Guess which game is #1. That’s right, the 6 OT game against UConn.

Also, there are 2 Cuse performances in the Top College Basketball performances of the 2000’s: Gerry McNamara’s heroics in the 2006 Big East Tournament, and Carmelo Anthony’s performance in the 2003 Final Four.

Gerry’s BET Heroics

Carmelo’s Final Four performance

Also, just a hint for fellow Syracuse fans, don’t look at the Top Upsets page…

Chapter 5 Pg’s 128-130 Lead With Love

We all know that job performance is that we must focus on. Our expectations are the driving force for our leadership position. If our associates’ performance is either superior or unsatisfactory, we must offer them feedback. However, we must also understand that all individual performance is a function of behavior. If associates come to the job with severe behavioral limitations, then their job performance will be negative. If they come to the job with certain essential weaknesses that could be improved in order to substantially improve job performance, then we have a duty to provide feedback. It’s the duty of a leader, I should say, who truly loves and cares about his or her associates’ success.

 If what people are and how they behave can make a difference in expectations, then we must, as leaders, focus on those. Qualities like intelligence and the ability to reason, to think logically, to articulate ideas, and to function under stress help to define what people are and how they will perform. So do the capacity to relate to people, the intensity of the work ethic, and much more. You need to know your associates. It is not  enough to say, “You did a great job.” You need to understand them as whole beings.

 A good way to do this is to use “trait reviews.” These are not report cards on behavior like children get in elementary school, but they do have one critical resemblance: they give feedback on behavior characteristics that can influence the ability to perform. The goal must be to focus on results, on performance compared to expectations; however, it is equally important to give feedback on traits that either help or hinder success. If an associate has difficulty developing working relationships with her peers, that weakness will have a major influence on her ability to achieve results in almost any organization. Effective feedback, counseling, and developmental support are critical if the associate is going to become a superior performer. If you choose to avoid this sensitive psychological issue, you will cheat the employee of support that could make a huge difference in both current and future assignments. If you really have the capacity to love an associate, you must take on this topic and attempt to help the individual deal with the shortcoming. Of course, how effective you are will depend in large measure on the individual’s receptivity; however, your performance is critical also. If you give feedback in a manner sensitive to the recipient’s mindset—in other words, if you “walk in her shoes”—you will have a much better chance of being heard and heeded than if you chose to preach and moralize. Giving speeches may make you feel better, but the tone may also make an associate reject what you say. The associate must acknowledge the weakness and accept it as an issue that requires change. No amount of preaching brings positive change if you alienate the associate. Only when the individual acknowledges the problem can a solution be found and implemented. By the same token, if you never raise the issue because you think psychology is not your role, then you will probably fail to provide your contribution to the development of a superior performer. This part of evaluation is hard work, but it is what leaders must do if they are to play their role well. Helping to make winners is not always easy, but it will always be rewarding for a leader who begins with love.

'Paranormal Activity'

If you’re out shopping for, say, a small car or an acre of land, then $15 000 is a reasonable amount of money to have in your back pocket. If, on the other hand, you’re planning to make a feature film, $15 000 is very little indeed.

Yet that’s the amount of money that American director Oren Peli reportedly spent on his debut film Paranormal Activity, a chilling tale of suburban demonic possession that has, in recent months, taken over $107 million at the US box office.

Peli was partly able to keep production costs so low by shooting the film almost entirely within the confines of his own home in San Diego. With a principal cast of two, Peli presents his movie as ‘found footage’ shot by a young couple trying to get to the bottom of spooky goings-on in their house at night. This device largely works, with the director using the confined spaces of his home and some unnerving night-vision footage of the couple sleeping to create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that’s ripe for all kinds of shocks.

But if shooting an entire film in one location is easy on the pocket of the cash-strapped film-maker, it throws up some unique challenges too. How do you hold the audience’s attention for 90 minutes or more without a change of scenery? How do you make your film cinematic as opposed to theatrical? And how do you move the camera around in what could be a pretty restricted space?

For answers to these questions and more, budding film-makers could do a lot worse than watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954), something of a master class in one-location film-making. Rear Window takes place entirely within the New York apartment of LB Jeffries (James Stewart), a professional photographer confined to his home by a broken leg. Passing the time by being a nosy neighbour, Jeffries soon senses something awry in a flat across the way, where a salesman’s invalid wife seems to have suddenly disappeared. Could the salesman have murdered her? The photographer enlists the help of bipedal girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and tries to find out.

In Rear Window, Hitchcock takes what might seem to be rather restrictive, stagy premise and uses it to create an almost perversely cinematic piece of work. As many people since have pointed out, the rear window of the flat is analogous to a cinema screen and the mixture of fear, desire and voyeuristic titillation that the main character feels mirrors the emotions of a cinema audience. When Lisa is in danger in the apartment opposite, Jeffries can do little more than watch and pray, just like us popcorn-munchers, and the tension is almost unbearable.

James Stewart in 'Rear Window'

Similarly ingenious is the Canadian sci-fi / horror film Cube (1997). Again motivated by budgetary constraints, director Vincenzo Natali hit upon the idea of putting his characters inside, erm, a bloody big cube for 90 minutes. In Scene One they wake up with little idea of how they got there, and they spend the rest of the film trying to figure out how to escape. To do so they must pass through a series of portals in the walls of the cube that lead them from one seemingly identical room to another. But – aha! – here’s the catch: some of these rooms contain booby-traps that proceed to pick off members of the group in increasingly nasty ways. Natali’s script calls for only one set, but manages to be tense, frightening and a little bit philosophical at the same time. 

Also a little bit philosophical, although set in a much more recognisable location, is Abbas Kiarostami’s Ten (2002). Here, extending a device he first used in his 1997 film Taste of Cherry, the Iranian director films ten conversations between a woman driving around the streets of Tehran and the various passengers that she picks up along the way. Kiarostami’s method was simple: two small digital cameras were mounted on the dashboard; he gave the actors some basic instructions, then off they went. The director himself was not in or near the car when the scenes were being shot, which raises some interesting questions about ‘authorship’ in the cinema and about the nature of cinematic performance too.

Mania Akbari in 'Ten'

Of course a single location can be much bigger than a house or a car. In The Blair Witch Project (1999) the location is a wood; in Gus Van Sant’s Gerry (2002) it’s a desert; and in Open Water (2003) much of the action takes places in the middle of the ocean, where the main characters are nibbled and menaced by a school of sharks. Shooting outside in natural light is cheap and offers the film-maker almost limitless options. But, at the same time, it is very hard indeed to write a script for a feature film that doesn’t require its characters to make at least the occasional trip indoors.   

