London Has Fallen and Zootopia

This woman hasn't been to the movies nearly enough this year.  Sadly, pneumonia, a car accident, and several colds caused me to think of the well being of others first.  I did finally get out to see Zootopia and London Has Fallen.  Two very different films but both positively screaming political messages at their audiences.  Even my husband felt like he was being hit over the head.

The first on our weekend binge was London Has Fallen, sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, didn't disappoint with its gratuitous violence, explosions, and high body count.  However, the idea that western leaders couldn't be kept safe on the ground in the United Kingdom is somewhat distasteful.  I realize that the scenario played out in the film is unlikely, but it is certainly something that our allies do think about anytime there is a state function such as the funeral in the film.  How arrogant are we as Americans to tell our allies that only we can solve such a crime without assitance on their soil?

Yes, a MI6 agent wraps up the film by taking out the traitor, but the Americans in the story are the ones that wrap up the final loose end after taking out all of the foot soldiers during the rest of the film.  To me this was a 'we're better than you' story that felt way over the top.  I would have liked to see more interaction between the Americans and our allies throughout.  London Has Fallen did an excellent job of making the UK officials look like idiots.  I don't think this film will play well overseas when you consider that angle.

The day after watching London Has Fallen, my husband and I took in Zootopia.  This film follows the classic theme of overcoming prejudice.  What I found more interesting was how the story takes places the inexperienced junior officer in front of the press without preperation or a senior officer taking the hard questions.  It really showed how a few words can twist the whole view of a case.  Of course it is the bunny's friend that calls her on her statements.

Ultimately, the film shows that it is a disenfranchised member of the second class that is pulling all of the strings.  The ending shows a 'happy ever after moment' with the aforementioned fox and bunny as partners on the force.  What the film fails to address is that the original media frenzy caused by the bunny's statements about predator DNA would likely continue reverberate through the population even after the fox joins the police force.

It would seem to me that there would be a large segment of the population that would resist the addition of another predator on their police force.  To say nothing of the hate crimes that would plunge the city into chaos before the crime is finally solved.  Of course, this is a 'kids' movie so it is unlikely that a discussion of that was ever on the script table.

Both films are worth seeing, but both smack the viewer over the head with their messages.  Of the two I preferred Zootopia.  The fox's story really resonated with me because those moments stick with the victim their entire lives.  It colors everything those indiviuals experience and how they teach their children, the good and the bad.  I like that the writers showed both main characters as being flawed but finding ways to overcome those flaws to connect.  This is a lovely message for all of us and that is why I like this film.

Ender's Game - Getting Preachy Hollywood

I recently re-watched "Ender's Game."  I haven't read the book, but I love how the film unfolds.  It is an interesting story and told beautifully.  The end surprised me the first time, but I was so caught up in the film that I missed the clues that normally tell me within minutes how a film will end, including major plot twists.  If you haven't seen it, I won't deprive you of making your own discovery.

Let me just say that "Ender's Game" vividly depicts the arrogance regularly displayed by those in power who think they know the only solution or are too scared by what they don't understand to consider any other actions. These criminals create an environment of nondisclosure that deprives their students of the knowledge they should have before following certain orders.  And in effect, create unwilling criminals from those students.  There is a single line uttered by Ender in the final act of the film that resonates so much with me that I feel more than sympathy for the character.  I empathize with him.

Every day some new revelation emerges from our government and corporate America that is so similar to how the plot evolves in "Ender's Game" that I'm astonished by how many people still go with the flow.  We are losing our privacy under the guise of anti-terrorism and falling prey to the worst kinds of fear.  How else can Trump be considered anything more than a arrogant and egotistical man running for office?  We want full disclosure from our officials without the fear mongering that is dancing through media headlines, unfortunately we have to do our own research to understand even half of what the media chooses to discuss.  I just hope that we engage our brains a little bit more and question why before we are held accountable by the people who will suffer because we didn't do our due diligence.

Lego Brickumentary

Lego Brickumentory - 1pip

Watched the Lego Brickumentory last night. It was really very good both as a documentary and entertainment. I laughed quite a bit and discovered some aspects of Lego I didn't expect. You can find it on Hulu. It's a perfect way to introduce your children to documentary.

On the Subject of Marriage

The next few weeks could be pivotal in our nation's history.  We are witnessing two epic court battles taking place this week and next.  Today the Supreme Court heard the case regarding California's Proposition 8, the one that banned gay marriage in my state back in 2008, when it wasn't my state.  Then I still lived in Ohio, home to most Wiccans in the country and yet, continues to be one of the states that hasn't yet allowed same sex unions.

No let's try to understand something here.  Pro gay marriage/same sex unions or not, there is something everybody needs to remember about how the institution of marriage came about.  Those opposed to gay marriage claim it was a gift from God, that it is a religious right, that is for the procreation of children.  I understand why you must believe that, even I was trained by society and religion to believe that way. 

