Archive for Movies&Film
October 15, 2007 at 2:36 pm · Filed under In the Kitchen and Foodstuff, In the News, Movies&Film, Travels, 日本語
The strike is finally over and garbage collection resumes this week. We were just starting to consider alternatives to get rid of waste piled up over the three months. Hopefully this experience will lead to better recycling practices for all.
travel
I read about a place in Chile called Punta Pite and it has finally given me an definite answer to the question I always ask others: “if you could leave on a trip tomorrow anywhere in the world, where would it be?” It’s likely my next big trip will not be for another year or so but in the meantime, I will read up on Chile with a possible side of Easter Island salad.
news
日本語
From my Japanese language exchange over an ever-delicious Elysian cappuccino on Saturday: you know how we say that we want to “brush up on …”, for example, brush up on my Japanese? You can use the same expression in Japanese: 日本語を磨く (nihongo o migaku) - brush my japanese. The same verb (and kanji) is used for brushing ones teeth brushing. We also discussed 不器用 (bukiyoh) and a translation - clumsy; both the physical and mental uses of the word. Then I inquired into a Japanese version of quote / unquote fingers but my conclusion for the night was that it doesn’t quite exist. If you know other please let me know.
food
On Friday after drinks at Koerner’s a few of us went to Topanga Cafe on W 4th for some dinner. I had been inhaling cider for the few hours previous thus this was the most incredible thing to eat:
the chicken burrito. On reflection, I might have preferred beef or bean but…it was good. Can you believe that cheese and the sauce…? On further reflection, or after getting this picture of my camera, I realized that I had eaten something that spent half its plate-life staring at me.
pets
I was also cat sitting this weekend which was good given my limited interaction with pets. Seven months old, she was quite the active cat and I played with her; tossing mice around and animating string. I wondered if I was entertaining her and then I wondered how much she perceived these things in motion as being moved by my hand. Was I creating an illusion or did she need to use her own imagination? How do cats play?
movies
I saw The Darjeeling Limited last night and while it may disappoint those expecting a new favourite Wes Anderson movie, I enjoyed the faces and expressions of all the actors, with all their flaws, made beautiful.
mobile phone
I am still without mobile phone but it’s hard to want to spend the money on the ones available here when I had Orange Juice in Japan. I sort of want to wait until I have a (more) highly paying job and then I can invest in one of them fancy phones. But moments like coordinating meeting at a movie theatre and saving seats could have been made easier if I was connected. We could have made the balcony!
September 19, 2007 at 6:59 am · Filed under I am feeling..., Movies&Film
It seems as though everyone else is asleep but me. I tried. I even put an eye mask on; one that I acquired from someone who flew to Japan in business class and was willing to give up the “comfort kit” they gave out. I’m also wearing the thyme-scented socks, I brushed my teeth with the soft brush covered in paste from a wee tube, used the aromatherapy facial mist and the lip balm. I feel very upgraded. But still I can’t sleep.
Air flight movies:
fantastic four: eh. the silver surfer is cool but not having watched a lot of movies in the past year and a half I have little tolerance for the predictable let’s get emotional / excited parts. I just wanted to learn more about the silver surfer.
the messengers: came to this channel as the end credits were finishing and the first thing I saw was “thank you to the city of Regina”. I got excited because I thought I could watch the movie thinking “I know that” “I’ve seen that” “I’ve been there” but like many movies filmed in Saskatchewan it doesn’t actually take place in Saskatchewan but one of those northern states with fields.
Yeah I don’t really know how to review movies. If I tried to hard I might give it away so I’ll talk about myself more.
While trying to fall asleep my mind was running through a hodgepodge of images suitable for my current state: flying 34000 feet in the air halfway between two countries of which neither are quite home at the moment. Starbucks prepared me for this. I met with my friends in the airport Starbucks before my flight. They were advertising a new drink - blackberry matcha frappucino. If Vancouver and Japan had a love child and that baby had a flavour it would be blackberry matcha. But would it be an ugly baby? I tried and you know what - it works. Well it worked until I knocked the drink over. No spillage but in the excitement the whip cream tried to protect the blackberry sauce into the safety zone of the plastic dome lid. I tried to salvage some of the blackberry sauce to continue savouring the delicious combination but any more effort would have resulted in great distraction from conversation so I had to let it go. Also fitting because I am again confronted with a new chapter and possibly new living habits. Of the things that developed in me while in Japan what will be brought back to Vancouver?
