Weekend Movie

Well, this weekend was lite on the movies, with only getting to see "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian". I enjoyed it, and really appreciate that it exists, even though it isn't one of those awesome, got-to-see movies. Instead, it is a simple movie, with lots of clean humor, which I think is rare these days. I hope it lasts a while. It is certainly worth seeing on the big screen, and most definitely worth renting, if not owning, on DVD. All the fun elements from the first movie were there, the disrespectful capuchin monkey, the little guys, Ghengis Khan, etc. They were woven together with a whole new bunch of characters in a fun new episode of Larry Daley's (Ben Stiller) life. I hadn't realized until now that three of the characters were 'played' by Hank Azaria, who happens to be up 183% in popularity this week.

I ended up at the movie after a two-hour walk in Griffith Park. It felt a lot longer actually...I guess I am pretty out of shape. I was walking with someone who insisted, either subconsciously or sociopathologically, on taking the more inclining trails to view points over the hazy LA basin. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the view, but I also can't say that it did anything for me. I'm happy I was able to get out the house and have the exercise, but the experience only rekindled fond memories of England's well-groomed, accessible national trails. The time and space along those trails felt dense with history and purpose. This is not to say that the trails in Griffith Park do not have history and purpose, on the contrary, the existence of the park in the middle of the Los Angeles sprawl must have been a major fight in urban planning, and from my walking partner, the source of many fond memories. But it just didn't resonate with me. I will go back to explore more, maybe I missed something.

Sunday turned out to be a wonderful day, which I almost blew by forgetting all about my brunch date to finally meet Mischa and her family. This wonderful woman and fellow UCSC alumnus is heading into shoulder surgery on Tuesday and had arranged a final meeting with her daughter, son-in-law, and their daughter- the wonderful, bright 2-year old granddaughter. I've only just met Mischa a couple of months ago as an attendee to the movie meet-up group, which I am a local organizer for. I don't know if it is my UCSanta Cruz immersion or not, but we clicked unlike most anyone else you happen across. The same went for a friend of hers that lives in LA and often accompanies her to the movie events I host. In any case, Mischa is a fascinating person. Although I don't know her all that well, I have to admit to being somewhat worried about this surgery she is going into. This isn't the first, as she has had at least one hip and a back surgery, but it seems like she is worried about this one. Her last instructions to her daughter as they were packing up was to point out where her will and passwords were. In the mean time, she has also been busy giving things away. I will be a bit worried until I hear word, hopefully on Tuesday that all is well. It is so rare to come across someone you find fascinating, fun, and just a genuinely nice person. My best wishes are with her.

Petenera

After last night's blog writing, I spent about an hour going through Flamenco supplies websites trying to find that video Glenn Herrick told me about, with no luck. Amazing to me though, Michael Brown had happened across my blog and pointed me to his production of Petenera. From the trailers, it looks like a wonderful video. Here is the first trailer from the website (I hope you don't mind, Michael):



I love that the story is told. This nugget is one thing that I find remotely disappointing about the other Flamenco videos that I've seen; one doesn't get to know the story behind the dance and music so that people like me, who are outside the culture, remain a bit in the dark. Of course, the emotions translate all too well and resonate deeply enough, that not knowing the origins of the story is only a minor irk.

Thanks for finding my blog and commenting, Michael. It is great to know there is a strong Flamenco community in Santa Rosa. It has been a dream to run to Andalucia for an immersion course in Flamenco. If there is such a thing in Santa Rosa, maybe I can start there instead.

Weekend Movies

Classic and big: Hitchcock's Torn Curtain (1966)

Laemmele's Playhouse 7 Cinema in Pasadena ran a Hitchcock series, Hi-Def Hitch, showing the classic films, provided by Emerging Pictures, for the first time on the big screen in high-definition. The 8 films of the series were VERTIGO, REAR WINDOW, PSYCHO, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, THE BIRDS, FRENZY, TOPAZ, and TORN CURTAIN. The last of the films, Hitchcock's Torn Curtain, starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, played Saturday.

Synopsis of Torn Curtain from Emerging Pictures: "Torn Curtain was Alfred Hitchcock's 50th film and signals a return to the espionage-romance theme the director showcased in such films as Secret Agent and The Man Who Knew Too Much. Hitchcock created a distinct look for the film subduing lighting and gauzing the lens to give a more natural less studio-produced feel. Notably it was the strength of studio influence that contributed another change in the look of the film relative to most Hitchcock pictures casting leads that departed from traditional Hitchcock types. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews both at the heights of their popularity when the film was released anchor this cold war spy thriller. An American scientist (Newman) attends a convention in Copenhagen with his fiance-assistant (Andrews). While there she picks up a message meant for him and is drawn into a complex web of espionage behind the Iron Curtain that he had intended to face alone. Her presence throws all his plans into disarray and the two lovers discover too late that it's easier to get in than to get out again. In one of the film's most memorable scenes Hitchcock shows his audience just how difficult murder can be when opposed by the will for survival."

