Made it to LA!

We made it!

Phew it was a long trip from Iowa to California.  Trevor and I packed up our Civic on Tuesday night and left Wednesday morning.  He was pretty sure that I was going to bring too many clothes, but we did the "no box" method and put all my clothes in a couple of laundry baskets.  Which left room for a WHOLE tub of shoes!

Our first stop was in Boulder, Colorado, where we visited my aunt and uncle and cousins.  The drive through Iowa was smooth early in the morning, but by the time we ran into Omaha and the rest of Nebraska the roads were surprisingly busy!  For a state that has a 75mph highway, not many people go the speed limit, let alone go the traditional 5 over.  However, when we moved to I70 in Colorado it was fast fast fast from there.  Anyway, my aunt runs an organic day care.  Trevor had never been to Boulder and we went on a little driving tour of the city, and walked through the UC-Boulder campus.  My cousin, Cella, who just finished her freshmen year of high school, is an avid soccer player and just joined a new regional team.  We picked her up from practice and headed home for a great meal made by my aunt.


Trevor and I left early and drove to Las Vegas (because I had never been!)  We quickly came up to the Rocky Mountains and some of those steep hills going down were SCARY!!!  I have a really good friend who is terrified of heights (to the point of crying if you talk about sky diving), and recommended to her that she never drive I70... both through Colorado and Utah.  The beginning of Utah was nice and 80mph!!  I had never seen the desert and it was fun to look at the surprising beauty of the hills and dust.  Then we started getting back to some hills and canyons and that's when I got really nervous to drive.  I'm not terrible with heights, but they do make me uneasy!!  Trevor lovingly took an 8 hour driving shift so I didn't have to feel nervous.  But once we got close to the Arizona boarder... I was OFF!!!


I'll get more into it, but I hadn't had a lot of time to work on my script supervising class, but tried to retime the script in the car.  It was unsuccessful since I get car sick if I read in the car.  Anyway, Trevor and I made it to Las Vegas and stayed at Harrah's along the strip.  It was a wonderful time of people watching, seeing the Bellagio fountains and coming out ahead in Blackjack.  And the buffet of course!


So now here I am in Los Angeles and the first thing we did before moving in to my new place was go to a camera, grip and audio expo!  WOW WOW WOW!!  It was on the back lot of Paramount Studios and Trevor and I were a little star struck by the sound stages and what was filmed/being filmed in them.  My knowledge of cameras and grip is good enough to be able to communicate to the Director of Photography (DP) what it is I'm trying to make in the image, but when minute little details in different brands of lights, rigs, and cameras, then I start to get a little lost.  But man, there were a lot of drones for cameras!!

I'm staying on the UCLA campus and it is very nice and I feel very safe.  Trevor and I are going to take the Big Blue Bus down to Santa Monica soon - right after lunch as I start my internship tomorrow!!  We'll spend the afternoon on the beach :)

Yup I'm back!

Well well...

First, I just want to say that I have a website which keeps tabs on my professional life right here!

In the time that I wrote my last post (9/11/11) to now, a WHOLE lot has changed in my journey to filmmaking.  I'll give a very very brief update.

I was still taking classes at the University of Iowa when I went to 11 schools that I was interested in attending graduate school.  I compiled a my list from The Hollywood Reporter and went from there.  Between March through August of 2012 I went to visit:

1. AFI
2. USC
3. UCLA
4. Chapman
5. Loyola Marymount
6. University of Texas - Austin
7. NYU
8. Columbia University
9. Florida State University
10. Columbia College
11. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee 

All are from that list except for Columbia College (in Chicago).  I happened to stumble upon a poster for their school when I went to visit University of Texas - Austin.

I could go through all the personal pros and cons for each school, but if you really wanna know, you're more than welcome to contact me.  Anyway, I only applied to 9 of those schools; I didn't apply to NYU or FSU.  But you can bet your ass that it was a long, tedious and tiring (not to mention $$)  process filling out all of those applications, because even though some asked for the same thing, they all had different parameters.  Heck, it was tedious to link all of the admission sites for all of my loyal readers out there (BWA-HAHA)

Long story short, I was accepted to Columbia College Chicago in January of 2013.

It is a 2 year program (less money to spend) and is either a 3 hour drive (taking I-80) or 2.5 hour drive (taking I-88... with tolls) from Iowa.  I also have a lot of friends who are from the Chicago area (the University of Iowa undergraduate program is about 40% Illinois residents from the Chicagoland area... Go Hawks...).  More importantly I felt this was the right fit for me; I wasn't intimidated by the city, living alone or the college.  I felt like I wasn't going to get lost in a crowd, or go through a filmmaking factory (per se).