Oh yeah the images in my head. I have no clue what will happen in the next six months, year and it is scary. In March of 2006 I had no clue what would happen in the next year but that was different. It was going to be foreign and that’s what it was all about - not having a clue. But this time…it is like I am opening a book I already read and loved but forgot. I am excited and parts of it are coming back to me. But actually I had borrowed the book from the library and they’ve already left a few overdue notices on my voice mail. I continue to read the book with uncertainty over whether or not I will be able to afford the late fees.
November 29, 2006 at 1:13 pm · Filed under Movies&Film
I don’t know if you Vancouverites out there see ads for this because there might not be many ads out there so just in case, make sure you check out the Canada Screens series put out by the First Weekend Club.Canadian films with talks by people involved with making them at Vancity Theatre. I won’t say much more. If you are reading this there is a 97% chance that you really like watching movies. So you should go. Funny though - I don’t talk much about movies (these days) and since March of 2006, have only seen 2. A little sad but it means my list of must sees is growing and will be nice and ripe on return to Canada.
February 11, 2006 at 10:17 am · Filed under Movies&Film
The movie this weekend was Transamerica.
There are a number of reasons to see this movie but if anything, see it for Felicity Huffman’s amazing performance considering she is a woman, playing a man who is really a woman. I was going to put man who wants to be a woman but after seeing the movie, transsexuality is a little more clear - distinguishable from say, a transvestite, and not being caused by any sorts of sexual motivations.
Seeing this movie revealed a very interesting thing to me - the extent that we empathize and begin to relate to characters we see in television programs and movies. Of course we do, we are empathizing, relating creatures and the industry uses that to their advantage. When we become attached to a character we are more likely to be attached to the movie or show. I’ve discussed this with friends in our conversations on Six Feet Under. We all felt that there was usually at least one character we could identify with. The rare moments of not having this relatedness were moments where we actually felt mad at the show.
The “test results” of my empathy came after the movie. Ali and I walked to Hell’s Kitchen for a drink and on the way I felt really awkward…like I was walking in a funny way to compensate for something. I told Ali, “you know…I think that after watching that movie, I feel like I am the man who is really a woman…like I have to forcibly act like a woman even though I am one”. Ali pointed out that my state was likely due to me understanding and feeling for the character, we talked about it some more and once we were at Hell’s Kitchen I was 100% woman again.
I was likely susceptible to going through that because it is easy for me to feel awkward with my body in some situations. Well, I am sure everyone has that to some extent. My awkwardness has usually been the result of my height. I’ve often felt like a giant, thinking that beautiful woman are small and delicate and that this is beyond who I can be. Thankfully, I am mostly over that : ) No more slouching so that I can be short too. Now I only slouch when I’m too lazy to hold myself up.
February 3, 2006 at 5:03 pm · Filed under Movies&Film
I don’t know what’s funnier in this video: the tripping out soldiers or the tone of the voice over dude that demonstrates that they seriously thought LSD might improve performance.
January 28, 2006 at 9:01 pm · Filed under Movies&Film
Yay for Shoppers Drugmart shopping spree - thanks Jemma : ) The best thing you can get a girl for her birthday…SD giftcards. I stocked up on bath products and this week I’m gonna be soo clean!
So after that and playing some Zelda, I went to the Elysian Room on W 5th and Burrard St and man…I had the damn best cappuccino. I would say it was the best ever. I almost ordered a second - will have to go back and indulge again. The cappuccino was prelude to seeing Woody Allen’s latest, Match Point, at the Fifth Ave Theatre.
I had heard that he strayed from his past habits with this one and that he did. Quite a bit. The changes:
- the movie is set in London, not Manhattan
- he kept his classic opening and closing credits style but the jazz music is replaced with opera (throughout the entire movie)
- there is an absence of witty or dry humour. A few moments are chuckle worthy and I think the whole audience laughed together maybe twice…but sometimes I think I was chuckling more at English mannerisms than I was at the script
- finally, there is no Woody Allen (he has not been starring lately), no Woody Allen replacement (like Jason Biggs or Will Ferrell), and no awkward sub-Woody Allen-esque characters. The only awkward one out of the bunch is maybe Emily Mortimer’s character, Chloe, but I think she’s supposed to be more sweet and slightly annoying at the right times than awkward
After getting used to the fact that this wouldn’t be like his other movies, I enjoyed more. I found the start a little slow and halfway through I wondered how good the movie would have been if the lead roles were not played by clinically beautiful people. Their faces were pushing the plot, not so much their character. This turned around midway as more and more darkness and motives began to surface. I left the movie knowing it was fairytale-like and uber-scripted but still getting a message about consequence and luck in life.
