One Post to Rule Them All . . .

I'll be blunt . . . my blogging practices have been more or less shameful this quarter. With that said, let me say that I honestly wish to redeem myself with the following post.

Simply put, film is an incredibly potent medium. It's ability to move people is unparalleled. The rhythm of music, the starkness of the visual image, the layered story-telling of the written word - they all combine in a vibrant amalgamation that is cinema.

I have always been drawn to film, even from a very young age. It has been a part of how I define myself for so long now that can't imagine life without it: both inexplicably and undeniably I am a product of the films I've seen, the celluloid stories I've been told. Certain characters that I've come to know very well - George Bailey, Jean-Dominique Bauby and Benjamin Braddock, to name a few - have been assimilated into my collective unconscious. These personalities reside in the way I hold myself: the language I use, the texture of the sentiments I espouse, the very perceptions I hold of myself are more often than not the residual effect of endless hours of film exposure. I've finally reached a point in my life where I can admit that I am inextricably linked to the films I love.

There is a beautiful (if not a bit histrionic) passage in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights that does justice to the point I'm trying to convey. Catherine, the novel's female protagonist, comes to the following conclusion concerning her lover, Heathcliff: "If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be . . . He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being." Although that may be somewhat of an intense parallel to draw concerning my relationship with film, it is worth mentioning that I feel more at home with certain films than I ever could with people. They speak to a level of my psyche that I don't completely understand as of yet - a realm rooted in reason, but so easily swayed by emotion; that can be appreciative of technique, yet revel in all that can be conveyed by feeling. I see film - and through film, I see myself. Perhaps it's more personal than the love one could hope to share with another human being. And I'm sure at this point you must be thinking that I've either lost my mind or that I'm simply writing to fill space with florid metaphors and analogies, but that simply isn't the case. I am actually that passionate about cinema, at often times feeling my life has finally become a film of its own.

I'll try to keep this discourse brief. I am a very different person because of film. It has changed the way I tell stories. It has continually altered my beliefs. And, above all things, it has allowed me to better appreciate myself and other people. There is no doubt in my mind that my future will allow me to celebrate all it is that film can achieve.

On an unrelated note, considering that this is my final blog entry, I'd just like to state that Art of Film has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Mr. Daszenski, you are a deeply gifted teacher and an insightful human being, and this class was wonderful - no doubt one of the highlights of my time spent in high school.

And I suppose that's all there really is for me to say. So, I'll just leave you with a series of images set to Radiohead's "The Tourist." Interpret as you will.




It barks at no one else but me
Like it's seen a ghost.
I guess it seen the sparks a-flowing
No one else would know.

Hey man slow down, slow down
Idiot, slow down, slow down.

Sometimes I get overcharged
That's when you see sparks.
You ask me where the hell I'm going
At a thousand feet per second.

Hey man slow down, slow down
Idiot slow down, slow down.

Hey man slow down, slow down
Idiot slow down, slow down.

"Slumdog" Soars

There are certain films out there that people should see simply for their own good. Slumdog Millionaire is such a film, blending effective story-telling, lush cinematography, and unconventional music for the sake of providing a brief respite from the numb, endless cycle of everyday life. While I do not purport this film to be the best thing since sliced bread, it nevertheless is a noteworthy triumph for director Danny Boyle and a progressive showcase of Bollywood aesthetics for an inexperienced American public.

Simply put, go see this film.

Below, the song that plays over the end-credit dance sequence (the actual dance sequence is continually removed from Youtube due to copyright laws). I dare you to remain completely motionless while listening to the infectious beat of "Jai Ho." It's a scientifically proven impossibility.

Rebel, Rebel . . . Academy Awards

The nominees have been announced. The votes have been tabulated. The actresses have starved themselves for several weeks. The moment of truth is upon us!


And the Horribly-Outdated-and-Politically-Incorrect South Rebel goes to . . .


Best Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A beautiful work of cinematic art. One of my favorite films. If you're not tearing up, you have ice coursing through your veins.

The Ishtar Award: High Noon
It had the best of intentions . . . it just put me to sleep.

Best Actor / Actress: Bogie & Bergman
Duh.

Best Kiss / Love Scene: Bogie & Bergman
Duh.

Best Divine Dog Syndrome: Peter and the Wolf
Wolves are closely related to dogs.

Best Musical Score: Chungking Express
I now have The Mamas and The Papas on my iPod.

The Pound of Flesh Award: Pan's Labyrinth
I saw this film in Spanish class, but the scene in which Captain Vidal gets what's coming to him is priceless.

Best Villain: Mr. Potter (It's a Wonderful Life)
We didn't see this film in class either, but Mr. Potter is the epitome of all that is wrong with this world.

Best Line of Dialogue: Insert various Casablanca quotes here.

Dynamic Duo Award: Chihiro and Haku
Hayao Miyazaki owns.

