Documentaries
A long rant that insinuates that political votes can change the financial raping of America...
Well, After losing a home, I was hopeful that this movie may indeed be a catalyst for change.
I was disappointed. While Moore sufficiently showed the real loser (the average American), he clearly shows that he believes that Democrats can save America. After bashing "W" Bush, and then Reagan, He proceeds to paint Obama in a Messiah role.
Overall, Moore said some things that need to be said, but basically this movie is just a rant. That's all. Save your money.
That's my advice
Several music reviewers give rather deep insight into the albums Niel made during these years.
I was interviewed at the insistence of the video crew in NYC.
I told them it was 30 years ago that I worked with Niel for 5 hrs. I had forgotten about the talk that day about Niel not wanting to sing. He sat and pouted as we setup. Out of earshot, I asked Steven Stills, "what's the matter with him". It turned out that it was the first time he had sung in the studio. Apparently they convinced him to do this in New York where all the LA producers, hangers on, and engineers were not around. I had been mixing some jazz in the mix room when the call came down from the offices where they had met with Ahmet Ertigen or Jerry Wexler. They did Mister Soul. It was fine... They took the 8 track tape and left. It was recorded on Ampex 8 track #2. (Number 1 was owned by Less paul).
I was uncomfortable about being on camera. I had no idea what kind of spin and content they were after. I had forgotten most of what I'm saying above. Watching the video I waited nervously to see what they could have salvaged from my disjointed interview. My name was listed on the online description, Bruce Tergesen. The reviewers who had followed Niel through the years gave amazingly insightful observations about the albums released during these years. Finally it reached the end and my interview was not included, whew! OK, just as well. If your a fan this DVD might demystify the wide variation in style and collaborations in these years.
HOW WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE UNITED STATES IS
A GROUP OF COLLEGE KIDS RENTED A HANDICAPP RV AND DROVE A 15 YEAR OLD WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY FROM HIS HOME STATE OF ATHENS, GEORGIA TO THE WEST COAST. IN HOPES OF HIS WHEELCHAIR BEING PIMPED BY A SHOW ON MTV CALLED "PIMP MY RIDE". DARIUS HAD A OLDER BROTHER WITH DMD, ALSO, THAT RECENTLY DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS. DMD IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF CHILDERN IN THE WORLD WITH A LIFE EXPECTANCY FROM LATE TEENS TO EARLIER TWENTIES. THE DIRECTOR OF THE DOCUMENTARY WAS A FRIEND OF DARUIS' BROTHER WHOM ASKED LOGIN TO TAKE CARE OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER DARUIS. THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THE TRIP AS MENTIONED PREVIOUS TO HAVE HIS WHEELCHAIR PIMPED, TRAVEL ACROSS THE US AND SEE HOW WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE IT IS, TO MAKE THE WORLD AWARE OF DMD AND IN HOPES OF FINDING A CURE. BY HAVING RALLIES WHILE MAKING MANY PIT STOPS ON THE WAY, WITH MANY LOCAL PEOPLE FROM ALL AGE GROUPS, AND ORGANINATIONS STANDING WITH SUPPORT BEHIND THE TEAM ALL THE WAY. DARUIS BEING AND BECOMING IN HIS OWES RIGHTS A ACTOR, CAST MEMBER, PREACHER AND RAPPER ALL IN ONE WHILE LEAVING A INDENTION IN EVERYONE HEART. DARUIS SAYING IT BEST, MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING, THE ACTION YOU TAKE NOW WILL START YOUR FUTURE. THE BIGGEST SUPRISE WAS AT THE END THE SUSPENSE MADE YOU WANT MORE OR GET UP AND GET INVOVLED, THERE SO MUCH ONE PERSON CAN DO.
Keep on rocking in the free (or not so well paid) world!
