Last night while Norm Peterson my husband was upstairs working on our bedroom renovation/redecoration, I got sucked into several hours of the Biography Channel.  I’m pretty confident that I can now tell you just about anything you need to know about Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, or the upcoming special about celebrity encounters with ghosts.  Critical information.

One of the segments I really enjoyed was a program called “Johnny Cash America” and included all sorts of amazing video footage of his life.  In it, certain portions had voice-overs by Johnny himself, lending a rather eerie quality to the old film.  His unmistakable voice and larger-than-life persona made me hunger to know more about someone I had previously only encountered via Joaquin Phoenix in Hollywood’s Walk the Line.

One of the things Johnny said about faith got my attention, making me stop to grab a pen.  I rewound the DVR to get the words just right.  Maybe you’ll find them to be profound, as well:

“What is man if he doesn’t have a spirit, and what is man’s spirit if it cannot connect with the Master of Life?”

~

Later, in the Willie Nelson biography, Kris Kristofferson praised his friend as the kindest, funniest individual he’s ever known.  He lauded Willie’s “outlaw” style of blazing his own trail and not falling into the easy traps of sounding like someone else, dressing like other Nashville stars, or wearing his hair like most country stars of the 50’s & 60’s did.  But it was, again, one sentence that struck me as especially meaningful.  Kris said this about Willie:

“[Willie] wears the world like a loose garment.”

~

Both of these quotes have stuck with me today.  In particular, I’ve been thinking about the last one and about whether the same will ever be said about me.  That I was in the world, but not of the world.  That I engaged fully in this place, but was not tossed about aimlessly by the quickly-shifting winds of culture and expectations.  That I wore the world like a loose garment: draping myself in it, but not constrained by it.  Not confined or limited.  Not bound by the seams, stitches, whims of another.

To me, that’s a beautiful thought.

1. “Time’s A Wastin” by June Carter & Carl Smith (covered in the movie Walk The Line)

2. “Elevator Love Letter” Acoustic by Stars:

3. “Your Control” by Crooked Fingers:

4. “Birds and Bees” by Ben Lee & Mandy Moore:

5. “Death to Los Campesinos!” by Los Campesinos!:

Before the factoid, an off-topic tangent: It’s funny how inspiration comes from the strangest sources.  I was struggling for today’s factoid.  While thinking, I started listening to some songs from the “Walk The Line” soundtrack.  With my face down in the pillow, I thought about that stretch of 4 months in late 2005 and early 2006 where I was completely obsessed with the movie.  Then, it came to me.

In my 7th grade computer class, we were given a PowerPoint assignment to create a slideshow that utilized animation to bring up the lyrics to a song as they were being sung.  Other people in my class did artists like the Backstreet Boys and Sum 41.  What did my partner and I do?  Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon singing “Jackson” from the “Walk The Line” soundtrack.

^June on far right

This post has been inspired by, the motion picture, Walk The Line – June Carter’s grace, strength, and humor are infectious.  I admire her  fiery and passionate personality.

Reese Witherspoon’s depiction of June Carter was excellent.  In fact, she won an Oscar, BAFTA, Critics Choice Award, and a Golden Globe (just to name a few!) for best performance by an actress in a leading role for Walk the Line in 2005.

source: walk the line movie trailer

June Carter Cash – Bio

Valerie June Carter was born June 23, 1929, in Maces Springs, Va., the second of the three daughters of Mother Maybelle Carter of the legendary Carter Family. Her mother taught her to play autoharp (and later guitar) and in 1939, she and sisters Anita and Helen Carter were appearing on Border Radio as members of the Carter Family.

When the original Carter Family retired in 1943, she sang and played rhythm guitar in the family group, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, on various radio stations. From 1950 onwards, for many years, they were regulars on the Grand Ole Opry.

Although not possessing the finer vocal talents of her sisters, she did develop a flair for comedy, which she used to good effect in a character she called Aunt Polly. In 1949, she enjoyed a country and pop hit with a duet version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with comedy duo Homer & Jethro.

In 1952, June married Carl Smith, with whom she performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, and their daughter, Rebecca Carlene (later to record under the name Carlene Carter), was born in 1955. After their divorce in the late ’50s, Carter was managed by Colonel Tom Parker and toured with Elvis Presley, and while living in Nashville, she met and briefly married local police officer Rip Nix with whom she another daughter, Rosie.

In the early 60s, June began to work with Johnny Cash’s show, soon being joined by her mother and sisters. In 1964, her recording with Cash of “It Ain’t Me Babe” made both country and pop charts and in 1967, they had a No. 2 country hit with “Jackson.” She married Cash on March 1, 1968. From that point, her career has naturally run in conjunction with his as she continued to be a regular and expected member of his show. The following year they were voted Vocal Group of the Year and their son John Carter Cash was born in 1970.

Following a long absence from the spotlight, she returned with the 1999 album Press On, which won a Grammy for best traditional folk album. The 2003 album Wildwood Flower also won two Grammys. She died on May 15, 2003.

In 2005, a film based on her romance with Cash, Walk the Line, was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture. Reese Witherspoon, who played Carter Cash, won an Oscar for her role. That same year, Columbia Legacy issued a two-disc set, Keep on the Sunny Side: June Carter Cash — Her Life in Music.

