Quote for the Day (One of My Idols Division)

I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.

– Roger Ebert

R.I.P., Mr. Ebert. And see you at

the movies!

Timeless

Amazing how this speech, given by Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator" some 75 years ago, is so valid today. Perhaps even more so . . . .

Because laughter is a good thing:

"At the Movies" to air last show today:

(Via blogs.vocalo.org)

The longest running and most respected movie-review show in television history will tape its final broadcast today for airing this weekend. And when it’s over, the imaginary balcony that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert first opened in 1975 will be closed forever.

This show was one of the schools that taught me how to watch movies; not just as a passive experience, but as an active, critical experience. starting with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, it was a fixture of my television viewing, and after some rocky transitions, the last seasons with Michael Phillips and Tony Scott were outstanding. The fact that the hosts often were at odds over this or that film made watching a pleasure, and their humor echoed the rivalry/friendship that Gene and Roger displayed for many years.

Taking over its Saturday night timeslot the following week will be “On the Red Carpet,” a syndicated celebrity news show, co-hosted by a former Miss USA and a former correspondent for “Extra,” offering viewers “front row access to premieres, award shows and special events, movie star interviews and more.”

Ah, just what the world needs! Another celebrity obsessed bit of pablum. This is an example of the bleakness of our American culture as it stands today. Oh well, I know what I won't be watching on Saturday evenings.

Goodbye, "At the Movies".

The formula of movie trailers illustrated:

(Via zefrank)


I know this is a satire, but I swear I've seen this movie!

The Fountainhead in 5 seconds

Don't waste time reading the book OR watching the movie. Get the whole message right here:

40 Friggin' Years ago

I couldn't resist posting this in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock. Jimi's version of the National Anthem is still the best!

I remember as a 16 year old seeing ads for the festival and asking my parents if I could go. They were already a bit freaked out by my long sideburns and anti-war politics, but this was a bit too much for them. I had friends who did go, and who talked more about the mud and lack of simple amenities like bathrooms and water, than about the music, but the event has become a cultural touchstone.

If you can remember the 60s, you weren't there!

Holy . . . .

(Via Metafilter)

This year's "Snakes on a Plane"?

Somehow, "We're dealing with a menace" said by Lorenzo Lamas doesn't hold a candle to Samuel L. Jackson shouting "Get these mutha-fucking snakes off this mutha-fucking plane!!!"

Bollywood Dubbing for Fun!

Finally getting around to seeing "No Country for Old Men"

I am a big fan of Joel and Ethan Coen's work, but it has taken me to last weekend to see "No Country for Old Men". It finally has showed up on cable, and thanks to our Tivo and Tivo Transfer through my Toast software, I watched it on my laptop. I must say, I wasn't disappointed.

The story (based on Cormac McCarthy's book) is relentless in its movement to a tragedy, and it gives a bleak and empty sense of human nature. In that sense it was very similar to another Coen brother's film, "Blood Simple", but this tale did contain a much more finely defined villain in an unstoppable hit man with a unique tool for blowing off locks and killing his victims.

The performances are universally excellent, with Javier Bardem incredibly creepy as the hit man, but a real treat for me was Josh Brolin as a redneck in way over his head after finding money from a drug deal gone bad. He was both likable and yet so utterly clueless in his lack of understanding of how badly he is mismatched against the forces who are hunting him that you want to jump up and say "Knock it off! They are going to get you!" (That's a compliment!) Tommy Lee Jones was fine too, but his character of a small town sheriff was so familiar for him I felt like it was done with a sort of bored ease that suited the character, but almost didn't seem like acting. Woody Harrelson shows up too, and he gives his small role of a totally unlikable (is there any other kind?) bounty hunter his all.

Some have questioned the ending of the piece, which seems to continue after the loose ends are resolved (or maybe not), but I found that part of it quite satisfying. It had a complete realism that gave it the edge of life, and was totally justified in my mind. The randomness of some of the action in it were very believable.

Anyway, a great movie, well worth a couple of hours, and a good addition to the Coen brother's inventory.

Off the Wall-E; Pixar does it again!

We went and saw Wall-E tonight, and I'm gonna take a huge leap here and say it deserves to be a monster hit. It was hilarious, sentimental, incredibly beautiful visually, and wonderfully well written. Pixar is on a real roll, and with pictures like Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, and the Toy Story franchise, it seems to be unbeatable. Now comes this film, which blows them all away.

It is a fun and fascinating ride, but it also is one of the best cautionary sci-fi tales in a long time. It has already pissed off the wing nut blogosphere, and that makes it all the more wonderful in my estimation. It is a happily subversive tale. Wall-E has both brains and heart, and it really appeals to any age. The theater we were in this afternoon, during a matinee (filled with toddlers, teens, and adults), was utterly quiet for the most part, except for shouts of joy and laughter. For over a half an hour at the beginning there is no dialog, but the story is told with whimsical and detailed visuals that are perfectly suited to its theme. And even the smallest children in the audience were held rapt in this movie's charms.

This is a film which doesn't need my praise to succeed (as if the few folks who read this blog might follow my advice anyway), but I will say: GO SEE IT! It's the only movie I have ever seen that can make a cockroach into a sympathetic character, and where the robots teach the humans what it is like to be . . . well, human!

It is also a film that gives nods to its predecessors such as 2001 and Day the Earth Stood Still. And at its center is the title character, who loves Hello, Dolly! and yearns for companionship. How he finds it and the epic journey he makes to hold onto it is what Wall-E is all about. In the end, it is a story of hope, love, and redemption, and that is a story worth hearing right now.