In this documentary we get an insight into the past and present of 'Demi-gods of Canadian metal', Anvil (me either!). The band apparantly had a brief stint in the limelight in the early 1980's, touring with the likes of Bon Jovi and Whitesnake before inexplicably dissapearing from both the fringes of the mainstream and the consciousness of all but their most devoted of (undenyably odd) fans. This movie successfully highlights what happens to a band once it's peers all move on to bigger things, the high profile stadium gigs dry up and it's time to either roll over and quit or face a humble career of general indifference and obscurity.
Director Sacha Gervasi has put together a narrative with infectious fanboy enthusiasm (not suprising having previously been a roadie for Anvil in their heyday). He skillfully keeps the viewer at the core of the bands continued motivation (Anvil doesn't do rolling over and quitting!) as we follow a year or so in the bands life as they embark on a farcical European tour, the run up to the recording of their 13th album and umpteenth misguidedly naieve bid to regain the level of fame they experienced 25 years previously.
The glue to the story is very much the long term friendship between Steve 'Lips' Kudrow(singer) and Robb Reiner(drummer). These two are the remaining fouding members of the band who have stuck together throughout the slender years and even though they now both into their 50's show no signs of wanting to give up on the dreams they share together. As a testiment to true friendship, seeing the brotherly devotion that they display towards eachother is nothing short of genuinely touching. Even those who may not be disposed towards the bands music would have to be beyond cynical to not get something refreshingly inspirational out of spending some time in this duo's company as they rally onwards together.
At the heart of this movie (and the band themselves) is a resolve that even when things look at their most bleak, never give up on looking for the next possitive and certainly never take yourself too seriously. As a result the numerous nods to Spinal Tap peppered within (speakers to 11, trips to Stonehenge, come back gigs in Japan etc) always feel like intentionally playful compliments rather than snide cheap shots and serve only to bring another level of warmth and humour to the procedings.
After watching this movie it would be hard not to wish both Gervasi and Anvil the success that it seems to have ironically bought upon them, as they certainly deserve it. Even if it turns out to be nothing more than another '15 minutes' it cetainly looks like these guys are gonna soak up every last second of it this time around!
ps. If it were an option I would have certainly not hesitated in throwing up the 'devil horns' and rating this movie a hard rockin' 11/10! ;)
The Pacing of the movie "Freak the Mighty" Wasn't that fast or wasn't so slow. It was at a very a good pace. Elden Henson who plays Maxwell wasn't a very good actor because in the movie he barely showed that much emotion, but he did show a little bit. Kieran Culkin was a very good actor because it seem like it wasn't lines that he head to remember to say in the Movie. They words that he was saying seemed real.
The book and the movie were mainly about a boy name Maxell that became friends with a boy name freak that had trouble with things. While they were friends they would go on inventures and stuff to help other peoples with problems. Soon they was started to be called Freak the Mighty. Freak wasn't that good at telling jokes, but later on in the story he became great at telling jokes and stuff. But one day He was telling a joke and next thing you know he is on the ground choking. Maxwell started yelling "Help! Help! Next thing you know freak is lying in a hospital bed. Still Telling jokes to Maxwell about the doctor and they laugh. Later that day the doctor comes out tell his mom that Freak only has one more year to live and as he tells her that a tear drops slowly falls down her face.
Later on in the movie Killer Kane pops up. Killer Kane Had to Do time in jail for killing Maxwell mother. One day he decide to claim there Maxwell window and kidnap him. But Maxwell didn’t do anything it was like he didn't care anymore. His father was on parole and had to stay 1 or 2 away the house but he didn’t. So after freak came out the hospital he decides to go and fine Maxwell and that’s what he did. He found and He also saw killer Kane choking on some lady. When they save him freak was back in the hospital again to get his new body, but it didn’t work out as planned. Freak Passed away leaving friends and family with good memories.
March of the Penguins is a French documentary released in 2005 about the life and death of a flock of Emperor penguins. The documentary follows the penguins to their breeding grounds in Antarctica and watches them as they lay, hatch, and raise their chick
Introduction
I chose to review the movie March of the Penguins because of its great cinematography. The penguins make good subjects as their lives are difficult and unusual, plus they are very cute. The film was directed by Luc Jacquet, who does a great job of using different types of shots to help create a movie that is very entertaining and so much more than just another animal documentary. I chose three pictures that cover different types of shots from a sequence in the movie when the eggs have been laid and the mothers leave them with the fathers and head back to the sea to eat, leaving their mates to protect the eggs. The three most repetitive shots I saw in this film were Extreme Wide shots (EWS), Depth of Field shots, and Extreme Close-Up shots (ECU), and all of these types were used during this section of the film.