]]> http://vintagemexican.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/dear-joaquin-phoenix/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:56:40 +0000 vintagemexican http://vintagemexican.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/dear-joaquin-phoenix/

RE: Your mental stability

I hope this is just a hilarious joke and that on April 1st next year when I wake up to get my morning coffee and daily online reads, there your face will be with a big smile giving the world the always reassuring finger guns as if to say “I fooled you all, you big bunch of foolio’s!” and oh how we will laugh and in 2020 we will look back on it and say “remember how you got us good 10 years ago?”

What are the chances of that happening? Can we ever get back to the status quo? Don’t answer these questions for I do not want to know.

You’re a darn good actor sir. You’ve been in a few masterpieces such as Return to Paradise and Murder, She Wrote, and some not so good productions like the Village (although you are not to blame for this as M. Night “I Think I’m The Man” Shyamalan is an overrated ass and doesn’t realise he hasn’t produced a quality film since Unbreakable).

Are you pissed that you didn’t win an Oscar for Walk the Line, is that what prompted this sudden lifestyle change? Because you should know that I was rooting for you. I mean Philip S. Hoffman, good bloke, but come on he was in Patch Adams! I am a true believer in holding films against award winners. That way we could be guaranteed that David Caruso and Elizabeth Berkley would never win an Oscar – I know they already have a very slim chance, but a chance nonetheless!

Now I’ve heard you “rap” and I’m not going to be one of those “haters” that make ill-informed decisions before being presented with the entire story nor am I going to pass judgment on the lives of others. Having said that you’re slightly shit. I know I said I wasn’t going to say that but I lied. You’re so shit that I would rather listen to that white guy in 5ive freestyle before I have to endure another listen of what you’re bringing to the table. Take it back and get a refund. Do not put all your eggs into this rapping basket, because you will need a fallback. If asked to do ‘Gladiator 2: Attack of the Zombies’ I say take it.

I will treat this as an open letter as I believe Joaquin would regularly Google the terms “Shyamalan”, “Overrated” and “Philip Seymour Hoffman is a tampon”. This post should be right up there in the searches.

Den här veckan har gått förbi ganska fort. Jag blev sjuk i tisdags, feber och grejer dock inte svinis. Jag tror att det var Moa som smittade mig men inga hard feelings… Jag var hemma både tisdag och onsdag, vilade mest. På onsdagseftermiddagen var jag dock tvungen att stappla iväg till hudläkaren, det var dags att ta bort stygnen.

Jag ligger på en sjukhusbrits och doktorn drar bort plåstret och doktorn utbrister; OJ DÅ! Snacka om att sjukt hypokondriska Wilma blev oroad. Men det var inte så farligt, jag hade tydligen lyckats få eksem av hudtejpen. Doktorn sa att det var väldigt ovanlig, men hey det är ju så jag är; ovanlig.

Hursomhelst gick det bra att ta bort stygnen men när vi skulle hem var hela Gamla Stan avspärrad. Jag trodde det var terroristattentat eller bankråd. Men tydligen var det stadsbesök. Det är fan inte okej att spärra av hela Gamla Stan och hela E4:an mellan Arlanda och Stockholm i typ en timme för ett jäkla stadsbesök. Hallå! Vad hände med alla människors lika värde!!!

På torsdagen gick jag trots att jag inte mådde topp till skolan. Jag klarade av dagen men bara för att spanskan var inställd. Så jag inte behövde vara i skolan till kl fyra.

Idag är det fredag, jag slutade 11:10 och dagen till ära åt jag sushi buffé med trevligt sällskap. När jag kom hem var jag sjukt duktig, jag pluggade i tre timmar i sträck! Det är fan värt en applåd

Fredagskvällen ska jag spendera med att ta det lugnt, jag är sjukt trött. Ikväll går Walk the Line på tv så jag blev sjukt sugen på att se den. Jag har så klart inte den superkanalen som filmen går på men jag har filmen på dvd.

Imorgon ska jag, Ebba och Ellen gå på New Moon. Det ska bli ganska kul, fast jag har inga förväntningar på filmen. Twilight är medioker så jag antar att den här filmen också är det… Men det är en kul grej!

Ha det gött!

That’s work will do to you . . . and Family Movie Night (a Dunning family tradition).

Movies watched this week:

• Walk the Line
• Up
• Star Trek (the new one)
• Donnie Darko

There’s nothing like a giant evil bunny rabbit to brighten your day . . . like this guy says.

Jordan’s planning a mini-death march for Saturday.  Maybe 50 miles.  Since I’m really tired of blowing up on these rides, I’m taking six times the amount of food & water I would normally take.  Cliff bars, gel, water, Perpetuem or Heed, and then more of all that.  I’ll pack a box of cereal and some milk if I can find room.

Meanwhile, all bike stuff has been moved from the basement to the former TV room at the back of the house.  In place of damp and crickets I’ve got a cable-ready TV and a pair of confused cats a little wary of that fast-spinning wheel.  (That’s good for them.)

Lacking the motivation for any kind of serious training, I’ve invented the lamest indoor workout possible.  The Ipod Workout.  Two songs Zone 2, one song lower Zone 3/upper Zone 4.  Do at least four songs at the hard pace.  Put the Ipod on shuffle and hope for the best.  It’s just like an unfamiliar road: you’ll never know what’s around the corner.  Yesterday I got Bruce Springsteen “Tunnel of Love” (grueling at the end), Prince “1999″ (good), Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to do With It” (okay), and Scandel “Warrior” (homerun).  Depending on the length of the songs and the warmup & cooldown, the entire workout takes about 50 to 60 minutes.

