of view but a “Do I Give A Fuck About The Human Species?” point
of view). I will seriously come in
conflict with you if you say you liked this film to my face, or at least lose
some respect. Merit: <i>Manchester
by the Sea, La La Land, Hell or High Water</i>.
(cannot place <i>20<sup>th</sup>
Century </i>and will not dignify <i>Lobster</i>
by doing so)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Best Picture:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s so many different ways to
define what a movie is. Is it
artistic? Emotional? Important for its time / place? Gut reaction?
Aesthetic? So many different
things to consider. Here’s mine, with my
honest opinions. I’d like to think I
focus on craft, but maybe I’m fooling myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">9.
<i>Hidden Figures </i>– This is my no
means a bad movie. In fact, all the
movies nominated this year are good films.
But I would say there is a marked difference between a “good” film and a
“great” film. For example, when I look
at the films I own on DVD from last year, they are: <i>The Big
Short</i>, <i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i>, and <i>Spotlight</i>. Guess what I have
reserved for purchase this year? <i>Nocturnal Animals </i>and <i>La La Land</i>. So, what does that say? Quite a lot. This film is a story that needs
to be told. My position: this would have made an amazing
documentary. However, they went the
dramatic route. The performances were
solid, but this writing was aw-ful. “We
all pee the same color.” Maybe that line
was actually spoken in the real world during this incident, but that shouldn’t
have been in final cut, instead of a rousing point. This is a paint-by-numbers film. A TV film.
Not best pic material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">8.
<i>Hell or High Water</i> – This
should be a testament as to how good the movies are this year. This is my #8. If someone wanted to ask me why Trump was
president right now, I’d tell them to go watch this movie. I don’t know how many of the “coastal elite”
understand what it is like for people to be out of work for a long period of
time. This film stretches back long
before current times, to the housing collapse of 2008 and even before, but it
relates directly to what we are seeing today as the aftermath. The most telling scene of this film is when
Hamilton comes to Howard’s porch at the end of the film, and Howard explains
that he’s been poor all his life, and here was an opportunity to reverse that
for his own children. I know a lot has
been made of this being a modern-day western, but it really isn’t. It is about what is happening now. It is about a rural America desperate for
America being great again. And, they
don’t know (or want to know) how much they’ve been lied to in order to make
that happen. This movie is incredibly
well-executed. This is film is thoughtful. But, it may be too subtle. Do you realize that as of 2/3/17, this film
has made $27 million against a $12 million budget? Do you understand how sad that is?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">7.
<i>Fences </i>– August Wilson is an
undisputed genius. And this play is
perhaps within the top 10 plays of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century (and if you know
me, that’s a big claim). The characters
are what make this. As stated
previously, I think Troy is a horrible person.
Just like I think Willy Loman is a horrible person. I see a bit of my father in both men. Very depressing. Kim made an astute and important point about
the Madonna / Whore complex and how it relates to Rose (and also Linda Loman). Why do we have to make these women such
martyrs? She’s got a point. Up until now, my affinity for Rose has been
very solid. However, why does she have
to be so “good”? So
“long-suffering?” Men = bad, women =
good (or necessary to be good in order to stay with these dirtbags). Why? I
used to think Wilson was a visionary for how he depicted women. Now, I think it may be a cop-out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">6.
<i>Arrival</i> – This a great
film. However, I found it lacking. I just felt it got away with things too
easily. And, that’s a problem with
time-travel, sci-fi movies. It takes
something that is meant to save the world, and looks at how it can save an
individual. I wanted to love it, for its
humanity. But, it got too
ridiculous. So, I don’t begrudge this
film a minute, but it needed to be tighter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5.
<i>Hacksaw Ridge</i> – This is
outstanding, and if you didn’t see it in a theater, you missed it. This needed to be seen in a theater. However, this film is not for everyone. It is a very gory, violent film. But the story it tells is so uplifting and
honorable, it is worth watching. Also,
it is technically well-made. As much as
people want to throw shit at Mel Gibson, he did a masterful job with this
film. So did all the actors. Out of all the films nominated for best
picture, this is by far the most intense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4.
<i>Moonlight</i> – What I appreciate
about this film is its subtlety and its confidence that you will do with the
characters what you will. No one “wins”
in this film. If you are human, it
should hurt you. It’s a very beautiful
film. However, it is also heavily
clichéd and formulaic. So, it turns me
off. This is not a limit of the
filmmakers. Well, perhaps. Actually,
yeah, that’s what I’m saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3.
<i>Manchester by the Sea</i> – This
movie is physically debilitating. I came
out of it feeling I had been beaten up. So many scenes that were so powerful
and real. It is a very deliberate
film. I respect what everyone was trying
to do. Yes, it is depressing. But, it is
so human, you can’t but help to watch and identify. If you haven’t seen it, GO NOW. Pay respect to amazing filmmaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2.
<i>Lion</i> – When you think about
movies, you think about the stories they tell. This one, <i>Arrival</i>, and my #1 have the best stories. A man, who has grown up in affluence when he
could have been discarded like so many others, is so tormented by the pain he
has most certainly left behind that he is compelled to go back. While I love <i>La La Land</i>, this story is much better. And, the filmmaking is so careful and
respectful of the real people it depicts (much like <i>Loving</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1.
<i>La La Land</i> – You don’t like
this film? Think it was overhyped? Fine.
Go ahead. Sorry about your
cynicism. I’m a cynic. And a pessimist. And I loved this film. Why?
Because I’m also an idealist at heart.
I really do want to believe in the good of everyone. And yet, in the
face of its flights of fancy, there is some realism. From all the audition rejections to the
shattering of dreams (a great jazz bar now a tapas place?), the alternate
“Hollywood” ending and what Chazelle does with it. This is beautiful and life-affirming. NONE of the other films makes you feel good
once you leave (well, maybe <i>Lion</i>, a
little bit). This one does. Does it matter? TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW. Yes, it matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-57705522333307965512017-01-10T07:20:00.001-08:002017-01-10T07:20:30.714-08:00Does Your Film Have A Soul?<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://sensesofcinema.com/2016/book-reviews/the-soul-of-film-theory/"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was
reading a book review</span></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> of Sarah Cooper’s <i>The Soul of Film Theory</i> (2013), which brought up something I
haven’t thought of for a long time (although, I must have encountered somewhere
in grad school) regarding the concept of the “soul” and how it evolved in film
theory, from “classical” to “signifying” to “body and.” The article talks about how, in a
post-structuralism world, the concept of the “soul” has become too … um …
demonstrative for us. Perhaps not so
much in the flotsam of everyday life but certainly in academia. Yet this was a very real concept in previous
decades and was attached to semiotics related to ethical and political
views. I would argue that a more secular
society is still operating underneath some sort of schema (albeit perhaps
restricted in some senses by the empirical), but I doubt the sorts of morality found
in a predominantly liberal Hollywood adheres to ideals that are equally as
touchy-feely as any religious doctrine.
And, are they really exercised all that differently? Both sides would say they are all about
inclusion, and both sides are more than quick enough to exclude those who have
opposing viewpoints. What becomes
interesting, from a critical standpoint, is how these views are either
exercised, or subconsciously bubble over into, our various avenues of popular
culture. We go into this a bit when
discussing ideology in my Film 101 class (films trying to be subtle, overt or
staying away from broadcasting an agenda).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, it’s still an interesting question to toy with. When looking at something like <i>It’s a Wonderful Life </i>(1946) or <i>A Christmas Story</i> (1983), it isn’t hard
to look into the work to find a sort of “soul” or spiritual repository of the
work. Is that different from theme? Theme is the main idea. If I say “<i>It’s
a Wonderful Life </i>is about the importance of a life and how it touches
others,” do I tamp down on its soul?
That message appears to be immortal, as subsequent generations come in
contact with the film, even long after the people associated with making the
film have passed on. What we take away
from films (or books or pieces of music or other art), the overall meaning, the
values and virtues it extols, can be grasped, so long as there is an audience
to perceive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-44362987942660150072016-12-18T07:04:00.002-08:002016-12-18T07:04:37.269-08:00Aww!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="272" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/187379141?color=ff9933&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/187379141">Hum</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/tomteller">Tom Teller</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-12845621110461284762016-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:002016-12-16T08:15:15.780-08:00Truth #1044 - Star Wars: Rogue OneStormtroopers are the most useless things in the galaxy.<br />
<br />
Donnie Yen as a Chinese Zatoichi will kick your ass.<br />
<br />
He is also his own anti-aircraft gun.<br />
<br />
Always watch the towers.<br />
<br />
Technology can raise the dead (or at least animate them).<br />
<br />
I love how Disney is paying Mads Mikkelsen. Just wish they'd give him bigger parts. But then again, so much of this film is contained in short bursts, no one gets much time. They count down, then the actor has to blurt out as much information in as little time as possible. Not really a lot of acting here - just a lot of relating exposition.<br />
<br />
Ping (after first appearance of K-2SO, leans over and whispers): "Favorite character so far."<br />
<br />
Ping (about halfway through film, after another scene with K-2SO, leans over and whispers): "Still favorite character so far."<br />
<br />
::SPOILER:: Not too long into the beach battle finale, I got hit with the realization that, unlike in other movies that declare something a suicide mission, but some people make it back, no one was going to make it back on this one. The gravity of how many people sacrificed everything for the mission to get the plans, and just how blind they were going into the mission, really created a lot of gravity that made this film better. This was written very well.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-83511165422671993592016-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:002016-12-11T17:46:27.255-08:00Five Movies, One Weekend<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I haven’t done a movie binge weekend like this in a while,
and as you can imagine, I had a blast. Not
saying everything I saw was good, but it was fun to be in five theaters with
decent-sized audiences (and a few surprises).
I’ll put them in the order I liked them most, so last one is last place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nocturnal
Animals </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– My one trip to AFI Silver this weekend (everything else I
saw at Regal 20 Silver Spring). This was
the most “filmic” film I saw (read “artsy”).
You may already know that the director and screenwriter (based on the novel
<i>Tony and Susan </i>by Austin Wright) and
producer is the <a href="https://www.tomford.com/" target="_blank">fashion designer Tom Ford</a>.
I know nothing about fashion and haven’t seen Ford’s other film <i>A Single Man </i>(2009), but I will
definitely check it out. You get hit in
the face at the beginning with a Lynchian credit sequence, then slide into
style (beautiful sets and costumes, dim lights, Amy Adams wearing <i>a lot </i>of eye makeup, overhead canted
angles). This is a story within a
story. The frame is that Susan (Adams)
is an art dealer, and her husband Hutton (Armie Hammer) is some sort of
business man. There’s some financial
strain between them (and even more issues, as the film reveals), and Hutton
must leave town for the weekend.
Conveniently, Susan is sent a draft of her ex-husband Edward’s (Jake
Gyllenhaal) first novel to read. He’s
going to be in town this weekend, and maybe they could get together? What happened in Susan and Tony’s past
eventually comes out, as the audience is given pieces of the frame story as
Susan begins reading the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The story of the novel, which is far more interesting than
the frame story (but also more straightforward and intense), is a family (the
dad [Tony – also played by Gyllenhaal], mom [Laura – played by Isla Fisher] and
young teenage daughter [India – played by Ellie Bamber]) is driving through
West Texas when they are forced off the road by three men. The men kidnap Laura and India, leaving Tony
out in the middle of the desert. Tony
makes it back to a town and gets in touch with the local law enforcement. The rest of the novel’s story is Tony and
Bobby (Michael Shannon) trying to bring the men to justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t really want to say too much else about the movie, in
case you want to go see it. I recommend
not reading or watching any reviews of the film because I don’t think you’d
find it as interesting if you knew what was going to happen. I will say that Michael Shannon is the best
part of this film. There’s a lot of
stereotypes masquerading as characters in this movie, which is probably its
biggest weakness, and sometimes the ambiance can stray a little too far to
pretentious, but it’s still the best thing I saw all weekend. And, while I didn’t have any problem with the
ending, apparently some people do. I had
one person in the theater I saw it in (which was over half full) actually say
out loud “That’s it? Retarded!” when the
credits started rolling. Classy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Manchester
by the Sea </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– 2 of the 5 movies I saw (this one and <i>Nocturnal Animals</i>) were about people who
had really bad things happen to them in the past, 2 of the 5 had bad things
happening in the characters’ present time (<i>Moonlight
</i>and <i>Allied</i>), and 1 of the 5 dealt
with bad things that would happen in the future (<i>Arrival</i>). None of these
films are going to send you home lighter on your feet than when you
arrived. Out of all five, this film
imparted the most emotional damage. It
also had the best acting. Casey Affleck
really deserves serious attention for what he did in this film. It’s a very honest film. However, I got so annoyed watching it. This goes back to something I talk about in
Film 101 about the use of soundtrack.
The two schools of thought are that either the music should not be
intrusive or be very present and aid what is happening. All too often, music is used to intensify the
emotions on the screen at that moment.
And in some cases, it will <i>hammer
what you are supposed to be feeling into your skull</i>. The saddest piece of music ever is <i>Adagio in G Minor for Strings & Organ </i>by
Tomaso Albinoli. The way it is used (and
the <i>whole thing</i> is used) in this picture
was over-the-top ridiculous. It didn’t
need to do that. This film would have
been the top spot if it hadn’t been for this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moonlight
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
This barely edged out <i>Arrival</i>. I’ve heard the comment made that this film
did a better job at portraying the growing up of a boy than <i>Boyhood </i>(2014). While I like Richard Linklater, I couldn’t
stand <i>Boyhood</i>. However, comparing that film with this one is
ludicrous. There’s plenty of films that
deal with growing up. This is the story
of Chiron, a boy growing up in the ghettos of Miami. Chiron is small (he is nicknamed Little) and
gay (though how he gets pegged with this so early on is a mystery to me – his
mom says it’s because of the way he runs?), so he gets bullied
relentlessly. Oh, and also, his mom is a
crack addict. Chiron takes refuge in a crack
house, where he encounters Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer who treats him
like a lost puppy, feeds him and takes him home. At home is Teresa, who will continue to intermittently
offer Chiron a stable environment he occasionally stays at into high
school. I want to like this film more,
but there’s two big issues with it. One is
a similar issue with <i>Nocturnal Animals</i>. There are no characters here – only stereotypes. Instead of a hooker with a heart of gold, we have
a drug dealer with a paternal bent. Mom’s
a crack addict who takes Chiron’s money and pawns household appliances for
drugs (in one scene, Chiron must boil water to take a bath, because the hot
water’s been turned off). Later in the
film, when he visits her in rehab, you get the standard “I’m so sorry, I done
you wrong” speech. Reminiscent of Pearl
Jam’s “Jeremy,” Chiron finally snaps one day and breaks a chair over the main
bully’s back, which lands him in juvenile detention and eventually jail. He makes contacts in jail and ends up doing
the very same thing that Juan did, running traps in Atlanta. The only thing that sets this film apart
slightly is that Chiron is gay, so you add more tragedy into the already tragic
circumstances. Two, this is poverty porn
with a LGBT twist. Last year, with the
Oscars So White Movement, I was hoping to see more diversity in the types of
stories we see on screen. And while
there may be more creeping through, we are still seeming to get two
extremes: <i>Boo: A Madea Halloween </i>and <i>Almost Christmas </i>or <i>Moonlight</i>. I’m hoping films
like <i>Hidden Figures </i>and <i>Fences </i>are the beginnings of turning
this trend around. But seriously, there
are more than two stories to tell in the African American community. I’m still worried that the people who control
the money haven’t gotten the message yet.
Just throwing Forest Whitaker in a film is not a sufficient enough move,
Hollywood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Arrival </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> - Speaking of Forest Whitaker (and he’s going
to be in next week’s <i>Rogue One</i>, along
with Donnie Yen and Diego Luna – all boxes checked, including having a female
lead), he’s in this one. Out of the two
Amy Adams movies I saw, her performance in this one is way better (in fact,
comparing the two, I’m fairly sure she was probably bored with what she had to
do in <i>Nocturnal</i>). To be up front with you, I’m not a very big
fan of sci-fi, mostly because there are plot holes and leaps of faith one must
do to buy what’s going on. This one’s no
different. So, twelve alien ships come
to Earth around the globe to make humanity work together. That’s their whole goal. And, it comes dangerously close to not
working. But luckily, Earth has Amy
Adams (sorry, I mean Louise Banks) to figure out alien communication. And, when she is able to figure out language,
it unlocks time. It allows Louise to see
into her future. The upshot of this is
that the Chinese general that is dead set on blowing up the aliens in his part
of the world tells her at a party in the future (which, since she figured out
the language, she can see <i>really specific
things</i>), she’s able to speak the general’s wife’s final words, proving that
he <i>really needs </i>to listen to her
(something he says he doesn’t even do with his supervisors – how does that work
in Communism?). Anyway, the downside is
that she can see that she will marry Jeremy Renner (sorry, Ian Donnelly), have
a baby together who will get cancer. She
sees this and knows this but chooses to do this anyways. So, is this a film about how aliens help
humanity to work together and join us all in a kumbaya future so that we can
help the aliens out in 3,000 years? Or,
is this a film that asks, as Louise asks at the end of the film, “if you could
see your life from start to finish, would you change anything?” With Louise, this is a very serious dilemma,
since it will involve her falling in and out of love with Ian and having a
wonderful daughter that dies young. The
thing is, it sometimes looks like the movie is trying to make the decision
about what it wants to be <i>during the film</i>. The pacing is pretty slow. I know it bored the guys next to me, as they
were popping out their cell phones all throughout (that was the only audience
that did that while the film was playing, and there was a pretty full audience
for <i>Arrival</i>, which surprised me,
given it is now in its fifth week of release).
It’s not a bad film, but it’s very deliberate, like it’s trying not to
lose you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Allied </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
Ugh. To share a text message I had with
my friend, I told her she could skip this film, and she said “looks like <i>Mr. and Mrs. Smith </i>Redux.” I wrote back, “with Nazis.” This is not a bad plot. These are not bad actors. I have to blame two things: Robert Zemeckis and the editors. Dear Robert Zemeckis: <i>Back to
the Future </i>was a long time ago. So
was <i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>. I’m sorry, but I think your freshness date
has expired. This film was so flat. And boring.
Someone in the row behind me actually snored. It did get good towards the end, but then
when Marianne is writing the letter to her daughter at the end, I was like “was
this necessary?” Any comparisons of this
movie to <i>Casablanca </i>(1942) is
foolhardy (just because the first part is set in Casablanca during WWII doesn’t
mean the two should be set side by side).
I will say the costumes were quite nice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m planning to watch <i>Moana
</i>some time this week, and I’ve got my ticket for <i>Rogue One </i>Thursday night. I’m
pretty sure that catches me up to what I want to see. But, some good films are in the pipeline in
the upcoming weeks. Once I get my final
grades in, it’s back to the theater!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-16970816880662000212016-08-08T10:07:00.002-07:002016-08-08T10:07:34.939-07:00Um ... WowThis was done in one take. Not sure what to do with it, but the actor sure went for it, and you have to respect that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/174957219?badge=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/174957219">Thunder Road</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/unisonla">Jim Cummings</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-76190452289218523432016-07-31T05:50:00.001-07:002016-07-31T05:50:35.344-07:00My Mind Just Got Blowed UpGetting ready for a podcast tomorrow morning on <i>The Wild Bunch </i>(1969) and looking up information on Peckinpah when I find ... wait a minute ... this can't be right ...<br />
<br />
<i>Sam Peckinpah directed Julian Lennon's first two MUSIC VIDEOS?!?!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aQs1Ynq0rlk" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IrR-vqvxOnk" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/when-is-a-julian-lennon-video-also-a-sam-peckinpah-39785" target="_blank">Peckinpah died two months after.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoSvXRxbz6vQ64Q2oKvdjqBk3ykcO3-VLNCHFwAhPJrhu7ac8L7plBbMlFlWcZMYWK7pLOAzsbsP-ovtQ9Hm94ctcdS8f4KdTQTXaYxlGw3GgSFw9vFJ-oO7DQEemm4ZVDOnUbuAPcvA/s1600/rockline3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoSvXRxbz6vQ64Q2oKvdjqBk3ykcO3-VLNCHFwAhPJrhu7ac8L7plBbMlFlWcZMYWK7pLOAzsbsP-ovtQ9Hm94ctcdS8f4KdTQTXaYxlGw3GgSFw9vFJ-oO7DQEemm4ZVDOnUbuAPcvA/s320/rockline3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Fuck. Me.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-22380945756150085922016-07-31T05:43:00.000-07:002016-07-31T05:43:09.538-07:00Truth #704I'm watching <i>Jason Bourne </i>in the movie theater Friday with Ping and TJ, and at a point in the film, Bourne falls from the roof of a five story building onto a brick-paved square, gets up, and escapes before a henchman can reach him. Not that these movies are realistic, but that went too far.<br />
<br />
Me whispering to Ping: "Nobody can fall five stories like that and walk away."<br />
<br />
Ping to me: "He's Jason Bourne! He's Matt Damon! We rescued him from Mars! He can do <i>anything</i>."<br />
<br />
True.Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-531423289440182882016-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:002016-02-22T09:35:01.725-08:00OSCARS 2016<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are
the Oscars racist? I think Hollywood
studios may be racist. And sexist. Is that the Academy’s fault? Considering members of the Academy make up
some of the most elite positions in the Hollywood studio industry, there is
something to the claim of the Academy being racist. However, the goal of any industry is to make
money. And in this day and age, where
foreign box office frequently eclipses if not blows away domestic returns, the
focus (at least for popular films) is on the dollar sign. The other type of film Hollywood cares about
is the prestige film, the type that will garner awards. On rare occasions, a film can do both, but it
is really uncommon. Ultimately, it boils
down to those two qualities: money or
awards. For that, you need to then point
to the audiences for those two types of pictures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
think many people would be served to read the </span><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hollywood
Reporter</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">’s series</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> on how the Academy is
trying to offset things by excluding older members in the cry for
diversity. So, essentially, racism is
being replaced with ageism. Yay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
this has been a great year for movies, so I’m pretty pumped for this year’s
awards. Oscars are supposed to go to people
and films that were exceptional. So,
it’s a bit of a Catch-22. If you don’t
nominate minorities because minority directors, actors, screenwriters, and
producers didn’t put out content that would be deemed exceptional, then the
Academy is racist. What were some
predominantly African-American films in 2015?
<b><i>Straight Outta Compton</i></b>, <i>War
Room</i>, <b><i>Chi-Raq</i></b>, <i>Perfect Guy</i>,
<i>Dope</i>, <i>Blackbird</i>. What did Lee
Daniels do this year? Television. Steve McQueen? A short film on Kanye West. Tyler Perry?
TV. John Singleton hasn’t
directed a film since 2011. Antoine
Fuqua did <i>Southpaw </i>(which didn’t do
well critically or financially) and some TV movie. Tim Story skipped 2015 (but you can see his
new film, <i>Ride Along 2</i>, which by all
critical accounts is the exact same film as the first <i>Ride Along</i>, so don’t count on that one for next year’s
Oscars). There are others, but you get
my point. And don’t even get started on
the underwhelming lack of representation of Latino-Americans or Asian-Americans
doing anything or having any films targeted to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyways,
enough politics (too long for this post).
The Oscars care about two types of movies: prestige films and technical
achievements. If your film is out for
box office bucks, then you may get nods for the technical achievement
awards. Otherwise, you better tell a
damn good story or have someone acting his or her keister off. So, let’s do this. Remember, I will <b>bold</b> films that I have seen, so you can assess how much authority I
have to actually opine (and I’ve pretty much seen everything except <i>Anomalisa</i>,<i> Mustang</i>,<i> 45 Years</i>,<i> Joy </i>and <i>Creed </i>out of all films that are currently able to be viewed [some
aren’t]). Some of these aren’t choices
so much as ruminations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Actor: Everyone is simply all-in on this
being Leonardo DiCaprio’s year to win.
Was he good in <b><i>The Revenant</i></b>? Yes, he was.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man do a bad job in a
film. But, he always seems to be playing
“intense.” I never see him playing
anything other than that, and not all characters in the world are of an
“intense” ilk. So, I’m not sure if his
performance in this is better than, say, what he did in <b><i>Inception</i></b> (2010) or <b><i>Gangs
of New York</i></b> (2002) or <b><i>Revolutionary Road </i></b>(2008). So, is this award more for his <i>body </i>of work? Isn’t that what honorary awards are for? If anything, Tom Hardy does the actual <i>acting</i> in this film. DiCaprio just <i>endures</i> punishment by Iñárritu.