Analysis
Shot 1 Shot 2 Shot 3
Shot 1: Extreme close-up shot (ECU)
An Extreme Close-Up shot shows only a part of a character's face, or a very select item. It fills the screen with the details of a subject. In March of the Penguins there is a lot of ECU going on because there is so much drama that the cinematographer is trying to focus on which would be looked over if all the movie shots where at a far distance rather than right up in the action. In the shot below we see a penguin egg which has fallen off the penguins claws as it is moved from the mother to the father and has frozen solid in a matter of seconds. This ECU shot really gives you the idea of how cold it is for this egg to have frozen that fast and it gives you a sense of how sad it is.
Shot 2: Depth of Field:
The Depth of Field is a camera shot that shows the distance between the nearest and furthest points at which the screen image is in reasonably sharp focus. There are many instances in this movie where they use great depth of field shots to show just how far the penguins have to travel from one place to another during their breeding season. In this picture, we see the water close-up and the penguins far off in the distance representing their long journey to find this one small opening in the vast ice shelf which they are living on. The mothers are on their way to open sea to eat, leaving the fathers to stay with the eggs and protect them.
Shot 3: Extreme wide shot (EWS):
An extreme wide shot (EWS) shows a broad view of the surroundings around the character and conveys scale, distance, and geographic location. EWS is used to establish the setting and the surroundings, distance between objects and the character, along with size comparisons. In March of the Penguins, we see a lot less EWS and so when we do see it, it really stands out to the viewer. The cinematographer mostly focuses on a pair of penguins at a time or a small group but the shots rarely cover the whole group. In this picture there are conglomerations of male penguins which are huddling together for warmth trying to keep the eggs safe from the below freezing winds. By using EWS for this image, it gives the viewer the feeling of how vast and empty the landscape is and how small the penguin flock seems in relation to the area. It helps to remind the viewer how harsh the environment is there.
Conclusion:
There is one thing that sets this documentary apart from many others and that is the wide variety of shot types. It is very effective in not only showing the extreme environment but also creating a feeling of drama and emotion. The images make the audience really care about these birds because they convey the penguins’ feelings and make them feel almost human in their struggles. The filmmakers used many defining shots that would normally be used to display drama or action. They also have many ECU shots, which is not common in documentaries. The sequence of the film is chronological but by changing the types of shots, it feels more like a story than just watching the birds for endless hours. In this series of shots, you go from the up close failure of the frozen egg, moving out to the depth of field shot where the female penguins desert the males, and then pulling out wider to show the group of males looking almost like part of the landscape. This use of changing the distance makes the movie more dramatic and interesting.
Rating:
For an animal documentary, I think this one is worth a rating of 10 out of 10.
March of the Penguins is an award wining documentary that chronicles the journey that Emperor Penguins go through every year to their mating ground. It continues to study the penguins as they find mates and raise their young.
March of the Penguins is an award wining documentary that chronicles the journey that Emperor Penguins go through every year to their mating ground. It continues to study the penguins as they find mates and raise their young.
The two technical aspects that I am going to analyze are lighting and soundtrack. First I am going to analyze the light that the camera man uses in the film. Next I will analyze the soundtrack. This covers the dialogue and the music used.
As far as I can tell the majority of the lighting used in March of the penguins is natural light. The natural light helps the viewer get more in touch with the natural surroundings of the film. Another factor is that during the Penguin’s actual journey, much of the film shot is at sunset or sunrise. This could be to help show, the determination of the penguins, as they are going on with their journey throughout the night without rest. Another possibility is that the lighting given by the sunrise could be a symbol for the penguin’s journey to create new life. Also, some of the films roughest parts are shot during relative darkness. This symbolizes the ordeal that the penguins have to go through. Over all, lighting is a minor, but important aspect of the film.