So I was watching At the Movies and they are doing a series of their “Top Ten Movies of the Decade”.  This week they put their 10th and 9th selections. Ironically of the 4 movies already selected I have only viewed one of them- Million Dollar Baby.  For various reasons I missed the other three.  Million Dollar Baby nearly made my list.  If it wasn’t for the ending.

Ever since I started my blog I’ve wanted to do an entry on my favorite movies.   One of my most popular postings was in May of last year called Music Galore.  It has had over double the hits of any other post.  My entries on comedy, theater and books have also been popular. Many times I began writing a similar entry on movies- but the topic proved too daunting each time.  There are just too many to choose from! Seeing the more narrow “Top Ten of the Decade” concept, I thought I would take another stab at a list of just my favorite recent movies.

First of all, let me explain what I love about the movies.  I would say 90% of the time I go to the movies to be entertained.  Some of my choices may not be the most educational or even uplifting films but they did entertain me.  This does not mean they are all comedies.  In fact, of my top 13 (ok I couldn’t narrow it down to 10!) 5 could be considered comedies, 2 are musicals, 2 are animated, 1 is a documentary and 2 dramas.   Each of the selected movies has also entertained me multiple times.  Not all movies do.  For example, the Prestige with Hugh Jackman and Christian Slater was enthralling the first time I saw it; however, the second time I didn’t really like it.   The Sixth Sense is another example; although that is not a movie from this decade.

I love the way movies can take me away from life and introduce me to a new world- whether that be a mystical Japanese spirit bath house or a modern-day fashion magazine.  I also appreciate movies that make me think a little bit while being entertained.  I am a particular sucker for movies about work and what we dedicate our lives to.  Having gone through the process of leaving a job I hated, I sympathize with characters that are sucked into workaholism and modern cubicle despair.    This can take the form of a comedy or a more somber drama.  You can see this theme in almost all of my choices-characters who struggle with what to dedicate their life too and who they are inside.  They struggle with how to live- what is the best life?  I enjoy that discovery.

So here goes- the top 13 in no particular order:

1. About a Boy- Touching and funny movie about a near-do-well who learns to be unselfish through befriending a young boy and his mom.

2. Spirited Away- Visually stunning animated film from Hiyao Miyazaki.  I dare you to guess what is coming next.  There is everything from a giant baby, to a paper dragon, to a witch that turns into a bird.  So creative!

3. Enron:  The Smartest Guys in the Room- Fascinating documentary about the rise and fall of Enron.  Amazing how one little rationalization, followed by another, really will lead a man carefully down to Hell.

4. Best in Show- Hilarious mockumentary about the Westminster dog show.  All of Guest’s movies are funny but this is my favorite.  I think because I am not an animal person I find those that are funny.

5. Pixar movies- Ok. I know this is lame but I couldn’t decide.  They are all so great.  Since 2000 Pixar has made Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, the Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Walle and Up.  I especially like how there is no hamming it up to the camera and adult humor like the Shrek movies.  I hate that.

6. Slumdog Millionaire- I’ve never been to India but my aunt and uncle said Slumdog is a reasonably accurate depiction of the slums.  It feels so real while watching.  It is brutal and beautiful at the same time.  My favorite part is how the two lead characters maintain their innocence and love despite the chaos surrounding them.  I’ve seen this movie 4 times and each time I leave feeling inspired and comforted, which is suprising given some of the tough scenes.

7. Hairspray- While I have loved the return of  musicals in the last few years most of them have been on the raunchy side.  Finally Hairspray was the musical I’d been waiting for.  Its  music is catchy and will make you smile.  I just love it.

8. Walk the Line- Even as a conventional bio-pic I enjoy Walk the Line.  I love the music and how it brings June and Johnny Cash together.  Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are great.  I particularly like the scenes where Johnny goes on the “June Carter love walk” and she turns him down!  Great movie!

9. Devil Wears Prada- Funny and interesting movie about the modern work-world.  I like that Meryl Streep’s character is cruel but honest in her cruelty.  She knows that the fashion business is about making money and that is what is important to her.  Money and fashion are her life and in many ways that is sad. While I do think there can be a balance between career and family, it is tough.  DWP asks how much are we willing to give up for success? How much will we change to achieve it? Plus, there are some great lines like “One more stomach flu and I’ll be at my ideal dress size!”

10. Stranger than Fiction- Another great movie about work.  Will Farrell plays a man who starts hearing a narrator in his head.  This voice describes what he is doing and how he feels about it.  However, it becomes  disturbing when the voice predicts Farrell’s death.  Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are great.  Wonderful movie that makes you think about your life choices and what a narrator would say about them. Also, would our lives make a good book? If no, is that necessarily a bad thing?

11. Breach- Great suspenseful movie of the undercover operation that brought down Robert Hanson an FBI agent who sold secrets to the Soviets for over 20 years before he was caught.  The acting is top notch- particularly Chris Cooper as the complicated Hanson.  On one hand, we hate him but on another we get a glimpse of why he did it.  He wanted to be smarter than everyone else in the FBI.  He was tired of being marginalized and ignored.  Who can’t relate to that? Very exciting and interesting movie.

12. Dan in Real Life-  A simple movie I love.  It is funny, the kids are great and the story is touching.  It is about a widower played by Steve Carrell who writes a nearly-syndicated  parenting column.  Meanwhile his 3 daughters are all struggling.  I felt I could relate to the family dynamics in the story and again it asks the question- “What are you doing with life? and Why does your life matter?” I also like they kept the family chaos to a realistic non-slapstick level (for the most part at least).