So as of today, I have just finished my first year here at Columbia.  I screened my final project and overall it went well.  One thing that I have to giggle about now is how different the final screenings are from UIowa to Columbia.  At Iowa it was like, "Bring your friends!  Your family!  It's a celebration of your work!!"  At Columbia it's like, "You are here for the critical slaughter."

I have learned a GREAT deal by coming to Columbia.  Not only about filmmaking, but also about myself and how much I can physically and mentally handle.  There are times when I felt inadequate, but I had to just keep pushing.  Because overall, this is my dream - and you never give up on your dreams.

If I could give one single piece of advice:

The worst they can say is "No".  

Really.  And even then, whatever you're after isn't out of the question.  One of the classes I took this semester was an Assistant Directing Workshop, and my professor, Mark, gave one of the best lessons in marketing yourself.  "They don't want to know about you.  They want to know what you can do for them.  Then you tell him that you WANT to (insert whatever it is you want to do) for them.  Who do I need to talk with?" 

Anyway, while at Columbia I directed 2 films.  Tag and The Same.  Both can be found on my website.  I love directing, and I love the feeling of watching something you've written come to fruition.  I don't want to sound like a dick either, but having the "all mighty" power to tell people what you want and they're bending backwards to get it done is humbling and satisfying.  

This semester I also finished a semester internship at a post-production house here in Chicago called The Colonie.  I'm not one for editing (although I think I'm decent at it using FCP... 7 not 10), but I gained so much from sitting around the editors.  I learned their work flow, and the day-in-day-out routine.  The clientele and their expectations from the editors.  The relationships between editor, colorist, audio engineer, and composers.  Most of all, the bitching and complaining when somebody doesn't have COVERAGE COVERAGE COVERAGE!  In case you're interested, I watched the wonderful Bob Ackerman make this commercial (which aired during this year's Academy Awards).  He's a great guy and a wonderful mentor.

However, I had the wonderful WONDERFUL opportunity to learn what a Script Supervisor is and their job on set.  It's awesome!  In one very short and vague description, they are the person who makes sure that the continuity of the script is correct (since film is shot out of sequence).  You make sure that the actor is picking up that steaming coffee with their right hand as they are about to say "Good morning."  And then when you go back to that same scene 4 days later, make sure their fingernails are the correct length from before.  (I'm exaggerating about the fingernails, but you better make sure that they are wearing the same watch, nail polish, coat, etc.... and that the clock on the back wall reads the same time as before.)  

This summer I'm very excited to take a professional Script Supervising course with Dawn Gilliam.  I cannot tell you how excited I am.  I mean look at this amazing woman's IMDB page.  That's crazy!  I love the position and hope to start getting on sets in that capacity.  Not to mention that the script supervising community is extremely close and really do look out for one another.  

Also this summer I am moving out to Santa Monica to work an internship at Revelations Entertainment.  There I will be doing mostly script coverage (which is good for me because I need to work on my own script writing) and possibly help with acquisitions.  They are also moving to a new office space, so helping with archiving materials for the move is also going to be one of my jobs.  It was mentioned that I may have the chance to get some on set time, but I won't hold my hopes too high, but it would be a dream come true.  

I have also been on the prowl for a second internship (or part time job), but I am happy with where I am now.  Maybe I'll find myself a little PA job.  But I can tell you what, when I have the time, you can find me on Santa Monica Beach!  

WHEW!!

Honestly, if you have any questions about my journey I would love to share them with you.  I will update my page as much as possible as I go out to Santa Monica and keep it real!

9/11

Hey everyone.  I had actually started a post called 'O How The Hatred Floweth' which was about Iowa's rivalry with Iowa State.  But after watching the coverage for 9/11, I felt that it was inappropriate because we're all Americans and an insignificant and superficial football game can't change that we are united on this day.

I promise not to post my 9/11 experience every year, but seeing as this is the 10th anniversary, I feel that I need it. 

It was just after my 16th birthday.  Our first block of the day was marching band, and since we used blocks (instead of periods) the choir came out to the marching band field for the last 45 minutes.  One of the guys in my section told us that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Centers.  At first I thought it was something like the airplane that had crashed into the ski lifts in Italy back in 1998, which to my recollection was the first time I had ever heard of a plane going down.

I went out for the rest of the block with this feeling that nothing but an accident had occurred.  I had gone to New York many times before 2001.  My mom had frequent business trips there.  If I could take a guess how many times a year she went, I would go with something like 30ish.  She was there a lot.  When I was 11, she took me to the top of the WTC... I believe it was the north building.  But, we went to the top on September 11, 1996.  The picture of me across the NYC skyline sits in a frame, and it's an eerie feeling knowing that I'm here but no one will be able to take a shot from that spot ever again.