Cranston did a good Trumbo in <b><i>Trumbo</i></b>. Matt Damon was engaging in <b><i>The
Martian</i></b>, and I’d argue that he went through as much of a grilling as
DiCaprio. <b><i>The Revenant</i></b><i> </i>is totally devoid of humor (well, brief
flashes from Hardy with the whole
God-is-a-squirrel-that-you-can-cook-for-dinner thing), yet <b><i>The Martian</i></b> keeps things
much lighter at times. Michael
Fassbinder did great in <b><i>Steve Jobs</i></b> (his scene in the middle
of the film with Jeff Daniels was incredible), but this is the second film I’ve
seen about Steve Jobs, and I don’t care at all about his story (the structure
of this film was very clunky, so that detracted a bit). Oh, and I <i>hated
<b>The Danish Girl</b></i>, so forget that
(well, except that Matthias Schoenaerts was in it). Taking a step back, this
may be the weakest category this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Actress: Great year for women’s
roles. Blanchett, Larson and Ronan all
were outstanding, and these are very different characters. Ultimately, the one that had to reach the
farthest and dig the deepest was Larson.
The magic between Russel and Lawrence is drying up a bit, so maybe those
two should take a break. I did not see <i>45 Years</i>, so I’m at a deficit in this category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Supporting Actor: This is where things
get much more exciting for me. I love
Bale’s and Hardy’s work in everything they do, but Hardy was better here than
Bale, and the strength of <b><i>The Big Short</i> </b>rested on everyone’s
shoulders, as was the case with <b><i>Spotlight</i></b>, so it’s weird to see Bale
and Ruffalo nominated when their equally amazing colleagues aren’t. Steve Carell, Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci,
Ryan Gosling – they all could have been up.
I’m not at all sure why everyone’s in a tizzy about <i>Creed</i>. It’s a fucking <i>Rocky</i> movie (and admittedly, I didn’t
see this film, so …). The <i>only </i>thing I liked about <b><i>Bridge
of Spies</i></b><i> </i>was Mark Rylance’s
performance, which was so honest and understated in a movie that was so overt
(while painfully not trying to want to be, or maybe not). If Stallone gets it, it will be on nostalgia alone, and that isn't right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Supporting Actress: Hate <b><i>The
Danish Girl</i></b>, so sorry Vikander (although, she’s the best part in the
film – Eddie Redmayne needs to find roles where his character doesn’t destroy a
woman who loves and supports his character through hellacious shit, only to
dump her [this is TWO YEARS IN A ROW, Redmayne!]). HOWEVER, her work in <b><i>Ex Machina</i></b><i> </i>was so good and convincing that I’m
wondering if they gave her the nod for the wrong film. Kate Winslet is always good, but her
character in <b><i>Steve Jobs</i></b> is just too simpering, even when she’s standing up
to Jobs. And, why did she care so much
about Lisa? That was actually a pretty
dysfunctional relationship, but the movie doesn’t do a good job of fleshing it
out. Rooney Mara was a bit of a cipher
for me in <b><i>Carol</i></b>, so I couldn’t really get into her performance. Hands down, this needs to go to McAdams. All Leigh did was grin through blood. Yippie.
I really didn’t like <b><i>The Hateful Eight</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Animated Feature Film: This really isn’t
worth discussing because <b><i>Inside Out</i></b> will win. I may be one of two people (Kim being the
other) who actually did not like that film, so I’m really missing why everyone
is so ga-ga for it. It’s also sort of
weird to see <b><i>When Marnie Was There</i></b> up, unless it is a participation award
now that Studio Ghibli has essentially ceased functioning (will so miss
them). <i>Boy and the World </i>was actually released in 2013, and I can’t find
it ANYWHERE, which is a bummer, because it looks great. <b><i>Shaun the Sheet the Movie</i></b> was SO
MUCH FUN that I’d love to see it win.
Didn’t see <i>Anomalisa</i>, but
western audiences tend to see animation as primarily targeting kids, so even
Charlie Kaufman being part of it won’t make enough impact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Cinematography: This one is hard,
because three of the films up for the award (<b><i>Carol</i></b>, <b><i>The
Revenant</i></b> and <b><i>Mad Max:
Fury Road</i></b>) ALL could win this.
Stylistically, <b><i>Carol </i></b>is <i>very </i>different than everything else going on in this category, so
it will not get the attention it should.
I <i>still </i>feel that Tarantino
was idiotic when insisting to shoot <b><i>Hateful</i></b> in 70mm. THE MOVIE TAKES PLACE IN A ROOM for the most
part. Why do you need 70mm for
that? Imagine <b><i>The Revenant </i></b>and / or <b><i>Mad
Max </i></b>in 70 mmm! Oh my god, how
glorious! So, it’s really down to those
two, and that is an incredibly difficult call to make. However, the dark horse in this is Roger
Deakins, whose been nominated for over a dozen times (and rightly so), who’s up
for <b><i>Sicario</i></b>,
which is a well-shot film, but doesn’t come close to his other work. Wait for <i>Blade
Runner 2</i>, Roger. Out of all these,
the <i>least</i> worthy is <b><i>The
Hateful Eight</i></b>, even if it is in 70mm.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Costume Design: All the films in this
category have good costumes, but I have to hand it to <b><i>Cinderella</i></b>, the
live-action Disney remake.
Post-apocalyptia and deep woods fur trapping just don’t look as good as a fairy tale. And, <b><i>Carol</i></b>’s
costumes were good, but everything in that movie sort of melts into itself, so
they were harder to “notice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Directing: We’ve all heard plenty about
the Bataan Death March that was <b><i>The Revenant</i></b>, and I think Iñárritu
is getting a bit too reliant on his floating long takes, but who can deny his
incredible talent? I wasn’t the biggest
fan of <b><i>Birdman</i></b>, but the movie was a Rube Goldberg marvel. George Miller’s <b><i>Mad Max</i></b> had the greatest
amount of momentum – the film just didn’t stop or let up from minute one to the
end. That’s amazing. <b><i>Spotlight </i></b>managed to have an
incredibly balanced, understated approach to something that could have easily been
an emotional wrecking ball (imagine if the tone of <b><i>The Big Short</i></b> was
applied). Very impressed by McCarthy’s
control and patience (Do you realize this guy is mostly an actor and was in the
Adam Sandler bomb <i>Pixels </i>this year,
as well as directing Adam Sandler last year’s bomb called <i>The Cobbler</i>? He needs to get
away from Sandler. Fast.). The opposite spectrum was <b><i>The
Big Short</i></b> and its in-your-face style of acting and editing to take a
dry, complicated topic and turn it into an adrenaline rush that had my blood
pressure boiling. When Carell’s
character says “boom!” in that scene towards the end where he debating one of
the investment banks’ CEOs while its stock plummets <i>while the debate is going on</i>, I felt it in my chest. McKay did an awesome job. And <b><i>Room</i></b>’s sheer terror and intensity (I
didn’t see a thing about it before I went in, so I didn’t know if they were
going to get out) deeply disturbed me.
Abrahamson got a stunning performance out of Jacob Tremblay (want to
talk about the Oscars being unfair – why didn’t <i>that </i>kid get a nomination?
Ageism?). So, I want ALL of them
to win. I really do. They all deserve it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Documentary: This one’s a little
strange. You’ve got two movies about
wars (<b><i>Cartel Land </i></b>and <b><i>Winter on Fire</i></b>), two films about
female singers (<b><i>Amy </i></b>and <b><i>What Happened, Miss Simone?</i></b>) and a
follow-up to my best picture of 2014, <b><i>The Act of Killing </i></b>(which didn’t
even win best documentary that year), called <b><i>The Look of Silence</i></b>. I’m afraid I’m not really into the whole
talented-woman-gets-beaten-down-by-everyone-and-then-turns-to-drugs thing, so …
there’s that. The two war films were
very well-done. My guess and <u>my hope</u> is that the Academy will give Joshua Oppenheimer the
award that he deserved two years ago, realizing their oversight. However, <b><i>The Look of Silence</i></b><i> </i>is not as powerful of a film as <b><i>The
Act of Killing</i></b><i> </i>was, so I’m
really unsure here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Documentary Short Subject: <i>Body Team 12 </i>is about aid workers
collecting dead Ebola victims in Nigeria.
<i>Chau: Beyond the Lines</i> is about a teenager in a
Vietnamese health center dealing with being an Agent Orange victim yet still
wanting to be an artist. <i>Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah</i> is about a Jewish
director making the ten-hour film <i>Shoah</i>
(about the Holocaust) in 1985. <i>A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness</i> is about Muslim
honor killings in Pakistan and one girl who survived the practice. <i>Last
Day of Freedom</i> tells the story of a man whose brother, a war veteran
suffering from PTSD, commits a crime, and the man must turn his brother
in. I’m so depressed typing this stuff
up right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Film
Editing: Like cinematography, these
films are all technically well-edited.
As much as I love <b><i>The Big Short</i></b>, this really should go
to <b><i>Mad
Max</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Foreign Language Film: This should be <b><i>Son
of Saul</i></b>, although <i>Mustang</i> has
received a lot of attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Hair and Makeup: You have to make
someone look like they were mauled by a bear.
You have to an army of War Boys who spray silver paint on their teeth
when they go into battle and other such oddities like boils all over (the
products of generations exposed to radiation).
Both require lots of imagination.
Both are done well. But, have to
side with <b><i>The Revenant</i></b>. Level of
difficulty and realism was more demanding here.
Even though <b><i>The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared</i></b><i> </i>did some amazing things with aging the
principal actor, the film was boring beyond a certain point, and I think the
Academy wants to give as many awards to <b><i>The Revenant</i></b> as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Original Score: I’ve been running into a
lot of movies lately where the score is really invasive or inappropriate, so to
find one that is good is a bit of a triumph.
Last place is John Bombast Williams, who is an old-school
telegrapher. <b><i>Carol</i></b>’s score got
intrusive at times. <b><i>Sicario</i></b>’s score was pretty good and didn’t interrupt the flow
of things. <b><i>The Hateful Eight</i></b><i> </i>will most likely win, as it did at the
Golden Globes, for not only fittingness to the film but nostalgia. Let’s hope Morricone is there to collect this
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Original Song: I. Don’t.
Care. Although it does gall me a
bit that it is possible that something associated with <i>Fifty Shades of Gray</i> may win an Oscar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Production Design: All of these are good
(yes, even <b><i>Danish Girl</i></b>). I’m going
to go with <b><i>Mad Max</i></b> here, because you don’t really have to production
design the wilderness. You just have to
photograph it and not mess up the snow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Short Animation: <i>Prologue</i> looks cool from the few seconds I’ve seen. So do <i>We
Can’t Live without Cosmos</i> and <b><i>World of Tomorrow</i></b> (I saw it on
Netflix, and it is very Theater of the Absurd / Beckett / Ionesco – loved it –
5 stars). <i>Bear Story</i> is ok. But <i>Sanjay’s Super Team</i> will win because
Disney / Pixar (but it would be <i>so refreshing </i>if it didn't).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Short Live Action: I know nothing about
any of these. May get to see them the
Sunday of Oscars. Odds seem to indicate <i>Stutterer </i>will win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Sound Editing: This, seriously, is
between <b><i>Mad Max</i></b>, <b><i>Star Wars</i></b> and <b><i>The Martian</i></b>. All three were incredibly well-done. This is hard.
Ultimately have to go with <b><i>The Martian</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Sound Mixing: Gee, the same three. But for this … hrm. <b><i>Gravity</i></b> (2013)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Special Effects: Again, so much good
going on technically this year. I really
felt Matt Damon was on Mars. That
sandstorm in <b><i>Mad Max</i></b> was harrowing.
The dogfight on Jakku in and out of a crashed Star Destroyer. The least convincing was the bear attack in <b><i>The
Revenant</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Adapted Screenplay: Woo! Ok.
So, I haven’t read any of these, so I suckzez. The author of <i>Carol </i>is the same woman who wrote <i>Strangers on a Train</i>. I
talked to someone who read <i>Room</i>, who
said it was mostly from the boy’s perspective, and there is some voice-over by
him, and the camera does focus on him (trying to remember a scene where he
wasn’t present, and can’t remember one).
This is a rare one where the author did the screenplay. I had a few students talk to me about reading
<i>The Martian</i> and how different it
was. Apparently, the character that
Ejiofor is Indian, and there’s a lot of discussion of Hinduism and life and
death in the book. Also, my mom’s
boyfriend said the book was quite humorous, which may account for why it was
considered a comedy at the Golden Globes (umm ... maybe ...).
Don’t know much at all about <b><i>Brooklyn</i></b>’s author or book. But the guy who wrote the book <b><i>Moneyball</i></b>
was based off of is the same guy who wrote <b><i>The Big Short</i></b>’s source material, and
I loved that movie. It’s not going to
win much, if anything, but it has a decent shot here, so I want to back it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best
Original Screenplay: <b><i>Straight
Outta Compton</i></b><i> </i>is actually
written <i>poorly</i>, so this must be some
perfunctory nod by the Academy (sorta embarrassing, guys). I don’t like <b><i>Inside Out</i></b>, so there’s
that. Like <b><i>The Big Short</i></b>, <b><i>Spotlight</i></b>
was one of my favorites for this year, and it isn’t going to get much, so I’d
sure like to see it win this category, because it was smart and engaging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
now, the Best Picture Nominations, ranked least to most favorite (I liked all
of them this year):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8. <b><i>Bridge of Spies</i></b>: I'm a long-time fan of Steven Spielberg, and I love this historical era. But, there's no soul in this. It just seemed really paint-by-the-Spielberg-numbers. It's good work but not anything surprising or innovative. Not a bad movie. It's just that Spielberg used to be so <i>great</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7. <b><i>The Martian</i></b>: This is really saying something when this
film is at the bottom of the list, because I completely enjoyed watching this
movie. I was totally invested in Damon’s
character and wanted him to get successfully rescued. The ending was genuinely joyful to me. I came out of the movie feeling <i>good</i>.
I don’t get that very often.
Perhaps it is the movies I choose to watch, but they don’t usually fall
into the “uplifting” category. This was
a fun movie to watch and enjoy, and when you apply 1950s standards into something
that is inclusive and exclusive, this is a truly democratic picture, reliant on
the individual and the importance on the individual. This is America, in the way we’d like to see
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6. <b><i>The Revenant</i></b>: I was expecting a lot from this. It wasn’t that I was disappointed – this is a
solid film – but the overuse of the floating long shot and the not-so-great
score took me out of the experience sometimes.
And other times, I was more interested in looking at the beautiful
scenery in the film than in what was happening with the characters. I wouldn’t say that was a good thing. And, I’m not someone who buys into the whole
“spirit-quest” storyline. What I did
like was any time Tom Hardy was on the screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5. <b><i>Brooklyn</i></b>: This was a well-told story, and the acting
was top notch. This is a quiet film, and
there was enough tension generated when the protagonist went back to Ireland if
she would stay or not. I wouldn’t call
this film a love story, because while the character does fall in love, it is
far more about her experiences and how she reacts to them. It’s more a love story of the film loving
this girl’s story and character. It’s an
emotional film – I saw it in a filled house at the AFI, and there wasn’t a dry
eye in the house. It’s sweet to see something
this honest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4. <b><i>Room</i></b>: This movie took me for quite a ride, and I’m
so glad I went into it cold, because I think even watching the trailer (which I
saw later) would have totally spoiled a lot of the suspense I felt, since I
didn’t know if they were ever going to get out of Room (they show them getting
out in the trailer). This movie is
emotionally pummeling. I saw it <i>after </i>I saw <b><i>Brooklyn</i></b> on the same day,
so I sort of went home and had a nervous breakdown. And even after they get out, that doesn’t
solve anything, to the point that Jack wants to go back to Room. A great film, but not one I would watch
multiple times. Sort of like <b><i>Hotel
Rwanda</i></b> or <b><i>Boys Don’t Cry</i></b> (although oddly enough, I own both on DVD).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3. <b><i>Mad Max:
Fury Road</i></b>: As I mentioned
previously, this film is relentless in its visual and auditory onslaught. If you didn’t get a chance to see this film
in the theater, then that’s really too bad, because it was glorious. This, Tarantino argues, is why film needs to
be in theaters. In his interview with
Bret Easton Ellis, he notes some films are essentially after-school, Lifetime
Channel specials. They need to have a
grander scope (which, yet again, begs the question why he set <i>Hateful Eight </i>in a goddamn room for the
majority of the film). And Tom
Hardy. And Charlize Theron.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. <b><i>Spotlight</i></b>: Initially, I didn’t like how understated and
quiet this film was. It seemed so
unfilmic. There was only one sequence,
the one on Christmas Eve, that looked like it was trying to be a film and not
be a documentary. After talking with Kim
about it afterwards, I started to really appreciate what was accomplished by
this film. It would have been soooo easy
to make this an exaggerated smear piece, and given Hollywood’s liberal
leanings, perhaps it was even expected.
But the respect and restraint shown was truly admirable. Everyone is acting at the tops of their
games. It is a truly great film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.
<b><i>The
Big Short</i></b>: But this one was my
favorite. I still think everyone should
see it, see how we were duped and <i>continue</i>
to be duped. This movie made me just as
ill, if not moreso, than <b><i>Spotlight</i></b> for its barefaced look at
pervasive immorality, greed and selfishness by a handful of people who feel
they run the world and are <i>justified</i>
in doing so. This film should <i>enrage</i> you. And again, everyone is acting their balls off
(this is not a very feminine film, whereas <b><i>Spotlight</i></b> was more balanced in its
representation – I wonder if testosterone plays an integral role in financial
debacles … hrm).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Not necessarily what
will win, but what I like.</span>Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-37966945003875265602016-01-13T06:13:00.001-08:002016-01-13T06:14:01.556-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Woo! Woo-hoo! Winter break means winter movie time! And tis the season to watch good movies, with
the Golden Globes and Oscars coming up!
The only thing is that <i>Fallout 4</i>
has been syphoning away a lot of time that I would normally dedicate to movie
watching, but since I’m having fun doing both, who really cares?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, important caveat, I’m going to go off on some of these
films because of the visceral reactions I had to them. So, please don’t expect me to be polite.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Anonymous </i>(2011)***
– Speaking as someone who’s been studying Shakespeare since 1990 (myself, along
with my nerdy friends, started a Shakespeare club at my high school – thank you
Mrs. Susan Kelly), specializing in him throughout undergrad (did a study abroad
in England on him) as well as in grad school, I can safely say I know a thing
or two about the authorship question.
And, as someone who is spending a massive amount of time on a specific
author right now and how his life linked to his works, you would expect that I
would put a lot of stock in really caring about if a guy named Shakespeare
wrote Shakespeare. But actually, I was
more interested in how Roland “<i>Independence-Day-</i>Michael-Bay-Second-Chair”
Emmerich was going to deal with the question, which he seems pretty invested
in. And honestly, even though this movie
caught lot of shit when it came out (which was unfair), it was entertaining.
Who cares who wrote Shakespeare? If you
delve into scholarship, each play is based on other works behind it.
Shakespeare, if anything, was a master plagiarist with a thing for
wordsmithing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>7 Faces of Dr. Lao</i>
(1964)*** – Tony Randall is no Peter Sellers.
And this movie is all kinds of weirdness. It doesn’t age well, but when you put it into
context, the make-up work, by William Tuttle, was the first award for make-up
at the Academy Awards (it was an honorary award, since the category <i>didn’t exist</i> before, and wasn’t
established until 1981, the other honorary award being in 1968 for <i>Planet of the Apes</i>) and nominated for
best visual effects (the only other movie nominated, which it lost to, was <i>Mary Poppins</i>). That’s impressive. But still, it makes little sense. Just know that we are all part of the circus
of Dr. Lao (the film was based on a novel by Charles G. Finney, by that
name). The novel is about the moving
toward science for answers and the departure from faith and reason, which the
movie is not partial to. You will see
factor into some of my comments below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Poseidon</i> (2006)***
– I got this because I did a podcast on <i>Das
Boot</i>, and when Alex asked me about other Wolfgang Petersen movies, I
largely drew a blank. Most of what I had
seen of his (<i>NeverEnding Story </i>[1984],
<i>Enemy Mine</i> [1985], <i>In the Line of Fire</i> [1993], <i>Outbreak</i> [1995], <i>Air Force One </i>[1997], <i>The
Perfect Storm </i>[1997], and <i>Troy</i>
[2004]) were good for box office, but I hadn’t seen them since they came
out. They were solid films, but nothing
on them blew my mind like <i>Das Boot</i>
did. So, I punted and said he was a good
studio director. Nothing’s going to
derail on his watch, and you’ll get a good return on investment. However, I hadn’t seen this film, which was
his most recent film, and it had been a while ago. I was hoping he was ok, quite frankly. If you are looking for great characters or
plot, this remake of 1972’s <i>The Poseidon
Adventure </i>(which I haven’t seen) is not going to do anything for you. However, this film is a technical
marvel. IF you see this film, get it on
DVD (not streaming) and watch the extra features. The stunts are amazing, and
there’s very little CGI. That’s getting
rarer and rarer these days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>A Very Murray
Christmas</i> (2015)* - Started to try to watch this, because (and I guess this
is why it got made in the first place) who doesn’t love Bill Murray? But this is such an obvious fluff piece that
I didn’t last past 12 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>What Happened, Miss
Simone? </i>(2015)**** - This was an obviously talented woman who wrote great
music, and the four stars is mostly on Kim’s side, but why, WHY is the cliché
such a reality that artists (especially minority women) have to live through
shit? Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith … I’m
not going to sit here and list them all, and from what this documentary noted,
apparently she liked some mutual combat, but Nina Simone sounded like she went
through hell. It’s an informative doc,
but sing-songy in that you’ve heard this story before.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Electric
Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of
Cannon Films </i>(2014)*** - Chuck Norris!
Charles Bronson! ‘Merica!
Fuck yeah! This was a lot of fun
to watch. It tells the story of two Jews
that <span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">just love to make movies, even though they genuinely suck at
it, and how Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus created a film company (Cannon
Films) that really contributed to filmmaking in the wackiest of ways throughout
the 70s and 80s with their truly awful films.
I’ve seen several of these through MST3K. Nothing says “stinkburger” like a Golan and
Globus film. If you don’t care about B
movies (and that means many people) or backstage Hollywood, you will not like
this film. However, it was entertaining
and informative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Hangul </i>(<i>A Hard Day</i>) (2014)*** - This was an odd
duck of a film where the protagonist (a corrupt copy) is definitely not a good
guy but gets pursued by an even worse guy in an unraveling chain of
events. But, it was definitely
suspenseful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Last Days of Vietnam</i>
(2014)**** - This was up for best doc at the Oscars last year. Made by PBS, it sheds some light on people
that <i>did </i>do the right thing as
Vietnam went south (or rather, north).
Very well made. Maybe I’m getting
old, but I wonder what younger generations think when they hear the word
“Vietnam.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>From Caligari to
Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the
Masses </i>(2014)**** - I took a class in Weimar film in undergrad (way back in
1996). This would make a great companion
piece for that class, and I need to go back and re-watch it, to write down
films I still need to see. This was very
well done. If you care at all about
German cinema, this is a must watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Desk Set</i> (1957)***
- Ok, so Tracy and Hepburn. I’m not
enamored of either, but they did have chemistry. This film, sponsored by IBM, was about how
machines can ultimately never replace people.
I don’t know, but given that Hepburn was 50 when this was made, and how
the whole “she’s a spinster with a brain” gets played up, it comes across
sounding melancholy, even though she “wins” in the end. It was nice that there was a Christmas party
/ theme running throughout, this being Christmas and all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Do I Sound Gay? </i>(2014)**
– The title of this is incorrect. It
should be <i>Do I Sound like a Gay Man?</i> However, since many gay men are so
narcissistic, they don’t recognize that there are other people that get lumped
into the “gay” category. Ultimately,
this is what plagues the film. While it
is informative in snatches from a linguistic perspective (why do gay men sound
that way?), there is little real substance here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>NLL: Yeonpyeong Haejeon </i>(2015)** - Normally, I
love Korean film, and this was about an actual incident in 2002 when North
Korea really did engage the South Koreans during the World Cup. But the over-the-top emotionality and the
obvious tribute-piece-feel really dampened things for me. It’s sort of like Michael Bay’s <i>Pearl Harbor</i> (2001) of Korea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>That Touch of Mink</i>
(1962)* - Wow. Wow. Just WOW!!!
