Lost vs. Set Sjunde Inseglet (1957)

So it's the summer. Television thinks thats the perfect time to stop putting out new episodes of all the good shows. A friend told me I should start watching Lost. Well i watched the 1st part of the pilot and i liked it enough so i started the 2nd part. 

There is this one dude. My friend told me he's sorta like a seer. 

I liked him the first time i saw him because he was eating an orange and he put the whole thing in his mouth and smiled. 

It made him into a kind being despite his large scary eye scar. (eye scars are always bad. Look at Scar from the lion king!) 

Anyways.

The first time you see him in the 2nd part of the pilot, he is sitting in the sand with a backgammon set.

A little boy walks over and asks him about it. 

"What is it, like checkers?" he asks,

"Not really, it's a better game then checkers." the orange dude responds.

Orange dude gives me another reason to like him. As the youth asks him about the game he never turns around. These days we are all so accustomed to needing to know who we are talking to. Orange dude talks to the youth confidentily, either

A. he really is some sort os seer and he already has some notion of who he's talking too

or

B. he doesn't need to know. he places confidence in this perfect stranger.

I love that.

people are so critical and private.

more people need to be like Orange Seer Dude.

The youth tells Orange Seer Dude that his mother died a couple weeks ago.

OSD does not give his a "i'm sorry" look 

he just says.

"your having a bad month"

(with the whole mother dying and plane crashing and being trapped on a deserted island and all)

Then orange seer dude goes on to explain how backgammon is the oldest game ever because it was played in messopotamia.

"older then jesus christ"

but that is not the point!

he starts to explain how to play the game.

"two players. two sides. one is light. one is dark." 

NOW TO GET TO MY POINT!

THE

SEVENTH

SEAL.

(a.k.a. Set Sjunde Inseglet)

made by the famous Ingmar Bergman.

In the Seventh Seal, Death sits on the beach and challanges Jons (a squire) to a game.

If Jons wins, he keeps his life. 

Seventh Seal is such a widely known peice of filmiture. Everyone knows about all the light and dark symbolism.

well, when i saw Orange Seer Dude on the Lost beach with the dark and light backgammon peices thats what i saw. Ingmar Bergman folded into american T.V.

If you haven't seen The Seventh Seal i persuade you to watch it!

i love how all this assuming is coming from someone who has only seen 1 1/2 episodes total of lost. 

as i keep watching, if i see any more seventh seal i will report.

over and out-

allie

The Puppet Films of Jiri Trnka (1951)

Basically:

Jiri Trnka was this bitchin Czech dude who put on puppet shows.

He lived from 1912 to 1969. So long gone now. His name is pronounced "Trinka" 

Trnka made stop motion puppet animation shorts. He became quite famous from it too. The most populr short was called The Hand . It's my favorite too. We watched it in my Advanced Placement Euro class this past year. I encourage you to watch The Hand at least.  I have to admit. These shorts are no 21st century flick. It takes patience to view them and admire the work that went into them.I myself have worked with stop motion and i can't believe how intricate Trnka's shots  are. (i would love to tell you i watched all of The Puppet Films Of Jiri Trnka, but alas i did not. i got bored.) The hand is the story of a puppet who leads a simple life. He wakes up in the morning, looks out the window, and takes care of his beloved plants. Then a hand (literally) comes through his door and starts harassing him. Part way through my Euro class realized the symbolism in The Hand. It was banned by the Czech goverment during WWII. One website called The Hand a " parable about the cruelty of totalitarian government." 

The hand pinches and prods at the puppet, causing his pots to brake. He has to repot his plants. The hand makes the puppet use a telephone, a TV, and a newspaper. Reminicent of the WWII propoganda. 

Throughout the 18 minute short the puppet escapes the hand but then it returns with a vengeance. 

A must watch to any history lovers out there. The actual movie, The Puppet Films of Jiri Trnka include

- The Story of the Bass Cello (1949)

- The Song of the Prairie (1949)

                Trnka's view of America's wild west

- The Merry Circus (1951)

                 This one is cool because it's stop motion of paper cut outs.