Yes, I loved it. Check it out, and let me know when the DVD comes out!

Boomer on the "Puter: The Movie

Big Buck Bunny

Nothing like a cartoon to start the day:


Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

A Day of Domestic Bliss

So my wife and I had a day together today. She sang in a concert with an a capella group she is in, which I videoed, and then we spent the day strolling in our backyard, going out to dinner at our favorite Mexican taqueria, and watching a movie together. These have been rare occurrences lately, and it was quite wonderful.

Here are some pictures from around our yard.


Yes, it was a lovely day. I hope your's was as nice.

The Classics a la Spongebob

While it may already have come to your attention, this is far to funny to pass up. In a bit done for the Annie Awards (for animated films), here's a new take on some classic movies, voiced by the cast of Spongebob Squarepants, Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence and Bill Fagerbakke. And it's hysterical:

Adventures in Pixarland

I had a pretty special adventure yesterday, having the opportunity with my voice over training school to visit Pixar Studios in Emeryville, right outside of San Francisco.

The campus there is closed, so it is a rare chance to visit what for me as an aspiring voice actor is a sort of Mecca.



Yes, that's the "Pixar" sign from the inside of the gates.

The building itself is fairly non-descript, looking like a old factory more than anything else. But the inside was very amazing, filled with mementos and examples of animation and models from Ratatouille, Toy Story, Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, and many other of the studio's films. Unfortunately, I didn't feel comfortable bringing my camera into the building, as they were very protective of secrecy in terms of their creative process. Inside was like a grown up amusement park/shopping mall, with video games, people skateboarding, and food and drink for the crew to celebrate the end of the week. If I have to work in heaven, I want it to be at Pixar.

We spent a couple of hours listening to Kevin Rehr, who has been involved with Pixar from the beginning and has worked in various capacities on The Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Stories I & II, The Gumby Movie, and many other productions. It was a real treat to hear him relate anecdotes from his work, as well as to get a little peek behind the walls of such an amazing place. And to let him know how much I love the fruits of his and the many other Pixar people's labors.

At one point he remarked that there was a fear when they were making Ratatouille that the humor was too dark and sophisticated for younger kids; that the parents and older children would get it, but the 5 and under set might lose interest in it. I got to tell him how much my 4 1/2 years old grand daughter loves it. It is her favorite DVD right now, having supplanted Cars (another Pixar product) as her most watched film. He seemed genuinely happy to hear that.

The whole experience was wonderful, from the friendly guards at the security gates to the clay models and beautiful cartoon murals throughout the facility. One of my fellow students took a picture of me with some of the life (?) sized models from Monsters, Inc., which I hope to get back soon.

Pixar is a class act!

Only as Young as you feel

I watched Neil Young in the Jonathan Demme movie Heart of Gold tonight, and it's a real keeper. Neil is in fine form, with his unique vocal style and raw lyrical genius. He has a knack for crafting profound insights out of simple words. I know this has been out for two years, but if you haven't seen it it is worth going back to. The newer songs are wonderful, and the old tunes, going back four decades to his days with Buffalo Springfield, seem as fresh and urgent as they did when I first heard them. This is a quieter, more introspective performance than some of his more rockin' works, but every bit as full of emotion and powerful, and Demme's understated style works wonderfully with this fine performer's style.

One of the songs really struck a chord with me (pun intended), as it did when I got the "Prairie Wind" CD, which most of the material in the movie is from. It's called "When God Made Me', and it is one of the most beautiful evocations of faith and belief in a power greater than us in this world.

Was he thinking about my country
Or the colour of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion
And the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in His image
Or every living thing?
When God made me
When God made me

Was He planning only for believers
Or for those who just had faith?
Did he envision all the wars
That were fought in His name?
Did he think there was only one way
To be close to Him?
When God made me
When God made me

Did He give us the gift of love
To say that we could choose?
When God made me
When God made me
When God made me
When God made me

Did He give me the gift of voice
So some could silence me?
Did He give me the gift of vision
Not knowing what I might see?
Did He give me the gift of compassion
To help my fellow men?
When God made me
When God made me
When God made me
When God made me

Thanks for that Neil. It is a gorgeously clear antidote to the fundamentalist hatred that has gotten all the attention lately.

Just for the heckuvit (and the fun, too):

Just because we all need a good laugh right now. I swear Groucho looks like Frank Zappa in this:

Snakes on a . . . Jet?

After a hard day of spitting wood, we had a delicious dinner and watched . . . Snakes on a Plane. We Tivo'd it a while back, and checked it out from curiosity more that anything else. Frankly, I expected little other that a chuckle or two, but the film delivered a mix of laughter and suspense that surprised me. It was waaay over the top, but that's just what I was in the mood for.

The money line---"I'm tired of these motherfucking snakes . . . " was delivered by style and aplomb by Mr. Samuel Jackson. He seemed to be having fun, and it showed in his performance. It's the kind of movie I could almost hear Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow making snide comments throughout. It ain't Citizen Kane, but it ain't trying to be. And believe me, it's way better than Independence Day! Now that was a dog!

This is the birdhaus, after all

Here's a little film of my cockatiel, Boomer, getting obsessed with his reflection in a pot lid that my wife put in a plastic storage bin. Cockatiels do love the sight of themselves, and he is trying to figure how to get down there for a closer look. I realize that posting pictures of a pet on your blog is like posting pictures of your grand daughter, but I do both, so screw it---er, I mean, ENJOY!