Day 13. Your Favorite Quote From A Film

I don’t know about you, but it seems to be time for Primer. Primer that low-budget science-fiction film about time travel, featuring a snappy dialog written and directed by Shane Carruth. Shane Carruth that person who I’ll mention from time to time be it related to the film Primer or his latest film Upstream Color, a film that came on to my list of favorite films from 2013. I adore Shane Carruth and I think that apart from his cinematic works he seems to be a great and greatly driven person that has had the good fortune to start a movie career so late in life.

Well, Mr Carruth’s film Primer and a quote I like, first of all if you don’t already know of Primer it is basically as my description up top a science-fiction film about time travel with a snappy dialog. But when it comes to the science-fiction it tries to put its emphasis on science instead of fiction creating an as realistic and smart depiction of time travel as possible. Two computer scientists stumble upon a creation that fascinates them and at the same time bothers them because they don’t understand what it is. After some tests they come to the fantastical conclusion that it’s a machine to use for time travel. It’s a quick film to watch and the puzzling plot ends just as you start to wrap your head around it. Many sites and sketches has been created and publish throughout the internet trying to explain and comprehend the events of the film.

Well I guess you have a well enough understanding of what sort of movie Primer is now. I could also point you to an old post by Ken where he shares some of his views on the film, Hands of Gold are Always Cold.

So then the moment we’ve been waiting for the quote. Here goes…

They took from their surroundings what was needed and made of it something more.

I think that’s a great quote about creativity in sparse environments and can also be about sacrificing some parts of life to be able to focus more energy on something else. It can be though about and dissected in many different ways I guess, but I like it as a quote and a sentence in a film.

If you know of a better quote from a film that you really like I would like to welcome you to our comment section. There’s one located beneath each post at all times, feel free to partake or create a discussion. A teacher of mine once said we have two ears and one mouth for the reason that we should listen more than we speak. To that I say we have ten fingers so type away.

-B

Day 12. A Film That You Got Spoiled

I don’t know about you, but…

(Spoiler Warning: “Se7en”)

…I did this one to myself, this story is about two separate viewings of the same movie and it goes like this. One evening I was laying in bed, sapping through the channels as you do when this scene from a movie came up on-screen. It was of a big car driving through a desert. I didn’t know what film it was at the time, I hadn’t planned on watching it I just watch it because there was nothing else on at the time.

Now let me explain somethings, I don’t really remember when it was that I saw this scene, but I have three facts that could point me in the right direction. First of all Se7en was released in 1995 and it would probably take a while for the film to broadcast on Swedish television. Secondly I remember where I lived at the time, and when you live with a mother who likes to move around a lot it can help to know where you where. And lastly I couldn’t be too old because I hadn’t seen either Fight Club or Twelve Monkey’s yet, because I didn’t recognize who Brad Pitt were. So this would suggest that I was in my early teens.

So the scene plays along, the van drives through the desert and the thing that happens in Se7en happens. A head in found in a box and Brad Pitt’s character can’t restrain his anger but shoots Kevin Spacey as Morgan Freeman stands off to the side trying to talk him out of firing his raised weapon.

Now it’s time to forward the tape a couple of years to a time when I’m in my later teens. I’m attending high school, and instead of doing my homework I’m mostly watching a lot of films. I’ve seen some of the greats and I’ve learned who all the components of this scene are. We have the director David Fincher who has become my favorite director next to Terry Gilliam and Danny Boyle. After seeing Fight Club I wanted to seek out everything he has made and devour it. So I get my hands on a film named Se7en.

I didn’t think I’d seen it and it was this big hole in David Finchers filmography which I hadn’t seen. I remember liking the film, it was graphical and dark looked a bit like Fight Club in its color scheme and filthy scenography. It also starred Brad Pitt in a bit less crazy role, though it was Brad Pitt none-the-less. I was really into it and wondered where it was going to go.

The film went its course until a van was speeding down a dusty road in an orange colored desert and I thought I’d seen this somewhere before. My mind started to search for a connection between this scene and some other I’d seen before, you know like when you recognize someone on the street and wonder where you know them from. Then my mind figured it out and I was sad I had. I remembered back to that time when I’d seen the final scene of a film I thought looked interesting and was disappointed when it ended. And this time I was disappointed that I knew how it would end.