13. Juno- I know the dialogue can be a bit glib, but I don’t care.  Juno is about a high school know-it-all who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption.  It is the most pro-adoption movie I have seen in a long time, and I don’t think it glamorizes teen pregnancy as some have claimed.  Juno learns that she isn’t quite as smart as she once thought and this new humility comes with some hard-taught lessons.

So there it is.  My top movies of the decade.  Maybe there will be something in the next few months as amazing and have to be added to the list.  Hopefully!  I will be curious for your favorites.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix, (born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a film actor, musician, and occasional rapper. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he lived for the first 4 years of his childhood. His family then moved to the continental United States, where he was raised. Among the many places in which he lived, because of his family’s frequent moving, were Mexico and various countries in South America. Phoenix is from a family of performers which includes his older brother, the late River Phoenix. Phoenix has ventured behind the camera, directing music videos as well as producing movies and television shows, and has recorded an album, the soundtrack to Walk the Line. He is also known for his work as a social activist, particularly as an advocate for animal rights. On October 27, 2008, he announced his retirement from film in order to focus on his rapping career.

Trivia:

Took his mother to the premiere of Gladiator (2000).

Was born Joaquin Rafael, but at the age of four he decided that he wanted a more earthy name, like his elder siblings River and Rain, so while he was raking leaves with his father he decided on Leaf. In the early ’90s he took back his birth name.

Brother of River Phoenix, Summer Phoenix, Rain Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix

His first name is pronounced “WAA-keen”

Once refused to wear shoes during a photo shoot for Prada because they were made out of leather.

He is a strict vegan. He refuses to wear any costumes made out of animal skin. For the movie Gladiator (2000), Quills (2000) and Walk the Line (2005), among others, he requested that his “leather” costumes be made from synthetic materials.

Was born on same day, year and city as Dayanara Torres.

Resides in New York City in the same apartment building as best friend Casey Affleck and sister Summer Phoenix and director Gus Van Sant.

Took his mother to the Academy Awards. [2001]

Joaquin’s mother is of Hungarian-Russian decent and his father is of Spanish-Irish decent.

Is a spokesperson for PETA.

Became an uncle again after sister, Summer Phoenix, gave birth to Indiana August Affleck (2004).

Uncle of Liberty Phoenix’s children Rio Everest, Indigo Orion and another boy, and Summer Phoenix’s son Indiana August.

Contrary to popular belief, the scar on his lip is not the result of a repaired cleft lip or palate. It is simply a birth mark. Phoenix has stated in interviews that, while pregnant with him, his mother felt a sharp pain one day, and he was born with a mark on his lip.

Shares a birthday with actress Julia Roberts.

Spoke Spanish as a small child but forgot most of it as he got older.

Reportedly never reads his own press or reviews.

Checked himself into rehab to be treated for alcoholism in early April 2005.

Phoenix is half a foot shorter than the real Johnny Cash was, although he plays him in Walk the Line (2005).

Did his own vocals on the Walk the Line (2005) soundtrack.

26 January 2006 – Escaped injury after his car overturned. The crash reportedly was caused by brake failure.

Phoenix was in car accident January 2006 on a winding canyon road that flipped his car over. Shaken and confused, Phoenix heard a tapping on his window and a voice say, “Just relax”. Unable to see the man, Phoenix replied, “I’m fine. I am relaxed”. Then managed to see that the man was famed, eccentric German auteur Werner Herzog, and Herzog replied, ‘No, you’re not’. After helping Phoenix out of the wreckage, Herzog phoned in an ambulance and vanished.

He and his brother have both appeared in film series that involved Harrison Ford. River Phoenix played the young Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Ford’s son in The Mosquito Coast (1986). Joaquin is among those being considered to play John Clarke in the Jack Ryan spin-off Without Remorse (2011), a character that Willem Dafoe played opposite Ford in Clear and Present Danger (1994).

Often brings his mother or any of his three sisters as his date to movie premieres or award shows.

He and River Phoenix are the first brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards.

Favorite authors include Tennessee Williams, Rainer Maria Rilke and Hubert Selby Jr..

Rides a Ducati motorcycle and a yellow ‘72 Le Mans.

Joaquin has been nominated for 3 categories in the Music Video Production Association Awards (2006), Directorial Debut, Direction of a New Artist, and Adult Contemporary.

Brother-in-law and best friend of Casey Affleck.

Invited to join AMPAS in 2006.

In his diner scene with Sean Penn in U Turn (1997) the song “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash starts playing. Years later, Joaquin played Cash in Walk the Line (2005).

Owns two cats.

Close friends with Matt Damon.

Close friends with Vince Vaughn.

Kate Winslet calls him the best actor of his generation.

Is of Russian, Spanish and Hungarian heritage.

Was friends with Heath Ledger.

Announced his retirement from acting and said that Two Lovers (2008) would be his last movie as an actor. [October 2008]

Won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for Walk the Line (2005).

My attempt to restore some dignity to the Romans has failed, as the emperor himself emerged to take away my stuffie and put a stop to my efforts to get a nice game of fetch going.  It looks as if I will not get the chance to chase the Chuckit ball, or even go for a nice walk. Or will I?

