Over the last few months I have been working for Uwishunu on a video series that highlights more obscure places that people might not know about in Philadelphia. They initially hired me to shoot a pilot video so they could decide if I was worth hiring to shoot additional videos. They liked what I did with it and hired me to shoot and edit 10 additional videos for this series. On Sunday, they published the pilot video that I made which you can view here:
To see the actual article that they posted in relation to the video, click here.
Also… if you’re interested in seeing other videos in the series, click here.
We all know that ‘The Hunger Games was a hugely anticipated movie based on a book series for teens. We also know that the last time an extremely popular teen series was adapted to film it was called ‘The Twilight Saga’… so I am not surprised that so many people are being dismissive of this film based on that loose association. I will say that if you have any reservations about seeing this film, you really need to give it a chance. It’s a legitimately good movie. This is probably the part where I should admit that I haven’t read the book so I can’t it compares to the source material. I can only evaluate the film on it’s own terms.
‘Red Tails’ is the new film produced by George Lucas. I have a very complicated relationship with George Lucas. I loved the original Star Wars Trilogy despite the fact that if you look at film history, Star Wars led the way for Hollywood blockbusters that favored spectacle over developed characters and intriguing stories. You can’t really blame him for what was successful, he knew what audiences were looking for and he filled that void. That trilogy inspired so many people to be filmmakers. His work on the Indiana Jones films is also undeniable. Lucas took pre-established genres that are no longer popular and made then fresh and inventive again. Unfortunately, this did not carry over to the Star Wars prequels or Indiana Jones 4. I don’t hate those films, but they could’ve been a lot better if more effort was put into the script. That is exactly how I feel about ‘Red Tails’… only the spectacle isn’t really there either.
Steven Soderbergh is a filmmaker that I have always been aware of… but I haven’t really seen many of his films. Lately, I have been watching some of his movies and while I enjoy them immensely… nothing he has done has really struck me as a masterpiece. ‘Haywire’ isn’t a masterpiece but it’s a really effective action film.
I went into this movie without knowing anything about it. I assumed the movie was going to be a something like ‘127 Hours’ or ‘Buried’, where the main character is stuck in one location and the film would try to work within that confined space to make a really tense human story. I was COMPLETELY mistaken. As you can see by the trailer the film is more of a caper… a poorly executed one at that. The movie is beyond derivative, at no point do you see anything new or inventive.
I have seen this film three times and I still have trouble articulating why I think it is one of the greatest films to come out in the last 30 years. I think the problems stems from the fact that my love for this movie comes from an emotional place. It tackles these huge topics… probably the biggest questions humans have ever asked. It also celebrates every aspect of life without a hint of judgement or cynicism. It forces the viewer to think about how we are so wrapped up in our own little world… we don’t take the time to appreciate living in the moment and enjoying all these amazing aspects of our world. I don’t think I have met many people who like this film but I maintain it is brilliant and masterfully executed.
I just started listing to a podcast called Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider. It’s a fantastic podcast if you want to hear intelligent discussions about films… and you want to hear something that is really entertaining and funny.
Anyway, They put out a question on their facebook page that asked:
“What is your defining movie moment of 2011?”
I wrote:
“In the Tree of Life, there was a part after the parents find out that their son is dead. Brad Pitt is talking to his wife and he said: “I never got a chance to tell him how sorry I am. He used to hit himself in the face for no reason. He’d sit next to me at the piano and I would criticize the way he turned the page. I made him feel shame.” That had me in tears, it felt so real. We always remember really throwaway exchanges and moments. It also perfectly expresses what the film was trying to say about the way we live our lives and how we should look at things with a larger context.Another moment that I loved was in The Descendants when George Clooney was saying goodbye to his wife and he expressed that he still loved her. That really got to me. It was a really beautiful moment.”
They were discussing the question on the show and I had a good laugh hearing their response to my answer. I figured anyone who knows me might get a kick out of hearing it so I decided to make a post about it. If anyone is interested in listening to the whole episode you can go here.
‘The Adventures of Tintin’ was a huge disappointment for me. I’ve heard nothing but positive buzz claiming that Tintin was a great adventure film that was on the same level as the Indiana Jones Trilogy. It pains me to say that it’s not even close to attaining the excitement and fun that you get from seeing an Indiana Jones film. The main reason for this is that the script is terrible.
