“OUTSIDE IN is a celebratory and historical look at street art through the lens of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s groundbreaking exhibition Art in the Streets. The film features renowned artists Shepard Fairey, Lee Quiñones, Swoon, Futura, Mister Cartoon, Revok, Martha Cooper, Invader to name a few. Director Alex Stapleton (Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel) documents the artist’s creative process, their pitfalls with the law, the poetic impermanence of their craft and the artists’ evolution from the back seat of a cop car to the walls of a well-respected institution.”
The No. 1 film at the box office this week is J.J. Abram’s “Super 8,” an homage to the work of Steven Spielberg. Millions of people have seen this film, but it’s doubtful they know what the title means.
Released by Eastman Kodak in 1965, Super 8 became one of the preferred film formats of the motion picture industry during the 1960s and 70s – alongside 35 mm film. The name is an abbreviation for Super 8 millimeter film. The use of the word “super” denotes the film stock’s improvement over the earlier “regular 8” format and the number 8 is a reference to the width (in millimeters) of the film reel. Many independent filmmakers continue to use 8 mm to mimic the look of old home movies and capture the film’s gritty quality.
The fact that a movie using digital and image technologies that have led to the obsolescence of Super 8 film could be seen as ironic. But is this truly an example of irony? We dig in to that thorny topic, here.
my mind is in a place and i dont feel like sleeping so im currently watching "Amadeus". if u like music or pierod-pieces, or both, u would enjoy it. even tho its 3 hrs it all flies by...
"Amadeus is a 1984 drama biopic film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer. Adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus, the story is based loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers who lived in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the 18th century.
The film was nominated for 53 awards and received 40, including eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture), four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, and a DGA Award. In 1998, the American Film Institute ranked Amadeus 53rd on its 100 Years... 100 Movies list." Read More
"This is a story of a man in free fall. On the road to redemption, darkness lights his way. Connected with the afterlife, Uxbal is a tragic hero and father of two who's sensing the danger of death. He struggles with a tainted reality and a fate that works against him in order to forgive, for love, and forever." Read More
"Setting aside the more obscure, technical categories, when it comes to the best picture award along with the major nominations for acting, writing and directing, there are, ahem, zero people of colour in the Oscar race this year.
There are so few significant African-American characters in any of the 10 films nominated for best picture that comedian Aziz Ansari did a bit about it at the Producers Guild Awards Saturday night, wondering why there couldn't have been at least one black kid checking his Facebook account in The Social Network, adding that things were so white that in 127 Hours, when James Franco's hiker character cuts off his arm, it doesn't even turn black.
It's hard not to notice how few minorities had any visible roles in this year's most lauded films. The Social Network offers us a virtually lily-white Harvard; The Fighter is set in an oh-so-white, blue-collar Boston neighbourhood; The King's Speech depicts an all-white, upper-crust, 1930s-era London; Toy Story 3, like most Pixar films, is set in a fantasy suburbia without any obvious references to minorities; and True Grit takes us back to the Old West, where the only black faces I can remember seeing are that of a manservant and a stable boy.
And if you're wondering about lead actor nominee Javier Bardem, he's from Spain." Read More
If you read my blog, you've come across my brief review on the confusion of the POSSIBLE mockumentary "Exit Through The Gift Shop" by the British graffiti artist, political activist and painter know as Banksy (real identity unknown). Well idk if the character, Mr. Brainwash aka Thierry Guetta, from the film is an actual person or an actor being used as a front for a line of Banksy's work used to mock the popularization (or in Apple talk, the "cornballin' ") of "street art" <- thats the theory.
whatever the case, "Mr. Brainwash" did have a show. Here are some slide of it and a review: Gallery Slide Show Review
“Blogger Scott Schumann, aka, The Sartorialist, shares photos from his Visual Life with 70,000 readers a day. Scott is, as I, an IU Alum and in this video describes his life, how he came about to do what he does, and his creative process. This is truly inspiring and his voice rings true to my own.”
i think this is an excellent documentary for music lovers. i think that it shines light on some artist that people my age wouldnt otherwise be familiar with. It was just delightful. ESPECIALLY Jack White. To be so young but to have so much soul and talent is inspiring. It feels so sincere from all the artist, and hearing their journeys just makes it better.
Its a film that you watch while your doing something. You really dont need to watch it, just listen. And I think its something that you get more out of it the more you watch it.
