It’s here. It’s here.

I got my 50mm f1.8 in today. Talking about a speedy delivery.
So I am super stoked about it. As soon as I got it I played with the lens, of course. It’s tricky focusing the lens when you’re not used to not having to use both hands. Not only that, I had to keep backing up til it focused. I’m not used to that either. This is good though. Now I don’t have to be super close to try to get some “bokeh” or depth in my photos. If that makes since…being close to get depth.

Anyways.
I couldn’t take the lens out for a test run today. This is lame…I know. I know. The weather is beyond crappy. It’s super gloomy, there is no sun anywhere and it’s raining cold cloud spit today. I’m sick and possibly have the flu so I’m not even tempting it. I’d have to get dressed, bundled up and walk all the way to town and that’s not happening..not today. Instead, I just took a couple of shots around the house.

Here is my favorite.

© Chasiti Moore

Every time I talk about top 10 lists,  I always start with the  disclaimer that I know  how pointless they are.

And then I ask myself:  OK, if they are  so pointless, why do I have so much fun reading them and doing  them and sharing them?

No good answer, In fact, making lists is far from the only pointless thing I do.

Today, I am adding some new films and slightly changing the order.   It is not a 10 best list.  It is a list of my ten favorites. A  list of 10 best films  would be beyond nervy given how many films have a legitimate claim to inclusion.

But it seems perfectly fair to make a list of ten favorites since they are, in fact,  only my favorites.

My favorites have stayed the same for over a year.  But for the last few months I have been mulling over “No Country for Old Men”  and “The Lives of Others.” (Now I can really hear you saying: This guy need a life! Who has time to mull anything over?)

Seriously, I want to make some changes to my list.  But according to ground rules that some friends of mine and I set up many years ago in a UCLA dorm room, I have to remove one film for each one I add.  I posted my last 10 favorite about a year ago. Here is my new one along with a list of contenders.

Comments welcome. Lists welcome. Ridicule welcome.

My Ten Favorite Films as of November 15, 2009

1. Dekalog

2. Godfather 1/Godfather 2

3.  Salesman

4. The Lives of Others

5. Amarcord

6.  Goodfellas

7  No Country for Old Men

8  Fargo

9. Rear Window

10 Night and Fog

__________________________________

Other Contenders (not in order)

Midnight Cowboy

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Au Revoir les Enfants

Shop on Main Street  (1965)

It’s a Wonderful Life

Jeux interdits

Come and See

Smile

Atlantic City

Three Kings

Das Boot

The General

Paris, Texas

Shoah

Invaders from Mars

Strangers on a Train

The Graduate

The French Connection

Double Indemnity

Les Enfants du Paradis

Les Diaboliques

Psycho

Le Salaire de la peur

Sunset Boulevard

The Exiles

The Last Laugh

Hotel Terminus

Happiness

The Third Man

M

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Brilliant. Time to talk about our Ten lists once more, so settle in for the long haul and try and keep up. Much discussion ensues as Sam tries to extol the virtues of Ingmar Bergman, praise the magical realism of Billy Liar and attempt to make sense of All About Lily Chou-Chou. John continues the theme, causing slight, though understandable, consternation with his uncensored views on Raging Bull and confessions of multiple tears during Schindler’s List. Tom rounds the night off in business-like fashion with praise for The 400 Blows, controversial dislike for the second half of Stalker and man-crushed love for Le Samourai.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 40.5

Remember to email us, sugarplums!

I decided to take a break from the sequel theme and focus on another “type” of sequel: the Director’s Cut.  It’s not uncommon for a landmark film to be re-released in a “better” version that meets the director’s vision.  Often these new cuts feature unseen footage and clearer, crisper sound and picture quality.  Sometimes the director’s cut is better than the original, sometimes it’s worse and sometimes it doesn’t make a difference at all.

I decided to watch a few director’s cuts and their original versions and review them in shorter, mini-reviews.

Apocalypse Now (1979) / Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)

Original: 153 min. / Cut: 202 min.

The original version of “Apocalypse Now” is perhaps one of the greatest masterpieces of the psychological impacts and horrors of war.  Director Francis Ford Coppola (director of “The Godfather” films) took major risks and endured more than most filmmakers would during the production.  He faced everything from budget problems, a civil war in the filming country, his main star having a heart attack and his other main star being disruptive and uncooperative.  The film was the biggest challenge of Coppola’s career but in the end, it paid off.

“Apocalypse Now” is based on Joseph Conrad’s novel “Heart of Darkness” and takes place during the Vietnam War.  The movie stars Martin Sheen as Captain Benjamin Willard who is sent on a mission deep into the jungles of Cambodia in search of a Colonel who went rogue in a remote village.  Willard’s mission:  to “terminate” the Colonel…“terminate with extreme prejudice.”  The movie is a journey into the deep depths of the chaos of war and slowly the Captain and his crew reach the remote village, but the losses along the way are extreme.

The movie is entertaining as a war film but it takes a deeper, more symbolic stance on war.  Willard not only travels into the depths of the jungle but he also has a personal journey into the depths of the darkness of his heart.  It is a masterpiece with many memorable sequences, including one where an airborne infantry attacks a Viet Cong settlement to the tune of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” The cinematography is eerily realistic and impacting.  The editing, sound, costumes are all believable.  The acting is flawless.

