Wednesday, June 30, 2004
A Dangerous Question
The Letter N writes in raed and the Irani:
"i am against militarization of all kinds, especially the nuclear sort. and you wont be surprised to hear that i am not crazy about the idea that such weapons would be at the disposal of the highly volatile and contested iranian regime.Iran looks at what Bush did to Iraq and what he didn't do to North Korea. Sounds like a no brainer to me. If the American people show the good sense to send Bush back to Texas this November, then John Kerry's challenge will be to defuse this dangerous situation.
However, we do live in a time where certain countries not only brazenly invade sovereign nations in clear violation of international law, but also expect those formerly independent nations to become permanent military bases for the invaders, to ultimately pay for the invasion from their natural resources (not to mention with their blood), and to be grateful and humble to boot.
so given this, yes, you are right, from the point of view of the iranian government who witnessed what happened to iraq despite its cooperation with the teams of inspectors who were poking in every nook and cranny for years, it is in fact a rational act of self defense to end cooperation with inspectors and pursue nuclear weapons.
of course you wont hear me say that i think it is a good idea for them to do so.
but if for a moment i distance myself from my views on the current iranian regime and shift the focus to the iranian people--each time i think of the possibility of cluster bombs dropped on civilians, foreign soldiers protecting our oil fields while our ancient relics are looted and destroyed, an occupation army which gleefully rapes and humiliates teenage boys and young men raped and humiliated, or jerks emailing me lectures on 'collateral damage' and the 'costs of freedom'--i find myself closer to the idea that the iranian regime has not just the right but the duty to protect its citizens from the onslaught of invaders who have as much regards for international law and human rights as does the regime itself."
Monday, June 28, 2004
F9/11 commentary
Juan Cole has an interesting commentary on Fahrenheit 9/11. He disagrees with Moore's arguments on the Bush-Saudi connection, but he appreciates the opportunity to hear from average Iraqis.
It struck me during the second half how seldom one sees in mainstream US media any extended interviews with Iraqis who vehemently oppose the US occupation. Since these are probably by now a solid majority, according to polls, it is odd that we never hear from that point of view. There is an undertone of patriotism or even nationalism to national American news that is peculiar if one looks at the industrialized democracies in Europe, e.g.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Recent DVDs
Ma vie en rose 4/5
An interesting French film about young children and the struggle for gender identity. American audiences might find this film controversial, but I found it alternately sweet and heart rending. Seven year old Ludovic sees himself as a girl and can't quite understand why others don't share this perception. The story takes us through some very real struggles and hard times for both Ludovic and his family as they attempt to cope with a very homophobic environment. The parents make mistakes and at times treat Ludovic in an absolutely beastly manner, but we always understand why they behave as they do, and in the end both Ludovic and his family find a measure of acceptance for who they are. Excellent acting from young Georges Du Fresne.
Touching the Void 4/5
This true story about a mountain climb gone badly wrong is a fascinating human story from beginning to end. Joe and Simon were two young British mountaineers looking to "climb the world". They wanted not only ascents that had never been done before, but ones that had been attempted and failed, because that "proved they were difficult". In 1985 they ascended the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes and reached the top with incredibly little difficulty. Coming down was another matter. Joe suffers a badly broken leg in a fall, and Simon begins the arduous task of lowering Joe down the mountain. Things go from bad to worse, and Joe is left hanging by a rope over a cliff while Simon attempts to stay anchored in the snow even as it is giving way under him. At this point Simon, realizing that they both are likely to die, cuts the rope. Yet they both survive, and we follow the suspenseful tale as they separately attempt against all odds to make it safely off the mountain. When I first heard about this film, I thought it was going to be focused on the moral dilemma of saving yourself or another, but this is really not the case. If Simon had not cut the rope, they probably both would have died then and there. Instead we have an amazing story about the triumph of the human will.
