Now Playing: The Right Stuff (1983)

I don't know why it took me so long to see The Right Stuff but I'm glad I did. This movie will speak to you whether you're into space or not, whether you're into history or not, or whether you're an American or not. The Right Stuff  was based off a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe and was released in 1983 with relatively unknown (at the time) actors such as Ed Harris and Dennis Quaid. It received critical acclaim, winning four Academy Awards. In 2013 it was preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The Right Stuff  tells the story of the beginning of the Space Race between the United States and the USSR. It introduces the first Americans to go in space and covers the Project Mercury missions.

The story and character development were phenomenal in The Right Stuff. With such a long running time, it can be so easy for a movie to get dull in some parts. But I was honestly involved throughout the entire film. The filmmakers did a good job of interspersing drama with comedy, more character-driven scenes with sweeping shots of the flying airplanes and rockets. It is a movie that is both visually appealing and well-written. I really did love the moments of comedy; it made these incredibly amazing astronauts more relatable and more real. At times, however, it could also be very intense. Like a lot of the space movies that have come out recently, such as Gravity or The Martian, The Right Stuff illustrated how scary space can really be, how in any second you could die. This movie definitely had some of those thrilling moments that keep you interested. 

I've mentioned this before but I'll say it again: characters are everything in a movie. It could have been very possible to make these American heroes like John Glenn and Alan Shepard completely likable and near-perfect human beings. But instead we learned each character's flaws and fears, their shortcomings as well as talents. I especially loved the focus that was brought to the wives of the astronauts. John Glenn's wife Annie had a stutter, which made her scared to talk in public and all of a sudden people wanted to film and interview her all the time. Trudy, Cooper's wife, revealed the trouble in the marriage before he even became an astronaut. The movie did a good job of portraying the differences in each marriage, but overall how difficult it was to be not only an astronaut's wife, but also a pilot's wife. 

There were some great technical aspects to this as well. The interspersing of actual historical news footage into the movie was well done. The shots of the sky when pilots were flying or of space when the astronauts were orbiting Earth were also incredible. They filmed it at times so it was from your point of view. It felt like you were swerving through clouds or looking down on Earth. There was also some interesting coloration whenever there was trouble aboard a spacecraft. It resembled the panic and maybe what the astronauts actually saw if they were close to blacking out. It all added to the thrill factor. I also really enjoyed the score. I don't know what it is with space movies and great music, but I'm loving it. Bill Conti won an Academy Award for his Right Stuff score, and he certainly deserved it. Also, fun fact: he did the music for Karate Kid. So he is doubly awesome. 

I love history and I am also interested in space, so this movie was perfect for me in that way. The movie isn't flawless historically; there are some changes within characters and timing issues. The director Philip Kaufman tried to stick to the book as close as possible, but no book is perfect in historical accuracy. Even with the flaws, The Right Stuff is a great introduction into American history during the Cold War or history of the Space Race. Or if you just want to see a dramatized version of the stories you already love, this movie is great as well. 

What I think I love most about this movie is that it is thoroughly American. From the story itself to the music and direction to the acting, it's a very American film. It shows that Americans aren't perfect or the best at everything. We weren't the first ones to go into space; in fact, we only got really serious about space travel after Sputnik was launched. But there is an ingenuity and an innovation in American science and invention. When we want to do something, we do it. Those seven original American astronauts were not perfect. They were not supermen. But they were determined and smart and tried their best. Honestly that's what made them heroes. And for this reason, I don't think a film like The Right Stuff could be made today. But I am glad it was made. 

And just for kicks, here is a great scene from a Frasier episode which guest-starred John Glenn. 

Now Playing: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)

I had seen gifs and screencaps of Little Nemo for years on Tumblr and had been wanting to watch it but never got around to it. My sister randomly bought it at a used DVD store and we finally watched it together. From the first few moments we both agreed: "This is our new favorite movie."