The original was released in 1979 and received two Academy Awards for cinematography and for sound.  It also received a total of eight nominations, including Best Picture.  “Apocalypse” is, in my view, one of the great filmmaking achievements of all time.  It never misses a beat and that’s why when director Francis Ford Coppola released a new cut of the film in 2001, entitled “Apocalypse Now Redux,” I was adamant about watching it.

The updated version features over 45 minutes of additional scenes that were left out of the original.  A few of these scenes do add to the film but the majority of the scenes, including a 20 minute sequence with a French plantation, are not necessary and do not add to the greatness of the film.  However, the newly cleaned up footage even more stunning than before.  “Redux” is by no means a bad movie, in fact it’s just as mesmerizing as the original, but some of the new footage may feel a bit drawn out and when you’re dealing with a three and a half hour movie, longer isn’t always better.

THE GRADES:

Apocalypse Now: A+

Apocalypse Now Redux: A-

Das Boot (1982) / Das Boot: The Director’s Cut (1997)

Original: 149 min. / Cut: 209 min.

In 1982, director Wolfgang Peterson released a motion picture that revolutionized the way war films are made.  His stunning and claustrophobic film “Das Boot” is a brilliant war film that focuses on the mission of a German U-boat crew during World War II.  Almost the entire duration of the movie is filmed in a tiny, closed off submarine, giving the viewer a real sense of closed-in paranoia that the crews of these ships felt.  Also, the fact that it’s filmed entirely in German with English subtitles makes it so authentic that I often forgot I was watching a movie…it’s that good.  The original 1981 film received six Academy Award nominations and rave reviews from the critics.

The film opens as a crew of German sailors prepares to depart on a dangerous voyage in the Atlantic Ocean between England and the mainland of Europe.  Many sequences of the film are completely silent as the crew nervously sits in deafening silence in order to avoid being heard on the sonar of the Allied ships.  The footage of battle sequences is intensely powerful and makes the heart race.  The acting is extremely convincing and with a shocking ending that the audience didn’t see coming, “Das Boot” is a great filmmaking achievement.

The original version of the film was two hours and 30 minutes long, but in 1997, Peterson released a three and a half hour version of the film that included more than an hour of unseen footage.  This is one of the rare instances where the Director’s Cut is actually better than the original.  The 1981 version is great (and extremely rare to find without being accompanied with the 1997 version in a two-disk DVD set) but it lacks much of the drawn out suspenseful sequences that the 1997 version has.  The new version  used the footage that benefited the storyline and left out even more footage that Peterson saw as detrimental to the final version of the film.  I suggest the newly restored 1997 version of the film over the 1981 version but either way, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.  The ONLY challenge: reading subtitles for over three hours.  However, it sounds harder than it is.  The German language really creates a genuine atmosphere and the film benefits from it.

THE GRADES:

1981 Version: A

1997 Version: A+

Dances with Wolves (1990) / The Director’s Cut (2004)

Original: 181 min. / Cut: 236 min.

One of my earliest memories of films was going to see “Dances with Wolves” with my parents and sister in our living room.  The film had been out on “VHS” for many years but my parents thought I was old enough to handle the mature themes and that I would enjoy it.  They were right.  After I saw Kevin Costner’s film (of which he starred, directed and produced), I wanted to be a renegade Union soldier traveling through the Great Plains.  Needless to say, this “dream” did not come true, but the movie had a lasting impact on me.  I may have seen “Dances with Wolves” over ten times in the course of my life.

“Dances” is the story of a Union soldier during the Civil War, named John Dunbar, who abandons his post and travels westward in search of something else.  Along the way, he meets up with a Native American tribe and slowly becomes a welcomed member of that tribe.  He falls in love with a white woman who was found by the Sioux tribe.  The movie deals eloquently with the conflict between white settlers and Native American tribes and the consequences that came from those events.  It is also a personal story of one man’s self-discovery.  Costner’s film features a memorable and stunningly powerful buffalo hunt sequence that cannot be missed.  The 1990 version went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director for Costner.  It was a landmark motion picture in modern epic filmmaking.

Then, in 2004, Costner decided to release a definitive and complete version of the film with over an hour of added footage.  The original movie was about three hours long, which means that the new version was about…four hours long.  Epic films are notorious for being long and often drawn out, but this is not always a bad thing. However, I’ve always felt the original “Dances” was complete and long enough.  The added material is good but not great.  It sometimes feels drawn out and makes it seem like there’s a forced effort to make the picture longer.  It’s not a terrible Director’s Cut but the original is significantly better.