Best Location: TIE - Mount Rushmore & Rushmore Academy
You know it.

Unforgettable Mise-en-Scene: The shot containing the image of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X in Sal's Famous Pizzeria while the building is being burnt to the ground.

Best Hair: Becky Fischer.
Jesus wants you to look fabulous.

Film You Wish Had a Sequel: Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp II: The Wrath of Khan.

Best Concluding Shot: Do The Right Thing
It doesn't resolve anything. Delicious.

Honorary Award: Julian Schnabel
This man is my hero.

Best -Ism: German Expressionism.
It's the only "ism" I remember.

Break in Continuity: Chungking Express.
Because.

Funniest Moment: Opening credits of Dr. Strangelove.
Stanley Kubrick is one twisted f*ck. But I love it.

Most Uncomfortable Scene: The majority of Jesus Camp.
Moving on . . .

Most Challenged: Jean-Dominique Bauby
Go see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Now.

Pure Champagne: TIE - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly & Casablanca
That's all she wrote!


And there you have it! The best of times, the worst of times, the winter of our discontent, and so on! Go forth and continue to watch films!

Judge for Yourselves.

Last night I saw Bill Maher's Religulous. I'll (hopefully) write more about this film later, but for the time being let me simply post a banned cartoon featured in the film that illustrates, "the Mormon philosophy regarding the origins of mankind."

Yeh . . . it's that good.



On a somewhat unrelated note, I'd like to include some poetry I've written concerning the views I hold on institutionalized religion (in the instance of this poem, Christianity).

find jesus
lift his name on high
while mortals are
left
grappling
god, give me strength
good lord
holy, blessed
virgin-mother
guide us.

sooner
rather than later
coming
to see how
failure evolves out of
understanding how insignificant
your
abilities

cannot be
winning
into that blessed text
into a
religious epiphany of no
absolution
no solace in this
man’s heart
the
polluted chalice
cradling wine,
not salvation.

find a
personal jesus
and when he is lost
statues
run cold
icons chip
and
there is no ghostly confessor

so
find a therapist.

It's a Wonderful Film Review!

Considering that the Christmas season was just upon us, I've decided to talk a little about quite possibly my favorite film, It's a Wonderful Life.

I tried to keep it as brief as possible, but you should all know that I fail miserably at being short, sweet, and to the point. Consider yourselves forewarned.


And on that note . . . Enjoy!

An Interview with Steve Martin

Life on the stage is perhaps the most volatile endeavor one can undertake. From personal experience I can attest to how difficult it is, being up in front of an audience. All eyes fixated on you. You’ve got to be very much in the moment, living organically – believing in the truth of the story you are telling. I can also attest from personal experience that comedy, be it written or performed, is the most difficult medium to master. It requires a degree of fearlessness which few possess: you must be comfortable with yourself to the point that, should a joke fall flat, you have the resilience to continue creating, to continue dwelling in the reality of a scene or a story.

I have a great deal of admiration for individuals who pursue what they want in life, especially when the feats they wish to realize appear to them as obscure, intangible dreams. Steve Martin is such a man, leading a life that is worthy of his childhood aspirations. He is very gifted at what he does: writing, acting, and improvising all in the name of humor, of providing a brief escape from the stresses of everyday life. He’s survived for over three decades in a business where fame is known to be as fleeting as a camera flash, all the while maintaining his sense of integrity as an artist, growing as a performer and as a human being.

In speaking with Mr. Martin, I sensed that he is an individual very much grounded in what’s important – life in the limelight has not polluted his sensibilities. He can still recall life as a struggling comic, and that mentality has remained with him for the entirety of his career. Cracking an occasional joke, Steve Martin clearly evidenced that comedy permeates all facets of his existence; how it is very much a part of both his professional and personal lives.

What perhaps struck me most about Mr. Martin was how he views himself: with resolute confidence in his work. In talking about a negative review he had received for a play he had written, he spoke bluntly and concisely: he had written a play while the critic had only written a review. He can handle the acidity of an occasional bad review, put it on a shelf, and move forward – and maybe that’s why he’s been able to persist while so many of his contemporaries have fallen by the pop-cultural wayside.

To try and keep my ramblings somewhat concise, I’d like to end on a brief discussion of what it is that can be learned from performing. I had asked Mr. Martin a question along the lines of, “Does comedy help you to better understand human nature?” – to which he responded that acting, holistically taken, has helped him in everyday life to know when people are being genuine, and – at the risk of sounding like Holden Caulfield – when they are being phony.

Words of wisdom from a man who in all probability is the most genuine comedic voice of his generation.

That's When You See Stars . . .

Some of my ramblings on M, Casablanca, and Jesus Camp.

I know I've been a bum with my postings recently. Hopefully this will help get me back into the swing of things. Enjoy.