Today is my parents' 51st wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary, mom and dad.
***
In two days is my 19th wedding anniversary. I love you, Laura.
***
Yikes. Read this.
I voted for Bernie Sanders, because I am a liberal and his political positions are closer to mine. But I was always clear that I would support the Democratic nominee. This race was essentially over a few weeks ago, and now it is mathematically over. I have already donated to Hillary Clinton's campaign. I always thought Bernie was a realistic politician. I may have to rethink that.
***
The ad for this product made me laugh the hardest I laughed this week. Oh dear.
***
Summer is here, so one of the best reasons to be a Springfield resident has arrived. Friday was the opening night of the Summer Arts Festival, now in its 50th year.
As usual, Phil Dirt and the Dozers opened. They have played the festival more times than any other act, and I have seen them in concert more than any other act. They are an oldies act founded in 1981, delivered with a sense of fun, musicianship and humor.
Their trademark song is Only You, delivered as they learned it, from an old record with scratches and skips. They do pull out some classics (they lean on the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys a lot) and some more obscure songs. I have never heard the original of Cara Mio, but I know it well due to it being performed by the Dozers every year.
So, as usual, a fun way to kick off the season. I'll be back at Veterans Park tonight for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Hollywood Revue (1929)
This is a strange bird, but then many of the early sound films are. This is what Singin' In The Rain gets so right -- some of the early comical attempts to figure out how to use sound.
Hollywood Revue isn't really a movie. It's a commercial for MGM to show off its stars, and that many of them could use sound well. There is no plot, just a procession of musical numbers and other bits. Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny are the MCs, and Benny does show off his comic timing.
The oddest bit for me features John Gilbert and Norma Shearer performing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and then being told the dialogue is out of date so performing it a second time throwing out Shakespeare's language for a modern translation.
The best sequence is easily Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy performing as magicians. None of the comic bits are surprising, but their comic timing is so dead on that I laughed out loud.
Unfortunately, most of the rest of the film just blends together. One big problem is that this is one of the early sound films where the camera is just bolted to the ground. This gives a sameness to all of the performances. While there is some pleasure early, the two hour running time ends up too long.
So the film is interesting as a curio. I'm glad I saw it. But it has dated pretty badly. I doubt I will revisit it.
Grade: C
Hollywood Revue isn't really a movie. It's a commercial for MGM to show off its stars, and that many of them could use sound well. There is no plot, just a procession of musical numbers and other bits. Conrad Nagel and Jack Benny are the MCs, and Benny does show off his comic timing.
The oddest bit for me features John Gilbert and Norma Shearer performing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and then being told the dialogue is out of date so performing it a second time throwing out Shakespeare's language for a modern translation.
The best sequence is easily Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy performing as magicians. None of the comic bits are surprising, but their comic timing is so dead on that I laughed out loud.
Unfortunately, most of the rest of the film just blends together. One big problem is that this is one of the early sound films where the camera is just bolted to the ground. This gives a sameness to all of the performances. While there is some pleasure early, the two hour running time ends up too long.
So the film is interesting as a curio. I'm glad I saw it. But it has dated pretty badly. I doubt I will revisit it.
Grade: C
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
100 Movies 1990-2014 (90-81)
90. Dead Man Walking (1995) d: Tim Robbins
It would have been so easy to just create an anti-death penalty lecture. Instead, Robbins delivered a complicated look on how one death penalty case effects everyone involved.
89. Searching For Sugarman (2012) d: Malik Bendjelloul
One from the strange-but-true file, how Rodriguez became a music superstar in South Africa while virtually unknown in his native United States, and the search by a couple of his fans to find out the truth of the musician. If you haven't seen it and don't know the story, see the film without learning any more to enjoy the surprises the film offers.
88. Chasing Amy (1997) d: Kevin Smith
I'm a Smith fan, and I think this is easily his best film. Amongst all the typical Smith humor is a dead on look at how the male ego sometimes gets in the way of a genuine romance.