So anyway, I came back into the school building to see, live, the second plane go into the south tower.  Thinking back to it now, I don't know what I thought or felt then.  Confused?  I was just so confused who would want to do this.  Watching the wide shot of the towers... they looked small on TV, and the thought that humans were in there was hard to even compute.

It wasn't until the south tower collapsed that I remembered that my mom was leaving from Chicago to go to NYC that day.  I started to panic a little and called him.  To my surprise she picked up the phone and I told her that I thought she was going to New York.  She said that she was supposed to, but the trip had been canceled early that morning.  This is my only physical connection to the disaster.  But emotionally, I was a wreck.  In school we were supposed to go to class, which most did, but I sat in the band room and cried.

It was heart wrenching to watch people jump from 100+ floors in desperation.  For me, those are the images seared into my memory... people who had families - husbands, wives, children... taking a chance that they may survive a 1,000+ ft. drop to the ground.  Some holding hands as they went.

As the days unfolded and more was learned about the events surrounding the attacks, it was amazing the kind of patriotism that followed.  My family sent supplies and gifts off to the troops ready to attack in the Middle East (to this day, I'm not really sure who is "the good guys" and "the bad guys).  The school had an extra blood drive, and throughout the rest of the year, the attacks and patriotism were mentioned in speeches and classrooms.  So to me, if Al-Qaeda's objective was to strike fear and topple our country into disarray, I was say that they made a severe miscalculation because I don't think a sense of national unity had been harnessed like that since World War II.

Today after I was coming home from my soccer game, I noticed just how beautiful it was outside.  A nice, comfortable 81 degrees... slight breeze, and a clear blue sky.  As I drove past the changing corn fields, I felt like this is what New York must have been like that day.  Beautiful, without a care in the world.  When I got home, I realized how lucky and blessed I am to have my family.  And you should be too.

So, here is my weekly blog.

The Royal Tenenbaums

I'm pretty terrible, and I didn't go to this movie in class.  But since I had seen it a while ago, I bought Netfix (the free trial) to find that Tenenbaums was definitely not available for screening.  The public library had it also checked out.  The school library keeps all the movies we watch on reserve and can't be checked out.  So, I advertise through status on Facebook if anyone had a copy that I could borrow for the night.  But instead of waiting for a reply, I just go ahead and rent it on iTunes... to find out that 2 people in town own the movie.

But the movie itself was as awesome as it was the first time.  I never really noticed how symmetrical almost every shot is.  Then when action is taking place on one side of the screen it becomes very noticeable.  One scene that comes to mind is when Royal is telling Etheline that he's dieing.  But, there's just too much to love in this movie for me to really explain it here :)

On The Waterfront

Holy freakin' WOW is this movie good.  I mean, I've seen Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, as Vito Corleone in The Godfather and (giggle) Jor-El in Superman... but nothing compares even close to Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront.  He just.... just... *swoon*... is awesome.  That and I'm a big fan of North by Northwest and had no idea that this was Eva Marie Saint's first movie.  She did an amazing job as well.  Definitely deserved the Academy for Supporting Actress that year.

Fun fact (according to my TA):  Elia Kazan was close to being black listed for making this film.  It had some communist sentiments in it... and of course this movie was made during the McCarthy era.  So, he apparently ratted out some of his workers or whoever, and got off the list.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Ohhhh what to say about this movie.  If you're reading this, you probably already know all about this one.  But, here is my short one pager I wrote.

After Harrison Ford’s iconic role in the first two of the Star Wars Trilogy (1977 and 1980), he starred in the action packed blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  This time teaming up with George Lucas, serving as producer, and Steven Spielberg, who had recently finished acclaimed movies Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Blues Brothers (1980).  With all these elements within one movie, it’s easy to see that the adventures of Indiana Jones are a sure moneymaker.  

To me, I feel like the movie was marketed, according to the formulas given in class, as “It’s like Han Solo going treasure hunting.”  It’s almost like the ultimate man’s-man’s movie, without the sex.  The movie poster has everything revolving around Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).  The other characters flank him on either side, and even the Ark helps frame him.  As for Ford himself, he is standing in an authoritative stance, shirt open, cracking a whip, all with a swashbuckler grin on his face.  Not to mention that his satchel points down to his crotch.  This is probably gearing toward a younger audience.  Contrary to another Indiana Jones poster in which Ford is directly stern faced toward the spectator and little scenes from the movie are miniaturized on the bottom.  This is probably aiming toward the Classical Hollywood audience.