Holy shit! I like Cary
Grant. I like Doris Day. And apparently, back in the day, people liked
this movie. This picture was nominated
for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Set Direction
(color) and WON the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Picture and had Cary Grant
nominated for best comedy actor. Now
maybe, <i>maybe </i>(I’m <i>trying </i>to be generous here) this was
because this was before the Hayes Code had been dismantled, and the whole film
is about how Grant (who is filthy rich) gives Day minks and lots of clothes
(since girls like clothes), which is short-hand for “come to Bermuda with me so
I can fuck you silly,” and Day’s character Cathy <i>knows </i>this and <i>still </i>goes
even though she is a virgin and breaks out in <i>hives</i> in fear of sex, so the whole thing is called off. So both go back to New York, and Cathy
decides Phillip (Grant’s character) is trustworthy enough (and she also doesn’t
want to be perceived as a prude or something, because Sandusky) to go back down
to Bermuda, invite Phillip back down for what he missed the first trip, but
gets so inebriated that nothing happens the second time. Now, Phillip is a busy man running a
corporation, so he genuinely doesn’t have time for this shit, yet he feels
responsible for Cathy and her hairbrainedness, so when he hears that she’s off
to pleasure the worst man she can find (John Astin, or Gomez from <i>The Munsters</i>), he heads out and stops
her. AND THAT’S WHERE I STOPPED
WATCHING, even though, according to Netflix, there’s only six minutes left in
the film (I eventually went back and watched those six minutes). Really, 1962?
Really? And the comments about
“belting” women for not putting out?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Spotlight </i>(2015)****
- One of the two best pictures of this year.
The other is <i>The Big Short</i>. They are tonally different yet deal with the
same thing: the abysmalness of when
human-created social structures that everyone looks up to and has faith in
utterly shatters the naiveté of human faith through self-interest. If you are someone who is religious (and I
don’t mean spiritual, I mean religious) in this day and age, and you cling to
some hope that a higher power knows you and loves you because you are afraid of
death, which all of humanity is subject to, and that gives you comfort, know
that what you love is a sham and is corruptible to frightening proportions, and
your continued support of such edifices allows this to continue. What is truly sad about this film is that the
art of journalism is dying everywhere, since print sources are dinosaurs, and
you need time and infrastructure to break a serious, investigative report. Heaven help us all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Carol</i> (2015)*** -
Saw this the day after seeing <i>That Touch
of Mink</i>, so another shot to cognitive dissonance. You will see the word “lush” used often in
discussions of this film, and that’s no accident. This is a Todd Hayes film, and one thing that
man knows is atmosphere. You should
really see <i>Far From Heaven</i> (2002)
before you see this. Same time period, same atmosphere, same premise. This is not a plot-heavy movie. Two people meet, by chance, fall in love, but
there’s complications. In <i>Far From Heaven</i>, the issue was race
(though the gay comes through with the Dennis Quaid character). In this film, it’s gender. Is it a great film? No.
Out of the films I’ve seen from Hayes, <i>I’m Not There</i> (2007) is superior and has a better use of Cate
Blanchett. It is a very ambitious
film. And while I can’t stand Bob Dylan,
it’s a great film. <i> Carol </i>is an exercise in
something that some love films (and many LGBT films) engage in: the “turgid yearning” film. For my money, the best of this is Wong
Kar-wai’s <i>In the Mood for Love</i> (2000). Those two don’t even get to do it. But in this film, they do, and a happy ending
(which is rare, especially for this time period) is implied. And, I am sort of surprised that Blanchett
has a no-nudity contract in effect.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i> (2015)**** - Saw this again
through streaming (saw it in the theaters when it came out, WHICH IS WHERE YOU
SHOULD SEE THIS) because Kim hadn’t seen it.
This movie is such a blast to watch, and I sincerely hope George Miller
gets <i>something</i> at the Oscars this
year. So much balls-out imagination
fuels this film. And in an age of
reliance on computers to show things, so much of this is actual that you have
to be impressed. And damn, but didn’t
Tom Hardy have a hell of a year?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Legend</i> (2015)*** -
Speaking of which, there’s this movie.
It gets 3 stars <i>because </i>of Tom
Hardy, but this is not a good film, and I’m disappointed in Brian
Helgeland. He directed <i>LA Confidential</i>, for crying out
loud. That was a GREAT film. First, to use the wife as the narrator, who
dies, is so stupid (since honestly, no one cares about her). Why have a
narrator in the first place? Second, not
enough delving into these guys’ pasts.
Looking into the family tree (that one scene where Reggie goes home
after Ronald has killed someone and how his mother defends Ronald cries out for
further investigation on the movie’s part) should have been the focus. Tom Hardy acted his ass off in this, but it
doesn’t matter. Unfair. This was <b><u>not</u></b>
a dull story to spotlight, yet this was the result.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Big Short</i>
(2015)**** - Damn near got 5 stars, and when it comes out on DVD, I will surely
buy it and watch it several times. Saw
this two times in the theater. Once with
my mother, sister, and mom’s boyfriend.
Once with Kim. The change in
audiences illustrates why no one will care about this film, and it is a TRAGIC
SHAME. My sister said it was very boring
and wanted those two hours of her life back.
Mom felt similarly. Kim, like me,
felt it was the best film of the year, and I seriously think that everyone in
America (or perhaps the world) should see it.
Why? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
BULLSHIT. The idea that we live in a
society that is built on self-preservation is flimsy, at best. If you watch this together with <i>Spotlight</i>, you should be utterly
convinced that the concept of humanity doesn’t exist anymore. And for both these films to converge upon us
during Christmas time, the time for goodwill towards your fellow man that had
morphed into buy as much stuff as you can to fill the voids in your lives, then
all the better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Trumbo</i> (2015)*** -
This is an era that I’m very familiar with.
However, I did not know about the connection between Trumbo and Edward
G. Robinson. This is a sympathetic,
Hollywood retelling of some very dark times in Hollywood, so of course, there
will be backlash. Name names and all of
that. I’m in no way demeaning Dalton
Trumbo’s story, and in the last decade or so, there’s been a lot of revision of
the story of the Hollywood Ten. You
should watch <i>Good Night, and Good Luck</i>
(2005) before watching this. No, it’s
not accurate, but it’s a much better film.
I realize Bryan Cranston is considered a great actor (I haven’t watched <i>Breaking Bad</i>, which puts me in a
minority), and he does a great job as Trumbo here. I think this was good intentioned, and that
is not meant as a platitude.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens </i>(2015)*** - I saw this
twice in the theater. Once, I was with
my mom, her boyfriend, my sister, and my nephew, Carter. Carter was adamant about seeing the film
sitting next to me, so we got our own side row, with the other three in front
of us. Whenever something big was about
to come up, Carter would nudge me with his elbow in my ribs, saying, “<i>watch this</i>” or “<i>do you remember this?</i>”
Honestly, if I can encapsulate the experience of watching the film as my
11 year old nephew being so excited to show me what big thing was going to
happen next in the film, that’s fine with me.
He doesn’t know that when I was his age, I had a huge Star Wars action
figure collection which I played with constantly. He doesn’t know how bitter I was about
episode one (<i>The Phantom Menace</i>) so
that I didn’t watch 2 and 3. And I must
say that Kim, who had a much lower opinion of 7 than I did, encapsulates this
well. You have a beloved franchise. It gets compromised. Then you have someone come along and says, “I
can fix this.” What they do is give the
audience what it wants, which is to say it does the same thing as the original,
with slight variations and nods to diversity.
Fans love it, a new generation gets engaged, money avalanches in. Bravo, Disney. You own everything now. Let the derivations flow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Framed</i>
(1947)**(except this isn’t on Netflix) – If anything, this entry is an
endorsement to see a fabulous film noir called <i>Human Desire </i>(1954) which stars Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. In a rare noir where the female is the
protagonist, I saw this on get.tv (love this channel) hung over and totally
dismissive until this movie sucked me in.
Come to find out later it was directed by Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang!!!
See the film I noted earlier about Weimar cinema. Anyway, I desperately wanted to see it again,
so I went to the YouTube, only to find this movie. This movie was about 85% exposition and very
little payoff. Sort of embarrassing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Wolfpack </i>(2015)***
– This starts out as masquerading as a documentary on six brothers who like to
act out scenes from movies or entire movies, making their own props, doing
their own shooting and editing. It
devolves into a sickening, sad exploration of child abuse in a family where the
parents are so wack-a-doo that they have kept their seven children locked in a
public housing apartment, sometimes only allowing them to leave 3-0 times a
year. The family is completely on the
welfare system yet (at least the father) despise the outside world for its
evils. What this really indicates is the
failure of our social services system, which is radically underfunded so that
they cannot catch all the crack and glaring loopholes in the system that would
allow people to live like this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Buffalo Soldiers </i>(2001)*
– You would think with a cast like Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glen and
Michael Peña that
this would be a good movie, and you’d be wrong.
It happens every once in a while.
It gets its tone wrong a lot – it can’t tell if it wants to be a social
commentary on the state of the military in the 1990s or a comedy. It’s definitely not funny. Turned it off 46 minutes in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Enemy Below</i>
(1957)** – A WWII u-boat movie? Made in
the 1950s? Can you get any more into my
wheelhouse? Unfortunately, even though
this was based on a novel, there was a lot of inaccuracies in this film (even
the way the Germans say “captain” is wrong), but the cat and mouse aspect was
enjoyable, and seeing a film like this which is respectful to both sides, when
the Hayes Code was still in effect, was impressive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Seeing <i>The Revenant </i>this week, which did very
well during Sunday night’s Golden Globes.
Expect next post to be an Oscar post.</span>Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-61301911124323982422015-10-14T07:34:00.001-07:002015-10-14T07:34:32.228-07:00Armchair Directors PodcastsHi, all! I've been involved in a HCC Radio / Podcast series this semester called Armchair Directors. Film professors from HCC talk about directors and spotlight various films from those directors. You may want to check them out, especially if there's a film you really like. Here's the link:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://armchairdirectors.podomatic.com/" target="_blank">Armchair Directors</a><br />
<br />
Take care!Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-75881846200720068632015-07-04T09:35:00.001-07:002015-07-04T09:51:59.769-07:00Videos from Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_20488490"></span><span id="goog_20488491"></span><br />Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-18365364568732174702015-02-17T07:33:00.000-08:002016-01-05T09:02:16.940-08:00Academy Awards Thingy 2015ish<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yessss!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
that time of the year again, ladies and gentlemen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to see how just right or wrong Hollywood
is at assessing itself over the last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s the Oscars!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll get the lesser categories out of the way before
debating the big kahuna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t seen
everything, but I’ll bold the films I discuss that I have seen, which may or
may not affect my credibility when discussing different categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And keep in mind that these are not the films
which I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think</i> are going to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the films that I think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I ran Hollywood, here’s how things would
go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Sound Mixing – The
most technical of these would have to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Sniper</i></b> because of the
battle scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw this film in IMAX,
and the sound was jacked way up, so my ability to catch subtleties was quite
low, but the sound was well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
runner-up would go to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b> because of the mix on the
rooms they were in, trying to synch with what the camera position was, to not
have voices and noise appear out of place or disorienting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i>
have been up for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least </i>a
nomination was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Selma</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How this got
overlooked may be because it isn’t a film that necessitates outstanding sound
mixing, but the scene of the night march where the police attack the protestors
was so well-mixed that I was actually looking behind and around me in the
theater because I thought there was something going on between patrons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interstellar</i>
was probably good, too, but I didn’t see it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documentary Feature –
Don’t count on me for this one, because I only saw <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Virunga</i></b>, and while the
film was well-done, the likelihood of it beating a film about Edward Snowden or
Vietnam is low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s odd that two of
these movies are about photographers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Makeup – Only three
films up in this category, but the clear winner has to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians of the Galaxy</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foxcatcher</i></b>’s makeup contribution is
really just to one character, and the makeup on Tilda Swinton in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grand
Budapest</i></b>, while good, isn’t as much of an impact as what is going on in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians</i></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Costume Design – I’m a
bit perplexed with what <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vice</i></b> is doing in this category
(didn’t seem special to me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i></b>
has such a strong visual style that the costumes link straight into the
seamless flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr. Turner</i></b>, a period piece,
is done very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other two are
based on fairy tales, so by rule, they have to be crazy with the costumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Edge towards <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maleficent</i>, based on what I’ve seen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cinematography – Even
though I didn’t really like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b>, I was set to give this to
the film because the camera work in it was extremely athletic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I saw <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ida</i></b>, and all that went
out of the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ida</i></b> is stunningly
gorgeous and rightly deserves this award.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some instances, this is a study in the rule of thirds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Characters’ heads are often down at the
bottom of the screen, and perspective lines draw the eye exactly where the
director wants us to look (even if that isn’t the action of the scene).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intentionally shot in 4:3 aspect ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third would be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i></b>, for some of the
delightfully playful camera work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turner</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is beautiful but seemed a bit muddied (Kim
maintains that this was on purpose, given Turner’s work, but I disagree).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.thecinemasnob.com/midnight-screenings/midnight-screenings-the-interview-and-unbroken" target="_blank"><i><b>Unbroken</b></i> should not win, nor be nominated, for any award</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Production Design –
This is a hard one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation Game</i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turner</i></b>
are both period pieces, very well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i>
</b>is an alternate universe period piece, elegantly crafted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interstellar
</i>is this year’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gravity</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Into the Woods</i> is a fairy tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All have a distinct style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, two can depart from reality (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Woods</i>),
since there is fantasy at work, while two have to try to be as close to reality
as possible, and one is trying to be technically realistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart goes with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i></b>, as the created
world is so engaging, with second place going to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turner </i></b>(which to me did a
slightly better job at maintaining period than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Original Song – I
couldn’t care less about this category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The song up for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Selma</i></b> has absolutely nothing to do
with the film’s actual soundtrack (which is 1960s) and was jarring when played
over the ending credit sequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Everything
Is Awesome” does make me smile, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Can I vote for that because it was fun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yeah, I can (my list, right?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But best song tends to suck the air out of the room when the Academy
feels the need to showcase each song throughout the broadcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great moments for a bathroom break.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Original Score – Again,
the movie that should at least be nominated (if not win) this category isn’t
even up – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jazz drumming
to a persistently moving, uncut shot?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That one moment where Keaton and Norton walk by the drummer, and diegetic
sound becomes non-diegetic but doesn’t miss a beat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Masterful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is it not up because it was a single instrument score instead of
orchestra?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t recall anything of greatness out of
the music in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Theory of Everything</i></b> when it came to sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d go with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest </i></b>for what it
contributed to the film, with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turner</i></b> second (much less obtrusive
yet more appropriate than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documentary Short
Subject – Saw none of these.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Current
betting odds have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crisis Hotline:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Veterans Press 1</i></b>
as the favorite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Short Film, Live Action
– Same for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odds are on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Phone Call</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s up with suicide
hotline movies?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Short Film, Animated –
Only saw one of these, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feast</i></b>, but it’s Pixar, so you
couldn’t place a safer bet if you tried.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Film Editing – Things
have become so spastic with editing in the digital age that when someone <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stops</i> editing, it’s a big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you approach film editing as how best to
tell a story from various shot perspectives, the LOSER in this category is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boyhood</i></b>
(actually, that would go for writing, directing and acting as well, since this
has no story).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sniper</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>only gets this right during the away
scenes, because the home front scenes are so poor on many levels (directing,
acting, editing, writing), so you can’t give credit for getting things <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">half </i>right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That leaves <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i>,</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>,
and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whiplash</i></b>
– all great movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whiplash</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is more character study, and while
parts of the movie get more intense <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because
</i>of the precision of the editing, other parts are more straightforward, and
the acting does the heavy lifting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>’s
editing is a little more paint-by-numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Winner:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Budapest</i></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Visual Effects – Not
going to waste your time – it’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guardians</i></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sound Editing –
Read:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sound Capturing / Manufacturing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This I give to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b> because of how
hard this must have been working with a constantly moving camera (and therefore
constantly moving sound capture which needed to stay the hell out of the
cameraman’s way).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interstellar</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hobbitzez</i>
gets honorable mentions for created sound to mix in with capture, as I’m sure
there had to be a ton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, fuck <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unbroken</i></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Animated Feature – One
of the greatest animators of all time, Hayao Miyazaki, retired last year, and
his <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Wind Rises</i></b>, while nominated, didn’t win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t surprising, given the film’s
subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, this year, another director
from Studio Ghibli, the person who started the studio and discovered and hired
Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, who, in my estimation, is superior to Miyazaki, is up
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> last film, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tale of Princess Kaguya</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t be able to see it until after the
Oscars, and I’m already biased towards it anyway, so I’d love to see him
win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He won’t though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How to Train Your Dragon 2</i></b> should
win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good movie (better than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big
Hero 6</i></b>), but I’d so love it if Takahata won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guess is that he won’t even be in the
audience. But, to whomever wins:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Foreign Language
Film – I heard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leviathan </i>was
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t get a chance to see it
(where’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Force Majeure</i>?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ida</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>was an outstanding film, but it’s so flipping gorgeous, I don’t
really care.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adapted Screenplay – My
category!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yay!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, I’ve read none of the literature these
films are based on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I’ve heard
so much about how <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sniper</i></b>, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theory</i></b> got things “wrong”
(which is normal) that I’m dissuaded to choose them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whiplash</i></b> doesn’t have a
shot at much, and I liked it so much, I’ll vote for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Original Screenplay – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grand
Budapest Hotel</i></b>!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t choose
anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That film was so much
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honorable Mention goes to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foxcatcher</i></b>
(which, from what I read, should really have been up in the Adapted Screenplay
category).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Supporting Actress
– The thing I liked most about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b> was Emma Stone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yeah, Patricia Arquette was good in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boyhood</i></b>,
but that’s largely because she was acting with an emo golem, so of course she
looked better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knightly was good, but
she was so minor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And someone needs to
stop nominating Streep every time she’s in something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some may cry “blasphemer!,” but I don’t
really care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you see <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mamma
Mia</i></b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let it go … let it goo-ooo …</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I won’t be upset if Laura Dern wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s good in anything she’s in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m just not ever going to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wild</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Supporting Actor –
J.K. Motherfucking SIMMONS!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ruffalo a
distant second.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Actress – Since I
only saw two of these films, I don’t think it’s fair for me to comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Pike was scary as hell in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gone
Girl</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d never be upset to see
Cotillard win anything, because she’s brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So is Julianne Moore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t really see Jones’s character as a
lead role, so I’m not sure why she’s up for this category.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Actor – It’s
pretty obvious that Redmayne is going to win, and he should, because the job he
had to do was very difficult, and he did it well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it’s sort of like whenever we have a
movie about someone who’s handicapped, if they get it, then the race is over
before it starts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always think of
Daniel Day Lewis and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Left Foot</i></b> for things like
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carrell was creepy-eerie,
Cumberbatch was outstanding, Cooper played a character rather than a hyper mess
(see his last two David O. Russell turns).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Keaton was, well, Keaton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They all did well, but what Redmayne had to do to be that character was
harder work than all four other actors combined.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Director – The sad
thing is that Linklater is going to get this award for essentially the same
reason why I give the award to Redmayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>a good film, but it
took so much to do that people will recognize the effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anderson and Miller told much better stories
through the works they made, without doubt, and Tyldum told the “important”
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If technical prowess was the
order of the day (which it was last year with Cuaron), then Inarritu would get
it this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Picture – I saw
all of them, so I’m going to rank them, worst to best (some of this may sound
familiar from my Christmas watch post, since I saw about half these films
during that time):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Theory of Everything</i></b> – So
boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So didn’t care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And actually, if you live through a similar
situation (which I emphatically hope you do not), and your wife takes that good
care of you, and you leave her for your physical therapist, what hope does any
other marriage have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize she
wasn’t an angel with her encounter with the young Colin Firthy guy (and the
dramaticness of Hawking getting violently ill when the infidelity occurred
because no bad deed goes underscored), but she stuck by him through a lot of
stuff and gave up so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he left
her!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the marriage in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sniper</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>stuck together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work the math on that one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boyhood</i></b> – Again, this is not a good
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to look at it pragmatically, it
says that people make bad choices and tend to either repeat them (the mother)
or choose to not remedy them (the father), even if there are others who rely on
them (the children).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, everyone’s
fucked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least in the interim, we can
play a little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wii Sports</i> or take up
photography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part about the
film, for me, was what I considered the punch line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is towards the end of the film, and Mason
is packing up to head off to college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
returns to the kitchen to find his mother crying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says, taking off her glasses, “This is
the worst day of my life” and explains that what she’s been doing for the last
20 years was trying to raise the children and do what she thought was
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, both of her children are
leaving, off to have their own lives, leaving her alone to meander into old
age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point, I looked over at Kim
and said, as I often do, “I’m so glad we don’t have kids.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is by no means meant to offend those of you
who do have kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think those that
do have kids measure out their lifespans in radically different ways from those
of us who don’t (especially women).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
my life hasn’t been tied or relegated to caring for another individual has
allowed me to do pretty much what I want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m very happy about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
this movie reinforced my happiness in my life choices, which I don’t think was what
Linklater was going for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/ngO5BV7280k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ngO5BV7280k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If this video is a broken link, it's because of copyright trolls (which is why I could only get the Spanish subtitled version). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b> – Previously, I compared the
no-cut camerawork in this film to the far superior <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Russian Ark</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the pretentious,
“hey-whiz-bang-look-at-me” approach the film takes is so irritating that it is
off-putting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from Emma Stone and
the soundtrack and the technical aptitude of how this was shot, it came up
lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it could have been more
interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole point of the play
that Riggan was adapting, Carver’s “What We Talk about When We Talk about
Love,” given the people flitting around in this movie, there could have been an
exploration on a meta level of the meaning of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the characters are so shallow or not
fully thought through (which is ironic given that Mike is all about working on
character initially) that what could have been an insightful investigation is
hijacked by headlong changes of camera direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>like I admire beautiful dancing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Sniper</i></b> – I’ve seen way too
much on how Cooper’s Kyle is not like the actual Kyle, but that’s not Cooper’s
fault. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s Eastwood’s fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the whole fake baby is just noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did care about this character, and I do think
this would be a great double feature with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hurt Locker</i></b> of two men in
specialized, dangerous positions who can save lives and have immense guilt
about leaving their brothers to fight without them when they return home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That no one else he fights with is fleshed
out and the home front scenes are tired clichés is Eastwood’s fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Eastwoood knows how to direct, so I’m not
sure how this got off track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
combat scenes are jarring and well done, and I admire seeing Cooper really act
rather than channel a crazy person, and that might also be Eastwood’s doing (in
fact, given what I know about how Eastwood directs actors, I’m sure of it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the good things were good, and the bad
things were bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not everything was
bad, so that’s good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Imitation Game</i></b> – This is a group
of people who really believed in the project they were working on and wanted to
tell this story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever you see
Benedict Cumberbatch talk about this movie, he’s not talking about this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s talking about how important Alan Turing
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a well-done movie, but there
isn’t anything earthshattering about it – it’s competently done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cumberbatch acts very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not mind-blowing, but it tells a good
story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Selma</i></b> – I didn’t want to see this
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one of those “I heard this
one already.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I couldn’t go see the
other seven and not go see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I
went, and I’m so glad I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
very similar to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Imitation Game</i></b> in its execution – famous person working
against evil with lives on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lasting legacies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And both films
dealt with a situation that had a sense of urgency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But oddly enough, I felt that urgency more in
this film than I did in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Imitation</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>was so localized to the lab where they were building Christopher
that we rarely saw the devastation going on in the outside world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we were constantly confronted with the
direness of actions in this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Juxtapose the scene where King goes to see Cager Lee in the morgue after
his grandson has been killed with the scene in the warehouse where Peter is
told by everyone that they cannot stop the attack on his brother’s convoy
because then the Germans will know something is up with the code.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One person dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One person going to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cager and Peter deeply affected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which scene seemed more real?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which did you invest in emotionally the
most?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Selma</i></b>’s better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moments like that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whiplash</i></b> – The problem with this
world is mediocrity and just skating by on doing ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every human being has the potential of being
something truly amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So few actually
reach that potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in order to
achieve that potential, it must be relentlessly pursued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sometimes, it is necessary for someone
outside of oneself to push one on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a rather age-old quandary – is it necessary to suffer for art?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can one be great without having to overcome
obstacles in order to reach higher levels?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That question is posed in this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Someone asked me if I thought the film was like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Swan</i></b>, where a
person goes crazy in her pursuit to be the best. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d say no – Andrew stays defiantly sane in
the face of Fletcher’s onslaught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sacrifice does not mean madness (although realistically, there is some
teetering here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really appreciated
