Movies in New Orleans

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. There have been many films that have been made in, about and around New Orleans. Most of the films are rather quirky, B style movies. With the exception of A Street Car Named Desire and I think Jazebel, but films that were made after I was old enough to appreciate films weren’t so good. Jeopardy opened a door of better made films, but still there were some things that you would never see in New Orleans. When it rains, you won’t find a crowd of people with umbrellas unless they are at a bus stop or in a second line. The umbrellas would be sporadic. We don’t have meetings in cemeteries unless there is probably a drug deal or you are actually on the tour. You certainly won’t meet late at night. Interview with a Vampire changed everything and then there was Runaway Jury which I thought was interesting. I’ve always thought that if I would do a documentary I’d like to do one on all of the places in New Orleans that were used in films.

In any event, Benjamin Button is a good film. It’s interesting and the story flows very well. New Orleans always looks good on film and its been the inspiration for many of my great photographs.

I wasn’t expecting some of the back stories in NOLA, but I had figured out the front story. I glad that the background story was very subtle. It gave me some ideas for my story.

I highly recommend The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I’m watching Charlie Rose as I write this with Quentin Tarantino. Quentin is one of the greatest writers around. I love the way he handles dialogue and it is the way that I like to write. I feel what people have to say is important, but I can be very descriptive and I know people can speak volumes without saying a word.

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4th of July movie fest weekend

Last night I watched Shadow Hours a film which starred Balthazar Getty, Peter Weller , Peter Greene, Brad Dourif and Rebecca Gayheart. It’s about the seedy side of life and desperation to make changes and conquer boredom.

Tonight I will watch Natural Born Killers. It has been a long time since I’ve seen this film with Woody Harrelson, Juliet Lewis and Robert Downey, Jr.

Over the weekend I will do an Airport marathon. Beginning with Airport starring Dean Martin and then Airport ‘75 with Karen Black. Ending with Airport ‘77 and The Concorde ‘79.

I realize there is nothing patriotic about these films, but the selection was made based upon my mood. I'll probably watch Platoon, Casualties of War and Full Metal Jacket in a few weeks. I might even throw in Independence Day.

Hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July. Send out good Karma to our soldiers fighting the battle.

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A change of heart

It is no secret to people who know me that I love movies. I live movies. It’s a wonder I’m not a film critic to get paid for watching films. LOL. Because film is an art sometimes I may not like a film entirely, but there are actors or scenes that make it all worthwhile. I watched Blood Diamond for a second time the other night. When I first saw the film I wasn’t really crazy about it. I’m a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and I’ve seen almost everything he’s done. There are only two films that are not a part of my DVD collection, The Quick and the Dead and his last film. Black Diamond also stars Djimon Hounsou and I was really drawn into the film this time. That’s the reason I watch certain films at certain times. I need to be in the right frame of mind. Sometimes I’ll read a review or see a critic talk about a film and I like to make those decisions for myself. I won’t always run out to see a film when it opens, I’ll wait for the DVD. Then there are times that I want to see the film and don’t care what anyone has to say or if it’s a blockbuster. If it has the right stars or I like the premise then I might check it out. If you haven’t seen Black Diamond check it out. It’s a great film and Leonardo gives an incredible performance as does Djimon.

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Catching up on the movies

Now that the season finale’s have all taken place I’m catching up on my movie watching. I watched two of Spike Lee’s films that I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Do The Right Thing and Mo Better Blues. It’s interesting that as we get older and we go back and see things we’ve seen before we have a different view on them. Things we didn’t like we seem to appreciate and things we were so crazy about don’t have the same impact. Spike Lee has done a lot for film and the way blacks are depicted and can experience the medium. He’s also been an inspiration for other film makers. Spike will be honored at this years Seattle International Film Festival.

I watched Pinero and Capote in hopes that it would inspire me to write and it did. Both films are unique in their telling of these two different writers.

Body Shots is an interesting film of dating and did something happen or didn’t it? The film stars Sean Patrick Flannery, Emily Proctor, Ron Livingston, Amanda Peet and Brad Rowe. It has moments and is worth a look.

“O” was an interesting retelling of the Shakespeare tale of Othello. The film stars Josh Harnett, Mekhi Pfifer, Martin Sheen, Andrew Keegan, Julia Stiles and Rain Phoenix. The story is set inside a school and the rivalry on the basketball court takes center stage. It’s definitely worth a look to see these talented actors shine.

Bringing Down the House stars Steve Martin and Queen Latifah in a laugh out loud comedy about a tax lawyer who meets a woman online and finds out she isn’t who he thought she was. Steve Martin and Queen Latifah are at their best as well as Eugene Levy.

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Movies, movies, movies

I am a film lover, but there are still many, many movies that I have not had the chance to see. Of course some films I haven’t seen because I really didn’t want too or there was someone in the film that I just wasn’t a big fan.

I've been watching films that I haven't seen before. There are still a lot of films that I haven't seen. I really had no interest in seeing them or I didn't like who was in the film. That's always a big factor. There are certain stars I will go to see in a film and others I won't bother.