87. Hoop Dreams (1994) d: Steve James
Spending four years with two high school basketball players, the filmmakers document the journey of chasing sports superstardom.
86. Far From Heaven (2002) d: Todd Haynes
I don't know how Todd Haynes does it, recreating a 50s melodrama while finding the true emotion underneath, but the power of this film is undeniable.
85. Un Coeur En Hiver (1992) d: Claude Sautet
The translation of the tile is A Heart in Winter, which perfectly describes how a violin craftsman (Daniel Auteuil) is so comfortable in his life's patterns that he fails to see what joys having more passion in his life would create.
84. About A Boy (2002) d: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Hugh Grant's best work of his career is portraying a irresponsible 40 year old transformed by a friendship with a 12 year old (Nicholas Hoult). I always felt the Boy in the title is Grant's character.
83. Trainspotting (1996) d: Danny Boyle
Boyle captures the adrenalin high of drugs while also capturing its lows in quite graphic terms, with a great early lead performance by Ewan McGregor.
82. Toy Story 2 (1999) d: John Lasseter
The best of the Toy Story movies because while it has all the inventiveness of the series, the emotion of what it means to be an abandoned toy embodied by Jessie. The sequence of "When She Loved Me" tears me up every time I see it.
81. Fargo (1996) d: Joel Coen
I hearby nominate Marge Gunderson, perfectly embodied by Frances McDormand, as the greatest female hero of the 25 year time period. You betcha.
It would have been so easy to just create an anti-death penalty lecture. Instead, Robbins delivered a complicated look on how one death penalty case effects everyone involved.
89. Searching For Sugarman (2012) d: Malik Bendjelloul
One from the strange-but-true file, how Rodriguez became a music superstar in South Africa while virtually unknown in his native United States, and the search by a couple of his fans to find out the truth of the musician. If you haven't seen it and don't know the story, see the film without learning any more to enjoy the surprises the film offers.
88. Chasing Amy (1997) d: Kevin Smith
I'm a Smith fan, and I think this is easily his best film. Amongst all the typical Smith humor is a dead on look at how the male ego sometimes gets in the way of a genuine romance.
87. Hoop Dreams (1994) d: Steve James
Spending four years with two high school basketball players, the filmmakers document the journey of chasing sports superstardom.
86. Far From Heaven (2002) d: Todd Haynes
I don't know how Todd Haynes does it, recreating a 50s melodrama while finding the true emotion underneath, but the power of this film is undeniable.
85. Un Coeur En Hiver (1992) d: Claude Sautet
The translation of the tile is A Heart in Winter, which perfectly describes how a violin craftsman (Daniel Auteuil) is so comfortable in his life's patterns that he fails to see what joys having more passion in his life would create.
84. About A Boy (2002) d: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Hugh Grant's best work of his career is portraying a irresponsible 40 year old transformed by a friendship with a 12 year old (Nicholas Hoult). I always felt the Boy in the title is Grant's character.
83. Trainspotting (1996) d: Danny Boyle
Boyle captures the adrenalin high of drugs while also capturing its lows in quite graphic terms, with a great early lead performance by Ewan McGregor.
82. Toy Story 2 (1999) d: John Lasseter
The best of the Toy Story movies because while it has all the inventiveness of the series, the emotion of what it means to be an abandoned toy embodied by Jessie. The sequence of "When She Loved Me" tears me up every time I see it.
81. Fargo (1996) d: Joel Coen
I hearby nominate Marge Gunderson, perfectly embodied by Frances McDormand, as the greatest female hero of the 25 year time period. You betcha.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
There are many problems with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, beyond that unruly title. The fatal flaw of the film is one that I don't think the filmmakers even considered: the lack of a rooting interest.
I don't know these guys. These characters have been rebooted and revisited so much that my connection with them if flimsy at best. Then some "modern" touches have been added. For example, Batman sure seems awfully comfortable with guns. That seems odd given the lore of a Batman who hated guns after witnessing his parents being shot and killed.
