I don’t like feeling sick, but I do like the sense of comfort that comes with being sick — the guiltless ease in which one can relax, for your body forces you to do so. It’s as if there is nothing else between you and the comfort of your bed.
The week I was sick recently was honestly, strangely, one of the nicest weeks I’ve had in quite some time. I rediscovered several movies and TV shows — and fell in love with them all over again. The best discovery was “The Abyss.” It was the perfect movie to watch, for when you’re sick, there is nothing better than snuggling up to a darkly lit suspense thriller. Something about “The Abyss” put me at ease. Maybe it was the majestic the underwater footage, maybe it was the film’s old-fashioned sense of excitement, maybe it was the tenderness of the love story. All I know is that I felt absolutely euphoric while I was watching it.
I followed “The Abyss” with “Vanilla Sky” — that somewhat forgotten Tom Cruise flick. It’s not a great film by any means, but an interesting commentary on beauty and superficiality.
Next came “21 Grams”— a film I actually hadn’t seen. It’s heartbreaking yet beautiful. It also made me a little lovesick for Naomi Watts. After that was another new film for me — the late Anthony Minghella’s “Breaking and Entering.” What an original film, it’s truly beyond categorization. Can you imagine the pitch? “Well, it’s about this Bosnian refugee who has an affair with this British architect and her son starts stealing equipment from his firm…”
Then, I just watched old episodes of “Home Improvement.” Sure, it’s not the most sophisticated humor, but it’s fun, feel-good entertainment and it made me nostalgic for my childhood.
So, that was my week of being sick. Thanks to being sick, I was able to enjoy these movies and TV shows and block out all worries. I watched them with ease, with comfort. What a nice week.
After that, I had what I call Post-Sick Sadness, where you long for that feeling of comfort that comes with being sick. I got over that, but I’ll always remember that nice week spent watching movies in the great comfort of my bed.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"
I just realized that I haven't posted one of my NUVO reviews on here in quite some time. Here's my latest review of the documentary, "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe." This film is playing tonight — and tonight only — at the IMA (7:30 p.m.) A Q&A with civil rights attorneys, Richard Waples and JauNae Hanger, moderated by Fran Quigley, will follow the screening.
"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"
4 (out of 5) stars
Attorney William Kunstler stood up in a time of extreme prejudice and intolerance, otherwise known as the 1960’s. He defended minorities when they were treated like animals, and activists when they couldn’t express their beliefs. Poignantly directed by Kunstler’s daughters, Disturbing the Universe conveys — and makes you appreciate — how much our country has progressed because of people like Kunstler.
Fortunately, this documentary is not a mere tribute to the man. Directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler scrutinize their father and question his actions. They aren’t afraid to show their disapproval of his profession. Early on in the film, we see an interview with them in which Sarah says, with a judgmental tone, “Some people act and others just defend them. I’m a person of action.” But as the film goes on and these women get to the truth of who Kunstler was, that attitude changes. They become their father’s daughters — defending him with the same unconditional compassion with which he defended his clients.
We see that Kunstler didn’t believe in the legal system (like his daughters initially thought), but in absolute justice and equality. This explains why he rallied for the unpopular. The film shows that in his era, standing behind a black man or an activist like Abbie Hoffman was equivalent to defending a witch in the Salem Witch Trials. Judges were appalled by Kunstler’s unapologetically passionate support of these people.
Watching this film now, in a time of a black president and more open minds, is a surreal experience. You feel as though you’re seeing events of another planet — and many times, you wish you were. One of those times is during a sequence about the 1971 Attica State Prison riot. We see one of the convicts Kunstler defended looking through pictures of the bloody rebellion with dread. “If someone didn’t know this was Attica, I wonder if they would even know these pictures were from this country,” the man says, holding back tears. That moment is a punch in the gut for the audience too, as it reminds us how far our nation has had to come to rebuild its reputation.
In another of the film's many powerful scenes, Kunstler speaks of the loss of the innocent and how their unnecessary deaths “disturb the universe.” Unfortunately, the innocent still die, but this country is a more hopeful and open place for them to live thanks to people like Kunstler. He may have disturbed the universe too with his risky, eccentric behavior, but for the better.
