I had not seen any of the nominated movies, but someone gave me a ballot and I said I would just fill it out just to see if I could pick the movies based on the clips that would be shown. Of the 24 nominees I got 14 correct.

I thought 1917 would get best picture because war movies usually win, but it went to Parasite a foreign language film so I will have to see the film if I can find it at the library. Of course I hope to see all of the best picture nominees eventually. I finally saw the Favourite a couple of weeks ago.

As I thought 1917 would get best picture, I figured Sam Mendes would get best Director, but that went to Bong Joon Ho for Parasite. The academy has been staying consistent with the best picture and director. It made no sense to me that if it was the best picture, the director wouldn't also win.

I was hoping Leonardo DiCaprio would finally win for actor in a leading role, but I also figured Joaquin Phoenix would get it, but I had thought he had won an Oscar for Walk the Line, but I was wrong. This was his first Oscar win.

The same for an actress in a leading role. I had hoped Cynthis Erivo would get it, but I also figured it would go to Renee Zellwegger.

Actor in a supporting role I knew it would finally go to Brad Pitt.

I took a guess on Supporting role for an actress. I hadn't seen any of the movies, but I thought Margot Robbie might win for Bomshell, but I am happy that Laura Dern won.

I felt Parasite was original and the visuals looked good so I selected it for Original Screenplay. I thought Todd Phillips would win for adapted screenplay, but it went to Jojo Rabbit which is another movie I plan to see as soon as I can find it at the library.

I selected Parasite for the International Feature and Toy Story 4 for the animated feature. I've loved all of the other Toy Story films and was sure the academy would feel the same which is what happened.

Documentary feature was a guess and I thought Honeland would win because it was about bees and most people are thinking about climate change, etc. The winner was American Factory which is also something of importance.

Original score I thought John Williams would get it for Star Wars, he's always winning, but it went to Hilder Guonadottir for Joker.
The original song went to Elton John for Rocketman, but I felt Stand Up from the film Harriet was the better song. I had also hoped if the song won Cynthia Erivo would still walk away with an Oscar.

Cinematography it's been my experience tha war movies usually always win and the fact that 1917 was shot in a way that they look like one long shot it had to win.

Period pieces usually always win best costume so I selected Little Women. I thought the clip for Ford v Ferrari was good and so I picked it for best editing and Sound editing.
I was sure the transformation of Renee Zellwegger as Judy Garland would get hair and makeup, but that went to Bomshell which the transformation was good.

Because the film was called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood I was sure it would get Production Design and it did.

I figured 1917 would have to get some sort of sound award and selected 1917 for sound mixing.

The visual effects I selected Avengers: Endgame and 1917. War films usually have great visuals although sometimes disturbing.

I was rooting for the animated short Hair Love and was surprised when it won, but I was glad that it did. I hope I can find a compilation of the animated shorts.

Live action short I selected The Neighbors' Window which the clip was very appealing to me.

The documentary short I went wit Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If you're a Girl) it just seemed appropriate in the day and age.

I continue to watch movies from the library, many I've never seen and others I was really young when they came out. I'm just trying to see how I feel about certain movies and films now that I'm older.

There are also some newer movies that I am trying to catch up on as well.

The majority of my free time is spent watching movies. In between that time I try to stay busy around the house and work on some art. It's been so hot that I don't want to chance getting out into the yard and have a heat stroke.



In the last few weeks I've seen several movies from my collection and that I found at the library.

I watched a documentary on Annie Leibovitz the famed photographer which I found very interesting. There was another on the films of Ken Russell I've watched Elgar about the composer, The Debussy Film based on the famed composer Claude Debussy and Any Given Sunday about the painter Henri Rousseau. All are quite interesting in their depiction of the subjects and the artistry. Actors portray the subjects, but in The Debussy Film is a movie within a film telling the story of the composer. They are all shot in black and white.



I have to do some research because I think there is another film maker named Ken Russell and I don't think they are the same person. (I just checked Independent Movie Data Base and it is the same person.) You know how you don't expect people to look a certain way because of the work that they put out? That's what happened here. I have three more of his documentary/movies to watch.