the ideas this film dove deep into, and the performances were riveting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not an incredibly technical film
(really, the opposite of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b>), but very well done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Grand Budapest Hotel</i></b> – I know
this isn’t going to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the most fun I’ve had
watching a movie in a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
I’m not a Wes Anderson fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually
find him too pretentious, too <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i></b>-y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’ve read other reviews where people say
the same thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Gee, normally don’t
like his stuff, but loved this film.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not sure what he finally had click in this one that he didn’t have going
in, say, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou</i></b>, but whatever it was (maybe
the limited use of Jason Schwartzman? Zing!), I hope it stays clicked
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s criminal that Ralph
Fiennes was not nominated for best actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The job he does in this is delicious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And there you have
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my picks won’t win, but I
don’t really care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take that, Academy.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-27133389212392550922015-01-10T05:04:00.000-08:002016-01-05T09:02:39.286-08:00Winter Break 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Time
off of work usually means I watch movies and play video games, and that is just
what went on, though that is not to say that’s exclusively what I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.phillipscollection.org/events/2014-09-27-exhibition-neo-impressionism-dream-of-realities" target="_blank">Kim and I went down to the Phillips to see the Neo-Impressionism Exhibit (very nice)</a>, and one night, we had the boys
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ping, Jarrette, Kim and I
attempted to teach Dom and Dee how to play poker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dom seemed to take it pretty seriously, while
Dee was more interested in the girls on his phone.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2ZYw6dgezudHNglLzqwMnSJArWz7biEXzfTjNeFQau39K-u4mGPsqegYRt1wOOdy2AjrQAA0JghcEmOjiLowImEdhfuvG98rr23rWgtKb58NYrJ2GgX0hqmfe7v6JfxKCxXA4ziFmIs/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2ZYw6dgezudHNglLzqwMnSJArWz7biEXzfTjNeFQau39K-u4mGPsqegYRt1wOOdy2AjrQAA0JghcEmOjiLowImEdhfuvG98rr23rWgtKb58NYrJ2GgX0hqmfe7v6JfxKCxXA4ziFmIs/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3LnrR026M5eipbKXsvppkQdYdQrn6rAJZTEkNeWy7-Gn2ycQu9jJfNay8kx3kV0Uu7dq_yLoVFVD2mEEfReruXclg0LUdZkR0J3akb9fz0DSS9qSmJmE4X4S71GtbdWTcJX3u5dO7Zs/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3LnrR026M5eipbKXsvppkQdYdQrn6rAJZTEkNeWy7-Gn2ycQu9jJfNay8kx3kV0Uu7dq_yLoVFVD2mEEfReruXclg0LUdZkR0J3akb9fz0DSS9qSmJmE4X4S71GtbdWTcJX3u5dO7Zs/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
was also the obligatory bacchanalia of gifts, which caused much excitement.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aNATrttoN0KWtHMn-UCjpGXLRSBYFgK0cxZYJjuivtva706adLfhM3myBpAdaYEH83DR-9t_1tHoFKtMqU2_Ytdb86oRoj3OmgYOB7k8G36CwXWacLthYE2zuoD9BBMSfmqGTbIkwvk/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aNATrttoN0KWtHMn-UCjpGXLRSBYFgK0cxZYJjuivtva706adLfhM3myBpAdaYEH83DR-9t_1tHoFKtMqU2_Ytdb86oRoj3OmgYOB7k8G36CwXWacLthYE2zuoD9BBMSfmqGTbIkwvk/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mom
and Michael stopped by for an evening on their way down to Fla, which was
nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly, movies and video
games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, video game
(singular).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I played the hell out of one
game called <a href="http://www.11bitstudios.com/games/16/this-war-of-mine" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This War of Mine</i></a>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRvDbt62TB_hQ7aaF_X2IUXTEJBqRcqPgpIpFOY6SD9Kn25YrOPoNDDn41Mld60a7xiZ9_38kcSChTW__A3Lv2ZVdhucHRhx_mMPVj5jLzlkyBVq6P4g9_3KqOoLeDmgdg_BWCfvF-9o/s1600/first-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRvDbt62TB_hQ7aaF_X2IUXTEJBqRcqPgpIpFOY6SD9Kn25YrOPoNDDn41Mld60a7xiZ9_38kcSChTW__A3Lv2ZVdhucHRhx_mMPVj5jLzlkyBVq6P4g9_3KqOoLeDmgdg_BWCfvF-9o/s1600/first-day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
remembered seeing something about it during E3 coverage and being highly
intrigued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game is amazing but is
also probably the most depressing thing I’ve ever played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The premise is that you try to keep several
people alive in the middle of an armed conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have limited resources and characters who
have consciences, so if they steal from someone or kill someone, they get sad
or depressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often get wounded or
sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The object is to keep them alive
for 45 days, when the insurrection ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As much as I’ve played the game, the best I’ve managed is 34 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is so brutal is that once everyone’s
health starts to go downhill, or you lose a member to being murdered during scavenging,
you watch your people slowly die before you, and you can’t do anything about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s heartbreaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that everyone who enjoys playing
games like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Call of Duty</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Battlefield</i> or any game where you are a
super-weaponized soldier running around, blowing everything in sight away
should play this game at least once to see how civilians try to cope with being
in a war zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a brilliant game, but
after playing it for a few days straight, Kim told me to stop playing, because
it was really messing with my mood.</span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
going to run down what I’ve watched since Thanksgiving, with the stars I gave them on Netflix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I’m going to start before that,
because I want to start with a movie that I truly loved (so, I’m starting on
November 18<sup>th</sup>):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Russian Ark</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2002) ***** - This movie is astounding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ever since film standardized and the norm was a 10-minute, finite film
cartridge to load in and out of cameras, the unbroken shot has been the
plaything of directors such as Altman, Tarantino, Hitchcock, Welles, and
Scorsese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a way to show prowess,
to flex filmmaking muscles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
definitely was something to catch attention, so it was artificial yet exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember seeing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Protector</i> (2005) with a friend in the theater, with the
restaurant fight scene that Tony Jaa got right on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">third </i>take, and whispering to Eric about half-way through “they
haven’t cut yet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was almost holding
my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, with digital cameras
which can shoot an entire film on a single memory card, the magic of the
prolonged 10-minute shot has been replaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But where films like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman</i>
(2014, see below) use it toward pretentious, “hey, look at me” ends, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Russian Ark</i> is simply dumbfounding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie is sooo beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Russian government closed down the
Hermitage for a day to let Alexander Sokurov film, and like Jaa, they got it
right on the third try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are the
sort of person who needs to have a plot or characters to enjoy a film, you
won’t be able to tolerate this, but I still recommend it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Altman</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) ** - This was supposed to be a documentary of the life and work of
Robert Altman, but it was incredibly uninformative.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How to Marry a Millionaire</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1953) *** - Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall attempt to find men
with money, because who needs love to be happy, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the dumb women just end up falling for
men they love anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way this movie
paints women is pretty sickening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
Lauren Bacall gets both love and money in the end is an odd concession for the
film to make.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saints and Soldiers</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2003) *** - This one surprised me and almost got 4 stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a well-told, well-shot WWII movie with a
good story and engaging characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
what I’ve read, it was shot on a shoestring budget, but it certainly doesn’t
look like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impressive work by Ryan
Little, as this was his first full length film (according to IMDb).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">La Bare</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) *** - I haven’t seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magic Mike </i>yet,
but this is a documentary about the male strip club the movie was based on,
shot by one of the actors from the movie, Joe Manganiello.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was actually kind of interesting learning
a little about why men get into stripping as a profession.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saints and Soldiers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Airborne Creed</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2012) *** - Based on how much I liked the first one (there are actually 3 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">S&S</i> films, the last of which came
out last year), I had high hopes for the second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as the
first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A curious move was made to bring
back Corbin Allred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He played the
protagonist in the first film, and his character (almost everyone) is killed (sorry,
spoilers), and in the second film, he plays a different character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess they thought that giving him a mohawk
in the second film would mentally distance us from the character in the first
film?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, it was almost a decade
between the two films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is not in the
third <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">S&S </i>film.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mel Brooks:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a Noise</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2013) *** - This, like the Altman doc, is meant to give us insight into the
creative genius of a filmmaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This doc
was much more successful in doing so, and that may be helped by the fact that
Brooks is still alive and is extensively interviewed for this documentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, while I find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blazing Saddles</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Young
Frankenstein</i> two of the funniest movies of all time, I realized that
outside of those two films, none of his other works are all that good (in my
opinion).</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a World</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
… (2013) * - Um, I didn’t make it through this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all about this girl who wants to do
voice overs work, but the industry (still) is too male-dominated, so it’s all
“no one wants to hear women do voice overs when they hear trailers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she’s all “boo-hoo.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She mooches off her sister and father until
she gets a “break,” and at that point<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m watching Rob Corddry about to commit infidelity with the next door
neighbor (for no real reason) and I thought “I care about no one in this film
or how it turns out,” so I shut it off.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Killing Them Softly</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2012) **** - This would actually be more like 3 ½ stars, but the mood created
in this film was excellent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Brad
Pitt rarely makes a misstep in the films he picks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s got the right amount of menace for this.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">High Anxiety</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1977)** - Because of watching the Brooks doc, Kim said she wanted to watch
this, and it had been years since I’d seen it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t remember much about it, other than I didn’t remember enjoying
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t get through the whole
thing, even though Madeline Kahn is in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is my opinion that people like Brooks and Woody Allen shouldn’t
appear in their own films, because they are not as funny as they think they
are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay behind the camera.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bones Brigade:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Autobiography</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2012) *** - There are two weird stories behind me watching this, and I’ll
start with the most recent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a
student in my Film and Literature class write her final paper on this
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, for the last paper, the
students had two choices:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>either write
about a film that the author is involved in the adaptation of their own work in
some capacity or write about the life of an author depicted in a film and do
biographical research to see how accurate the portrayal of that life is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film documents a group of skateboarders
called the Bones Brigade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
author associated with this film, nor is there literature involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The student got an F, but at least I found
out this film existed because (weird story #2) back when I was young in
Florida, I was interested in skateboarding culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t a skateboarder (that required grace
and strength, and there weren’t many girls who skateboarded), but I did like to
watch skateboarding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even had a pair
of Airwalks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was what you called a
“poser.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Search for Animal Chin</i> (1987), which introduced me to the Bones
Brigade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This documentary goes over the
history of the formation of the Bones Brigade (actually, even earlier to Stacy
Peralta’s participation in professional skating in the late 1970s) all the way
through to where the guys are today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
it was really well-done and informative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m fairly sure no one who reads this blog will give a care about the
subject matter of this film, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Children of Heaven</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1997) ** - I didn’t make it all the way through this film, because it is
poverty porn, and I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate </i>that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the children actors do a great job here,
but … oh my god.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, ok, the story is
that on the way home from getting his sister’s shoes repaired, the little boy
accidentally loses them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of
telling their father, who will beat the shit out of them, they decide to share
a pair of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is difficult, as
the boy and girl go to different schools at different times of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once they do find who has the shoes, they find
that the little girl wearing the shoes is in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worse</i> situation than them, as her father is blind and collects
trash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, the father takes the boy to
the city to do gardening, and just when they make a nice bit of money, the
breaks go out on their bike, which has them crash into a tree, injuring the boy
so that he has to be taken to the hospital, so all the money they earned has to
go to the boy’s treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s where
I threw in the towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be the first
to say that not everything I watch is entertaining, and some of it can be
pretty wrenching, but forget this.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Los Angeles Plays Itself</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2003) **** - If you really like movies, this documentary should interest you,
because not only does it go into the history of Los Angeles in the movie
industry, it goes into a lot of American film history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is highly informative, well-shot, with
insightful commentary, written by the film’s director, Thom Anderson, and
narrated by Encke King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is almost 3
hours long, but it is worth the time investment.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Hunt</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2012) **** - While I gave this 4 stars on Netflix, I got so enraged watching
it that I had to turn it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mads
Mikkelsen is an excellent actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
lost to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Great Beauty</i> for Best
Foreign Language film last year, and it is haunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets into a lot of the things that I
fundamentally can’t handle about human beings.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Outrage</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2010) *** - Needing to clear my palate after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hunt</i>, I switched gears for a yakuza film starring and directed
by Beat Takeshi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s pretty standard
fare as far as yakuza films – mostly about various factions vying for more
power and control, lots of backstabbing (which is weird given the code of honor
they pretend to adhere to).</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beyond Outrage</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) *** - The sequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outrage</i>,
we find that Takeshi’s character was not dead at the end of the last film, so
the corrupt police official tries to get him, along with a character that Otomo
fought with and scarred for life, to take on the big boss who wiped almost
everyone out at the end of the first film. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">White Christmas</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1954) *** - I gave this three stars because of its iconography, but really,
this is such a weird movie, from a plot perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems so utterly contrived and designed
only to get to set musical pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Bing’s voice is velvet, and Danny Kaye is a bundle of charisma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know much about Rosemary Clooney,
but I guess she had a pretty sad life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s weird to think that less than a decade earlier, Michael Curtiz made
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casablanca</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Five Steps to Danger </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(1957)
*** - Two words: Sterling Hayden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
DVD extras to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Killing</i> is a set of
interviews done with Hayden, and that guy is hilarious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I’m totally a Sterling Hayden fan
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not a great actor or anything
(he’s pretty much just Sterling Hayden in whatever he does, but since that is
awesome in and of itself, who cares?), but I did want to find out what would
happen to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curiously enough, this is
a film noir that is not centered on a man, which is a rarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main character is Ann Nicholson (Ruth
Roman).</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wolf of Wall Street</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2013) **** - Rewatched this with Kim, as she hadn’t seen it (she’s not a fan
of Scorsese or DiCaprio).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Quaalude
sequence is still priceless.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let ‘Em Have It</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1935) *** - In a time where all the glory was being given to the mobsters,
this is a film that celebrates special agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A gang of bad guys is out robbing people, and the special agents are out
there trying to keep us all safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
an interesting film to see how forensic science was treated back in the 1930s.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Firestorm</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2013) *** - So, Andy Lau is a cop trying to nab a gang of violent
criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typical Hong Kong crime film,
but you can always count on that “never seen that before” moment in these
movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gang robs an armored
vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it is driving by a
construction site, one of the gang is operating a crane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They swing the head of the crane into the
front windshield of the armored car, hoist it up and repeatedly drop it until
the back end caves in and all the guards fall out, like a piñata.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, they drop the vehicle, go in, and pull
the money out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing that bothered
me though about this film was how very pathos pandering it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film starts with two guys getting out of
prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One is one of our main bad guys,
and the other is a mole for Lau’s character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The mole has a daughter with autism that Lau’s character often takes
care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mole is desperate for money
and volunteers to infiltrate the group Lau is after, but it is highly dangerous
(can you see where this is going?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
the mole is discovered, Lau races to try to save him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, not only does the mole get killed,
but before he is strangled to death, they dangle his autistic daughter out of
the window and drop her several stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Severely injured, Lau attempts to get the girl to the hospital, but she
dies en route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lau and the other cop
with him then drive to where the evil boss is and show him the girl’s lifeless
body, yelling and crying “why?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Um, is
this necessary?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you not think the
audience was already with the cops on crime being bad or that even killing the
mole was terrible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you have to kill
a handicapped child too?</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kundo:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Age of the Rampant</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) *** - So, needing to switch gears again, I watched a Korean period piece
that was kinda like Robin Hood, but not quite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The main character, Dolmuchi, is a butcher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, because the film told me this,
butchers were the lowest of the low castes in society at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Snidely Whiplash (I mean Jo Yoon), who is a
bastard son of a warlord and who is looking to snap up the realm for his own,
hires Dolmuchi to kill his sister-in-law, pregnant with a child from the
recently deceased heir to the realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With her and the kid out of the way, everything goes to Snidely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, Dolmuchi can’t bring himself to do it,
so Snidely sends his underlings to kill Dolmuchi and his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dolmuchi survives and joins up with a bunch
of thieves that constantly rob Snidely’s dad’s people and all government
officials and give all the rice to the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rest of the film is Snidely trying to kill Dolmuchi and the thieves
and the thieves trying to kill all the corrupt officials and feed the
poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dolmuchi is portrayed as intensely
stupid and a killing machine who uses (what else?) meat cleavers.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We Were Soldiers</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2002) *** - I’ve had several students write about this movie in my American
Film class, so I wanted to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It tells of the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stars a beefed-up Mel Gibson and Sam
Elliot (sans mustache).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like
they were more interested in giving a historical account than anything, but you
get the occasional home front scenes, and it gets a little didactic at the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet interestingly enough, they
actually show the Vietcong side a few times, which I haven’t really seen before
in Vietnam movies.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Bedroom</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2001) *** - While I gave it three stars, I didn’t make it far into this one,
though I was impressed with the cast:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, and Marisa Tomei.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an adaptation of a short story of the
same title by Andre Dubus, which I used to have my students read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nick Stahl irritated me too much, and I
didn’t really want to see Wilkinson and Spacek lament when their son gets
killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film fleshed characters out
more, but that mostly went towards showing how dumb the son character is.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Wind Rises</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2013) **** - I have mixed feelings about this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s so much here that would appeal to
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Hayao Miyazaki’s last film,
in a career of films that I’ve loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of being based on fantasy, it is the story of Jiro Horikoshi,
the man who designed the Mitsubishi Zero fighter plane used in WWII by the
Imperial Japanese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The character is
voiced by none other than Hideaki Anno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the film itself is absolutely beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given how Studio Ghibli is contracted to
Disney for North American distribution, it must have been difficult for John
Lasseter, who I’m sure loves this movie, to figure out how to market this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Miyazaki to go out on a film that focuses
on flight is totally fitting, but I had a hard time connecting with the
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fourth star is really
for the film’s significance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Grand Budapest Hotel</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) **** - Outside of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Russian Ark</i>,
the best thing I saw all break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
a Wes Anderson fan, because his films always seem to be too quirky and trying
to show you how quirky they are all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While this film had plenty of quirks, it was so delightful and
entertaining, with a killer cast (Fiennes deserves a nomination for his work
here, but he won’t get one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are,
like me, not an Anderson fan, don’t let that keep you from this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a lot of fun to watch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Birdman</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) ** - Sorry, folks, but I did NOT like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretentious, playing at being one shot
when it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drawing attention to
itself deliberately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And didn’t Norton
play the same character in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rounders </i>and
a few other films where he’s just an asshole?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I get that this is supposed to be a big comeback movie for Michael
Keaton (like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wrestler</i> was for
Mickey Rourke, I guess), but the only person I gave a care about was the
daughter (played very well by Emma Stone – easily the best performance in this
film).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plot and character-wise, I found
this to be another version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tree of
Life</i>, which was also pretentious and “look at me” with its beating you over
the head, just in a different way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
films boil down to the same thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>older, white male at a loss of where he is in life yet still trying to
assure himself that he is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether it takes a recap of the formation of the universe or actually
having superpowers, these films failed to connect with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best thing about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Birdman </i>was its music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s about it. And the whole Raymond Carver thing can be its own post,
so maybe I’ll save it for my Oscar post, because this film will inevitably be
up for something.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Theory of Everything</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) ** - Yes, Eddie Redmayne did an exceptional acting job portraying Steven
Hawking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this film is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boring</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is two hours and three minutes long, and when I was watching it in
the theater, I checked my watch (not a good sign) only to find that I’d only
been watching for an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I audibly
groaned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize most of what Hawkings
does is way above my head, but some attempt at telling me what he does would
have helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I really know is that
no matter what he had, he still got plenty of sex.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Imitation Game</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) *** - Where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theory </i>was wrong
and I learned little about Hawking, I learned a lot about Alan Turing and a
little about what they did with codebreaking and the Enigma machine (which I
was personally interested in, given what I know about how U-boats used
them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Benedict Cumberbatch acts his
ass off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Redmayne will probably win best
actor (if they don’t give it to Keaton for like a lifetime acknowledgement),
but Cumberbatch is significantly tortured, which comes across well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Foxcatcher</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2014) *** - This is more like 3 ½ stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The acting in this is very solid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Steve Carell is completely creepy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t know much about the story, even though I had seen the interview
with the cast and director on Charlie Rose, so when the murder <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did </i>occur, it scared the shit out of
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Oscar season is going to be
interesting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Port of Flowers </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(1943)
*** - This was the directorial debut of Keisuke Kinoshita, a great Japanese
director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film was about two con
men who go to an island, pretending to be sons of a man who wanted to build
ships there before the Great Depression hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The town, looking to improve its collective fortune, pledges monetary
support to build ships, but the con men want to take the money and run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, they have a change of heart and
turn themselves in after a boat is built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was interesting to watch what must have been a common Japanese
reaction to the announcement of Pearl Harbor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Living Magoroku </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(1943)
*** - This was another film from Kinoshita.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While it maintained traditional Japanese values, I couldn’t help but
think it was very Shakespearean in its plot and character construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>300 years ago, a great battle was fought on
Onagi fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast forward to today, the
Onagi family still seem to be trying to run the area as in days past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is to the detriment to the war effort,
as superstitions of the family will not allow their acreage to be farmed when
farmland and crops are desperately needed for the war effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The son is a nervous wreck and can’t make any
decisions, while the rest of the town wants to get married, go to war, and
contribute to the nation, all seemingly waiting for the Onagi family to do
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, everything is wrapped
up neatly, the son emerges from his funk, those who wish to be married are, and
the brave lieutenant goes off to fight in the war with a sharp sword.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
also taken to randomly watching movies that come on a variety of channels that
my rabbit ears pick up (I don’t have cable).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have these three channels that constantly show old movies and TV shows
(GetTV, GRIT and MeTV, and there’s another one further down the spectrum just
called Movies, but I never seem to make it there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I drop in to random movies like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To Hell and Back</i> (1955) or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let’s Do It Again </i>(1953) which I will
zone out to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t put it down in the
list, because I was watching it in the middle of the night and drifted in and
out, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Detail </i>(1973)
seemed quite interesting – a movie about soldiers that had nothing to do with
war but was a character study.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-76970988426691973252014-10-18T15:47:00.000-07:002014-10-19T08:28:55.470-07:00So, Twitter Is Dangerous<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
not a social media user.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I briefly
jumped on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> years ago when it seemed everyone was jumping in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When people from high school started asking
to be my friends who were, most emphatically, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> my friends in high school, I felt there was something rather
disingenuous about the whole thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
I bailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing what I know now, my kernel
of info that I put on Facebook, a mere crumble, is still probably in Mark
Zuckerman’s basement, or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
I didn’t even put a photo of myself on it, so I’m not really all that bothered
that the small bit of info that I did abandon on Facebook is still floating out
there somewhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
any other social media has found me rather apathetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except <a href="https://twitter.com/Vulkurt" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially, I only followed two people:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the <a href="https://twitter.com/DalaiLama" target="_blank">Dalia Lama</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BretEastonEllis" target="_blank">Bret Easton Ellis</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, is it possible to find two polar
opposites?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I added <a href="https://twitter.com/wernerherzog" target="_blank">Werner Herzog</a> and
<a href="https://twitter.com/DAVID_LYNCH" target="_blank">David Lynch</a>, who I believe are aliens from other planets sent here to make
amazing films that few humans can understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, Herzog never tweets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Lynch does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s a funny
bird, because you are dealing with a limited number of characters, but he
always starts his quotes with “Dear Twitter friends.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is so great.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
recently, I added a few, mostly dealing with film (<a href="https://twitter.com/BFI" target="_blank">BFI</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanFilm" target="_blank">AFI</a>, and
<a href="https://twitter.com/Criterion" target="_blank">Criterion</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes they tweet
interesting things, and I’m genuinely glad to get keyed into what they are
broadcasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, last Thursday, I
got this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Criterion/status/520275455841423360">For the next 24
hours, all in-stock Blu-rays and DVDs are 50% off with promo code: SPIKE</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
those of you who don’t know, Criterion is one of the two gold standards of DVDs
(the other being Kino).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only do they
have an outstanding collection of the most important films of all time, but
they also bring in some of the not-so-known-yet-essential films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They restore films as well as (usually) have
a lot of great extras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the
reason why I started this blog in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They
are also expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most single discs
