1/11 The Marriag_ of M_ria Br_un (1979)

I'm watching this Trilogy! Great FILM! Why the black man had to die?!

Kids Part 1

Don't know why. But my moms rented this film for me and went to something for her job. Still puzzled till this day why she did. But I know one thing. It taught me what not to do! Caaaaaasper!

The Tandem

I’ve learned much from old appliances. On many occasions, a fuzzy television awoke my innate gift for engineering. Foil, paper clips, safety pins or the classic bent hanger, were my tools. I’ve even opened a T.V—I truly the believe manufactures, placing all those screws in the back, are a preventive measure. Maybe they expect you’ll give up, maybe that long process was a warning, giving time for the conscience to kick in. Whatever the intention, it couldn’t over shadow a trait, which either made me special or a glutton for punishment. Those green panels, with harden droppings of silver were calling, Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me. I’ve always been persistent.

Inside a metallic mesh, inanimate objects vibrated, releasing a burst of air. I clung to it. Like a venerated wise man, I sought a wooden console—really a flimsy wood coated with in adhesive paper. The speakers opened like barn doors, revealing shelves. It wasn’t always mine. The console was once off limits. Around 1995, my mothers friend, sold her Sony five compact disc changer, retiring the console, with the old tape deck stereo, to my room. It stood about three feet, making the final resting place for my thirteen-inch television and VCR—the tandem united.

I loved that stereo. It was perfect. It had two tape decks. The two speakers would open, like a hustler opening the flaps of his coat, and my index finger would scroll the sides of plastic boxes. I loved the tandem, not for what they were but for what they could provide. The needle, reading the metallic strip, produced my escape. No exaggeration. As the machines would break, I would operate: a hanger to fish out small pieces, a pair of pliers to turn up the sound, a pair of scissors to cut wire, a butter knife to pull out a stubborn VHS. I went through one obstacle, the machine, to find another. Ironically, the wires sending electrical signals, for me, became a conduit.

The art form is pleasing; yet the eyes distort. The ears can take in sounds, creating the most vivid images. When the eyes are closed, listening, one is internalizing, and the effects are life altering. The white or black suburban boy is now gangster or more street—something I can identity with. I would speak of music, film, television, and its effect on the actual street dweller, but I don’t know personally. However, I believe a person is more likely to internalize fantasy or a distorted reality before items closely related to the world they see.

As for my beloved appliances, which link me to my beloved content, they’ve taught me the strongest lesson. Though these inanimate objects never reproached my gluttony for their individual genius, I can’t blame them for their effect. The film KIDS and my present day Freudian slips about, about Latin women talking widely about sex, all point to my young mind, insisting that my thumb was justified in its repeated use of the rewind button.

Dodesukaden: By by Akira Kurosawa (1970)

Dodes-ka-den was Arika kurosawa’s film to revive his career. Prior to Dodes-ka-den, Kurosawa, was slated to direct an Epic film, Runaway Train, with American producers; do to complication with him and the production company, the project was scraped. He was slated to direct the Japanese actors in the film TORA TORA TORA, but do to differences; he was removed from the project. Five years had passed. Kurosawa hadn’t made a film. To prove his worth as a filmmaker, Kurosawa formed a band called the white knights to make Dodes-ka-den. The film had to be successful, win over critics, and grab international acclaim. To add more pressure, Dodes-ka-den was Kurosawa’s inaugural effort in color filmmaking. According to film “historians,” after the Dodes-ka-den was released in 1970 it was not well received. However, the film was nominated for an academy award.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

With the intro out the way, I like to say forget critics. My favorite comedian Richard Pryor said, “No one ever grows up wanting to be a critic.” I’m no cheerleader, but I have respect for man’s passion, for a person who performs with his or her heart and soul . Dodes-ka-den had themes centering on the human heart: delving into the quality of a person, the experiences that govern our choices, and ones philosophy or outlook on life.

In man or woman’s lifetime, they give others hell, and receive it just as equally. But the amazing quality about humans, we endure. All these elements are wrapped around a brilliant use of color. Vivid, striking and at times exaggerated, the colors in the film make Dodes-ka-den a joy to watch. But use of color does not overshadow the story. Dodes-ka-den opens with a young boy who is mentally ill, a boy who’s called the Train freak; he drives an imaginary trolly car through out a slum outside Tokyo. With his foot and his imaginary pedal, he takes us into the slum, chanting Dodes-ka-den, Dodes-ka-den, which seems to be the Japanese equivalent to Chug-a-Chug-a-Chug-a.

We encounter stories, told in episodic fashion, or like a cluster of vignettes. There is no identifiable plot. However, I feel Dodes-ka-den naturally is an entertaining film. The only thing that bothered me was the ending. I wanted to know the fate of the films most despicable character. However, the strongest parts are the scenes that contain real emotion. Overall, I enjoyed this film.
Lately, I've been going on a Kurosawa binge. I have a few more of his films on deck. Next up, KAN and Yojimbo.