As for the movie itself, the first 10 minutes tell us all about Indiana Jones in a very action packed way.  We learn that he is an adventurer who knows the sound of a gun being cocked.  We also know that he must go to hidden temples a lot since he knows a lot of the mechanics of booby traps.  Lastly, we find out that another explorer who ends up taking much of his bounty constantly stalks him.  Audiences also like stories that they have heard of in “the real world” (which is why I think comic book movies are making a big hit now), which is why the movie is probably called “the Lost Ark”.  Most people would probably think of Noah’s Ark, but probably some have heard of the Ark of the Covenant from the Bible.  I think that this maybe helped play into the high conceptness of the movie.

However, I think what does it for me is Marion, even though the movie isn’t marketed toward her.  She has a strong intelligent and fiery female presence that was starting to explicitly come out in movies during this time.  

Extra movies for the week:

I didn't have work on Monday for Labor Day, so I finished watching Howl's Moving Castle on Wednesday.  

Million Dollar Baby

I had borrowed this from my aunt back in June and still hadn't watched it.  So on Friday I felt like it was time.  And wow, did Hilary Swank really deserve the Best Actress Academy that year.  She did an outstanding job.  I had also seen Flags of Our Fathers by Clint Eastwood but felt that the tone and feel of Million Dollar Baby was more personable.  I think the lighting he used was well used.  One that I liked was the low key lighting when he was thinking about taking Swank as a student.  Even though I thought I was going to cry more in the movie, I think if I didn't know what was going to happen, I probably would have.  

One thing that just rings true to me in the movie is when Swank buys the house for her mother and the mother just FREAKS OUT!!  It's so true and how ungrateful some people can be.  And really how lazy some people can be too.  Uck... get a job.  

Flight 93

Even though I can get over emotional about movies, I decided to give the A&E movie a try.  Yeah I cried.  The movie was directed by Peter Markle.  Even though he's not some huge director there are aesthetic parts of the film that I really appreciated.  One was the use of semi-long takes.  It really helped with the intensity of the movie.  Another was the use of canted angles.... really helped with the disorientation of the passengers.  I don't think I need to go into too much detail of the movie since I think a lot of us know what happened on United Flight 93.  If you don't... it one of the most heroic acts ever.  A quote I used on FB today is:

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. -Elmer Davis

Go Hawks!

Well everyone, just like most undergrads here at the U, I am totally stoked for the football season!  We won our first game against Tennessee Tech and we have our instate rivals this weekend - Iowa State (boo, hiss).  I plan to post a picture of my weekly posters I make for work, but I will have to put the Tennessee Tech one in the next post.

As for school this is what we watched:

Children of Men

I'm sure most of us have seen it already.  However, what is fun to do is compare a director's work across genres.  In this case, Alfonso Cuarón likes the one shot with intricate choreography.  In Children of Men there is a lengthy shot of Clive Owen running through the refugee camp and dodging bullets - probably the best known and most obvious one in the movie.  In Prisoner of Azkaban this takes place while Harry is walking out of the Dursley's and encounters Sirius for the first time (spoiler alert!!)  Something that I also like is the personal qualities Cuarón brings to movies such as Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men... both of which have the qualities to make the audience uncomfortable.  Even though Luisa is having sex with some pretty young (and borderline legal) boys, Julio and Tenoch, the audience still received a certain comfort through Luisa's story and the story of Mexico surrounding the trio's road trip.  As for Children of Men, the uncomfortable level shoots SKY HIGH through the story's dystopia.  And while we're dreading living in a world that can no longer conceive children, there is a sense of hope that Kee will reach the Human Project in time to save the human race (at the end the sound of children laughing can be heard.... which is up for interpretation).

SO ANYWAY, seeing as Children of Men is a loaded movie in itself, I hope that the world will never end up like it does in the movie.

The Third Man

I'm pretty sure that I have half myself to blame but I blame the other half on the room we're stuck in to watch our Wednesday night feature.  But, I designed a great ballroom gown during this movie.  I actually really tried to get into at least the first 3 rows, but got stuck in the 5th.  Yeah that sounds pretty terrible, but I did catch some of the movie.

The Third Man is a great film noir which is known for its excellent work in cinematography.  For those of you who don't really know the difference between a producer, a cinematographer, a graffer, a best boy, a grip and all the millions of other jobs that scroll past during the credits.... I don't exactly know what a lot of them do either, but what I do know is that it is (more or less) a cinematographer's job to filter in one ear what the director's (or writer's) vision and mood of a scene is and out the other is creating the scene through lighting, camera angles, the foresight for special effects and all that jazz.  And what a Director of Photography does.... well I'm pretty sure he's the cinematographer's boss.  Ya know, I could just go Wikipedia all this and just straight out tell you, but I'm blogging about my learning process and here you have it.