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a 1989 Japanese/American animated film. Chris Columbus helped write the script, the Sherman brothers composed the music, and Mickey Rooney voices one of the main characters. The film (which is set in the year 1905) was based off the Little Nemo comic strip that ran from 1905 to 1911 and was created by Winsor McCay, Little Nemo is one of those wonderful films that fell to the wayside and I consider it to be a hidden gem. Even though it received positive reviews from critics, it was a box office failure. I definitely think more people need to see this film, especially now with, in my opinion, the severe lack of imaginative storytelling and style in animated children's films.

Nemo is a young boy who has incredible dreams every night; sometimes he even sleepwalks. One night, he is sent on a journey to Slumberland, a place in which he has been chosen to rule as the new prince. He befriends many people and goes on a lot of fun adventures before he eventually saves Slumberland from the Nightmare King. There isn't much backstory as to what Slumberland is or where it is, who the residents are, and why they know who Nemo is and why they chose him to the be the new prince. In fact, for a lot of the movie, it becomes unclear when Nemo is dreaming or awake. In this way it has a bit of an Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz feel to it. My sister and I both made these connections while watching this film. We also felt that the animation had both a Miyazaki and Don Bluth vibe to it. But even with these observations, Little Nemo was altogether a unique film.

Obviously there's a lot I like about movies, but  for me, the two main things I think make or break a film are characters and visuals. And both these elements went above and beyond in Little Nemo. I don't get too caught up in a plot; honestly some of my favorite movies barely have one. Little Nemo had the potential to have a really convoluted plot, but it remained simple, letting the viewer use their imagination to decide what really happened. The characters and the animation won me over right away. First of all, when you have a little kid as the protagonist, he or she often walks that thin line of being really annoying. But Nemo was totally lovable. He was cute, he recognized his mistakes and apologized for them, and was courageous and loyal. All of the strange creatures he meets are also all so fun and appealing, even the more villainous or selfish characters. There's a tough princess, a cute animal sidekick, a giant king that loves to jig. What's there to lose?

The animation in this film was nothing short of incredible. I was engrossed in the film the whole time just because of the visuals. There were dreamy night skies and beautiful nature scenes. There were scary castles and circus-themed buildings and creatures. If the film was attempting to capture the imagination of a very creative child, it did a great job. Whether Slumberland was real or a creation of Nemo's active mind, it didn't matter. You just wanted to be there and there was so much to see. This is a film that you could definitely watch over and over; you could find something new every time you watch it.

I can't believe it took me so long to watch Little Nemo; Adventures in Slumberland. But I'm glad I finally did. I love finding a good animated film that I haven't seen before; I find that it's getting harder the older I get! And this movie definitely made me want to read the comic. It looks amazing, even from just the few pictures I saw online. Little Nemo is a great film and it only adds to my theory that all the best fantasy films came out in the eighties.

Now Playing: Hail, Caesar! (2016)

I was recently able to see the Coen brothers' brand new spankin' comedy Hail, Caesar! in theatres. Set during the 1950s, this film told the highly fictionalized story of real-life Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix. He interacts with a cast of zany characters from actors to directors to the press, all while trying to figure out what happened to his studio's biggest star who has mysteriously disappeared.

This might sound obvious, but this movie was very Coen. It had a great cast, clever writing, beautiful cinematography, hilarious moments mixed with symbolism. The works. For all these reasons, I quite enjoyed Hail, Caesar! 

As always, the Coens have a wonderful collective cast, including Coen favorites like George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton. The film also stars Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johannson, Jonah Hill, and Ralph Fiennes. Two surprisingly amazing performances come from relative newcomer Alden Ehrenreich and Channing Tatum. I'm usually not a fan of Channing but he was hilarious in this movie and I was quite impressed! All of these actors fell right into Old Hollywood. There was great chemistry and everyone was very funny.