"I'm Still Here" is like watching a car crash...except ur not really afraid or sad about it...ur just kind of amazed and intrigued. Of course, after all the chaos you hope everyone survives...but u kinda of appreciate the fact that SOMETHING/ONE is out of control. That we're not all doing the speed limit. That we are not all driving in a str8 line.
Joaquin is spoiled, passionate, delusional, sincere, etc. Its an interesting look into the celebrity; the struggle, the entitlement, the self-consciousness. Joaquin is like a prince trapped in his castle.
I think what's more interesting than Joaquin's quest to find his place, is how ppl respond to him. They isolate him. They look at him like its obsurd...and in a sense it is, but ppl have no respect for "the individual". ppl love to hate you...becuz ppl are afraid to be you. I respect Diddy for at least being patient with him. And Mos Def was polite. But everyone else was patronizing and cynical. the ppl around him in general are were no better. they indulged him in his tantrums and impulsive desires.
i have to admit that i eventually began to wonder when the tragedy would end...or at least the movie, but not enuff to actually turn it off. so i think that counts for something.
Last night I watched a wonderful film called "El Norte". It is a wonderfully done (mostly Spanish) film about a brother and sister who are escaping from Guatemala to America after their village and family is slaughtered by the rebels. It was beautiful, sad, intense, and "real". It gave a wonderful depiction of what our brothers and sisters from the south are going through. the crazy thing is the movie was produced in 1983. I felt like this was soooo relevant for today. But its probably 20x worse today.
so today was a pretty chill day. I decided to have some "me" time and pamper myself while watching movies. I wound up watching 3 movies: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Beautiful Losers.
This movie was a very...pleasant is the word that comes to mind, but what i think is "pleasant" is very different from everyone else, so... this was a movie worth seeing. Im not sure if its better to see it sober or high but its definitely something u want to see when ur patient and detail oriented.
I enjoyed the Clementine (Kate Winslet) character, altho i worried that i saw too much of myself in her......jim carey did excellent as usual. Elijah Wood was mad creepy. I loved how it was shot, and the effects. I felt like i was experiencing it as well, which was pretty intense. An intense longing...an intense confusion...u feel like ur fighting for ur life, even tho u'r/he's just fighting for love.
i can't tell you any more beyond that cuz i dont want to ruin the movie. Suffice it to say, it was cute, intense, suspenseful, funny, weird, artistic, etc. watch it.
while i learned alot about the culture of street art and saw alot of pieces/artists i really liked (Bansky, in particular), i didnt care for the film. I found myself waiting for it to get to the point...and once it did, i was disappointed. this film was basically done about a man with dependency issues who used creative outlets to cling to those he cared/looked up to, living vicariously through them, and then ultimately stealing their whole style. I know that every artist borrows from something/one BUT this guy, however efficient, was a poser...who got really rich and alot of notoriety. i was pissed at the end. it wasnt that he didnt do a good job at pretending, he could have fooled me with some of his pieces, but the fact of the matter was that he wasnt an artist. He was just a copy-cat who through a bunch of things that he saw done together and let ppl swoon over the chaos. besides letting me kno who the true artist are, it was a pointless movie to me. u may feel differently...some say its satire *shrug*
im very glad i decided to watch this movie after the previous mentioned. it was everything i hoped the other would be. It was intimate, relatable, unpretentious, etc. I felt connected to the artist...or at least understood their particular passions. i felt like i was inside of the artist minds, to a certain extent, when it came to the inspirations for their work, and how they felt about their culture. There isnt much to say about it cuz its more of a visual and personal experience. Just check it out when u have time, k? k.
"Black Swan follows the story of Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter’s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well.
Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her."
let me 1st say that i was thrilled once i heard Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis...i didnt even kno they had a sex scene lol BUT i didnt hurt once i found out. Once I saw the trailer (below) i knew i had to see it. I was geeked ever since.
honestly, it was everything that i hoped it would be. it was intense, weird, sexual, complex and beautiful. if u dont kno by now, ive always wanted to be a ballerina, so from the 1st scene i was into it. im sure the friend that i went with saw a gleam in my eyes that only happens on rare occasions. And the dancing was nothing short of awesome. I was very impressed with Mila for the simple fact that she didnt have any ballet training prior to the movie. Im not sure about Natalie, but she was perfection, regardless.
i enjoyed the dynamics of the characters. the mother-daughter relationship was particularly intriguing. i dont want to ruin it for anyone who hasnt seen it but at the end of the day they both were a little crazy WHILE both being very innocent and loving. Natalie Portman's character was a very interesting. I thought her character was very pure, even in her insanity. She lived her craft to the point where it consumed her. We should all be so lucky...as morbid as that sounds. And at the end of the day, no matter how u look at it, she was "perfect".
i dont want to go into it any further cuz its a fairly new movie, and i hate spoilers. The only thing that i didnt like about it was the way the camera bounced with the action. I understand and appreciate the effect but it made my head hurt. Otherwise, Black Swan is worth every penny. It will keep u guessing, smiling, cringing, and occasionally closing ur eyes.