All About Actresses: By Maïwenn Le Besco (2009)

My first Tribeca Film Festival! It was a lot of fun. The tickets sell fast. So, I just saw the first thing available. The big dog Alex Acosta always talked about making a Mockumentary, and that was my main in influence for choosing this film over some other film about vampires--or something crazy like that. I got lucky. The film was awesome. I seem to have liking for films where directors play themselves, making a film about the process of making a film, or in this case the hardships of being a female actress.

It was definitely a great experience. I'm proud of myself having the guts to venture to New York City, to be around what I love most. It was a year of trying times, maybe I should make a mockumentary about college grads giving everything up to peruse film. Note to self.

Short Cuts: By Robert Altman (1993)

On a social networking site, a film connoisseur expressed his love for the film Crash. Crash was great a film. But it’s my hunch, the lifeblood of Crash traces back to the author Raymond Caver—a poet and writer of short stories. Craver’s work, famous for dealing with his marriage, his children and struggle with alcoholism, influenced Robert Altman to write the film Short Cuts, which debuted in 1993.

Both Crash and Short Cuts are great films. Though the similarities are obvious: both films are set in Los Angeles; both films cut between a series of people linked together; both films have a police officer who abuses his power; both films have a couple on the rocks; and both films even have small child that brushes with death.

The exception? Short Cuts is no where near conventional or adheres to the standards that well with American audiences.

The police officer in Short Cuts never has the chance to redeem his transgressions, the couple in Short Cuts never truly makes up, and unlike the little girl who leaped into her fathers arms in Crash, the boy in Short Cuts, accidentally hit by a car, dies.

To me, the themes of both these movies deal with our imperfect world, were nothing is flawless, and we continuously crash into each other.BUT FOR ME, Short Cut’s provides of more a challenge. There is no easy way out. The story doesn’t allow one to feel good in the end. Often, unfortunately, life is the same way.

Personally, I would love to see more challenging stories with black and Latino issues. NOT TO SAY CRASH WASN’T A CHALLENGE, I ENJOYED THE MOVIE! I could sense the Hollywood in film. I would love to see a candid scene, not necessarily a woman standing nude, like in Short Cuts, but scenes of minorities in their natural element, unvarnished—the very element that minorities unnecessarily feel a shame of: like black women walking about side with rollers in their hair. That's one aspect that I admired about Short Cuts, the blue collared characters in the film were relatable. Why can’t can we see blue-collar minority characters?

Is it because minorities have been so inflicted with racism, the belief that one race is superior to another? We strive for a portrayal that’s always free from any shade negativity, furthermore, feeling the need to prove ourselves: we’re just as intelligent, we have class. I feel the most important thing, in terms of art, is to know thy self, to appreciate the positivity and face the negativity, ultimately diving deeper into ones flaws.

What I find interesting about Short Cut’s is the film is obscure. Altman was nominated for Academy Award for Best Director in 1993, but he and his film Short Cuts lost to Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. Since then, it’s been a film of mystery. I encourage anyone who wants to see a different style of story telling to pick it up—if there’s a cool enough video store in your area that carries the film. If not, I believe the whole film is on youtube. Ahh Good old youtube.

Intervista: by Frederico Fellini (1987)

He started with neo realism in the 1940’s. In the 60s and 70s, his films would mold into his signature style: one of dream like states told in an episodic fashion. In his second to last film, Intervista, 1987, Federico Fellini looks back. Much like his earlier film 8 ½, Intervista, gives a back stage pass to the film making process.

However, this time Fellini stars as him self. A trio of Japanese journalist, shooting a documentary, follows Fellini, asking him questions while live on set. The journalists learn Fellini is directing an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Amerika—the story based on Fellini’s first visit to a movie studio called The Cinecitta.

The story line cuts intermittently between the trio following Fellini and his crew, as they face the obstacles of filmmaking, and the story of young Fellini’s first day at The Cinecitta. Younger Fellini, played by Sergio Rubini, hops on a bus, heading to the movie studio. Humorously, the older and wiser Fellini watches Rubini traverse the world of his distant past.

Cameramen angle their lenses through the windows; the bus picks up speed, and the story begins, as if the cameras where never there. When wild elephants and Native American’s spring from the Italian countryside, it’s apparent: we’re watching a Fellini Film. As a habit, while viewing Fellini’s films, I watch for symbols, representing America. (Reading or understanding Kafka’s play may prove handy in understanding this film.) Most of his films seem like an inside joke or arcane knowledge about the filmmaker. Intervista is rich in references to Fellini’s career, and fans of Fellini are definitely in for a surprise.

Many consider Intervisita to be Fellini's late masterpiece.I honestly don’t know the criteria for this honor, or do I fully understand the significance of this film—I was two years old when it debuted. Still I think Intervista is wonderful closure to a life of film making. It is a celebration of the craft and the energy placed into a successful production. Fellini acknowledged everyone that contributes to production's success: the actors, the crew, and the cinematographer. I especially enjoyed seeing the lighting equipment. Though, I understand the importance of light, seeing this large-scale production, and the massive lights used for an entire dark street, put my rinky dink projects in perspective. I dare not ruin this film, but it’s must watch for people interested in film making and fans of Fellini.