I watched the series American Horror Story: Freak Show and I was absolutely engulfed in the season. I definitely want to watch it again before I return it to the library. It's hard for most people to see the beauty in people who are different than they are. We make assumptions without asking questions. If you watch this season you would be amazed to find out that there are actually actors who are disabled. The actors are really good and I hope to see them in something else. Even those that had never acted before are doing an incredible job.

McQueen - The documentary about fashion designer Alexander McQueen.




www.filmlover4pg.blogspot.com

I participated in this 10 Films/Movies in 10 Days on facebook. Actually I named it films/movies because of the podcast that I had been doing.

They are in no particular order. I had a list in mind when I decided to do this, but like everything else when it came time to post I had changed my mind and I wanted to watch the films and movies that I would post.

The films and movies that are in my collection are there for many different reasons. It has to do with the actors or the subject matter.

The first movie I decided to watch was Sparkle. The reason I chose this one because Aretha Franklin had just passed and she did some of the vocals for the movie. Curtis Mayfield composed the music that created some hits.

The movie starred Phillip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Dorian Harewood, Irene Cara and Mary Alice. It was one of the first depictions of a black female singing group with a black cast.

The second movie I decided to watch was The Skulls. I hadn't seen this one in a very long time. Hill Harper has a small, but pivital role. The movie is based on a secret society that politicians and men of power belong too.

The third movie was Meatballs, a fun story about a summer camp of underdogs. The movie starred Bill Murray from Saturday Night Live and introduced us to Chris Makepeace as Rudy Gardner.

The fourth movie was Set It Off one of my favorite movies. It's an original story with some very talented actors. The movie stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, Viveca Fox, Blair Underwood, Ella Joyce and John McGinley.

The fifth movie was Living Out Loud, another movie that featured Queen Latifah. I really like this movie for it's uniqueness. If we could all just live out loud... life would be even more interesting. The movie stars Holly Hunter and Danny Devito.

The sixth was the film Chain of Desire by Temistecoles Lopez. I had just watched Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window for the first time and it made me think of a scene from Chain of Desire so I decided to watch the movie. The film stars Linda Fiorentino and Malcolm McDowell. It was a film that connected several characters, but without them meeting each other. It was probably the first time I had seen a film go full circle. Starting with one character and then coming back to that character.

The seventh was the film Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick. The film gave us an inside view of the training, head games and mental stability that the soldiers went through during the Vietnam war. The film stars Mathew Modine, Vincent D'onofrio, Arliss Howard, Dorian Harewood, Adam Baldwin and     Emrey.

The eight was the German film, Das Boot (The Boat), directed by Wolfgang Peterson, starring Jurgen Prochnow and Erwin Leder. It's based on the true story of German soldiers, who are only boys, on a submarine sent out to destroy the enemy. The experience changes those that do survive.
The visuals and editing for the film are incredible. It's as if you are on the sub with the other men.

The ninth was The Pillow Book, a film by Peter Greenaway. This film is the artistry at its best. The visuals inside of a story about love, obsession, the art of writing, the art of sex, fetishism and so much more.

The tenth movie was Forth Apache The Bronx, starring and directed by Paul Newman. No list would be complete without at least once movie in which Pam Grier is featured. She has a small, but pivotol role as a drugged out hooker/serial killer. Paul Newman didn't want Pam Grier for the role, but she pulled a Dorothy Dandridge and got the part. For those of you not familar with that, Otto Preminger didn't want Dorothy for the role of Carmen. He wanted her to play Cindy Lou. Dorothy dressed up as Carmen and went in and Otto new she was right for the part. Pam did the same thing, going into his office as the hooker. She lost a lot of weight for this role and Paul Newman couldn't resist.

There were other films and movies that I watched, but that was going beyond the number. Those others were the film Fame about the High School for performing arts in New York which starred Irene Cara, Barry Miller, Paul McCrane and the late Gene Anthony Ray. Holland Taylor appears in the film along with Debbie Allen, Ann Meara and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi when he was a student at the school.

I also watched the movie The Temptations and the psychological film Headless Body in a Topless bar created from a newspaper article. It's a disturbing film in parts. It has some humor, but it's not for everyone.