Do not miss this film when it plays at the IMA on Thursday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.). It is being shown as part of the museum’s Black History Month celebration. It is exactly the inspiring tale that would make black leaders — such as our nation's president — proud.
http://www.nuvo.net/entertainment/article/william-kunstler-disturbing-universe
"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"
4 (out of 5) stars
Attorney William Kunstler stood up in a time of extreme prejudice and intolerance, otherwise known as the 1960’s. He defended minorities when they were treated like animals, and activists when they couldn’t express their beliefs. Poignantly directed by Kunstler’s daughters, Disturbing the Universe conveys — and makes you appreciate — how much our country has progressed because of people like Kunstler.
Fortunately, this documentary is not a mere tribute to the man. Directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler scrutinize their father and question his actions. They aren’t afraid to show their disapproval of his profession. Early on in the film, we see an interview with them in which Sarah says, with a judgmental tone, “Some people act and others just defend them. I’m a person of action.” But as the film goes on and these women get to the truth of who Kunstler was, that attitude changes. They become their father’s daughters — defending him with the same unconditional compassion with which he defended his clients.
We see that Kunstler didn’t believe in the legal system (like his daughters initially thought), but in absolute justice and equality. This explains why he rallied for the unpopular. The film shows that in his era, standing behind a black man or an activist like Abbie Hoffman was equivalent to defending a witch in the Salem Witch Trials. Judges were appalled by Kunstler’s unapologetically passionate support of these people.
Watching this film now, in a time of a black president and more open minds, is a surreal experience. You feel as though you’re seeing events of another planet — and many times, you wish you were. One of those times is during a sequence about the 1971 Attica State Prison riot. We see one of the convicts Kunstler defended looking through pictures of the bloody rebellion with dread. “If someone didn’t know this was Attica, I wonder if they would even know these pictures were from this country,” the man says, holding back tears. That moment is a punch in the gut for the audience too, as it reminds us how far our nation has had to come to rebuild its reputation.
In another of the film's many powerful scenes, Kunstler speaks of the loss of the innocent and how their unnecessary deaths “disturb the universe.” Unfortunately, the innocent still die, but this country is a more hopeful and open place for them to live thanks to people like Kunstler. He may have disturbed the universe too with his risky, eccentric behavior, but for the better.
Do not miss this film when it plays at the IMA on Thursday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.). It is being shown as part of the museum’s Black History Month celebration. It is exactly the inspiring tale that would make black leaders — such as our nation's president — proud.
http://www.nuvo.net/entertainment/article/william-kunstler-disturbing-universe
Saturday, January 30, 2010
WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO WRITE ABOUT?
I haven't updated this blog in a while and I've been debating whether I really need to. The funny thing about blogs is that you feel like you are mostly just talking to yourself when you write them. I know I have followers, but you can never be sure that those people are actually reading this stuff or that you are maintaining their interest with the subjects you tackle.
So, readers, I leave it up to you: What do you want me to write about?
So, readers, I leave it up to you: What do you want me to write about?
Monday, January 4, 2010
CHILDHOOD MOVIEGOING MEMORIES cont.
1996- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
They weren't taking me to a dentist appointment. My parents were picking me up early from kindergarten to see..."Mission: Impossible." I was beyond excited. My parents were cool.
As soon as the theater darkened and the "Mission: Impossible" theme song blasted on the soundtrack, I was giggling with excitement. I was smiling so wide that I thought my face was going to break.
I'll always remember that warm summer day. After the movie, I felt like a super-spy. It may have only been a trip to the theater for a Tom Cruise action flick, but that day was a real thrill.
They weren't taking me to a dentist appointment. My parents were picking me up early from kindergarten to see..."Mission: Impossible." I was beyond excited. My parents were cool.
As soon as the theater darkened and the "Mission: Impossible" theme song blasted on the soundtrack, I was giggling with excitement. I was smiling so wide that I thought my face was going to break.
I'll always remember that warm summer day. After the movie, I felt like a super-spy. It may have only been a trip to the theater for a Tom Cruise action flick, but that day was a real thrill.
CHILDHOOD AT THE MOVIES
BEST MOVIEGOING MEMORIES
As clichéd as it sounds, my childhood really was a magical time. It’s almost beyond words. I don’t even think my parents fully understand how much it meant to me. It was the time in my life in which I felt most content with myself, most carefree, and overall most happy.