I attended a screening of ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ on Monday night and I thought the film was incredibly well done. I should point out that I have not seen the Swedish film or read the book… so I cannot comment on how it compares to either. Once I had heard that David Fincher was making his version of the property, I made a point to avoid knowing what happens… so that I could actually try to figure out the mystery as I watched the film. I found this method to be quite rewarding.
I saw an advanced screening of ‘War Horse’ and I thought I’d share my thoughts on this film.
I have always had a complicated relationship with Spielberg films. On one hand he has made some films that I find to be completely brilliant (Munich, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Minority Report, AI) and other films that were really well executed but very shallow/superficial (Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones). Even though I have always loved his films, I always feel he makes his movies way too easy for the audience. He never asks very uncomfortable questions and his films tend to feel manipulative and sentimental. As I have gotten older and realized that not every movie has to be a gritty nihilist view of the world, I have come to appreciate Spielberg’s cinematic voice. He know how to bring out the humanity in all of his films. ‘War Horse’ is no different.
I’m sure this will change a lot before the end of the year… but I wanted to point out some recently released/upcoming films that I think are worth seeing. I do however feel that ‘The Tree of Life’ will remain as my favorite film of the year. In fact, I think it is one of the best films to come out in the last 30 years. I know that sounds really hyperbolic but there are few films that have affected me in such a deep and profound way.
’The Artist’ was a lot of fun. The film takes place in the late 20’s and replicates the exact aesthetics of the period… including being a silent film. That choice will probably turn a lot of people off but it’s there for an actual reason. The films is about a successful actor dealing with Hollywood’s transition to talkies (sound films). The aesthetic choice works because the lead character: George Valentin, is completely immersed in the silent film era and that’s how he sees the world. In fact he actually has a nightmare about being in a world where sound exists. It’s really funny how it plays with the conventions of the time and the absence of technology/storytelling techniques that we take for granted now. The film feels really fresh in the way it presents it’s ideas of how people are left behind if they do not accept changes in their culture even though the presentation is stylistically 80 years old. It’s interesting how something so old can feel fresh and new again, if enough time has passed. As for the story itself… It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s a very simple story that works, for the most part. The film could’ve been trimmed by about 15 minutes and it would’ve been more effective. Despite the fact that the film’s story isn’t revolutionary the presentation really makes it worthwhile to see. The experience of seeing it with a large audience really adds to it’s impact. If there was a film that should be defined as a crowd-pleaser, it’s this film.
‘A Dangerous Method’ is a film that I have some mixed feelings about. If it was not directed by David Cronenberg, I would think it was a great film. My main problem comes from the fact that it is missing his distinct personality. I feel like it is a missed opportunity in some ways. What you get is a film that feels very accurate to the real lives of Freud and Jung. You also get a perspective that feels very clinical, cold, and distant. In a way, that makes sense given the personalities of the lead characters. But given the talent behind the camera, It would’ve been more interesting if the film took some risks. Aside from that… I found the film very engaging. The aspect that I think works the best is the relationship between Freud and Jung. It starts out very positive, Jung is following in Freud’s footsteps and Freud seems very touched by it. Eventually their relationship sours due to their diverging theories and scandals that arise. The film also covers Jungs affair with a patient, which is interesting… but nothing is addressed that we havent seen before. Keira Knightly delivers an uneven performance. I thought she was really over-the-top in the beginning but once her characters is more in control, I found her performance to feel more believable. Viggo Mortensen is as great as ever. He brings a lot of warmth to the role. Freud is seen by Jung as a very paternal figure and Mortensen instincts really make it work. Fassbender delivers a great performance as well. After seeing ‘Shame’ and ‘A Dangerous Method’, He deserves to win the Oscar for Best Actor. His portrayal as Carl Jung is more low key than his performance in ‘Shame’ but it’s still spectacular and worthy of anyones time. Despite some of my problems with the film… it works incredibly well. I think if you are interested in psychology and ok with a really talky film, you will dig this.
I am an aspiring Filmmaker. I just graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Currently, I am working on a screenplay for a short film that I hope to complete in the next 2 years. I watch a lot of movies, Scorsese is my biggest inspiration. Taxi Driver is my favorite film of all time.
I'm not exactly sure what this blog will be about... It may be silly shit that I find interesting or if I take this more seriously, it might be more of an outlet for my views on film related topics. Hopefully, it will be enjoyable to read.
