tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3184331145592037242023-11-16T02:40:46.343-08:00Just Another Movie Blog"A movie review is a reflection of your life." -Michael Phillips
What's my spin? I'm often looking at film from an ethical (not moralistic) stance. What does a film communicate about right and wrong especially in relationships?Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-19054723674673228292018-05-08T18:33:00.002-07:002018-05-09T20:51:59.047-07:00Avengers Infinity War: Take Down of God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/a/ae/Thanos_GOTG.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20140809162920" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/a/ae/Thanos_GOTG.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20140809162920" width="232" /></a></div>
<i><b>Warning: Spoilers of Avengers: Infinity War start up right away in this essay. </b></i><br />
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My daughters and I saw Avengers: Infinity War last night and the darkness of what we saw are still running around in our heads. The characters we've been watching for the last decade get little time, instead most of it is given understanding and appreciating the villain, who wants to, and succeeds in, destroying half of the sentient beings in the universe in order to achieve peace in his time.<br />
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My main concern going into the film was how many characters there were to focus on. How could they all be given fair arcs? I think the solution the filmmakers came up with-- focus on the villain, and give other characters moments-- was a good one. Then you cut most of the main characters out of the plot completely, so if they don't show up until the end of the next film, we won't miss them and there's enough breathing room for the other characters to develop.<br />
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What is most stunning is how Thanos is clearly a representation of the Hebrew God, YHWH, whom I worship. Thanos has a universal solution that doesn't seem unusual to a God who destroyed all of humanity except one family in a worldwide flood.<br />
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Sure, the flood was bad, but it isn't the same situation. First, all of humanity was a murderous bunch at the time of the flood, so there was cause, not just a random pick, and God regretted his decision after, so that he would never do it again. He repented, which is the opposite of Thanos, sitting on a porch, gazing at the peace he created.<br />
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No, a closer comparison would be to what is commonly called Armageddon. This is the apocalypse in which all humanity will suffer death or life, most of whom will be placed in their location without knowing why. Even if it isn't random, it will feel random to most of humanity. And Thanos' priest/prophet is the representation of the church, proclaiming this genocide as salvation and hope, and the sacrifice of (most of) humanity as the just sacrifice. Frankly, the Christian God is worse, because he will take the majority of humanity and torture them for all of eternity, millions upon millions of years, for not believing correctly.<br />
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This is seen in his killing of Gomora, as well. First, I think his love of his step daughter is seen clearly from the GotG and all through this film. He played favorites between his step-daughters, seen even in the first Guardians film, not because he despised Nebula, but because he only loved one daughter. In Genesis, Abraham didn't care for his firstborn son, Ishmael, allowing his wife to do whatever her bias motivated her to do with Ishmael and his mother, her slave, so she left them in the desert to die of thirst. But Isaac was Abraham's favorite and the one he dearly loved with all his heart. God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar, saying, "Take your son, your only son, the son whom you love..." repeating three times to emphasize the close relationship they have. And that relationship was to end in physical abuse, except that God pulled his punch at the end.<br />
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According to Chrisitian theologians, this was primarily done to provide a type of what God would do himself with his son. Kill and torture his son despite his love, because the salvation he would provide is worth the price. And that salvation also comes with a cost of killing and torturing (at least) half of humanity.<br />
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Ebony Maw is the leader of the cult of Thanos, proclaiming the salvation of Thanos, and calling all of those subjected to the will of Thanos the Children of Thanos. In Christian theology, all of humanity are children of God because they are all created by God, but they are also in the kingdom of God, and so subject to the will of the all-controlling God. The church calms the people, trying to make them all amenable to the will of God, especially when it seems evil, when God enacts random judgment against them, such as he did to Job.<br />
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From this perspective, Infinity War has a clear theological objective: to reveal the Hebrew God for who he is. A sympathetic character to a certain degree, but ultimately evil. His will is arbitrary and hateful, even though his ultimate aim is peace in the universe. At best, God is considered misguided and immoral. The Avengers, despite their misdeeds and errors are better than the one whom millions worship. It is a takedown of the most popular theology on earth.<br />
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In defense of some who honor God, it is a heated discussion within Christianity whether the standard orthodox theology is correct. Some say that the Bible never teaches eternal torture of humanity, that the separation of humanity is not based on belief, that God's people are supposed to receive but never give persecution, and the inclusion of all people. Despite this discussion, the takedown of monotheistic religion in Infinity War is mostly correct. Thanos must be seen as a lesser-evil version of God and if Thanos is wrong and evil, then God of orthodox theology is worse.<br />
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-52069275794132265912017-03-12T13:58:00.000-07:002017-03-12T13:58:29.408-07:00Loony Tunes Classics, 1936-1938<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All of these cartoons can be Googled and found intact on Daily Motion.</div>
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<b>Page Miss Glory</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This first Warner Bros cartoon
takes its name from a movie released the previous year about a country woman
who dreams about becoming a starlet, and gets her chance to play a starlet,
which becomes real. In this cartoon, we
see a page dreaming of serving a starlet in a fancy hotel, although he is in a
small town. It is interesting that there
are a lot of references to alcohol here, as prohibition just ended a few years
before, so people are pretty giddy at the opportunity to partake openly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As an early cartoon, it isn’t bad,
but it doesn’t have lasting power. I
also don’t think it was intended to.
Warner Bros. cartoons were more successful when they tapped into a
lasting myth (e.g. the rabbit and the hunter reversing roles), but many of the
cartoons were simply reflections of the culture at the time of the
cartoon. That works for newsreels, but
not necessarily for later generations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I Love to Singa</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This cartoon is based on the
Warner Bros. movie, The Singing Kid, starring Al Jolson, which has the song “I
Love to Singa”, played three times in the film.
The tune is repeated a number of times in the cartoon as well. The main characters are owls so they can have
the joke, “Owl Jolson”. Note that Chuck
Jones is a main animator here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember seeing this one as a kid on television. It is more successful than Paging Miss Glory
because it reflects the trope of the child who is naturally opposite to his parents. At this point the trope is overused, but the
cartoon still has it’s fans. I love the
reference to Jack Benny (a bunny) and the old amateur hours that was similar to
American Idol today. An interesting point is that Mel Blanc was on the old Jack
Benny radio show, as well as the Warner Bros. cartoons. This is as much about radio as it is a
movie, and the popularity of it.
Overall, fun.<br />
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<b>Wholly Smoke</b><br />
Porky Pig was introduced in cartoons in 1935 in the film “I Haven’t Got a Hat”. He was originally voiced by Joe Dougherty,
who had a severe stutter. In fact, the
stutter was so severe that production costs were too high to keep him as the
voice, so Mel Blanc took over as the voice of the popular Porky Pig in 1937.<br />
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There are a couple places that seem influential on Disney—the position and look
of the “bad kid” on Lampwick in Pinocchio, and the chaotic end of the dream
sequence on Dumbo. The original was
black and white, but it was colorized later on.
The song “Little Boys Shouldn’t Smoke” is based on the song “Mysterious
Mose”, which was used to better effect in a Betty Boop cartoon in 1930.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I like a good sermon, but this
one just seems dumb—a repetition of “children shouldn’t smoke” and a weird
dream sequence. The cameos work better—the
Three Stooges, Bing Crosby and many puns based on different cigars/cigarettes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, but I’m not
impressed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Porky in Wackyland</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember much of this, but I
wonder if I didn’t see a colorized version of this film called Dough for the
Do-Do from 1948, which cut some of the scenes, added a couple others and tried
to avoid most of the racial stereotypes by giving the “African” characters skin
of primary colors. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmzhsHXtRmY5Ooy5iSmxl09_HSBhqXokyn3LW61o98rUYUOHBNi7f_MfXZJxJZAq2xjW-gED-hIe1_WePQgQSM2pjN0CmpZ6d0N0kwCKsQGAl4azSKPAM6EJk7012kKsVJnY5BBiQO-YX/s400/Porky+In+Wackyland+%252839%2529+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmzhsHXtRmY5Ooy5iSmxl09_HSBhqXokyn3LW61o98rUYUOHBNi7f_MfXZJxJZAq2xjW-gED-hIe1_WePQgQSM2pjN0CmpZ6d0N0kwCKsQGAl4azSKPAM6EJk7012kKsVJnY5BBiQO-YX/s200/Porky+In+Wackyland+%252839%2529+copy.jpg" width="200" /></a>Honestly, I think that the
imagination and animation quality are excellent here. The Dali/Seussian landscapes and the number of unique
creatures are fascinating and fun. This
is basically a “hunt daffy duck” cartoon, but the insanity of those early cartoons
really work with the unique insanity of this one. It also has a great punchline at the end.<br />
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It isn’t laugh out loud funny, but there’s a lot to see and be interested in,
even today. Quite surrealistic and
fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The animation is really smooth, unlike most of the cartoons at this time. It doesn’t have any fuzzy edges but is
perfectly clear. Even Porky Pig’s voice
is clearer. They worked hard at this one
and it shows.<br />
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<b>Porky in Egypt</b><br />
The introduction of “Egypt” containing not only Arabic, but black and East
Indian stereotypes is pathetic, but expected.