The podcast is now up on podbean, itunes and stitcher it's call Films Versus Movies. Check it out and follow me(Dlonzo on Twitter) or Tony (TDoug on Twitter) You can also listen to the podcast on Youtube.

here are the links for the podcasts - https://tdoug.podbean.com/

           https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tony-douglas-presents-take-five

 https://itunes.apple.com/om/podcast/tdoug-podcast-network/id804851372?mt=2


Copy and past the links if you are interested in my other blogs and interests.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com
www.ArtbyDlonzo.blogspot.com
www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com
http://psychedmaster.org

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. Do return to see where the journey leads.

Movies, Movies Summer 2019

As most of you know I have been getting the majority of my movies from the library to watch. It allows me to see movies I wouldn't go to the theater to see and it gives me something to write about.
There are just so many movies being made; it's hard to keep up. Every time I look at a movie and I see the previews I make notes of what I would like to see. I try to decipher what might be a film or a movie under my standards.

Most foreign movies I consider films. There is an artistic element in the way that it is shot and there are more realistic portrayals of life than what we see in American movies. From a very early age I related to foreign films. I know some people don't like them because they have to read the subtitles if they don't speak the language. I probably felt that way until I took the time to actually watch one.
I remember when I was really young watching the film Two Women with Sophia Loren with my mother's mother on TV. It had a profound effect on me. It's probably the first movie set in Italy and it probably put the idea in my head that I would like to go there some day.

I'm going to start with the most recent film I watched and work my way backwards. There was a film called Mother directed by Darren Aronofsky with Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfieffer. I wasn't sure where the story was going and that was the intent of the director. There are lots of twists and turns which makes it interesting. I thought it was another story within a story like the film Nocturnal Animals.
The special effects in the film are great. All of the actors give incredible performances.
I am working on some ideas for a novella and like Mother which starts at the end, I use this to open my story. (Some stories start at the beginning, some start in the middle and others at the end.)


That film stars Jake Gyllenhall, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon. This one is a story within a story with a lot of surprises. I just didn't like the ending, but it was revealed through one of the art pieces that appears in the film. It's okay, but I was left wanting more. Perhaps its a good thing, but there is no need for a sequel.
I don't think I will add either to my collection unless I find them at a reduced price.
I had been talking about Michael Shannon after seeing The Shape Of Water. He has played many roles, but he's rarely the lead. Perhaps its his appearance. He is a very tall guy and he's usually the bad guy. Although his character draws you in, he does have a violent side as well. We see how people change when they experience a traumatic experience. In the case of Jake Gyllenhall it's all about revenge.

There were some movies that didn't make a big impact and I was sort of disappointed. I was thinking of something else to write. Big name stars that do bad movies and unknown stars that do good movies and those in between.
Reading the words on a page is one thing. You sort of visualize what you can bring to the role or the part you would like to play. It really depends on the story. I watched a movie called Collision Earth and the special effects were not the best, but the premise was interesting. Actors come from various areas - stage, small screen aka television. So I wonder if that has a lot to do with the transition when things don't seem to work as well. Kirk Acevedo stars in Collision Earth, but it seems as if he's over acting at times. I remembered him from the television series Oz. Then he did some other TV work. Of course actors have to work and they have bills that need to be paid like everyone else.

I saw a movie called Sleepless that starred Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monahan, Tip (T.I.) Harris, Dermott Mulroney, David Harbour, Scott Newbury and Gabrielle Union. This was a surprise. I don't recall ever seeing a promo for this movie, but it wouldn't have made a difference. I wouldn't have gone to see it at the theater. It did have an interesting premise and there was a lot of action. It kept me interested and guessing as to what was really going on. It was quite entertaining.

Another movie that was a surprise was The Commuter which starred Liam Neeson,Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Sam Neill, Johnathan Banks, Patrick Wilson and Elizabeth McGovern. It's sort of in the style of Hitchcock's Strangers on the train. It's sort of psychological, thriller and action which really makes it a good movie. I've never seen any of Liam Neeson's action movies. I remember Nell and Suspect, but I don't recall anything else. I've not seen the Taken movies all the way through. I don't even know which one I saw on regular television. Perhaps I will look for them on my next trip to the library.

Friday night I watched a movie called Bomb City. I just picked it up because the cover was interesting and the premise was a little disturbing, but it wasn't what I was expecting. First it is based on a true story that happened in Amarillo Texas. It's about a group of misfits (Punks) that the rich kids have an issue with. The Punks are trying to make their own rules and the other kids don't like the way they dress and there is a clash. It made me think of this club I used to hang out in NOLA called De Ja Vue in the French Quarter. The experience was truly so different than my usual surroundings.
There are several altercations in this movie that result in a death. The movie goes back and forth from in its story telling. I liked it in the way that it does show a different side of people of the same race not getting along. The misinterpretation that people get when they see someone that looks different than they do. I was surprised that no one did any jail time.

