You know, the past few years, I haven’t really gotten into Halloween. I didn’t dress up last year. Living in Kansas City, my friends were so spread out and of varying ages that there wasn’t any really cohesive plan. But here, it’s been the week of Halloween. And what fun! Adam and I bought loads of candy and some kickass Skull cups to take to parties. Last night was Whiskey/Pepsi, tonight I think we’ve got a 12-pack of Heineken- bottles, always bottles.

Tuesday, we carved pumpkins, and even though I’m sure mine was the worst, it was fun. It was a silhouette of Gotham City, with the Bat-signal looming over it. Tricky stuff, cutting out the spaces around the Bat-symbol. It’s already mostly rotted, but oh well. We’re a filmmaking bunch, so we had pumpkins from “Nosferatu” and “JAWS” and 2 from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

I’m pretty proud of my costume. I’m Owen Wilson’s character, Francis, from “The Darjeeling Limited.” Adam is Tallahassee from “Zombieland.” Awesome. I’d tried to be Shaun from “Shaun of the Dead” but couldn’t locate a cricket bat – literally no one out here sells them. C’mon, L.A. get with it! Nonetheless, the costume has been a hit thus far, and I’m looking forward to tonight. Last night, Josh literally created his costume just to piss me off – he went as Noah Baumbach. 3 people at the party got it, but boy was he spot-on. Brown pants. Black suit-coat. Scarf. Sunglasses. And, most importantly, most pretentiously… black fingerless gloves. Check out the making-of featurette for “Margot at the Wedding” and join in the resistance against this uber-douche. Or, the picture to the right. I’ll have to put up a comparison once I find some pictures from last night. It’s uncanny. And probably the most frightening thing I saw all night.

And of course, what Halloween would be complete without scary movies? Last Saturday, we had a Horror Trilogy – with “Halloween” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (originals, of course) and “The Blair Witch Project.” I think “Texas Chainsaw…” was the scariest, but “Blair Witch” was the best (read a good review of it here, from my friend Josh who hadn’t seen it before now). Can you believe it’s been 10 years since that movie came out? And now here we have “Paranormal Activity,” which is very similar in spirit and budget and pure filmmaking gumption. I saw it this week, and just like “Blair Witch…” it’s scary not because of blood and guts and cheap thrills. Both movies are unsettling, they seep into you. They’re about people fighting desperately to regain control of their lives from unseen forces. Both made on the cheap, both some of the most effortless, natural improvisation captured on film, both “horror,” both very much about their setting and small, creepy things happening. And, in some ways, both about filmmaking itself and the desire to watch what happens.

10 years ago I was 16. I remember trying to sneak into “The Blair Witch Project” and having to settle instead for “The Runaway Bride” (I was on a date, I’ll let you decide which movie was whose choice). My friend Clint and I used to host Halloween parties every year, so we ended up watching it in his basement on a huge screen. I watched it like 3 times that night, I couldn’t get enough. My parents had no idea what I was watching I’m sure, which is for the best. My church youth group was of the opinion that Halloween is of the devil and activities such as dressing up and saying the words “Trick-or-Treat” are surely just the first step towards eventually demon-possession. Ah memories.

So on this Halloween Night, sure to be filled with ghosts and goblins, friends and frights, alliteration and apparitions, remember these few simple rules. And enjoy.

1. Costume+Party = Necessity. C’mon, just do it, it’s loads of fun.

2. Ghost/Demon summoning = Not recommended, but could be interesting. Please heavily document and notarize as needed.

3. Drink+Dance = anything that can be a dance move will be a dance move. In the age of digital cameras and Facebook, proceed with caution.

4. This is not the night to experiment with others’ prescription drugs… ah hell, a little never hurt (?), and what’s the worst that could happen? (See #2)

We’re in an emergency here! Jack’s had his heart broken, I’ve had my face smashed in and Rubby’s having a child!

The upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox is more than just another remake of a childrens book, directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums & Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) this will be his first using entirely stop-motion animation.  The remake of this Roald Dahl classic will be in theatres 11-13-09.

Trilhas sonoras são sempre prazerosas de se adquirir quando carregam boas lembranças à experiência do filme.

The Darjeeling Limited (veja o trailer), último longa lançado por Wes Anderson (Os Excêntricos Tenenbaums e A Vida Marinha de Steve Zissou), é um desses ótimos exemplos. O filme é muito bom, uma aula de direção de arte e direção, e, como todos os filmes de Wanderson, tem uma trilha escolhida com precisão.