The film really gets on when Porky and his camel Humpty Dumpy goes into the desert.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My favorite part is the camel’s
speech about “desert madness”. It must
be based on some speech, but I can’t find out what. Very well done. The depiction of madness devolves into the
desert mirage joke and Daffy Duck imitations, but there are some good sections
here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, I probably wouldn’t
recommend it apart from the middle section with the sun hammering down and
Humpty going crazy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-26589197999848288242017-03-09T20:07:00.000-08:002017-03-09T20:07:25.302-08:00Hangover Square 1945<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We can tell by the opening setting that this is a noir. Dark, shadowy, haunting... but it takes place in London, 1899. Odd setting for a noir. Then we see a old Jewish man murdered before our eyes and a fire set. Oh yes. It's noir, all right. <br />
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Then we follow our murderer to find out that he is a composer, on the cusp of success, loved by his fellow musicians and admired by a beautiful woman. And he has fits of amnesia, and he is worried, deeply worried about what he does during these fits. What does one do in this situation, go visit George Saunders. That's what I would do.<br />
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What we end up with is a curious mix of Jekyll/Hyde, Hitchcock and Phantom of the Opera. While not especially clever or mysterious, it is emotionally evocative and compelling.<br />
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There are two things I am still considering about this film. First: will any American studio ever be able to present a believable Britain? The accents are a mess, they are all explaining Guy Fawkes Day to each other, and it all sounds more like Oliver! than Kes. I guess Fox wanted to repeat their success of the previous year, The Lodger, so imprinted that film on this script.<br />
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The second is a connection between the response to the murderer and modern misogynists (mild spoilers). The murder is acknowledged as dangerous and mentally unstable. He has killed and it has been proven that he is completely unstable. This is related to his psycho-sexual needs being unmet. The response of the police is, "You are dangerous, but we know it's not your fault. We'll take it easy on you." Is this because they appreciate his standing as a white male, as a person of means who can spend his time composing music that hasn't been heard? If he were poor or a woman, he would hang immediately. It's all very believable. Perhaps a bit too believable.<br />
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But the film is great. Fantastic music, especially in the concerto scene, by Bernard Hermann, who also did the music for Citizen Kane, and the cinematography was beautiful, in classic noir style. Highly recommended.</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-2849205690040716422017-02-26T17:25:00.000-08:002017-02-26T17:25:12.675-08:00Tower<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm watching a documentary called Tower about a campus
shooting in Austin, 1966.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A pregnant woman and her boyfriend were shot, her boyfriend
died. A professor walks by, not hearing the shots and is disgusted with them,
"Pick up your books and get up," he says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This reminds me of some who respond with disdain to those
who suffer in poverty or under racism or with those oppressed by our government.
"Get up," they say angrily. Those trapped say, "Could you get us
some help?" But because the disdainful don't see the danger, don't see the
blood --don't see the horror that exists for all of us, but especially those
racially, sexually, economically and religiously vulnerable-- they ignore the
plight and resume living ignorantly. Mocking those in pain and tragedy because
they don't feel it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am shocked as to how much human experience one can pack
into an hour and a half under the hot Texas sun. Victims, heroes and observers
of a horrible sniper shooting at the University of Texas in Austin speak about
their experience, actions and emotions in the most dramatic hour of their
lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It feels so much like a Richard Linklater film, perhaps it
is very influenced by his work. Rotoscope, Austin, real conversations speaking
on intense, big subjects... I was all ready to love this film. Even so, it was
more dramatic and personal than I expected. Everyone seemed so real-- funny,
hopeful, brave, entranced, scared. It's a powerful film, not only about that
day, but about the human reaction to death.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-84651098165221060782017-02-26T17:17:00.001-08:002017-02-26T17:17:56.098-08:00Children of Paradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is the 1820s.<br />
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"Paradise", in this case, is the abode of the gods, and the gods are the audience of the theatres of the Boulevard of Crime (so called because adultery and murder happen in the theatres ever night). Thus, the "children" are the actors, writers and producers of the stage who cater to these "gods", their whole lives revolving around the pleasure of the audience.<br />
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The central figure is Garance, a woman of such remarkable beauty that four men request, demand and battle for her hand, as well as her evening companionship. She, on the other hand, smiles at them all, remains distant, and wanders where her interest takes her. She never participates in crime, although observes many crimes. She does not dance or sing or act, so she is only ever window dressing for the various theatres, never wanting a speaking role. Three of the four men are up-and-coming central figures of the Boulevard, Baptiste, the gentle pantomime, Frederick the Shakespearean actor, and Lacenaire the boastful criminal. Garance would like to dance like a butterfly between the three men, but a powerful fourth man appears, a proud nobleman who changes their whole world.<br />
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There are three sets of stories: that of the multiple-party romance, the highs and lows of the theatres and the stories on the stage, all reflecting what is happening in the actors' lives. While there is a light touch on all of these deep real-life events, I prefer the stage productions, both silent and spoken, that portray both entertainment and serious themes. <br />
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This film is spoken of by some as the greatest French film, and it's epic scale, intermission and grand credit sequences indicate that it wants to be seen as an important film. I am sure it is important. It has it's significant place in the history of cinema. But as a whole, I am not sure I want to give it too much credit. It is good, the characters are well-drawn and it uses it's length of time well, but I do not know how much I will consider this film in the future. It has to do with show business and with romance, and the presentation of both are far removed from my own experience, nor does it teach me much about the context. The acting is an older style, almost vaudevillian, that keeps me distant from the characters, even as I am somewhat involved in their stories.<br />
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There are a number of things that I can admire about this film. It was created and filmed in a Paris occupied by the Nazis. It presents it's worlds distinctly, each having their own manner of speaking and focus and running gags. And it also shows how there are pathways from the world of the stage to the world of the personal lives to the world of the theatre and back.<br />
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Yes, it's three hours. But it is certainly a significant watch, and a generally enjoyable one. </div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-82313985440313772962017-02-17T20:41:00.000-08:002017-02-17T20:41:12.488-08:00Reinterpretation of Life: Kubo and the Two Strings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I want to make my case why Kubo is not only the best animated movie of the year, but among a few best films of the year. I haven't read any reviews that really get deep into the film beyond it's beauty, so I thought I'd write something that helps folks see how I saw it.<br />
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If you never saw this film on the big screen, then I don’t think you could really appreciate the line, “If you must blink, do it now.” On the one hand, it is a line of a marketplace storyteller, the hyperbole of the campaigner, the exaggeration of the ad man. But in the context of this most artful film of an artful studio, it is simple reality, without any stretching of the truth. The film keeps the promise of this line with stunning sets and eye-popping animation. I honestly didn’t want to blink. And in those sets, the new direction of clamation, the master-stroke of this studio is presented and I didn’t want to close my eyes for a moment. Right after I saw it, I wanted to see it again.<br />
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Part of this is not just due to the art. Frankly, this story resonates within me. It is the hero’s journey, which I love in its many forms from The Odyssey to Lord of the Rings to Star Wars to Moana. But here, the hero’s journey is joined with the boy’s adventure, filled with dangers and adventures. It is 1001 Arabian Nights and The Thief of Baghdad and The Boy’s King Arthur, as well as The Neverending Story. It is monsters and enemies and magic and secrets and mythology, all revealed in a powerful mix. If this were released in 1977, I would have gone to the theatre twelve times to see this instead of Star Wars, for the fine mix of hero’s journey and magical adventure resonates perfectly to my boy’s heart.<br />
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Add in the wonderful music, simple and emotionally resonant, as well as each relationship being a form of love and charity and I am sold. All I need is a great theme and this film will be one of the great films of all time.<br />