Well I would hope this has never happened to you. Especially with a film during that late ninties era when all films seems to have had a twist ending. Although if you do have a great example of a time when someone spoiled a movie for you let us know. You can leave your comment in the section underneath, just scroll down and you’ll find it.

-B

Day 11. A Film You Watch When You Need A Laugh

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy Kevin Smith’s work. His comedic sense and writing makes him one of my favorite comedy film makers. Starting out as one of many indie directors in the early nineties he wrote a screenplay about a store clerk, filmed it in the store he worked at and had all his friends join in as actors. Financed with credit cards the success of this, the first film he had ever made, kept him out of dept and launched a career that has lasted since.

He has built up a core audience of comic-book-geeks, pot-connoisseurs and pop-culture-enthusiasts through his many changes in his career. Kevin Smith has apart from film taken QnA’s and made it into something more, he has written comic-books, launched a TV-series and he is the host and producer of many different podcast over at SModCast.

Clerks, the story of Dante a clerk at a local food store starts out as he in the last-minute gets called into work. “I’m not even suppose to be here today” is a complaint that’s uttered multiple times as Dante feels remorse for his place in the world and lack of motivation to get his life together and move on. The store is next door to a movie-rental-store were Dante’s friend Randal works. His day is mostly spent on harassing costumers and being a over-all snotty prick that goes about life as if his actions doesn’t have any consequences.

Through-out the film people, friends of Dante or weird strangers comes into the store. There are customers seeking through egg cartons to find the best collection of eggs. Also the drug-dealing duo Jay and Silent Bob is constantly standing outside the store, dancing and rapping along to their boombox.

This is a funny film about a community of young restless people and their daily life. With themes of living life disregarding the effects they shall have later on in life these youngsters live in bliss, as young people tend to do. Romance comes and goes, opportunities are past for the possibility of comfort, and it’s a fun film to sink time into. It’s nice for the moment to go into their world, even though you might not want to be their yourself it’s a place that most of us can relate to.

Small short samples of lines from Clerks such as “Berserker”, “37” former mentioned quote “I’m not even suppose to be here today” are lines of dialog ever fan of Clerks will be able to detect and repeat. And then there are also the reappearing topics of discussions such as sexual kinks and Star Wars, which usually appear in other Kevin Smith films.

To close this little entry I may add that Kevin Smiths movies and sense of humor isn’t for everyone, I mean few good things are, there are people out there that doesn’t like Monty Python for example (yes I know, it’s hard to believe). But if Kevin Smith’s films has passed you by I urge you to watch Clerks, which I think is a great way to start in on Kevin Smith’s filmography

Then there are the two following movies Mallrats, which is about two guys hanging out in a mall and Chasing Amy, which I would say is Kevin Smith’s best work is a film about a guy falling in love with a gay woman. These three films together with Red State stands-out as his best work. Dogma, Clerks 2 and Jay and Bob Strikes Back aren’t horrible though they aren’t in the same league for me personally.

So, what are your feelings on Kevin Smith? Would you watch something else when you need a good laugh in-front of the screen. I thought of picking a Louis CK DVD instead of Clerks, but it didn’t feel right. If you want to love or hate on my choice of film or share another film entirely then go a head and share down below in the comment section. Be first, be heard and stay frosty!

-B

Day 10. Your Favorite Documentary Film

I don’t know about you, but I can almost watch any documentary film at any time. There is just something about documentaries that fit into my life no matter which mood I’m in. It doesn’t even matter which topic or event it sets out to explore, I’m always along for the ride when it comes to this genre of films. And out of all the many great documentaries I love, We Were Here, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and Hearts of Darkness I am going to choose Dig!.

A documentary cut together from several years of filming this is a film about two bands and their relationship. On one hand we have a band that’s constantly on brim of collapse lead by a mad genius who is too unconventional for his own good and on the other a band that’s tight, gets along and who isn’t afraid to make radio-friendly alternative rock music. It’s a tale of admiration, jealousy and the love-hate-relationship between the Dandy Warhols and the Jonestown Massacre.