THE GRADES:

1990 Version: A

2004 Version: B+

FOR MORE INFORMATION, click on the links below:

Apocalypse Now

Das Boot

Dances with Wolves

by Andrew Bowcock

Before entering the theater to see Kanikôsen I had absolutely no idea what to expect.  It was one of those rare film experiences where I got free tickets to see something I was completely unfamiliar with in order to get a completely fresh and unbiased taste in my mouth (like eating a new mysterious food or visiting an uncharted location).  All that I knew was that the title was Japanese for crab boat, or something of the sort – not knowing whether the terminology was meant to be ironic, arbitrary, or literal (turns out it was the latter).  The lady who introduced the film, artistic director of AFI Fest 2009, Rose Kuo, made it known that the film is based on a manga from the 1950’s (which apparently was adapted from a novel from the the 1920’s by Takiji Kobayashi) and spoke of its great acclaim at other festivals, using the term “crazy” to describe it, which made me believe I was in for an exciting ride.

The opening sequence had me hooked.  We start with an extreme close-up of a man’s eyes peeking up through a hatch, surveying the area of what we deduce is a boat.  Soon the hatch is pushed up all the way and we see a slew of crabs fall from the sky in slow motion – an intense, unnerving, but captivating image.  This sets the stage for the rest of the story, which revolves around the slave crew of this crab boat during wartime – it’s not specified what war, but it’s made apparent that the enemies are the Russians.  The crew of this boat has been toiling for long hours catching crab and using machines to can them to sell in Japan while being subjected to constant abuse by the men who run the ship (essentially a sweatshop on a fishing boat).  We are introduced to many characters at once, and are shown the way the men neurotically and superstitiously deal with their lives on the boat by means of escapism.  More specifically, the men speak of dying being a better route than staying on the boat, and at one ironically comedic point the men try to commit mass suicide by hanging themselves, but the way the boat rocked the boxes back and forth from under their feet made the feat impossible.

There is some interesting dialogue between some members of the crew about how they expect to be reincarnated as members of richer families upon their death, and how some hope to be siblings with each other (the men are convinced that whatever they imagine in their last moments, they will be reincarnated as).  By way of some conversations we are treated to some over-exposed dreamlike sequences of the men in bright clothes on a sunny day playing ball with one another, representing where they hope to be in the next life.  In addition to these dream sequences we also see a few sequences near the beginning of the poor living conditions of some of the sailors, and why they feel the need to be on this boat and suffer for the good of their families.  As the journey continues at sea and the men grow weary, they reach a point where the only way to deal with their oppression is to violently rise up against their oppressors and make threats and demands for fair treatment.  The escapade eventually results in a bloody backlash, and many are brought to their untimely death.

Without even being familiar with the source material, I can already tell that this movie is communicating the source’s message accurately.  It’s very obviously associated with an anti-capitalistic revolutionary perspective by which the oppressed must teach “the system” a lesson and rise to greatness and independence from governmental oppression.  Unfortunately this film doesn’t seem to offer anything new or very refreshing.

Although it’s not a poorly made film and is delivered with possible conviction, there seems to be little inspiration.  Despite the handful of flashback or “dream” sequences, we don’t get to know any of the characters very well, and are thus subjected to an agenda film that delivers only the punches that one would expect from your average war drama.  Visually, the look of the majority of the film is desaturated and drab (and rightly so for the mood), but it is done in such an uninteresting manner (save for the opening sequence) that it’s hard to get enthusiastic about the cinematography.  In the end, the major downfall of the film is the expansive amount of characters given almost equal screen time, and still not enough to get to know them any better than “that one sailor who…” I was silently begging to learn something interesting about the characters set before me, but to no avail.

I was a bit wishy-washy with my overall feelings when I felt when I left the theater.  Yes, the film had a message and got it across…but that’s all it did.  Retrospectively (save for the beginning and a couple other sequences) this film didn’t touch, compel, interest, or even at the very least challenge me.  As Mr. Groves and I discussed the film further after leaving, I realized that the reason for this was that Kanikôsen was borrowing from better films and then constructing a fairly generic model; I thought back to movies like Battleship Potemkin, Das Boot, and Spartacus, which this film emulated aspects of, but didn’t deliver half as well as any of those other films did (I’m not sure if another Odessa steps homage would have helped it or hurt it).

In the end this film is passable, but only if the subject matter interests you and you’ve seen the other (better) aforementioned films.

___________________________________________________________________________

photo sources:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_E9YcWkAQSfQ/So5Z3Q55EnI/AAAAAAAAJJo/JgcY2eSQD18/s400/kanikosen.jpg
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
https://auteursnotebook.s3.amazonaws.com/daily/nyffkanikosen718.jpg

other resources:

http://www.imdb.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/

I call myself a pacifist.  I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a time when killing swaths of your fellow humans could be justified.  I can’t think of a war that 1) couldn’t have been avoided if the right people were in charge, 2) didn’t go terribly wrong in terms of casualties, civilian and military and 3) bring out the worst in human behaviour.  But I have a dark, dirty secret (that isn’t so secret to those who know me well)…I LOVE war movies.  I don’t just mean the anti-war classics like All Quiet On the Western Front and Paths Of Glory.  I mean good old-fashioned jingoistic flag-wavers with John Wayne and Van Johnson.  I mean modern classics like Saving Private Ryan and Platoon.  I know this seems like a disparity and I suppose it is, in a way.  But in war movies, I often see men (and women) rising to humanitarian heights, overcoming physical limitations and demonstrating partisanship and cooperation, bringing out the man’s best in the worst of circumstances.  This week is Remembrance Day here in Canada and in Britain and Veteran’s Day in the United States and at this time, I always feel led to watch a few of my favourites as well finding one or two I may have overlooked.  As I grow older however, I become more aware of my mortality and more appreciative of the sacrifices made  by others who chose to go into harm’s way for the ideal of freedom and this year in particular, I have been thinking of people I have known who were connected to war in some way and of course, the movies their situation brings to mind.