"I'm not a Tyler Perry fan. I think his films lack nuance and subtlety and reinforce stereotypes in order to deliver specific messages. I stated in the original post that Tyler Perry never gives his audience a chance to "get" the message. He wants to deliver it, wrapped in a cannon ball and shot across the room. The poems in For Colored Girls need to breathe on their own. They don't need back story or a narrative; they need to be heard and felt by black women who have lived those lives and loved those men." Read More
visually its delicious. very much how i see the world when i have a clear head (which is rare). and u can appreciate it that much more when you're aware that it is suppose to be from a 5 year old's perspective. U kno enuff the be aware, but everything is still so new.
the music is awesome. kanye gives it to us every time. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed by a kanye album. he is consistently awesome, and always the artiste. speaking of being an artist, some people's responses to this film were negative. But you know what they say, "hater niggas marry hater bitches and have hater kids". they said that kanye was being self-indulgent, but like Toure said on twitter, what art isnt? as an artist, if u do not realize this fact then ur head is up your ass. we see the world a certain way, and we are overwhelmed with the desire to try to "help" the people of that world to see if that way too, or similar. and whats wrong with that?! esp. if ur innovative? im sure that this film is not completely original, but what on earth is? im sure he was inspire by things that have already been done 100xs over. but what is innovative about this film is that kanye is a hip-hop artist and a pop star in America. He is a spokesperson for African-Americans in America (whether he wants to be or not...which im sure he does). And basically he is opening our (America/black people/the mainstream world) to some shit we, in general, wouldnt normally choose to sit down for 34 min. and watch. That shows the power (pun intended) that the "abomination of Obama's nation" truly has.
but im getting off the subject. the film...
Apparently the main characters are based off of the mythical creatures, the Griffin (Kanye), and the Phoenix (Selita Ebanks). You can click on the names and draw your own theories. There's really no need to say how beautiful the Phoenix is because more important than that, i think, is that Selita did an excellent job at embodying her character. She fully conveyed a being new to this world. She showed innocence, oddity, and exuded a natural sexiness.
im very intrigued by this MJ/Klan part. any thoughts?
the dinner was my favorite part. theres no point in speaking on the white people serving the blacks. Im sure ya'll got your own kicks and giggles from that. I didnt even notice it the 1st time, honestly. What got my attention were the "Negros" at the dinner. if you kno me you kno what i mean by that. if you watch the vid then ull know what i mean, as well. Scared, basic ass people. "Your girlfriend is beautiful. do u know shes a bird??"
I enjoyed the "Runaway" performance alot more in the film than the live performance. I think the vibe of the film, and the fact that i was already expecting it, made it easier for me to digest and appreciate. (s/b: i wish i were a ballerina. true story.)
are they eating...CHICKEN at this dinner??? o_0 how rude. well thats not exactly chicken, but still. in all seriousness tho, i totally dig the metaphor. i dont know how to verbalize it yet. but i dig it. i get it.
that damned explosion.
"i have to burn!" o_0 *giggle*
summation: the acting was crappy, the cinematography was beautiful (eyegasm...*giggle*), and the message was clear...kinda. I give it an A for Effort. Definitely. Thank you Kanye, sincerely. "First thing about this world, baby, dont pay attention to ANYTHING you see in the news."
if your looking for a more...(i guess) "professional" opinion/analysis of the film click here.
"When Kanye West spoke Friday evening at the New York screening of his mini-movie “Runaway,” he mentioned the film’s massive worldwide premier this Saturday reminded him of the way Michael Jackson used to premier his music videos on multiple channels. It would be an outrageous statement, if it wasn’t already true considering MTV, MTV2, BET, MTV.com, BET.com, and Vh1.com will air "Runaway" simultaneously at 8 p.m. EST.
What people can expect when they tune in this weekend is a film unlike anything they have ever seen. Kanye explained "Runaway" was a film made from the perspective of his five-year-old self, back when he “wasn’t told what to like, and wasn’t told what not to like.” The description was fitting to a tee." Read More