In this regard, Gerry in particular has a lot to teach novice screenwriters and directors. Part-Bela Tarr and part-Samuel Beckett, the film tells the story of two young guys called Gerry (Casey Affleck and Matt Damon) who go for a walk in the desert, get lost and die. Its scenes are funny, simple and absurd – one involves Damon’s character trying to get down from a boulder – but they demonstrate well how limited resources can be a good thing for film-makers, forcing and stimulating creativity.

So the next time you’re out for a walk in the woods or stuck in a Portaloo, why not take a DV camera with you? You never know what you might come up with.

Paranormal Activity is on general release in the UK.

I fell in love with a store today, Pip-Squeak Chapeau.

It’s the three month old, concept store of designer Sveta Dresher.

(this pic doesn’t do it justice)

There was something magical about the whitewashed floorboards and videography on the walls playing to Arvo Pärt (who’s name she kindly wrote down for me).  The multi-sensory experience was like walking through clouds and made me want to touch each of the natural fiber, frilly and knitty items – the perfect environment for such tactile things.

I wanted everything!  From every hand-made chiffon skirt and knitted dress, to each carefully chosen journal…this is going to be dangerous…

At least my new found obsession with Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt won’t cost me too much:

On a chirpier note, watch Björk interview Arvo Pärt for the BBC program “Modern Minimalist” (1997)

Okay, I’m fairly sure that I just amused myself far too much with my own title.  Anyway, happy Thanksgiving, everybody!  It’s Thanksgiving Day, and I’m going to reflect on things that I’m thankful for… and possibly one some things that I wish could’ve gone differently.

Just so I can get them out of the way and make with the joyful, it’s now Thursday of my break.  How did it pass by so fast?  I think I can answer that; I’ve been incredibly busy, and not all with homework, either, which is a real change for me.  I’ve been hanging out with a lot of friends that I really haven’t gotten to see in a long time.  I’ve also been trying to balance that with time with my family, because the last thing I want to do is alienate the ones I love.  And of all the people I love, I’ve loved them the longest.  But all this running around has made it seem like Saturday went to Sunday went to Monday went to Thursday, and I know that I’ll have to go back to school soon.  Not for very long, as finals are coming up, but school nonetheless.  And I love it there, but being home has reminded me just how much I love being home.

I don’t regret being with my friends, though.  What’s that phrase?  “Time well-spent is not wasted.”  I can’t regret it; therefore, it has not been wasted.

And thus, I start in with what I’m thankful for.

I’m thankful for my family, whose support and love and (albeit sometimes ill-thought-out) humor I can always count on.  I’ve loved them longest.  They’ve known me longest.  And now, they are the ones I’m slowly leaving forever.  I know, though, that they’ll always take me back.  And for that, I am thankful.

I am thankful for my faith.  God, you’ve helped me so much….  By your grace and your grace only am I doing so well.  Because you will it, I have been given so many gifts.  Please help me to continue seeing that.  Your love, I am most thankful for.

I am thankful for my friends.  For any of you that read this, I love you so much.  I know that it’s a word we throw around with each other quite liberally, but that’s only because it’s true, and that’s a truly beautiful thing.  We actually like each other!  Who would’ve thought it could happen?  We’re a diverse group of people, and yet very much the same.  I love being able to hang out with you guys, and I’ve been thankful to have you ever since I met you.

I am thankful for my boyfriend.  My dear… what words can I say?  Someday, I promise you, I’ll know what to say.  Thank you for just being the wonderful, incredible, hilarious, adorable, mature, thoughtful, logical, God-loving, just all-around amazing person that you are.  And thank you for being mine.

I am thankful for having things to be thankful for.  I won’t apologize for having what I do, and I won’t apologize for wanting more.  However, I do understand that there are people who don’t have what I have, and I grieve for that.  If you’re reading this, and if you feel so inclined, please take a few seconds to just pray that these people will have plenty.

I am thankful for being able to go to college and start making a life for myself.  It’s a chance that I always knew that I would have; I never thought of anything but going to college.  With today’s economy, though, lots of people are having to compete for jobs that there was an abundance of just a few years ago.  And where I’m at right now, I think that I’m in a very good position to be able to make a livelihood for myself, until the day when the Lord sees fit to change the direction my path is taking, for whatever reason.

And yes, I am thankful for Gerry, too.  For those of you who don’t know, Gerry is my laptop.  He’s a three-year-old Gateway, and is therefore running slower than he used to.  But for all that I hem and haw about him and cry, “Oh, I wish I had a Mac!  Then, this wouldn’t happen!” I really am thankful to have Gerry.  Buddy, I know that it’s not as easy as it used to be, and I by no means am ungrateful for the years of faithful service you’ve given me.  When I get rid of you, you have my promise that I will do my darnedest to get you to a good home.  Just please, don’t crash until I can back up your files, okay?

Thank you, Lord, for all that you have given me.  I am pleased with where I am at, and that is good enough for me.  Your gifts make this possible.  Please, keep giving them to me, and may I have the discernment to see them when they come!

Okay, so, I was reading over some posts in the blog of a friend of mine, just waiting for the battery on my laptop to die so I can hook it up and not use it so that it can fully charge while I recharge my own batteries.  Well, one of her posts is that she doesn’t care who reads her blog.  She’s perfectly fine with just writing to nobody, to empty cyberspace.

Man, I wish I had her attitude about this.  I’ve only had this blog a little while, and already, I can tell that I’m hooked.  By the time I post this, you might think, “Oh, another post.  She wrote about this today.”  Not really.  I actually started this post only a little while after I finished the third.  But I want to get my thoughts down so I can remember.

I can rationalize and rationalize, but in the end, all it comes down to is that I’m hooked.  Why?  Why am I so eager to know what people — who I don’t even know, and that’s the kicker! — think about me?  Who are you out there, who has so fascinated me???

I don’t know.  I can’t answer that question.  All I know that is that I’m fascinated by the statistics option that shows you a chart of how many people have looked at you.  And pathetic me, my heart was warmed when I saw that three people had visited my page already.  I can’t help but be aggrieved with myself, and yet, here I sit, still writing.  In all honesty, I’ll probably save this and visit the statistics page again, just to see, even though I know that it’s silly to think that someone will be up in the middle of the night to read what I’ve written.  Silly.