Although my dad was a couple of months shy of active service in World War 2 (he joined up on his 18th birthday but all he saw was basic training outside Toronto and weekend furloughs in Toronto), I have several uncles who saw a great deal of action.  My uncle Mike was shot down behind German lines early in the war and sat through the war in a POW camp.  As a child, when he and my aunt Kaye would come over for a swim and he would take off his shirt, I would marvel at the foot long scar rippling across his left shoulder from stray bullets during his capture.  The Canadian military was ultimately very generous, providing him with a pension and a cushy job chauffeuring military types around Southern Ontario until his retirement but that would be a small price for the indignities he must have suffered and horrific sights he must have been privy to in those years in the German camp, as in the quintessential POW movie, The Great Escape.  Although this rollicking and exciting adventure strays sometimes from the source material, the book by Paul Brickhill that outlines his own experiences as a prisoner at the infamous Stalag Luft II, the truly amazing thing is that the most unbelievable parts in the film are those that actually happened with Steve McQueen’s unpredictable behaviour and demands accounting for the bulk of the changes from the book.  Another great movie (and book) from this same event is the British classic, The Wooden Horse, the true-life story of how an escape tunnel was dug essentially using only a wooden gymnastic horse and the ingenuity of dozens of prisoners.

My uncle Harry was one of the 76,000 Canadian troops that participated in the invasion of Sicily and ultimately Italy and spent many long months working his way north to free Italy from the fascist grip of Mussolini.  On a recent trip to Italy, we were in Salerno, where the disembarkation of the Allied invasion of Italy took place and and as I walked on the boardwalk next to the Mediterranean, I couldn’t help but think of the thousands of young men who lost their lives where I was walking.  The invasion of Sicily brings to mind the Oscar-winning film about the man who led the great invasion, Patton.  General George Patton was an imposing, brash, egotistical man but a brilliant tactician and the ideal fodder for a movie biography.  Francis Coppola and former military man Edmund North wrote a terrific script that perfectly captured the enigma that was Patton.  George C. Scott would not give a better performance, even if he felt it necessary to turn down the Oscar that came with it and the movie would famously become Richard Nixon’s favourite.

Many years ago, I watched what was essentially another rip-off of The Dirty Dozen, The Devil’s Brigade.  An entertaining romp, this one held a place of importance  and pride to me though because it concerned a ragtag U.S. commando unit drummed into shape by Canadian Special Forces officers, led by Cliff Robertson.  For once, the Canadians were the real heroes.  It was many years later that my dad informed that not only was the Devil’s Brigade a real World War 2 unit, but the best man at my parent’s wedding, George Stocking, was a former member of the Devil’s Brigade.  I promptly rushed home and watched it again and got a copy for my dad, who had never seen the movie.

My favourite war sub-genre is the submarine movie.  The idea that a small group of men from every background works together for the greater good (and their own safety) inside a giant tube, constantly facing stress and danger is a formula that never gets old for me.  Purists will list Das Boot and Run Silent Run Deep as the classics of the genre but my favourite is a propaganda piece that may lack in realism, but more than makes up for it in heart, Destination Tokyo.  Released at the start of the Second World War to give audiences a glimpse into the heretofore unknown world of the silent service, it stars Cary Grant as the skipper of a sub that has the unenviable task of sneaking into Tokyo Bay on an espionage mission, providing us with humour, pathos, excitement, and sheer bravado in spades.  Yeah, it’s old-fashioned but it’s old-fashioned fun.

Many may feel, even with the advent of ultra-realistic movies like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, that war movies diminish the great sacrifices the men and women who have served have made but I know that during virtually every war movie I watch, I have at least a moment of reflection when I’m thankful uncles Mike and Harry and all the other uncles, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives and aunts were willing to make the decision to serve their country so that pacifists like myself can enjoy the freedom they fought for.

Brilliant. Time to talk about our Ten lists once more, so settle in for the long haul and try and keep up. Much discussion ensues as Sam tries to extol the virtues of Ingmar Bergman, praise the magical realism of Billy Liar and attempt to make sense of All About Lily Chou-Chou. John continues the theme, causing slight, though understandable, consternation with his uncensored views on Raging Bull and confessions of multiple tears during Schindler’s List. Tom rounds the night off in business-like fashion with praise for The 400 Blows, controversial dislike for the second half of Stalker and man-crushed love for Le Samourai.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 40.5

Remember to email us, sugarplums!

Ever had that vein in your forehead swell as you look, in frustration, at the hundreds of titles at your local video store? Ever been filled with mass confusion or paranoia that your hard earned bucks may be spent on yet another title starring Michael Dudikoff or Shannen Doherty? Well this little article is here to save you from that extra strain.

Over the course of this week, we will uncover twenty titles you need to seek out at your local DVD store. 