Além de clássicos muito bonitos e muito tocados como Play With Fire, do Rolling Stones, e três músicas do The Kiks (This Time Tomorrow, Strangers e Powerman), tras outros clássicos que as gerações mais novas não tiveram facilmente o prazer de conhecer. Elas seguem abaxo. E aqui, um link da Amazon para escutar e, quem sabe, comprar o disco, porquê vale a pena (quem ainda não assistiu o filme, o faça antes de qualquer coisa).

Peter Sarstedt – Where do you go to (my lovely) (1969)
 

Joe Dassin – Les Champs-Elysées (1970)

 The Rolling Stones – Play With Fire (1965)

 post: Gustavo

I don’t watch as much television as most people. However, having said that, I will admit that I do watch more television than some people. Maybe just one other person. Yet, some how, that remains a qualifier unto itself.

Have you met people that will, and with a straight face, advise you that they “…don’t watch much television – other than the Discovery Channel”. That only tells me they might be overly obsessed with penguins. It might also signal they miss opportunities like “Bored to Death” – which can only be found on HBO. And, that’s fitting, because, other than the FOX soccer channel, SYFY (because of “Battlestar Gallactica”), and the Disney Channel (because Emma Jo likes it), HBO’s about it for me.

Let’s get back to “Bored to Death”.

The show follows the misadventures of a fictional Jonathan Ames, played by the inestimable Jason Schwartzman, whom also starred in “The Darjeeling Limited”, which I’ve reviewed, sort of, on this Bog, in the past, as he pursues his quixotic dream of emulating his heroes from classic private detective novels. Rather than face reality, Jonathan turns instead to his fantasies – moonlighting as a private detective (and, in the series premier, he’s warned not to pursue this path by an over-tolerant police detective, and I know this is going to be pivotal, somehow) – because he wants to be a hero and a man of action. You should know that I THINK “Bored to Death” is making an effort to pass itself off, in part, as film noir. /1

George Christopher (Ted Danson): “I need marjiuana… Jonathan… Are you at a party? Are there women?”

Let’s pause a moment, and be clear… in my view, everyone needs to see “Fandango” and the “Darjeeling Limited“. Neither are closely related to this post. But, go watch them all the same. Do it! Watch those movies, I mean.

By the way… I had the opportunity to bring back many a bitter sweet memory this weekend while attending the Journey concert at the Verizon amphitheater. That new dude, Arnel Pineda is amazing, and truthfully so. He often channels Steve Perry. But, I miss Steve Perry. So, here he is, singing I Stand Alone, because, and – no drama meant by this, I often feel that way myself.

NOTE: Mr. Perry is performing this song for a Disney movie. So, this has been my chance to introduce Emma Jo to a piece of my own past. Sunday, Emma Jo and I were whiling away a few hours rummaging through iTunes while I told her stories about myself, Curtis Burton the Third, her Nana (my Mom), and a host of other folks. She had her head on my chest.

It was wonderful. And, I’ll likely post about it later.

Peace be to My Brothers and Sisters.

Brian Patrick Cork

_______________

1/ Film noir began in the 1930’s and remained as a strong cinematic medium until the early 1960’s. Film noir literally means “black film” in French and features themes which are more negative than positive, with an overall dark and shadowy outlook – being filmed in black and white. This film genre takes in detective and crime noir as well as many gangster films of the 1930’s. Noir also moves into more modern films combining with other genres. These would include western noir–”High Noon”, romance noir – “Laura”, crime noir – “The Big Heat” and even modern detective noir – “L.A. Confidential” and “Chinatown”.

On the other hand, such details might be lost on you. Or, you don’t care. I do.

Irina Sheik

I, to this day, have never found a more beautiful being in existence. I found this russian model by total accident. I was googling for Hottie number three on my list, ‘Shiek,’ and she came up on page 30039493 on my search for Sheik Pictures. I like this particular picture, because she is painted with this paisley-ish body art, and it’s so fricken beastily.

Kate Beckinsale

I first saw her in The Underworld trilogy. I have since kept up on her every move in film. She was really powerful in Snow Angels, but I still dig her best in Underworld, she makes a fine ass vampire.

Zelda/Sheik

This is my longest running crush. I have played every Zelda game. My favourite being, Ocarina of Time. She was hottest in Twlight Princess. It was before I finished Ocarina I had a secret crush on Sheik. When I finished the game, Sheik unveiled…itself as being Zelda. I honestly thought I was gay because of that video game.

Shannyn Sossamon

I first saw her in A Knight’s Tale. I don’t know why, but that movie is one of my favourites. It’s an odd movie, but it has a good cast, with Heath Ledger as the lead. She was adorabley cute in Wristcutters: A Love Story.