The Coen brothers also have an incredible ability to perfectly capture the essence of a certain decade, if they are making a period film. It's one of the reasons I love O Brother, Where Art Thou? (my favorite Coen creation). The Coens don't just give us one or two characters to focus on and expect to represent a generation or part of a generation. We get to explore many facets of 1950's Hollywood. After seeing the film, I looked up Eddie Mannix and learned he was a real person. I also didn't know that a fixer was a real, legitimate job. A Hollywood fixer is someone who is paid to clean up after the scandals of the studio's talent. In this film, the studio "owns" many of these actors and Mannix makes sure that they have their chances in the spotlight, that their records are clean and their images maintained. In this Cold War-era and family values-oriented world, it seems to be a pretty important job in the entertainment industry. From the eyes of Mannix, we get to see what it was like to make a movie in the 1950's. First, we see all the different jobs and technology that was being used. We also see all the different types of films that were being made at once in one studio. Hail, Caesar! covers all the basic Old Hollywood movies that were popular: a Roman epic; a Bette Davis or Cary Grant-esque drama; a musical complete with Fred Astaire tap numbers; a performance piece with a live orchestra and synchronized swimmers; a fun and action-filled Western. Within each film, we learn more about the people within them. Actors who struggle to transition from genre to genre, how actresses were treated differently than actors, directors trying to create art versus directors trying to make a cash grab that will garner guaranteed audience favor. In fact, this is one of the themes in the film, but we will come to that later.

This journey through Old Hollywood shows us both the good and the bad. The film's most profitable actor, played by George Clooney, is kidnapped by Communist writers. This was such a great take for the film and I love how the Coens didn't tell us right away that they were Communists. The Coens never pander to their audience; they want us to figure out the clues for ourselves. With mention of the hydrogen bomb and emphasis on public image, the addition of Communism and the Red Scare rounded out the film. Like I said before, the Coens are great at showing us all angles of a decade, the good and the bad, the ugly and the pretty. There was no mention of blacklisting at all, but I still think this secret society of Communist ex-Hollywood writers made the film more historically accurate and interesting. If you are already familiar with American history, the movie is all the more entertaining.

As with most Coen brothers' movies, there are always several themes or questions being raised and the symbolic imagery and cinematography helps establish those themes or questions. There is no doubt that there was a big religious theme in Hail, Caesar! The films opens with a statue of Christ on the cross. In the beginning and towards the end of the movie, Eddie Mannix is in confession with an impatient priest who believes Mannix visits him too often. Mannix is concerned about the accuracy of the Roman epic about Jesus Christ, and, wishing not to offend anyone, asks leaders from different faiths to view the film and give him their opinions. It is clear that Mannix is very religious, however, this part of his character juxtaposes with his job. Being a fixer includes a lot of lying; it's a very dishonest job. And yet, at the end of the film, Mannix claims that he thinks that what he does is right. I was reading some reviews and analyses on Hail, Caesar! and someone wrote that Mannix is himself a Christ figure, which is very interesting. Just as Jesus Christ had taken the sins of the world upon Himself, Mannix takes the sins of the studio's actors upon himself. This idea is very evident in a particularly beautiful shot in which Mannix stands on the set of the Roman epic film. He is silhouetted and stands before three silhouetted crosses. The last shot of the film is also very curious. There is a heavenly light that shines over the Hollywood film studio; the water tower says "Behold" on it, and then the camera moves up and zooms into the sunlight in the sky. The Coens could be saying a number of things here. Hollywood, either old or new, is one of the least spiritual places there are; this particular shot is a contradiction. It could also be criticizing the "worship" of the entertainment industry and the celebrity. But I think it raises a few important questions, some that are addressed in the film: is making movies about creating art or making money? And can you truly be religious in Hollywood, when so many jobs (including the most obvious: acting), involve lying, and sometimes other questionable behavior?

The humor, the acting, the cinematography, the history, the story itself all made Hail, Caesar! a good movie. But what the Coens really do well and they did very well here is show all different angles of a specific time period, place, or profession. Old Hollywood is very classy, fun, and beautiful, but it deserves criticism. The Coens did this wonderfully; making important statements all while putting in those silly moments that make us remember why we love the Coen brothers so much. Was Hail, Caesar! the best film I've seen in the past year? No. Was it even my favorite Coen brothers' film? No. But it had all the ingredients, to me, that made it an enjoyable and meaningful Coen film and period piece, in general.