The problem started with Man of Steel. It took me awhile to figure out why I was underwhelmed by that film. It isn't just that Henry Cavill isn't the actor Christopher Reeve was, but that's part of it. Reeve always seemed to be having fun. Cavill seems miserable. So I didn't have the fun of the Reeve Superman movies when I saw Man of Steel.
I sure don't know this Batman. Ben Affleck does was he can, but who is this guy? He's older, there are hints at his past (supposedly Robin was killed in the line of duty), but DC Comics was in such a rush to get its superheroes interacting that they forgot to define him. I guess we are just supposed to assume from past knowledge.
Then the films to get these two hating each other, and it just doesn't ring true. Ultimately, these characters have too much in common, with goals that are too similar, that the battle between them simply doesn't make sense.
A couple more quick points, because honestly I don't want this to get too long. First, this film is too dark. I don't mean in tone. I mean every fight scene and battles seem to take place at night. The action is not very easy to follow because of this.
Second, did anyone at DC Comics see Watchman? Why did they think that film's director, Zack Snyder, could handle this? He botched that adaption, and it is not surprise he can't handle this film. I'm not even going to start with his Sucker Punch, my vote for the worst film of the century to date.
By jumping into the fray so quickly, so rushed, and so haphazardly, DC is inviting comparisons to Marvel. Marvel has taken the time to define its characters well, and remembers to be fun. This film has ill-defined characters, and is gloomy. I look forward to the next Avengers movie. I have little interest in the Justice League. In its rush to compete with Marvel, DC has only proved what a good job Marvel has done.
Grade: D+
I don't know these guys. These characters have been rebooted and revisited so much that my connection with them if flimsy at best. Then some "modern" touches have been added. For example, Batman sure seems awfully comfortable with guns. That seems odd given the lore of a Batman who hated guns after witnessing his parents being shot and killed.
The problem started with Man of Steel. It took me awhile to figure out why I was underwhelmed by that film. It isn't just that Henry Cavill isn't the actor Christopher Reeve was, but that's part of it. Reeve always seemed to be having fun. Cavill seems miserable. So I didn't have the fun of the Reeve Superman movies when I saw Man of Steel.
I sure don't know this Batman. Ben Affleck does was he can, but who is this guy? He's older, there are hints at his past (supposedly Robin was killed in the line of duty), but DC Comics was in such a rush to get its superheroes interacting that they forgot to define him. I guess we are just supposed to assume from past knowledge.
Then the films to get these two hating each other, and it just doesn't ring true. Ultimately, these characters have too much in common, with goals that are too similar, that the battle between them simply doesn't make sense.
A couple more quick points, because honestly I don't want this to get too long. First, this film is too dark. I don't mean in tone. I mean every fight scene and battles seem to take place at night. The action is not very easy to follow because of this.
Second, did anyone at DC Comics see Watchman? Why did they think that film's director, Zack Snyder, could handle this? He botched that adaption, and it is not surprise he can't handle this film. I'm not even going to start with his Sucker Punch, my vote for the worst film of the century to date.
By jumping into the fray so quickly, so rushed, and so haphazardly, DC is inviting comparisons to Marvel. Marvel has taken the time to define its characters well, and remembers to be fun. This film has ill-defined characters, and is gloomy. I look forward to the next Avengers movie. I have little interest in the Justice League. In its rush to compete with Marvel, DC has only proved what a good job Marvel has done.
Grade: D+
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Sunday Scribbling addition (Allison's video)
This is what my daughter made when she was on vacation:
She said, "That took forever!"
She said, "That took forever!"
Sunday Scribblings 6/5/16
When I saw my first Trump for President bumper sticker, it was on a BMW illegally parked in a handicap spot.
***
My daughters just came back last night from a trip to the North Carolina coast with my in-laws. My oldest daughter brought home a lovely collection of peeled skin from her sunburned legs.