Anna Paquin

I fricken love Anna Paquin. I loved her before all you True Blood posers did. I loved her in Fly Away Home, as I, myself had pet ducks and geese as a child(they lived in my bathroom and then my backyard). X Men was the shizz. I then loved her slutty portrayal in 25th Hour, but indeed we truely hit jackpot with True Blood. She is on my hotty list, because, well she has such a unique look. Come on how many of you wouldn’t risk getting the life sucked out of you for her to touch you just once; what I wouldn’t do to be a glove on her hand(<—X men reference)? I know i'd risk it, readers, I know I would. She has this really deep, innocent look to her face. Her teeth have more character than you will ever have in your entire being/soul.

Jason Schwartzman

you will have to do a double take when you see this kid in Rushmore, even then I think he was a cutie. He blossomed into quite the looker when he hit Darjeeling Limited, who didn’t pause the shit out of Hotel Chevalier? He recently had a role in Funny People.

Hugh Jackman

I really like Hugh Jackman. He has this guidance to him that seems like he’d make a great mentor, say if you had the chance to meet him. I’m basing my prior statement purely on his portrayal in X Men and how he watched over Rogue. So, yes, I do have a little girl crush on him, but more in an admiring way.

Elliot Smith

What can I say, it’s Elliot Smith. i’ve listened to live recordings of him talking, and he’s so soft spoken. He’d be one of those relationships that would sit on your mind so heavy it’d be nice just to have ever known him as a friend. Aha, you know considering fricken ELLIOT SMITH would of befriended you. I don’t know why I think his death is the reason we aren’t good friends, and not the fact he’s FRICKEN ELLIOT SMITH. I like to think we would have a lot in common…me an Indian girl rockin hick towns, and he, a beautiful man with a melodic voice that could soothe you into a coma.

Stephen Moyer

I’ve only seen him in True Blood. But I…Want…To….Tap….That……Ass.

Ladies throw on your Phantom Planet records and put up a new post on Live Journal. Alternative girls across America commence weeping..now.

Actor/musician/thinkingman’s heartthrob Jason Schwartzman is now a married man.

The ‘Funny People’ star exchanged vows with the eco-friendly fashion designer in a low-key ceremony at their San Fernando Valley home last month.

The 29-year-old actor’s representative said: “It was a very small ceremony with many family members and close friends.”

Jason – who is the nephew of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola – had been dating Brady for three years before he proposed earlier this year.

I’ve got ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and now THIS to looks forward to.  Any filmmaker up for adapting ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’?!  Please do…  Enjoy.

Our SS10 collection for Blue Blood is based on 3 classic Wes Anderson movies; The Royal Tennenbaums, Darjeeling Limited and A Life Aquatic.

As we love to roam on the interweb for scan for intersting objects in our free time, Willa surfed and bumped into the artist Elloh on the international webshop for everything handmade named Etsy.com . Here on Etsy Elloh has quite a collection which she calls “an ode to pop culture”.

Amongst her pieces are also two Wes Anderson movies received an ode, Darjeeling Limited and A Life Aquatic.

We’ve been in contact with Elloh and she has informed us that currently she is also working on a Steve McQueen piece, a definite Blue Blood hero.  Great minds must think alike.

If you are interested in all the paintings she did and how much they cost, check out her little webshop on Etsy :

ode to pop culture …. art by el lohse

BB

Once in a while, I want to share with you some of the things that are currently inspiring me, things I’m falling in love with and discovering.  If you do it too, then we can all exist in this kind, sharing, friendly web world of friendships and connections … Or you’ll just be able to try some new flavours.  Either or.

Books

I can’t take credit for this recommendation.  The book was loaned to me by Rikki , whose husband found it in an airport bookstore, and it’s surprisingly good.   The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and the late Mary Anne Shaffer is written in the epistolary form (comprising entirely of letters and telegrams) in England after WW2.  A spunky young author, Juliet Ashton (wonderful name!) receives a letter from one of the founding members of the German occupied-Guernsey’s Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and begins a journey, discovering more about the book club and its many remarkable members in the hope of turning their stories into a novel. 