The two bands are just starting their journey to becoming the next big band, with a lot of partying and musical exploration. There are a lot of footage from live appearances by the bands and behind the scenes antics. But then the Dandy Warhols manages to get a hit single done and the interest from labels peak, they are offered contracts, music videos and world tours. But their old friends from the Jonestown Massacre doesn’t quite seem to get it together, and as tensions starts to build between the two the constantly mind-altered frontman of the Jonestown Massacre starts to stalk members of Dandy Warhols and becomes stranger and even stranger.

It’s a journey through drugs, break-ups, weird studio deals and weirder recording projects. Fights on and off stage it’s a train going of its rails and wrecking a psychologically troubled yet talented musicians career and life. There are situations of people wanting to help and wish good luck, but also situations of audiences pouring gasoline into an already devastating fire.

So then now that you know about my favorite documentary film let me and other readers know of yours. Or why not try argue my choice of documentary film. This and much more you can write down below in the comment section, there’s plenty of room.

-B

Day 09. Your Favorite Classic Film

I don’t know about you, but the term classic films might be a bit fuzzy in its description. I’ve done some shallow reading on the subject and has drawn the conclusion that my choice for this day should be correct. There are talks of style, era and critics responds. The golden age of Hollywood with its normalization, and quite boring, straight and square form of film making. You could point to the old Hollywood studio system, a time when actors were under movie studio contracts. Or any film that would be regarded one of the greats, a film that stands the test of time and can be seen as a pillar of great art.

My choice, oh yes my choice today is, my favorite classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. Made by Frank Capra it stars James Stewart as a kind and generous man in Bedford Falls, a small town community in the state of New York. His name is George Bailey and ever since he was a young boy he’s wanted to explore the world and travel on adventure in far-away lands. He has also always been kindhearted and selfless, for example he sacrificed his hearing in his left ear to save his brother from drowning under the ice when they went sledding.

George’s father Mr. Bailey was the owner of the local bank, and upon his death George continues along his father’s path on a never ending  battle with the greedy and power-hungry Mr. Potter. He seeks to put Bailey out of business and take over the town, to make as much money for himself on the cost of its residents. It’s a losing fight as George Bailey constantly has to sacrifice his own hope and dreams to keep Bedford Falls out of Mr. Potter’s hands.

The film follows George from a boy until he’s an old father married with Mary, together they have a lot of children living in an old house Mary renovated herself. We follow him as all his old high-school friends move away and start new lives else where. We follow him through the seconds World War where his brother got an honorary medal for his service. But through all this George Bailey is stuck fighting the battles of Bedford Falls, and as time goes on he gets beaten down.

I doubt any reader of the ninth part in a series about movies hasn’t seen It’s a Wonderful Life before, but if you’re out there I’m not going to go through the entire film. You should see it, and try to watch it in its original black-and-white and not the colorized version of the film.

So how about you, what film out of the many that might be considered classical would you like to highlight as your most favorite? Is it maybe the noir classic Maltese Falcon starring the great Humphrey Bogart, or the lengthy Gone with the Wind, or why not the undisputed classic of all classics Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Give us your opinion in the comment section below this text.

-B

Day 08. Favorite Film From Your Childhood

I don’t know about you, but my favorite film from my childhood can’t be a single movie, but instead an actor. Maybe this is cheating, but to be fair I can’t think of a more perfect answer than this one. An actor who would lead in many films that constantly occupied my VHS-player. I’m talking Independence Day, I’m talking Wild Wild West, I’m talking Men In Black and I’m talking Enemy of the State. I’m talking Will Smith.

One time when I was young my parents wanted to go and visit my aunt, but I didn’t want to go because I thought it was boring there. After a while of discussion and me refusing to give-in they finally said that they were going to see a film, it starred Will Smith. This would be the first time I saw Enemy of the State.

The actor to many might be best known as the lead character in the hit 90’s sitcom Fresh Prince in Bel Air, though I wouldn’t be able to watch the show until years later. For me he would be known as a comedy action hero for many more years. He was otherwise known to me as Will Smith the rapper, dancing around mechanical spiders in a cool music video version of a film I was a big fan of. Or why not in the video starring the actor in a big winter coat dancing and rapping catchy lines in the silly yet cool music video to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”.

Set in a world were crazy things happens around him he’s able to stand as an everyday man, even reflect on the craziness that goes on around him. Finally reaching a point where he is able to take on the problem at hand, and save the day.