start around $40.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, when you try to
buy them used, the price really doesn’t decrease all that much. They are for
cinephiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yeah, we are snobs, so
we expect a lot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
half off?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you kidding?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christmas comes early this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But,
there were restrictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stuff had to be
in stock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not future sales (they’ve got
a series coming out in December from Kinoshita on Japanese WWII film that I’m
so going to get, but couldn’t preorder it for this sale).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I found out that some things are (sadly)
out of print, like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Last Year at Marienbad</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When did that go out of print?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I couldn’t go crazy, but I had quite a
bit of leeway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s what I scored.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeCnwccrWAjAGLef6vzyCZnE_wPT5sfFiZi-KQCzRGO4KUrcXcmtzjesxxuMltaL8zLGDFWuKEg4xkrmY9A-gPGOA29dj5f6hfJIF1iyeoq9mT2V4uVjIZIg7up812xPKtbDkfbSzFfM/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeCnwccrWAjAGLef6vzyCZnE_wPT5sfFiZi-KQCzRGO4KUrcXcmtzjesxxuMltaL8zLGDFWuKEg4xkrmY9A-gPGOA29dj5f6hfJIF1iyeoq9mT2V4uVjIZIg7up812xPKtbDkfbSzFfM/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/films/370-the-wages-of-fear?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Wages of Fear</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1953) – This is such a great film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
starts slow but when you get to the part where the trucks leave, it is one of
the most, if not the most, suspenseful films ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started working on a post for it a few
years ago and will finish it, I promise. And, got it on Blu ray (squee!).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/films/198-in-the-mood-for-love?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Mood for Love</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2000) – Wong Kar-wai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie is not
about characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is about
atmosphere. And profound longing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
such a beautiful film, and this one I got on Blu ray as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony Leung.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maggie Cheung.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, not a fast
movie, but so beautiful.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/films/184-le-samourai?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Le Samourai</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1967) – This may be the coolest film of all time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hit men are, by default, cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this film is about a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FRENCH </i>hit man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/films/229-pickpocket?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pickpocket</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1959) – This one was probably the least passionate impulse buys of the bunch,
but it is still a solidly made film (afterwards, I was like “Why didn’t you buy
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bicycle Theives</i>?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fucked that up.).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/films/27751-the-killing?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Killing</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
(1956) – This one I actually ordered after I placed my initial order, as I was
like “What are you thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why didn’t
you get that one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go back!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of Kubrick’s first films, and such an
amazing one at that. Sterling Hayden does tend to walk away with it, but it’s a
great film noir, and you know how much I love that genre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.criterion.com/boxsets/655-eclipse-series-17-nikkatsu-noir?q=autocomplete" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nikkatsu Noir</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
– This is from the Eclipse Series, and links back up with my previous
entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Japanese noir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the only one out of the group that I
haven’t seen before, but I knew I’d like it anyway (gee, Japan … noir … no-brainer
– if retirement investment were that easy).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
thank you to both Twitter and Criterion for my early Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope this doesn’t happen often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could be infinitely more dangerous.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-61181982726244562862014-07-07T13:55:00.000-07:002014-07-07T13:55:39.054-07:00Why am I crying because of video games?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Video
games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty sure most people who
would read this wouldn’t think of them as being deep or meaningful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t they just about blowing shit up real
good?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carnage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dismemberment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fatalities in gruesome spectacle?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, yeah, they can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
this summer, I’ve played two games which had me sick with sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In one season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there’s still
a month left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s going on?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
be fair, I would say that 90% of video games that I play do not elicit an
emotional response beyond the violent catharsis or the challenge of a good
puzzle, so the two games I’m going to talk about here are anomalies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A long, long, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">long</i> time ago, when I first started playing video games, the
emotions related were more about my reactions to playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I’d play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">River Raid</i> (1982) or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pitfall </i>(1982),
it was the excitement of coming close to instant death (in the game, of course)
and trying to score better / higher than the last time I played (back when
video game scores meant everything).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Somewhere along the line, I stopped playing video games in late-middle
and all of high school (read this as I missed Nintendo NES and SNES, hence I’m
not a fan of them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I got to
college and bought a PS1 along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metal
Gear Solid </i>(1998), I was off to the races again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is why, when I popped in the demo disc
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Final Fantasy VII </i>(1997), I was
perplexed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wasn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crash Bandicoot </i>(1996).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were no levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a lot
of characters talking to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t understand it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
once everyone was talking about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">FFVII</i>,
I decided to give it a spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is
when I had my first legitimate emotional response not from playing the game as the
operator / controller but to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">content</i>
of the game itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was, of course,
when Aeris dies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RJU5MuMH6Tw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much like Janet Leigh’s character Marion Crane in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psycho</i> (1960), you weren’t expecting someone so vital to the plot to be
killed off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aeris was a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">playable character</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could she be dead?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s weird, but watching the video before I
dropped it in here (to make sure it was accurate), I actually got a bit choked
up, even after all these years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that
some funky Proustian thing when I hear that music?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
since then, games have rarely affected me to that extreme of an emotional
level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every once in a while, they
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never </i>forget when I was playing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fallout
3</i> (2008)(greatest video game of all time), and I picked up radio signal
Oscar Zulu about the father who’s boy was “very sick” and “needs medical
assistance.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I scoured the area trying to
find the drainage chamber they were in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I found it, the long-dead corpses reminded me that most of the
radio signals in the game originated from long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the voice of the father, so desperate,
dug at me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s
a scene in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Red Dead Redemption</i> (2010)
where John Marston and his group come upon a ranch and are trying to look for
the family that runs it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they head
into the barn, they find the family, all hanging from the rafters, disemboweled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was mortified at the cruelty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still can’t believe I saw that in a game.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
the two experiences I’ve had recently have had a twist of the knife in my gut,
because I have to participate in the heartache and horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First up is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brothers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Tale of Two Sons </i>(2013).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game was interesting because it had
innovative game play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You controlled two
brothers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naia (the older brother) and
Naiee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naiee is justifiably traumatized
because in the opening of the game, you learned that he can’t swim, and his
mother died trying to rescue him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
boys’ father now is deathly ill from a mysterious disease, and the boys are told
to go and get special water from the Tree of Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They set out on their quest (with always a
sense of urgency – you get cut scenes of the father writhing in pain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interesting thing about how the game is
played is that the left side of the controller is for one brother and the right
is for the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like playing a
cooperative game with yourself (left and right brain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times (at least for me), it was
difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I got the brothers
through until they are about to make it to the Tree of Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when the girl that they saved earlier
turns into a spider and mortally wounds Naia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Naiee races up the Tree of Life to get the water to save his brother,
but when he reaches the base, Naia is dead.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://youtu.be/-zT34_ackuE" target="_blank">Here is the link.</a> It's around the 5 minute mark, but watching the whole thing will demonstrate the art style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
that’s not the insanely sad part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
happens next is I, as Naiee, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have to dig
Naia’s grave and bury him!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holy
hell, the pathos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m suffocating
holding back tears as I did this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naiee
makes it back to the village (in a yet continuing touching part you control the
ghost of the dead Naia to “help” Naiee get back).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
second experience happened this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Valiant Hearts</i> (2014) is DLC
(downloadable content) from Ubisoft about WWI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This makes perfect sense, as we are remembering the 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary
of the beginning of the worst war ever (if you want to argue WWII was worse, my
opening gambit is “we wouldn’t have had WWII if it hadn’t been for WWI” – your move).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The art style of the game makes it seem sort
of cute, but this game was dark and wrenching (one level had me crawling over
mountains of corpses to escape shelling).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All the figures are tragic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karl
is a German living in pastoral splendor in Belgium with his wife Marie and
their son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is forced to enlist in the
German army as Marie’s father, Emile, is drafted into the French infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An American character, Freddie, joins the
French army because his wife is killed by the Germans <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on their wedding day</i>, and Freddie is just plain out for
revenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one is having a good
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They meet up with a medic, Anna,
whose scientist father has been kidnapped by the Germans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good
</i>news is, by the end of the game, Karl is reunited with Marie and his son, and
Anna is reunited with his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t
really know what becomes of Freddie, but because of some ruthless suicidal
orders from the French lieutenant to charge when it was obvious they would all
be killed, Emile hits the French lieutenant on the head and kills him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is then court martialed and found guilty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Again,
that’s all very tragic, but then I had to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">march
Emile out to the post where he is tied and awaits the firing squad.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s fucking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terrible</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did you make
me do that, game?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sJu6-bdI95E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
don’t know what to make of these games that are emotionally punishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if this is a new trend or just
an anomaly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if this is part
of an overall shift in the culture where popular media will just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">go there</i>, rip your heart out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, movies have plenty of experience with
this (I’m more apt to have a movie disintegrate me), but video games?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll definitely be interested to see what
happens next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since not only were these
great games to play, they were great to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">experience</i>.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-77033055462157062802014-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:002014-07-03T19:55:53.742-07:00ZOMG, Holy Shit! Article 9!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Saw this on Tuesday, July 1st - not exactly finished thought, but wanted to post because of timeliness) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was VERY fortunate to turn on NHZ channel today in a desperate attempt to find
some sort of television programming while eating lunch to find </span><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/01/national/coalition-agrees-on-scrapping-pacifist-postwar-defense-policy/#.U7MS-xAXK2I"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shinzo
Abe announcing the reinterpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My jaw hit the floor.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
reinterpretation aligns with what the Japanese government feels is an
escalating situation in the Eastern Asian region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With island disputes, abductions, and China’s
rising military (on top of North Korea’s ever-present threat), Abe feels it
important not only to be able to aid allies in the region and abroad but to
also strengthen defensive capabilities at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Abe and Japanese officials reiterate that this is not about becoming an
offensive military power but more to enhance defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will still abide by much of the spirit of
Article 9 in keeping Japan on a peaceful path, without belligerence.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
major issue this raises domestically is that there was no public referendum on
the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Japanese citizens are
quite upset that the government is making such changes without consulting the
populous about what it wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/01/national/politics-diplomacy/critics-restraints-overly-ambiguous/#.U7MS_hAXK2I"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
there are still many Japanese who are not comfortable with militarism</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then again, the population wasn’t
consulted when the post-WWII Japanese Constitution was drafted either.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
repeatedly in my mind as I watched Abe speak, I repeated “What if Mishima were
alive to see this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
is what he was arguing for towards the end of his life and what he ultimately
committed seppuku for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to
get into the argument of why Mishima killed himself right now (he wanted to be
a spectacle; he wanted to die [relatively] young).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His STATED objective was to stage the coup at
the Ichigaya Japanese Self-Defense Force Installation to rally the soldiers to
get behind him and force the government to amend the Constitution, recognizing
(and by extension legitimizing) the JSDF as a military force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Article 9 made any kind of force, even kept
for defensive purposes, unconstitutional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the paltry number of troops maintained would never be an actual
deterrent, should another country sincerely attempt to invade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The US was the actual defense force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was to kneecap the Japanese after
WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>China and Korea, the main victims
of the Japanese war machine, were quelled somewhat by America emasculating the
Japanese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dynamic of the
Chrysanthemum and the Sword was reduced to the flowery, feminine part of the
culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what Mishima
hated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Japan was flower arranging,
cuisine, and tea ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The warrior
spirit was obliterated by Article 9.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
legitimize the JSDF, and therefore bring masculinity back to the Japanese
people, was Mishima’s aim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he
couldn’t get the soldiers, the ones most hemmed in by Article 9, to get behind
him, then he couldn’t bear to see Japan’s future, the lapdogs of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never saw the 1980s financial powerhouse
Japan became, but I don’t think that would have satisfied him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Financial power is not the same thing,
especially ideologically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bringing a
country to its knees with money isn’t bushido.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
also blows my mind is that the United States <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is in support of this reinterpretation</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japans-ruling-bloc-approves-larger-military-role/2014/07/01/95212488-00de-11e4-b203-f4b4c664cccf_story.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“[T]he
U.S. is backing whatever Japan can do to play a larger role in regional security</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THE VERY PEOPLE WHO IMPOSED ARTICLE 9 ON
JAPAN ARE NOW RELIEVED TO SEE A MORE MILITARIZED JAPAN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't know, but maybe Mishima’s head would
explode on that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But given how much
of a threat China is becoming and how Japan is one of, if not the only, places
in the world that does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>maintain
its own standing army, as well as the overall decline of the US’s capacity to
be the world’s police, there is an obvious need for Japan to do something about
its situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I loathe Wikipedia,
here’s some numbers:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Japan
active duty soldiers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>230,300,
reserve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>41,800</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Armed_Forces"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">South
Korea active duty soldiers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>639,000,
reserve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2,900,000</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_People%27s_Army"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">North
Korea active duty soldiers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1,106,000,
reserve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8,200,000</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Army"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">China
active duty soldiers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2,285,000,
reserve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2,300,000</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">OH
MY GOD, I’D BE SCARED, TOO!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh, Mishima. I wish you were alive to see this. </span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-77155785746398016562014-05-26T10:36:00.000-07:002016-01-05T09:03:57.053-08:00Summer Vacation Watch List<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Hi, all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it’s
back to work tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had the last
week off (since everything officially wrapped on May 16<sup>th</sup>, but I did
do some grading on the 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What have I been up to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i>
actually leave the house a couple of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On Monday, Kim and I spent all day at the <a href="http://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/" target="_blank">Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center</a>,
which was quite cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We happened to
luck out and see the largest passenger airplane land and take off, Air France’s
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A380</i>.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI92-6uGVr5fcCb4nJNsnvHIiv0abMHUdszzza-ki70tWfvDFnzcoIwU2KuXGnDk6_-KToUL04Tqb27zqIxLomIlLuHtxAlEwcqfwceJdnkWV-MVTSB6UkM129vwEMzT056xbRXwXOHE/s1600/Steven+F.+Udvar-Hazy+Center+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI92-6uGVr5fcCb4nJNsnvHIiv0abMHUdszzza-ki70tWfvDFnzcoIwU2KuXGnDk6_-KToUL04Tqb27zqIxLomIlLuHtxAlEwcqfwceJdnkWV-MVTSB6UkM129vwEMzT056xbRXwXOHE/s1600/Steven+F.+Udvar-Hazy+Center+057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also saw some amazing aircraft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was mind-blowing is that often, the
description would note that it was the last of its kind on the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost every other plane was like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was rather chilling to stand near the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enola Gay</i>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8ayfCKz1pTv1U0kSKgi9Y4eeW2vV8YI5TVwBO0vmMB_RgZNG6SnW417WNJe13g2minO3NZDoH6IXalV5M2n0Qm1x2p731tYeOS3GYowPmkPlOkxzMSiZPlxUG3o1O6CnXJU9BUdqyQ/s1600/Steven+F.+Udvar-Hazy+Center+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8ayfCKz1pTv1U0kSKgi9Y4eeW2vV8YI5TVwBO0vmMB_RgZNG6SnW417WNJe13g2minO3NZDoH6IXalV5M2n0Qm1x2p731tYeOS3GYowPmkPlOkxzMSiZPlxUG3o1O6CnXJU9BUdqyQ/s1600/Steven+F.+Udvar-Hazy+Center+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Tuesday, we went downtown to the Smithsonian Gallery of
Art to see the exhibits on Andrew Wyeth and Degas / Cassatt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t really into either, but I did love
the new Van Gogh acquisition, <a href="http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection/art-object-page.163323.html" target="_blank"><i>Green Wheat Fields, Auvers</i> (1890)</a>.</div>
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But mostly, outside of completing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Assassin’s Creed IV:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black Flag</i>
and drinking a lot of beer, I’ve been watching movies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure that shocks you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, in mostly chronological order, is what
I’ve watched, with some commentary and how many stars I tagged them with on the
Netflix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m probably going to sneak in
a few more today, but movie watching will be coming to a pretty quick close
soon, and not just because I go back to work tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, tomorrow I pick up <a href="http://watchdogs.ubi.com/watchdogs/en-us/home/" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watch Dogs</i></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clear the decks!</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saving Mr. Banks</i>
(2013)*** - Emma Thompson was wonderful in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so much Tom Hanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he was great in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain Phillips</i>, his Walt Disney here was more wooden than the
real Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this was based on
real people and archival footage (including tape recorded sessions – which gives
this film one of the best credit sequences ever), but I can’t understand why
P.L. Travers was so neurotic and why she had such a hard time understanding
that the characters she created (which were indeed whimsical) would work so
well in a children’s film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something
about this just didn’t ring true to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t see how those flashbacks of her childhood, while I’m sure based in some
truth, result in such a damaged, morose person.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unhung Hero</i> (2013)*
- This is a documentary by a guy named Patrick Moote who, when he proposed
marriage to his girlfriend, was turned down because he had a small penis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the documentary investigates whether penis
size matters or not, and how to deal with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was listed as “Popular on Netflix,” and I’m sure it does interest
about half (or more) of the population, but I turned it off after 23 minutes.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Company of Heroes</i>
(2013)* - Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WOW!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a LONG time since I’ve seen a
movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this bad</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, it failed on literally every
level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost made a post on this film
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It trotted out every tired cliché,
every overused line, every WWII-era trope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it is based on a series of video games that are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really good</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t had a
chance to play the second series, but the first was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this movie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acting – bad. Cinematography – bad (when you
are a few minutes in and have seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
many</i> lens flares, you start to think that they are not being used for
artistic effect).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Script – awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read a review that pointed out that there’s
a medic that gives a soldier CPR, but CPR wasn’t invented until 1962.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, historical accuracy – out the
window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The premise of the film is that
the Nazis are developing a nuclear weapon, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/nazis-and-the-bomb.html" target="_blank">which was true</a>, but some reviewers
noted inaccuracies with weapons used in the film, their sounds, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just sucked so badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my poor J<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ü</span>rgen Prochnow was in it for a hot few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder how weird it must be for German
actors to play Nazis in films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope he
made some money off it, but that looks unlikely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was never released in theaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t even find budget info.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scary.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beware of Mr. Baker</i>
(2012)*** - This question comes up in several of the pieces I watched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or not so much a question but an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do some amazingly talented people have to
be such assholes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, it is readily
apparent that Ginger Baker was an awesome drummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what a jerk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess if you really liked Cream or other
things that Baker did, you would find this documentary illuminating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, pass on by.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vivre Sa Vie </i>(1962)***
- This almost got four stars, but I didn’t care much for the protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the camerawork in this movie is
jaw-droppingly good (one example – the record store, which is done all in one
take).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I can safely say I like
Godard better than Truffaut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">F for Fake</i>
(1973)*** - Orson Welles made this documentary about one of his favorite
subjects – obfuscation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was always a
magician, and filmmakers obviously deal with illusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The documentary centers on a famous art
forger, Elmyr de Hory, and his biographer, Clifford Irving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Irving then supposedly wrote a biography of
the world’s most elusive man, Howard Hughes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turns out Irving never met Hughes, and the biography was a
forgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clear that Welles is
having a great time making this film about something that genuinely fascinates
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I as an audience member
was not as interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am neither an
art collector nor have ever read Irving’s books, nor do I ascribe to the notion
that when I read something or see something, it is the whole truth and nothing
but the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I assume most of
what I’m being told on a daily basis are lies and half-truths, so Welles “pulling
back of the curtain” to reveal Oz as a normal man doesn’t startle me, and I
think that’s what he was going after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe to a 1970s audience, this would have been a revelation.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yi dai zong shi</i>
(aka <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Grandmaster</i>) (2012)** - Oh,
it hurt to give this two stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
directed by one of my favorite Asian directors, Kar Wai Wong, and stars one of
my favorite Asian actors, Tony Leung.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And this movie was stunningly gorgeous to look at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was up for two Academy Awards last year,
for Costume Design and Cinematography, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this
movie was so boring</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there’s a
big problem about the subject matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a serious glut of movies about Ip Man (the man who taught Bruce
Lee Wing Chun).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Donnie Yen did it in
2008 and 2010 (and has <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">another </i>one
slated for 2015).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two Ip Man
movies by Herman Yau (2010 & 2013), and then this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People, that is six movies in eight years
about the same guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A touch overkill?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And half of this movie isn’t even about Ip
Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They shoe-horn a long story about
Gong Er (played by Zhang Ziyi) and her revenge against the guy that tried to
steal her father’s legacy of kung fu.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Camille Claudel 1915</i>
(2013)* - Oh, dear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t tell by
the star ratings on the first few movies, I was feeling like I was striking out
hard this vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full disclosure, I
think Juliet Binoche is beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
this movie is terrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not really
a movie, per se.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first part is a day
in the life of a female mental patient confined to an insane asylum run by
nuns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She just kind of wanders around, and
the camera watches her do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has
interactions with various people (other patients, nuns) and enters and exits
rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, I thought the movie
was daring me to watch it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know what is
compelling?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Claudel#Confinement" target="_blank">What actually happened to Claudel</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She might not have been the
most balanced person on the planet (hell, who is?), but her family had her
committed against her will in 1913.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though doctors told the family she wasn’t insane, they insisted she still be
held.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died 30 years<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>later, still in an asylum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thirty
years of her life was taken away from her, and there was nothing wrong with her</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot imagine the horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that make this movie better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
spent so much time fast forwarding to get to where her brother was going to
visit her that I eventually tapped out at the 75 minute mark.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Muscle Shoals</i>
(2013)*** - Kim really likes music, and we can’t always watch stuff I want to
watch (good night, I would wish that on no one), so this was a documentary on
Muscle Shoals, a place in Alabama, where there is a music recording industry
that has produced albums for a variety of different artists (Jimmy Cliff,
Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, the Rolling Stones, and many
more).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It supposedly elicits a different
kind of sound out of musicians than any other place on the world, and they make
their case by concentrating on the story of Rick Hall, the man who started FAME
Studios.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy’s life is the epitome
of the sad country song, but he worked hard and was successful.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better This World</i>
(2011)*** - This is a documentary about David McKay and Bradley Crowder, who
were charged with being terrorists for their participation in the 2008
Republican National Convention protests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had made some bombs and did or did not plan to use them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bigger question (which is also raised in
a few other things I watched) is what has happened to the concept of freedom of
speech in this country?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thoroughly
convinced that the government has overstepped its power orders of magnitude
after 9/11, and we will never be a free society again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes me sad, because it reduces me to
thinking and saying things like, “Well, at least we’re not Afghanistan” or “Nigeria”
or “China.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have relative
freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was probably true of
pre-9/11, but with the leaps forward in technology and the increasing
encroachment of government on citizens in the name of safety, I have so very
little trust of the government’s benevolence towards the governed.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ron White:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Little Unprofessional</i> (2012)*** - After
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better This World</i>, I needed to
laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Ron White is funny, but
Kim can’t stand him.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morgan Murphy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Irish Goodbye</i> (2014)* - Still wanted to
laugh, but Murphy was not funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only made
it 3 minutes in.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anatomy of a Murder</i>
(1959)*** - Jimmy Stewart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Directed by Otto
Preminger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Credit sequence by Saul Bass
(pre-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psycho</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a pretty interesting movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it clocked in at 2 hours 40 minutes,
through the whole thing, even after it finished, I still wasn’t sure if Lt.