My favorite childhood memories were spent in movie theaters. In fact, I define my childhood by the movies I saw. The movies didn’t even have to be good. The experience itself was what I clung to.
WINTER, 1998, “A Simple Plan”
There’s something magical about walking out of a movie on a wintry night. The warmth of the movie going experience mixed with the brisk night air is simply invigorating. I’m still nostalgic for that feeling and I try to recreate it every time I see a movie during this season. However, that feeling seems to be trapped in childhood. When I walk out of a movie now, more often than not, I simply snap back into reality and am flooded once again with my everyday worries. When I was a kid, I got completely lost in the world of whatever movie I saw. I didn’t have responsibilities to go home to, but simply more dreams to play out. Sometimes, I miss those days terribly.
In the case of this memory (Winter 1998), I didn’t even see a movie. It was the buildup to seeing a movie that I remember. My mom and dad and I were going to see the action-adventure gorilla flick, “Mighty Joe Young,” but alas, it was sold out. We stood in the parking lot of the Yorktown Theatre (an exciting, candy-colored movie palace equipped with an arcade and café) thinking of what else we could see. We just hung out, enjoying the warmth of each other’s company, talking about new film releases. We were in no hurry, we weren’t too cold, it was perfect.
Dad had some good recommendations: the snow-bound crime thriller, “A Simple Plan,” the John Travolta legal thriller, “A Civil Action.” Looking back on it, I’m surprised he was willing to take a 7-year-old to those movies. I’m flattered actually. He knew I was passionate about film and I appreciate him encouraging me to see more complex films at a young age. I remember having a strange desire to see more mature movies when I was a kid. I was honestly more excited for dark thrillers like "A Simple Plan" and "A Civil Action" than lighthearted Hollywood spectacles like "Mighty Joe Young."
Oddly enough, we didn’t end up seeing any of those movies for whatever reason. We just went home and decided to see a movie on another day. But it was still a good movie going experience.
Stay tuned for more of my childhood movie going experiences…
As clichéd as it sounds, my childhood really was a magical time. It’s almost beyond words. I don’t even think my parents fully understand how much it meant to me. It was the time in my life in which I felt most content with myself, most carefree, and overall most happy.
My favorite childhood memories were spent in movie theaters. In fact, I define my childhood by the movies I saw. The movies didn’t even have to be good. The experience itself was what I clung to.
WINTER, 1998, “A Simple Plan”
There’s something magical about walking out of a movie on a wintry night. The warmth of the movie going experience mixed with the brisk night air is simply invigorating. I’m still nostalgic for that feeling and I try to recreate it every time I see a movie during this season. However, that feeling seems to be trapped in childhood. When I walk out of a movie now, more often than not, I simply snap back into reality and am flooded once again with my everyday worries. When I was a kid, I got completely lost in the world of whatever movie I saw. I didn’t have responsibilities to go home to, but simply more dreams to play out. Sometimes, I miss those days terribly.
In the case of this memory (Winter 1998), I didn’t even see a movie. It was the buildup to seeing a movie that I remember. My mom and dad and I were going to see the action-adventure gorilla flick, “Mighty Joe Young,” but alas, it was sold out. We stood in the parking lot of the Yorktown Theatre (an exciting, candy-colored movie palace equipped with an arcade and café) thinking of what else we could see. We just hung out, enjoying the warmth of each other’s company, talking about new film releases. We were in no hurry, we weren’t too cold, it was perfect.
Dad had some good recommendations: the snow-bound crime thriller, “A Simple Plan,” the John Travolta legal thriller, “A Civil Action.” Looking back on it, I’m surprised he was willing to take a 7-year-old to those movies. I’m flattered actually. He knew I was passionate about film and I appreciate him encouraging me to see more complex films at a young age. I remember having a strange desire to see more mature movies when I was a kid. I was honestly more excited for dark thrillers like "A Simple Plan" and "A Civil Action" than lighthearted Hollywood spectacles like "Mighty Joe Young."
Oddly enough, we didn’t end up seeing any of those movies for whatever reason. We just went home and decided to see a movie on another day. But it was still a good movie going experience.
Stay tuned for more of my childhood movie going experiences…
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