Returning to his position in the stands, the emperor commands that the gladiatorial combat recommence:

However, Maximus has crafted a plan to free us from the emperor’s domination. I have no idea what the plan is, but fervently hope it involves finally throwing the Chuckit ball.

Then the brutal game resumes … or does it?

Then, at the last moment, Maximus pivots and flings the Chuckit ball into the stands, directly at the emperor!

With my well-developed flyball muscles, and in my eagerness to catch the ball, I easily make it to the emperor’s box in a few bounds, before he or his guards have time to react!

Even one as corrupt and evil as this emperor cannot resist the influence of vizsla kisses, and he soon has a change of heart about his barbaric enterprise here in the Colosseum.

With my work here done, I bid farewell to my new flyball-playing friends and return to the Doghouse of Justice, where I once again set a course for the present day. Hopefully this time the damaged machinery will work properly, and return me to the correct place and time. But if not, I will deal with whatever comes next; because I am Dennis the Vizsla, and I never give up.

You might think this is a slightly odd entry.  And lets be honest they have not been the sanest selection in the world so far I have gone over the edge after a mild outbreak of what I suspect is Sarrs (Does anyone remember Sarrs? I  think I am the only who remembers the potentially devastating but completely useless super virus).  Anyway, tonight due to the sudden epidemic in FilmWipe HQ we are going to do a rundown of the scores so far.  This is so that you good people who hang on my every word can see where we’re at and see which film is where.  It will be a rocky road but you can see how far we have come in such a short period of time.

In reverse order:

Dorian Gray: 1/10 – Only avoiding a zero due to my desire not to give it infamy.

Good: 1/10

The Invention of Lying: 1/10 – Suicidal

The Aryan Couple: 2/10 – No Comment

Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars: 2/10 – Poor

Artificial Intelligence: 2/10 Weak

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: 4/10

Bleeder: 4/10 – No Comment

12:08 East of Bucharest : 4/10 Un-revolutionary

Blood: The last vampire: 5/10 –  No Comment

I Love You Man: 6/10 – an 8 when Segel is on screen

Away We Go: 6/10 – Pleasant

The Damned United: 7/10 – No Comment

Broken Embraces: 7/10 – Delightful

Walk the Line: 7/10 – No Comment

Defiance: 7/10 Interesting

JCVD: 7/10 Slick

Slumdog Millionaire: 8/10 – Spellbinding

Forces of Nature: 8/10 – Terrible yet brilliant

Science of Sleep: 8/10

Up: 8/10 – Spellbinding

Strawberry and Chocolate: 8/10

Let The Right One In: 9/10 – Best film of the year

Allegro: 9/10 – Enchanting

District 9: 9/10 –  No Comment

OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies: 9/10 – No Comment

Infernal Affairs: 9/10 – No Comment

Desperado: Score off the scale

Fish Tank: Score Not Included

As you can see from our extensive list the worst film so far has been the Ben Barnes classic Dorian Gray. While the best films so far have been Desperado, Fish Tank and Infernal Affairs. What a first month it has been for FilmWipe.  Hopefully we will be roasting more celebrities and terrible films over the hot coals.

Due to a malfunction in the Doghouse of Justice, I have found myself in ancient Rome, unwitting thrust into the role of gladiator. Now I must entertain the crowd and stay alive long enough to escape and return to the present time, while, in the meantime, I instigate a slave revolt.  In other words, it’s just another typical day in the office.

As the bloody gladiatorial combat rages, I attempt to bring these crazed humans to their senses. Why should we fight and hack and pinch each other, when there are so many other ways we could entertain the crowd instead? Why should we pander to the debased nature of the spectators, instead of trying to uplift them?

To my surprise, the leader of the gladiators hears my words, and considers them! Could I be changing the barbaric course of ancient Rome? And if so, what will it mean to the present that I knew?

Unfortunately, the crowd will not be denied its bloodsport.

And then, the crowd falls silent, as the Emperor himself comes out into the arena to challenge us:

It seems that my efforts to counteract the barbarity of the ring has brought down the ire of the most powerful man in the world upon us. I can only imagine what punishment now awaits! But I will endure it somehow, because I am Dennis the Vizsla, and I never give up!

The creation of a new motion picture film is a rarity in this increasingly digital world. But the true chemical reaction can differentiate itself in terms of what it can accomplish both in shadows and in light. The demo tests highlighted at Fuji Film’s launch of their new Vivid Film 500 & 160 as seen through the eyes of three different cinematographers portray different inclinations that sometimes digital just can’t provide in raw form.

The first was Phedon Papamichael who was the DP on “Sideways”, “Walk The Line” and “3:10 To Yuma” and is currently in pre-production on the adaptation of “Bioshock”. His use of the film was in capturing the contrast in terms of shooting a wide vista background of a salt flat set up as a raceway. His intention was to shoot, in the first part of the short subject, the elements of skin tone in highlight without the use of reflectives. As the progression continues, the aspect that the film can pick up the clarity of the interior of an Airstream (without fill light except for the vehicle’s internal practicals) is quite brilliant. As the short takes us into dusk where the race girls end up dancing with the spirits of Indians with fire reflection, Papamichael points out the details inherent in magic hour using mostly only the available light except for the fill on one shot with a 10K. A later shot with a girl’s face lighted only by the reflection of fire with very little grain shows the practical application of the film in terms of shoot and capture.