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The theme, however, is considered one of the weaknesses of the film. Everyone recognizes that it is about the power of stories, but most folks feel that it isn’t really saying anything new or interesting. I would like to challenge that assumption. But to do so requires an overview of the film. And spoilers.<br />
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* * *<br />
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The story is about Kubo, a young storyteller who cares for his addled mother in a cave, and who is loved by a nearby town. Disaster strikes when his aunts, daughters of the Moon, find him and cruelly bind him to take him to the Moon to take his eye out. He escapes, to find his mother gone and he is led by a magical monkey, an origami representation of his father and a beetle-man to find his dead father’s armor.<br />
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The quest for the armor is a McGuffin, but it gives us an opportunity to see relationships grow, to see his parents fall in love again, to see Kubo learn his values on his own, not just because his mother taught them to him.<br />
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The plot is really a loose collection of events that barely hang together, as any epic odyssey is a collection of events. As in any hero’s quest, the significance is the opportunities for the hero to learn significant lessons, which reach a climax of the hero’s stand.<br />
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But what we see by the end of the film is the figure who is always there, always making events occur, always watching, but never speaking until the film is ready to end: Kubo’s grandfather, the Moon. We see that the film was always about the relationship between Kubo and his grandfather, and the challenge between the values each stands for. The grandfather is a gentle man who just wants the respect he is due, and sees the world through eyes of logic. Kubo is the product of that heritage, but also the heritage of his father who values relationship above logic and honor. And of his mother, who chose love over the ways of his grandfather. So far, so good. Nothing really unique here.<br />
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The climax is what changes the perspective. The grandfather, the Moon, is is transformed into humanity because of his desire to be connected to his grandson. He wanted his grandson to be like him, to show him the respect his daughter and son in law didn’t display. To reject his humanity and take on eternity. But Kubo couldn’t refuse his heritage, and so brought his grandfather into his family. The key is that the moon agreed to take part in Kubo’s story—the story of the battle between the evil but strong moon the noble but weak boy. The moon took on Kubo’s story, that of him fighting a monster. The moon chose to be a monster, thinking he could defeat Kubo with his own story. But Kubo changed his story in the middle, so that it was no longer about a battle against a monster, but the story of a family, joined by experiences and uniting in their differences. When the stark, cold moon took on a side in Kubo’s story, he could be transformed into a human, blended from both eternity and temporal, heavenly and earth.<br />
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What was an epic battle between good and evil became a story of thesis (the moon), antithesis (the parents) and synthesis (Kubo). Kubo then uses the story to transform the moon into his own image—a kind man. Kubo re-interprets his story and so re-interprets his grandfather who agreed to take part in Kubo’s story.<br />
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So the theme is not about the victory of story, but about the victory of reinterpretation. About changing the paradigm and so changing reality.<br />
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What is a child supposed to get out of this? That his parents are not what they seem; everyone has their own point of view; family is the joining of contradictions; our life is the continuing story of our parent’s lives. But I think what we can get out of it is more important. How do we interpret our lives? Rather than asking whether the interpretation is the closest one to the “truth”, rather we should ask if the interpretation is the one that benefits everyone. Is a good v. evil story really what makes unity, what makes joy for all? Or is there another way of creating a story of our lives that draws all people in?<br />
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-28463926456434084742017-02-05T17:40:00.000-08:002017-02-05T17:40:32.296-08:00Mulholland Drive: Deadly Desire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The vision opens with a group of kids, circa 1950s, energetically
dancing the Jitterbug. The sashaying and twirling is hypnotic until the dance
is interrupted by a girl with short blonde hair laughing with her
companions. And then the story begins.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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A car with two men up front and a glamorous woman in back
stops. She says, “This isn’t where we
are supposed to stop,” and the man in the passenger seat pulls out a gun and
commands her to get out. Just as the
tensions run high, two group of kids in impossibly speeding vehicles crash into
their car. The glamorous woman crawls
out of the wreckage and collapses. Then
she gets up, confused, walks off of Mulholland Drive, wanders over to Sunset
Blvd and then to a high-end apartment building in L.A. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The streets remind us of other movies that take place in a
secret Hollywood, the Hollywood-behind-Hollywood in which violence and sex
rules the lives of the stars, directors and producers of the films we all
clamor to see. Young actors are
desperate for attention, and famous actors bask in their decadence and power
over others. How much of this is real is
almost impossible to say, as the gossip about Hollywood is as creative as the
on-screen entertainments. But it is in
the netherworld of speculation and desire that Mullholland Dr. takes place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The filmmaking is almost perfect. We enter quickly into the story of Betty and
her companion “Rita” who has forgotten her identity. The acting is odd, at a distance from
reality, but Naomi Watts and her co-stars are so larger than life, so
melodramatic that we aren’t concerned at all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As the story moves on, we become more confused. What causes
the run of horrendous luck of the director, Adam? Why does Adam’s wife, when caught in bed with
the pool man, say, “Now you’ve done it.”
Why can Betty and “Rita” so easily enter an apartment, although it is
overseen by the police and a neighbor? Why
is there a full ashtray when no one is smoking? On the surface, we might think
of these as simple contradictions—not like we haven’t seen such obvious errors
before in film. But this isn’t your average
filmmaker. This is David Lynch, who eats
a few contradictions for breakfast, before spitting out an analogy that
clarifies them into a paradox. <o:p></o:p></div>
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More than a plot that becomes more confusing as the film
goes on, this film is almost perfect cinematically. Every shot is distinctive, having their own
flavor, as if we were if a buffet of cinematic eras. I finish the film and want to watch it again,
not just to try to grasp some of what I didn’t understand, but to simply watch
the colors and textures. To hear the
sounds and to glory in the latter insanity.
This is Lynch’s mysterious masterpiece, having hints of Blue Velvet and
Eraserhead, but beautifully vanquishing both.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*** Spoilers Ahead***</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The biggest question we are left with after the film is:
WTF? What was that all about? And we scan the internet to see if we can
find any clues. It turns out that David
Lynch himself, explaining nothing, has given us some details to explore, which
might, he suggests, explain the film:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Pay particular attention in the beginning of the film: At
least two clues are revealed before the credits.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Notice appearances of
the red lampshade.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Can you hear the title
of the film that Adam Kesher is auditioning actresses for? Is it mentioned
again?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>An accident is a
terrible event—notice the location of the accident.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Who gives a key, and
why?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Notice the robe, the
ashtray, the coffee cup.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>What is felt, realized
and gathered at the Club Silencio?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Did talent alone help
Camilla?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Note the occurrences
surrounding the man behind Winkie's.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Where is Aunt Ruth?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Perhaps these are clues, but they are as Lynchian as anything
in Eraserhead. Not much help for those
of us without a clue, although on my next viewing I might hold these clues
before me and try to answer all of these questions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I believe that a key to the film is found in a quote from
Laura Harding’s attempt to grasp at the straws: “Who we are does not count for
much—what matters instead is what we are about to do, what we want to do.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hold that the basic meaning of the film…or at least the
meaning that means the most to me now… has to do with desire. There are two Hollywoods in the film, and
both are the Hollywood of imagination. The first is the Hollywood of dreams, where a
young girl gets ahead on talent alone.
The second Hollywood is that of gossip, where everyone famous is corrupt
and takes advantage of the power they have.