This book has reignited my love of the written word–specifically, the written word in letter form.   It has also made me fall back in love with peoples’ stories.  Lately, I’ve been interviewing a lot of elderly people for the paper in regards to their memories concerning certain events or periods in their lives, be it the Grimsby Beach Reunion, the Park School Reunion, the Tintern School Reunion (I’ve written the headline as: Tintern School Revisited and hope to God my editor keeps it and if so, that someone gets the Wordsworth reference!) and Grimsby during WW2.  I’ve had the opportunity to hear so many good stories and learn a great deal about history from those who lived it.  Reading this novel, I’ve experienced the same feeling.  Real life stories from real life people.  Although the novel is fictional, WW2 and the Holocaust did happen and those who lived through it are dwindling … I’m going to try to get as much out of them before it’s too late …

On a cheerier note, the book is a book lover’s delight: writers, book clubs, references to books, quotes about reading, and people whose lives are richer for their love of reading.  I’m still not finished because I like to read it in bed before I drift off to sleep in the cool of the night, but so far, it’s definitely one that I would recommend to you.

The Illustrated Jane Eyre by Dame Darcy.

Yes, I got this for my birthday. Thanks, Eric!

Music

Do me a favour.  Find Cassandra Wilson’s cover of “Harvest Moon.”  Limewire, mp3 rocket, iTunes, myspace … whatever you use, find it.  Wait until your favourite time of night when the busyness and business slowly dissipates and sleep is beckoning seductively in the distance.  Turn off all the lights, maybe light a candle.  Lie on your bed or couch or even the floor with your eyes closed and play this track.

…

Mmmm-hmmmm.  I told you so.

I also can’t get enough of My Brightest Diamond.  Think of a Celtic Grace Slick Illinoisemaker.  Funky, goosebump-inducing stuff.

I’m also really digging Apostle of Hustle right now, long before Stuart McLean played them on Sunday (more on The Vinyl Cafe later). 

And also, Chad Van Gaalen and Chris Kirby, but that is because of The Vinyl Cafe.  It’s-lazy-Sunday-morning-in-a-long-plaid-shirt-making-eggs-and-bakey-and-birdwatching-and-reading-every-darn-section-of-The National Post-kind of music.

Radio

It was a lazy Sunday morning before Eric and I headed out to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to check out the Dead Sea Scrolls, mummies, dinosaurs and run through the bat cave like it was 1999.  I was feeling devilishly pleased about not having to go to church (I’m a lousy excuse of a Christian, I know).  I was checking out my birthday present–The Illustrated Jane Eyre–while Eric shaved or bathroomed or something of that sort.  I could hear this eerie, acousticky, Neil Youngish stuff playing from the radio downstairs.  I asked Eric what his parents were listening to.  He switched on his radio to CBC’s Radio One (or was it Two, Er?)  Thus, my introduction to Stuart McLean and The Vinyl Cafe.  Visit here for air times and other fun stuff.

When he started playing Newfoundlander Chris Kirby’s “Another Round” from Chris Kirby On Rum & Religion (fantastic title!), I was a goner.  I had to lie down on Eric’s bed and give into the inevitability of falling in love.  I generally hate most radio programming, music snob that I am, but I do not hate CBC’s Radio One and Two, especially Sundays with The Vinyl Cafe and Wiretap with Jonathan Goldstein.  It’s worth skipping church for, but don’t tell anyone I said that!

Movies

The Darjeeling Limited. 

Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody

Yes, predictably, I’m a huge Wes Anderson fan, but The Darjeeling Limited is the best.  Not only will you fall in love with India, trains, sitar music and Adrien Brody’s sad eyes, but you will be able to guess 10 minutes into the film the birth order of the three brothers.  If there’s one thing I love about Wes Anderson’s films, it is that he gets family dynamics and the complex relationship between siblings pitch-perfect, no matter how dysfunctional or oddball the family is.  I just bought this film for $10 at Giant Tiger and am one happy camper.

Rachel Getting Married

Although this film is, at times, squirm-inducing and uncomfortable to watch, Anne Hathaway does one hell of a good acting job, causing one to think, Princess Diaries who?  The music played by a real-life band is incredible, and the wedding itself is one that every wedding should aspire to emulate.  As the final credits roll beside a long-shot of Rachel, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, sitting in a comfy sweater in the early morning after her wedding, listening to the band play in the distance and sipping a piping coffee, you feel like you’ve just watched a documentary, not an original motion picture.

Alice in Wonderland

This hasn’t come out yet and is due for release in March of 2010, but I can’t wait.  Tim Burton + Johnny Depp + Anne Hathaway + Helena Bonham Carter + Alan Rickman + Michael Sheen + Christopher Lee … it better not let me down!