Now Playing: Secrets of War (2014)

A few weeks ago I watched a movie I had never heard of before. No expectations or anything. I'm glad I took a chance on Secrets of War because it turned out to be an amazing movie and one of the best foreign language films I have ever seen. Secrets of War was released in the Netherlands in 2014. It is set during World War II and tells the story of three kids whose friendship is threatened due to different secrets pertaining to their identities, families, and participation in the war. Tuur's (Mass Bronkhuyzen) family is involved in the resistance against the Germans; Lambert's (Joes Brauers) father is the mayor of the village and is very close with the Nazis; and Maartje (Pippa Allen) is a Jewish girl in hiding.

There are a lot of technical and artistic aspects I really loved. I first must mention the acting. I really appreciate good child actors and all three of the leads in this film were incredible. You fell in love with each of the characters and felt for them. My favorite, though, and quite surprisingly, was Lambert. I feel like most people who would watch this film would identify the rebellious Tuur who only wants to do good and help his friends, or Maartje, the friendly girl who is trying her best to survive. Lambert is the son of the collaborating mayor, whose big brother is a very active Hitler Youth. Lambert feels ostracized from his two friends when they decide they cannot trust him, and yet he has no desire to be in the Hitler Youth like his brother. Joes Brauers performance was heartbreaking; you wished he could know the secret of Maartje's true identity and yet you fear for her safety.

This leads into another reason why I really liked Secrets of War: the cinematography and direction. There were just incredible moments that were captured on camera and I wish I could show some of them here but, really, you should just go watch the film! There are several montages during critical scenes where they switch between characters so you know what each child is doing during a certain event. I think it was very representative of the war. There will be a scene where Maartje is being taken away by the Germans, then we will see Tuur trying desperately to find her and figure out what is going on, and then we will see Lambert just happily playing with his trains. World War II affected people in so many different ways. Some were hurt directly, some had friends or family that were in danger but were not in danger themselves, and others did not seem to really know or care what was going on. In fact, it's almost like the world in general. While someone's house is getting bombed somewhere, we're over here complaining about slow Internet. But anyways, I digress. The cinematography and direction, in particular, were very critical to the storytelling in this particular film. There was one scene that really struck me. We see Lambert's side profile, staring straight ahead, and behind him are a bunch of out-of-focus Hitler Youth posters on a wall. (While they are out of focus, it is pretty obvious what they are). It is almost like we are looking inside Lambert's brain: his father's and brother's constant ravings for the Hitler Youth program are inescapable. Eventually he walks on and the posters come into focus.

If you know me, you'll know I really love a movie with good costumes. The clothes in Secrets of War were amazing. There was such variety and you could really see the difference in clothing between adults, teenagers, and children. In a war film, costuming is very important. The Stars of David and the Hitler Youth uniforms revealed the era and the conflict. The subtle differences between school clothes, play clothes and church clothes were also interesting. Basically, everyone just seemed to dress a little nicer back then!

There were so many things I loved about Secrets of War. The acting, the story itself, the writing, the cinematography - the list goes on. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. If you have seen that film or read the book, you'll know that childhood innocence during wartime is a central theme. It's the theme in Secrets of War as well. The adults in this film go to great lengths to keep the gritty details of the war from the children, but the children find themselves learning these things because the war directly affects them. We see a loss of innocence throughout the film. In one of the first scenes, we see Tuur and Lambert in a bomb shelter with the village during a German night raid. For the children, it is exciting. Every time a bomb drops, the adults worry more. Tuur and Lambert just smile and laugh. Later on, when Tuur discovers that the trains he always sees are carrying people and not rocks, the mood changes. It raises the question of how much should we keep from our children when they are all wrapped in tragedy, In Life is Beautiful, for example, the answer is "as much as possible." I think Secrets of War claims it is nearly impossible. Children are curious and smart and it is difficult to hide big, important things forever.

This became a very dark and deep discussion, but whatever you believe, I do hope you will see this movie. It will make you laugh and cry and think, and that's what you want from a movie, right?

Feb. 6: Weekly Recap

Hello everyone! xx

It's been awhile, and again (shocker) I am thinking of somewhat changing the direction of my blog, but not too much. But expect more posts; I have a lot of ideas of things to write on!

