Do you know how many books I had to read to get this information!!! That’s how informative this is. CineFix debuts its Film School’d series with a brief history of American filmmaking. From the ancient Romans to Netflix and YouTube, this fascinating tale is propelled by technology, accidents, greed and creativity. So, how did a $25,000 bet give rise to the modern film industry, you ask:
“Welcome to Film School… ‘D… Every other Wednesday, come back to Cinefix to check out Film School’d where we only scratch the surface of the bizarre history of moviemaking and films, stories that don’t exist in a vacuum, but involve countries, wars, atom bombs, car crashes, samurais, boats, organized crime, unorganized crime, easy riders, a sled, lovers good and bad, and well… you get it. We cover everything from the zeotrope to this video and the future.”
For young couples in love, the world is their oyster. So why would anyone choose to have sex in a place where people do with their things the polar opposite of what it does everywhere else beyond the place where people dodo?! Get what I meanmean?!!!
That happened yesterday, first day back second semester. It was a surprise for sure, slowly making my way backwards out the exit, not that they gave a crap, they were having sex in a room made to transport pipes worth of shit after all. Hardly sexy in my opinion, but to each their own I guess. More surprising is my term of phrase, “bumping uglies.” That’s like, dad language or something. I have to look that up on the time-line of Historical Slang Terms For Having Sex:
Some great movies coming to our shores this film festival season. I haven’t thoroughly gone through the schedule and I’m sure there are more films to be announced, but here are a few that have caught my eye so far:
La belle et la bête (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) 1946. Fairy tales are meant to be magical stories of wonder and danger. I was captivated by last year’s BLANCANIEVES, so this is a must see. Directed by Jean Cocteau — A beloved classic of French cinema returns in a stunning digital restoration. Conjuring pure magic from the simplest of effects, this retelling of the great Gothic romance is perhaps the most sensuously elegant of all filmed fairy tales.
BOYHOOD. Watch this movie; there will never be another one quite like it, ever. Directed by Richard Linklater — This enthralling and moving drama of a boy’s progress from childhood to young manhood is truly unprecedented: it was shot over 12 years, capturing its star and his fellow cast as they themselves grew and changed.
UNDER THE SKIN. An imposter human being is picking up men on the streets of Scotland and luring them to an alien demise. A majority of footage was captured via hidden cameras, and most of the men that feature in the film are genuine locals just walking in their neighbourhood and not actors at all. Major kudos to Scarlett Johansson for initiating easy conversations and eventual performances out of the unsuspecting, lucky guys. Directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast), UNDER THE SKIN is a risky but ultimately well executed film and it’s nice to see an alien centric story that is more brains than bravado for a change. Plus, Scarlett is sort of the modern-day equivalent of a silver screen starlet, so seeing her play a modest, albeit, edgy role is welcoming. In case my prose is confusing you, yes, I have already seen this film, and it is good.
PATEMA INVERTED. I’m dubious when it comes to anime, unless of course it gets the OK from film festival organisers. Directed by Yoshiura Yasuhiro — This charming and ingeniously elaborate anime world, one tribe’s gravity is another tribe’s anti-gravity. A plucky upside-down girl and a gallant right-way-up boy switch perspectives.
WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL? I can always count on the Incredibly Strange section to bring the ridiculousness. Directed by Sono Sion (Suicide Club, Love Exposure ) — Basically, this film is about two bloodthirsty Yakuza clans against a band of chaotic wannabe filmmakers. And that’s all I need to know.
KUNG FU ELLIOT. This doco is a maybe. But judging by the trailer, I think I do want to care about Elliot and his life goals. “A window into the magnificent world of self delusion.” ~ Fresh Roasted Films. I wonder if Elliot is a fan of Don “The Dragon” Wilson?
SNOWPIERCER. Directed by Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho (The Host), adapted from a French graphic novel and starring an international cast; movies like this are made to appease film festival audiences.
Jackie Chan is the man. Period. He is funny, cool and oh so talented, why, I haven’t even seen half the films he has made and starred in but it is obvious his body of work is consistent and always fun to watch — the man is a perfectionist.
The most recent film I saw of his was DRUNKEN MASTER II (1994). I watched it for the first time with my brother and we both agreed it was greatly satisfying, as we immediately imitated our favourite parts during the credits. Wait… I think I remember him slapping me in the eye. Huh…
The film is a follow-up to Chan’s 1978 film DRUNKEN MASTER (another great), directed by Yuen Woo-ping, but not a direct storyline sequel. The stunts and fight sequences of precise choreography were intricate and amazing as one would expect from Chan, and were supported by an interesting cast of characters and a easy-to-follow storyline. I highly recommenced you add it to your queue of things to watch.
Chan returns to the adventures of rascally Wong Fei-Hong, a master in the strange art of “drunken boxing.” After a shopping visit to China with his father (Ti Lung), Wong accidentally stumbles into the middle of an export war between British smugglers and Chinese locals. The film combines Chan’s martial arts prowess with slapstick laughs, culminating in a wild coal foundry showdown.
In 2005, DRUNKEN MASTER II was named one of the top 100 best films of all time by Time magazine, and was acclaimed by late film critic, Roger Ebert, as having a terrific finale:
“When I did a seminar at the Hawaii Film Festival several years ago, comparing the physical comedy of Chan and Buster Keaton, martial arts fans brought in their bootleg Hong Kong laser discs of this film and told me that I had to see the final 20-minute fight sequence. They were correct. Coming at the end of a film filled with jaw-dropping action scenes, this extended virtuoso effort sets some kind of benchmark: It may not be possible to film a better fight scene.” (Read Full Article.)
Blog needs more Chan, and I need more martial arts! Do you have any kung fu favourites?
Wow, those hail stones are huge! Visitors to a beach in Novosibirsk, Russia, were forced to run for cover when a sudden temperature drop from 105° to 71° F (41° to 22° C) caused a severe hail storm, dropping ice pellets the size of golf balls:
Times have changed all right, considering there once was a time when movies made us believe without any CGI artistry. I could argue how some stories actually suffer at the hands of big-budget special computer effects, but that would just turn into one very very very long list. These photos are a few of the good examples of obvious digital visual enhancements that don’t completely distract from the viewer’s suspension of disbelief.
Here’s hoping these images enlighten, intrigue and/or encourage your desires in regards to storytelling whilst igniting a flame of appreciation for those unsung heroes of the entertainment industry. Or not. I will shut up now and let the pictures do the talking — Hollywood Movie Magic!!! (minus half the magic):
And people wonder why independent films are amazing.
I want to go to Japan. Yuki Eikawa’s travel videos are extraordinarily immersive — This video is so simple and really captures the atmosphere in a way other promotional/tourist material does not. Eikawa doesn’t add narration or background music and mostly shoots at eye level, and I’m so glad I had the option of watching this in ultra high-definition:
It is honest. Unlike his earlier work, the camera isn’t stationary, which is very cool. I like being a part of the crowd and seeing vibrancy and colourful fashion everywhere! Unlike here in New Zealand where black and every shade of grey is always in season. The streets are so clean, quaint and friendly looking too, that is to say, I’d just like to walk through the neighbourhood and explore. Do the same up Queen Street for seven minutes and you’ll probably run into at least 12 homeless men expelling phlegm on the sidewalk. Yes twelve. I counted once. …I so want to go to Japan.
Very nice. To be fair however, I’m the type who would also appreciate seeing the grimy side of city life too. But then that’s not very attractive is it. Nice work Yuki Eikawa!
🎭 