Although the one we see dreaming is Rita, they are both fantasies of
Diane. The first is the dream of her
desire, the second is the fantasy Diane thinks she lives in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Betty is who Diane wishes she could be, innocent,
professional, seeking after her ideals, letting nothing stand in her way. Rita is who Diane wishes Camila would be,
helpless, needing to be guided, ready to be loved. Camila, meanwhile, is a separate character,
who gets the role Diane wants because of a mob producer’s threats. Adam, meanwhile, is remarkably consistent in
the two distinct Hollywoods, although in the first he his hapless and punished,
while in the second he is overjoyed at the same events of his life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are so many other themes: that of identity, that of illusion
(and disillusionment), that of power and the cost of revenge. All of it makes sense though, when we see the
film through the haze of Diane’s desire and how she reacts when her desires
cannot be met. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally, her response reminds me of men’s rights
activists, who look at women as objects of desire both in sex and in
power. When women will not submit to
their desires, then they embark in a moral fantasy, creating “musts” for women
that have no resemblance of who women are or should be. At times, this fantasy becomes so pervasive
that they must shatter reality in order to conform it to their desires.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I think the point of the film is to talk about the power
of desire and how broken we are when we are disillusioned. In the end, when
Diane realizes that she is no Betty and Camila no Rita and that she is actually
the evil one in the Hollywood she created, she kills herself, freeing her of
both fantasies—the one she is forced to live and the one she only dreams about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-24916670665597543342016-12-09T13:20:00.000-08:002016-12-09T13:20:04.544-08:00Joy in the Struggle: The Gleaners and I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD15SKr6eZ_YHjVaG6mqZHE5K5n9zj0ynpupbMFYpesn1-twQKE-mGsFRgm1-7iFUtyhBT39Dgbg8sesabkY3qC0BatZ-G-VJu3sLXsdlAJL6rAPUmvUCFWfVRcftmsfAymv-8rL9_Ato/s1600/Gleaners+and+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD15SKr6eZ_YHjVaG6mqZHE5K5n9zj0ynpupbMFYpesn1-twQKE-mGsFRgm1-7iFUtyhBT39Dgbg8sesabkY3qC0BatZ-G-VJu3sLXsdlAJL6rAPUmvUCFWfVRcftmsfAymv-8rL9_Ato/s320/Gleaners+and+i.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If the ultimate purpose of directors is to guide the tone of
a film, then Agnes Verda is the most successful of all directors.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even in the darkest of her films, she finds a
way to infuse a lighthearted joy, allowing us to smile in surprising moments in
her protagonist’s struggles. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a
collection of real people, including the director herself, gathering up the
discarded elements of our society and find it useful and even necessary.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We see a number of people on the edge of
survival, and yet they matter-of-factly, even happily, pursue their lives,
whether chosen or not.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.eatmedaily.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eatmedaily.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/hearts.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the struggle
there is joy, there is joy in the struggle. We might feel defeated, but we still must struggle, not just for ourselves, but for those around us. And in that struggle, we need to laugh and make light of ourselves. We need to feel the joy of love. And in the midst of our joy, we need to recognize that it is also hard work, to keep afloat in a world with so much opposition, with so much difficulty. Along with the joy, we can feel a pride in the work of love and compassion we participate in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>
Also watch: In America, 7<sup>th</sup> Heaven, Tideland</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep reading our blog series, <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></span></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-39473207660349200172016-12-06T12:13:00.000-08:002016-12-06T12:13:03.958-08:00Cycles Return: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoUtol0did2JJb1EaZhj3TdkH6B1MagjYyzOxFqaTs52ToLMRxyHT48X2xxIs4BGP36TAfNtkrkB4tg29dyA0dd82WqoOd7n4rQ5HCPfXIQu_yju21ioiaMWm9JJ-Hs1VtZPScMV4Shw/s1600/Spring+Summer+Fall+Winter+and+Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoUtol0did2JJb1EaZhj3TdkH6B1MagjYyzOxFqaTs52ToLMRxyHT48X2xxIs4BGP36TAfNtkrkB4tg29dyA0dd82WqoOd7n4rQ5HCPfXIQu_yju21ioiaMWm9JJ-Hs1VtZPScMV4Shw/s640/Spring+Summer+Fall+Winter+and+Spring.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite the title, this film is not about a year, but about a lifetime that
takes place at a hermitage on a beautiful tiny island/dock in the middle of a
lake. A young boy is raised by a monk
and goes through struggles, rebellion, despair, and eventually returns to take
the place of the monk. The protagonist
must make changes in his own attitudes and how he sees the world in order to
fit where he belonged in the first place. </span></div>
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<a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/c5/9d/0632793509a004146f9a4110.L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/c5/9d/0632793509a004146f9a4110.L.jpg" height="173" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring</i> reminds us that no matter what
struggle or difficulty we find ourselves in, no matter how the world seems to
encroach on our freedoms and our abilities to do what we must, in the end, our
lives are a cycle, the world is a part of a larger cycle, and all things come
back to where they should me, if we would but endure. At times, being who we should be then patiently
enduring in that being is the best we can do, and we can watch the world return
to where it should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>
Also watch: Wild Strawberries, Ikiru, Temple Grandin, Boyhood</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep reading other posts in the series: <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></span></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-37726707346533800112016-12-04T11:26:00.000-08:002016-12-04T11:26:01.832-08:00Simple Joys: The Scent of Green Papaya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvR33YqMr217ZcwgMAjeF8xeBTO-MVysuRxOKg7bMQWCj6GEYI8uBVHtbtVl1XjSoS-VqfXYpaQHcz4gbWfqnLIf5Wvs7VtMexohzfTCO5mSCv_a-WGLor7YxJWTPcF9J96seVB5TOiE/s1600/The+Scent+of+Green+Papaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvR33YqMr217ZcwgMAjeF8xeBTO-MVysuRxOKg7bMQWCj6GEYI8uBVHtbtVl1XjSoS-VqfXYpaQHcz4gbWfqnLIf5Wvs7VtMexohzfTCO5mSCv_a-WGLor7YxJWTPcF9J96seVB5TOiE/s640/The+Scent+of+Green+Papaya.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A deceptively simple film, we see a girl growing into
herself through cooking, serving and dreaming. Although she is in a Vietnam of
conflict, she is a servant with no way out, she is hopeless and helpless, yet
the film doesn’t look at that reality.