So, The Third Man.... very fun and suspenseful film noir about a man (Orson Welles) who faked his death and hid about post WWII Vienna.  Well the girl causes the problems because the man is in love with her, but he faked his own death because he gave some wrong vaccines to some children... which is sad.  Anyway, as for learning about cinematography through this movie, I caught an abnormal amount of canted (or Dutch) angles, which is when the camera is tilted a little to create a confused feel.  .... and extreme high and lows.... well sue me for drawing because I can't see the film in this blasted room we have to sit in!!

Lastly, since I have to write a one page reflection on every movie we watch for my Contemporary Cinema class I'll just repost it here...

Mean Streets

The movie Mean Streets (1973), directed by Martin Scorsese, takes place in the streets of Little Italy in New York City.  It tells the story of Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and his friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) as they try to work up the ranks of the Mafia.  Charlie, known for his straight antics and debt collecting, ends up trapped by his commitment to Johnny, who owes money to multiple people.  Adding to Charlie’s anxiety is his love for Johnny’s cousin Teresa who has been ostracized due to her condition with epilepsy.

According to this weeks article, “The Sacraments of Genre: Coppola, DePalma, Scorsese”, Leo Braudy claims Scorsese as “the director who most thematizes his own authority even while he explores the final and perhaps most pervasive aspect of the intersection of Catholicism” especially within the “structure of sainthood”[25].  While I think that being a saint includes acts of selflessness and martyrdom for a justifiable cause (like Charlie’s love for his friends), Braudy says the saint in Mean Streets is Johnny due to his “self-sufficient isolation from the normal world”[25].

Braudy continues with Scoreses’ conscience authority over his work by saying “[he] considers the formal self-questioning of his own authority and complicity to be part of the story he tells” [26].  I feel that this is Scoreses’ way of asserting his authority and artistry into a movie by dramatically altering a story.  As Braudy points out that he is the gunman in the back seat of Michael’s car that shoots down Johnny and in essence ruins Charlie’s chances of hiding what is precious to him (Johnny and Teresa) and moving up the ranks of the Mafia.  For someone who is thought of as the creative mastermind behind a work, it’s interesting that a creator should kill his creation.  

So, on top of my required viewings of the week, I caught a few extracurriculars.  

The Big Lebowski

F-in' hilarious.  I never know Jeff Bridges could be so funny.  Dude, Dude, Dude... if you haven't seen this, it's great.  .... I really don't want to put anything in here to ruin the movie for you, but please... please go see it!!

probably one of my favorite scenes!!

Howl's Moving Castle

Just beautiful.  It's a beautiful story and it's beautifully animated.  There is a part where Sophie cries in agony and I couldn't help but cry with her... which made me take a step back (at work) and wonder how a very obvious animated movie could make me feel like that.  Which then made me wonder why any movie makes me feel the way I do since it's just moving images on a screen... which made me wonder why the heck I'm theorizing about this in the first place.  But I digress... The story itself, at least to me, is about the value of love over hate.  and you should just watch it.  

Metropolis

I went on a little Anime binge this week.  I think this one also has a great underlining story.  That if emotional humans depends on emotionless robots (or technology), we will end up with an emotionless world that sees itself better of that way.  This will sound ironic or hypocritical or what have you, but humans don't need to replace themselves with technology.... says the girl writing a blog on the internet.  But seeing robots function independently from humans is a little nerve racking to me... think HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  But beggers can't be choosers and I think Metropolis is a good movie that depicts this conflict.  

That and Fitz Lang used the Japanese novel of the same name for his silent movie Metropolis.  :)

   

well, that's about it for me.  I'm currently in the middle of watching Castle season 2 even though I've already seen it.  and I still want Castle and Beckett to have babies, but at something like season 10.   

 

Long Time No See!!

it's 1:30am... just waiting for the sudafed to kick in...

Sheesh!  School has really got me busy this last week!  I am taking 3 classes, all to do with cinema.

1)  Intro to Film Analysis - don't let the title fool you.  I thought it sounded like a breeze but within this last week I've learned a lot!  And it's no wonder the class is worth 4 credits!  Two movie screenings a week is a lot for me.  By Thursday I kind of feel movied out due to the effort of seriously analyzing movies you've only seen once or not at all.

2)  Contemporary Cinema - I think this class (at least according to the syllabus) sounds interesting.  It deals with movies after the decline of the studio system and classical Hollywood.  However, I kind of wish I were with the other TA that teaches the class (I had him last semester) because the one I have now just seems like he hates his life in class.  On the plus side, he's hot. 