I have suggested range in all sorts of categories and will appeal to a large assortment of movie fans. The unique things about all these films is that they are limited or non theatrical releases and were probably abandoned by some studio head who didn’t believe in the project. When viewing these twenty films remember there must have been a reason to be released just to video and that they aren’t Academy Award winning films. I personally enjoyed each and every one of them on some level or another. Write me and let me know if there is a classic direct to video flick you really enjoy.

The list is laid out something like this. The title, year it was made, genre, synopsis and finally my rating. I hope to do more of these lists as I uncover some of the treasures hidden at the local videostore.

20. 61* (2001-TV) (Drama)

Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) and Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) race to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record.

This Billy Crystal directed film is one of the most delightful and pleasant surprises to come to the silver screen about the sport of baseball. You can really tell that when they made this film the people behind it loved the game of baseball.

The attention to detail and historical accuracy is very rewarding as Crystal gets two incredible performances out of the film’s stars Pepper and Jane. HBO has done it again. (4 of 5)

19. Beast, The (1988) (Action-Drama)

During the war in Afghanistan a Soviet tank crew commanded by a tyrannical officer find themselves lost and in a struggle against a band of Mujahadeen guerrillas in the mountains.

This little “tank” film is an incredible look at the struggle between the Russians and the Afghans. The performances from lead actors Steven Bauer and Jason Patric are filled with passion and frustration as the director brings you deep inside what is going on their minds. Think “Das Boot” in the desert.

Special note: This movie is really hard to find! If you find it message me! (4 of 5)

18. Chase, The (1994) (Action-Comedy)

Jack Hammond (Charlie Sheen) is sentenced to life in prison, but manages to get away from the police as he takes a girl (Kristy Swanson) hostage and drives off in her car.

The girl happens to be the only daughter of one of the richest men in the state. A chaotic chase begins which is filled with comedy, stunts and excitement.

“The Chase” reminded me a lot of those old “Smokey and the Bandit” films with a modern twist. The chemistry between Sheen and Swanson is superb, as the script and director don’t sway away from comedic elements.

The comedy is the real gem in this piece. (4 of 5)

17. Cutting Edge (1992) (Comedy)

DB Sweeney stars as Doug Dorsey, a hockey player forced to retire after an injury.

His only way back onto the ice seems to be to assist Kate (Moira Kelley), a spoiled brat figure skater who is trying to fulfill her dream of winning Olympic gold.

If Doug plays his cards right he might just get the gold medal that eluded him in hockey.

“Cutting Edge” is quirky, hilarious and is a pure delight. The film proves when you have two leads that have magical chemistry then you have one hell of a movie. (3.5 of 5)

16 . Dark City (1998) (Sci-Fi)

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his memory and is wanted for a series of bizarre murders.

While trying to piece together his past, he stumbles upon a seedy conspiracy controlled by a group of beings that possess the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city. Now Murdoch must find a way to stop them before they take control of his mind and destroy the very world he knows.

“Dark City” is one of those unique science-fiction films that are so very original you really have no idea what you are getting yourself into. It blends the power of “film noir” with conspiracy-oriented science fiction.

It is almost Kafka-like and really a sight to behold. Also “Dark City” director Alex Proyas (Crow) is one of those gifted visionaries that a lot of people don’t know about. Proyas could be the next Tim Burton if Hollywood would give him a chance. Can’t wait to see what he will do next.

If you can seek out the Blu-Ray version of this film, especially the director’s cut which gives more details on this captivating film.  (4 out of 5)

Irgendwie habe ich gerade Lust, Ideen aufzuschreiben, einfach so – natürlich nur welche, die ich nicht selbst verwirklichen könnte, sonst würde ich die eher für mich behalten.
Nicht nur, weil ich in München durch die originale Röhre gelaufen bin, bin ich ein Fan des Films “Das Boot” – sicherlich einer der besten Filme, die auf deutschem Boden gedreht wurden, ein Film der alles hat.
Meine Idee ist jetzt eine Theaterhalle, wahrscheinlich am besten in eine alte Werkshalle eingebaut, in der man “Das Boot” als Theaterstück aufführt. Zwei Tribünen schmiegen sich an eine Röhre, die natürlich nur fragmental da sein darf. In der Röhre spielt fast das gesamte Stück – nur die Feier am Anfang und der Besuch in der deutschen Botschaft, der hier etwa in der Mitte sein sollte, spielen außerhalb, und zwar dann, wenn das Publikum vor dem Stück oder in der Pause im Foyer ist. Dort gibt es eine weitere Bühne, gerne auch quasi mitten im Publikum, wo diese Szenen spielen.
Über der Röhre, die natürlich auch ein Dach hat, auf das die Schauspieler gehen können, wenn das Boot aufgetaucht ist, gibt es eine riesige Leinwand, auf der Sachen gezeigt werden können, wie Schiffe, die man angreift, oder das, was man aus dem Sehrohr sieht – hier könnte man auf einige Minuten CGI zurückgreifen, wäre vermutlich recht spannend. Könnte man gar mit Wettereffekten arbeiten? – nun, das Publikum würde auch nass, aber reizvoll wäre es.
Und man dürfte natürlich nicht die Musik vergessen – bei allem Spaß, ohne die Doldinger-Musik wäre eine solche Verarbeitung des Bootes nur zwei Drittel so schön. Die Musik, neu abgemischt oder aufgenommen, sollte aus sehr vielen Lautsprechern die im Publikum verteilt sind, kommen, ein heftiges akustisches Erlebnis.
Naja, ein Theatererlebnis der besonderen Art wäre damit sicherlich zu erreichen. Allerdings wäre die Investition schon mächtig, so mächtig, dass sie heute wahrscheinlich niemand mehr für eine Bühnenshow machen will. Das funktioniert ja auch nicht mit Perfektion, wie es die Musicals schaffen, hier müssten sich jeden Abend Schauspieler die Seele aus dem Leib spielen, körperlich und seelisch anstrengende Vorstellungen über die Röhre bringen. Aber mal ehrlich, ich würde das verdammt gerne sehen …