- A Drop Too Much (1954)

- The Hand (1965)

- Jiri Trnka: Puppet Animation Master

- The Emperor's Nightingale 

                His first feature length film

I like Trnka because he gave the world another option other then Disney. 

Jerry Maguire (1996)

i know earlier on i was talking about how i hate tom cruise but for some reason i kept on going and viewed the 90's sports classic, Jerry Maguire.

The story of a sports agent who gets unlucky in the dog eat dog world of sports managment because at 2am on morning he gathered a conscience.

On memo, oops, i mean "mission statement" turned his world upside down.

Renee Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. co-star in the flick too.

even though i have had time to absorb the movie i still don't know how i feel about it. i'm not into that sort of movie anyways, but still. i cant seem to figure out where it ranks in the sports movie spectrum.

another example of a film that hardly has a reason to be rated R.

Satisfaction (1988)

got me some bad 80's flick watchin

i love how julia roberts is on the movie poster when she's not the second most important character. (dont get me wrong, i love julia.)

its your average juvenile delinquent rock band summer beach life club playing movie.

not complete without stealing vans, druggie-slut-bassist, main singer falling in love with significantl-older-producer, nerd and badass falling in like, almost marrying your high school boyfriend, touring through europe, plaid pantsed rich trust fund kids, oh, and big hair. BIG hair.

it was entertaining though.

my favorite part was the relationship between the druggie-slut-bassist and the significantly-older-producer's dog. had the whole Cerberus to Orpheus slash Fluffy to Harry, Hermione & Ron thing going.

(taming the beast and all...)

(run on sentences for the win)

It Happened One Night (1934)

Talk about witty banter..

I really enjoyed this early thirties flick.

It's the story of a rich heiress, Ellie Andrews who runs away because she stubbornly tells her father she will marry whoever she likes. On her way back to New York she encounters cheeky journalist, Peter Warne. (Clark Gable)

The two fight about class. Warne thinks Ellie Andrews is brat who wasn't raised right and has to much pride to ask for help.

They fight about money, pride, manners.

well Gable and Colbert expressed the kind of hate that seems certain but in the end its the kind of two people in love. (in the twenty first century we call it sexual tension?!)

My favorite part is the whole "wall of Jericho" theme. It shows their respect for each other despite their feuds.

Peter Warne: "You know, I had you pegged right from the jump. Just a spoiled brat of a rich father. The only way you get anything is to buy it, isn't it? You're in a jam and all you can think of is your money. It never fails, does it? Ever hear of the word humility? No, you wouldn't. I guess it would never occur to you to just say, 'Please mister, I'm in trouble, will you help me?' No, that would bring you down off your high horse for a minute. Well, let me tell you something, maybe it will take a load off your mind. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not interested in your money or your problem. You, King Westley, your father. You're all a lot of hooey to me! "

Ellie Andrews: "You think I'm a fool and a spoiled brat. Well, perhaps I am, although I don't see how I can be. People who are spoiled are accustomed to having their own way. I never have. On the contrary - I've always been told what to do, how to do it, and when, and with whom. Would you believe it? This is the first time I've ever been alone with a man! It's a wonder I'm not panic-stricken."

In the end i still couldn't figure out which one wore the pants.

Risky Business (1983) vs. Girl Next Store (2004)

SAME MOVIE.
1. prostitutes/porn stars
2. suburbia
3. young boy
4. "parents are away. its time to play"
5. run away from business man/pimp

p.s. i dont get whats so great about tom cruise, he used to be the top payed actor in the 90's. i dont even think he's cute let alone talented.

p.p.s. it is currently 11:52 p.m. on the night before my birthday. eight minutes! YAY.

Blowdry (2001)

it pisses me off when movies change one thing in it to make it more racy. Blowdry is one example of my vague complaint. it is rated R. for nudity, and language and such. but it is deff. a PG-13 flick. stupd people: only trying to target an older audience. Alan Rickman is ace despite this V-chip misshap. Plus the leading lady was totally in the lindsey lohan version of parent trap.

Bomb It (2007)

I was SO excited to finally get a hold of this movie! It played in my city's film festival from two years ago. It was one of the last shows playing and it showed on a sunday morning or some stupid time like that. 