It focuses on her joy in life, in food, in relationships. And that joy is infectious. </span></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQy9F1wayBdcFODbd-Rat5l2HiP2TqiCnHaCtxvdgVLTdUTi36C8w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQy9F1wayBdcFODbd-Rat5l2HiP2TqiCnHaCtxvdgVLTdUTi36C8w" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not all of us can see the joy in life,
especially in a time of conflict. I know
I can’t, not always. But we should allow those who
can find joy in simple things to inspire us, and we shouldn’t ever dampen what
they understand: that God has given us the simple things to enjoy and we should
let that happiness pierce through the skin of darkness that seems to surround
us.<br /><br />We need to experience the sensuousness of texture, the delight of a quiet conversation, the sacred presence of a good meal. The refreshing bath of a beautiful film. No matter what hell goes around us, we can still take time for joy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>
Also watch: Bright Star, Life in a Day, Alamar, Babette's Feast</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read more of this blog series, <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></span></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-13458403868890863032016-12-03T20:55:00.000-08:002016-12-03T20:55:08.631-08:00Arrival: Communication and Truth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/arrival/images/thumbnail_24771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/arrival/images/thumbnail_24771.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Chatter, beautiful noise, static, prattle, nonsensical, overwhelming talk. It is Starbucks music to my soul, easily ignored until I despise it, ready to attack. It is my fear and focus of my anger, and yet, and yet, it is the core of love.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/arts/movies/2016/11/161108_MOV_ARRIVAL.jpg.CROP.promo-xlarge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/arts/movies/2016/11/161108_MOV_ARRIVAL.jpg.CROP.promo-xlarge2.jpg" height="142" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Arrival</i> begins near the end of Close Encounter. After the Up-like prologue (another few minutes and I'd have been bawling), the aliens have arrived and the government was communicating with them. But they are at an impasse, so they gather Louise Banks and Ian Donnelly to find out what is really going on-- are the aliens attacking, are they wanting to help? The pair immediately are allowed on one of the ships. Ian looks at the landscape scientifically, overjoyed with new discoveries, but scared out of his wits internally. Louise is a linguist, and she clearly is frightened, but the enormity of the puzzle captivates her. How will she learn to speak to these octopii who don't share even the fundamentals of human language? Stakes raise, there is betrayal and power trips and so much more, getting to the core of human nature.<br />
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<a href="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/arrival-movie-4-e1471529984165.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/arrival-movie-4-e1471529984165.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I was captivated. The aliens were simply not alien enough for me, and the communication happened too quickly, even under such enormous time pressures. But so much of it is wonderful. First of all, thank you, thank you, that the central event doesn't take place in New York or San Francisco, but the middle of nowhere in Montana. Similar to Close Encounters' Wyoming, perhaps, but good enough for me. The script lays out both the political puzzle and the intellectual exercise with increasing drama on both sides, increasing the tension and curiosity. The score is easily the best one this year, both appropriate and innovative (I'm listening to it again right now). The acting was fine, perhaps Whittiker was distracting occasionally, and the effects were thankfully subdued so as not to distract. Frankly, this tops my list for this year.<br />
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***<br />
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<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aTNJtEXYsyw/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aTNJtEXYsyw/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Would that I had time to explain the themes of the film, so rich, full of the back and forth of seeking that which is most important.<br />
<br />
There are, in this human world, two themes that push and pull us. Language v. Science, Communication v. Truth.<br />
Communication opens doors; to truth before communication is to close doors<br />
Communication empathizes; truth assumes<br />
Communication is human; truth is nature<br />
Communication leads to mercy; truth is without compromise<br />
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<a href="http://img.wennermedia.com/social/amy-adams-arrival-trailer-goes-space-travel-4a830fa0-062c-4ff7-aa04-a4a94bccb9ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img.wennermedia.com/social/amy-adams-arrival-trailer-goes-space-travel-4a830fa0-062c-4ff7-aa04-a4a94bccb9ed.jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a></div>
Truth does not give any space for the human, for the person, the individual doesn’t matter<br />
<br />
Communication is the necessary white around the yoke of truth, it comes before, it comes after, it cushions, it comforts, it is the home of truth.<br />
<br />
Truth, without that cushion, is a hard, bare stone. Impossible to swallow.<br />
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<br />
Fear does not close communication, but allowing fear to rule closes all paths to truth.</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-69897772137942730442016-11-30T11:10:00.000-08:002016-11-30T11:10:05.327-08:00Find Family Where You Can: You Can't Take It With You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc1BMExq_vA6iRvhc_I6rfiPwXc8mMJhEEA7uPUPYkzqTvZ8O-o2p4NRbAa_jDof07h5-3r-A3pobuAJd7U4BKKLqbZToMz4_BuMWwkthA9Hm-vEgCuBWHan1OSgmh0lX4kK3HsIJIRw/s1600/You+Cant+Take+It+With+You.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNc1BMExq_vA6iRvhc_I6rfiPwXc8mMJhEEA7uPUPYkzqTvZ8O-o2p4NRbAa_jDof07h5-3r-A3pobuAJd7U4BKKLqbZToMz4_BuMWwkthA9Hm-vEgCuBWHan1OSgmh0lX4kK3HsIJIRw/s400/You+Cant+Take+It+With+You.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This early Frank Capra film gives us what we see
often in later film: A group of rag-tag misfits who stick together although the
odds are against them. Some of them are
related, some are not, but the point is that they are family because each of
them have a unique vision of life and they are all encourage to pursue that
vision. Each have a skill that they practice and they are given that chance to
promote their own personal growth, despite the way they look. </span></div>
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<a href="http://eeweems.com/capra/_imagery/_you_cant_take_it/table_scene_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://eeweems.com/capra/_imagery/_you_cant_take_it/table_scene_500.jpg" height="327" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We
are encouraged to find families, not necessarily connected through flesh and
blood, of people that will support us being who we are, and will find ways to
help us use our skills, even if they are rare.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>
Also Watch: Notting Hill, Delicatessen, Another Year, the Toy Story films</i></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read more of this blog series, <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></span></span></div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-77917318204498405222016-11-27T10:57:00.002-08:002016-11-27T10:57:27.154-08:00Look for Friendship with Enemies: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://mostlyfilm.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/blimp-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://mostlyfilm.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/blimp-poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Powell and Pressburger are at their best when they claim to
be giving you one genre, in this case a war film, but end up giving you
something much better and surprising. This film depicts the friendship between
a British General and a German officer through the wars of the first half of
the 20<sup>th</sup> century. Their
relationship began as a rivalry between enemies, and then grew to grudging
respect and then complete admiration, despite being on different sides and
having wildly different opinions. </span></div>
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<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2012/5/15/1337096394662/The-Life-and-Death-of-Col-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2012/5/15/1337096394662/The-Life-and-Death-of-Col-008.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even
so, we must realize that our allies and supporters might not come from people
on “our” side. Sometimes people who
disagree strongly are still the human connection we need to keep going in life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>
Also watch: How to Train Your Dragon, Catch Me If You Can, District 9, Joyeux
Noel, The Son</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Read more of <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></i></span></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-17230932270306451752016-11-27T10:47:00.000-08:002016-11-27T10:48:57.309-08:00Movies Illuminate the Way Forward (Introduction)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Km1gSuDzN8/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Km1gSuDzN8/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossroads</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many of us are living in anger right now. Anger at the “other side” who is trying to
take our world from us. Anger at
ourselves for not doing enough. Anger
at people who are stupid, just so stupid, because they can’t see what is
real. Many of us live with just a spark
of hope, or with despair because we don’t know what the future holds.<br />
<br />
I’m here to tell you that movies can help.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uWP2iFOSaoc/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uWP2iFOSaoc/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast Away</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, frankly, any complex text might be able to help us. There is truth in every section of the
library, in every art, and there is lie.
We need to seek it out, to find what is true for us. But I believe that movies, yes, even movies,
can guide us to hope in a world of anger and despair. They can give us a path forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Movies, for the most part, are stories. Sometimes stories with a moral, sometimes
just stories to entertain us. But within
all of these stories is a piece of our own humanity. And it is that humanity that gives us the way
forward. Over the next number of posts
today I will be presenting a set of movies that I believe give us a way forward
in an uncertain world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on this link to read the full set: <a href="http://bloggingmoviesrus.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Way%20Forward" target="_blank">The Way Forward</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpJCKfzxLtRp66UkEAq28jCbQ9_JuI79HBmBi_oAcGNN4KtzqttT9dIE9Tnu-8qZ0LzXnvl8irXLfP1X0PhidCIrz2o9ZqglqFQqrGubhbENAxbEEJqVgM-OmUUjag4yIoWNh6JYFQCc/s1600/IdahoRoad_MyOwnPrivateIdaho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpJCKfzxLtRp66UkEAq28jCbQ9_JuI79HBmBi_oAcGNN4KtzqttT9dIE9Tnu-8qZ0LzXnvl8irXLfP1X0PhidCIrz2o9ZqglqFQqrGubhbENAxbEEJqVgM-OmUUjag4yIoWNh6JYFQCc/s1600/IdahoRoad_MyOwnPrivateIdaho.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Own Private Idaho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-62598993030954838222016-11-20T20:50:00.000-08:002016-11-20T20:50:35.210-08:00The Tribe: Seeing the World through Deaf Eyes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://silentlondon.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/the-tribe-sfw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://silentlondon.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/the-tribe-sfw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you hear that sound? That is what nothing sounds like.