I’ll manage not to.  I’ll check email, Facebook, distract myself with other things until the remaining fifteen minutes that my computer battery has pass and the laptop — his name is Gerry, by the way; it’s short for “Geriatric” — shuts down.  Then, I’ll let myself go to bed.  We’ll see what happens next.

Well, I’m back, and I’m going to be a little more general.  This blogging mania will wear off soon, and I’ll be posting only once or twice a week.  Probably after I get back into classes.  But whatever.

So, I’m sitting here blogging and watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.  My family loves food; we often insist that we should be Italian by food.  My parents are amazing cooks.  You should’ve tasted the ribs we had that my father smoked.  Delicious!  And my father always really liked Alton Brown, as did I.  The man’s thorough knowledge of food combined with a goofy sense of humor really caught me, and the themes that he had for some of his episodes — a spy episode stands out in my mind — really made it engaging to watch.

No Reservations is different.  A cameraman just seems to follow Mr. Bourdain around wherever he currently is, and he just has a lot of fun eating and immersing himself in the locals’ culture.  He is obviously very intelligent, and he’s so respectful of the cultures around him, especially since it’s not his own.  It’s refreshing to see that on television.  He doesn’t hesitate to let loose some colorful words, but he’s always very conscious of the company that he’s in.

I guess I’ve got food on my mind.  It’s noon, and I did go see Julie and Julia with my boyfriend last night.  And no, that is not the reason why I have a blog!  I’ve been tossing around the idea for a while, like I said, and it is serendipitous (Wow, did I really spell that right?  Score!) chance that the two coincided.  I suppose I should write a little review now.  Well, here goes.  It took me a couple minutes to realize that the flashes between Julia Child’s life and Julie Powell’s were not taking place at the same time, mostly because I’d missed the date that they flashed right in the very beginning.  But I got it!

I thought that there was a lot of focus on Julia Child, and not enough on Julie.  It seemed a little sporadic at points when they introduced Julie back into the story.  Did I hate it?  No.  In fact, I loved the movie.  Meryl Streep was absolutely fantastic, and I can’t help but adore Amy Adams since her appearance in Enchanted.  Amy Adams played her character so well, and I was intensely gratified that, at the part where Julie and her husband Eric have their large fight, Julie didn’t blog about it.  It showed real maturity on her part, I think.

Yes, I’m talking about characters in a movie, but seeing as how this is based off a true story (two true stories!), then I think I can applaud her.

Well, as I said, it’s noon, and I’m getting rather hungry.  TTFN!

Gerry lookalike on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross - from eBay.

 

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH hunk Gerard Butler has shown his soft side by donating his teddy bear lookalike to Children in Need.

The big-hearted actor – best known for his testosterone charged role in blockbuster film 300 – has added his autograph to the prize.

The cuddly toy featured on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, where one was made of each guest on Friday 12 November.

Dressed in a red cape, brown pants and carrying a spear, the bear is styled on the star’s role as King Leonidas in the 2007 film which saw Butler screaming his way through the sword and sandals flick.

“This is Sparta!”

The stuffed Butler bear shouts “this is Sparta” when pushed in the tummy, and sports a drawn on six pack.

Made by Build-A-Bear – who make the official Children in Need Pudsey Bear – bids had already reached £430 last night (Tues), with three days left to go.

When the 40-year-old saw his doppelganger, he broke out into a big grin, saying: “I’ve had a couple of dolls made of me, but not a bear.”

And when he heard it speak, he added: “It sounds like my mum!”

The Paisley-born star was in the UK for the European premiere of his new film, Law Abiding Citizen, which was held in Glasgow.

It was also his 40th birthday on the day he appeared on the show – and a weekend of celebrations in London and Scotland followed.

As well as donating his signature to the cause, Butler filmed a link for the main Children in Need programme on BBC last Friday, urging people to donate to the charity.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Brought to you by BuellBoy

Feels So Good – Chuck Mangione

Off the 1978 album of the same name, the song hit #4 in June 1978. The song was nominated for Song of the Year, but lost out to Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are“. Chuck plays a brass instrument that resembles a trumpet, but is actually called a “flugelhorn” which is considered by many to be a part of the sax family of instruments. Chuck’s band was hit with a double loss on 2/12/09 when guitarist Coleman Mellett and saxophonist Gerry Niewood both died in the Continental Airlines Flight 3407 plane crash just outside of Buffalo, NY.

This gig was certainly a family affair. My sister has recently become one of the backing singers of the Dts along with a very good friend of mine. In addition to this the support act’s lead singer Peter Moore was the father of Ali from the Dts. It was a very fun gig. Got some good photographs have a look.

Peter Moore

The Dts

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH hunk Gerard Butler is returning to his roots for the European premiere of his new film, Law Abiding Citizen.

He has said it will be a “thank you” to his hometown for the support he has received during his career.

But it has also been revealed that the heart-throb has turned away from a film about Rabbie Burns, sparking fears that the movie will be axed completely.

Butler revealed the Glasgow premiere in a recent online chat with fans.

“Get merry”

He wrote: “Maybe I will see some of you at the premiere of Law Abiding Citizen because we are having out European premiere in Glasgow.

“Get merry and drink. I wish I could but I don’t. I hope to see you all soon. Have a good time.”

And a spokesman for Momentum Pictures confirmed the plans.

He said: “It hasn’t been announced officially yet but the premiere will be on November 15 at Cineworld, Renfrew Street.

“It will be something different having him in his home town.”

But the news comes in the same week that it is revealed the Hollywood star has snubbed a film about Robert Burns that was due to be made this year.

“Huge blow”

And there are now worries that it won’t go ahead at all due to the big name lead dropping out.

A source close to the movie said: “Gerry was up for playing the part a couple of years back – but it’s not on his radar now.

“He has much bigger projects in the pipeline and has pulled out. It’s a huge blow. To be honest, there’s little chance of it being made at all without Butler involved. He was the key.”

A spokesman from Scottish Screen confirmed that the film, which was due to be co-produced by London-based Mob Films, had been postponed.

They added: “Burns will not be made this year. We haven’t heard from the production company for a while and there is no chance of Gerard Butler now becoming involved.”

It’s a blow for the Scottish film industry, which has had a number of high-profile films cancelled thanks to the credit crunch.

“Warmth”

Mary Queen of Scots – due to star Scarlett Johansson – was also given the chop earlier this year due to financial restrictions.

Butler is returning to his roots with the premiere and reminisced about his childhood days when he was chatting with fans.