Bomb It is a documentary about graffiti from all over the world. It starts out with New York City, and goes into Philidelphia where graffiti was created by a guy named Cornbread.

The film goes on to explore the cultural differences in graffiti from Tokyo, France, Barcelona etc. My favorite location was Sao Paulo, Brasil. They discussed how the lettering in Sao Paulo was reminiscent of the architecture in the city. The letters are spaced out more then in any other city. Most of the flourishes added to the letters are at the top of the letter, just like the sky scrapers differ at the top. I also liked the Sao Paulo graffiti best because i felt like it was alot more artistic then some of the other cities. In L.A. the graffiti artists were all about representing their gang. As much as I respect those people for their beliefs and how they chose to represent them I could relate better to the Brasilian artists. For example, the image above is of the side of a bridge in Sao Paulo. Everything is so colorful.

I learned alot about the style as well. The title, "Bomb It" comes from war. Graffiti artists are at war with the law. they are considered delinquents for their work.  How do they respond? They bomb it. They keep attacking the city with their tag. A "tag" is a mark, a signature, a label. 

The  image to the left might look familiar. It's similar to work done by the now popular Shepard Fairey. He made this poster to help promote it. Fairey is a widely respected for his work on the Obama Presidential Campaign. Before presidential artist he makes Graffiti. Fairey is one of the many interviewed for the documentary.

Overall, a very interesting representation of an intricate, urban artform. A must see.

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

I originally wanted to see this movie when it was the finishing flick at my local film festival. Every person who has seen Adrien Brody should have a soft spot for the guy after The Pianist (2002).  As soon as i saw his name in the credits I knew I needed to see it. I was even more convinced after I read the description. I recently saw him in The Darjeeling Limited (2007) with Owen Wilson. Every movie Brody does is incredible, even King Kong (2005). 

His somber face is so endearing! It's why I love him.

The two brothers Bloom and Stephen, played by Brody and Mark Ruffalo, are con men. The pair were orphans, traveling from house to house as foster children. Nobody kept them for long because of their constant pranks. They grew up trusting nobody but each other. That explains why they have no problem knocking off a young, beautiful, eccentric billionaire named Penelope (Rachel Weisz). 

Bloom is sick of the con life. His brother is the mastermind, thinking up "master plans" for Bloom and him to complete. Somehow, every plan ends with Stephen gaining money and Bloom "getting the girl". He wants an Unwritten Life.

With the help of Penelope, Bloom, Stephen, and their friend Bang Bang travel all over the world. Stephen for money, Bang Bang for adventure, Penelope to become "Penelope the Smuggler" and Bloom. An Unwritten Life.

Paris je t'aime (2006)

I really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't just some director making another romance. It was a collaboration.

20 Filmmakers.

5 Minutes Each.

incredible.

There were many fabulous actors and directors featured. Most famous are Gus Van Sant, Elijah Wood, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman. 

My favorite was the short with Natalie Portman, one called Faubourg Saint-Denis. People say I look like her even though I can't see the resemblance. It starts with a blind man reading. he gets a phone call from a woman. She commands, "just listen," and goes on about how their love has died as summer turns to fall. Most of the five minutes of the short contain a fast paced montage showing the young couple. They sum up their full relationship in a series of clips, stop motion, and sped up footage. 

This short was not the only good one. Some are sad, some are mean. They all revolve around love. Not just the kind between a man and a woman. 

It's really an entertaining flick. perfect to see with a loved one or by yourself. All revolving around the city of love.

Escapism Through Film

 "I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables—slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war . . . our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off." –Fight Club (1999) From the end of the 20’s into the early 40’s depression stirred up America. Everything was displaced, as wealth was lost, slowly regained, then redistributed. In 1933, twenty-five percent of America was unemployed. Every business, household, and organization was failing, except for Hollywood. When every component of ones life is crumbling all the people could do was dream. Movies delivered them to dreamland. They could sit in a cool theatre settled in comfortable seats, eating salty and sweet snacks as Shirley Temple and Fred Astaire took them to the American Dream located conveniently on the other side of Dorothy’s rainbow. It was the first Golden Age.