This wasn't a film I had heard of, but it sounded interesting and with the recent passing of Paul Newman, it seemed like it would be a good way to pay homage to him as well as the art.

I left bemused. Unlike Psycho, the only other film I saw in this series, I felt this film was an experimental project for Hitchcock. At one point in Torn Curtain, Newman and Andrews were on a hill 'far' away from the camera embroiled in a lover's quarrel, which needed to end in a total restoration of faith and a return to unwavering love from Sarah to her fiance. The actors were only allowed to use body language, and from the distance, it turned out a bit awkward.

I do agree that the scene mentioned in the synopsis above, about how difficult it can be to carry out a murder, with the added requirement of not alerting someone close by, was certainly memorable, but again, it seemed like an experiment in film making. Regardless, I did think Newman was great. Psycho on the other hand.....was utterly fantastic, the large screen adds dimensions to the film I never knew could exist.
---

Indie and big: Carlos Suara's Fados
I finished Saturday with another film at the Laemmle Playhouse 7. I love Flamenco dance and music, so I was very excited to see a movie about fado in the theaters. I had worked with a woman from Portugal for a number of years and she tried to explain, on several occasions, what fado was. What I took away from those attempts, is that fado is folk music and is melancholy. She couldn't have described it better; however, until the film, I still didn't grasp what she meant. At least, I think I understand now.

Synopsis from the Laemmle Theaters' website: "Fados completes the musical trilogy of award-winning Carlos Saura (Flamenco, 1995; Tango, 1998). Using Lisbon as a backdrop, he explores Portugal’s most emblematic musical genre (fado) and its haunting spirit of saudade (melancholy). Tracing its African and Brazilian origins up to the new wave of modern faudistas, he ingeniously deploys mirrors, back projections, lighting effects, and lush colors to frame each song, ranging from a campfire ringed by sinuous dancers to a balletic catfight between two jealous women to a thrilling desgarrada (musical duel) in a fado café. The result is a ravishing fusion of cinema, song, dance and instrumental numbers.

Fados contains homages to such legends as Maria Severa and Amália Rodrigues, as well as stunning turns by modern stars like Mariza and Camané; but Saura also expands the songs (which traditionally involve just a singer and a guitarist) with dance and encompasses other nationalities (with a special emphasis on performers of color from Portugal’s former colonies) and idioms (such as hip hop, flamenco and reggae). This inclusive, non-purist approach conveys a grand vision of music’s power to break down boundaries: between Iberian neighbors Spain and Portugal, Old World and New, white and black, young and old, rich and poor - a celebration of fado as World Music in the fullest sense of the term. Under the musical supervision of Carlos do Carmo, Fados features one of the finest “World Music” soundtracks to date.

“Casts a wondrous spell.” (Andrew Sarris, New York Observer)

“Much as he did in his 1990s documentaries Sevillanas and Flamenco, [Saura] has, in his latest, created both a tribute to an art form and a performance archive.” (Manohla Dargis, New York Times)"

I was sad there was not more dancing, especially because of the incredibly handsome male dancers. The music, while being incredibly varied in rhythms, is wonderful and I look forward to the soundtrack. Still, I love Flamenco more. I had watched a video a long time ago about Flamenco. It was recommended to me by Glenn Herrick, one of my professors from grad school. I am now banging my head against the wall trying to remember that film; it was mesmerizing; I wish names and titles mesmerized me half as much.

---

Indie and small: In Bruges (Netflix)
Bleah

---

Indie, old and small: Greenaway's A Zed & Two Noughts (1985)

When I was in grad school in Salt Lake City, I lived near an awesome cinema and video rental, The Tower, with a wonderful collection of indie, foreign, eclectic, etc. films. The Tower, coupled with the fact that my advisor and his wife were avid film watchers and had incredibly seasoned tastes for art of all forms, allowed me to be fed the manna of film. Peter Greenaway was one of those directors that would have been lost on me if it weren't for my advisor, even though at the time, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover had recently come out and had been somewhat popular. I, uncharacteristically, dutifully watched the films my advisor mentioned. To be honest I only remember seeing a couple, in addition to TCtTHIW&HL, Drowning By Numbers, and The Belly of An Architect. Unfortunately, in the absence of the intellectual context my advisor and his wife are able to watch and appreciate Greenaway, his movies were lost to me.

My advisor recently visited as an invited speaker to the grad students at Caltech. Talking about old times, Greenaway and his films were one thing that came up. This time, I was told to see A Zed & Two Noughts. What a strange man.