This post is going to be on the new movies, books, and music I have watched, read, and listened to this past week. Some are good, some not so much. Let's dive right in.

I watched two new movies this past week, both quite good.

I saw a documentary called Above and Beyond about the formation of the Israeli Air Force. My dad actually recommended this to me and it is really interesting. It was produced by Nancy Spielberg, the younger sister of Steven Spielberg, and it included a lot of interviews from the actual pilots who were  part of the Air Force. This was very impressive to me on many levels: one, that so many were American, and two, that so many were still alive and seemed to be doing so well! It also included an interview with Paul Reubens, whose father was also a pilot who flew for Israel. As far as documentaries go, Above and Beyond was very engaging and I learned a lot. It was released in 2014 and you can watch it on Netflix!

I also FINALLY saw the original 1931 Dracula with Bela Lugosi. I can't believe I went my whole life without watching this classic but I'm glad I finally saw it. In fact, I want to do a whole review on this, so I won't say too much here. I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised by this film and I highly recommend it.

I read two books the past week. One I read was called The Dramatic Imagination by Robert Edmond Jones. It was actually a book I had to get for college when I was an acting major for that hot second. I kept it because I thought I would enjoy it later on. Robert Edmond Jones is supposedly this famous costumer and set designer in the theatre world and this book he wrote is one that is still really revered. It had some interesting points but honestly, I just have little patience now for uppity theatre people. His style of writing and some of his opinions were just so over-the-top, unnecessarily flowery, and just snooty. It's like the kind of book that Frasier Crane would have on his shelf but it won't remain on mine.

The other book I read, though, was incredible. I got it free from work and just the cover art (which I sadly, do pay too much attention when it comes to all forms of entertainment) and the description on the back made me think it would a little too childish and boring. But oh how wrong I was! It's definitely a book for kids, but it still was very enjoyable for me. It is about a twelve-year-old girl from a small town in Tennessee who comes from this incredible family but she feels like a screw-up and that she can never live up to her family legacy. She then gets involved in defending her family cafe from a developer as well as in a hunt for a treasure that is legendary in her town's folklore. It is a very relatable story that happens to be filled with magic dreams, spooky graveyards, and lots and lots of hot chocolate and muffins. It was also a very good reminder to not underestimate children's literature. YA and kid's books can very well-written and poignant, no matter what age you are reading them! The Key to Extraordinary is a very EXTRAORDINARY story (ayyyyyy).

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As you can tell by this deeply unsettling CD cover that still makes me a little bit uncomfortable, I purchased Sia's new album this week! It's called This is Acting and there's much to write on. From the first song called "Bird Set Free," I knew this album was going to be good. It's definitely different from 1000 Forms of Fear. In fact there were some songs that I just didn't quite understand and couldn't believe were on a Sia album, the most notable one being "Sweet Design" which is a booty-promotin' song featuring samples from none other than "Thong Song" by Sisqo (which, let's be honest, was the truest poetry the world received in music-form in 1999). Upon doing some research, I learned that almost this entire album is comprised of songs that Sia wrote for other people, like Rihanna and Adele, that were rejected. That's why Sia called the album This is Acting; she stated these were words she would never say herself and that the whole album was like an act. That is so interesting and it makes me love the album even more. I don't like it as much as 1000 Forms of Fear, but it's still very good. Sia really fails to ever disappoint me. My favorite tracks on this album are "Bird Set Free," the anthem that opened this album so wonderfully just like "Chandelier" did for 1000 Forms of Fear; the two singles "Alive" and "Cheap Thrills;" "Broken Glass," which is just a really pretty song; and "Space Between," which has a very Twin Peaks vibe to it. I recommend buying the deluxe version of this album because it includes two really amazing songs at the end called "Fist Fighting in a Sandstorm" and "Summer Rain."

Overall, it was a very good week for movies and books and music! The next post will be a review on the Dutch film Secrets of War, which I am very excited for. See you then xx

Why I Want to Be More Like Chihiro This Year

Spirited Away was the first Miyazaki movie I ever saw and it is still my favorite. It's a mixture of things that makes this Ghibli film my fave (and that's hard because they're all so good): the original and magical storyline, the art, the variety of characters, the music. It's a very nostalgic film. But I think the reason this movie resonates with me so much is Chihiro.