Thanks for stopping by; do come back again. If any movies of are interest, check out your library or your source for movie watching and give them a viewing.

Movies and SXSW 2019

I never know if I will get to see any movies during SXSW. It's all based on my schedule and whether I feel like leaving the house if I don't have to work. There were some exceptions, but I was also watching movies that I had gotten from the library.

Captain Phillips - Tom Hanks stars in this true story of a Haitian Pirates taking over a ship. It's intense and very powerful. Great cinematography, made me think of Das Boot a little as some of the film is shot below deck in close quarters.

Her Smell - Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men and The Hand Maid's Tale stars as a singer battling a drug problem. Her Smell is the name of the club where they perform, but it also has a lot to do with why she tries to turn her life around because of her daughter. That was my take away from the movie. There are some unique cinematography techniques that seem to be creating a new trend as far as flash back scenes. The screen gets smaller as if we are watching 8 mm footage for the flashbacks and goes back to full screen for the present scenes.

Boyz in the Wood - This was my absolute favorite. I was just going on a hunch and what I had read on imdb for those of you not familiar, that is the Independent Movie Data Base. Luckily there was a synopsis and it seemed very interesting. The film is set in the Irish hills as four kids who are sort of the misfits are brought to learn about skills of working as a team. The audience has no idea what type of thrill ride they are about to embark on. It is funny, suspenseful, trippy with a great original hip hop sound track. There are some cool visual effects and the scenery in the hills is breath taking. I highly recommend seeing this film if you can.

Extra Ordinary - Another movie set in Ireland that features Will Forte of Last Man on Earth. The movie uses the same technique as Her Smell when we see the flashbacks. It's a comedy about death, witch craft, good and evil. There are many surprises to keep one guessing and laughing. I was also lucky that this was on imdb as well since this was a Buzz Screening which didn't give a title.

Citizen Kane - This is considered a classic. By some it is considered one of the best films ever made. The first time I saw the film I wasn't that impressed. Although now I'm older, I feel its an interesting body of work, but some of it seems dated. The make up isn't the best in some areas. The cinematography is still great. The writing is excellent as well as some good acting for a lot of first timers. It's definitely worth a look for anyone interested in the art of film making.

Jezebel - This movie is based on a true story. You get the impression that you are peeking into someone's life. The story follows two sisters who live in an apartment with a brother and the older sister's boyfriend and daughter. The older sister makes her living via phone sex. Her mother is in the hospital and she passes away leaving everyone to have to seek employment. The younger sister is introduced to the world of Internet sex. Once she is making money she is asked to move out of the small apartment. She seems to enjoy what she is doing especially when she meets a client that is helping her become very popular on the Internet Site. She deals with a few issues that don't become that important. She learns to adjust even though there are some other opportunities that pop up. She manages to get a raise and possibly meet the guy that has really become her meal ticket. Of course we never know how the date goes or if it even happens as the movie ends once she gets dressed.

Thanks for stopping by; keep and open mind and do come back again.

Soaking up the visuals

It's been a lot of DVD watching the last few months thanks to the Austin Public Library. I don't do cable, never have. I used to buy DVDs, but I am cutting back on my spending and not everything is worth owning. You get to be a certain age and you realize you can't watch everything you have more than once. There is just so much new stuff that I am still trying to see just so I can say I did. Thanks to the libraries I can do that.

I watched the first season of The Handmaid's Tale and all I could say was WOW! My first thought was, "Is this what started the Me Too Movement?"
Margaret Atwood wrote the book in 1985 which is essentially when it all began, but it seem to take on more steam when MGM and Hulu introduced the series.

Ever since I saw Mad Men I have been following some of the actors and actresses in their post performances. Elizabeth Moss played Peggy and she was one of my favorite characters. In The Handmaids's Tale she plays Offred, meaning of Fred as who she belongs too. All of the women are given the of and first name of their male head of the house.
The women are used for breeding purposes as well as other things.
This is definitely a series that makes you think. I now want to read the book. Margaret has written a sequel and I'm curious to see if it goes in the direction of season 2 or will the sequel set up for season 3 or perhaps 4.