In the alien invasion feature Independence Day by Roland Emmerich (who later went on destroying the world in the films The Day After Tomorrow and 2012) our hero Will Smith plays Captain Steven Hiller. He’s a fighter pilot in the war against the newly revealed threat of several ill-minded and destructive alien space-ships. In battle he and a foe crashes to earth, he beats the alien unconscious and brings him to a military base for further examination. Captain Hiller shall later play a vital role in the victory against the attacking forces as he and a co-pilot fly into the aliens mother-ship and hacks its systems.

A year later the science-fiction comedy film Men In Black would be released, starting a now three film long franchise. Here Will Smith embodies the character named Jay. A NYPD cop who after chasing an undercover alien creature through the streets of New York, gets the attention of the highly secret MIB agency that oversees alien inhabitants on earth. Hired as Agent J he and his partner starts to pursue a new investigation.

Unknowingly Robert Clayton Dean, played by Will Smith, gets into a world of surveillance and espionage after an old friend puts a secret code among his Christmas shopping. Information about him that he has held secret starts to surface and the world around him crumbles. His wife leaves him, he’s let go from his job as a lawyer and his credit cards gets hacked. Luckily an expert in the field finds him and teaches him to fight back.

The western steam-punk hybrid Wild Wild West released in 1999 finds Will Smith playing the a Captain James West. In a weird parallel world were science has gone to a steam-enhanced extreme, the shoot first ask questions later character partnered up with an intelligent pansy. They have to work together, try to stop an evil genius riding along the plains in a gigantic mechanical spider and save the president.

After this four-year long Will Smith-era of comedy-action hybrids I wouldn’t see a new film featuring our hero until later in my teenage years. These were four of several other films that would introduce me to the world of cinema. Four of my favorite films during my childhood. Now let’s see if you have any films you’d like to share with us in our comment section below.

-B

Day 07. A Film You Watched In School

I don’t know about you, but I probably watched more than the average amount of films while in school. Except for the occasional film during slow periods towards the end of a term as a child I’ve also studied film during high-school and afterwards a one year-long film-making course at a community college. Films like The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Seven Samurai can be expected works of cinema to examine and analyse during film class. But the film I’m going to highlight is one I saw during my film class in high-school, as we had our grade summarization at the end of the course our teacher put on the 2006 film Tekkonkinkreet.

This was a theater who I’d had during religious and language studies before this course, and I would never expect her to be a fan of Japanese animation. But now that the course had ended she saw the opportunity to share with us something she herself was a great fan of, and we got this weird yet beautiful picture of two brothers living on the street of the fictional dystopian city of Treasure Town. What I remember is that these two orphans, named Black and White are trying to protect the city from intruding gangsters who are trying to take control of the city. It was a beautifully made film with a detailed world that felt like a lot of man hours had been put into it. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to see the whole film during class, and I’ve never revisited it since.

My view of her really changed when she put this film on. She was a small, energetic, near-pension woman who hadn’t shared any of her interest in anime before this moment. And I’d never though of the possibility of people born in the western-world before the 80’s being fans of this Asian style of animation.

Okay, that’s that, time for you, the reader (if you exist) to share some of your film viewing during school. Did you find a new favorite or was something spoiled for you on a small TV-screen in a room of uninterested teenagers? Why don’t you scroll down and leave me a reply in our comment section below? Share your experience and a piece of yourself.

-B

Day 06. A Film You Want To Watch In A Theater

I don’t know about you, but for this post I’ve got a great answer. Since the first time I saw this epic movie in my home I’ve wanted to experience it on the big screen. With its huge beautiful landscape pictures and classic music theme this is a picture that strives for a stamp as one of cinemas most epic works and achieves it. It’s also been made rather topical due to the recent death of the films lead-actor. The film I’m talking about is the British film by director David Lean, a story of T.E. Lawrence, portrayed by recently deceased Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia.

Everything is large in scale, the 200+ minute long story, the huge soundtrack, and the images themselves. Filled with sand these large, wide pictures look like live paintings as our hero Lawrence travels through the desert and the desert itself travels in the wind. The story which with its interlude half way through the film makes it feel like the longest story I’ve ever heard, even though the hobbits has barely reached Rivendale yet. Scored by Maurice Jarre is bombastic and really fills the room every time you hear it.