***
My youngest daughter received a labeler for Christmas last year. Labels have popped up all over the house with unique labels. The microwave, for example, has been labelled "FOOD ZAPPER". I was not prepared for the latest label. Our toilet is now labelled "POOPING VESSEL".
***
When I was 2 1/2 years old, my family spent the summer at my grandparents' second home near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The house was right on a lake in a heavily wooded area. I discovered the joys of hiking that summer. I had not yet discovered the joys of speaking English.
One day I decided to go for a hike with my favorite hiking partner, my grandparents' dog, Thor. All of a sudden my parents realized I was gone. It was resolved when people down the lakeshore called to let my parents know I was standing on their dock throwing rocks into the lake. I had hiked around a half mile down the lakeshore. And I did not yet know how to swim.
I saw a video this week of a small child who decided he wanted some of the stuffed toys in a giant claw machine. So he climbed up the exit and was sitting in the machine calming throwing the toys he wanted down the exit.
These are both stories of children disappearing when the parent looked the other way for a brief time. There are many other stories like it. Young children are naturally inquisitive but do not yet understand real life dangers. It is so frequent the Animaniacs TV show built an entire bit around it. Mindy's inquisitiveness gets her into trouble, and Buttons the dog gets clobbered while saving her.
Yet when this circumstance results in tragedy, as it did with the loss of a gorilla's life at the Cincinnati Zoo, all of sudden the child's parents are the Worst Parents Ever in the eyes of many of the genius parenting experts on the internet. I would bet none of these anointed experts know the parents or know anything about them other than that their child wandered into a gorilla enclosure.
One awful development on the internet is the quick judgment on the internet from people. What doesn't seem to process is the possibility of a tragic situation. Someone must be at fault. Someone must be to blame. Someone must be punished.
Wrong. Sometimes it is just an awful set of circumstances. Sometimes the natural inquisitiveness of a child leads to an awful situation. Its sad, but not the time where a child should automatically be taken from his parents. That would make a bad situation worse.
***
My daughters just came back last night from a trip to the North Carolina coast with my in-laws. My oldest daughter brought home a lovely collection of peeled skin from her sunburned legs.
***
My youngest daughter received a labeler for Christmas last year. Labels have popped up all over the house with unique labels. The microwave, for example, has been labelled "FOOD ZAPPER". I was not prepared for the latest label. Our toilet is now labelled "POOPING VESSEL".
***
When I was 2 1/2 years old, my family spent the summer at my grandparents' second home near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The house was right on a lake in a heavily wooded area. I discovered the joys of hiking that summer. I had not yet discovered the joys of speaking English.
One day I decided to go for a hike with my favorite hiking partner, my grandparents' dog, Thor. All of a sudden my parents realized I was gone. It was resolved when people down the lakeshore called to let my parents know I was standing on their dock throwing rocks into the lake. I had hiked around a half mile down the lakeshore. And I did not yet know how to swim.
I saw a video this week of a small child who decided he wanted some of the stuffed toys in a giant claw machine. So he climbed up the exit and was sitting in the machine calming throwing the toys he wanted down the exit.
These are both stories of children disappearing when the parent looked the other way for a brief time. There are many other stories like it. Young children are naturally inquisitive but do not yet understand real life dangers. It is so frequent the Animaniacs TV show built an entire bit around it. Mindy's inquisitiveness gets her into trouble, and Buttons the dog gets clobbered while saving her.
Yet when this circumstance results in tragedy, as it did with the loss of a gorilla's life at the Cincinnati Zoo, all of sudden the child's parents are the Worst Parents Ever in the eyes of many of the genius parenting experts on the internet. I would bet none of these anointed experts know the parents or know anything about them other than that their child wandered into a gorilla enclosure.
One awful development on the internet is the quick judgment on the internet from people. What doesn't seem to process is the possibility of a tragic situation. Someone must be at fault. Someone must be to blame. Someone must be punished.