I started reading Less Than Zero the book by Bret Easton Ellis because I recently found out their may be a television series coming soon. I am not sure if it will continue where the movie left off or if it will be based solely on the book.
When I first read the book I found it very interesting. When the movie came out I was a bit disappointed because the characters had been changed. Although I enjoyed the movie and it is in my top 50, the characters were just different from their descriptions. I do feel Robert Downey's performance as Julian was one of the best performances he had given to that point and was Oscar worthy, but he wasn't nominated. His Oscar was deserving for his performance as Chaplin and I also thought he was great in Tropic Thunder although today their would be some controversy because he is portraying a person of color in the movie.
Satire is one of those touchy subjects in this modern age.
I'll probably have to wait and get it from the library if it does become a series. I doubt if it would be on regular TV because of the subject matter.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

Movies, movies and more movies 2018

The majority of my free time is spent watching movies. In between that time I try to stay busy around the house and work on some art. It's been so hot that I don't want to chance getting out into the yard and have a heat stroke.

In the last few weeks I've seen several movies from my collection and that I found at the library.
I watched a documentary on Annie Leibovitz the famed photographer which I found very interesting. There was another on the films of Ken Russell I've watched Elgar about the composer, The Debussy Film based on the famed composer Claude Debussy and Any Given Sunday about the painter Henri Rousseau. All are quite interesting in their depiction of the subjects and the artistry. Actors portray the subjects, but in The Debussy Film is a movie within a film telling the story of the composer. They are all shot in black and white.

I have to do some research because I think there is another film maker named Ken Russell and I don't think they are the same person. (I just checked Independent Movie Data Base and it is the same person.) You know how you don't expect people to look a certain way because of the work that they put out? That's what happened here. I have three more of his documentary/movies to watch. I did complete all of the movies on the DVD.

I watched the series American Horror Story: Freak Show and I was absolutely engulfed in the season. I definitely want to watch it again before I return it to the library. It's hard for most people to see the beauty in people who are different than they are. We make assumptions without asking questions. If you watch this season you would be amazed to find out that there are actually actors who are disabled. The actors are really good and I hope to see them in something else. Even those that had never acted before are doing an incredible job.

I tried to watch Asylum, but the DVD wasn't playing properly. It seems interesting, but I have noticed I do have an issue with movies and television shows that poke fun at the catholic church sometimes.

October is the month that is dedicated to horror movies. I've been trying to see movies I've not seen before or in many years as opposed to the same movies over and over. I started at the end of September watching The Walking Dead which is a television series on AMC. I then watched A film by Alfred Hitchcock called Murder. It was filmed in black and white and it reminded me of some of his later work which I've recently scene. There's was a little of Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho all rolled into one with the theatre as the backdrop.

I watched Rosemary's Baby which I haven't seen in quite some time. I usually watch it on VHS, but the library had a copy on DVD. I always like watching the making of sections on the DVDs or Blu rays because it fills in the blanks sometimes as to why a movie is the way it is. There were a few clashes on the set between Roman Polanski and John Cassavetes since they were both directors. John also liked to ad lib and Roman likes to stick to the script. Mia Farrow was the youngest person on the set and Ruth Gordon was more of a method actress and stayed to herself. It was fun to learn that Mia Farrow and Sharon Tate were friends. The Hollywood connection was quite interesting back then. I didn't realize that Mia Farrow was getting a divorce during the filming because he really wanted her to do a film with him. But really in the entertainment business you have to be able to deal with the fact that sometimes one career is up and the other is down and the ego has to be stroked just right to make a relationship work.

28 Days Later - I don't recall when I saw my first zombie movie, but the idea of being scared is something I enjoy, but there is a thresh hold of how intense a movie can get. I don't particularly care for the horror movies that tack on jokes unless its realistic. There are certain things in real life that we may laugh at to not show that we are scared. Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris and Christopher Eccleston star.

28 Weeks Later - Robert Carlyle stars in the sequel to the above movie which is just as exciting. The movie also stars Jeremy Renner, and Harold Perrineau. The zombies move at a faster pace which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

World War Z - starring Brad Pitt and David Morse some of this movie was filmed in New Orleans as have been many movies since Katrina. Once again the zombies move at a faster pace and seem to still have some brain matter because they are able to figure out if they stand on top of each other they can climb over the wall or any other obstacle.