So its been a few days, as many of you know Saturday was my birthday.  I had a surprisingly great weekend. I say surprisingly because my weekends recently haven’t been too wonderful.  I just had a great weekend filled with great friends awesome family and fun food/drink.

Friday-  I started my day like most Fridays working at Caffeines Cafe.  I was stressed thinking about the next destination, my next place of work.  This is a place where I get little respect and my ideas are shot down like ducks in hunting season.  I am stressed because of the fact that not only do i have to go in, but the Wednesday before I had just given my Two weeks notice.  The chef in this place doesn’t take things a lightly and usually expresses his anger loudly.  So of course I was scared to work and get yelled at, again.  Much to my surprise he greeted me with a smile, then kindly said, “If you want to grab your knives, I think we will be alright without you.”  So as I left the building knives in tote I apologized for the inconvenience and walked out.  As soon as I left I felt enormous stress off my back and I smiled.  By the way last week I got offered a job to work closer to home for better pay and i’m sure I will be treated with respect.  The new place is called Matthew’s.

I went to my parents house with my beautiful girlfriend, we had sushi for dinner. Then we went to my cousins girlfriends house for his birthday party and my parents anniversary.  We sat around a fire drank, joked and had an all-around great time.

Saturday-  Recovering from a hangover on your birthday isn’t always easy (okay for me it is). we had a slow start and ended up going out for burgers and beers (told you it’s easy).  I wanted to have a light evening, I knew what was coming on Sunday.  It was great to sit at home on a cool evening with my girlfriend, having pizza, beers, and a nice movie.  Oh yeah I cant forget our awesome hot chocolate with Irish cream and Godiva caramel milk chocolate.  Such a great end to a relaxing day.  This was strange though, it isn’t very often I get a Saturday night off.

Sunday-  This was the icing on the cake for a great weekend,  my friends and family all met up for dinner at an awesome restaurant for so much fun.  We went to the East Side restaurant.  The only disappointing part was our waitress was a bit rude the whole time.  Other than that it was such a great feeling to see all these people coming out to see me for my birthday and drink some big beers.  Over 24 of my friends and family decided to show up.  The sausage was great, the cole slaw and cabbage was incredible, everything was just excellent.  I do want you to know the beers are very large and I would love to go again.  I got a boot and of course with the boot come the loud dining room cheer of “DAS BOOT!!!”  It is so much fun to cheer with the Beirmeister when he would chant, “Ticki tocky, ticki tocky, HOY! HOY! HOY!”  I do remember all of my meal and of course all four of my Big boot beers.  I want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated with me.  Thank you all for your kindness and love to all of you.

Thanks for a great birthday and thanks for reading.  I’ll write again soon, I have a fun dinner in the very near future planned. Ill also try to get some of the pictures from my weekend.

Keep cooking,

I hope to hear some questions in the future

I was speaking tonight with “Baby Mama” while giving her temples a massage, and we talked about what it will be like when we’ve finally made it past the delivery and we’re in that quiet moment with just us and the baby, and what would be going through our minds? All of the waiting, the anticipation, the caffeine-free beverages, avoiding chocolate, the round ligament pain, the lower back massages, the free time, the galaxy of vitamins and nutritional beverages, the free time, stomach cramps, evening sickness and oh yeah, the free time.

Now I’ll admit, I’m a worrier by nature. One of my biggest fears is that I’ll pass this down to the next Conway, but that’s a whole other issue. So anyways, back to the story.

I’m usually pretty good at putting thoughts into words, but tonight for some reason I guess, reality and logic escaped me at the same time. As I pondered how I would be feeling, I hearkened back to the day when we got our dog Molly. All of the preparation and excitement came to a crashing halt the moment the breeder removed her from the kennel in her back seat and we saw her for the first time. Suddenly she wasn’t just a picture and a description. She was a real live puppy that we were now responsible for –and we certainly weren’t going to drive the 4 or so hours back to Dallas without the little lady. The point of this is that the gravity of it all made it difficult for me to fully appreciate the joy of the moment.

As I began to express this to “Baby Mama,” it all became clear: I had thought of the perfect analogy to express my concern over how I might be feeling when it’s just us and the baby. So here goes…

Me: “Remember the scene in Beerfest when they’re doing the challenge at the end of the movie, and they have drink beer from Das Boot?”