Growing up I could never understand why a person would be unloved by the being that created him.  As an artist I was often told to "kill your babies."  In this case I was the creator and my babies were my pieces of art.  There is NOTHING that hurts more than to destroy, change, or hide from the light of day that which my own hands brought to life.  Some of those art pieces have found a new life in other works or because my Mom loves to brag about her kids.

Considered at the level of humanity... The idea of hiding a person because she is flawed at first glance is horrifying.  To ask a person to change what makes him unique and special, just as bad a prospect.  Those self same people that refuse to grant the privileges they themselves enjoy are just as bad as those that hide a child because of her perceived deformities.  It is one of many ways to say "I'm better than you."  This battle keeps being fought over and over again.  A real shame we haven't learned from the past.

Now, for what has inspired me to write this inflammatory blog instead of my usual periodic piece about movies and movie making.  For those that know me personally, you know how hard it was for me to accept marriage and all its trappings.  I went so far as to tell my husband, before we married, that I was not going to allow my Dad to walk me down the aisle.  My husband was horrified and refused to marry me if I did not allow my father that special privilege.  What followed was one of our most memorable arguments, at least for me.  I accepted his proposal for many reason, not the least of which were the legal, finacial, and social protections granted by entering into this contract.  It also made him happy, a significant consideration as it is for many couples.

You may think it was crazy for me to make that statement but my reasoning is this:  Before the time of God, before the Bible and many other religious works were written society was developing.  Within that society children were bartering chips.  They were used to cement social contracts between families and tribes.  When that wasn't enough, goods and property were attached to cement the contract or to make a proposed contact more advantageous for both parties.  Now for my particular dislike of the institution.  Eventually, girls were so devalued in this patriarchal society that they needed dowries before a man of good standing would consider her as a wife. In a sense a man was bribed to accept a girl into his family and that same girl was sold by her family for social/financial/political reasons.

This "God given Sacrament" or the Genesis chapter, often quoted in marriage ceremonies, that claims this contract as one granted by a supreme being for the single purpose of bringing children into our world was written in a time when women had very little power over their destinies.  I honestly feel that these beliefs stemmed from loving fathers attempting to calm their children's fears.  Now we understand that women can write their own contracts and parents aren't as intrinsically involved in marriage contracts.

Gay/ same sex couples are being denied by much of our country the social rights and legal responsibilities granted to married heterosexual couples.  Those social, financial, and legal rights and responsibilities are what give the institution of marriage it's significance.  So why can't we as a nation define marriage as what it really is, a social/political/economic contract between two individuals with all the rights and responsibilities covered by it.  Religious views have no bearing on this in THIS country, otherwise such contracts could ONLY be entered into with a religious figure standing as witness or conducting the verbal portion of the contract.

After all, why shouldn't gay couples reap all the benefits and heartaches that come with marriage?  A lot of heterosexual marriages result in broken contracts, in divorces, that damage both individuals and any offspring. Why should we deny the father of a gay child the privilege of walking that child down the aisle and standing witness to a contract born from love and genuine respect for another person.  And better still, how about the pitfalls of bringing two families together?  I dearly hope the supreme law of our land defines marriage appropriately and saves my country from the bloodshed, fear, and anger that was required before Civil Rights were defined.

A Good Day to Die Hard, old school

That day that couples love and dread in almost equal measure has come and gone for another year.  I'm sure there were plenty of folks waiting for Friday for the cash infusion to fund your date night, postponing dinner and a movie for a day.  For my husband and myself it was also the opportunity to watch the latest Jon McClane story, A Good Day to Die Hard.  Now, I was introduced to the series by an ex-boyfriend a little over 12 years ago.  He loved the movies with all the gratuitous violence and explosions.  I wasn't as much a fan until Live Free or Die Hard came out in 2007.  Best line: "You just killed a helicopter with a car!" 

Tonight's action packed exploding addition to the franchise was fun to watch, but it wasn't until the credits rolled that I truly appreciated the work that went into the making of this film.  For the first time in a long a while I had watched a movie that contained few computerized effects!  It was shot on film, using Arri cameras and lens with several film crews.  As expected, the credit list for stunt men and women was extremely long, but then when we expected to see list after list of animation and image experts there were none.  I love that the explosion were "real" and shot simultaneously from multiple angles.  No wonder it was filmed outside of the US, the insurance might have strangled the production. 

The audio mixers/editors must have had a blast pulling all of the elements together too.  There were some wonderful moments when you really feel their work, almost all of the ambient sound dissipates when the focus is the overwhelming shock and surprise that a bystander might actually feel.  I particularly enjoyed the ending - not quite riding off into the sunset, but a similar feel.  A little sentimental, but for an action hero who has made us laugh in impossible situations it just seems to work.

Sadly, the film is getting a lot of negative press by the film critics.  True, the story is a continuation of McClane's adventures and true, this time he is reuniting with his son.  But, if you go into expecting a Die Hard movie shot "Old School" then you'll have fun.  We had a good time and I hope you do too!