The funny thing about nothing is that, on this planet, it does not exist. Even
the deaf hear, through their fingertips.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent about ten years in the deaf world. I was
professionally an interpreter for the hearing impaired for that time. I
attended their churches, went to their parties, attended their classes, visited
deaf professors, went to their concerts (yes, they have concerts) and hung out
with students. And in all that time there is one word that I would never
describe the deaf world, which is silent. Every conversation is punctuated with
guttural and popping sounds. Their lives are filled with loud music, because
some hard of hearing folks can hear it, barely, and others can feel it. There
are hearing aids making loud pitched noises that the owner is unaware of. There
is always banging and loud pounding to get people's attention and because no
one is going to complain about the noise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jaredmobarak.com/wp-content/filmstills/tribe02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jaredmobarak.com/wp-content/filmstills/tribe02.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the idea that The Tribe is mostly silent is the opposite
of what I expected. These deaf people are more like very active ghosts than
real deaf folks, more reminiscent of the shadows in Vampyr I just saw. And I
think it goes along with the point. At first, the decision to not translate the
sign language I thought was to make a film directed toward the deaf. But I know
ASL, and while the folks in the deaf school used a variant of ASL, it was
mostly unknown to me. Only the deaf from the region of Europe they are in could
make it all out. I got enough clues to know that most of the dialogue is
conversation about what is just about to happen, so no one is missing more than
nuances. And deaf folks couldn't get it anyway. Sometimes conversations are
filmed from their backs, so no one could read the signs. It's all artfully
done, but communication isn't the point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, it is the opposite of the point. What we have here
is a form of Meek's Cutoff, where the hearing audience can understand for a
couple hours what it is like to be deaf. There is a whole society around you
and you can only make out clues as to what is going on, because no one is
including you. And if you are not specifically thought of and spoken directly
to, then events and motivations and intents are mysterious, until they are done
and you had no idea what was happening. Even then, you might wonder, "why are
they doing this" and only have clues as to the answer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The deaf person's most common question to a hearing person
is, "What did they say?", which is the very question the hearing
person asks again and again in this movie, but knowing that they aren't going to
get an answer, they just remain silent, mystified, and mostly bored until
something exciting, which one could never anticipate, happened. It is a full
turning of the tables.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But most hearing people wouldn't understand. They would just
say, "That film was just annoying." Right on. You got it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, it is a slow gangster flick. I agree with the point,
and I get it. That doesn't mean I was entertained as much as I was enlightened.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://drafthousefilms.com/_uploads/films/40105/the-tribe_fight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://drafthousefilms.com/_uploads/films/40105/the-tribe_fight.jpg" height="274" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-11072179997383191352016-11-20T20:41:00.001-08:002016-11-20T20:41:36.648-08:00Vampyr (1932)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://rarehorror.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/vampyrf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://rarehorror.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/vampyrf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Delayed until her servant’s due was paid in full, her death
was feared lest damnation be her fate.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Doctor, please, grant me release from
this destiny!” fell on closed ears for his lust was for blood.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Shades, broken from the stranglehold of life, sought her
release,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>For only those completely freed<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>May unencumbered seek the unchaining of another.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/VampyrMillScene.jpg/220px-VampyrMillScene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/VampyrMillScene.jpg/220px-VampyrMillScene.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A cinematic feast, Dreyer does it again, having the eye and
the power to create genius scenes. The story as a whole might be weak and slow,
but there are individual sights and scenes to keep one enthralled. The biggest
weakness of the film are the long stretches of text... I didn't know I was
going to be reading a book! But there are more than enough visual joys to make
up for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-54881324902554196592016-11-20T20:33:00.001-08:002016-11-20T20:33:33.719-08:00Primer for Activists: John Carpenter's They Live<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bingemedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/They-Live-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://bingemedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/They-Live-23.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wear my sunglasses at night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This movie was made for activists, presenting the ideas of
an extreme activist. I'm a moderate activist, myself, but I've spoken to the
extreme folks and I get it. Here's the basic viewpoint: The United States is
falling into poverty because of leaders who are taking resources and using them
for nefarious purposes. They are paying off people who might whistleblow and so
keeping them quiet. Meanwhile, your average person is on the edge of being
homeless, pushed around by those in power, numbed by television and other forms
of mass media which convince us all to consume and obey the powers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, since <i>They Live</i> is a science fiction story, the
leaders are alien businessmen and you need a pair of special glasses to see
what's really going on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In one sense, <i>They Live </i>is a spoof of this viewpoint, and a
comedy. Two guys spend almost ten minutes in a fistfight, trying to get one to
put on a pair of sunglasses, after which they are the best of friends, walking
around with bruises and puffy faces. I'm still laughing at the ridiculous of
that scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the other hand, the insidiousness of the paranoid
scenario is scary, because it is partly true, and we know it. All I have to do
is mention Dick Cheney or Edward Snowden and we know that there's something to
it. That same fight scene touches something deep, because the man who won't put
on the glasses knows that this new knowledge of the world will change him,
place him and his family in danger, and so he desperately is resisting that
insight. He has too much at stake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6M5WezzvREE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6M5WezzvREE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the knowledge is there, in the real world, and sometimes
we can't avoid it. We will often stumble upon it, pursuing our own interests. I
am involved in homelessness and I know that there are blocks to certain kinds
of homeless folks ever succeeding to fit into society, even though they are
doing nothing wrong. I also know that others are being paid hundred thousands
of dollars a year to shuffle homeless people from one street corner to another,
and to make it look as if they are really accomplishing something. I personally
know pastors and churches who are professional level societies, who talk about
justice and peace, but won't do anything about the beggars around their corner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/they-live-we-sleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/they-live-we-sleep.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I also know that this is nothing new. The issues of
homelessness and of white trash are older than the discovery of America. I wish
that we could blame our callousness and ignorance on aliens or the Illuminati
coming to take our resources. But more often than not it is bureaucracy that
stands in the way of relief. I wish that we couldn't see the messages,
"Sex is success" or "conform" without a pair of glasses on
every magazine. But it is all human, all coming out of our everyday natures. It
is all easy to see, if we would but look. The ignorance is within ourselves,
because, like Frank, we'd rather be secure than know. Because if we admitted
that we really knew how evil our culture was, then we'd have to do something
about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as the film itself, it is really well done, balancing
the two sides of hinting at paranoid reality and laughing at the same point of
view. There is but one problem: the lead actor. Roddy Piper as the lens through
which we see this world is a very poor choice. He can't even rummage through a
box of glasses believably, let alone give us a believable line reading. Never
have I missed Kurt Russel more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGmsclKY-AUzwLG4IsxqhUSiqVbbKiSN8skywvJxyhmwO1ZpOI" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTGmsclKY-AUzwLG4IsxqhUSiqVbbKiSN8skywvJxyhmwO1ZpOI" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-16119888517772734122016-08-12T21:54:00.001-07:002016-08-12T21:54:20.643-07:00Oldkid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL34LiDaYUS2j9Si7yaF5LSCmKpTRdEdsSYAxw78YFrhdZnGcJ3HUH_2KgFLapiWWKCCtDBNyWif-ye_6OqnbcN5ZZyZPWIFDxogZqIfOwCEA9qrZr4eNnOE012WynadcYbT6EEkSChE/s1600/oldkid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL34LiDaYUS2j9Si7yaF5LSCmKpTRdEdsSYAxw78YFrhdZnGcJ3HUH_2KgFLapiWWKCCtDBNyWif-ye_6OqnbcN5ZZyZPWIFDxogZqIfOwCEA9qrZr4eNnOE012WynadcYbT6EEkSChE/s1600/oldkid.jpg" /></a></div>
Oldkid was trapped in a blue event horizon accident, in which his body aged, but his mind remained youthful. Some would say childish. When he returned to earth, eons later, he was forced to return to elementary school, although in an aged body.<br />
<br />
In order to enhance his education, he dived into film, attempting to understand the world better. This was at the recommendation of his good friend, Gir, who was pretty odd looking, but he always made Oldkid laugh. Gir's good friend Zim wasn't really on the list of people Oldkid associated with. He was too screamy.<br />
<br />
Oldkid first dived into the world of Miyazaki, which caused his multiple experiments to learn how to fly. It wasn't until years later, when he watched The Wind Rises that he realized he could just board a plane.<br />
<br />
Oldkid never had kids, but he learned about children through In America, The Selfish Giant and Tideland, and he decided childhood was hard and he's glad that he skipped it.<br />
<br />
He sailed on the ocean with Russel Crowe, he walked through the door with Jim Carrey, He swam across the pool with Juliette Binoche. He had a vision of pigs with Amy Seimetz. He sang on the boat with Barbara Streisand.<br />
<br />
But he wanted more. He needed more. More life, more experiences. <br />
<br />
Oldkid couldn't stop now.</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-11549585008347599432016-08-07T19:03:00.001-07:002016-08-07T19:03:22.747-07:00Paprika<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gablescinema.com/media/filmassets/slides/Paprika_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gablescinema.com/media/filmassets/slides/Paprika_1.jpg" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first saw Paprika, I immediately placed it in my top
100. It has many elements that I dearly
love. A surrealism that reflects its
dream-like narrative that leads to many surprising moments, especially in the
introductory section. A double character
whose real life persona is melancholic but smart, and her dream counterpart who
is cheery and cheeky. Then there is the
foundational dream, supposedly created from an egotistical maniac, which is
used to invade other’s dream-states and trap them in it. All of this is simple genius and still deeply
impresses me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But in my re-watch, I realize that there is a bit too much
time spent on simple nonsense, the placement of words together that is not
supposed to make any sense, and of repeated images that are there simply to
startle. The central dream sequence
begins as nonsense, but as it becomes more elaborate, the combination of
seemingly random details become a unique art form, powerful and hypnotic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been reflecting on my long-held love of Alice in Wonderland. I deeply appreciate Martin Gardener’s notes
in The Annotated Alice, for it takes a book of nonsense, and claims that there
is meaning and intent behind the crazy images. It is a fine attempt, but in the end, even
should many of the claims be true, isn’t it still a collection of
nonsense? Does it really have any
meaning as a whole?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paprika certainly has a meaning, the narrative of mutual
appreciation, even love; the rejection of fantasy for the sake of power; the
discovery of oneself in the subconscious.