Yubaba tells Chihiro "you are a lazy, spoiled crybaby and you have no manners." Chihiro is upset about moving, a trope very common in movies that I can't personally understand as an Air Force brat. But I think moving to a new town can symbolize any change and I am feeling just that now. From being a completely dependent student to being a graduate that must suddenly make my way in the world was really hard for me to accept and it still is, sometimes. I am really lucky and grateful to have my family be so supportive and help with me so much right now, but there's still so much I'm trying to do independently. I am like Chihiro, at least how she is in the beginning. She was whiny, pessimistic, and had clearly never worked a day in her life. She's suddenly thrown into a world she doesn't understand and it's up to her to save her parents. To do that, she must do physical labor in a bathhouse. Of course she also ends up going on a magical journey, but for much of the movie we see her work at the bathhouse. It's a part that didn't fully resonate with me as a kid because I never had to have a hard job. But I do now.

I've never worked anywhere for as long as I've worked at the Scholastic Warehouse. and even though it's only supposed to be part-time work, it's early, physically difficult, often very hot or very cold, and I am often asked to stay later. For a long time, I was in a rut because of this. I want to be a writer. But I felt too tired, too busy, or too depressed to write. No inspiration at all. I blamed this job. It was too hard for me, and it was so early, I was just tired all the time. For a couple months, I looked for and applied for other jobs, including writing jobs, and had no such luck.

But this is a new year, and I made a very important resolution to dedicate more time for writing. But I need an income now, of course, to pay for all the things that adults need. And this is why I need to be like Chihiro. She had an end goal: to save her parents. I have an end goal: to write a book. For both us, the end goal isn't in sight. Chihiro had no idea how many days or even months she needed to work to save her parents but she continued to work. She put up with a boss that was literally a witch, rude coworkers, scary customers, and backbreaking physical labor. Those are hardly concerns of mine at this job, and no one's life is on the line.

Chihiro grew and developed so much in Spirited Away and I want to grow and develop just as much. I don't want to be afraid of hard work. I need to be braver. And I need to stick up for myself more. I need to be nicer to people because a good friend can really be there for you when you need one. The end may not be in sight and sometimes that's discouraging, but sometimes you just need a period of hard work, inspirational drought, and tough breaks before you get to a really happy time in your life. And I can't wait for that time and so I will work hard now.

There is so much about Spirited Away that I love, but the older I get and the more I watch it, I just want to be more like Chihiro. I will stick this job out and I will make time for what's really important.

Resolutions for 2016

Ahoy-hoy!

It's been some time since I've posted on here! I wanted to do so much, but as soon as I got some free time for blogging I got sick and am still sick! But I will be well soon and back on schedule with blogging.

I wanted to share my goals for 2016. A lot has happened this year: I graduated from college, got a job at Scholastic, and many good things have happened to my family and friends as well. And while a lot of good has happened in 2015, it has also been one of the toughest years of my life. I'm going to be honest,  right after I graduated from school, I had a typical Graduate moment (I didn't have an affair with a Robinson, don't worry) but I felt very lost and sad and didn't quite know where I was going with my life. I don't want that to be this year. I want to be more confident and happy this year, working towards all the career and life goals I want and not worrying to the point where I feel uninspired and scared to do the things I want.

I feel like sharing resolutions helps make you more accountable, and so I want to share mine because I really want to stick to them this year.

Some of my 2016 goals include:

1. Write. And write and write.
2. Be happy and work hard in the temporary jobs I have as I work toward my real career.
3. Be smart with money. Save, save, save.
4. Work on my relationship with God.
5. Walk everyday. Explore new places.
6. Get a new camera and take lots of pictures.
7. Drive more.
8. Practice guitar everyday.
9. Stay clean and organized in every aspect of my life.
10. Be nicer to people.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2016. I hope you are happy and are able to accomplish all the things you want to accomplish!