He said: “I came from a family of larger-than-life characters who were a joy to be around.

“They were a lot of jokers and storytellers, a lot on warmth. But it was tough as well. There could be a serious amount of confrontation.

“My father was probably the craziest and most fun and outlandish of the lot.”

The heartthrob grew up in Paisley and was raised by his mum Margaret – not seeing his dad between the ages of two and 16.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Nicht aus der Bahn bringen lassen

Gerry Dart (37 Jahre alt – Angestellter bei der US-amerikanischen Raumfahrtbehörde NASA) sang mit seinem Sohn, dem kleinen Kevin Dart (7 Jahre ), auch an jenem 3. Juli 2005 „Der Mond ist aufgegangen“. Nach der vierten Strophe löschte er das Licht der Nachttischlampe. Da  hörte er, wie der kleine Kevin ganz leise weinte. „He, Cowboy“ meinte der große Dart, „gibt’s noch was?“ „Ach“ schluchzte der kleine Dart, „ich habe Angst. Morgen schießt ihr doch den Kühlschrank auf den Tempel.“. – Der große Dart lachte „Machst du dir Sorgen wegen dem Knall?“ Er knipste das Licht wieder an. Der kleine Kevin füsterte: „Ich weiß nicht, was Grampa dazu gesagt hätte“. Der Großvater war schon lange tot und, wie Mom immer sagte, im Himmel. „Vielleicht ist der Tempel ja zornig auf uns wegen der Sache mit dem Kühlschrank“. „He Cowboy“ meinte der große Dart. „Der Kühlschrank knallt so gewaltig auf den alten Tempel, dass nichts davon übrigbleibt“. Eine Stille trat ein im Kinderzimmer. „Aber das ist viele Millionen Kilometer von Springfield entfernt. Uns kann dabei nichts passieren“ fuhr der Vater fort. Der kleine Kevin gab sich noch nicht zufrieden. „Darf man das denn machen?“ fragte er schüchtern seinen Vater. Der schob sich das Basecup mit der Aufschrift „Team Amerika“ in den Nacken  und sagte: „Wir dürfen das, denn wir haben die Verantwortung und müssen die Welt retten vor jeder Gefahr. Deshalb tun wir alle diese Dinge“.

Der kleine Kevin faltete seine Händchen und schlief nicht ganz ohne Sorgen ein. Es träumte ihm, der Asteroid „Tempel one“ (4,3 Milliarden Jahre alt) erschiene in der Sonntagsschule „Dein Vater kann es nicht besser wissen“, meinte der Geshweifte gütig. „Sie vermischen Hollywood immer mit Unabhängigkeitstag und den Urknall mit ihrer eigenen Maßlosigkeit. So was tut man einfach nicht. Es ist unanständig. Es gehört sich nicht. Es zeugt von ganz schlechtem Geschmack.. Von Kulturlosigkeit würden die Europäer sagen. Schon diese Erklärung: Ein Loch groß wie ein Fußballfeld. Solche Bilder gebrauchen die, deren Horizont so groß ist wie der Deckel einer Colaflasche“. Der Asteroid wandte sich zum Gehen. „Hab keine Angst mein Sohn“, sagte er zum Abschied mit gütiger Stimme. „Von dem Kühlschrank ist wirklich nichts mehr übrig. Wenn ich mal auf eure Erde pralle, bleibt von mir auch fast nichts übrig. Aber ich stelle mich euch nicht in den Weg, sondern ziehe ruhig und Gott ergeben seine – also meine – Bahn“.

„Halt“, rief der kleine Kevin dem Tempel nach: „Was kann man denn gegen so ´nen schlechten Geschmack machen?“  Die Antwort lautete: „Nicht soviel Cola trinken! Nicht all die Wopper fressen! Und MTV ausschalten“. Also sprach der Komet. „Danke“ sagte der kleine Kevin. „Ich will es mir ganz gewißlich merken“.

f e d e r h a l t e r

—-

Ha, klasse Beitrag. Ich finde es auch schrecklich, damit die Wissenschaft immer solche Riesenprojekte macht. Und damit verballern die ein Haufen Geld und das könnte man besser benutzen. Ich glaube nicht, dass man  Kometen und Astroiden abschießen kann. dazu sind die zu groß. Und wenn ein Asteroid auf die Erde prallt ist sowieso alles aus. Aber es wird nicht kommen, die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist sehr klein. Sonst wäre es schon in den letzten paar Mill. Jahren passiert. Aber noch was, – die Europäer würden genau dasselbe machen. Es ist nicht nur in Amerika diese Kulturlosigkeit. Das gibt es auch hier schon lange bei uns.

Seid gegrüßt Dark Vader

—

Man sollte sich genau überlegen, ob man die Grundlagenforschung der Astrophysik auf so einfache bzw. simple Weise verunglimpft. Es gehört nun einmal zum menschlichen Forschergeist eo ipso dazu, dass er sich über Grenzen hinwegsetzt und diese Grenzen weiter hinausschiebt als bisher bekannt gewesen ist. Es ist auch für den Glauben der Christen nicht unerheblich, wenn wir Aufschluß darüber bekommen, wie und auf welche Weise das Weltall entstanden ist. Der Artikel von  f e d e r h a l t e r ist nicht dazu angetan, das schwierige Problem zwischen Glauben und Naturwissenschaft in einer anspruchsvollen Weise zu beschreiben. Es geht auch nicht um den Kühlschrank, resp. den Impaktator, sondern um den Asteroiden, der nach seinem Entdecker Tempel benannt worden ist. Es handelt sich also nicht um einen Tempel, sondern um einen amorphen Steinhaufen aus den ersten Tagen der Schöpfung. Einen solchen Steinhaufen wird man doch wirklich einmal attackieren dürfen?

Dr. Paul Weder (Greifswald)

—

Sehr geehrter Herr Dr.Weder,

ich nehme Bezug auf ihre eben geäußerte Meinung im World Wide Web. Ich kann mich nicht mit Ihren Darlegungen zufrieden geben, zumal sie mir äußerst verkürzt erscheinen und einer unreflektierten Forschungs- bzw. Wissenschaftsgläubigkeit entspringen. Natürlich ist es Unsinn behaupten zu wollen, die Millionen (Dollar, nicht Jahre) die für dieses Projekt verwandt worden sind, wären besser für soziale Belange ausgegeben worden.