But these meanings seem shallow compared to the surreal and nonsense
that Paprika presents. Like Alice, it
works as an act of imagination. But as a
work that provides meaning to our everyday lives, less so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://onemovieeachday.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/paprika-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://onemovieeachday.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/paprika-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-64239685576670762232016-08-05T08:41:00.000-07:002016-08-05T08:41:19.081-07:00Midnight Special<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oVgxxdu-gJc/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oVgxxdu-gJc/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If an event or unique feature of reality is discovered, the
pundits come and point their fingers at it, declaring its hidden reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The government looks at it through the eyes of fear,
wondering if it might undermine the status quo.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Religion looks at it through patriarchal eyes, trying to fit
it into religion’s vortex of power, and its apocalyptic narrative of salvation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But suppose the feature was a little boy, born of normal
parents. How would they see this event?
The idea is presented in a complex way by The Exorcist or We Need to Talk about
Kevin. Here, it is presented in a
simpler, Spielbergian format. The
parents are full of love for the boy and just wants what is best for him, which
means they must run from the government and religion who has their own
assumptions at the forefront, even if that means the boy’s welfare is
secondary.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/midnightspecial/images/thumbnail_23520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/midnightspecial/images/thumbnail_23520.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think that the area that most commentators have trouble
with Midnight Special is the use of religion, which is something Spielberg
rarely commented on. They are
uncomfortable with the realistic touches, but never really grasping what the
religion was up to. The government was
almost a cliché, but the religious aspect was confusing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think this is because the Jeff Nichols is very familiar with
religion, as are most citizens of the South.
The background and assumptions of the actions of religion are easy to
understand, and the director felt that he had given enough hints for a person
familiar with the world to understand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think, however, that religion, especially American
religion, really is a mystery for most watchers of the film. The boy of the light, of the dreams, is a
text, much like the Bible. The text is
simple description, but religion comes to interpret the text in a way that
makes sense with their patriarchy, with a pure way of life. The text contains misleading statements, to
distract from the core, the significant information, but religion must receive
it all as God-breathed, as if all had equal weight. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/ht_midnight_special_film_still_mm_160401_16x9_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/ht_midnight_special_film_still_mm_160401_16x9_992.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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The boy is also an experience, bringing comfort to many,
even an obsession to experience it again.
Religion, again, must interpret and control the experience, giving it to
those who are worthy and withholding it from those who are not. Religion is about the divide between the pure
and the impure by whatever measure their traditional culture is comfortable
using. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, the film is right. Religion is a manner of looking at a unique
reality, but it never grasps the core.
The core is love, which is benefiting the welfare of the other. In this case, the other is the boy
himself. The parents alone, with a
couple helpers, have that love. And love
is dangerous, for it disrupts the status quo.
Religion and government must, in the end, oppose love when love
disrupts. Religion and government are
about retaining the knowledge and way of life that they appreciate and
understand. Love lets the new reality
settle in, because people are at stake. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-3744695153195810842016-08-05T08:35:00.000-07:002016-08-05T08:35:15.995-07:00Knight of Cups<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fc6c4ade4c8230beb5a8d47a20ed0e0f97ff56ea/c=0-293-5760-3547&r=x1683&c=3200x1680/local/-/media/2016/03/08/Phoenix/Phoenix/635930647641980534-knight-of-cups-KoC-11098-rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fc6c4ade4c8230beb5a8d47a20ed0e0f97ff56ea/c=0-293-5760-3547&r=x1683&c=3200x1680/local/-/media/2016/03/08/Phoenix/Phoenix/635930647641980534-knight-of-cups-KoC-11098-rgb.jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Love is the answer<br />
All you need is Love<br />
What the world needs now is Love, sweet Love<br />
Give me Love, give me Love, give me peace on earth</i><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After Badlands, Terrance Malick has become less and less
interested in narrative. His plots are
not so much stories as outlines on which to hang prayers, quotes, silent
conversations and aphorisms. They are
not stories so much as meditations on themes found in stories, while the events
fade more and more into the background.
To watch a Malick film is not to wonder what will happen next, but to
learn about reality. For this reason,
there is a divide between watchers of his films—those who grow to hate them
because of their apathy about narrative and those who desire them because they
teach us how to live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/knight_of_cups_malick_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/knight_of_cups_malick_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the surface, Knight of Cups is about Christopher Bale, a
successful man in Hollywood, watching him grasp and fail at relationship after
relationship. Looks of love, lust,
anger, doubt and disdain pass over the faces of the characters, while their
silent questions and longings we hear over the meditative soundtrack. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a sense, this is a gentle sermon on vice. How one should not live a life. Sermons on vice are the most difficult to
sell in this day and age. No one wants
to be told what not to do. They want to
know about possibilities, about freedom.
Malick asserts that true freedom can only be held in true love, but
there are many distractions in the world that keep us from truly understanding
love. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love/Grace is the answer, what creates the world, what grows
the new into peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why, when there are so many pursuing love that things get so
screwed up? Many who proclaim Love and
live Love are as depressed, as despondent, as desperate as anyone else. How can this be? If Love is the answer, shouldn’t it be the
answer for everyone?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/B5LJmxECQAEpH_5-620x256.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/B5LJmxECQAEpH_5-620x256.png" height="132" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem is that those looking for Love seek love
instead. The seeker of Love heads into
the world<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People forget that they are looking for pure love, and get
distracted by the many things that look and feel similar to love, but isn’t. Lust, jealousy, control, wielding power,
promiscuity, fantasy, adultery—all of these look like love from a certain
viewpoint, but all fall short of what love is really about. It is about seeing, really seeing the person
in front of you and providing them with a human connection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just knowing that isn’t enough, however. We have to go through a certain path to achieve
Love. We must rid ourselves of
distractions, of the many voices and mini-dramas of our lives, and simply,
quietly, silently find Love within ourselves. This is the beginning of our life of Love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Screen-shot-2014-12-15-at-4.25.56-PM-e1418679905760.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Screen-shot-2014-12-15-at-4.25.56-PM-e1418679905760.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knight of Cups is a difficult film. It is difficult to see pieces of narrative
without a cohesive whole. It is
difficult to see visions, no matter how beautiful, without a real resolution,
without a real conclusion. This is a
film about the life of the soul, which is difficult to see, so Malick made it difficult
to watch. We are to feel, to
listen. For a film so busy with fleeting
images, chopped conversations and with quotes from Augustine, Pilgrim’s Progress
and more, it is difficult for it to lead us to its ultimate goal: get away from
all this and be silent. It means to make
us uncomfortable with the busyness of the world, and to seek a pure Love. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-62870877168189336272016-07-17T20:54:00.000-07:002016-07-17T20:54:32.786-07:00Titus: Brutal Shakespeare<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://thedrunkenodyssey.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/titus-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://thedrunkenodyssey.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/titus-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is my second Shakespeare adaptation of 1999, yet the
two films couldn't be more different.