This feels like a gem from a bygone era, an era where film wasn’t viewed in the home but only in theaters. It’s strange because the 60’s when it comes to music doesn’t feel that long ago, but with Lawrence of Arabia I want a large cinema with room for a real-life orchestra. All the visitors are dressed up, for this is an event. During the break between the first and second part people leave the theater and mingle by the bar and popcorn-machine. Then as they return are greeted by the theme music as they go through the darkened room to find their seats, and before resuming their film-watching.

It’s only a dream, I don’t think this has ever happened except during some masquerade perhaps. But something in Lawrence of Arabia wants me to buy and manage a cinema just so that I can make this happen. I think I might have to leave and check online for the nearest viewing of this fifty year old film. Please leave your own choice for a film you’d want to see in the theater.

-B

Day 05. Your Choice For Most Visually Striking Film

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a soft spot for the Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s work, particularly the ones when he worked together with cinematographer Sławomir Idziak. Films like The Double Life of Veronique, A Short Film About Killing and Blue are beautiful film. The Double Life of Veronique I never finished, I thought it was very pretty though, so it would feel wrong to choose it because of this. A Short Film About Killing, a longer cut of one of the episodes in Kieślowski’s tv-series The Decalogue. Then the film I will choose, Blue, the first in the filmmaker’s The Three Colors Trilogy.

Blue is a film about, Julie, a woman who’s been in a car accident together with her husband and child. She was the only one who survived the crash and afterwards decides to change her life and try to repress her feelings. It doesn’t help that her husband was a famous composer and that the story of his death is reported in the media. It also doesn’t help that there’s a rumor going around that his work was actually written by her.

It’s a beautiful version of french country-sides and city landscape of Paris without letting it become to fantastical. The film really presents real-world making it look visually fantastic without altering it. There are also a lot of objects and scenes almost all in blue. Julie has a decoration with hanging blue crystals and finds a lollipop with a blue wrapper that she saves. There is also a public pool in Paris where she goes to swim, these scenes with the low-lit room with her alone in the middle of the blue.

What film do you think is the most beautiful and visually striking? Are you a Kieślowski super-fan who wants to slap me because I haven’t seen the two other films, White and Red, that complete the three color films. Leave your comment or forever let it be unread.

-B

Day 04. Your Favorite Film Soundtrack

I don’t know about you, but I mostly find myself listening to the soundtrack for Ridley Scott’s 1982 film, the brilliant science-fiction film Blade Runner, soundtrack composed by Vangelis. I love this film, love it and has spent hour listening to people discuss it and watched a documentary about it. Of course I’ve seen the different cuts of the movie, including the horrible theater cut with Harrison Ford’s phoned-in voice-over. There’s also, as I write, a book being sent my way, Philip K. Dick’s ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ which Blade Runner’s loosely based upon. But even with all these hours spent on these different things, it won’t add up to as much time as I’ve spent listening to its soundtrack.

It’s mostly a sad sounding record depicting a run down city. Vangelis takes influences of the jazz-era, takes out the gut wrenching elements, and puts in through his synthesizer. Most of the songs are featuring a crying saxophone playing in a really slow tempo over an ambient landscape. It’s a really somber and romantic soundtrack to a film which is both action and romance in a dystophic-world feature. It’s a grieving record to the future where thirst for new technology has brought with it a city with a thick black cloud hanging over it. Of course it’s hard to have other images than neon-lights reflected in the rain water of the gutter as I associate the music to the film so heavily, but it seems to be a perfect fit.

A lot of the sounds of this soundtrack seems to be so in the 1980’s soundtrack landscape. It seems to be the polar opposite of something like Miami Vice, though you could see how the two were made during the same era using some of the same instruments. It’s in the same ballpark, just not the same sport.

This is a perfect soundtrack for an otherwise perfect film. It fits with the camera-work and enhances the tone and story of the film. This is one of my favorite films and the soundtrack is one of my favorite albums, period.

Time has come again for you to share, if you would, your own favorite soundtrack. If you haven’t seen the film or listened to its soundtrack I highly recommend you to do so. Until next time (tomorrow), good-bye.

-B