The second demo piece however shot by Kramer Morgenthau who the DP on “The Express” and “Fracture” truly highlights the potential of the film especially in a true, stylized setting. In an aspect that both David Fincher and Brian De Palma would be proud of, Kramer captures an almost noir setting based on the stories of the murder of models. The first element which is shot in an underground basement-type situation seems to drip with moisture. The brightness of the action is lit almost all by practicals and flashlights. It looks beautiful. The fact with the film that you can see the sharpness of a muted green on the floor is stellar. The action transitions to a large operatic theater which uses fill light and halos which cause a separation of a couple stops. The film still is able to capture the intrinsic details without overcoming sharp lines or narrow softness. The only variable is if these tests were touched through a digital intermediate at all. If not, this is some damn fine spot work on the part of this DP. Even a rain soaked car dripping with the pelting of the drops has fine detail inside lit only by a soft kino. This is truly the piece that sells the ability of the film because through deep color correction on digital you can get the blacks in the frame to this point but it is nowhere near as organic.

The final demo test piece was shot by Dion Beebe who was the DP on “Collateral” and “Miami Vice” (in digital for Michael Mann) and “Memoirs Of A Geisha”, “Chicago” and the upcoming “Nine” (on film for Ron Marshall). In actuality, Beebe tried to push the stops on the film with varying degrees of success. Like certain elements of both sides of his DP work, some things work and some things don’t. For example, the boat scene to Cuba in “Miami Vice” is edgy, raw and beautiful to watch but some of the scenes on the roofs of downtown in the cusp of thunderstorms in Miami are very grainy and uneven in digital. By comparison, certain elements by him on film can be seen as well with “Chicago” using heavy diffusion effects while “Geisha” was situated unbelievably with its use of color. The test here using shadows lines at the beginning is testing the boundaries of the film but is too busy. When the blues on a wall behind a model are overlit to the point of blowout, it seemingly takes away from the subtleties that this film stock can do. Overlighting on this particular type of film is not as intrinsic as either natural outside light or even better sharp but brief practicals. The low lights of the last shots of a car as it drives towards us on an embankment seem soft with the use of oranges whereas the second test using the soft greens and blacks fares much better.

The great thing about these type of demos is that you can physically see what the film can do in its raw state. With the Fuji chemical engineers on hand to hear responses on the essence of what the film does as well as Beebe and Kramer physically discussing the possibilities and questions themselves on what the potential in what it does is, the continuing and necessary evolution of organic film as a medium lives on.

It is possible to do a pitch-perfect version of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” in Spanish (via @ericnwhub). What’s more, Ol’ Blue Eyes took My Way from a French dude. But only Johnny Cash can do “Walk the Line,” even when it’s in German.

My subscription to Entertainment Weekly began in July 2003 when my family became members of Blockbuster Video.  They extended a free trial, and I loved looking at it so much that my mom began paying for a subscription.  I often saved them and cut pictures of movies out of them.  I stored the cut-outs in an old Nike shoebox.  On occasion, I would take similarly themed clippings and put them together in a collage which hung on my wall.  I recall creating a Star Wars, Walk the Line, and a Reese Witherspoon collage, who was then my favorite Hollywood star to drool over.

Đây là một trong những bộ phim ca nhạc mà tôi thích nhất. Walk the line kể về cuộc đời của ca sĩ nổi tiếng  Johnny Cash và nữ ca sĩ June Carter. Cả 2 gặp nhau trong những chuyến lưu diễn và đã lưu diễn chung. Lúc đó cả 2 đều gặp trục trặc và tan vỡ trong hôn nhân. Johnny Cash cũng có một khoảng thời gian dài khủng hoảng và phải vào tù vì dùng ma túy. Nhưng tình yêu với  June đã giúp  Johnny trở lại với âm nhạc. Họ có một buổi trình diễn ở nhà tù nơi Johnny thi hành án. Và năm đó số lượng đĩa nhạc bán ra của họ đã qua mặt cả The Beatles.

Sau những tháng ngày sóng gió. Họ đến với nhau. Dành những ngày còn lại để câu cá, lưu diễn và chăm sóc con cái… Sau này là cháu chắt

Walk the line là tên một bài hát của Johnny Cash sáng tác năm 1956, sau này biểu diễn chung với June Carter

Bộ phim walk the line năm 2005 đã mang về cho nữ diễn viên Reese Witherspoon  giải oscar cho nữ diễn viên xuất sắc nhất với vai June Carter. Diễn viên Joaquin Phoenix- diễn viên có cái môi sứt nhếch ấn tượng trong vai Johnny Cash.

Còn đây là 2 nhân vật thật ngoài đời

Bài walk the line kết thúc dễ thương:

…You’ve got a way to keep me on your side.

You give me cause for love that I can’t hide.

For you I know I’d even try to turn the tide.

Because you’re mine, I walk the line.

//

We watched the movie “Walk the Line” today, about Johnny Cash’s life.  It was tragic to almost the very end.  Life on the road took its toll on his marriage.  He turned to alcohol and drugs to keep going.  Broken relationships, fits of rage, highs then lows, then deep regret.  This seemed to be the cycle for him.  Along the way he met June Carter, whom he fell in love with (even while still married).  She kept her distance – for the most part – and he sunk further down into despair and addiction.  When he had just about reached the lowest of his lows, June and her parents decided to help.  They threw out his drugs and stayed with him at his house while he went through terrible withdrawals.  They even scared off the visiting drug dealer with a shotgun.  When Johnny finally came through and was in his right mind, he sat weakly in the bed on the verge of tears and told June,

Johnny:  You’re an angel.
June: No, I’m not.
Johnny: You’ve been there with me.
June: I had a friend who needed help. You’re my friend.
Johnny: But I’ve done so many bad things.
June: You’ve done a few, that’s true.
Johnny: My Daddy’s right. It should have been me on that saw. Jack (his brother) was so good. He would have done so many good things. What have I done? Just hurt everybody I know. I know I’ve hurt you. I’m nothin’.
June: You’re not nothin’. You are not nothin’. You’re a good man, and God has given you a second chance to make things right, John. This is your chance, honey.