Baby Mama: “Yes…?”

Me: “Well it’s like that. What will I do when ‘the bubble’ comes? Will I be able to drink all the beer or will I end up getting splashed in the face?” …guys, you know what I mean.

Baby Mama: “Of course you would compare our moment with the baby to a reference from Beerfest.”

And who wouldn’t? I think it’s a valid question. I suppose practical wisdom dictates that you simply don’t know until it happens to you and it’s all completely a reality. Thoughts?

Filmskaparen Wolfgang Petersen, möjligen mest känd för Das Boot, planerar en spelfilmsversion av en av de internationellt mest uppmärksammade animé – Satoshi Kon’s briljanta mästerverk Paprika (2006). Animésuccén Paprika, baserad på en roman av Yasutaka Tsutsui, blev manga av Reiji Haigiwara publicerad 2003. Men senare gjorde Eri Sakai en ny manga baserad på filmen.

Paprika

Tyvärr verkar det dock inte som att Satoshi Kon har något nytt projekt på gång. Förövrigt kan nämnas att Yasutaka Tsutsuis roman kom ut i en engelsk översättning tidigare i år. 

FilmMedia-Filmblogg – Källa moviehole.net

The hubs frequents a local watering hole called Flannigans.  He and his buddies are regulars; they sit at the same table, they drink from handmade mugs with their names on them and can communicate with their fantastic waitress Amanda without moving their lips.  Regulars, alright.

Last week the hubs tried to convince me to go with him to his favorite little bar.  I like going with him because the food is super good and they usually have BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout on tap which ends up making my meal even better.  But I didn’t.  I can’t remember what I did instead.  Anywho, last week during Pint Night (a microbrew is usually introduced and is served in a souvenir glass) Flannigans celebrated Oktoberfest.  I’m still a little confused why because they’re an Irish pub, but who wouldn’t want to celebrate the marriage of a Bavarian king 200 years ago?

The staff was dressed in Bavarian attire (the hubs said Amanda looked more like the St. Paulie Girl than a German bier wench), and Warsteiner was the beer of choice for Pint Night.  The souvenir glass?  A boot.  The hubs was excited, he was going to have his very own boot glass.

We affectionately refer to it as “Das Boot.”

I do not believe any more Warsteiner will be in Das Boot.  If I know the hubs, it will probably be a domestic.  A litre of American beer – blasphemy?  Maybe, but who cares.  Das Boot now proudly sits on our little wine bar for the world to see [mostly because it doesn't fit in my kitchen cabinets].

es scheint alles präpariert zu sein: Das Boot ist geschrubbt, die Technik installiert, Falcon von der „DaftPunkFamily“ und Thorleif (Flashbox München) sind eingetroffen, die Lieblingstag Dj`s und Crew sind bereit auszulaufen. Mit „BoardingPass“ geht es am Samstag raus auf See Richtung Sonnenuntergang!

Das Love Boat ist zurück!

Das „LoveBoat“ ist zurück in Berlin und liegt nach einer langen Reise in Berliner Gewässern!

Der Kapitän samt Crew und die gesamte „Lieblingstagfamilie“ freuen sich mit dem „LoveBoat“ abzulegen.

Samstag den 22. August

Love Boat Berlin - mit Boardingpass ins Vergnügen

Treffpunkt:
15.00
Check In im Parkcafe
(Fehrbelliner Platz

16:15
Bitte denkt dran, dass der letzte Shuttle zum „LoveBoat“ um 16:15 fährt!

17:00
Der Kapitän legt mit unserem Mississippi Dampfer auf dem „LoveBoat“ ab.
Greenwichpromenade, Tegel
Nach Berlins BootsParty geht’s mit dem Shuttle ins PURO!
Während wir noch unterwegs sind, öffnet das PURO ab 22:00 seine Türen!

5 timmar senare och man har tittat sig igenom Das Boot samt bevittnat ännu ett världsrekord från Bolt på 100 meter. 9.58 är ju helt sjuuukt! Snacka om att ha bråttom att komma i mål. Är det så jävla tråkigt att springa?

Imponerande i vilket fall som helst.

Das Boot var ju även den imponerande. Trodde aldrig jag skulle klara mig igenom en så lång film med en sån lätthet. Rekord bara det. Kändes verkligen inte som 4 timmar och 42 minuter. Helt klart en sevärd film där man får följa med ubåtsbesättningen under väldigt många dagar till havs i motgångar och medgångar. Är väl i sig inte direkt mycket strider att tala om, iaf inte från deras sida, men ändå lyckas den dra med en timme efter timme.

Läge att sova nu. Upp med tuppen är det som gäller imorgon. Hoppas att det inte regnar när man ska vandra ner på arbetet.

Ännu en dag som regnar bort. Börjar kännas ganska tjatigt med allt regn vi får. Temperaturmässigt är det heller inte mycket att hänga i julgranen. Knappt 10 grader visar termometern. Brrr!