This weekend I watched, Grease, I wasn't a big fan of John Travolta or Olivia Newton John and I wasn't interested in the storyline. After watching the film its okay. It has moments, but some of the songs slow the film down. I am a fan of Stockard Channing and Jeff Conaway, but their musical numbers didn't work for me. Stockard Channing has made some films that moved her up in the acting world, but Jeff Conaway after Taxi seemed to only worked downward. He appeared in a few films one which I liked only because it dealt with fashion was Covergirl. Jeff Conaway plays a guy where money is no expense and falls in love with a cover girl. John Travolta’s career escalated with the success of Grease and he’s till on top of his acting game.

The other film I watched was 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. Ren Woods has a small non speaking part in this film. I decided to watch this film since its been turned into a musical. I saw a preview of one of the numbers on The View. Someone gave the movie to me last year so I opened the wrapper and gave it a look see. It was a good movie and made me think about the work place. It’s been almost 9 years since I’ve been a part of corporate America. I may have to step through those doors again.

Next up was Happiness, This was somewhat a disturbing film that starred the then unknown, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Lara Flynn Boyle, Cynthia Stevenson, Louise Lasser, Ben Gazzara, Dylan Baker and Elizabeth Ashley. The film captures the illusion of what some people consider happiness and what it really is all about. The film shows how some people are just so caught up in themselves that they don’t see what’s happening right in front of them. The film makes you think about the people around you. There are some disturbing images, but the film is worth a look. This is my third time watching the film. It is a part of the collection on VHS.

The last film I watched rounding out the weekend was The Patriot which stars Mel Gibson and the late Heath Ledger. It's a long film at 163 minutes, but it moves which is always a good thing. I really enjoyed the film which revolves around the battle between the Blue coats and the Red Coats. The film also stars Chris Cooper, (American Beauty, Adaptation) Rene Auberjonois, (The Lloyd Bridges look alike, The Eyes of Laura Mars) Jason Isaacs and Tom Wilkinson, (The Governess, The Full Monty).

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Happy Feet

I watched the film Happy Feet last night. It was by an accidental choice. The room where I normally watch movies were very hot and I didn’t want to turn on the air because I’m trying to save money. Anyway, I decided to watch TV in the guest bedroom which is a lot cooler since the sun had already passed on that side. That room rarely gets a lot of sun which is great. Its also where I make my office. So I decided to watch the movie because I also wanted to see 20/20.
I’ve always said that animation isn’t always for children. The characters are cute, but the adventures and innuendos aren’t for the little ones. I realize now that it’s a good way to get a parent and child to have a conversation. Its not always the conversation that the parent is expecting, but it’s a conversation just the same.

I remember one time I was watching a program with a friend of mine and her young son and the three legged man came out. He wanted to know where the man’s thing was. Well that was an interesting conversation.

Happy Feet is a cute film on many levels. I laughed and I felt sorry for the little creatures. It’s a story about being different and trying to be accepted. It’s a story of humans and nature. We have to make a conscious effort to realize what we are doing to each other. It doesn’t matter if it will help solve global warming or not. We are just hurting ourselves. We rely too much on technology and we don’t do things for ourselves. We have become consumed by stuff. Stuff that we can’t take with us. We are not Egyptians so we are not going to be buried with it.
Think about the people that have gone through major disasters. If you were in that situation, what would you grab first? In some cases you can’t grab anything. Sometimes the frame of mind isn’t thinking about that so you know what is really important.

I knew Happy Feet was going to get serious when the Guru was wearing the plastic device that is used to hold six packs. This was not a fashion statement. For some people not leaving their own backyard they don’t get to see what is around them. There are many people that don’t walk to the park or check out their neighborhoods. If you did then you could see the debris in the street that might go into a drain the minute a strong wind or hard rain comes along. You can see the candy wrappers or water bottles floating in the lake.

Check out the film if you want a few good laughs. It’s great fund despite the heavy message lurking in the ice.

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Time to get back to reality. Rebuilding my life, one step at a time.
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2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick’s film which came about from a four year collaboration writer Arthur C. Clarke. I was just a kid when this film was released and I really wasn’t interesting in films about outer space, but I was always curious as to what was out there. I love looking up at the stars and the moon. Even the sun had a profound affect on me as a kid.

The music and visuals move this film like all of Kubrick’s films. He’s very visual and sexual. The film is clean, and the lines are crisp.

Most people let their imaginations wander from time to time. (See my imagination run wild in the above drawing)

You ask yourself what if… there are many people that were inspired by the film. Just about everything in the film has come to reality. We have talking computers. We’re spending more time in space, we have video phones, tracking devices. Scanning devices from eyes, voice and fingerprints. There’s the Internet that has made it such a relevant way to stay in touch, do business and meet new people. What was once thought of as science fiction is now the reality of science.

We’ve all had ideas of ways to make out lives easier. Flying cars, life preserving pods, etc. If you haven’t seen the film, check it out and see what your reaction will be.

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Time to get back to reality. Rebuilding my life, one step at a time.
Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. What is meant to be…