“This is your chance.”  What a sweet moment in the story – I was so moved.  How true that is for all of us and how true for so many who haven’t even heard it yet!  How many people are out there feeling like they’ve messed up so much they’re nothing…worth nothing.  So many of them don’t have a friend like June to stay with them anyway and tell them God believes in them and is giving them another chance.

Johnny made good on that chance.  The next scene shows him reading fan letters, many from prisoners.  All of them saying in one way or another how Johnny’s music made them feel better, they could tell he meant what he was singing, and so on.  Johnny had spent a short time in prison after a drug bust.  He had an idea. He cleaned up and went back to his record company, telling them he was going to record a live concert at the Folsom Prison.  They balked at the idea.  One of the execs even said, “Your fans are church folk, Johnny. Christians. They don’t wanna hear you singing to a bunch of murderers and rapists, tryin’ to cheer ‘em up” to which Johnny replied, “Well, they’re not Christians then.”

He went to the prison and sang songs about being in prison, being in trouble, his brushes with the law.  The men cheered, laughed and smiled.  He was relating to them and by being there, telling them they were worth his time, worth singing to, worth a second chance.

I’ve been wrestling with the fact that the number of people passionate about sharing Jesus with people are the minority in America’s churches…not the way I dream of it happening.  There are some great things happening, don’t get me wrong, but it seems the majority is stuck in a rut or drowning in complacency.  It seems so much of our time as a church is just being together and enjoying one another.  That’s fun and good but it can’t be it!

Why is it that we’re not sharing or telling people?  Why is it that we’re not so on fire to let people in on the free gift from Jesus that we’ll risk our lives, like Christians do all the time in other countries?  Are we merely distracted by all the fun stuff in our culture, by all the other things there are to do?  Are we just selfish?  Are we lazy?  I’m including myself in the “we” – just so you know.

I think the biggest reason we’re not consumed with our mission is that we have lost sight of how valuable the gift is.  We have forgotten what Jesus has really done for us.  We don’t appreciate it fully.  We don’t remember its value.  We don’t remember the bad things we’ve done and how Jesus loved us even then and died for us anyway.  We have to remember that God doesn’t play favorites.  As glad as He is about the people that know him, He doesn’t love us more.  He wants all the people to know Him and be close to Him.

So many empty people, hurting, disillusioned people, discouraged and lost people everywhere you look.  I’m praying God will give me ideas on how to get to know some of them.  I honestly don’t know what to do.  I work in a Christian office with a small staff of three people, in a Christian building.  I serve at my church a lot.  We live in an apartment neighborhood with transient families that we rarely see outside their doors.

I hear of these awesome creative ideas some people have but I need God to give me something that works for me and my personality, in my particular community.  What should we do as a church, too?  I’m clueless and sometimes the thought of it, as pastor and pastor’s wife is overwhelming.  It seems a daunting task to try and stir up everyone’s hearts so they WANT to share Jesus.  I know God’s Spirit is the only one that can really do that.  It seems before we can all band together as a church on mission, we have to each start at square one:  knowing/seeing how precious Jesus’ gift is, truly accepting it for ourselves, and then praying God will use us to tell people, “This is your chance.”

God help us!  Open our eyes!  Forgive us for withholding or just looking the other way!  Forgive us for just enjoying one another’s company and letting that be enough.  Forgive me.  Keep stirring up my heart, but along with that, God, I need some direction and ideas.  Then I’m going to need boldness and help obeying You.  Thank you for giving me my chance, and another one, and another.

© copyright Michele Klotz 2009

Hmmm ... Joaquin's level of craziness must be directly proportionate to his amount of facial hair.

Now that the furor over Joaquin Phoenix’s recent attempts to outdo the Unabomber in terms of sheer weirdness and facial hair has subsided, we fans are left with a few nagging questions. Should we have seen this breakdown coming? Were there context clues along the way that we missed? One day, will we look back at his stunts — and, most memorably, that awkward Letterman appearance — with the same kind of “hindsight’s-a-megabitch” pained insight we feel for “The Sixth Sense”?

Eh, who knows. It’s hard to make sense of this undeniably talented actor’s antics — best to let them run their course. Maybe they have. In the meantime, many one-time Joaquin fans are bailing on this sinking ship. And they’re not wrong. Maybe he’s an egotistical kook looking to become a Personality, someone on par with Howard Hughes. Maybe, after a relatively short career of not that many movies, he’s just not worth the trouble.

But me? I’m not giving up hope yet. The fact that Joaquin has range and enormous talent as an actor cannot be disputed. Once this phase passes, it will be a blip on the radar, a Chris Gaines fiasco that got too much press for no good reason. And we’ll all laugh heartily.

