Going to D.C.
I'll be heading to Washington D.C. for a few days. It's sort of my home away from home, that I go to every summer. If I see the president i'll make sure I say hello for you (with my fists ). I'll be back with nice pictures and such.Photo of the Week:
Photo by Michael Peartree (me)
I took this photo in DC last year, so I thought it deserves to be my photo of the week. It's of this cool water fountain in front of Union Station (it's of Christopher Columbus). I changed the saturation a little for this picture and I really love how it came out. This is a scan, since I can't seem to find the original.
Albums in Rotation
Wilco - Summerteeth
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antartica
Feist - Let it Die
Movies of the week:
8 1/2 (1963)
Albums in Rotation
Wilco - Summerteeth
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antartica
Feist - Let it Die
Movies of the week:
8 1/2 (1963)
Oh man, how do I explain this movie. Iit's directed by the very great italian director Federico Fellini. If you've seen any of his other movies (La Dolce Vita, La Strada, etc...) you can see he has a great visual style. This film is an exceptional example of this and is probably one of the most visually intense movies there is. It's about a film director (played by Marcello Mastroianni) whose creativity has run dry and the turmoils and pressure he has with everyone around him, including his wife, his mistress, his producers, and especially himself. The film can be looked at in a very psychoanalytical way. We see so many surreal images of his dreams and just the things that he sees when awake. It's sometimes hard to tell when things are real and when they are just fantasy.
It's all very hard to grasp, and I couldn't even watch it all in one sittting. There is sort of a mystery behind the movie title "8 1/2" Some say it's because he did 7 movies before, and this movie is about making a movie, and that movie that's being made is 8 1/2. It's deep stuff, and needs multiple viewings to appreciate it. Great acting, music, photography and of course story, It's a must see.
***1/2
It's all very hard to grasp, and I couldn't even watch it all in one sittting. There is sort of a mystery behind the movie title "8 1/2" Some say it's because he did 7 movies before, and this movie is about making a movie, and that movie that's being made is 8 1/2. It's deep stuff, and needs multiple viewings to appreciate it. Great acting, music, photography and of course story, It's a must see.
***1/2
Rhapsody in August (1991)
This is one of the last films made by my all time favorite director, Akira Kurosawa. This film doesn't have a huge plot or anything, it's a very simple film with a very simple message. Like many other of his films (Ran, Dreams, Madadayo, etc...), Kurosawa shows the devastating effects of war. He's faced the bombings by America first hand and was deeply scarred by it. Rhapsody in August is the story of a Nagasaki survivor who is getting the opportunity to spend the summer with her grandchildren. These children are very westernized and just don't seem to understand their old fashioned grandmother. After visiting the site where their grandfather was killed by the atomic blast, they begin to realize how deeply this has effected their grandmother and how hard she had to live.
This movie was so powerful. It has an eerie silence to it, that makes my heart sink. I found myself wanting to cry during many of the scenes. Even some scenes that weren't neccesarily sad still made me reflect on the struggles that the Japanese had to go through. The actress Sachiko Murase's acting as the grandmother is what made this film a gem. This was her last film, and I truly appreciate the work she has done.
This was my second time watching it, and it was just as good as the first viewing. It has such beautiful imagery throughout the piece. Akira Kurosawa never lost a step throughout his career and his films should be watched by all. Although this movie has a slow pace, it's certain worth a viewing.
***
This is one of the last films made by my all time favorite director, Akira Kurosawa. This film doesn't have a huge plot or anything, it's a very simple film with a very simple message. Like many other of his films (Ran, Dreams, Madadayo, etc...), Kurosawa shows the devastating effects of war. He's faced the bombings by America first hand and was deeply scarred by it. Rhapsody in August is the story of a Nagasaki survivor who is getting the opportunity to spend the summer with her grandchildren. These children are very westernized and just don't seem to understand their old fashioned grandmother. After visiting the site where their grandfather was killed by the atomic blast, they begin to realize how deeply this has effected their grandmother and how hard she had to live.
This movie was so powerful. It has an eerie silence to it, that makes my heart sink. I found myself wanting to cry during many of the scenes. Even some scenes that weren't neccesarily sad still made me reflect on the struggles that the Japanese had to go through. The actress Sachiko Murase's acting as the grandmother is what made this film a gem. This was her last film, and I truly appreciate the work she has done.
This was my second time watching it, and it was just as good as the first viewing. It has such beautiful imagery throughout the piece. Akira Kurosawa never lost a step throughout his career and his films should be watched by all. Although this movie has a slow pace, it's certain worth a viewing.
***