Es gilt heute aber wie noch nie in der Geschichte der Menschheit dafür zu sorgen, dass klar durchschaubar wird, warum manche Forschungsprogramme gestartet werden und welche wirklichen Interessen dahinter stehen. Im Falle des Impaktator-Projektes scheint es eine ungute Verknüpfung von quasireligiösen und militärrelevanten Implikationen zu sein.

Peter Noch (Ilmenau)

—

He, Ihr Eierköppe – was streitet ihr hier über Pee-Nuts?  Die Sache liegt ganz klar. Das ist alles von den Multinationalen Konzernen eingefädelt. Die sitzen in ihren großen Firmengebäuden und lachen sich kaputt über die Begeisterung der Leute „all over the World“. Während alle staunen und die Computeranimationen bei Maibrit-TV betrachten, wird die nächste Superwaffe öffentlich erprobt.

Siegbert Müller

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„Navigare necesse est“ liebe Leute! Damit ist klar, worum es geht. Seit dem Sündenfall ist der Mensch zum Erkennen verdammt. Ob er will oder nicht. Es gibt kein Zurück unter dem Baum der Erkenntnis des Guten und des Bösen. Denkt ja nicht, dass es einen Ausweg aus der Gentechnik, der modernen Waffenentwicklung und den Wirtschaftsveränderungen gibt, die noch auf uns zukommen. Wer sich dagegen stemmt beschleunigt das alles sogar noch. Oder endet in der Lächerlichkeit der Amish-People. Ich finde es gut, was unsere amerikanischen Schwestern und Brüder da gemacht haben. Hut ab vor soviel Präzision und Know How. Ich denke, der NASA-Vater Gerry Dart hat das am nächsten Morgen dem kleinen Dart-Kevin alles richtig gut auseinandergesetzt und auch seiner Mom. Und Amberball wird es, wenn er´s drauf ankommen lässt, am Ende auch verstehen. Dazu braucht es keine lange Predigt.

Herzliche Grüße Wolfgang

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Ich bin der Meinung von Kevin. Es verbietet die Ehrfurcht vor der Schöpfung auf einen Kometen zu schießen. Das würde ich mir nicht trauen.

Nicole

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Man soll nicht Ehrfurcht haben vor der Schöpfung sondern vor dem Schöpfer!!!!

Vera

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Die haben auf den Kometen nicht geschossen. Die haben den Kühlschrank einfach ausgeklinkt oder stehen gelassen, – so wie man einen Koffer stehen lässt.   Auf dem Bahnsteig etwa mein ich. Das darf man. Wenn der Komet dann draufbrummt – is halt seine Sache.

Sven

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tut mir leid, dass ich so ne Lawine losgetreten habe. Es ist nicht so richtig meine Meinung sondern die von Kevin und seiner religiösen Erziehung, die er ja von seinem Vater hat. Wie wir alle. Die von Kevin ist nicht die schlechteste übrigens …

f e d e r h a l t e r

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Was ist denn dann deine Meinung? Hast Du eine?

Amberball II

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Die Postings sind hier alle gelinkt.

Ein Beobachter

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Längst nicht alle!

f e d e r h a l t e r

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Amberball, – gibt’s schlechte Gottesdienste?

Verkündiger

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Was soll das mit den Gottesdiensten? Hier geht es doch um einen kleinen Jungen, der Angst hat. Man muß keine Angst haben vor der modernen Wissenschaft. Die Kollegen haben einen größeren Verantwortungshorizont als der Komet meint. Also größer als ein Cola-Bierdeckel.

Dr. Peinlich

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Hallo, endlich ist mal was los in diesem lahmen Kirchenforum. Übrigens besonders wichtig scheint mir der versteckte Hinweis auf dem Basecup des Vaters zu sein, wo ja „Team America“ drauf steht. Hat diesen genialen Film jemand von Euch gesehen? Die machen ja wirklich alles kaputt. Sogar den Eifelturm und die Sphinx. Und das Ende ist so, dass unsere Besorgnis echt berechtigt gewesen ist.

Lisa

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Die Kirche hat sich immer gegen die Wissenschaft gestellt. Erst die Armbrust. Dann die Blitzableiter. Dann G.Bruno. Finsterstes Mittelalter also auch heute noch. Wir können so viele Kometen bombardieren, wie wir wollen. Schließlich bombardieren die uns auch. Denkt nur an den Tunguskuer Meteoriten 1908 in Sibirien. Das war eine kolossale Aktion der Aliens. Weiß bis heute nur keiner.

L.Kervelan

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„Team America“ ist einer der genialsten Filme, die es gibt. Ich sehe ihn mir oft an und man entdeckt immer neue Aspekte. Die Simpsons (wo laufen die im Augenblick gerade?) und Southpark sind auch von den Filmemachern um Matt Groening, der hat auch bei TA mitgemacht. Besonders Flanders und Reverent Lovejoy sind Spitze  – noch mehr die Frauen von beiden. Die total naive Religiosität der Fundamentalisten kommt so richtig gut raus dabei.

Crusty

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Mr. Burns ist auch nicht schlecht mit seinem Atomkraftwerk.
Angela Merkel wird die Atomkraftwerke hoffentlich nicht stilllegen.

Simson-Fan

Stilllegen wird anders geschrieben.

Duden

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Still-Leben

Die Kirche hat nichts gegen die Wissenschaft. Im Gegenteil. Die Kirche hat die Wissenschaft über Jahrhunderte lang betrieben. Die Klöster haben die Medizin vorangebracht und das Wissen der Antike in das der Neuzeit umgeformt und transformiert. Wer sagt, die Kirche sei Wissenschaftsfeindlich, der hat keine Ahnung.

Yvonne

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Tut mir leid, das ich Angst hatte. Aber was würde der kleine Prinz von Exepery dazu sagen? Der will bestimmt auch nicht, dass ein Loch in einen Kometen geschossen wird.

Kevin

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Hi Leute schaut mal auf: Da ist ein Forum über die Sache mit dem Tempel One-Kometen-Abschuß. Es scheint, als ob da einige Ungläubige sich zu sehr verbreitern, vielleicht könnt ihr Euch mit mir qualifiziert zu Wort melden.

Heliand

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©  f e d e r h a l t e r

Comments welcome & appreciated !

Team America: World Police (2004)

 

Team America: World Police is a 2004 comedy film, written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated series South Park. The film is a parody of big-budget action films and their associated clichés and stereotypes, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the resulting war, with particular humorous emphasis on the global implications of American politics. The title of the film itself is derived from domestic and international political criticisms that the U.S. frequently and unilaterally tries to “police the world”.