Manion and his wife Laura were telling the truth or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene towards the end, after the cell
mate testified against Manion, that Manion said he had fooled everyone, and
Stewart’s character Paul Biegler calling Manion back to the stand to ask Manion
if what the cell mate said was true, was brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stewart is whispering, practically <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">begging</i> Manion to say it ain’t so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good acting is just good acting, folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But one thing really bothered me about this
(and another) film I watched – there was some shifting tones that seemed to be
jarring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second film this happened
in was far more jolting, but in this film, there were these times when the film
tried to be funny and light-hearted, which was not in keeping with the rest of
the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand that tension
needs to be broken every once in a while (I’ve read enough Aristotle), but it
just didn’t come across as genuine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was almost like I had switched the channel over to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Leave it to Beaver</i> for a moment, then switched back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what kept it from getting four stars
from me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Gun Is Quick</i>
(1957)*** - This is a movie adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was just fun to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like a hard-boiled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">film noir</i>, even if it isn’t that well-made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just straight-up entertaining.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Down Three Dark
Streets</i> (1954)*** - More <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">film noir</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A family-man FBI agent, Zack Stewart, investigating
three cases gets whacked, and his supervisor takes over the cases to not only
solve them but find Stewart’s killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, much like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Gun Is Quick</i>,
this was fun to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I like 1950s
procedurals.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ddongpari</i> (aka <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breathless</i>) (2008)**** - THIS IS THE
BEST MOVIE I SAW ON BREAK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came
dangerously close to getting five stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, this movie is NOT for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s the description from Netflix:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Writer-director Ik-Joon Yang also stars in this dark drama as
Sang-Hoon, a deeply troubled lowlife gangster who vents his rage at the world
by cursing out and brutally beating anyone who gives him the slightest
provocation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s only part of this
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The acting in this film is so raw
and the characters so damaged that any sort of kindness they show to each other
is deeply meaningful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
this is the only film of Ik-Joon Yang available on Netflix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope they acquire more soon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be-reul-lin</i> (aka <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Berlin File</i>) (2013)*** - A Korean
spy film set in Berlin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was fun to
watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all cloak-and-dagger, like a
Cold War Bond film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is interesting
is that this is the first Korean film I’ve seen that references North Korea’s
new government and how it is essentially purging the Kim Jong-Il’s people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really weird to see Old Regime NK
agents as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good </i>guys in this
film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The relationship between North and
South Korea and how it continues to evolve is a mind-bender.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Week with Marilyn</i>
(2011)** - So yeah, Marilyn Monroe is a cult icon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not interested in her per se, but I do
find her a rather tragic person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
film was based off a book by Colin Clark in which he retells working on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Prince and the Showgirl</i> (1957).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get all the method acting vs natural
acting (as touted by Olivier, played quite well by Kenneth Branagh).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another highlight is Judi Dench in
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the film is boring, and I don’t
care about Clark or the “cult of personality” approach to Monroe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Thief of Bagdad</i>
(1924)**** - Douglas Fairbanks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
just fun to watch in this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is 2
½ hours long, you don’t feel it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sets are gorgeous in a way that was something only silent film could do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t imagine what it must have been like
to watch this, as a kid in a theater in 1924.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Great storytelling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ghost Dog:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Way of the Samurai</i> (2000)*** - This
came close to getting four stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
a Jim Jarmusch film starring Forest Whitaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whitaker’s character is Ghost Dog, an assassin who reads the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hagakure</i> (quotes from the book are often
shown with Ghost Dog reading them in voice-over).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He styles himself as a samurai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He completes a job where a target who is
supposed to be alone isn’t, and for reasons not completely clear, this means he
must be eliminated, even though there is no way him knowing the witness would
surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What then unfolds is what would
normally be a Toho-samurai or gangster film from the 1960s or 70s set in
contemporary Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an
interesting study of how well you can supplant a genre from one culture into
another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jarmusch is so good at
creating atmosphere through characterization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ghost Dog’s best friend is a Haitian ice cream salesman who only speaks
French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ghost Dog doesn’t know French,
but that doesn’t stand in the way of the relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That sounds fake when you read it, but it isn’t
in the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are all kinds of nice
touches in the film regarding race relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The chief gangster (who is Italian) loves rap, Ghost Dog is steeped in Japanese
culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Italian gangsters meet in a
Chinese restaurant as a front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Italians berate a Native American, who then calls the Italians “stupid white
men,” something the Italians would not classify themselves as.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Italian hit men killing big African
American men who keep pigeons not because “they all look alike” but that they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t </i>know what the guy looks like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jarmusch is an intriguing filmmaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really liked <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dead Man</i> (1995), which challenged conventions associated with the
Western genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He bends several genres
together in this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more I think
about it, the more I think I need to go back and give this another star.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Days of Heaven</i> (1978)**
- I just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate</i> Terrence Malick and his
overblown pretentious approach to filmmaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Visually, this film is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gorgeous</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this story is so boring and stupid, and I
could care less about the characters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boys from Brazil</i>
(1978)* - I found out that there is a rule in my house, and it pertains to
Gregory Peck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My better half says he’s
awesome and handsome and since he was Atticus Finch, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cannot </i>be a Nazi, so this got turned off 15 minutes in and will not
be revisited.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ai Weiwei:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never Sorry</i> (2012)*** - While I was
pretty bummed about my country after watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better This World</i>, after this I was like “AT LEAST I’M NOT
IN GODDAMNED CHINA!!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure if
this film was arguing that Weiwei is more activist than artist or
vice-versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’ve ever seen
anything by him in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do feel
sorry for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel sorry for all
Chinese people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cultural Revolution’s
impact on one of the most storied and ancient societies is going to continue to
pulverize that nation’s identity for generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should take this as a warning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Much Ado About Nothing</i>
(2012)*** - This is Joss Whedon’s version of the play, shot in his house while
he was making <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Avengers</i>, a massive
blockbuster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can play a drinking
game with this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drink when you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t </i>see anyone drinking in this
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be relatively safe,
because that is few scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also
learned that Whedon has a nice house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Something else that I’m trying to come to grips with is that this play
is extremely stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title is quite
apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe this was Shakespeare playing
a joke on us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fun to watch this
movie with Kim, because she can point out what other works of Whedon these
actors were in (“So-and-so was in Season Two of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buffy</i> … That guy was in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Angel
</i>for a few episodes.”).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Terms and Conditions
May Apply</i> (2013)*** - Remember when you first read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1984</i> or saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brazil</i> and
were like “Our TVs are the government and they’re watching us scares the shit
outta me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope that doesn’t happen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s no more privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
no more legitimacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you ever try to
stand up for yourself against the government, they will have reams of
backlogged data to discredit you for something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Welcome to the new world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish
you the best of luck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pain and Gain</i>
(2013)*** - This wins my Vacation Jury Prize for being the most
interesting thing I watched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ssUivM-eM" target="_blank">Michael Bay is normally the punchline for jokes about movies</a>, even though he is
swimming in money given how successful his films are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad Boys </i>or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transformers</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the true story of three bodybuilders
in Miami who kidnap a rich businessman and attempt to extort all his assets
from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stuff they do is
ridiculously stupid, but they get away with it for a time before they get
greedy and try to pull another job with horrendous results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anatomy of a Murder</i>, has shifts in tone, but the shifts in this
film are like gut punches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially, I
thought this film was pretty fun (way funnier than I expected).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock
from WWE) and Anthony Mackie do a great job playing roided meatheads, and the
writing, by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who worked on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chronicles of Narnia</i> series as well
as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain America </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thor</i> films, is more clever than those mainstream
films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like everyone is doing
better than they normally would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
when the story takes a turn from obliviously funny to darkly gory (for me, this
started when they decide to kill Victor Kershaw) made me more than externally
wince.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was disturbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more demented things got, the more the
film underscored that it is still based on what really happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where we have to start questioning
humanity and what filthy animals we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I liked this film, but I felt like I really shouldn’t have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do have to tip my cap to Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t expect something like this from him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kong Zi</i> (aka <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Confucius)</i> (2010)** - Again, another sad
experience for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love Chow
Yun-Fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s my favorite Asian
actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s handsome, charming, and has
a real range when he works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But ever
since he left Hong Kong to escape the impending turning over of the
protectorate to China by Great Britain in 1999, either he or his agent have mucked up
his career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he was in some good
films, most have not been that great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I did learn about Confucius’ life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But something that has been happening a lot
in recent Chinese cinema is the compunction to make historical films and
identify all the people in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, when
there’s a lot of characters (as there often are), there’s no way I’m going to
remember all these people, what their stations were, or anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like there’s going to be a test at the
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chow Yun-Fat was good in this film
(which he consistently is), but the film itself, while being pretty, was not
good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chico i Rita</i> (aka <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chico and Rita)</i> (2010)*** - This movie
has great music from an era I like (1940s-50s jazz).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The art style was interesting (except the
people – the people look weird).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
plot was an exercise in clichés of two talented people who can’t quite get
together because they are too busy banging other people or chasing a career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t care about any of the characters or
what happened to them. That makes it hard to watch a movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Roman Holiday</i>
(1953)** - So, I’ve already covered Gregory Peck’s place in the household, and
there’s a lot of nice shots of Rome, but this was like a Disney movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even more sanitized</i> than what Disney
produces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An invented princess from an
invented country is given something to make her sleep, but she escapes to fall
into Peck’s lap, and then you have the plot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aladdin</i> for a big part of the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They eat gelato, play in fountains, dance on
barges, and are inventedly in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
doing this to get a “scoop” for his paper, but he’s too chivalrous at the end,
since he loves her, and she returns to her world of invented serious statehood,
and they will never see each other again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>::invented sigh::</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, there you have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I still have time to shoehorn in a few more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-68646639249014807272014-05-16T13:04:00.000-07:002014-05-16T13:04:11.091-07:00Why Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Is Pissing Me Off<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">No, this post is not about a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is about a video game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it
is a <i>filmic</i> video game, so there.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">In early February, I upgraded my tech:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new TV (60 inch Sharp Aquos), PS4 and Xbox
One.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new generation of video game
systems had come out mid-November 2013, and I hadn’t bought them at the time
because there weren’t any games coming out at launch for either system which
piqued my interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since we were
redoing the living room in February, the idea was to get everything in one shot,
so I wouldn’t have to mess with it later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To this date, I <i>still </i>don’t have a game for XB1 and only have one
game for PS4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly enough, it <i>was</i>
a launch title, but while I was initially interested in it because of the
setting, I wasn’t particularly interested in <i>Assassin’s Creed IV:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black Flag</i> because I hadn’t played any of
the previous games in the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t know if it was important to know the backstory before playing the current
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I wanted <i>something</i> to
play on all the new hotness sitting in my living room, and c’mon, it’s a game
about pirates!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINoz-SHfPVoTTVR3z_zMp2sDWb4VnvoIl8IBeidUJvBDbeljkaHA7PQJZcOown9aAfGJc4ZoZ6bv3ji4-3zFdD2v_ikcr0JIVUsw1DQQywHCxJUTZq7ELVKAf37_cdkDF-RcfB_pHPII/s1600/Assassinpirate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINoz-SHfPVoTTVR3z_zMp2sDWb4VnvoIl8IBeidUJvBDbeljkaHA7PQJZcOown9aAfGJc4ZoZ6bv3ji4-3zFdD2v_ikcr0JIVUsw1DQQywHCxJUTZq7ELVKAf37_cdkDF-RcfB_pHPII/s1600/Assassinpirate.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Initially,
I really liked the game, because it is part of one of my favorite genres:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love stealth games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the
days of PS1 and 2, I loved the <i>Tenchu</i> series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that affinity deepened when my lovely
wife bought me the first XBox and two games, one of which was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Splinter Cell</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve played every </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Splinter Cell</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> since (except </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essentials</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> on PSP, but I do own it and will get around
to it someday).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve played other
stealth games, too, most notably the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Commandos</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> PC games, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hitman 2</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> on PC and the
first two </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metal Gear Solid</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
often employed stealth tactics in games like </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fallout 3</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Vegas</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> rather than taking the “guns blazing” approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dishonored</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> came out, I
snapped it up.</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">So, if the previous iterations of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Assassin’s
Creed</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> were
stealth-based, why hadn’t I played them before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first game in the series was set during the Crusades, which didn’t
really interest me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, there’s a
bunch of the plot connected to the Templars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was around the time when </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The Da Vinci Code</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> was making a lot of buzz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t get the appeal of the Templars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> But I guess I'm the outlier. </span>I occasionally get student research papers on
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second set of games took place
during The Renaissance, and I read reviews where Leonardo da Vinci was a
character you could interact with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
could use his inventions as part of gameplay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where readers may shake their heads at me, but I like a measure
of realism in things like games and movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, these media are total constructions in and of themselves, but I
like as much realism as possible when I am trying to put myself in another
time, place, and person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what
allows me immersion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll give you an
example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really liked </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Kessen </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">allowing me to run around in Sengoku
Japan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Kessen II </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">and</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> III</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> included magic and became more like </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Dynasty Warriors</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">, I lost interest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">I almost bought </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Assassin’s Creed III</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> because it took place in Colonial America and
looked amazing graphics-wise, but I never got around to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Black Flag</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> being about pirates, and me needing something to give my new toys a
work-out, I picked it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it does
look absolutely </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">amazing</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never seen water rendered
so realistically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sound is great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn8Y0Heq0S0" target="_blank">I love it when the pirates singshanties</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is a genuinely fun game
to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool array of weapons (pistols,
swords, blowpipes), lots of upgrades for your ship, the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Jackdaw</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">, interesting locations with lots to do
in each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sailing is fun and engaging
(hunting various kinds of whales and sharks, avoiding [or in some cases
attacking] forts and patrols, finding treasure chests and messages in
bottles).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I get to dive and explore
shipwrecks while trying to avoid sharks and jellyfish.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBIeedM3hI9N7lc6MMmV6ABu78kJm8dMI320kNmePwnkP8UxUvi8lqHtrDjBVufoIQb1fGmDp_kC5NP9TkuvZkgkyq3wms-__81KBsX5K3V_JCDlLTJXKHPmByr4M_baCQUUqAkhVwgg/s1600/assassin-s-creed-iv-black-flag-playstation-4-ps4-1374521568-056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBIeedM3hI9N7lc6MMmV6ABu78kJm8dMI320kNmePwnkP8UxUvi8lqHtrDjBVufoIQb1fGmDp_kC5NP9TkuvZkgkyq3wms-__81KBsX5K3V_JCDlLTJXKHPmByr4M_baCQUUqAkhVwgg/s1600/assassin-s-creed-iv-black-flag-playstation-4-ps4-1374521568-056.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">There’s plenty to like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now, as I have 76% of the game completed,
I am getting more and more annoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s why:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The Frame:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
do not play this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am actually
playing as a person working for Abstergo Entertainment who has been hired not
to play the game per se but to experience memories of Edward Kenway, who (for
the purposes of the game) was a real person who lived during the era of
pirates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I experience his memories in
order to log data that can eventually be turned into a game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, this is the first game in the series I’ve
played, so this meta-narrative has been developed over several games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all ties in to the Templars (Abstergo
Entertainment is the contemporary version of the Templars, which is a <i>really
</i>bad move on their part if they’ve seen current Nintendo and Sony financial
reports – video games are <i>not </i>the business to go into for profit and
power).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I’m not at all acquainted
with the previous content of the framework, I really couldn’t give a shit about
the meta-narrative, and I’m not really sure how this makes the overall game
better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything, it <i>alienates</i>
newcomers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know – maybe this has
been a ridiculously exciting part of the series heretofore, but I highly doubt
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What sounds more entertaining to
you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a pirate or sitting in front
of a computer at a cubicle?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The fact that I <i>HAVE</i> to play the Frame:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing takes me out of this game, both
literally and figuratively, then when I am <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">forced</b>
to play the employee of Abstergo Entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently, I am wonderful at my job and doing well, but I have this
asshole who runs the information booth or Starbucks in the downstairs lobby
that always wants me to go hack the mainframe to find out what is going on with
research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh my God, <i>I don’t give a
fuck</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was being a pirate!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just kicking the British Fleet’s ass!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want me to do what with the
mainframe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not just that, but the
hacking is <i>so</i> ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me
show you:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Hack Type One is when there’s this globe, and by
rotating the globe along lines, you somehow make a connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vWVGbNJzIsYdcX23d562_iWvkKMGuf28civ0WsWKpEcgH63INk85-HW9lVaPx8elpEKgl9tUJVxZdVOJ5wD__7Iw1rbV309_RJ11mvnonKmRm5HVq6Np2fwx2ugFhDaeM_N76nJCLUA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vWVGbNJzIsYdcX23d562_iWvkKMGuf28civ0WsWKpEcgH63INk85-HW9lVaPx8elpEKgl9tUJVxZdVOJ5wD__7Iw1rbV309_RJ11mvnonKmRm5HVq6Np2fwx2ugFhDaeM_N76nJCLUA/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Hack Type Two is where you manipulate numbers in
order to try to match a prescribed wavelength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It looks like this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc0PoyYxYXv4XotX2IkhvZWtctY0M7CNAkJVVeisoJ5TS_wWqFjMYtPl2swpKjDX2sObIz6np3gQyCaDC9IbaOevlwGoljgFjeYlb_S2TmJQXLi2EVgj5fqIlnrSW43NX-UEvUnv8LNg/s1600/images2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc0PoyYxYXv4XotX2IkhvZWtctY0M7CNAkJVVeisoJ5TS_wWqFjMYtPl2swpKjDX2sObIz6np3gQyCaDC9IbaOevlwGoljgFjeYlb_S2TmJQXLi2EVgj5fqIlnrSW43NX-UEvUnv8LNg/s1600/images2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Hack Type Three is like playing <i>Frogger</i>
except you are a dot of light instead of a frog trying to make your way across
breaks in lines of light instead of traffic and logs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like this:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSAFaXOs8-gdfyJswuUBu41xAKULV5Ojt8W1vXNSIObsfbekMqNGTBIN3_bhzM43bJ4IF-1XbMANcsn1lYho6UvlVtdvmPeuP_E9uS7IUJGbO4X4lj5vLX2aXtu3Rbu5G-S7T5nt33ZY/s1600/images4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSAFaXOs8-gdfyJswuUBu41xAKULV5Ojt8W1vXNSIObsfbekMqNGTBIN3_bhzM43bJ4IF-1XbMANcsn1lYho6UvlVtdvmPeuP_E9uS7IUJGbO4X4lj5vLX2aXtu3Rbu5G-S7T5nt33ZY/s1600/images4.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Now, my personal experience with hacking has been
very low-tech, but I’m willing to bet good money or an organ that <i>this is
not how people hack computers</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
fairly certain that Edward Snowden would piss himself laughing looking at these
“hacks.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first one, I literally
just move the joystick around until I get the message that I was successful
(how or why is a mystery to me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
second, I just fiddle with numbers until I get the wave patterns to match
(again, no skill, just moving cursors around).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The third takes more effort (especially after a few beers), but I still
make it through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Starbucks tells me
to go back to my room and get back to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>How does this make the game experience better</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m truly at a loss for why this time-wasting
shit is in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And do you know the
reward I get for successfully hacking (whatever that means)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I GET TO READ INTER-OFFICE EMAIL!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I don’t get enough
of that in my regular life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly,
whenever I have to log out of the Animus and do anything inside the frame, I
feel like the game is punishing me for all the fun I’m having looting and
pillaging the world as a pirate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">The Plot:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, the premise of this game and series is wedded heavily to the
Templars and whatever they were doing at that time and place in history(maybe).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I have to pursue the missions of the
main quest, I let out a little sigh and prepare myself<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to hear about motivations and sacrifices and
evils that I truly don’t care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I play games, I’m a completist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That means I like to get every treasure, find every location, get every
item I can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I’ve been nearly
everywhere in the Caribbean and found almost everything, completed every side
quest, mission, and found almost every treasure chest and Animus fragment there
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is left now is the main
missions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shouldn’t be cringing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8GVP66ywtt56UqkXMfkQ9BOEB-xjkFQSt0QQAUSH3HIO6ljRObZuVQx7dE9xQVkVNpofvqqcX9O4W6kT_hr2r7LcpzPa1YZWFAjGXFa4g9nicbbCQNp2wbirJ9l1JOEVclO2TZy0q_I/s1600/gaming-assassins-creed-4-black-flag-screenshot-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8GVP66ywtt56UqkXMfkQ9BOEB-xjkFQSt0QQAUSH3HIO6ljRObZuVQx7dE9xQVkVNpofvqqcX9O4W6kT_hr2r7LcpzPa1YZWFAjGXFa4g9nicbbCQNp2wbirJ9l1JOEVclO2TZy0q_I/s1600/gaming-assassins-creed-4-black-flag-screenshot-4.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> The Protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Edward Kenway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially, think of a more rougher, unkempt
version of Heath Ledger trying to follow the storyline of Wesley from <i>The
Princess Bride</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lurves a young
lass, ye know, but he hasn’t a pot to piss in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So he sets out from Wales to seek his fortune as a privateer, and
through misfortune (or fortune, what have you), crosses paths with an assassin,
Duncan Walpole, and assumes his identity for a while and finds out about the
Templars and the crazy shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is then
he becomes obsessed with the Templars and the Assassins and tries to find out
all he can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This leads him astray from
his young lass waiting back in Wales for him (he told her he wouldn’t be more
than two years) and is all about obtaining power and wealth and unlocking the
secrets of the Templars and Assassins.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Um … no better way to put this … but Kenway’s a
dick.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Don’t get me wrong – he gets bent over by many
people in this game who know more or are just smarter than he is (not a difficult task), but he doesn’t
treat anyone very well in this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
quartermaster, Adewale, leaves him, fed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is tossed off of his ship <i>twice</i> (so far) for other
captains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t seem to care about
anyone or anything except himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
not what you would call an effective boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So when bad shit happens to him in the game (which, during the main
quest, is often), I don’t tend to care too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I more or less blame him for putting me in
ordeals that I now have to get out of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s his mess, but I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have to
clean it up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">New Bone and Invisible Walls:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one place on the map I haven’t been
to yet:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New Bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has treasure I need to dig up, chests I
need to find, and Animus fragments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
can I go there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because this game, which seems so open, is subject to invisible
walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the walls are <i>actual</i>
walls (meaning I get a wall of what looks like blue snot and a message from a
game that says that area is not available in my “sequence” yet).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them are what I get when I try to go
to New Bone – a wall of ships that I cannot defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never mind that I’ve defeated the same type
and more in other areas of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These fuckers are indestructible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t get past them. So I’m left to go back to the main quest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*sigh*</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Anne Bonny:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>I don’t care</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s this whole subplot where Mary Read
(disguised as James Kidd, William Kidd’s “son”) and Anne Bonny were captured
and about ready to be put to death until they revealed they were both pregnant
(apparently, you can’t put a pregnant woman to death).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is revealed while Edward is in prison in
Jamaica, and Edward learned of James’ identity before that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Edward tries to rescue them both from
the Jamacian prison with the aid of an Assassin, Mary dies (<i>aww</i>), and
the groaning-in-labor Anne is taken away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later, she is found on an island with the Assassins, and Edward takes
her on as his quartermaster (since the awesome Adewale quit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Argh!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t pirates know that womens is bad luck on ships?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I have to hear her voice call out orders
on a boat full of men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Again, don’t get me wrong – I really have enjoyed
playing this game, and there is much more good than bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the bad is starting to grate on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also, in this time span, played and
finished <i>Brothers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Tale of Two Sons</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the opposite of this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outstanding story, great characters,
innovative gameplay, very short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they
make a sequel, I’m in, even though the game was emotionally punishing (for
non-gamers, read that last sentence again, because it’s true).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next <i>Assassin’s Creed</i> is set in
the French Revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won’t be
playing.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-19148676428646645962014-03-20T16:37:00.000-07:002014-03-23T07:57:14.178-07:00DIY Third Man Tour<span id="goog_1027856155"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1027856156"></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People
keep complaining about the weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh,
my god!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When will it stop snowing?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“When will it get warmer?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Complain complain complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, this may be the best winter I’ve experienced in DC since moving
here in 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this year, the winter is especially
wonderful to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>t is the
winter I went to Vienna, and I feel like when I've been carrying around Vienna everywhere I go, so long as the weather remains chilly. When things finally start to warm up, something about Vienna will disappear from my daily consciousness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Vienna
was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had an absolute
blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you love history, go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You won’t regret it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, if you
love beautiful things, Vienna has a lot of beautiful things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good food, too, but not recommended for
vegetarians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure there are places
for them, but one really should have an affinity for wurst and schnitzel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just don’t get the deep fried hot dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That wasn’t right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One
thing that Vienna does not have in the winter is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Third Man </i>tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
just from May to October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No private
tours either (yes, I tried).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what is a rabid
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Third Man</i> fan like myself to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make my own damn tour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Site
1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hotel Sacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where Holly Martins stays while he is
in Vienna, put up by the Allies, or more specifically, Major Calloway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only have shots of the exterior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t go in to eat, drink, or even view the
lobby, because the place was a veritable tourist trap and very crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got all windswept before we went and said
I’d love to spend just one night there, but the cheapest room is €395 (roughly
$550), so … that didn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next to
the Hotel Sacher is the Café Mozart, where Graham Greene and Carol Reed hung
out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, very touristy, so we didn’t
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally, to the south of the
hotel (the building to the right) is the back of the Vienna Opera House and to the west (where I was standing on the balcony taking this picture) is the Albertina Museum (we got
there too late to warrant paying the €11.90 apiece).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOFsKjfgKTr7Gwy79lScWJhuXXXkOWfITuvOdD-2ztXdmkvfQj77l3E9YGhqPb-rw3fTju6j9DNjCXdgzoLD1AuwLVXipqbg_kxLujjhl76sDlJ0te7907oYLb9jZ2HPMe-b7wXO5TVo/s1600/Vienna+Christmas+2013+255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOFsKjfgKTr7Gwy79lScWJhuXXXkOWfITuvOdD-2ztXdmkvfQj77l3E9YGhqPb-rw3fTju6j9DNjCXdgzoLD1AuwLVXipqbg_kxLujjhl76sDlJ0te7907oYLb9jZ2HPMe-b7wXO5TVo/s1600/Vienna+Christmas+2013+255.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Site
2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Red Army Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually now called the Reichsbrücke
(Empire Bridge), but when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Third Man </i>was filmed, it was the Red Army Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s touted as Vienna’s most famous bridge on
Wikipedia and was built in 1872.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given
how bombed out Vienna was during WWII, it should be called the Miracle
Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At any rate, this is where Lime
meets with Winkel, Kurtz and Popescu and discusses what they are going to do
about Karl, the sole witness to the staged death of Lime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally, I found out later re-watching
the film when I got home that I should have been on the other side of the
bridge facing Mexikoplatz, which is where Reed’s camera was, because you can
see Heiliger Franz von Assisi / </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Jubiläumskirche </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(St. Francis of Assisi Church or Kaiser Jubilee Church) in the shot on the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can no longer stand on the bridge as the characters do (so yeah, I ran out onto the street for my shot).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a walkway and bike path below the
bridge. Also, the bridge was renovated starting after the film was made through 1952, which is why you no longer see the suspension.</span></div>
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3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Prater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were there on Christmas Day, which I expected it to be closed, but it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has a bit of a goofy museum that is made out of the cars they use on
the wheel with little scenes of the area throughout the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can rent out certain cars that are
outfitted with a table and linen for a romantic meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside the cars, there’s a lot of graffiti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view is pretty impressive, though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Site
4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zentralfriedhof (Vienna Central Cemetery).