The film march of the penguins has an interesting soundtrack. Like most movies it often uses music to show mood or to help set the scene. This is also done in March of the penguins. The soundtrack of March of the penguins is very mellow and is soothing. This was done on purpose. It helps to show the viewer the harmonious nature of both the film and the actual journey. Since this movie is a documentary there is no dialogue. All the talking is done by voice over’s. This helps the film focus on the penguins, rather than the people researching them. Like lighting, soundtrack is a very important aspect of film.
The movie March of the Penguins is excellently presented through lighting, soundtrack and many other small technical aspects of the film. This movie is pretty well done. The camera shots are very good. The close ups of the birds is rather surprising. I didn’t expect them to get so many well done close ups of wild animals. For a documentary, it was pretty entertaining. I found it quite interesting. This was a good film. I give it 8 out of 10.
On March 1st 2006, an 89-year-old woman, volunteered for Never2Late Project to begin learning to play the cello in a month's time.
"I love this film!
Virtuoso follows the journey of a senior citizen Matty Kahn, who is eighty nine-years-old and has no prior music experience, beginning to learn to play the cello and the fundamentals of music for the first time.
Matty Kahn is a joy to watch and her story is punctuated by experts in the geriatric and music therapy field and an amateur cellist, reiterating the benefits that the film so clearly embodies: keeping the mind active, maintaining physical dexterity, and giving people a reason to look forward to life.
This inspirational documentary challenges viewers to rethink ideas about age, learning, and discovering passion throughout life. The dialogue and script could have been written from our MFP Philosophy in which we have been encouraging people to awaken their interest in music and find a loving and humanistic teacher, which Biana definitely is.
The teaching scenes are real and wonderfully to watch, full of encouragement from Biana. The overdubbed dialogue is inspirational in a sense that the concepts are very real and practical as well as detailed.
The entire film has the wonderful cello background performance of Biana Kovic.
Ms. Kovic skillfully bring to light the importance of the following concepts that are so true for both, learning and life: passion, process, practice, patience and praise…..sure sounds like our Music For People.
Congratulations to Biana Kovic and her production associates on this heart-warming film."
- David Darling, Music For People Founder and Artistic Director.
A wonderful journey
Baraka is collection of images from around the world, with no dialog, set to an amazing musical score. Similar to Koyaanisqatsi, but with a more spiritual connection. Fantastic!
When Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson and his crew set upon Iceland to film Beowulf & Grendel, they expected the usual complications involved in making a movie, but what they encountered made them wonder if the Norse gods were actually working against
Nothing is quite as intriguing as the fascinating world of moviemaking. Most interesting are the stories of productions told in documentaries that capture the filmmaker's vision and dreams powered by what seems psychotic obsession to bring production to a wrap while overcoming huge obstacles, unbelievable catastrophes, disasters, and set backs threatening and sometimes shutting down production.
Along comes the riveting documentary Wrath of Gods, by Jon Gustafsson that captures the captivating story of Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson and the cast and crew of Beowulf & Grendel, starring Gerard Butler. Financial woes, unforgiving Icelandic storms, destroyed sets, leaky Viking ships, everything that could go wrong goes wrong. In Wrath of Gods Jon Gustafsson captures the unwavering spirit of do or die that perseveres in this hilariously intense behind the scenes look at the stressful and sometimes heart breaking coverage of filmmaking.
This compelling feature length documentary records the behind the scenes footage of Beowulf and Grendel set against the breath taking Icelandic backdrop complete with interviews from cast and crew as they relate their enthralling adventures of filmmaking where Norse Gods reign their wrath throughout pre and post production.
Wrath of Gods is for all film enthusiasts offering an intimate portrait of movie making with the trials and tribulations encountered, making it a must – see for aspiring filmmakers. Don't miss this in depth look at sacrifices made and obstacles overcome by determined filmmakers in the mountains of Iceland!