January 18, 2006 at 11:26 pm · Filed under Dreams, Movies&Film
Tonight I went to a presentation of Belief’s Untitled:003-EMBRYO organized by the Vancouver ACM Siggraph group. The short film was presented with a talk by Mike Goedecke, writer and director of the film and founder of Belief, on the creative process.
I think I missed the creative process part. He talked for a while at the beginning and showed us some samples of Belief’s motion graphics work. I liked what he had to say but quite immediately I realized that I was at a gig for design folk. Not to say that designers are bad, or that I don’t secretly dream of one day working for a hip design firm, sitting at an ironically shaped desk wearing coordinated frames and scarf combos and talking about my process. But I’m not there right now so I couldn’t truly appreciate what he was saying. BTW I’m not trying to mock anything. Seriously…that’s how I imagine it.
We left after the screening (9pm gets a little late for me these days) but the film was okay. There were definitely some nice visuals and effects to be had. Still, again because I couldn’t appreciate Untitled 003 from a designer, or filmmaker, or graphics person point of view, I was left a little un-blownaway.
On the way home I was thinking about my disenchantment. I went there thinking the film would be very conceptual, very high level, using visuals and audio to express something but leaving a lot to the imagination. Instead, Untitled 003 had a storyline - a cool one too. Actually the way they did it is they had a “contest” of sorts where people could send the company their dreams and several dreams were chosen to be part of the film, the owners of the dreams not knowing anything about the final product.
The story was about this agoraphobic guy who finds a “dream-machine” contraption waiting at his door one day. The machine required that he place a helmet that captures dreams on the heads of 5 different people. The dreams were then fed to this gremlin-type monster living inside the machine. Each time he stole a vision, he would see it played back on the dream machine and this of course gave him a great sense of euphoria thus moving the film along quickly because he wanted more dreams.
My problem with the film was this: as soon as they introduced a story, I wanted to see see SEE everything that would make that story seem real. I want to really experience it. Show me what someone is dreaming I want to know! I want to feel like I’m watching my own dreams. But I didn’t. I felt like I was watching a commercial, or a music video. I felt very desensitized to the experience they were trying to give me. Why? Here are some of my thoughts:
1. The final dream sequences (I think there were 6) seemed to be driven by graphics tools or techniques rather than by an initial vision.
2. The story built itself up almost Disney style (seriously the beginning…Phantom Tollbooth) and, given the shorter length of the film, it felt really rushed. On top of that, the dreams take you away from the story, are really abstract, and while they give you some information on the characters to whom they belong, there’s no other time for you to develop an attachment to the character thus have a strong interest in what the dream tells you.
3. In his presentation Mike talked about how our perceptions are based on our belief systems. He gave the classic “which colour is darker?” example where they are both actually the same colour. Another was a sentence being read repeatedly with an increasing amount of distortion. By the end you can still hear the sentence. Do the process backwards and start with distortion, the sentence becomes audible around midway between distortion and clarity. This happens because in the first case, we are able to establish a frame of reference. So…
I figure that I had no frame of reference while watching these dream sequences. I couldn’t develop any interpretation because they seemed too abstract, too fake. My dreams can be pretty crazy, but they are always somewhat based on my reality and that’s what makes them weirder. It’s not the fact that I had to bathe in a community jacuzzi with a built in soap bucket and everyone stored their soap in there so it became one large mass of soaps and I couldn’t find mine so I ended up using someone else’s that was weird. It was that all the soaps in that bucket were from Lush. It astonished me that everyone who used the community jacuzzi used Lush soap!
Based on this last point (3), what would I do to make the film more likeable (by me)? In the dream sequence I would give the audience a frame of reference and then I would take that away. Make them think something is real, believable, and then blow their minds.
(holy crap this is long)
Of course I’m not saying that everything should go like this. I’m also probably totally missing the goal of making the film and where it sits in the design / art world and all the theory given to it by that. I was prepared to see it from that viewpoint, but he lost me as soon as it went into a fantasy-like story. So from the viewpoint of a spectator…
He did show a piece that I really did like - Manstray. Go to that page…click on “VIEW MOVIE”…it’s hilarious!!!
