Now In Video!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Well guys, you already know how much I enjoy motorcycles and riding around the Santa Cruz mountains here in the Bay Area. After playing around with still photos, I finally mounted up a video camera and edited myself a video. Check it out HERE. Oh yeah, I’ve also joined the whole YouTube thing about two years after the fact. Yeah, well I used to be on the cutting edge…I guess now I’m more on the, ah, trimming edge? Oy – that was lame.
We had a really nice series of weekends here – a visit from Padrino Oscar up to Yosemite, a trip to the San Francisco Zoo and a quiet one this weekend enjoying the warmer weather by hanging out with Nicky by the pool. It was still a little chilly in the water (he was not all that happy to take a dip) but soon enough.
I’m not really in a witty vibe, so I’ll go straight to the movie update. Let me know what you think of my little cinematic effort!
• Da Vinci Code
Enjoyed the book and figured the movie was expensive enough to deliver the goods. Meh. Tom Hanks was simply not the right choice of star and Ron Howard the wrong director. No duh, that’s pretty much what others said and hey, they were right. It was visually impressive at times, but c’mon – you’d need a passport and REALLY strong legs to make some of leaps of logic. Pass.
• A Prairie Home Companion
You know the radio show? Watch 15 minutes of this and you’ll realize why it’s on radio. Sorry Garrison – love your subtle humor and appreciate Meryl Streep singing on camera, but it was simply not engaging. So long Altman…you usually found magic in your casting and cameos, but this one missed the trail.
• Hustle and Flow
While I suppose I can appreciate the challenges in the endeavors of a pimp, I’m not quite certain that their life is as hard as one may have thought. Ok, so the cast was good and DJ Qualls (yes, that’s his real name) stole the scenes as Shelby but I found the whole concept of sympathizing with what is in reality an exploitative business just too much to suspend disbelief. Sorry, call me old fashioned but if life is hard for a pimp it’s certainly better than being his product, dig?
• Clerks 2
Destined to be compared to the original which was great because it wasn’t so great. So..Kevin Smith tries a little too hard and presses a little too much for payoffs – and hits a few. Rosario Dawson (she’s damn cute, who knew?) balances her straight role with some funny lines and the usual gang of idiots manage to amuse and engage. A chuckle-worthy successor as long as you know what to expect.
• An Inconvenient Truth
Yes, the science is unsubstantiated at times. Sure, Al Gore has exposed himself to some uncomfortable questions of doing as he says. Indeed, the film offers a mild call to action on what may well be a socially and economically devastating issue. But it does one thing perfectly – it starts a dialogue that is long overdue. If we’re screwing up the only planet we have handy to LIVE on, we need to cut it out. Simple. The sight of those polar bears struggling to swim in the open ocean alone brought the issue to a distinct focus.
• Superman Returns
Better than I expected, well cast, solid effects and yet it was still derivative of the 1980’s series. Guess that’s to be expected, but when I saw how much effort was taken to ‘use’ Marlon Brando footage for what became a 10-second throw away scene…well that’s when the Hollywood approach to treating leftovers to $100 million dollar revivals out of pure creative atrophy it ruins the charm.
• Favela Rising
An amazing trip through the slums of Rio to see the worst and the best of what poverty can do for you. Afro Reggae had every reason to fail, every reason to be a footnote in history (if even a story at all) and every reason to be yet another disappointment in the lives of people who suffer more than anyone should. Instead it is a resounding victory, a testament to hope and a demonstration that brutality and violence don’t always win. Really inspiring and touching, while remaining true to itself. Fantastic.
• Borat
People said it was funny as hell. They were right. Scenes leave you wincing and laughing at the same time. You don’t WANT to be amused, you just are. Over and over again.
• Cars
The one thing Pixar gets right again and again is simple: the story. Far too many movie makers rely on effects, star power, visuals and flash and forget that moviemaking is storytelling transferred to film. That’s it. Simple but elusive. As before, Cars captures an emotional place through characters that could very easily have been broad strokes – especially when your cast is personifications of the Nascar world. Beautifully (sometimes stunningly so) animated and well voiced – but ultimately the allegory carries the day. Formulaic? Yep – and you’ll love it.