Tagline: Putting the “F” back in Freedom.

The film, which features a cast entirely composed of marionettes (except for two live cats, two nurse sharks, a cockroach, and an adult male dressed as a giant statue of Kim Jong-il), focuses on a fictional team of political paramilitary policemen known as “Team America: World Police,” who attempt to save the world from a violent terrorist plot led by Kim Jong-il. The film was primarily inspired by Thunderbirds, a popular British TV show created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson which also featured an all-marionette cast.

Buy this Title Only $9.99!

The film was released in the United States on October 15, 2004 and, despite receiving mostly positive reviews, was a box office disappointment. Though it made $51 million it failed to exceed the performance of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. The film was released on DVD in the United States on May 17, 2005, available in both R-rated and Unrated versions.

 Trivia:

• The very first footage screened for Paramount executives was of a poorly crafted puppet in front of a background of a badly drawn Eiffel Tower, prompting one executive in the audience to yell. “Oh god, they fucked us!” This was a prank pulled by the directors and the shot then pulls back to reveal a highly refined marionette manipulating the inferior one, then flies over beautifully detailed Parisian landscape full of believable yet cheesy marionettes. This actually ends up being the opening shot of the movie.
• The idea for the film came in 2003 when Matt Stone and Trey Parker were watching television and came across re-runs episodes of “Thunderbirds” (1965), which Parker had never seen. Instantly intrigued, the two decided a marionette action film would be “the perfect way to send up all those Jerry Bruckheimer movies”.

27x40 Mover Poster $19.99

• Before Trey Parker and Matt Stone settled on the final plot for this film, one of their original ideas was to do an all-puppet version of Armageddon (1998/I). They had been given a copy of the script and thought it was already funny as was; but thought that if they were to make it into an all-puppet movie; then it would substantially funnier. The main reason why this idea never came to fruition was because of legal problems with the studio who owned the rights to the film.
• Matt Stone referred to the puppet technique used in the film as “supercrappymation”.
• When Trey Parker and Matt Stone showed the first footage of the film at the 2004 San Diego Comic Convention, it began with the tagline (words flying at the screen) “Alec Baldwin, George Clooney, Janeane Garofalo, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Kim Jong-Il …. will all HATE this movie!” A teaser trailer shown in theaters used a longer list of names, including Alec Baldwin.
• Sean Penn was so insulted by his portrayal in the film, that he wrote an angry letter to Matt Stone and Trey Parker about it. The letter was later published by several Newspapers and Magazines.
• Team America first meets Gary performing in a play called “Lease”, an obvious parody of the popular broadway musical Rent in which several of the characters are struggling with AIDS.
• In the song “America FUCK YEAH” the word “Fuck” is used 37 times
• A billboard in Times Square reads “Chiodo: You Go Now.” The Chiodo Brothers are responsible for the puppets seen in the film.
• Marc Shaiman composed songs and a score for the movie, but the score was rejected by Paramount execs about three and a half weeks before the movie was released. Harry Gregson-Williams was hired to rewrite the score and compose it at the 11th hour. Shaiman’s songs, however, still remain in the finished film.
• The MPAA gave this film an R rating, accompanied with the specific explanation “For graphic crude and sexual behavior, violent images and strong language – all involving puppets.”
• During the attack on the Panama Canal, the puppets repeat the line “No me gusta” which is Spanish for “I don’t like it.”
• All of the puppets in the movie used the same two bodies (one for the males and one for the females) with different heads- except for Kim Jong Il, to make him look that much smaller.
• In the overhead shot of Gary lying in the giant puddle of vomit, it is actually Trey Parker wearing a pair of fake legs so his proportions more closely match those of the marionettes. The “vomit” was a mixture of soup and beer.
• The dress worn by Lisa during the film’s finale is a near-exact replica of the one worn by Kate Capshaw in the opening moments of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
• The tavern scene is an homage to the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Star Wars (1977). Many of the same camera angles and character positions are used, and many shots are replicated. The band is using the same instruments as the Cantina band and are playing a sound-alike which follows the chord progression of the original “Cantina Band Song.”
• In the style of the “Thunderbirds” (1965) show which the movie is a spoof of, close up shots of hands were not puppet hands but rather real hands dressed up to look like puppet hands.
• The statue in Kim Jong Il’s palace is actually a human in heavy makeup. In the first scene in which he appears, you can see his eyes blinking.
• All of the male puppet heads consist of nine different servo motors that control the various facial expressions/actions, while the female heads consist of seven in the head and two in the back.
• The leaves on the palm trees in Hollywood during the F.A.G. meeting are made out of dollar bills.
• During the film there are hints of how big the puppets actually are. Tree leaves made out of dollar bills, coin belt buckle etc. In Kim Jong Il’s singing scene, there is a shot of him in the entrance hall with the statue. The statue is slightly moving and it is actually a real sized person painted bronze.
• In the opening sequence in Paris when the Team America vehicle slides into a vendor, there are actually pawn chess pieces along the road.
• When Gary Johnston walks to the tavern in Cairo disguised as a Terrorist, in the background there is a “Coca-Cola” bottle cap mounted against a stone wall.
• When Lisa is at the Peace Ceremony with Kim Jong Il, Her hair sticks are in fact matches.
• When Team America arrives in Cairo, the woman in the grey dress with a black mask has what looks like to be oranges in a basket on her head. These are actually goldfish.
• WILHELM SCREAM: From the Korean guard in the high balcony that Gary shoots when he first walks into Kim Jong Il’s palace and says, “Don’t worry fellas, I’ve got my pass right here!”
• When the Film Actors Guild decides to go to North Korea, the members all shout “Qapla’!,” which is Klingon for success.
• When the camera first shows us the palace in North Korea, several of the smaller buildings are actually Chinese food take-out boxes.
• As a subtle detail in the opening scene in Paris, the streets are paved with croissants.
• During the fantasy sequence where several different countries are being destroyed, America is shown and a movie theatre is visible which is apparently showing the films I Heart Huckabees (2004) and Seed of Chucky (2004).
• The Paramount Logo, which starts the film, runs backwards.
• The Michael Moore puppet was stuffed with ham before it was blown up.
• Originally, Matt Damon (who Trey Parker and Matt Stone have admitted is really a “pretty cool guy”) was going to be portrayed as intelligent and articulate, but when they saw the puppet, they noted that it made him “look retarded” and decided to portray him as such.
• When the terrorist is seen by the little french kid, we hear Turkish music – it’s a song about a girl whom the singer fell in love with.
• When Team America arrives in Cairo and they are moving to the tavern, there is a mosque in the background. This is the Mohammad Ali mosque (aka the Alabaster Mosque) in Cairo.
• Household objects were used as props in order to, according to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, remind the audience the actual size of the puppets. A pair of nail clippers can be seen on a Team America’s utility belt in their first scene; in Cairo, a citizen is carrying a basket of Goldfish snacks on his head; and a set of palm trees have leaves made out of dollar bills.
• In the opening scene in Paris, the Mime resembles Trey Parker.
• During the palace scene, when the camera pans across the audience, some of the people near the sides and in the back appear to be 2D cardboard cut-outs.
• North Korea’s embassy in Prague demanded that the film be banned in the Czech Republic, saying the movie harmed their country’s reputation.
• In Russian Federation the movie is being shown translated by Dmitry Puchkov, an independent translator who’s famous under his nickname “Goblin”. All obscenities are translated to Russian obscenities, which is very unusual for movie translations in Russia. The movie has Russian rating “Not for people less than 18 ages old”.
• The motorcycle that the puppet Gary Johnston rides is a remote control red Harley Davidson VRSC, available at all good toy stores.
• Despite almost getting an NC-17 Rating in the States, the film was promoted as a “kids and family” movie in several European countries, and rated fit for all accordingly.
• According in an interview with Steve Jablonsky one of the co-composers of the music, he and the others wrote and recorded the score in 8 days.
• The Team America male puppets have the tails side of an American Susan B. Anthony one dollar coin on the front of their belts.
• Most of the Korean spoken in the movie is not Korean, but rather Asian-sounding gibberish. Three exceptions are – 1) When the North Korean soldier is torturing one of the team members, he is saying, “Die, you bastard.” – 2) When Kim Jong-il tells his soldiers to salvage Team America’s planes after the ambush, the soldiers reply with, “Yeh,” which is “Yes”. – 3) When Gary enters the North Korean palace, the North Korean soldiers are shouting, “Who are you, you bastard?”
• After the flooding scene in Panama, the puppets that were “drowned” had to be literally wrung out and dried so that they could be used in the next scenes.
• Due to a puppet sex-scene, the movie was given a NC-17 Rating by the MPAA. The scene was edited twelve times before they received the R rating they were shooting for. Trey Parker later admitted that the scene was originally added to distract the MPAA from the rest of the film’s subject matter. On Matt Stone’s urging, the scene was reinstated to the “unrated” DVD.
• The “Montage” song first appeared in the “Asspen” episode of “South Park” (1997). The song is played while Stan is training for a downhill ski race and the lyrics are slightly altered.
• Bill Pope agreed to be the movie’s director of photography because it was a refreshing change from the last few movies that he had done, like The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and Spider-Man 2 (2004), where large portions of filming were blue/green screen photography.
• George Clooney was a driving force in getting Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s “South Park” (1997) to air. He also appeared in the show and the subsequent movie. As to their puppetry portrayal in Team America: World Police (2004), both he and Matt Damon are quoted as saying they would have been offended if they weren’t in the film.
• Bill Pope had planned on shooting the film with anamorphic lenses in order to replicate the classic “action film look”, but was unable to because there were no anamorphic lenses available that could focus close enough to the puppets.
• This is the first movie by Trey Parker and Matt Stone to get under an “18″ rating in the Republic of Ireland.
• During the Alec Baldwin and Gary Johnston scene on stage at Kim Jong Il’s palace, in some shots the screens at either side of the stage show footage of the real Alec Baldwin in a tux, and Trey Parker recording the voice over.
• For the voice of Spottswoode, Daran Norris imitates the voice of Charlton Heston.
• 911 times 2356 equals 2,146,316.
• Team America was not the first “Thunderbirds” (1965) parody. When Thunderbirds was shown as part of the “Amazin’ Adventures” animated syndicated package as “Turbocharged Thunderbirds” in 1994 the dialogue and story were changed to make the show a comedy in the tradition of _What’s Up, Tiger Lily (1966)_ with two teenage hosts supposedly controlling the action in the footage. “Saturday Night Live” (1975) did their take in 1997 through 1998 with “The GoLords” taped shorts. MTV’s version was a short lived series called “Super Adventure Team” (1998) co-created by Dana Gould.