3)  Modes of Film and Video Production - aahhhhh, my bread and butter for the semester.  The introduction production class that will be my gateway to other production classes her at the University.  I am so incredibly stoked for this class, it's not even funny.  The second day of class we were asked to write a 1-2 page personal statement on why we are taking the class.  After a lengthy 1.75 pages of my background in film (which isn't much), I said "I'm not taking this class to pass time or actually earn a physical degree since I already have one, but I'm taking this class because I hope one day making movies will be my livlihood." 

I think I'm going to color code the titles of the films just so I don't have to constantly specify which movie goes with which class.  This will be Intro to Film Analysis and this will be Contemporary Cinema.  So the movies we watched last week:


Citizen Kane
Considering that I hadn't seen the movie since I was like 12 years old, watching it again now made me respect the movie a little bit more.  I remember watching AFI present its top 100 Films in 1998 and it named Citizen Kane as the best movie of all time.  So, I went to the movie store and rented it.  Looking back, I don't know what I was expecting.  But what I did feel at the time was disappointment that an angry black and white film would be the best movie.  Even watching it again with a critical eye, I'm not sure it's the best American movie ever.  The things that the movie generally gets noted for is the technical procedures Orsen Welles uses throughout the film, which theorist David Bordwell (a University of Iowa Alum!) argues was already being used in Hollywood at the time (i.e.: showing the ceiling in shots, ... that's all I can think of off the top of my head). 

This is one of my favorite shots and really shows the use of deep focus.

The Grand Illusion/La Grande Illusion
I may or may not be a little in love with Jean Gabin.  I had seen clips from the movie before and happened to look up the Wikipedia page before coming to class.  And good thing.  I knew that the movie was being shown in a different screening room.  I was a little late, but made it right before the TA pushed play and took a seat a little toward the back.  Big mistake.  I soon realized that the room was not in stadium seating and unless you had a pretty nice people window, you could not read the subtitles 4th row and back.  So (instead of moving, because that would make way too much sense), I drew dinosaurs talking about how the room was not a good room to watch a foreign movie and read subtitles. 

So I'm sure my reputation as a responsible film student is tarnished to you!  BUT WAIT!!  If you call now you get to know that I actually checked out the movie from the public library and (plan on) watching it tomorrow... during another screening, but I've already seen Children of Men a few times.  So, bah!

Since I didn't see much of the film at the time, I happened to catch a nice one shot after the French men had started singing the national anthem during their play performance.  It was very nicely done :)



The Wild Bunch
Holy wow, kids tourturing bugs!  Aside from the amount of violence (which was considered a lot back then but probably pretty mild now) and sex in the movie, I am just not a big fan of Westerns.  I don't know what it is.  I think it may be the slow natured pace of the movie, but even with this one with constant action I felt like 'snore...'  Although, I have to admit that I was pretty antsy through the 2.5 hour movie on Thursday because it was by birthday.  Anyway, I guess overall, I'm happy I saw it.  It really showed a clear definition between Classical Hollywood and I guess what would be known as Contemporary Hollywood (or the aesthetics of what we know of Hollywood today). 

Reading this Sam Peckinpah article tonight also helped me realize just how crazy mean (yet depressingly true) kids can be!  At the beginning of the movie, a group of young children are torturing some scorpions with red ants and eventually set them all on fire.  After the opening scene gunfight, some little boys are make believe shooting at another little boy and pushing him to the ground.  While one of the Bunch's members is being dragged behind a car, some children are riding him through the streets and poking him with sticks.  But I understand what Peckinpah was trying to convey... anger, violence and sadism are just kind of a characteristic we are all born with.  Heck... that's probably why we like watching people get rocked on the football field or watch NASCAR to see a crash (even though I don't watch NASCAR... ever). 

For some reason the blood didn't look that real in the movie :p

So that's all for my weekly screenings. I will try to post by the end of the week about the movies watched in class.

PS - I also happened to squeez in Big Trouble in Little China. I'm pretty sure I hadn't seen that movie in 18-20 years. It's just fun to see all the campy effects and a young Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall. :D

Oh and Watchmen... which to me.. 7am is too early to watch a movie like Watchmen without knowing what you're getting into :)  I may also be in love with Patrick Wilson... because it took me a little bit to figure out that he was Raoul in Joel Schumacher's The Phantom of the Opera.  That and Malin Akerman is hot... which made Wilson and Akerman's love scenes especially steamy!

Captain America

Ok... vent time:  what parent pays $7.50 (matinee) for 4 bratty kids to sit through a movie?  Who is that enjoyable for?  Is that just some sick joke on everyone else in the theater?  And yes, I freaked out on these kids in the middle of the movie.  It was epic.  Probably more than the movie.

