acoolsha
Nowhere Boy 5 July 11
Section: article
Categories: dvd / Film
Biographical films are usually terrible — a parade of badly made-up actors selected for their strange similarity to the famous persons they should be portraying.
In the case of this film, Aaron Johnson does have a touching resemblance to John Lennon. The makeup and production design was restrained and natural, and the direction of the film is subtle and evocative. Its light feels like Liverpool, though I have only been there once.
Something else which is good, and is being held in John Lennon’s orbit.
Nice to see that Yoko Ono approved:
latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/09/yoko-ono-john-lennon-nowhere-boy-premiere →
Based on the memoir of Lennon’s half-sister:
- Title: Nowhere Boy
- Directed by: Sam Taylor-Wood
- Writing credits: Matt Greenhalgh, memoir: Julia Baird
- Starring: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff
- Year: 2009
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The War against the people of Iraq 8 January 11
Section: Iraq-War
Categories: Webpoems / Webpoems
After almost seven years I am digging out a simple web page I made in the midst of the first days of the brutal U.S. war against the people of Iraq. Here is a link to the page war.theobjectofmy.org → and here is one of my poems from that page:
Statesmen at War
These statesmen
talk their shit
and ravage
down upon
the shuddering souls and
shaking bodies
of
children
and those who once were
children
to grind them
sinking
seeds of another future
into
the paths
of their gory.
These statesmen
talking their shit
are not able
to turn
their coarse barrels on
themselves blasting
and
release
the shuddering bodies and
shaking souls
of
the
children
from
this charred nightmare
turned day.
- Title: The War against the people of Iraq
Permalink :: Iraq-War/644/The War against the people of Iraq
Case 39 25 August 10
Section: article
Categories: distraction / dvd
I watched this film a few days ago. It was well done and actually scary in the vein of The Exorcist. (Spoiler, obviously.)
One interesting quality was the work of the child actress Jodelle Ferland, who played Lilith Sullivan in the film. In the first part of the film her character was rather affected, as if she was acting like someone’s notion of a girl her age. Well that certainly bore fruit as the film went on, without going into details. She performed very well and was well directed.
Another aspect of the film is that it is yet another film about “evil” children. It is interesting and telling how this genre works so well, is so effective and easy to realize convincingly. To put it briefly, this says a lot about society and its view of children.
- Title: Case 39
- Directed by: Christian Alvart
- Writing credits: Ray Wright
- Starring: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper
- Year: 2010 (release)
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Films not viewed to end 12 June 10
Section: article
Categories: Film / distraction
Last night I felt like watching an entertainment film, something I categorize as a “distraction,” and I rented a DVD. It turned out I had seen the film already a few months ago. What happened was that I had rented the NTSC (Region 1) DVD which carried the U.S. title, and this time I rented the PAL DVD with a German title, which of course was completely different. The first time I had in fact watched the film in its entirety, barely.
Recently, while looking for a movie at the local DVD rental shop, I used my iPhone Notes app to list movies in the past weeks that I had rented but only partially viewed, usually only watching 3 to 15 minutes. Here is that list:
- Crash and burn
- Double identity
- Kill shot
- Mysterious island
- The box
- The code
- The informant
- Title: Films not viewed to end
Permalink :: article/641/Films not viewed to end
Dennis Hopper (his death) 3 June 10
Section: article
Categories: Film / dvd-mine
I recently→ expressed my feelings about Dennis Hopper, now he has died.A few weeks ago I watched Easy Rider → again — I have no idea how many times I have in fact seen that film. It has a kind of perfection, the perfection of creating something right, something that just works, that just resonates. In its directness and innocence it has a raw and amateur quality, Hopper was wielding the camera freely and lovingly.
Hopper’s portrayal of Billy (as in Billy-the-Kid, Fonda playing Wyatt, as in Wyatt Earp), his direction of himself, is seamless. It is almost impossible for me to simultaneously be aware of him as Billy, as the actor portraying Billy, and the director directing him and Fonda, not to mention Nicholson.
Otherwise Hopper is an actor. As I said in a previous entry (below, with a permalink above): I love how Dennis Hopper speaks, moves, looks, and acts. I love all of his roles,...
- Title: Dennis Hopper (his death)
- Directed by: Dennis Hopper
- Writing credits: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry Southern
- Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
- Cinematography: Laszlo Kovacs
- Year: 1969
- Further details: Edited by Henry Jaglom, Donn Cambern
Permalink :: article/639/Dennis Hopper (his death)
Frank Lloyd Wright 14 April 10
Section: article
Categories: Film / dvd-mine
This film was a gift — thank you. I really like most of Wright’s work → and find his life story and personality, challenging though it was for some, inspiring. Particularly his second blossoming later in life → — good for him.
- Title: Frank Lloyd Wright
- Directed by: Ken Burns & Lynn Novick
- Year: 2004
- Further details: 153 minutes
Permalink :: article/638/Frank Lloyd Wright