Questa sera Gerry Scotti si è accontentato di un tiepido: “Che Dio ci benedica” , al posto di un ormai sempre più frequente: “Che Dio ci perdoni”.

Evinco che ieri sera non sia andato a mignotte.

PS:

Si scherza eh?

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

Dancing at Lughnasa is a pivotal drama, based in Ireland. It is a play, narrated by Michael, the main character, as he looks back on a particular summer of his childhood, which revolves around his family of mother, four aunts, uncle, father and himself as a child.

The plot follows the memories of that summer,exploring many themes and ideas, in the iconic realistic style of Mr Friel.

The five sisters live in a small house in a very rural, very Catholic part of Ireland, with Michael and their brother Jack.

Jack was a missionary priest, who has just returned from Africa, confused and ill, he struggles with living at home in Ireland, and adjusting back to English, after years of Swahili.

Kate – the eldest sister- is a school teacher, and the only sister with a reliable income. She is strict and takes the responsibility of the family upon herself as she tries to hold it together, and keep her family right, whilst working all day. Kate is the character I feel the most empathy for, as she, in my opinion, is often written off as bossy and controlling, with her very religious character causing unnecessary strain on the sisters. However, I feel that she is simply a very tired, very loving woman, who has had to grow up before her time, and sacrifice all in order to look after those she loves. Her part in the story is the crucial role of keeping the family together to pull through the never-ending hard times.

Maggie -second in age to Kate – is a cheerful, carefree woman, who hasn;t allowed poverty, or bad luck stop her from being a positive laughing woman. She is the sort of character that brings a smile to your face from just being her. She is very much on the same level as Rose and the childhood Michael, making merriment and telling riddles non stop, she is the most confident, and least inhibited of the sisters. Maggie is the housekeeper for the family, and she works hard all day, every day for little recognition, but she doesn;t need the recognition for she values the love of her family much higher.

Agnes is the sister which Rose looks up to the most, seeing her as a special friend who she admires and wishes to please. In return Agnes is close to Rose, feeling more protective of her than the other sisters, and keeping a close relationship with her.

Agnes is the middle sister, and she knits for a living, knitting gloves she then sells on for a little money. She is quieter than the other sisters, although not by much, but just enough to see that she is a little detached as she is always focused on Rose.