December 17, 2005 at 10:14 am · Filed under Experiences, Movies&Film
What I was going to continue saying below, but didn’t due to distractions, is something I cannot remember anymore. I do remember that after staying at Jemma’s the other night (because I started writing the last post last night and it is now Saturday morning) we came back to my place for afternoon breakfast and to watch Singing in the Rain. Now I may be more inspired to help her create her “Donald O’Corner” because he is quite amazing. Last week she told me to remember one thing - the Make ‘Em Laugh bit and it is a great scene, gets completely outta hand.
After the movie I went to Kim’s for supper, wine, and gingerbread cookie making.
Her mother (Norma) helped us as well with four hours of rolling, cutting, baking, and icing. Afterwards I was thinking, ok this is enough for me, as last year I did this form of cookie decorating twice. Though this morning my mind has started to change. I might make a small batch of sugar cookies but stick with the sock cutout. The sock cookies are key. Norma pointed out that I could make left or right - pairs.
Now what is in store for today? I thought that maybe I would be tempted to watch tv but that has not happened yet. Too many things to do, people that I want to see. Though it’s true that I do need some downtime - can’t get sick and I’m worried I might. Hmm…off to eat some fruits and vegetables (and cheese).
Oh yeah so I’m beginning to see this pattern. Whenever I’m overtired and/or hungover, I get these mad cravings for cheese. Particularly the paneer used in the cheese & peas dish from the curry place in unitown. Cottage or cream cheese does not cut it. Must be either paneer or a good cheddar or harvarti. I was dying for cheese all day Thursday and into Friday. Finally had some Friday afternoon and it was mana in meg.
December 11, 2005 at 9:40 am · Filed under Movies&Film
I am watching Manhattan again (thanks for the reminder Jems). This time, working at understanding the movie on a deeper level. Hmm that doesn’t sound right…I love Woody Allen movies but a lot goes over my head. Cultural references, long words, references to people. So this time, anytime I’m confronted with something I feel I don’t completely understand I google. If someone saw my google search history and they did the appropriate investigation, could they figure out that I was watching Manhattan?
This movie is beautiful. It puts the “picture” in motion picture (haha that was pretty lame). Mary’s (Diane Keaton) dog is named Waffles…sweet.
I understand. I could tell by the sound of your voice over the phone. Very authoritative, you know. Like the Pope or the computer in 2001. (Mary to Yale)
One of my most favorite scenes is the one where Isaac, Mary, Yale, and Emily all go to a movie together. There’s nothing to quote from it, but it wordlessly sums up one of life’s possible awkward situations so well. Love this movie so much, at times I wish I lived inside it.
October 10, 2005 at 12:24 am · Filed under Movies&Film, Reflection
Just saw it. Soo cool. It’s rekindled my love for batman. He is so cool. He is my hero. I can’t decide whether I want to be him, or not be him so that I can marry him. Thank GOD it was not George Clooney on that screen. Batman is beyond that. He’s a ninja.
OK so when I was little I really loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I would have dreams where I was one of them. Usually Leonardo even though he was not my favorite. Before that, when I was even younger I would dream that I was either Luke Skywalker or I was not him but he was saving me. All the dreams involved jumping on rooftops using cool weapons and the force. Geek Child.
But oh these movies make me feel so passionate leaping through the air and running and feeling no pain, no sweat, no ‘I can’t do this anymore’. Then I get home and I sit here and write at my computer. Sitting. Going to sleep soon.
What is stopping me from pushing the physical limits that I’ve set for myself?
October 9, 2005 at 12:10 pm · Filed under Movies&Film, Reflection, Travels
OK screw my new rule that every post must be accompanied by a picture. Sure it made me think more about things I put up here, but it also took away from any spontaneity. It was maybe an effort to use my camera and take meaningful pictures, but most often I fell back on some GISing.
So what is going on? I booked a flight home for Christmas. December 15 to January 3rd. It feels like it will be a long time but that’s okay. It will possibly be another year and some before I get to Regina again.
I’m going to Singapore in 4 weeks to present at the ACM Multimedia 2005.
Japan in April I think it is for me. So I’ve been trying to learn some of the language. I found this RPG that helps you, well, memorize the katakana, hiragana, and a few kanji. The past 2 days I have been occupied with that.