Prisoner of Zenda

Many years ago, back when I was 17, (see how the epic story begins *waggles eyebrows*) I came across a film called The Prisoner of Zenda.  It's based on a book by the same name and has been remade several times.  The first time I saw it was on VHS, borrowed from the Huber Heights Library.  They had several different versions of this title and I watched all of them.  And all because the first one was silent and had all the swashbuckling, intrigue, action adventure a girl could want. 

The story revolves around a young man who travels to a foreign land in which lives a prince about to be crowned king.  The two meet and discover their very similar figures, like two long lost twins.  Misfortune befalls the prince and his look a like cousin steps in and "plays king." Toss in a lovely princess and a wonderful villain and you've got a fun movie.  The best part is the ending - non-traditional Hollywood, unless you compare the end to some of the great westerns where the hero rides off into the sunset, literally in this case.

So this Christmas I bought a 2 disk set from Amazon that contains the 1937 and 1952 versions of this film.  To my surprise the script and shots were nearly identical!  For a moment it looked like the producers simply colorized the 1937 film.  Being a Selznick production, that might not have been a bad thing.  The '37 film was directed by John Cromwell and the '52 version by Richard Thorpe.  Thorpe must not have had much imagination or the studio was strangling the art considering how similar the films are.

Now, the first time I saw this title I watched the 1922 version and I loved it!  This is of course before sound tied the camera down and after the basic grammar had been established.  If you go to IMDB and look up Prisoner of Zenda you will note that it has been remade no less than 8 times as a film and twice more as a TV episode and series.  The 1996 version includes many references to Start Trek, owing to the presence of several alumni from the franchise.  None of these are bad things and definitely inspired me to find the book and read it.

To my surprise the look alike aspects of the King and his cousin is owed primarily to their RED hair!  It is why the king's brother Michael is referred to as Black Michael - he lacks the aforementioned red locks.  It would be fun to see a pair of twins playing these roles and to go back to the early industrialized time period in which the book is set.  Perhaps even including the much earlier introduction of Cousin Rudolf to Antoinette de Mauban, Black Michael's lover, well before he meets King Rudolf.

With today's technology this story could be made new again with all the excitement and intrigue it should contain.  Just think a wonderful clash of swords, heros riding to the rescue, the bad guy who is loved by the masses... And that was another surprise I discovered by reading the book.  The king is not loved by his people, course he is a drunk and has lived away from the country for several years, carefully nurtured by the king's OLDER brother Michael.  Couldn't we bring out that little side element in some way without losing the rest of Cousin Rudolf's challenges in impersonating the king?  Like so many other things, perhaps it is time to go back to the original work for inspiration on bringing it back to the screen.

AFI hmm.... Decisions, decisions

So it's the middle of October, and what have I accomplished since graduating 5 months ago?  Well, I made the big move to SoCal, secured an internship, and still looking for paid work to cover the necessities like gas.  The internship is fun and I have finally gotten my hands on an FCP 7 system which has enhanced my repertoire.  The camaraderie is great and I have been able to work on some fun stuff so far.  I'm just looking to make the next connection to lead to more work.  In the meantime...

Tonight I made my way to AFI, the American Film Institute, for their open house.  Being stuck in traffic for hours sucked and I missed the first half of the presentation.  I did enjoy the panel discussion that followed the short film, made by one of the alums on the panel.  It is a heady feeling having such talented people encouraging you to apply or offering assistance in making a decision to apply.

The head of the Editing/Post Department was on the panel and we spoke afterwards.  Not too surprising that there were only two in the audience tonight interested in editing.  We discussed the tools and where we wanted to go in our careers.   We even briefly covered some of the tools available to the editors.  AFI uses Avid Symphony and only the editors are permitted to use them.  Directors wanting to cut their own material are relegated to the FCP systems in the library.  I was even told that at AFI they love the editors and shower them with gifts.  Now that is a sales point!

The panel members circulated and shared stories of successes and what to expect.  The talent in the room was overwhelming.  To a person they were positive and excited about the conservatory and the life fellows live while in attendance.  You live, eat and sleep film the first year.  On the first day fellows are told to say goodbye to loved ones.  A couple of alums likened the first year to joining the military, it's that intense. 

Myself, I feel drawn to the conservatory for the networking, the intense study, and the tools.  My Avid is awesome, but to work in a professional atmosphere with other nutty editors...just wow.  The question becomes how to pay for it.  Tuition alone is $100,000 for two years.  I figure it would cost at least another $50,000 for materials, living expenses and gas.  The application fee is $85 for each attempt; you only get three.

The other concern is that there is no guarantee that I will make it to the second year.  At the end of the first year your work is reviewed and your professors decide.  Of course, being accepted is the initial hurdle after all.  The entire panel kept repeating that applicants and fellows have to find and display his/her unique voice.  To my friends in film, it is amazing what AFI offers and it is worth the application fee.  Now, I just wish I lived closer.