| A glowing review. |
|
|
| 01:24am 28/12/2009 |
|
| |
|
music: Fanfarlo :: Finish Line
|
After several months of waiting, Up In The Air was everything I wanted it to be and more. After a sleuth of disappointing films this fall, Jason Reitman once again kept the bar high. If you're like me and watch well-made trailers dozens of times--again and again and again--because it's the only glimpse of a movie you can hold onto until it makes it to your theater, well, I promise he did not put all the best parts in the trailer. Many surprises were unveiled in the quick dialogue and it kept me engaged the whole way through.
This dude knows how to tell a story, and tell it extremely well. He makes the kind of films I will watch for the rest of my life and never get tired of because they have universal appeal, while also not playing to the lowest common denominator. His point of view is uniquely his, without being overly artsy and obscure. The themes he explores and how he lays them out are very relatable, while also allowing you to consider other points of views by backing them with strong arguments through the characters' eyes. With Up In The Air and Thank You For Smoking, there isn't necessarily a perfect "neat and tidy wrap up," even though most things do resolve, but there is a perfect line at the end that lingers with you for a while:
"The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places; and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over."
Amazing way to end the story.
That's probably why I care so much about films; why I get really excited and let movie trailers consume my thoughts in the weeks (or months) leading up to a release; why I exceedingly thanked the owners of the small independent theater in Juneau for bringing me three fantastic films this summer to a such an isolated town that would otherwise not pull that kind of work in (Food, Inc., The Cove, and most importantly, MOON!). I am a storyteller (or at least I'm striving to be), and while I lack talent in fictional work, for as long as I can remember a good visual story inspires me and fills me with pure joy (especially if it's filled with beautiful cloud/travel shots).
It just really impresses me how Reitman has been so consistent in his career thusfar. Consistency is something I strive to achieve in my own career, while also upping the bar. So I think I cling to other artists who make meaningful work consistently, and don't throw in "filler" work just to pass the time (if they can avoid it). I either put my all into something or I walk away. It's not a perfect science, and I think having a production team makes things easier to manage in the long term because you're not solely reliant on yourself, but in any case having things to look up to like Jason's work helps keep myself in check.
As soon as I can see A Single Man my cinema needs will be met for a little while. In the meantime, I will be gushing about Up In The Air and may even try to see it again before I go back to yet ANOTHER small, isolated town (this one completely devoid of any movie theater whatsoever). I've decided that the only true benefit of living in Los Angeles is the convenience of great movies (and music, IKEA... conveniences in general), but even with that you still have to put up with the fact that you live in LA, and I just can't deal with the reality. I'll live in small mountain towns for the rest of my life and just get used to agonizing over long waits for my most anticipated films. They are usually worth the wait anyway. |
|
| |
|
Post |
| |
| we made it through security! |
|
|
| 12:20pm 24/12/2009 |
|
| |
my dad is dressed up in a surfer trader joes bag colorful as always ready to fly to hawaii where he can live inside the volcanoes under the rainbows and swim with the turtles. this is a good thing. me, i'm a little scared. |
|
| |
|
Post |
| |
| Our Lady of the Guadalupe festival. |
|
|
| 10:12pm 21/12/2009 |
|
| |
|
music: Yeasayer :: Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes remix)
|
On December 12th I photographed the Our Lady of the Guadalupe festival in Leadville--a commemoration of the image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appearing to a peasant on a hill near Mexico City in 1531. Throughout the day I followed the Hispanic population of Leadville, lead mostly by the youth dressed in colorful Aztec attire, as they marched from the trailer park two miles outside of town, to the Catholic church, and ultimately to the 6th street gym, dancing nearly all day long in celebration of their most popular religious and cultural symbol.
This is a short clip of their dancing in the gym (forgive the terrible quality--I don't feel like working in HD in FCP right now, so it's compressed poorly):
Here are pictures:
( 31 more ) |
|
| |
|
Read 1 - Post |
| |
| Things to remember: |
|
|
| 05:41pm 21/12/2009 |
|
| |
|
music: Passion Pit :: Let Your Love Grow Tall
|
"Make pictures. Get them out there. Sell yourself. Become rich and famous. Find love. Die really old and satisfied." |
|
| |
|
Read 1 - Post |
| |
| John and Big Red. |
|
|
| 08:58pm 14/12/2009 |
|
| |
|
music: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down :: Swimming Pools
|
If you happen to come across a man walking his horse down the main drag in order to "freak out the tourists" and enjoy a beautiful evening, it would be wise to introduce yourself, because chances are he's quite friendly and will let you ride said horse.
( 9 more ) |
|
| |
|
Read 4 - Post |
| |
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
stop_youre_gay's Friends Page