So Captain America directed by Joe Johnson... (sigh).  I didn't really have any or much expectations for the movie.  I don't follow comics except for when they're made into movies... then I'll get on Wikipedia and look up characters and their stories and see how well the movie did in comparison.  So not really knowing anything about Capt. America the story itself is pretty interesting.  Of course, this is from a person that doesn't know the characters or their stories and so the movie story is the only story I know.  So, please, if you know more about the story of Capt. America tell me how the movie did.

As for the flow... I thought it was mediocre to bad.  There was just too much jammed into one movie.  I'm not even sure if it were longer, it would still do the movie justice (it was a little over 2 hours).  I think the most intriguing part of the whole thing ended up being the development of Rogers, his journey to becoming the hero Capt. America and his romance with Agent Carter.  The whole supernatural thing with Red Skull Man (lol, the guys name really is Red Skull) and the blue cube deal was a little wacky and kind of messed with the story.  I think even if Red Skull had some nukes or something it would've been a better story instead of keeping us wondering "well what the hell does this blue cube do anyway?"  unless it is used sometime again later in canon or movies.

As a not-so-into-comics person, I enjoyed knowing that Howard Stark is Tony Stark's father.  That connection was pretty sweet.  I was almost expecting somewhere to find out that Agent Carter is actually Tony's mother.  Could be since she didn't get to finish her life knowing Capt. America.  So that was fun.

And finally, I really love Stanley Tucci.  I mean, he's just a lovable looking guy.  :)  And all I want Hugo Weaving to say is "Mr. Anderson............" and put on elf ears. 

In the movie's defense, I thought the use of color was well done.  I liked the use of the sepia "old" look used every so often.  Call me nostalgic if you will.  Cinematography was done well in some parts.  I think my favorite shot was when the bridge is separating Red Skull and Capt. America while the factory was blowing up. 

And I think Chris Evans is HHHOOOTTT .... er, good looking.  and Hayley Atwell is really pretty.  So, here's to good looking people everywhere!

ps - side note:  since I'm a big fan of The Tudors... it was fun to see Natalie Dormer be someone else besides Anne Boleyn. 

Holy Cannoli!!

It's been a long time since I've written a post!!  Sheesh!!  I know that all of my adoring fans have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting to hear from me!  (.......... crickets)

So what have I been doing.  I actually need to go back and look at my last post just to see what the last movie I watched was.

BRB.

Mk, Videodrom and Wall-E.

So since Tuesday I have written my paper on Vertigo.  After the 50th time it's still an awesome movie.  I like how the more I watch it, the more things I catch.  For example:  Hitchcock distinctly focuses on Kim Novak's profile and then the message is made clear why the profile was so important.  (When she's sitting in the green light and says "It's because I remind you of her.")

Then on Friday, I ended up working 13 hours and watched a plethora of movies!  And by plethora I mean 5.  I finished watching Bell, Book, and Candle with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak.  Just go to the end of this post to find out what it's about.

I then moved on to 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I had actually received this movie when I was 13 years old and watched it once and thought it was the most messed up movie.  However, watching it again 12 years later, I am amazed at the camera tricks Kubrick used, especially the revolving space station/shuttle thing.  I'm not sure, and I haven't looked this up (even though I'm sure it's simple to find), but I'm pretty sure N'Sync used the same tricks to film the music video to Bye Bye Bye.  Ohhhh I miss JT with the highlights (not).  I am also pretty sure Fred Astair used the same effect in Royal Wedding.

yup.

Actually before I watched 2001, I watched The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Heath Ledger's last movie).  Talk about weird movies.  At first I couldn't understand why Ledger's character kept changing in the imaginarium while no one else did... but then it made sense after I read Wikipedia.  He had died during production.  So anyway, the movie kind of messes with your perception a little.  It starts out with a sort of turn of the century traveling show and you think "oh, it's a period movie" but then you see other modern day things like the Eye of London and cars and modern magazines and then you think "What kind of weirdos willingly travel around like this?!"  It's like watching a Salvador Dali painting come to life and move. 

So other than the weird psyche of the movie, it was more alluring to watch Ledger knowing that this was his last film.  I felt the whole time I watched the little things he did.  His mannerisms, his gazes, what he touches and how he does it... etc.  It was actually kind of amazing what I felt watching him... especially knowing that this film came pretty much after Batman.  I had a little talk with my mom about young artists who died young (this started after seeing the cover of People magazine with Amy Winehouse on it).  It got me thinking about things like, "What if someone like Orson Welles or Audrey Hepburn had died young?"  Or I guess for younger people today, "What if Tom Hanks or Johnny Depp died 15-20 years ago?"