Not just because one is a comedy and this is a tragedy, but the approach
to filming Shakespeare is different. In
A Midsummer Night's Dream, the whole of the film could be on a stage, and the
focus in on performances. In Titus, the
idea is to take some of the strange notions of the film and to turn it into a
surrealist cinematic revenge fantasy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, the text. This
might be the most brutal of Shakespeare's plays. There is murderous justice, amputations,rape,
false accusations, and so much more violence that is difficult to describe. It
might be torture porn for the late 16th century. It's intention is to shock, to stir in us a
lust for revenge, to see the final actions of the play to be just. In the end, however, it is just a opportunity
to speak of the futility of revenge, and the horrible nature of those who take
part in it. Since this is an early
Shakespeare play, we might not be surprised to find the characters
two-dimensional and myopic but given the nature of revenge theatre, this is not
a bad thing. There is no Hamlet or
Macbeth here, debating the nature of their actions and their consequences, no
self-doubt. Every actor is completely
convinced in their paths, even if the full sum of their lives be evil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn5.movieclips.com/sony/t/titus-1999/0546398_28449_MC_Tx304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn5.movieclips.com/sony/t/titus-1999/0546398_28449_MC_Tx304.jpg" height="216" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The play was dismissed and rejected by critics for
centuries, but this movie gives it a rightful place in entertainment
history. It is a surreal deconstruction
of violence in any age- whether personal
or national. Soldiers in a mass-dance
celebrating their bloody victory; a world of blues and blacks and greys; a
woman with sticks poking out of her arm stumps; fascists scream in ancient
Rome, flags flying; a boy's fantasy of war with action figures and ketchup
become real. This is a real work of
imagination, a Lynchian nightmare drenched in Kubrick's A Clockwork
Orange. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D2F-9gXGJlc/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D2F-9gXGJlc/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This sounds like a horrible experience, but there is one
release-- the gore takes place off screen.
This film doesn't revel in blood and guts. The target of the horror is not the churning
stomach, but the churning heart. We
wince at the actions not because they show too much violence, but because of
the depth of evil and depravity that occur.
Anthony Hopkins turns from a noble Odin figure to Hannibal Lecture in
this film. Titus feigns insanity, but
the insanity that truly captures his heart is one of bloody vengeance, and
every horror unfolds to another more horrible. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not for the faint of heart, yet it is a powerful adaptation
of a lesser play by the Bard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://image.nj.com/home/njo-media/width620/img/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/17355356-mmmain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://image.nj.com/home/njo-media/width620/img/hudsoncountynow_impact/photo/17355356-mmmain.jpg" height="256" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-47098642817916082972016-07-17T20:22:00.000-07:002016-07-17T20:22:17.602-07:00O.J.: Made in America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2016/06/17/17-oj-made-america.w529.h352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2016/06/17/17-oj-made-america.w529.h352.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm just the opposite of a sports fan, but I'm starting to really dig the ESPN 30 for 30 docs. I finished Fantastic Lies last month, and it showed how sports can be intimately intertwined with racial politics and the justice system. Now, with O.J., we have the magnum opus of such docs.<br />
<br />
I am a serious Black Lives Matter supporter. Not so much that I go to protests (I limit my public activism), but I am a staunch defender of the movement and I have seen the stats that support most of what they say. There is certainly racial injustice against African Americans. Mind you, the same exists for Native Americans and Muslims and there is severe classism against the homeless. But civil rights for African Americans is far from over. The videos are just the dramatic moments. The reality is a huge percentage of the black male population in prison. <br />
<br />
Never have I seen a better cultural analysis of the very things BLM exposes, and the consequences of that exposure, than this O.J. documentary. Part of its power is the leisure with which it could easily explain the huge context in which O.J.'s famous trial was placed, going back to the Los Angeles of the 40s. By the time the doc was half over (about three hours) I was thinking, "Is all this really necessary?" The short answer is: Yes. Absolutely. This story has to be told in this length, now, today, in 2016. And it needs to be seen by everyone.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://nypdecider.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/oj-nicole.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://nypdecider.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/oj-nicole.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=600" width="320" /></a></div>
I am white, was raised white, accepted white religion, and never thought about my whiteness until I went to India, but still didn't take it very seriously until a few years ago, especially as my poor but white children went to schools that were predominately African American. When the OJ trial occurred, I was one of most whites who were mystified at the verdict of the trial. The answer seemed obvious. But this film explains that there is more than one answer, more than one verdict. There is the verdict of this one man in this one circumstance. There is the verdict of the black community who needed justification more than justice. And there is the verdict of the jury who had been isolated for 2/3 of a year for a mostly unpaid job they never applied for.<br />
<br />
But there is also the context of celebrity, the context of a people pleaser, who was just doing what he could to be loved, but who was self-centered enough to be unable to see when his superficial care wasn't enough for the people who loved him. This film is seven and a half hours long, and it is almost as complex and insightful as The Human Condition at 9 hours. Perhaps OJ's themes aren't as widespread, being a distinctly American story, but it is powerful. It's problems are the limitations of documentary work-- having to deal with previous filmed footage, of mixed quality. It may not look great, but it is better than any of Ken Burns' works, for you can't read this story in history books. It is the story we are still living out.<br />
<br />
Today a number of police officers were shot and three killed in Baltimore because a lone Marine felt that no one was listening to the plight of the African American community. That the protests and videos simply aren't working. And while he was horribly, evilly wrong to think that shooting officers solves the problems, this documentary shows that he was right about one thing-- no one ever listens.<br />
<br />
The oppression doesn't change.<br />
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<a href="http://l1.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MOrrTjgspfp.tiagzhc12g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NjMwO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2016-06-08/52de8840-2dcd-11e6-82b1-35dac2968c6f_OJ-mod-art1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://l1.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MOrrTjgspfp.tiagzhc12g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NjMwO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2016-06-08/52de8840-2dcd-11e6-82b1-35dac2968c6f_OJ-mod-art1.jpg" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-86374939432774284002016-06-19T15:44:00.001-07:002016-06-19T15:44:19.780-07:00Roger Deakins: Master Cinematographer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://bradsowter.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/nineteen-eighty-four-220312.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://bradsowter.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/nineteen-eighty-four-220312.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>From 1984</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://media0.giphy.com/media/TFja1xlGdSigU/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/TFja1xlGdSigU/200_s.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>From The Assassination of Jessie James</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://media0.giphy.com/media/wXtDhryksJDeE/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/wXtDhryksJDeE/200_s.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>From Doubt</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://14shadesofgrey.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/secretgarden015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://14shadesofgrey.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/secretgarden015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<i>From The Secret Garden</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/8880938/1118full-barton-fink-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/8880938/1118full-barton-fink-screenshot.jpg" height="216" width="400" /></a><a href="http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/8880938/1118full-barton-fink-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i style="text-align: left;">From Barton Fink</i></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://karstenkares.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/fargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://karstenkares.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/fargo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
From Fargo</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE4MzQ4Mzk5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzI4NDUxMg@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE4MzQ4Mzk5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzI4NDUxMg@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE4MzQ4Mzk5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzI4NDUxMg@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i>From Revolutionary Road</i></a></div>
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<a href="https://media3.giphy.com/media/wKZSQ2qSE11QI/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/wKZSQ2qSE11QI/200_s.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<i>From Sicario</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.themoviedistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nocountryforoldmen03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.themoviedistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nocountryforoldmen03.jpg" height="171" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>From No Country for Old Men</i></div>
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<i>From The Man Who Wasn't There</i></div>
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<a href="http://oneperfectshotdb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/assassination-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://oneperfectshotdb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/assassination-1.jpg" height="260" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>From The Assassination of Jessie James</i></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-41335966446089620982016-06-19T15:17:00.000-07:002016-06-19T15:17:04.968-07:0045 Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Muted cries and echoed laughter, banished dreams that
never sank in sleep/Every ghost that calls upon us brings another measure in
the mystery..</i>." -Dan Fogelberg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can the spirits long past, ghosts of who we once were, haunt
us so impressively that our future is irrevocably transformed? The past selves
are never disappeared ages ago, for our former selves has made us who we are.
Without them there is no us. And our feet are forever trapped in the clay of
our former actions, beliefs and experiences.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My real question about the film is that an event in the far past, overwhelmed by a lifetime of memories, settled arguments and decisions to remain... would the memories, no matter how potent, really cause such an earthquake?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Almost perfect acting by the two leads.</span></div>
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Steve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.com0