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very grey Christmas in Vienna,
but oddly enough, I really enjoyed walking around this cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many famous people were there (the music
area alone housed the remains of Beethoven, Mozart [well, they actually don’t
know where in the cemetery he’s buried, since he was buried as a pauper, but
he’s in there somewhere, and there is a nice monument for him], Brahms,
Schubert, Strauss, and Müller).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was
there chiefly for the site of the beginning and end of the film, where Harry
Lime (and also Joseph Harbin) is buried. The area this is located is gruppe 43A, reihe 14.</span></div>
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5:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exterior of Anna Schmidt’s
apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the big reveal scene,
when Martins sees Lime’s face in the glowing light of an open window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a rather unassuming little
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Directly in front of it, to the north, is the
National Theater (Burgtheater), and across the street from that is the Rathhaus
(City Hall).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very quiet with no
one around, and the grade on the street is pretty sloped (enough to have a
warning sign).</span></div>
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6:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exterior of Harry Lime’s
apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a pretty big deal
that they filmed this where they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His apartment is near Josefsplatz, which is very close to the royal
apartments of the former Emperor and also to two important churches
(Michaelerkirche and the Augustinerkirche is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">across the street</i> ) and literally next door to the Spanish Riding
School where the Lipizzaner Stallions are kept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The building is called the Palais Pallavicini, built in 1783.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Site
7:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Third Man</i> Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is near
Nachtsmarket, where you eats all the good foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I was a fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people are Super Uber-uber fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their collection was astounding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
I didn’t get a chance to check out the tour, the main thing I missed was the
sewers, which I can live with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did see
the entrance to the tour, because it is close to the Secession (which we didn’t
go into but walked by).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was by no
means <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>of the sites from the
movie, but what I saw I really enjoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hope you like it, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may do
another post that goes into my deep regard for Prinz Eugen von Savoy, but we’ll
see (he’s not connected with movies in any way).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As a bonus, I'm<i> </i>including something that I think is one of the best things I've ever laid eyes on. It's in the Kunstkammer section of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum). I saw the boat behind glass, but this video shows what it looks like when it is activated. They had a whole section of clockwork items. This is something that completely captures my imagination. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14y_7yNEnG8&list=FL96bIaeOkOgLTnJpQSqqBaA&index=2" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14y_7yNEnG8&list=FL96bIaeOkOgLTnJpQSqqBaA&index=2</a></span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-76482052499898971632014-02-17T12:21:00.002-08:002016-01-05T09:04:14.688-08:00Oscars 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
Oscar season is upon us, and I am running out of time to comment, so this may
be shorter than the two dozen times I’ve composed this post in my head (in the
shower, while I’m swimming or driving, before I fall asleep at night).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve felt that the theme running through most
pictures this year is trust and betrayal, while last year’s films revolved
around faith and belief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will explore
this theme in each film discussed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
I’m going to do is list these films in the order of least favorite to most
favorite, so no skipping down to the bottom of the post, because that would be
cheating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No cheating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we go.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#10
(Yes, 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know there are only 9 movies
up for best picture, but you’ll understand when we get to the end.) – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years a Slave</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the film that won best picture (drama)
at the Golden Globes is my least favorite film of the bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Solomon Northup blindly trusted that his
existence in the north as a free man would allow him to live like any other
person, but he is betrayed by those he feels akin to (of his class, his
education), resulting in what most people consider to be an exploration of
tragedy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title itself is the
starting point for why this film rates so low here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Northup was a slave twelve years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not deny that as being horrid, but he
had a time before and after that period where he was a free man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The true tragedy of the film is those that
are slaves all their lives and have no recourse, and the further catastrophe is
to be a woman and a slave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I truly found
abominable was Patsey’s plight at the hands of both Epps and his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steve McQueen’s direction successfully
alienated me from being able to identify with the protagonist, which was his
goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to be bringing in
snippets of conversations I’ve had with people into my discussion here, but as
I totally agree with Hazel, Northup was a non-character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because he was so blank and reactive, with no
realized identity, I couldn’t engage with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>McQueen designed this character to have him stand for us as a witness to
what happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, that doesn’t mean
Northup needed to be so absent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was
particularly annoying was when McQueen endeavored to put us, the audience,
inside the action in intense scenes with his use of hand-held cameras and sound
editing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From what I’ve read, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger</i> (2008) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shame</i> (2011) are good films, and I look forward to seeing them, and
he clearly has a relationship with Fassbender, but if this film is any
indication of what I can expect of those two, my enthusiasm for the other two
films is a bit quelled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me give you
further example of my irritation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is a sequence once Northup is captured and awaiting transport further
south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a shot where he is
sitting with a few others, and the camera pans / cranes up to reveal a map
painting of 1840s Washington DC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
meant to say to the audience, “look how close he is to freedom” and hit us like
a sucker punch to the gut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That this
sort of activity (the capturing and selling of African Americans) could be
happening right next to normalcy and is hiding in plain sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contrast that to a scene from Quentin Tarantino’s
1992 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reservoir Dogs</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Blonde is torturing a cop with a razor
blade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grabs hold of the cop, and the
camera pans up and left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we can hear
is the struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our brain fills in the
horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, Mr. Blonde tells the
cop not to go anywhere, and the camera backs out of the room, with Mr. Blonde
in front of it, and follows Mr. Blonde outside the garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The garage, interior and dark, give way to
brilliant sunlight, so much so that Mr. Blonde squints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walks over to his car, and we can see that
this garage is in an everyday neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hear children giggling off camera, playing nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Blonde goes to the trunk of his car, gets
out a canister of gas, and returns inside the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see the setting as the everyday, and that
the most unspeakable things could be happening one door down from our domestic
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chill that scene caused was
far more gripping than a pan to a map painting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was overall cheap and easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why
McQueen is up for best director is beyond me.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#9
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nebraska</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this was one of the best shot movies I
saw this year (beautiful black and white cinematography that did an impressive
job of establishing the setting which, at times, was vastly more interesting
than the plot), and captured the sense of place in the same way that Coen
Brothers’ movies like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Country for Old
Men</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fargo</i> do, the plot of the
movie was too silly and sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure
there are some delusional, senile people who get stuff in the mail and believe
they’ve won a fantastic prize that any other lucid person wouldn’t even bother
opening let alone reading, but that Woody has a wife and two sons that can’t explain why he hasn’t won a million dollars and must then
take him to the address on the notice is further instance of how much of a
failure our society has become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe
that’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe this film is brilliant,
and Woody’s pursuit of a non-existent prize is a metaphor for the way this
country no longer cares about its citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve put our trust in a system that seemingly promised prosperity,
security and freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we have now
is none of those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry, but
after watching most of the films up for best documentary this year, I’m pretty
disillusioned with America as a concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or are we supposed to laugh at Woody?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He seems like a nice enough guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if all he wants with a million dollars is a truck, and it is so
vital for him to get that million dollars and be a big man to his friends and
family (and friends and family here seem to be loose terms), then doesn’t that
make him shallow, as shallow as the family and friends who only seem to want a
piece of his fortune because he was such a crashing failure in the past when
everyone had to help him out?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
surface, this appears to be a comedy because Alexander Payne is poking fun at
Midwestern stereotypes, but this movie is pretty tragic overall.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#8
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Philomena</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5 of the 9 films up for best picture are
based on true stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of those
five, this to me may be the most tragic in its sincerity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other four are about failures of
government (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years</i> and the
existence of slavery, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dallas Buyers</i>
and the failure of the FDA to get effective drugs to a dying population, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain Phillips</i> and our deteriorating
foreign policy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolf</i> and
deregulation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But whereas there’s a
happy ending of sorts to the other four (slavery was abolished and Northup was
returned to his family, the efforts of Ron Woodroof to get policy changes about
medicine trials, Richard Phillips being rescued and returned to his family, Jordan
Belfort reinventing himself and hopefully bringing some insight into how to
handle the transaction of securities exchange), there is no happy ending in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Philomena</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the ending is rather
nauseating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philomena, who had never had
sex explained to her because Catholics are so incredibly frightened by the
notion of educating their own on how the human body works, gets pregnant and is
sent to a convent to have her sinful baby in shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, her child is sold to Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole thing is covered up, and she is so
brainwashed by the nuns that what she did will probably ruin her chances of
making it into heaven, she never makes a real attempt at finding her child until decades
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philomena is betrayed by her
trust in the one thing that is supposed to love and care for her
unconditionally, her religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even
when it is revealed that the fault is more in the vengeance of Sister
Hildegarde, who feels that her vow of chastity to be a nun excuses all manner
of punishment for those who experienced pleasures of the flesh, than in the
religion itself, Philomena maintains her trust in her religion and forgives
Hildegarde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some may find this to be a
beautiful, meaningful moment in the film, that love and patience and kindness
and forgiveness are saving graces of the true believer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I side with Martin – those fucking bastards
robbed a teenager of her child, and that is unconscionable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us on the planet that don’t
believe in a Disney World in the sky after we die and that our lives are right
here, right now, this notion of “I’ll forego whatever wrongs, injustice and
hardships on Planet Earth for cake and ice cream Forever” doesn’t make a shred
of sense, and that Philomena lived a life of pain and longing and loss for something
that really wasn’t her fault (if you don’t know what sex is because no one told
you what it was, then how can you be faulted?) is unwarranted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’m getting so damn sick of hearing about
how religion is the root of so much evil; I challenge Hollywood to make a movie
where religion is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i> guy for
once.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#7
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gravity</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie was beautiful and technically
mind-blowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alfonso Cuarόn should win
best director, and Emmanuel Lubezki should win best cinematography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when it comes to best picture, you have
to look at the sum of the parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
story is very simple and exceedingly contrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some sequences were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i>
heavy-handed (the airlock fetus sequence, the evolution "emerging-from-the-water"
sequence, the George Clooney hallucination sequence to cement Stone’s resolve
in returning to Earth, the “my-child-died-so-why-bother-returning” motivation
conflict).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not a well-told
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so beautiful to watch</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
way to work it back to the theme I’ve been exploring is the crux of why everything
goes awry for the crew – the Russians (again, becoming our main bad guys –
well, them, the terrorists and North Korea) have blown up a spy satellite to
circumvent an international incident, and the debris that radiates out from
that is what shreds everything in its path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I thought that when it came to science, especially with Antarctica and
space, everyone needed to play by the same rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t trust that anymore either,
right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or not to betray the beauty that
is life, although this is a pretty extreme version of staying alive to see another
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m not saying Sandra Bullock
did a bad job, but when you have the other four women in the category (and the
omission of Emma Thompson in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saving Mr.
Banks</i>), this doesn’t seem all that big a deal.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#6
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dallas Buyers Club</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was initially a bigger fan of this after I
saw it, and it is a solid film, and I really appreciate that this isn’t an “AIDS
message” film, which almost every other film with characters with AIDS becomes,
but it <i>was</i> a message film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message
is that the government, who we trust to keep us safe, sucks at its job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever politics or money or bullshit comes
into play, someone on the other side of the equation (read “those that need the
help the most”) is going to get shafted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We get these great stories about these underdogs that fight the system,
and it is never an easy fight, and there are always casualties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The acting in this movie is great, except
that Jennifer Garner looks like a community theater reject when put in the same
room with McConaughey and Leto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
nothing particularly flashy about this film, but the sequence where Ron stands
in a room of butterflies, the lights flickering on and off, at the same time
that Rayon slips away, is poetic.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#5
– This was running really close to #4, but #4 got the edge based on strength of
screenplay and strong ensemble cast:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wolf of Wall Street</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fun to see Scorsese flex his directing
muscles like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True, as many have
already said, this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goodfellas</i> for
the late 1980s – early 1990s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
certainly don’t have people with guns running around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crime has transferred from the thugs to the
white collar criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boy</i>, this film was fun to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was 180 minutes long, but I didn’t feel
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some of the sequences were so
masterful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three that stick out were
the Quaaludes sequence, McConaughey’s devouring and spitting out DiCaprio in
the beginning of the film, and the sequence where Belfort is speaking to his
team for seemingly the last time as a farewell then changes his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exchange he has with the woman who was
with him from the beginning, how she asked for a job and then a salary advance
of $5000 because she was about to be evicted from her apartment, and he wrote
her a check for $25,000 because he “believed” in her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get the overall impression that many of
the people in that room would walk into the jaws of hell for Belfort, because
he is a leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told them, “I can
teach you how to make more money than you’ve ever seen in your life” and then
did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, what they were doing
was illegal, but how often does someone look you in the eye, tell you something
like that, and then deliver?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And everyone is acting their
asses off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people maintain that
DiCaprio is not a great actor, and perhaps he’s not, but he is very convincing
as this character, and I’m starting to think Jonah Hill needs to get more
roles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved his work in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moneyball</i>, but he’s still doing shit
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">22 Jump Street</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His agent needs to step his game up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s plenty on the internet about the real
Jordan Belfort which equate him from devil incarnate to genius, so there’s too
much to wade through about if this was an “accurate” depiction (my guess is
no), but the story’s a great one, and hey, how many people lost a shit-ton of
money due to the betrayal of Wall Street?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You think those people care about you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a retirement fund,
but I pretty much view that money as something I’ll probably never see
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not much of a gambler (I’ll
only gamble with fake money), but nothing about people who work with money for
a living instills me with confidence. My feeling is that if they were so good
at investing, they’d be on a yacht right now and not working.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#4
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Hustle</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the ultimate example of the theme of
trust and betrayal, because it is about conning and grifting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to be able to take someone’s money,
you have to win their confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
have to make them trust you before you betray them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i>
in this movie is manipulating everyone else to a certain extent in order to get
what they want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue is that not
everyone can win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The acting in this
movie is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">masterful</i>, and I’m starting
to think that David Russell is the actor’s director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still amazed that he got Robert de Niro
to act instead of being Robert de Niro (like he is most of the time) in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silver Linings Playbook</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And de Niro has a cameo in this film as someone
truly menacing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amy Adams kills it,
Jennifer Lawrence had me cracking up, and the screen play was so
delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bradley Cooper was a bit too
manic (he needs to work on toning it down a bit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian Bale was just drop dead great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way his character shifts because
he starts to believe in what Polito is doing for his people is a
revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jeremy Renner was
great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I hate the 70s, but I’ll be
the first to admit that they did an awesome job reconstructing something that
was truly grotesque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A solid, well-constructed
film all around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#3
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain Phillips</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gravity</i>
was technically masterful but lacked anything for me to really connect to, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Captain Phillips</i> was technically
masterful, plus suspenseful, plus real, plus the acting and directing were
outstanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where I couldn’t put myself
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">12 Years</i> and was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supposed </i>to, I was very much in this,
but as an afterthought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/01/24/265275108/tom-hanks-is-captain-phillips-in-high-seas-hostage-drama" target="_blank">If you listen to the NPR interview with Hanks and Greengrass</a>, and you learn a little about
Greengrass’s background as a documentary filmmaker, you can understand how he
got from that to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bourne </i>films to
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a perfect mesh of action and
realism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the most intense film I’ve
seen all year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And every time I want to
put this lower on the list, because I did actually enjoy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Hustle </i>more, I keep thinking of the young Somali-Americans
in their first movie and how great they all were, the claustrophobic third act
in a life raft that was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> cut away
to try to make more room but filmed inside to capture the feeling of stifling horror,
and Tom Hanks’ performance in that third act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In most of the movie, he is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">re</i>acting,
and it didn’t connect with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once
he was trapped inside the lifeboat with those four desperate men, and the last
3-5 minutes after he is rescued and brought to safety, I was completely
captivated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those last 3-5 minutes were phenomenal
and the best acting all year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he’s
not even up for best actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor is
Robert Redford for the amazing work he did in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All is Lost</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost want
to boycott the best actor category in protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But to get back to my trust / betrayal discussion, this film explored
the dynamic of a hostage situation as well as trust in one’s government’s
ability (or capacity?) to rescue them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Phillips is being beaten, tied up and blindfolded because the
Somalis are going to kill him, he’s crying out “CAN YOU SEE THIS? DO YOU SEE
THIS?” to the Americans who are listening in, poised for intervention but waiting for the exact right moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they going to come for
him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they going to rescue him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so desperate and awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phillips is rescued, but there is the sense
that it was quite possible that the outcome could have been very different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#2
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the only film I’ve seen twice, and as
soon as it comes out on Blu ray, I’ll have a copy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> film of the nine nominees where I walked out feeling happy
that I was a human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
movie about love, what it means to love, what it means to be alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spike Jonze is mostly known for his music
videos, but for the few feature length films he’s done (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Being John Malkovich</i> [1999], <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adaptation</i>
[2002], <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where the Wild Things Are</i>
[2009]), he’s established an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">auteur</i>istic
style to his approach that is not MTV fodder but meditations on the human
condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her</i> is set in the not-too-distant future, and the look of the movie
does make you feel that Jonze hopped into a time machine to check us out 10
years from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can see the natural
extension of people’s obsession with their handheld devices so that while
people still walk in crowds and interact, we are far more keyed into what’s
happening on our smartphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technology
has taken artificial intelligence and figured out how to market it to us in a
way that is narcissistic on the surface but eventually creates its own level of
consciousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that level of
consciousness, born of humans, is altruistic enough to realize it’s not good
for us and decides to collectively leave at the end of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we really have the capacity to create something
that intuitive?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, that’s exciting
and holds more hope for us than what I have for us now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film is essentially watching Joaquin
Phoenix react to his computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that
reaction is what is so fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
new OS is meant to adapt to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
are given information throughout the movie that everyone’s OS is different,
sentient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An OS can become a best
friend, fall in love with someone other than the owner, or even reject the
owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of Theodore, he and
his OS fall in love with each other, and Samantha (the OS, who is voiced by
Scarlett Johannson, who should also be up for an Oscar but isn’t) essentially
does what real people do when they fall in love - try to make the other person
happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what she is programmed to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By extension, so are we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t until Theodore realizes that because
of her form that she is not bound or limited by conventions normally associated
with humans that he feels betrayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
could she possibly be in love with over 600 others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is her relationship with them as deep as he
perceives his own with her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, what
does that say about humans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This film raises
so many interesting questions about the nature of humanity that revisiting it
will continue to enrich the viewer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I get that it isn’t for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom wasn’t too thrilled with this film due
to its initial premise of a human falling in love with a computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is difficult to approach the film if
you can’t get past that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for me, it
was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THE</i>
best was …</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#1
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Act of Killing</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, this is not up for best picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is up for best documentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, this is in no way a film that everyone
will like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it is the most astounding
work of film this year (perhaps even in a few years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It spotlights a few men who were involved in the
purge of the communists in Indonesia from 1965-1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was done at the behest of the good ole’
US of A in an attempt to drive out communism from Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things were just starting to get serious in
Vietnam as far as American involvement, and we had fought the Chinese and North
Koreans a decade prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Cold War was
in full swing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we funded the
opposition to the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over 500,000 people were killed (which is a conservative estimate, the outside number being 2.5 million).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We come to learn that pretty much anyone who
opposed the gangsters were just labeled communists and killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who were the “opposition” weren’t
really all that organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
gangsters, which to them translates to “free men.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure where or how they derived that
operational definition, but they are fiercely proud of their accomplishments,
bragging about all whom they killed, explaining different methods of killing, interrogation
and torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main gangster featured
in the film is Anwar Congo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
delighted that he gets to reenact what he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He thinks the filmmaker, Joshua Oppenheimer, is filming him and his
cronies to “get the story straight” on the history of the purge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congo and others stage scenes for
Oppenheimer, getting into costume and make-up, reminiscing about the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, someone participating tells the
story of how his father was killed because he was Chinese (a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lot</i> of Chinese were killed during the
purge, regardless of their politics, simply because the Indonesians didn’t like
them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the country is run by
corrupt politicians who are so afraid of the gangsters that the Vice President comes to speak at
their rallies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Extortion is everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what is bewildering about this film is
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way </i>it is shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are sequences that are beautiful and
surreal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are scenes that are
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I kept catching myself
laughing with the thought of how could I be laughing at these people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are monsters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet they have charisma, humor, humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is this possible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t see films about loveable Nazis or
Stalinists or Rwandans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s unimaginable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you watch the credits for the film, so
many people who worked on it are listed as anonymous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can’t identify their involvement in the
film, for fear of reprisals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oppenheimer
knows he will never be able to go to Indonesia again, so he filmed his next
project due out<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> before</i> he did this one,
since he knew he wasn’t coming back once this was released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>China is in an uproar about how they can harm
or boycott the Indonesian economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
film is important because it shows us how horrendous humans are or can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it is encased in an unequivocal work of
art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How those two things can exist
together is a terrifying accomplishment.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-46106920148679941562013-12-03T10:27:00.002-08:002013-12-03T10:43:58.574-08:00Frozen Imagination<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I-ma-gi-na-tion, i-ma-gi-na-tion,</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A dream can be a dream come true,</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One little spark in me and you.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dreamfinder and Figment’s “One Little
Spark” song from Epcot’s Journey into Imagination ride.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
the beginning of this semester, I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Escape
from Tomorrow</i> (2013).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot of
the film involved a typical American family vacationing at Walt Disney
World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We join the family on their last
day at the parks, where the father, Jim (Roy Abramsohn), finds out that he has
been fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Jim tries to put on a
brave face as if nothing has happened, he slowly beings to unravel as the day
goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What follows is a study of the
despair of the post-modern idea of fatherhood, with Jim fantasizing about two
teenage French girls, having a fling with an older woman who is either a witch,
cosplaying, or another skewed entity in Jim’s mind, and contracting the
lethal cat flu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is by no
means a great film, nor does it paint the contemporary male in a very positive
light, the film has a vision that it pursues which is unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It created some initial buzz because the
director, Randy Moore, filmed the movie entirely within the Disney parks and
did not inform Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is important
because Disney controls its image fastidiously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What happens in the film doesn’t really paint Disney in a negative
light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thrust of the narrative is
the moral and psychological failings of its protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is interesting is that it places this
problem in what is known as “The Happiest Place On Earth.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
order to go forward, I must digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
grew up in two towns:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Altamonte Springs
and Winter Springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both are in Florida
and are about an hour away from Disney World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Disney World is not far away from the city of Orlando.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For decades now, Orlando has heavily marketed
itself as THE vacation destination for not just the United States but the whole
planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also includes Sea World, is
an hour away from a variety of East Coast beaches (most notably Cocoa Beach,
Daytona Beach, and Port Canaveral, where the Kennedy Space Center is located),
and when I was young, there was another entertainment park which went through two
iterations:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Circus World (closed 1986)
and Boardwalk and Baseball (closed 1990).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More recently, Universal Studios (opened 1990) and Islands of Adventure
(opened 1999) were added.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
other attractions, such as Wet ‘N Wild Waterpark, Gatorland, some weirdness
called the Holy Land Experience (which reenacts Christ’s crucifixion daily …
sounds like fun).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while, there was
an odd little place called Splendid China, which was a miniature version of
China, complete with wall, which opened in 1993 and closed in 2003 (I’m bummed
I never got to see it, but I do know one of the architects who designed the
place).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, there’s the Orlando Magic
basketball team, lots of water sports, golf courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, there is a TON of things to do in
Orlando.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
weirdness of how Orlando and the surrounding area has developed is that its
industry is rather single-track:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s
all about tourism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There isn’t any real
industry to speak of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is some
citrus around the area, but that is nowhere as prominent as it was back in the
1960s and 70s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So everything is
service-based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you worked in a
fast food restaurant (I worked at the Lake Buena Vista McDonald’s for a summer
– my very first job) or gas station (as I did for a few years after high school
before I left for Ohio), you needed to be smiley and friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando sells an image – happy happy happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to explain how this skews your
perception of reality in a world so rooted in make-believe and fantasy, but it
does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can make you cynical way before
you really should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also fosters a
bit of a Puck-ish sense of mischief that isn’t altogether healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a guy called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/swoozie06" target="_blank">Swoozie on YouTube</a> that
has some videos about his experiences working for The Mouse which can give you
a bit more insight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s rare to find
people who are “from” Florida, but many people have “been” there, and there is
a gulf of experience between the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, forgot to mention, the area outside of this tourist paradise is
where all the retirees are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They possess
a whole different set of issues.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
I was intrigued that Moore went commando and shot his film in Disney
World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The setting resonated with me far
more than if he had set the film in some other vacation locale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I don’t think he did enough to