Until then, though, let’s remind ourselves of the good ole’ days, when Joaquin gave us these 10 fiery, pathetic, wickedly lovable, charming and utterly unforgettable characters:

1. Ray Elwood, “Buffalo Soldiers” – Shelving and reshelving on “Buffalo Soldiers” after 9/11 assured that almost no one could see Joaquin work his magic as Ray Elwood, the cynical, opportunistic “guy who gets things” — be it heroin or a truckload of heavy artillery — on an army base in 1989 Berlin. What a shame, for this is his defining moment as an actor. He makes Ray one hell of a sly, fast-talking antihero for the ages.

2. Commodus, “Gladiator” — Let’s agree to move past this unfortunate name? Done. Great, now let’s talk about Joaquin’s performance, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2001. There aren’t many times we get to see the insecurities beneath a villain’s rampaging, unchecked id. Joaquin gives us a bad guy as squeamish, insecure and fearful as he is dangerous. Brilliant.

3. Johnny Cash, “Walk the Line” — Does Joaquin look like Johnny Cash? Have the same rumbling, churning voice? Maybe not, but he has what really matters: the wounded yet sure-footed presence that made the Man in Black a legend. Joaquin, always one to put his stamp on a role, creates not a copy but a tribute, and that makes this role one of this best.

4. The Abbe du Coulmier, “Quills” — That Joaquin can do damaged, conflicted and dark is obvious. But what we didn’t know is that he could make a forlorn, wimpy priest who sodomizes, well, a corpse a sympathetic character. (Believe it.) It’s the kind of thing you have to see to understand. Joaquin pulls it off somehow, giving us perhaps the most unlikely romantic in movie history. 

Too cool for porn: Joaquin as Max California in "8MM."

5. Max California, “8MM” — Joaquin has a way of stealing movies that don’t belong to him. Witness his funny and inexplicably moving turn as Max California, a smartass porn shop worker who provides Nicholas Cage a way into the underground abyss of snuff films. He’s easily the best thing about this otherwise dour, grim film, and his performance leaves you shaken.

6. Lewis McBride, “Return to Paradise” – It’s been said there are no small parts, just small actors. Joaquin drives that one home, and hard, as Lewis McBride, who wastes away in a Malaysian prison while the two strangers he shared hashish with go home unscathed. Watching him unravel bit by bit is painful, but Joaquin makes Lewis’ tragedy so compelling (re: not melodramatic) that you can’t look away.

7. Merrill Hess, “Signs” — “Signs” runs a close second to “Sixth Sense” as my favorite M. Night Shyamalan film, and Joaquin’s Merrill Hess is a big reason why. Who but J.P. could take a popular high school jock who can’t quit reliving his glory days and make him broken-down, reflective and comically self-aware? This is a classic Joaquin move — give him what could be a flat part, and he’ll do beautiful things with it.

Joaquin as Ethan Learner in "Reservation Road."

8. Ethan Learner, “Reservation Road” — Bachelors rarely pull off the concerned parent routine in movies. (Just ask John Cusack about “Martian Child.”) But Joaquin is nothing in a movie if not nakedly emotional, so his Ethan Learner, whose son is killed in a hit-and-run, is the kind of walking wound you can’t ignore. This is Joaquin at his most wounded, and his performance will haunt you for days.

9. Jimmy Emmett, “To Die For” — People have remarked that all Joaquin really does in this marvelously black comedy is play a dumb high school kid. That’s accurate — to a point. He takes it a little farther than that, making Jimmy, who falls for a blonde TV personality and agrees to off her husband, endearingly clueless and menacing in equal measure. It’s a small part, but it has sticking power.

10. Clay Bidwell, “Clay Pigeons” – To be honest, “Clay Pigeons” belongs to Vince Vaughn, who plays funny-creepy-serial killer a teensy bit too well. But Joaquin registers impressively as the ineffectual but well-meaning Clay, a doofy Everyman who gets swept up into the bizarro web of a murderer (Vaughn) and can’t wriggle his way out. That he doesn’t disappear by the scenery Vaughn chews up is a testament to Joaquin’s talent.

(Note: If ole’ Joaq had it in his head to give people just enough roles to make a top 10 list, then he succeeded. Because truth be told, by the end there I’d gotten to the algae and gunk and crystallized remains left at the bottom of a dry well.)

Mmm äntligen hemma, GÖTT! Nu sitter jag med min bonusfamilj och tittar på Walk the line som är en helt fantastisk film! Snart dags att knoppa in.. Jag och Mads säger Go Natt nu så ses vi imorrn!

Guten natcht! haha ytterligare ett exempel på min dåliga tyska!

So this is the image that started it all for me.

I was a recent grad when I saw this poster, and instantly wanted to know who came up with it.  I’m a huge fan of that propaganda style, and naturally gravitated towards Sheppard’s work.  Since then he’s gone onto HUGE success most recently with the Obama print.  I heard a rumor that he actually had the piece from the recent election in the smithsonian? 

He’s a fantastic artist, and thought it would be fitting that my first post on design would’ve been about him.  OBEY

I’m a little lazy today, but I have a ton of great pictures I want to post. Enjoy the randomness!

Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard

Chloe Sevigny

Mary-Kate Olsen

James Franco

Erin Wasson

Milla Jovovich (post to follow for sure)

Sienna Miller at a summer festival

Zoe Kravitz and Olivia Thirlby (who was great in "The Wackness")

Hayden Christensen

June and Johhny played by the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon

Kate Moss

Photos: tumblr.com, mustardisthenewblack.com, visualize.us

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