Så vad har dagen bjudit på? Ptja, Blev lite racing i Ferrari Challenge, men det gav jag upp efter en stund när det gick så förbannat dåligt. Det pratar vi inte mera om. Blev sen lite zappande och fastnade på två Tv1000-kanaler. Först slutet av King of California och sedan På rymmen med Pippi Långstrump. Sådär lagomt lättsamt.

Nu däremot väntar strax 4 timmar och 42 minuter film. Hade tänkt ge mig på Das Boot ikväll så det gäller att man börjar i tid. Orkar man med hela filmen tro? Med lite pauser för bensträckare så kanske…

Das Boot/ Subway, 3BIII
10.8 miles
Zion National Park
07/26/09

Das Boot, a canyon as fun to descend as it is to say.

Mike, David and I drove up to Zion late Saturday after work to meet Eric, Eric and Chris for a few days of canyoneering. Bright and early Sunday morning we headed to Das Boot. Our only real trouble of the day was finding the Das Boot entrance point after crossing Russell Gulch. David and Mike went one direction, Chris and Flagstaff Eric another while Phoenix Eric and myself found our own path to the bottom of the canyon. Arriving at the head of the narrows we were excited for a deep, dark and cold day. With full body wetsuits on, although not fully zipped up, we made our way into the slot. The narrows were beautiful and deep, reminiscent of Buckskin Gulch, surrounded by a symphony of sandstone fins. I had read that Das Boot is a good precursor to canyons such as Heaps and Imlay so I was prepared for a mini adventure filled with cold swims, potholes and tough down climbs. As it turned out we had an extremely hot day and very low water levels in the canyon. This made for easier going than any of us expected. The few pot holes we encountered were easily escapable. I am glad I had the wetsuit to cover my legs and for a couple swims although Flagstaff Eric went with no wetsuit at all as he has an unusually high tolerance to the cold.

After eating lunch at the junction with Russell Gulch we continued down the canyon. Having descended the Subway last October in abnormally cold weather, going back and doing it again in the middle of the summer was a real treat. The swims that had sent a shiver to my core and made my fingers tingle were pleasant and inviting in July. The warm water, intense sunlight, sublime beauty, great company and technical ease made the Subway feel like one big canyoneering playground as we took time to crawl through small tunnels in the rock, soak in pools and slide down natural water slides.

-Laura

Fulla brevlådan idag när 3 st vadderade kuvert anlänt. Innehållet i de tre påsarna bestod av Das Boot och Den gode, den onde, den fule på DVD samt Bullitt, The Shining och The Getaway på BluRay. Min BD-samlig växer stadigt i hyllan och jag är nu uppe i 28 st. Blir kul att se den extremt långa Das Boot också. 4 timmar och 42 minuter är inget man plöjer igenom en kväll efter man har jobbat sen tidigt på morgonen. Kommer krävas lite planering för att få in den i schemat.

Nu alldeles strax sätter jag mig i Fiaten och drar ner mot staden där bland annat Nolia väntar. Ska förbi Jula en sväng och lämna tillbaka en stolphatt innan jag åker och förhoppningsvis hämtar upp Robert. Hänger på om han hunnit få ordning på alla siffror lr vad det nu är han pysslar med. Sen blir det Nolia. Måtte man ha lite flyt i Platespottingen nu när man kommer se så mycket bilar!? 061 var är du?

Borsta tänderna samt kladda till frillan lite sen är det bara att ge sig iväg.

Frågan är om det blir regn idag? Kanske är bäst att ta med sig ett paraply. Kommer troligen få ligga kvar i bilen, men det hänger iaf med så långt.

Se där ja. Dammsugaren har inte gått en meter ikväll. Helt tvärt emot vad jag hade planerat, men det är väl sånt man får räkna med antar jag. Får göra ett nytt försök imorgon kanske. Kunde NASA skjuta upp uppskjutningen av senaste rymdfärjan 5 gånger kan jag göra detsamma med dammsugningen utan att få dåligt samvete. Eller!?

Sitter å funderar på om man ska beställa hem filmen Das Boot. Ska ju vara en grym U-båtsklassiker som kanske kunde vara sevärd. Finns i en mängd olika versioner i varierande längd; 150, 209, 293 samt 330 minuter. Ingen liten film mao. Har hittat en DVD-version som är en ihopklippt miniserie som Das Boot visats som. Alltså i runda slängar upp emot 5 timmar lång. Kan ju va nåt! Dessutom till ett pris på 59 kr så känns den som om den vore gratis. Måste bara hitta något mer att beställa samtidigt.

Robert! Ska du ha nåt kanske? Gå in på Kvarnvideo.se å kika. Finns en hel del billiga BluRay-filmer.

Sen något jag dreglat lite över den senaste kvarten. Har under dagen kommit ut lite bilder på nya Saab 9-5 som har premiär i september. Kommer bli en riktigt fet bil av bilderna att döma. En till mig tack!

Ännu fler bilder finns att titta på hos AutoBild

A special purpose episode from the guys to take everyone through The Ten: The Requel. John joins with Tom and Sam in identifying the ten films he wants to watch in the next two months, but not after Sam and Tom praise Fritz Lang and Satyajit Ray and question the judgement of David Lean and Michael Cimino. Oh dear.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 24.5

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