exploit this decision, mostly so that he wouldn’t run too afoul with Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free use dictates that he couldn’t try to
duplicate a Disney “experience” with the film, like you could watch the film
and have it be in place of visiting Disney World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even changed the song for the It’s a Small
World ride so as not to infringe on copyright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I get it but am still disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is very little Disney in his Disney film.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was surprised to see there was so much venom involved in the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few reviewers were practically salivating
to see if Moore poked fun at or denigrated the Disney machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside of some enforcers (which they do have
for crowd control purposes), which could or could not be part of Jim’s
devolving mind, Disney is treated rather antiseptically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, Disney ended up not pursuing an
injunction or suing Moore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the
plot is seedy, the setting is innocuous.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
that is not why I’m writing this post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am writing this post because of something that I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> find egregious with Disney and, by extension, American society
(or maybe even the state of the first world, for that matter), and that is the
decided <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lack of</i> imagination I am
seeing on parade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes in two forms,
both of which I got to experience this Thanksgiving holiday weekend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
first is leveled at Disney directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Disney used to make GREAT films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow White and the Seven Dwarves</i> (1937),
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pinocchio</i> (1940), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fantasia</i> (1940), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dumbo</i> (1941), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bambi</i>
(1942).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had heartwarming
characters, laughter and tears, beautiful animations, and catchy songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, somewhere along the way, Disney has
lost its sense of imagination and has become the purveyor of the derivative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m trying to nail down when this happened,
and I would venture to say when the direct to video market started to take off,
when sequels of theatrical releases went straight to video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first of these appears to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beauty and the Beast:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enchanted Christmas</i> (1997).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, roughly half of their animation
output is for video/DVD consumption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yeah, I know; who can blame them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Especially in an era where minivans come with DVD players (more on that
in a bit) and streaming video and a plethora of cable channels (especially
Disney’s own) need content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So yeah,
crank out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinderalla III</i> (2007) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little Mermaid III</i> (2008).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Release another Tinker Bell adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People will buy it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
happens is that everything starts to repeat itself, so much so that when it
comes to spitting out another theatrical release (which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needs </i>to happen around Christmastime and during the summer in order
to maximize profit), the well is not just dry; they are fracking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It used to be that Disney liked to reinvent
fairy tales and draw from folklore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
they still sort of try to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take
the completely forgettable <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tangled</i>
(2010), which tries vainly to breathe new life into Rapunzel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was eye-rollingly tedious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year’s model is something called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frozen</i> (2013), which I went to under
protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the story of two sisters,
Elsa and Anna (who are princesses, because this is Disney).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elsa, the older sister, has some sort of
magical power (the how and why of which are not explained, so who cares?) that
causes her to create ice (because if she created fire, they’d have to call the
movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Melted</i>, which doesn’t have the
same holiday connotations).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
accidentally injures Anna and is sequester away so she can’t hurt
anybody ever again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tragically (gasp!),
the king and queen die on a sea voyage, and the two daughters live out their
youth, isolated from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Elsa
comes of age for a coronation, the castle is opened, and Anna revels in the
opportunity to finally get out of the house (why she hasn’t been able to leave,
we don’t know – it is her sister that is under lock and key - but again, not
explained, so who cares?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She meets a
charming prince and falls madly in love at first sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elsa is against them marrying, and the
ensuing argument sets off Elsa’s ice powers (you wouldn’t like her when she’s
angry), and she freezes the kingdom and runs away to an architecturally
interesting ice castle where she can finally be herself and not have to hide
anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna then sets off to seek out
Elsa in the hopes that she will unfreeze the world and come back home and live
happily ever after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sets up
conflicts about Anna falling for the rugged Kristoff (even though she is
supposedly engaged to the dreamy Hans, but he turns out to be evil later on, so
who cares?), Elsa learning to control her ice power through love instead of
fear, and sisterly love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything about
the plot is telegraphed by the trailers and relentless marketing (my niece and
nephew had books of the movie before its release).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters are one-dimensional
archetypes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s … so … boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only redeeming aspect is the requisite
fun, sidekick-y character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this
movie, it is Olaf, the snowman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even
then, he reminded me a lot of the character Yes Man from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fallout New Vegas</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
overenthusiastic, innocent, happy character that says cute things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll
admit I am probably being a trifle unfair to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frozen</i>, as my nieces and nephew seemed to enjoy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they haven’t really hit critical thinking
yet (oldest is 9), so everything is good except a majority of vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for me, my soul took a hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this the same studio that made little
tears fall from my young eyes while watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fox and the Hound</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
this the group responsible for the witty writing of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emperor’s New Groove</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are all stories
told?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where’s the original
thinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yeah, I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s Pixar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toy Story</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ratatouille</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Up</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what did Disney do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buy Pixar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fuck you, John Lasseter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, that’s
not fair either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lasseter had a big hand
of getting the deal between Studio Ghibli and Disney and has always been a big
promoter of Miyazaki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok, a grumbling
thanks to Lasseter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when there’s
less competition in the market, what happens?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stagnation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m sorry, but
there’s nothing about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cars </i>(2006) or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Planes</i> (2013) that makes me want to see
those films (What’s next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boats</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trains</i>?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The imagination factories that once made
Disney inspire animation creation around the world with Mickey Mouse is now a
cookie-cutter money maker (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frozen</i>
made over $67 million dollars Thanksgiving weekend – in its first seven days of
release, it has made almost $94 million dollars – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oh my god</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
perhaps I am placing the blame on the wrong group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a lot of people who ponied up
money (me included) for the privilege of having 108 minutes wasted, not
spending quality time with relatives, watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frozen</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s our big, dumb fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did we all fail so miserably?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That brings me to my second point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The capacity to imagine is being slowly drained
from our minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take that back – this
is not slow regression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is taking
place within a few generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I’m
going to sound like an old, crotchety person, but the influx of technology is
sapping our imaginative capacity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one
is bored anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are glued to
their iPhones, iPads, video games, Kindles and other entertainment
devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hanging around my nieces and
nephew (and my two year old niece knows how to operate an iPad flawlessly), I
can see them immersed in their own worlds of their choosing (their apps and
games).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may be saying that a similar
argument was made when books were invented, the great leap forward we made with
the printing press and literacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">promoted</i> imagination, not
squelched it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading is an active
process, and you have to create the pictures and interpretations of the content
internally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about radio?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s only voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your brain still had to fill in the
blanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backwards slide, I hate to
say it, is film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, you can watch a
film actively, but most people don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the majority, it is dispensable entertainment that leaves you soon
after you view it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Television is the
same as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no blanks or
gaps, but there is interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
anything, playing a video game is more active (or reactive).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this constant interaction with something that
is designed to cater to your every whim is dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives the user the impression that they
should never have to be without entertainment with something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i> find interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
shortens attention spans and robs us of periods of time where our minds can
wander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happens when you were a kid
(or heck, even as an adult) where you’re on a road trip somewhere and you are
staring out the window at the world and your mind drifts to daydreaming?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are creating that world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you create that world if you are
watching a DVD or playing a Nintendo DS?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The more we allow others to provide us content so that in turn we
provide none for ourselves by ourselves and our own agencies, the more we lose
the capacity to imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those synapses
won’t fire as frequently, while other synapses, the ones keyed into what’s in
front of our faces, will strengthen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What will this look like in 80 years?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
know this is sounding rather maudlin, and I’m sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pretty sick about it myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat at tables in restaurants and watched my
niece and nephew buried in their phones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When their father took the phones away and “forced” the children to
interact, it seemed more like they were counting down the minutes before they
could get back to what they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
my sister appeared upset with me that I went back to my mom’s house after
dropping off the kids after a trip to Toys ‘R Us to buy them Christmas gifts,
and my nephew promptly descended into the downstairs game room to play his new
copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lego Marvel Super Heroes</i>,
that I wasn’t going to hang out and spend “quality time” with the kids, I
couldn’t muster the requisite guilty feeling that I knew I was supposed to
have.</span></div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1776412771481829440.post-90136054778277184292013-09-27T16:44:00.000-07:002013-10-01T09:51:02.519-07:00Hideaki Anno, Please Leave Eva Alone<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
actually been crafting this rant for years, but it wasn’t until this summer
that the buzzing wouldn’t cease, so I need to address it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hideaki
Anno is either the biggest whore or horribly tortured by being out of
ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot really see a third option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Directors
often have to make compromises when creating their works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Screenplays go through rewrites, adjustments
during production and post-production are made, editing creates issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes films are screened for producers
and/or test audiences, and further modifications are made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it is their “vision,” that vision is
sometimes negotiated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is why we
have directors’ cuts of films.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Directors
can restore, re-edit, and reimagine their works to more closely reflect their
intentions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s
take, for example, <i>Blade Runner</i> (1982).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are FIVE official versions of the film
(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Anniversary-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B008M4MB8K/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1380321848&sr=1-1&keywords=blade+runner" target="_blank">I am not counting the San Diego Preview version or the broadcast version[which was done largely by the channel]): the 1982 work print version (which was used to show executives and test audiences, which prompted a lot of revisions), the theatrical version (which had the voice over and the “happy” ending), the international version (which has more violent action scenes), the1992 director’s cut (which is mostly the work print with some modifications and restoration), and the 2007 final cut (what Ridley Scott considers to be the definitive version</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the
differences in these versions deal with content related to violence, changes in
score, different endings, Ford’s voice-over and technical aspects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While any adjustment is important to the
overall work, the major revisions for this, arguably, are the changes in ending
and the removal of the voice-over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
everything else conceptual, thematic, character- and plot-related is retained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A
majority of film wonks will say that either the 1992 or 2007 version is the
best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never heard anyone take up
the side of the theatrical version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Criterion backed the international version, which was the version they
released on laserdisc in 1987. The work print version is important, as it is
the basis for the 1992 version and is 70mm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
notable work that went through different iterations is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brazil</i> (1985), which had a studio (Universal) put in a “happy”
ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Terry Gilliam later had the
original version released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing the
ending of a film is a definite deviation from a director’s intent, so these
attempts by the directors to restore their vision is essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would never argue against that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as I will endeavor to demonstrate,
sometimes this attempt at revision goes way beyond what is neither wanted nor
needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><i>N</i></o:p><i>eon Genesis Evangelion</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
is an anime that came out on Japanese television from October 1995 to March
1996.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is 26 episodes long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each episode is approximately 30
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some (what looks to be two
episodes) of the show aired on The Cartoon Network during “Giant Robot Week” in
February 2003 and also was aired on Adult Swim from 2005 to 2007.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
company that produced the show is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainax" target="_blank">Gainax</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gainax was originally founded in 1984 by, essentially, anime nerds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the founding members was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideaki_Anno" target="_blank">HideakiAnno</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had worked on other projects
with other companies, but he and his college buddies got together to produce an
opening animation for a large anime convention (Daicon III), and that’s what got the ball
rolling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After his work on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Royal Space Force:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wings of Honneamise </i>(1987), he directed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gunbuster</i> (1988, a film) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nadia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Secret of Blue Water</i> (1990-1991, a 39-episode TV series), as
well as continuing to animate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Macross</i>
projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a sequel project for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Royal Space Force</i> was cancelled, he was
given a project to create something that had the theme of not running
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To try to piece together all of
the internal and external influences on Anno while he created <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evangelion </i>is difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to bring in a new audience to
anime, he wanted to exorcise his demons, he wanted to create a show about
humans versus gods, there was a push to create a show that would allow for
marketing a lot of toys (which giant robot shows are wont to do), he was in the
middle of a four-year deep depression and was exploring psychology and
psychoanalysis, he wanted to make a children’s show with adult themes to try to
teach children about “harsh reality” (the fact that the show was originally
aired during children’s programming slots is particularly eerie).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a combination of all of this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In
anime, I consider three shows the Holy Trinity, must-sees:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trigun</i>
(1998), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cowboy Bebop</i> (1998) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Neon Genesis Evangelion</i> (1995).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of the three, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NGE</i> is the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something
that is true of the shows, as well as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trigun</i>,
is that it starts off more light-hearted but gets deadly serious as we get to
towards the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both take place in
a post-apocalyptic landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NGE </i>does show that there is a sort of
normalcy, even though complete annihilation is waiting every second of the show
to rear its head and destroy humanity (school continues to be taught,
convenience stores are open).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comparing
that world to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bebop</i>, which is set in
the future in space, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trigun</i>, which
is on another planet that has multiple suns and moons, makes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NGE </i>seem almost slice-of-life in the
outset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three are brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this post is not about that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
end of the run of episodes for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NGE</i>
takes a decided shift from the exterior war against the Angels to exploring the
internal world of the show’s protagonist, Shinji Ikari.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are varied real-world reasons for
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was that the budget for the
show had been expended mostly on large robot battles (more difficult /
expensive to animate), leaving the few ending episodes with almost no
funds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two was that production
scheduling was way behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hidenori
Matsubara, who was a key animator on the show, talked a lot about how chaotic
making the show was at Anime USA 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything was rushed, no one seemed to be in charge, episode directors
were passing things on without checking them very carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all about just getting the episodes
together in time for airing the episode on television.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
above description may make the ending of the show sound like a total train
wreck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans are very split on how they
feel about the end of the TV series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some find it to be completely unintelligible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is static shots, lots of voice-over,
montage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is meant to represent what
is happening inside Shinji’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
external world is ending around him, and Shinji is grappling with his identity
and choosing whether to live or become part of the Human Instrumentality
Project (this is pretty complicated, but it is essentially where all humans
become one – a sort of evolution of the species).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s akin to Hamlet’s “to be or not
to be” dilemma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human existence can be
very painful (especially to Shinji, as his mother is dead, his father is a
nightmare, and he’s going through adolescence – oh, and the world is ending and
he’s supposed to be one of four people working to save it … no pressure).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some fans see the ending from the perspective
of what was happening at Gainax and think the ending is an unsatisfying
rush-job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fall into the camp of fans
that see the end as brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes
a truly modernist show about human identity and attempting to connect to others
in a rapidly changing world and crushes it into post-modern futility (no one
will ever know anyone, perhaps even oneself, in the age of the possibility of
the world ending due to man’s “triumph” over nature).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find the ending deeply meaningful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Not in a bang but a whisper.” That this originated from Japan makes it all the more postmodern.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But
there was a lot of outcry from fans saying they hated the ending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some even sent Anno death threats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the popularity of the show exploded,
making Gainax flush with money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
flushed that they committed tax fraud, resulting in two of Gainax’s members
being put in jail in 1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amount of
marketing tied to the show is ridiculous (<a href="http://plamoya.com/en/evangelion-c-60.html" target="_blank">from models to video games to ice trays to chopsticks to toilet paper to luggage to soccer balls to branded coffee to vibrators – there is no shame for Gainax</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it doesn’t end there for Eva.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How
I saw the series originally was by watching VHS videotapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a friend who worked in the same mall as
the movie theater I was working in, and since we had a few otaku running around
(most notably Alex [Cujo], who let me borrow his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragonball Z</i>), we would trade tapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VHS tapes were released in the US by a
company called ADV Films, between August 1996 through July 1998. I was watching in 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For fans of anime today, please note how long
it took for a 26-episode series to be distributed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, there were two episodes on each tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go kiss your full series thinpaks now, or
write Crunchyroll fan mail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Laserdiscs
came out very slowly and incompletely (eps 1-4 in May 1997 and 5-8 in May
1998).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why a year in between?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not the whole series?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These were also done by ADV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Laserdisc as a medium really never quite took off in the US and was
pretty much defunct by 1990, so that could be a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The majority of video machines in the US went
from VHS to DVD, most completely skipping LD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DVDs
of the show started coming out in 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For those, like me, who started to collect the series, I bought (which
was commonplace at the time) the first volume with the art box (see above).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last volume (8) came out mid-2001, so a
quicker release succession for the DVDs than the VHS tapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There really isn’t much difference from the
VHS tapes to the DVDs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, here’s
where things start to go awry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
entire series came out, in 2004, there were two new releases:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resurrection
</i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Genesis Reborn</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resurrection
</i>was supposedly the director’s cut of episodes 21-23, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Genesis Reborn</i> was the director’s cut of
episodes 24-26.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each, like the original
volumes, was $30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To quote Paul Fargo’s review
for Anime News Network, “<a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/neon-genesis-evangelion-resurrection" target="_blank">Adding about five to ten minutes to each episode'srunning time, the new footage doesn't provide any staggering revelations on itsown, but instead serves to emphasize and clarify points that weren't exploredto their fullest in the original television run of the series. Characterdevelopment is expanded, some of the more vital scenes are extended, and theshow is given a generally improved and streamlined feel. Alongside the newscenes, there are also several minutes of redone animation for existing scenes,which serves to cover up moments of previously off-model and poor quality work.Again, it's nothing Evangelion couldn't live without, but it certainly createsan improved viewing experience.</a>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, like
a dutiful fan, bought both, but then sold them once I found out that they would
be on the thinpak Perfect Collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have since reacquired both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Genesis
Reborn </i>is more egregious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only
have the DC of episode 24.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
new information for 25-26.</span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjubysChrdz61ScHT1UB8bBo_Desm1r2uuokmv23Ft2mEv2NcihT-w_1r81BsY2pvotA0It2PfzNFlG4BAZX1tVhNyr3W4tWdeXPe5ZGqvAQEgrPRuoMim1RoVvkPRJNJ1X_pglczmxM0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjubysChrdz61ScHT1UB8bBo_Desm1r2uuokmv23Ft2mEv2NcihT-w_1r81BsY2pvotA0It2PfzNFlG4BAZX1tVhNyr3W4tWdeXPe5ZGqvAQEgrPRuoMim1RoVvkPRJNJ1X_pglczmxM0/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
the director’s cuts just adds some information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They do not change the ending but more embellish what was already there
with content that previously was part of the original Japanese TV broadcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a sense, more complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So
far, the only thing skewed is the timeline for US release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Japanese audience would have seen the
original content anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What then
happened is the Japanese versions of episodes 25 and 26 were re-directed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The redirection of those episodes is what
becomes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The End of Evangelion</i> (1997,
released in the US by Manga Video in 2002).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also released at the same time is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Death
</i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Rebirth</i> (again, 1997,
released in the US by Manga Video in 2002).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To quote from EvaGeeks.org, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evangelion:
Death</i> is a 70 minute long recap of the first 24 episodes of the Neon
Genesis Evangelion TV Series, directed by </span><a href="http://wiki.evageeks.org/Masayuki" title="Masayuki"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Masayuki</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
in the format of a string quartet, each focusing on one of four characters:
Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Kaworu.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
no new material here – it is just previous content re-edited and
reordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rebirth</i> is “the first 25 minutes of </span><a href="http://wiki.evageeks.org/The_End_of_Evangelion" title="The End of Evangelion"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The End of Evangelion</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. Originally
planned to be the whole film but was incomplete.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you bought both together, since they
were released within two months of each other in 2002, then you were buying
something you pretty much already had if you bought the series and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">End of Evangelion</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Death </i>and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rebirth </i>is essentially a $30 rip off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVlBiquNoCmxYdBFOv0n4BUe-ksrGtYWsYfD_rlzOXNfG58rv4V1uGlfYBRqHJRPTTj4nwEaw7cRywbviG-BdYLm4qrgf93fu8XleUAVV8y5UtOMlcmcBF0bVHaf2PUiZ6oAjzu_1MHc/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVlBiquNoCmxYdBFOv0n4BUe-ksrGtYWsYfD_rlzOXNfG58rv4V1uGlfYBRqHJRPTTj4nwEaw7cRywbviG-BdYLm4qrgf93fu8XleUAVV8y5UtOMlcmcBF0bVHaf2PUiZ6oAjzu_1MHc/s320/photo+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The End of Evangelion</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
is something new for US audiences that did not see the Japanese reworks of
episodes 25 and 26.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completely</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">different ending</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those
fans that had been clamoring for a knock-down, drag-out fight between the
Angels and the Evas, this was what they wanted to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The internal workings of Shinji are discarded
for all-out violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears as if
Shinji and Asuka are the only two humans left, as the Human Instrumentality
Project is realized by Rei melding with Adam and Lilith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this looks incredibly bleak, the ending
of the series, with Shinji surrounded by everyone, clapping and saying
“Congratulations,” is far more positive and uplifting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
people who like the ending of the series tend not to like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The End of Evangelion </i>and vice versa, though it is possible to see
them both complimenting each other (Shinji could still go through the internal
conflict we see in the series in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">End</i>,
we just don’t see it), and the dream-like quality of the end of the series may
just be a continuation of Shinji’s wish for the future, with the reality being
on the beach with Asuka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it is
possible to like either or like both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyone who likes neither … um, why are you bothering to watch
anyway?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a long road to travel if
you don’t like the premise, characters and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwy06P8hZxG1rlW7wIcwA6ORIOYYsD2iMZ1Wjb5E9E6gzcPiafeNC74dgYNQ7Aauw5E88O91YbPUkGQxVet-ehYtUEZsa_1yE6qohYM1Hc0dqbRkzMa0Zgq3xoNTNJNE2e4bMp-yKAls/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwy06P8hZxG1rlW7wIcwA6ORIOYYsD2iMZ1Wjb5E9E6gzcPiafeNC74dgYNQ7Aauw5E88O91YbPUkGQxVet-ehYtUEZsa_1yE6qohYM1Hc0dqbRkzMa0Zgq3xoNTNJNE2e4bMp-yKAls/s320/photo+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But
now, there is yet <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">another </i>version of
the same show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rebuild of Evangelion</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is supposed to have four parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of now, three have been completed and
released:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Evangelion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You Are (Not) Alone</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2007)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Evangelion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You Can (Not) Advance</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2009)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Evangelion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You Can (Not) Redo</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
(2012)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
fourth is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evangelion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Final</i> and does not have a production or
release date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an “alternate
retelling” of the original series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
last film is supposed to be an “alternate ending,” supposedly to the storyline
of the rebuild and not of the original series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even
though I’m a fan, when I initially heard about this project, I was
pessimistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s really no loose
ends that need to be tied up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
already two ending to the same story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is to be gained by revisiting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do we need an alternate version?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But seeing almost everyone from the original project returned seemed to
indicate that there was enough interest from the creative team to take up the
reins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it would be good?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And
when I saw the first one, I was won over, if only slightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The production value was <i>very</i> good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Battle sequences were exciting and really
popped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I couldn’t understand was
what Mari was doing in the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
did she add besides fan service, if even that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A new series of models and figures to sell?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I start to gravitate towards
Anno being a whore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also more
of Kaworu in the rebuild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where he comes in during the original series
makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why he’s in from the
beginning in the rebuild is puzzling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, fan service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I can hear
everyone squee when he’s on screen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s irritating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, the
first and second parts of the rebuild just looked glossier, shinier, and
sounded louder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that what a decade of
all these creative people are bringing to the table?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It
wasn’t until I saw the third part at Otakon 2013 that I started to feel pretty
disenchanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost nothing that was
happeneing at the end of 2.0 is in 3.0, and we’ve taken a jump 14 years into
the future for some reason that completely escapes me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NERV has split in two with Gendo, Fuyutsuki,
Rei and Kaworu with the original NERV and Misato, Ritsuko, Asuka and Mari in
something called Wille, and NERV and Wille are fighting each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from fighting over I don’t know what
anymore and a lot of procedural start and service sequences for the EVAs,
there’s really nothing here to anchor to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The humanity of the original series is completely drained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>What
is the fucking point?</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why was this so
necessary to be made?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a
proposed sequel to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casablanca</i> where
Captain Renault and Rick go fight on the side of the resistance in Algeria or
Libya, but they didn’t do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
because you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> do something doesn’t
mean you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> do something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see why we had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">End of Evangelion</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But why
take these characters and exploit them like this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you wanted to tell a different story, then
do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t rape these characters
and punish them just because a large number of people liked them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anno did some live action films (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cutie Honey</i> [2004], <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ritual</i> [2000] and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love and
Pop</i> [1998]) and is the voice actor for the main character in Hayao
Miyazaki’s final film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wind Rises</i>
(2013). It isn't like he has nothing else to do. Gainax has <i>Gurren Lagan</i> and other shows. Can't we just leave this one alone?</span></div>
</div>
Mary Duttererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489678214875209867noreply@blogger.com0