Last night I went to Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. It was entertaining. There were some good jokes in there and funny moments. I bet a lot of inside jokes between the actors and crew so it would be great to see some interviews or behind the scenes footage. At times though, it seemed like the film was trying a little too hard. Just a wee bit. Like the guy that makes a joke and everyone laughs so he keeps on making the same kind of joke over and over.
I’m still wanting to move out in December. To find some roommates in Vancouver that I can also develop a friendship with. Everyday I am cruising craigslist. I consider various areas but whenever I think about leaving Kitsilano it makes me sad. Although it would be nice to get away from the money, I don’t want to leave my proximity to the beach, the plants and trees, and that sweet sweet smell.
Enjoy everything while you can.
August 28, 2005 at 2:56 pm · Filed under Mostly Hilarious, Movies&Film, Things Found Online
Oh it’s hilarious, I’m still laughing at the short clipped played when I found my results of the “are you a baxter” quiz. My results: I’m a “Middle-Of-The-Road Minor Character”. The Are You Are Baxter? site has a quiz you can take to determine if you are, or how close you to being, a baxter. They define this as:
A guy/girl you “settle” for because you can’t be with the one you really love.
The Baxter is a movie coming out ….two days ago I think. Can’t seem to find Canadian showtimes though. If you can’t see the movie in your neighborhood, at least check out that site. It is beautifully designed.
March 31, 2005 at 7:06 am · Filed under Movies&Film, Travels
The madness will continue into April. All these trips and events break the time up nicely but make me feel broken up when it comes to finding my priorities. Last weekend was Easter weekend and I wanted to make Noah my priority for at least a while before more madness continued.
We watched Death to Smoochy and both found it an incredible movie. Yes it was a little overly dramatic, but it was better than boring. We loved the comic book style play of colour and shadows.
On Saturday we drove up to Whistler for lunch (no skiing this year, maybe learn next). It was quite dreary and cold outside but there was a local cafe there that made an amazing mocha that kept me toasty and warm. I hope to come back some day when the sun does that for me.
On the way up there was a 20 minute wait on the road, a bus had driven into the ditch. I felt really bad for all the people that would have been on that bus. Then I felt even worse for the bus driver (assuming he was sober) as all those people were probably quite upset with him.
The drive up was still breathtaking for me. I’m used to the mountains, but was amazed by the drive along the water, with the islands north of Vancouver in the distance. The fog made it surreal.
On the way back down the sun started to peak out from the clouds as it was setting. Noah had some great tunes going on and I felt really at peace. Just enjoying the drive, the day, what was around me and how lucky I was to be there.
That night we went to The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou again with Adam, Jeannine, and Adam’s cousin John. Afterwards we played this great little board game, Carcassone. It was fairly easy to pick up but was challenging enough in the amount of strategical effort you could put in. I recommend it. Although I recommend most of everything that I put in here. I should start talking about things that I recommend not seeing / doing / going to.
Anyway, it’s time for me to get on a bus. Today I’m going to a workshop on getting back on track with my thesis (yikes!). I hope I can get something from it because I feel way to busy to be going to these workshops now. I’m leaving for Portland on Saturday morning and have a lot of packing to do before then. Hopefully I will blog blog blog everyday while I’m there.
December 31, 2004 at 8:40 am · Filed under Movies&Film
Sometime last winter Noah and rented Annie Hall. We watched it together and I enjoyed it immensely….I have been writing the next sentence for over 15 minutes now and it’s not coming out right. I had been woken up early this morning after staying up all night, practicing for tonight’s new years eve. I cannot think quite clearly at the moment, my eyes are still heavy and I am grumpy…
Anyway, I had never really watched any Allen films before that. There was the time I saw most of his Midsummer… movie with a guy I had gone on a few dates with but so much of it went over my head. So part of my enjoyment was that this time I was really able to soak up the story, the dry humour, the characters; mostly because, well, I have acquired at least some knowledge and maturity. Of course this is six years experience and everyone grows a lot in that time so it’s no big revelation but when you try something new that makes you realize that growth it feels really powerful.
Since then, I have been renting many more from the large selection at the Videomatica a few blocks away from my place and this Christmas it occured to me that if I will have one movie collection in my life (which I currently do not because I was never inspired to watch a movie over and over again), it will be a Woody Allen collection. To keep track of the movies I have watched and the ones that I own, I have made this list.