“Alice laughed: “There’s no use trying,” she said; “one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
–from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

ADELE

There is something about Adele’s voice that makes me feel like she understands how I feel when I’m sad.

mp3: Make u feel my love (Remot REmix) [Adele]

THE DREAM

I love this ultra-dramatic, ultra-electronic song. I haven’t seen the MV for it, but I hope there’s a scene with The Dream standing at the edge of a cliff with his arms open wide because that’s how I’m envisioning the chorus playing out in video (I’m hoping that it’s not yet another MV of a booze saturated club scene with hoochies).

mp3: She needs my love [The Dream]

LYKKE LI

Youth Novels, by Young Adult Lykke Li

In the music world, where years are counted in something like dog years, Lykke Li’s 2008 debut seems ages ago. And yet, it still lingers in one of my top most played albums because she’s weird… yet so listenably weird. It’s weird and catchy. The aura of her music, to me, is like a less annoying Joanna Newsom (as much as I love “Peach Plum Pear,” I’ve really hit my limit with listening to her irritating screech).There is something in particular about this track on Lykke Li’s 2008 debut “Youth Novels.” My first listen of “Youth Novels” was that it was just an amalgam of fidgety noises and bangs, often creatively done on regular instruments like pianos and guitars. But this track, “My Love,” is a welcome break from Li’s Ritalin fueled repertoire. While the background melody stays repetitive throughout the song (as is common in her album), it still holds a song all by itself. In the end, though,”Youth Novels” overall is a vocalist’s album; it is always Lykke’s vocal addition that holds each song together.

mp3: My love [Lykke Li]

THE DARJEELING LIMITED

If you have not yet checked out this lovely movie by auteristic cinema genius Wes Anderson, you should. And if you don’t love Adrien Brody yet, you will.

mp3: Where do u go to (my lovely) [Peter Sarstedt]

JOURNEY

You know it’s the 80s by the pornstached man.

‘Send her my love’ by Journey

MILKE

Milke, a duo comprised of Andrew Friendly (music) and Ra (vocal, lyrics), is inspired by the third French wave of Kitsune artists, electro pop, Stuart Price and the DFA, mixed with the pop sensibilities of Eurythmics, The Cure, Talking Heads, Stevie Wonder and Prince. With a KLF approach to creativity (minus the sheep slaying), Milke sings about displacement, mental illness, love and love-lost, obsession and sex.

This catchy tune is definitely going on my ipod for running!

mp3: Love Get Out of My Way [Milke]

mp3: Love Get Out of My Way (Designer Drugs Remix) [Milke]

myspace

Da ja mindestens einmal die Woche ins Kino zu gehen mehr als erstrebenswert ist, qua fehlender Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten und Zeit allerdings meistens nicht umsetzbar, muss man notgedrungen den Weg in die nächste Videothek nehmen und die vielen Filme auf dem für studentische Verhältnisse zwar immer noch recht okayen, aber für cineastische Ansprüche überhuapt nicht akzeptablen Fernseher schauen. Die Anschaffung eines Beamers plus ausziehbarer Leinwand wäre also wünschenswert, scheitert wiederum am Geld (was sonst).
Das Gute an so einer Videothek wiederum ist der Bestand an all den vielen Filmklassikern und Indieperlen, die man noch nicht entdeckt hat oder schon immer mal schauen wollte und irgendwann nach einstündigem Studium der Regalreihen vorfreudig in der Hand hält, auf dem Heimweg dann skeptisch ob das die richtige Wahl war, aber spätestens nach dem Abspann euphorisch im Bett liegt ob der tollen Schauspieler, Dialoge, Bilder und immer wieder der Soundtrack, auf dem man dann wiederum die tollsten Bands entdecken kann.

In wahlloser Reihenfolge hier nun die sieben Filme der letzten drei, vier Monate, die meist sehr witzig, intelligent und toll besetzt waren, mich nachdenklich stimmend einschlafen ließen und mehr als nur planlose Mainstream-Unterhaltung sind.

1. Stay (2005): Fragt man sich ja immer wieder wie solch großartig besetzte Mysterien an einem vorbeigehen. Wahrscheinlich war ich 2005 zu sehr mit Lost in Translation beschäftigt. Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts und Ryan Gosling jedenfalls schweben qausi durch diesen Film schweben, in dem alles wie losgelöst scheint,  in dem Zeit und Raum verschwimmen, verschwinden und man nicht weiß, was real ist, was Fiktion, was Traum und Wirklichkeit, ein Film von dem man ob der intensiven Bilder nicht mehr die Augen lassen kann.

2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008): Die letzten beiden Filme von Woody Allen fand ich eher mittelmäßig gelungen. Match Point kann man als einen zu langweilig inszenierten Versuch Allens ansehen mal außerhalb von New York was thrillermäßiges zu produzieren, mit einer fehlbesetzten Emily Mortimer und einer unterforderten Scarett Johansson. Scoop dagegen war völlig albern in allen Bereichen.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona nun, in Spanien, gedreht, sprudelt vor Lebendigkeit, Wortwitz, hinreißenden, exzentrischen Charakteren (Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz und Javier Bardem in den Hauptrollen) und, zum Glück, dem fehlenden, obligatorischen Auftritt des Regisseurs selbst.