            Since movies were in high demand, Hollywood went through extra lengths to come up with original films. Action movies became popular. In 1933 the first King Kong came out. It combined imagination and green screen to create a larger then life Gorilla and some dinosaurs to be Kong’s enemy. . On secret islands there were no tax collectors of stock markets. These unrealistic characters mixed with brand new technology created a real dreamlike escape. The next year, Tarzan and his Mate came out. The movie had a primal feel to it. Tarzan was the epitome of masculinity. Jane was the hardly dressed, damsel in distress. Tarzan and his Mate is the first of a five part series on Tarzan. As the Hayes Production Code got strict, the movies were banned because of Jane’s wardrobe, or lack there of. At one point Holt asks Jane, “Don’t you miss it, Jane? Things like this?... But Jane, you can’t spend the rest of your life camping out. Don’t you ever want to come back?” “No, Harry” Jane replies.  This same question could easily be proposed to someone who faced the choice of the American Depression or the American Dream. Other such movies came out around the same time. Dracula (1932) was an instant hit. Unlike Tarzan and King Kong, it was more horror then action. It scared the viewers. Escape was easy because forgetting the real world is quite simple if one is startled. The director, Tod Browning, went on to create Freaks in 1932. He chose to go into the grotesque and bizarre. In 1931 Frankenstein came to the big screen. Universal Studios and MGM were responsible for most of these films. Except for Tarzan, all of these movies came out in the beginning of the 1930’s with surreal, monster protagonists. These characters excited their audiences

 

            Gangster and action moves helped America overcome the Great Depression. In these films people fell in love despite the size of their bank account. Villains led glamorous lives stealing from the rich. Curtiz’s Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) was one such film. The two main characters, James Cagney and Pat O’Brien are street-smart kids. It takes place in the slums of New York City. Each kid is on the opposite side of the law, a theme common in 1930’s. O’Brien, a priest, tries to convince the criminal Cagney to go back to following the law. This storyline is one not so different from On the Waterfront. The movies attempts to make Cagney realize the importance of loyalty to one’s society and one’s country. Nationalism was a key step in reforming after the Great Depression. A lot of movies were reminiscent of the First World War along with the Great Depression. I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) is a reflection of post WWI America form the very height of the Depression. It told the story of how the Great Depression affected a WWI veteran. “Six sticks of dynamite that blasted his way to freedom...and awoke America's conscience!" The war taught him how to keep a clear mind. So by the time the depression is in full swing the Vet still can’t swing his way out of the hole. Unlike many films of the time, it took pace in the south.

            Not all Great Depression movies were so downhearted. Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and The Marx Brothers tried to lighten the mood. After all, in the direst of situations, sometimes the most logical thing to do is laugh. Duck Soup and City Lights were profitably entertaining films that also held a lot of social commentary. City Lights is about a poor man who gets picked on a lot. He falls in love with a blind flower seller. This story teaches the viewers that love is more important then money. While the men added a comedic approach, the women lent their sexuality. Mae West is famous for being a vulgar, overdressed, funny, and sexual actress. She used Burlesque to entertain her audiences. Some of the movies she starred in were She Done Him Wrong (1993), I’m No Angel (1933), and Every day’s a Holiday (1937). Shirley Temple was America’s sweetheart. She sang and danced using her paten leather shoes and her high angelic voice. Some of her most important films were Curly Top (1935), Dimples (1936), and Heidi (1937). Last but not least, one cannot approach Hollywood and Escapism without touching upon The Wizard Of Oz (1939). Judy Garland stars as Dorothy. It was the first movie ever to be in color. That in itself taught the viewer how exciting it was to dream. The characters in Oz mirror the Dorothy’s family, teaching the viewer how to turn real life into a dream. The twister represents the stock market crashing and the wizard represents Roosevelt and the New Deal.

            “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” –Fitzgerald  The American Dream was all about individualism, classlessness, and progress. Using horror, adventure, gangster, violence, comedy, and musicals Hollywood restored the country’s hope. They could once again find Gatsby’s green light.