Wrong. Sometimes it is just an awful set of circumstances. Sometimes the natural inquisitiveness of a child leads to an awful situation. Its sad, but not the time where a child should automatically be taken from his parents. That would make a bad situation worse.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
100 movies 1990-2014 (100-91)
100. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) d: Francois Girard
One way to approach telling the story of an enigmatic musician: try every approach. This film blends documentary, avant garde, music video, and recreation to create a unique experience about a unique individual.
99. In Her Shoes (2005) d: Curtis Hanson
Hanson's a truly underrated director, an even his formula films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle are watchable. I think this is his best, a story of the bond of two sisters. As the lesser educated of the two who bonds with her newly found grandmother, Cameron Diaz gives the best performance of her career.
98. No Country For Old Men (2007) d: Joel and Ethan Coen
Everyone talks about the villain, but let me state that if Tommy Lee Jones' performance as the worn out officer pursuing him, the film would not be near as effective.
97. Smoke (1995) d: Wayne Wang
The beauty of this film's in the details provided by writer Paul Auster. Little details, like the pictures taken at the same time every day and how the shop owner obtained the camera in the first place, contains the richness of life in a way most faster paced movies miss.
96. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) d: Ang Lee
The first time I saw this, the audience burst into applause at the end of the first fight scene. I never heard that happen before or since.
95. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009) d: Niels Arden Oplev
While I loved the remake, I think the original is better. It is a little tighter and has an ending that makes more sense.
94. Reservoir Dogs (1992) d: Quentin Tarentino
It's not the violence, it is the dialogue that makes it so memorable.
93. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) d: Ang Lee
The dynamics of a father trying to understand three daughters, and each of the daughters trying to negotiate romantic relationships. My favorite joke is a subtle one: the father is a master chef who makes massive feasts, yet his youngest daughter works at a Wendy's.
92. Selma (2014) d: Ava DuVernay
It serves both as a fine look at the greatness of Martin Luther King and shows how many people were responsible for the successes of the Civil Rights Movement.
91. Monsters Inc. (2001) d: Pete Docter
This has one of my favorite closing shots ever. Kitty!
One way to approach telling the story of an enigmatic musician: try every approach. This film blends documentary, avant garde, music video, and recreation to create a unique experience about a unique individual.
99. In Her Shoes (2005) d: Curtis Hanson
Hanson's a truly underrated director, an even his formula films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle are watchable. I think this is his best, a story of the bond of two sisters. As the lesser educated of the two who bonds with her newly found grandmother, Cameron Diaz gives the best performance of her career.
98. No Country For Old Men (2007) d: Joel and Ethan Coen
Everyone talks about the villain, but let me state that if Tommy Lee Jones' performance as the worn out officer pursuing him, the film would not be near as effective.
97. Smoke (1995) d: Wayne Wang
The beauty of this film's in the details provided by writer Paul Auster. Little details, like the pictures taken at the same time every day and how the shop owner obtained the camera in the first place, contains the richness of life in a way most faster paced movies miss.
96. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) d: Ang Lee
The first time I saw this, the audience burst into applause at the end of the first fight scene. I never heard that happen before or since.
95. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009) d: Niels Arden Oplev
While I loved the remake, I think the original is better. It is a little tighter and has an ending that makes more sense.
94. Reservoir Dogs (1992) d: Quentin Tarentino
It's not the violence, it is the dialogue that makes it so memorable.
93. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) d: Ang Lee
The dynamics of a father trying to understand three daughters, and each of the daughters trying to negotiate romantic relationships. My favorite joke is a subtle one: the father is a master chef who makes massive feasts, yet his youngest daughter works at a Wendy's.
92. Selma (2014) d: Ava DuVernay
It serves both as a fine look at the greatness of Martin Luther King and shows how many people were responsible for the successes of the Civil Rights Movement.
91. Monsters Inc. (2001) d: Pete Docter
This has one of my favorite closing shots ever. Kitty!
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