3. 2 Tage Paris: (2007): Damals schon im Kino gesehen und seitdem auf DVD haben wollend, wandte ich mich vor kurzem an Ebay und konnte eine Woche später die Liebeskomödie mit Julie Delpy und Adam Goldberg wieder und wieder und wieder in den DVD-Player schieben, um die grandiosen Dialoge auswendig zu lernen in denen Delpy (führte auch Regie und schrieb das Drehbuch) mit ihrer Heimat Paris und den Eigenheiten ihrer Landsleute abrechnet und einige bittere Wahrheiten über die Liebe zu Tage fördert.

4. Secretary (2002): Maggie Gyllenhall spielt die an autoaggressivem Verhalten leidende Sekretärin Lee eines sadistischen Anwalts (James Spader) Eward. Was zunächst nach sexueller Belästigung anmutet, entwickelt sich zu einem sadomasochistischen Spiel der beiden, in dem Lee nicht nur ihre Sexualität entdeckt und ihr autoaggressives Verhalten einstellt, in dem sie sich Befriedigung durch Schläge und Erniedrigung einholt, sondern auch Edward erkennt was es bedeutet zu lieben und zu achten.

5. Darjeeling Limited (2007): Jason Schwartzmann, Owen Wilson und Adrien Brody sind als drei ungleiche Brüder auf einer skurrilen Reise mit dem Darjeeling Limited durch Indien um nach dem Tod des Vaters die Mutter wieder zu sehen. Dabei finden die Brüder nicht nur zu sich selbst, sondern auch zueinander. Lieblingslied des Soundtracks: “Where do you go to my lovely” von Peter Sarstedt.

6. Rushmore (1998): Nochmal Jason Schwartzmann und Wes Anderson. Der 15-jähirge exzentrische Max Fischer (Schwartzmann) geht zwar schon in die 10. Klasse der Privatschule Rushmore, ist aber trotzdem noch unterfordert. Um seine Langeweile auszugleichen schreibt er Theaterstücke, gründet zahlreiche Clubs (Schach, Bogenschießen etc.) und frönt der Fehde mit dem Schulleiter, die Noten sind ihm dabei egal. Als er die neue Lehrerin Ms. Cross kennen lernt, glaubt er in ihr seine große Liebe zu entdecken und lässt sich allerlei Spielchen ausdenken um sie von ihm zu überzeugen -  Ein bisschen Gesellschaftskritik, Liebeswirren, sonderliche Begebenheiten und viele eitle, extravagante Charaktere.

7. I Heart Huckabees (2004): Obskurer Selbstfindungstripp des mit sich und der Welt unzufriedenen Umweltkativisten und Philosoph (“You rock, rock”) Albert (Jason Schwartzmann), der sein Seelenheil in einer nicht weniger obskuren Dedektei findet, die wiederum Albert bei seinem Selbstfindungstripp mit noch obskureren Methoden und Rumkramen in seiner Vergangenheit hilft, während der sich mit dem Feuerwehrmann Tommy (Mark Wahlberg) gegen die Dedektei verbündet um sich später gegenseitig Bälle an den Kopf zu werfen, um des puren Daseins Willen. In Nebenrollen Dustin Hoffmann, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law und Naomi Watts.

“I tried my hardest. I don’t know what else to do.” – Francis

Released in 2007 and directed by Wes Anderson, The Darjeeling Limited tells the story of three brothers who, not having spoken to each other for a year, take a ride on the Darjeeling Limited to embark on a ’spiritual journey’ to India to renew their almost forgotten relationship. Things take a surprising turn when Francis, Peter, and Jack are kicked out of the train, finding themselves later in a small Hindi village.

In The Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson used slow motion sequences in the film, as well as panning and frame distortion. The slow motion sequences add comedic payoff, more so because these sequences are coupled with fitting background music. The panning shots create the handheld-camera effect. (It reminds me, in fact, of Y Tu Mama Tambien’s cinematography.)

Francis, played by Owen Wilson, organizes the trip and offers a proposal to brothers Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman):

A. “I want us to become brothers again like we used to be, and for us to find ourselves and bond with each other.”
B. “I want us to make this trip a spiritual journey where each of us seeks the unknown, and we learn about it.”