Rose, who, too, knits, is often described as “simple” as she is less aware of the circumstanced they are in than the other sisters, and is often slower to understand what is going on, giving her an almost childlike personality. Rose is loving and loveable, as she tries to do what’s right, and forever is youthful as she doesn’t take on board the responsibilities that her sisters know they must. She is kind and sweet, but childlike and funny. All round, she is the cute character which adds to happiness and purpose to the other’s sisters lives.

Chris is the youngest sister, and Michael’s mother. She is less strict about social etiquette, rules, and approval, as can be seen by her having a child out of wedlock, and her language which is often very blunt. Chris is a harder character, but has soft edges, such as her maternal side. It seems she often needs nothing more than a few kind words in order for her to soften, relax and become youthful; yet her everyday life is harder, as she too shoulders responsibilities (although not as many, due to her feeling less social pressure). Chris has been hurt by love, and lives for Gerry, who she sees rarely but becomes elated when he comes.

Gerry is a care-free, responsibility-free, community-free man. In fact, he has what each of the sisters yearn for inside – freedom. He feels no obligation to Chris, or indeed Michael, and comes and goes as he pleases, as is his attitude to life. To me, I feel that he is not maliscious or cruel, he simply does not think or consider implications. He has happiness and enjoyment on his mind, causing him to overlook his cruelty in the way he treats Chris and Michael.

Actually, he remind sme of Rocky from Chicken Run, in his wild, free way, but, of course, Rocky is much more sensible, brave and noble…

Michael as a child is funny and humorous, reminding the audience/reader of the funny cynical age that children go through. He is spoilt and loved by all his aunts, and extremely creative as he has no nearby friends. His personality often shines through when the sisters interact with him, but he is naiive to all the troubles of their responsibilities.

Michael as the narrator is much more aware, as he looks back, perhaps through rose tinted glasses, on the events of that exceptional summer from his childhood. He is matter of fact and clear in what happens, but conveys much emotion when speaking of the causes and affects of the events.

The final character that I personally believe is a character is “Marconi” the wireless that the sisters own. It is often personified and seems to be almost magical in it’s “pagan” power to control and change to sisters. It is very interesting to explore how Marconi is referred to throughout the text, and very believable that is does have the power of a character in exploring and enhancing the other characters.

That just about sums up the characters within Dancing at Lughnasa

KJ
theBookGirl

Gerry Boyle on the steps of the Dominion Theatre in Edinburgh

By CARA SULIEMAN

THE BROTHER of Scots singing sensation Susan Boyle today (wed) blasted the type of show that helped make his sister famous – as he held his own talent hunt in Edinburgh.

Gerry Boyle, who was holding auditions for his own music label, said TV talent shows helped artists lose their credibility.

He said: “No disrespect to my sister but when an artist goes to shows like the X Factor, I don’t know if the public wants to buy their album, because they lose their credibility.

“With Instant Music we have identified a gap in the music market and we’re looking for people who fit that.”

£1 million prize

Mr Boyle was at the Dominion Theatre in Edinburgh to see a number of people perform for a chance to be signed to his new label, Instant Music.

The business whizz said he was planning to release a compilation album for the Christmas market including un-named established artists, alongside the new talent he picks up from a series of auditions.

And he revealed a cunning plan to help it succeed – the chance for customers to win £1 million by buying the disc.

He claims the proposed new album – which he hopes will be an annual tradition – will be marketed with the prize offered to customers who pick their favourite track with the winner whoever gives the best reason why via a money-spinning telephone hotline.

Gerry said: “With an incentive like that – we intend to top the album charts this December.”

“Biggest selling album”

He added: “What we are offering people is a guaranteed way to get their music out into the market place without having to impress Simon Cowells of the world.

“We have a whole team in place to write the music, to give the artists an image and record the songs.

“The instant music album will be the biggest selling album this Christmas – that’s what we’re hoping for.”

First up on stage yesterday was 64-year-old Stewart Abercromby, from Edinburgh, who sang Hallelujah.

He said: “I used to be in a band but we broke up 24 years ago and I haven’t sung since. I came along to audition because I like a challenge.

“It was nerve wracking going first and I think I could have done better – but I hope it was good enough.”

“Very interesting”

He was followed by 32-year-old Drew Gardner, who had travelled from Airdrie in Lanarkshire for the chance to try out.

He said: “I came down because I thought what Gerry was doing was very interesting. It’s giving people a chance without being like other talent shows.

“I have written over a hundred of my own songs – but performing is what I really want to do.”

Instant Music is one of a portfolio of products set up by Gerry under the Instant World brand.

He said previously he hoped to emulate the success of music mogul Cowell.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Fue a prinicipios de 2008 cuando vi Paranoid Park en el cine y la verdad es que no lo dudé dos veces y en cuanto la vi en los comercios italianos disponible en DVD la compré (por abril de ese mismo año). El último trabajo de Gus Van Sant me pegó. Ya después de ver “Elephant” me pasé varios días con la necesidad de hablar sobre el film, con la idea de haber asistido a algo nuevo. Ese film ha sido sin duda un punto de inflexión en la carrera de Gus Van Sant, sin duda a mejor. Paranoid Park sigue la misma linea de Elephant y Last Days. Sin embargo, el gusto crativo de Van Sant no se ha agotado. Sigue sorprendiendo con más matices experimentales. El autor del ya lejano “El indomable Will Hunting” parece querer alejarse cada vez más del cine hollywoodiano y parece decidido a llenar de registros su obra, a acercarse un poco más a la definición de autor. No me gustaría destriparos la película, aunque si os puedo decir que se trata de un mágnifico retrato de un adolescente en una situación nada confortable. Una película de corta duración que pone en práctica el dicho: “lo bueno si breve, dos veces bueno”.

¿Por qué escribo ahora de esta película? La respuesta es que hace bien poquito que ha llegado a los cines españoles. Más de un año después de comprarla en DVD en Italia… Este film fue premiado en Cannes y alguien debería darse cuenta de que hay gente a la que le hubiese gustado verla en su día, no a estas alturas, totalmente desfasada. Ha sucedido lo mismo con “My bleuberry nights” de Wong Kar-Wai. Es lamentable y aseguro haber conocido gente que, a pesar de querer verla, se ha negado a acudir a las salas en protesta a semejante desastre. Es cierto que sólo he conocido a uno. Pero es igualmente cierto que no estoy mientiendo. ¡Salvemos el cine!

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