YES!!!

The Hurt Locker is by far the best film I’ve seen all year. Can’t wait to see it again. I’m glad to see it’s getting the recognition it deserves.

Armchair Film School #3

Just smidgen of what I’ve been watching since my last visit to these here parts (it’s been a long time):

The 400 Blows
Genre: Classic/Foreign/Drama
Dir: Francois Truffaut
Length: 99 minutes

Summary: A misunderstood young adolescent turns to petty crime. (There is so much more to this, but you have to see it for yourself).

My 2¢: I really loved this film. Story is king here, and there is never a wasted moment. The story unfolds seamlessly. I was surprised at how timeless this film was and how the characters could very well be telling the story of a pre-teen struggling against all odds in today’s society.

Nashville
Genre: Classic/Drama
Dir: Robert Altman
Length: 160 min

Summary: Intersecting story lines revolving around the music industry and a political event.

Armchair Film School Reviews #2

I’ve been busy going back to film school via my DVD collection and Netflix subscription. Whenever I start work on a script, I turn to movies to put me in the right frame of mind. I try to immerse myself in old, new, good and even some I can barely get through.

I tend to start with ones I’ve seen already. Here are a few:

Citizen Kane
Genre: Classic
Dir: Orson Welles
Length: 119 min

Summary: A news reporter tracks down the meaning behind the last words uttered by an eccentric publishing tycoon.

Hi There

I’ve been away for a few months - writing, writing and more writing. To the two people who drop by every so often, I’ll be posting another Armchair Film School movie review post in a couple of days. I’m currently going over the films I’ve watched in the past few months.
Later--

Armchair Film School

So, I’ve been catching up on my movie viewing. I’ve watched a number of documentaries, a few classics, and a summer blockbuster.

The Business of Being Born
Genre: Documentary
Dir: Abby Epstein
Length: 84 minutes

Summary: A close look at the maternity-care system and its alternative, home birthing.

My 2¢: Truly engaging and informative. I was concerned that it would be biased and one-sided. However, an unexpected turn of events while filming forced the filmmakers to challenge their own theory/thesis.

St. Anna Review Part 1

So, last night I finally made it to the movies. My favorite little theatre was not playing Miracle at St. Anna, so I had to settle for the huge multiplex a few towns away.

First off, wtf? $21 to see a freaking movie? No wonder the box office is a roller-coaster ride. It does not take a genius to figure out that people are going to carefully pick and choose the films they want to see, and of course, the summer is a huge box office success with teenagers being out of school and young adults home from college, allowing them to take in discounted matinee showings.

Did I also mention that a freaking bottle of water cost $4? Four freaking dollars.

Intoxication

I’m going back to school.

No, no, no. I won’t be attending a university or college. I won’t even be taking an online course or attending some (way) two (long) hour seminar.

I have decided to spend the next few weeks educating myself.

I do this every so often, mainly whenever I become fascinated by a particular subject - obsessed is more like it.

Right now, it’s the CIA, and my book gathering is sure to place me on some sort of watch list (The Patriot Act is next on my educational list).

Another Festival

My short film Artistic Closure has been selected to screen at the Big Apple Film Festival.

I’ve got to start cracking on the next one, but it’s not quite ready to come out of the oven (my head). I tend to work on all my projects in the head first, before sitting down with pen and paper. I’ve had this idea for months now, but it’s still baking. I like my ideas well done.

What If

I’m a What-If Gal.

My overactive mind is always taking a simple act like breathing and tossing in a “what if we were not meant to breathe the air, but to live in an atmosphere that resembled the amniotic sac?”

Or “what if the common cold was an actual cure for some fatal disease that attacks the body at least yearly?”

Or “what if all babies were switched at birth to prove the theory that if you live with someone long enough, you’ll actually start to resemble them?”

Let me tell you, I get very few hours of sleep and my anxiety level is through the roof.

For years, I thought I was just crazy. Now, I know I’m certifiable... but I wouldn’t change my loco-ness for anything. Maybe, just a good night’s sleep.

Miracle at St. Anna

So, this was my dream adaptation. I had even hoped to use it as my dissertation piece.

But, hey, it is what it is.

That said, I can’t wait to see the film. The author of the book, James McBride, has written the script, while Spike Lee directs.

I could fill this blog with my own political opinions and thoughts on the subject matter, but frankly, who the hell cares?

Yes, while I loved the story because of its underlying political and historical commentaries, I loved it more for bringing to life rich characters set in vividly mesmerizing locations. As I read the pages of St. Anna, I escaped from my world and was transplanted to a world I had never known, yet seemed so painfully familiar. I found myself longing to be an active participant of a place that even the characters wanted to escape. That’s powerful storytelling.

I have two other dream adaptations. I’ve started the ball rolling on at least one of them while inquiring into the other. As, I’m leaning more towards writer/director, I so hope Spike Lee and I don’t share the same love of literature.