C. “I want us to be completely open and say yes to everything, even if it’s shocking or painful.”

How empowering, I would say. Yet, almost immediately after the proposal, viewers see exactly what kind of relationship these brothers have. In one of the scenes, Jack tells Francis about Peter’s son (which Peter confided in Jack earlier and told Jack not to mention anything to Francis). “Why doesn’t he want me to know?” Francis asks. “Because we don’t trust each other,” is Jack’s blunt reply. Indeed, the brothers lack the trust they needed to bond with each other. They hide things about themselves, yet spill one brother’s secret to another.

It can be noted that while Francis initially asked his brothers to be open to everything, he confesses later in the film that the reason why he didn’t tell his brothers about his plan concerning their mother is “because [he's] trying to protect [them] from all the painful emotions this is probably gonna stir up.”

Francis tries a little too hard to organize this spiritual quest – the itinerary for the trip, the ritual of the peacock feather, and even bringing along his assistant Brendan. The brothers soon realize that one cannot force a spiritual journey. Spiritual journeys are not measured by distance traveled, temples visited, and rituals undergone. They must first learn to look within themselves, and accept the things that were, the things that are, and the things that will be.

Interestingly, while it was a funeral that led to the brothers’ separation, it was also a funeral that brought them closer to one another. Personal issues were resolved in the end, and the brothers learned to trust each other. Earlier in the movie, Francis decided to keep Peter’s and Jack’s passports so none of them would leave. In the last fifteen minutes of the film, Francis returned their passports, only to be shocked by his brothers’ remarks: “Why don’t you hang on to mine?” (Jack); “It’s safer if you keep them.” (Peter).

The movie achieved equilibrium when it ended the same way it began – a slow motion sequence of a train chase. The movie started with a cameo appearance of Bill Murray as a businessman catching The Darjeeling Limited, but was outrun by Peter. The end of the movie showed the three brothers catching a train, only this time they dumped their suitcases on the tarmac before boarding – symbolic, perhaps, of their letting go of personal and familial issues.

The Darjeeling Limited is my first Wes Anderson movie, and I enjoyed this movie very much. Although not exactly a laugh-out-loud comedy, The Darjeeling Limited is witty, brimming with punch lines, and definitely a must-see.

—Timmy

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I hope you enjoy Timmy’s  Film review. Tomorrow, Leigh continues with her Make-Over Thursdays. See you.

Last night I went to a restaurant in Providence called India, which was beautiful and luxurious, and didn’t really remind me a lot of the country. That’s only because I don’t really know what to think of the actual place, India, because of what I’ve seen from movies. In the past year I’ve seen 2 movies that give completely contradictory impressions of India, and I hope that I can someday go there and find out for myself what it’s like. But in the meantime I’ll try to reconcile the two views by way of finding a median.

Jason Schwartzmann, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody in The Darjeeling Limited.

The first movie is Darjeeling Limited, which I loved. As a die-hard Wes Anderson (the director) fan, I knew going into the theater that I was going to have a great time. Anderson’s movies are fantastical and he seems to view everything through the lens of a story-teller. His scenes are like drawings from a children’s book, with bright colors and patterns dominating the sets. Everything is filmed very simply, with straight-on shots and continuous scenes contributing to the sense that one may be reading a picture book instead of watching a movie. Darjeeling was beautiful because of the use of colors within scenes, but didn’t really give me an accurate idea of the place it explored. In the movie, India is a magical place where all the women wear jewel tones, all the children are friendly and innocent, and the country can be explored from the safety of a train car without actual exposure to the people. But Darjeeling, although it’s meant to do so, overly-romanticizes the place. I feel a connection for the characters, but not for the land.

The children from Slumdog Millionaire.

Conversely, Slumdog Millionaire, the famed Oscar winner, paints a much darker picture. The majority of Indian people live in the slums, with shacks for homes and dirt floors. Most of the characters are devastatingly poor or disadvantaged, and the only people who have risen above the poverty level are drug dealers. Children in this movie are drug mules, prostitutes, and their lives are nothing like a children’s book. Slumdog is beautiful but sad, and although the movie managed to garner a little bit of attention to the slums of India, the people living within them are still existing in a realm of squalor and oppression.

So the restaurant India didn’t really help me in my hopes to discern what the real India is like. The restaurant is very pretty inside, with silk archways and long cotton curtains separating the tables; Bollywood movies play on a large television next to the bar and belly dancers float around the aisles. It’s an India that doesn’t really exist except in the minds of Americans. There were two girls giving free henna tattoos, and I got one on my palm of a peacock. But even they didn’t really know anything about India. “Before Indian women get married, they get henna drawn on their hands, right?” They shook their heads and said they didn’t know.

The henna drawing I got last night.