Only Lover's Left Alive - This is an art film by Jim Jarmusch released in 2013, about vampires, music, science and love. It stars Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleton, Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt and Jeffrey Wright. It's a very slow moving film that allows you to really get to know the characters in my opinion.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (remake)- starring Jessica Biel, Johnathan Tucker and Eric Balfour

Dawn of the Dead (remake)- starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber,, Mehki Phifer, Michael Kelly and Ty Burrell

Halloween - The original movie by John Carpenter is a classic. And like Alfred Hitchcock John does a great job creating suspense. There's not a lot of gore and it set the bar for a new generation of film makers. The opening sequence took us to a place we never saw coming. Most horror films have a few inconsistencies, and so they try to tie those up in a sequel.
I've often had trouble with the timeline of Halloween, but it's set in a town I'm not familiar with.
I always thought perhaps the kids got out of school around 3 PM because when I was in elementary school that was the time the school bell rang to go home.
By the time Jamie Lee Curtis' character gets home from High School, the kids in the neighborhood are already trick or treating and it's still daylight. We always went out when the street lights came on.
So once it does get dark you figure it's around 6 PM pr 7 PM and they are watching scary movies on TV. The Thing is the first feature it's about two hours on television. So it would have been about 9 PM  or 9:30 PM when it went off. Then once Jamie Lee's character thinks something is wrong that takes about 30 to 40 minutes. But none of this means anything until the sequel in which we find out what time it is when Ben Trammer is killed when they mistake him for Michael Meyers. It's about 11:30 PM when that takes place.

10 Films/Movies in 10 Days

I participated in this 10 Films/Movies in 10 Days on facebook. Actually I named it films/movies because of the podcast that I had been doing.

They are in no particular order. I had a list in mind when I decided to do this, but like everything else when it came time to post I had changed my mind and I wanted to watch the films and movies that I would post.

The films and movies that are in my collection are there for many different reasons. It has to do with the actors or the subject matter.

The first movie I decided to watch was Sparkle. The reason I chose this one because Aretha Franklin had just passed and she did some of the vocals for the movie. Curtis Mayfield composed the music that created some hits.

The movie starred Phillip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Dorian Harewood, Irene Cara and Mary Alice. It was one of the first depictions of a black female singing group with a black cast.

The second movie I decided to watch was The Skulls. I hadn't seen this one in a very long time. Hill Harper has a small, but pivital role. The movie is based on a secret society that politicians and men of power belong too.

The third movie was Meatballs, a fun story about a summer camp of underdogs. The movie starred Bill Murray from Saturday Night Live and introduced us to Chris Makepeace as Rudy Gardner.

The fourth movie was Set It Off one of my favorite movies. It's an original story with some very talented actors. The movie stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, Viveca Fox, Blair Underwood, Ella Joyce and John McGinley.

The fifth movie was Living Out Loud, another movie that featured Queen Latifah. I really like this movie for it's uniqueness. If we could all just live out loud... life would be even more interesting. The movie stars Holly Hunter and Danny Devito.

The sixth was the film Chain of Desire by Temistecoles Lopez. I had just watched Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window for the first time and it made me think of a scene from Chain of Desire so I decided to watch the movie. The film stars Linda Fiorentino and Malcolm McDowell. It was a film that connected several characters, but without them meeting each other. It was probably the first time I had seen a film go full circle. Starting with one character and then coming back to that character.

The seventh was the film Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick. The film gave us an inside view of the training, head games and mental stability that the soldiers went through during the Vietnam war. The film stars Mathew Modine, Vincent D'onofrio, Arliss Howard, Dorian Harewood, Adam Baldwin and     Emrey.

The eight was the German film, Das Boot (The Boat), directed by Wolfgang Peterson, starring Jurgen Prochnow and Erwin Leder. It's based on the true story of German soldiers, who are only boys, on a submarine sent out to destroy the enemy. The experience changes those that do survive.
The visuals and editing for the film are incredible. It's as if you are on the sub with the other men.

