Tag Archives: film

blockbuster or bust.

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it was ladies’ night at my friend’s house

we had a bit of wine and chat and lots of laughter

the hostess suggested that we should get a movie

and try as she might

she could not remember its name

but it was ‘really good’

couldn’t remember the main stars

‘but we would recognize them immediately’

she put in a call to blockbuster

where they had every current movie

 the kind person/movie nerd at the store

answered the phone

the experts were standing by

 to help her figure out the title

when we heard her explain

that it was really good

had 2 popular stars

and a 3-word title

beginning with the word ‘the’

we absolutely lost it

the poor person on the phone

worked for 20 minutes

trying to jog her memory for more details

finally giving up and apologizing

now, that’s customer service

i really miss blockbuster

something about the excitement

going to pick out a movie

families, couples, friends, singles

taking turns and negotiating

hoping the one you really wanted was still there

so much comedy and drama all in one place.

“vague questions deserve vague answers”

-ristretto

marcel.

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this film.

i recently saw it with one daughter and two grandies

based on a youtube character created by comedians who were bored at a wedding

with low expectations, just wanting to be entertained

i was not prepared for this poignant, sweet, sad, funny, and heartwarming story

a documentary with a perfect blend of stop-action and live-action film

you may recognize some of the humans who appear on the screen

not an action film but fully a reaction film

give it time, it’s slow, it’s quiet, it’s incredibly touching, and will enchant all ages

it’s seeing the world through marcel’s tiny eyes,

as he deals with joy, love, loss, fear, grief, courage, and a renewal of life

 reminding us of the importance of family, friendship, support, and connections of all kinds.

This poem, The Trees, by Phillip Larkin, was read at a pivotal point in the film and is so fitting:

and cut…..

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 in honor of the 10th anniversary of this film, made here in ann arbor, i’m reposting this blog from my past.

ever had one of those days? the ones that take a funny turn?

i picked up a movie from the library recently, ‘the five year engagement,’ and when i saw the cover, i remembered that i had almost been in it. by accident. really.

it was the summer and i’d walked downtown to meet my date. when i got to one of my favorite local townie spots where we’d planned to meet, i noticed there was a barricade, some roadie types, a sound system and all sorts of equipment set up outside. having lived here for more than a decade, i knew there was always a festival, parade or protest popping up, so none of this surprised me. it  could easily have been for a street dance, a car show, or god knows what else, so i simply stepped over and around everything, and walked on in.

once inside, i looked around, it was a bit dark and hazy and didn’t see him there yet, so i sat down at an open table. while waiting, i noticed that something about the place looked different than it normally did, but i couldn’t quite put my finger on it. i then got a phone call from my date, asking where i was, and when i told him i was already where we’d planned to meet, he said he’d arrived, but couldn’t get in because it was closed off to the public, as they were shooting a movie there. and he wondered how i had gotten in.

ah – that’s when it all made sense and it dawned on me. i had unwittingly walked right into the middle of a movie set. i thought it was awfully dark for being the daytime, and things were moved around, and i heard someone yelling out something, but figured it was a bartender, and thought maybe they’d redone the place, trying to go a bit more upscale. i loved it just the way it had been though, a cozy, casual, old-school, welcoming place. all this went through my mind quickly and then i remembered, they’d been shooting in various locations around town for some weeks now, but it never occurred to me that i had crashed their party. i was suddenly an accidental extra.

i’m sure the only reason they let me on set in the first place, was because i’d ambled on into it like i was supposed to be there, (and i thought i was), so no one stopped me. and i was dressed like a townie, (since i was a real one), so i fit right in.

we laughed out loud on each end of the phone as i shared my revelation, and i casually got up and walked off the set and into the daylight once more, as if i was walking to my personal production trailer, only to find my date waiting in another location. where they were NOT in the middle of shooting a scene for a movie.

when i picked up the dvd at the library, a part of me somehow hoped to see myself in that scene, but not surprisingly, i was nowhere to be found, other than somewhere on the cutting room floor, perhaps.

“acting in’Star Wars’ I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad,

and I didn’t even know who the cantaloupes were.”

– Mark Hamill

image credits: universal studios, old town bar

 

50 years of love and tears.

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hard to believe

it’s the 50th anniversary 

of this movie’s opening

 everyone i knew

rushed to the theater

swoon-worthy *ryan o’neal and beautiful ali macgraw

over-emoted their way through it

it was everything we expected

and more

a dramatic, tragic, ill-fated romance

a love story for the ages

 inspiring endless tears and endless post-viewing talk 

going to see it again and again

somehow hoping for a different ending. 