OTHER than Heath Ledger, I thought that Christopher Plummer did an AMAZING job.  I just felt so bad for him the whole time.  I kept thinking "Awww.... poor Captain Von Trapp."  What can you do?  However, it makes me want to see The Beginners even more now.  (To do list.)

Ok so... Doctor Parnassus and 2001.  Which reminds me... what the heck does the last part of 2001 mean?!?!  I've read different theories but I just want someone to say "Here it is."

Then I took out The Boondock Saints.  I know... watching the super artsy-fartsy ones on Friday.
(For time continuity sake, what's written above was done on Tuesday... it's not Friday... a week after watching Boondocks.)
I had watched the movie when I first came to college (7 years ago) because it was the "it" thing to do.  Pretty much, if you hadn't seen Boondock Saints or Supertroops you were a freak (as well as not being Liberal and a Cubs fan).  So anyway, watching it again made me convinced that I would totally to do what they do if I could get away from it... I know, that sounds a little psycho and demonic... but c'mon, after watching Oceans 11 you didn't think about robbing a bank?

I want these tattoos on my hands

After finishing Boondocks, I moved back into my Kim Novak collection and started watching Middle of the Night... which was fitting because by the time I started it, it was 1am.  It's just basically about an old man and a young woman who fall in love and in the 1950's that's not cool with anyone.  So this and and yada yada... you get the point... she's hot.  

Mk... so moving on to Tuesday.  Checking out my movies for the day at the library, the clerk (who looked a little punkish like to me) commented, "Getting into the deep stuff eh?  I dig it..."  Anyway, not only did I work a long ass day, but I watched a pretty weird ass (but beautiful!) movie.  I decided to take a stab at Raise the Red Lantern, which is a Chinese movie from 1991 (got nominated for Best Foreign Film).  It has that super simple but awesome cinematography quality to it.  All the pictures and shots were beautiful.  The storyline is a little crazy and spooky... but I guess you'll get that when you have 4 turn of the century concubines and a servant girl fighting over the Master.

Apparently, also, the movie, which was adapted from a book, is also a ballet.  I'm sure it would be beautiful to see.

Going on my Asian kick, I also got Seven Samurai!!!!!!!  I know, the film makers mecca.  I had seen the movie in my very last ever history class before I graduated and didn't pay much attention to the movie.  All I could think about was getting at least a B in the class and getting the hell out of Dodge.  So what would I care if some farmers need some samurai to save their village?!

Watching it again with a critical eye was really fun the second time around.  The use of slow motion, the angles and the panning action shots are pretty cool.  Also for a black and white, the use of the lighting was definitely noticeable.  I liked finding the conscious choices Kurosawa used in his direction.  It was just a lot of fun.  Especially when I constantly have people asking me if my A/C works in my parking booth... I really hate that question.

I really love this scene.  I wish I could find a better picture of it though.

Ohhhh, I just love Kikuchiyo.  He's so well written.  

I had also checked out The Aviator (I know Tron won the poll, but it's unavailable at the library :/).  I was interested in watching it after Raise the Red Lantern but the disk kept skipping in my player.  You bet the library will be hearing about this one!!!! :p

So tonight I watched Good Will Hunting.  Another that I had seen before but didn't really invest myself into it.  I'm pretty sure every time Robin Williams spoke I cried.  A well deserved Oscar win for him.  I also felt that Matt Damon should have gotten Best Actor, but I have never seen As Good As It Gets (which Jack Nicholson won the award that year).  If I haven't said it before, I am in love with Matt Damon.  I also thought Minne Driver was cute as hell in the movie.  And, even though I should try to limit my judgments when watching movies, I couldn't really buy Ben Affleck's performance... probably due to the other crappy performances from movies coming after Good Will Hunting. 

yup, you bet I cried at this scene

And so after I finished crying to the patrons coming through my line, I moved onto Bridge over the River Kwai.  I just love that, even though he doesn't really look like Obi-Wan Kenobi, you can tell it's Alec Guinness because of his speech.  I love the old hard-ass English man role!  But the American, William Holden, (so far) makes the Americans look like a bunch of pussies.  However, I can't cast any stones, seeing as I've never escaped from an enemy prison camp and ran through a jungle.  But compared to other Americans in other war movies.... I guess David Lean was just trying to make it more realistic, which in truth, I'm sure anyone who survives a war doesn't do it with marked grace.  

SO that's what I've been doing for this past week!  Phew!!  

PS - thanks to whoever voted that I would only make the Women's National Soccer Team if the whole league died out!  :D  

Thanks for reading!