The ninth was The Pillow Book, a film by Peter Greenaway. This film is the artistry at its best. The visuals inside of a story about love, obsession, the art of writing, the art of sex, fetishism and so much more.

The tenth movie was Forth Apache The Bronx, starring and directed by Paul Newman. No list would be complete without at least once movie in which Pam Grier is featured. She has a small, but pivotol role as a drugged out hooker/serial killer. Paul Newman didn't want Pam Grier for the role, but she pulled a Dorothy Dandridge and got the part. For those of you not familar with that, Otto Preminger didn't want Dorothy for the role of Carmen. He wanted her to play Cindy Lou. Dorothy dressed up as Carmen and went in and Otto new she was right for the part. Pam did the same thing, going into his office as the hooker. She lost a lot of weight for this role and Paul Newman couldn't resist.

There were other films and movies that I watched, but that was going beyond the number. Those others were the film Fame about the High School for performing arts in New York which starred Irene Cara, Barry Miller, Paul McCrane and the late Gene Anthony Ray. Holland Taylor appears in the film along with Debbie Allen, Ann Meara and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi when he was a student at the school.

I also watched the movie The Temptations and the psychological film Headless Body in a Topless bar created from a newspaper article. It's a disturbing film in parts. It has some humor, but it's not for everyone.






The podcast is now up on podbean, itunes and stitcher it's call Films Versus Movies. Check it out and follow me(Dlonzo on Twitter) or Tony (TDoug on Twitter) You can also listen to the podcast on Youtube.

here are the links for the podcasts - https://tdoug.podbean.com/

           https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tony-douglas-presents-take-five

 https://itunes.apple.com/om/podcast/tdoug-podcast-network/id804851372?mt=2


Copy and past the links if you are interested in my other blogs and interests.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com
www.ArtbyDlonzo.blogspot.com
www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com
http://psychedmaster.org

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. Do return to see where the journey leads.

Ocean's 8

(The Artist Fashionably casual)

Ocean's 8, I decided to go to the movies to treat myself. I chose Ocean's 8 because of its fashion connection. The focus of the film is the Met Gala, the most sort after event that Anna Wintor, editor of Vogue magazine puts together once a year. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rhianna, Akwafina, Anne Hathaway and Mindy
Elliot Gould and James Cordon make appearances in the film which are actually good.

The opening sequence is Sandra Bullock talking to the parole board which I found very funny. Sandra tells the parole board that she has been reformed and won't get back into a life of crime like her family.
I was laughing a lot in the first 15 minutes.

Cate Blanchett is the best friend on board for whatever as long as they stick to the plan. We go back and forth from the present to the past to see how the women got away with the crime and how they got to this point.

Helena Bonham Carter is a fashion designer that has a reputation of breaking the rules. I loved the fashion show of the models looking like stewardesses and the use of the escaltor as the run way. Of course the critics in the film don't like her collection. The plan is to get Anne Hathaway's character to want to wear one of Helena's characters gowns to the Met Gala. Then they persuade Cartier to lend out a diamond necklace worth millions.

With the help of modern technology, the women are able to create a duplicate of the diamond with a 3D printer. Mindy plays a jeweler and Rhianna is a computer hacker who also gets a little help from her sister.
I wondered if the film was written or directed by a woman and I saw in the credits it was written by a woman as well as a man. In this age of the Me Too movement, its important that women have a role in the way that they are portrayed in movies.

If you like any of the women listed you will enjoy this movie. If you love fashion and art you will like this movie. So I do recommend it for a great escape. We're moving in a direction with art where women are now seen doing things that we would only see men doing. I think its a great to see the change in dynamic. Men are becoming more sensitive even if they are shooting up people or kicking butt.

Check out the pod cast Films Versus Movies where Tony and I discuss more details of the movie.

Thanks for stopping by.




The podcast is now up on podbean, itunes and stitcher it's call Films Versus Movies. Check it out and follow me(Dlonzo on Twitter) or Tony (TDoug on Twitter) You can also listen to the podcast on Youtube.

here are the links for the podcasts - https://tdoug.podbean.com/

           https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tony-douglas-presents-take-five

 https://itunes.apple.com/om/podcast/tdoug-podcast-network/id804851372?mt=2


Copy and past the links if you are interested in my other blogs and interests.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com
www.ArtbyDlonzo.blogspot.com
www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com
http://psychedmaster.org