” love means never having to say you’re sorry”

– jennifer cavalleiri (ali macgraw in love story)

(we loved this famous confusing quote from the movie, and had deep discussions about what it meant)

*interesting tidbit –

writer erich segal, based ryan o’neal’s character on a hybrid of his college housemates at harvard:

Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore

image credit: paramount pictures

 

the timeless power of poetry and love.

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take a moment out of your day to be moved by this very short film

https://aleteia.org/2020/01/02/20-year-old-filmmaker-wins-award-for-powerful-1-minute-film-about-marriage/?fbclid=IwAR06z2gScNTfefFoJfMAM3nfi9hzMFKimadkIUHIgKB3IO1LRJs7AETJD8Y

 

 

credits: aleteia, barr pictures, open hands open hearts

light workout.

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going to a movie theater counts as a light workout.

count me in.

If your New Year’s resolution is to exercise more, your goal just got a lot easier.

Sitting through a film at the cinema could be considered light exercise, according to researchers at the University College London (UCL), who found that movie-goers often experienced heart rate increases equal to about 40 minutes of low-impact cardio.

The trip to the movie theater makes all the difference, scientists believe. Whereas film fans are easily distracted while watching at home, the unbroken concentration involved in seeing a movie at the cinema is the key to their finding.

“Cultural experiences like going to the cinema provide opportunities to devote our undivided attention for sustained periods of time,” writes UCL neuroscientist Joseph Devlin in the report. “In the cinema, however, there is nothing else you can do except immerse yourself.”

This means a movie night could be good for our minds, too.

“Our ability to work through problems without distraction makes us better able to solve problems and be productive,” he says.

The study, paid for by UK-based Vue Cinemas, observed 51 participants as they watched the 2019 live-action remake of “Aladdin,” with sensors tracking their heart rates and skin reactions during the film. Their results were compared to a group of 26 others who spent that same amount of time reading.

A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. The results showed that those who spent 40 minutes in a movie theater reached a “healthy heart zone,” with rates landing somewhere between 40% to 80% of its maximum rate — about 95 and 160 beats per minute for an average middle-aged adult. This level of heart activity could be compared to brisk walking or gardening, researchers say.

Study authors also noted that moviegoers’ heart beats began to synchronize during the film, which may contribute to “a positive effect on our overall social connectedness.”

“A shared social focus not only has a proven link to greater bonding and empathy with others,” they write, “but also has been proven to reduce symptoms of loneliness and depression.”

According to Devlin, this sort of prolonged concentration could be a boon to anyone, especially those who feel constantly distracted by smartphones, tablets and social media.

“In a world where it is increasingly difficult to step away from our devices, this level of sustained focus is good for us,” he writes.

 

‘cinema is a great binding force for a nation.’

-judith kumar

 

 

 

credits: hannah sparks, ny post

shared.

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on the day before thanksgiving

school was out

 kids had energy to burn

so I borrowed the big car

to round everyone up

and

enjoy an afternoon with

two grandies

 four neighborhood friends

and a lot of smuggled-in candy

while settling into

comfy seats

at the local theater.

one tried pre-filling his Santa hat

to the top with treats

before we left his house

but the group voted and decided

it was unsteady, looked suspicious,

and would quickly reveal our scheme.

it’s all about teaching life skills.

“the magic of film isn’t just because of the big screen,

or the acoustics,

but he ineffable shared experience of going to the movies.”

-fernando perez

the papermaker.

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i have always had a great love of paper

especially handmade

each piece unique

the feel, the smell, the beauty,

 the unlimited opportunities

to decorate it, to write and draw and paint upon it,

to fold it, to cut it, to wrap with it, to read from it, to create with it.

the short film below is a glimpse into the life of an artisan

who is also passionate about paper.

“The Papermaker“ is a short documentary about one of the last handcrafting papermakers in Europe and his great love for paper. Gangolf Ulbricht makes unique tree- free papers by hand. For international artists, conservators, photographers, printers and many more. He learned his uniqe craft in Germany, Japan, France and England. In this short film we see him producing his fine paper in his basement studio in the Arthouse Bethanien in Berlin-Kreuzberg. He talks about his love and dedication for this craft – and it ́s future. Gangolf has worked for a number of known artists like: Jenny Holzer, Louise Bourgeois, Guenther Uecker, Jonathan Meese, Damien Hirst, Christiane Baumgartner, Matthias Weischer and many more.

https://uncrate.com/video/the-papermaker/

“fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

-william wordsworth

 

 

 

 

credits:

Directed by DANIEL EGENOLF
Director of Photography LINE KÜHL
Edited by BORIS SEEWALD
Music by RALF HILDENBEUTEL
Sounddesign by ALEXANDER HEINZE
Produced by kingsandkongs.de