I’m not sure how realistic the idea of taking a train across India is (as in Darjeeling), but maybe I’ll be able to experience it for myself someday. For now, I guess I can only appreciate what I know of India from movies, television, and of course, delicious Indian food.

Robin

Matt Zoller Seitz pits Wes Anderson vs. Hal Ashby in the third part of his Moving Image documentary, coming to a startling conclusion:

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Anderson’s selective adoration. But when you look at the totality of what Ashby accomplished—the social and political dimensions that all his films explored, the blunt honesty of their expression—Anderson’s work can’t help but come up short, just as the work of Anderson’s imitators is overshadowed by the genuine article.

Tell Matt Seitz he just made my list of things to do today. In all seriousness, I guess I can see Seitz’s point, but you can only conclude “Anderson’s work can’t help but come up short” when you demand of Anderson’s work the things it is quite pointedly refusing to do.

Part 2 of Matt Zoller Seitz’s five-part Wes Anderson documentary is now up. The focus this time is on Scorsese, Lester, and Nichols.

If you missed the video for the first one, it should be said that the video (and not the text) is the whole link. The link to the video is practically invisible; scroll down and keep your eye on the right side of the page.

The House Next Door and Moving Image are running a five-part series on Wes Anderson, “the most influential American filmmaker of the post-Baby Boom generation.” (Tarantino who?) Here’s Part 1.

When I interviewed Anderson for a 1998 Star-Ledger article about A Charlie Brown Christmas, directed by the late animator Bill Melendez, Anderson cited Melendez as one of three major influences on his work, so we’ll start there. Anderson told me that he and his screenwriting collaborator, Owen Wilson, conceived Rushmore hero Max Fischer as Charlie Brown plus Snoopy. He said that Miss Cross, the teacher Max adores and will draw into a weirdly Freudian love triangle with the industrialist Mr. Blume, is a combination of Charlie Brown’s teacher and his unattainable love object, the little red-haired girl. Anderson and Wilson even made Max a working-class barber’s son, just like Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, and gave Seymour Cassel, the actor playing Bert Fischer, glasses similar to Schulz’s.

But Schulz’s impact manifests itself in deeper, more persistent ways—particularly in Anderson’s characters who, regardless of age, seem, like Schulz’s preternaturally eloquent kids, to be frozen in a dream space between childhood and maturity. Think of how Rushmore’s Blume pauses during a phone conversation to run across a basketball court and slap down a student’s would-be layup; the now-adult children in The Royal Tenenbaums navigating adult emotional minefields within the confines of a childhood home crammed with toys, grade-school art, and nostalgic knickknacks; Steve Zissou in The Life Aquatic transforming a submarine into a gigantic clubhouse and rec center; and the brothers of The Darjeeling Limited turning a supposed spiritual voyage through India into a more affluent, adult cousin of a summer camp stint.

The arrested adolescence thing is right on the money—we’ve talked about this before—but the Peanuts thing is strange. What a weirdly intriguing misreading of one’s own film…

A new edition of Wes Anderson’s 1st film has been released.  For people who appreciate the graphic quality of a DVD cover, this one should please you.  Cover art by Ian Dingman.  Read the full article on the new edition here.

Speaking of Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, have you seen The Darjeeling Limited?

It’s one of my most recent favorites.  Good story about sibling/family relationships; great soundtrack; overall wonderful viewing experience.  Plus, three talented actors (though I would never have pictured them together before): Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody & Jason Schwartzman.  Not to mention smaller roles by Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray & Natalie Portman.  Be sure to take a look if you haven’t already.

[[And for anyone already obsessed with Darjeeling Limited, you can buy the signature luggage online.]]

‘Cause he *totally* needs my support to gain any sort of traction, y’all — jay-kay-ell-oh-ell! :-O

Call him overly formal, call him precious, (and I’ll disagree) but ain’t no competish for the man’s composish. To wit:

Alright so just as I reached the end of my Adam Sandler rope (which was a long long rope for me), I picked up the Seth Rogan rope and started to run with that.  It was sort of like a cross roads in my life Sandler took me so far and now Rogan was picking up the slack.  These guys have written and acted in some of my favorite comedies; and they both have a solid troupe of performers who they kind of bring along for the ride. Now comes this movie, and I have to say it seems pretty refreshing.  It kinda has that whole adult coming of age thing going on which could definitely suck, but I have faith in producer Judd Apatow.  Not only that but I was also kinda feeling the whole I Heart Huckabee / Darjeeling Limited vibe it had going on.  I think the funny parts will be set out from the rest of the movie and I think it will work for Sandler; who has been drowning in horse shit cinema lately. What do you think?