Bastard out of Carolina 5/5
I saw this film primarily primarily because it was based on a story by Dorothy Allison, who wrote the novel that inspired Cavedweller, which I recently saw at the Seattle International Film Festival. This film features some women whose cinematic work I've really enjoyed over the years. Anjelica Huston directed, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jena Malone turns in a dynamite debut performance. The film deals with issues of class discrimination and domestic abuse without becoming overly moralistic. Some terrific performances and a story of the struggle to go on despite the rather bad hand life has dealt you.
An interesting French film about young children and the struggle for gender identity. American audiences might find this film controversial, but I found it alternately sweet and heart rending. Seven year old Ludovic sees himself as a girl and can't quite understand why others don't share this perception. The story takes us through some very real struggles and hard times for both Ludovic and his family as they attempt to cope with a very homophobic environment. The parents make mistakes and at times treat Ludovic in an absolutely beastly manner, but we always understand why they behave as they do, and in the end both Ludovic and his family find a measure of acceptance for who they are. Excellent acting from young Georges Du Fresne.
Touching the Void 4/5
This true story about a mountain climb gone badly wrong is a fascinating human story from beginning to end. Joe and Simon were two young British mountaineers looking to "climb the world". They wanted not only ascents that had never been done before, but ones that had been attempted and failed, because that "proved they were difficult". In 1985 they ascended the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes and reached the top with incredibly little difficulty. Coming down was another matter. Joe suffers a badly broken leg in a fall, and Simon begins the arduous task of lowering Joe down the mountain. Things go from bad to worse, and Joe is left hanging by a rope over a cliff while Simon attempts to stay anchored in the snow even as it is giving way under him. At this point Simon, realizing that they both are likely to die, cuts the rope. Yet they both survive, and we follow the suspenseful tale as they separately attempt against all odds to make it safely off the mountain. When I first heard about this film, I thought it was going to be focused on the moral dilemma of saving yourself or another, but this is really not the case. If Simon had not cut the rope, they probably both would have died then and there. Instead we have an amazing story about the triumph of the human will.
Bastard out of Carolina 5/5
I saw this film primarily primarily because it was based on a story by Dorothy Allison, who wrote the novel that inspired Cavedweller, which I recently saw at the Seattle International Film Festival. This film features some women whose cinematic work I've really enjoyed over the years. Anjelica Huston directed, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jena Malone turns in a dynamite debut performance. The film deals with issues of class discrimination and domestic abuse without becoming overly moralistic. Some terrific performances and a story of the struggle to go on despite the rather bad hand life has dealt you.
F9/11 Ratings
IMDB ratings for F9/11 are very interesting. Currently the weighted average is 7.5, but 63.1% give it a 10 (highest score) and 22.1% give it a 1 (lowest score). Very bimodal, very polarized, but I guess that reflects the American electorate this time around. Click the link above and cast you vote.
Bicycling to Capitol Hill on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon
I've been lazy lately. I used to ride my bicycle to work almost every day and run a lot of errands by bike. Somehow over the last year, it's just seemed to easy to drive, and it's been a year of turning inward and frankly doing a lot of moping and feeling sorry for myself. But hey, sometimes you just have to spend a year getting drunk every night. Lately, though, I've been feeling a need to change. A few weeks ago I decided to take a vacation from alcohol, and for the most part I have. I went out for fish and chips with J & P after seeing F9/11 yesterday, and Guinness sounded really nice, so I had a pint. It was good, and I caught a little buzz, but I didn't particularly feel like any more. The previous evening I spent some time with my ex, which usually leaves me wanting to get drunk, but I went home and went to sleep instead. All in all I think I'm finding a healthier relationship with alcohol.
Today I decided to hop on my bike and head up to Capitol Hill and hang at the Aurafice. My hill climbing sucks, and I now need some weeks of remedial riding just to get back to being sort of in shape. Good weather forecast for all of next week, so we'll see if I work up the motivation to ride to work. It was a nice time to be riding on Capitol Hill. The Pride Parade was happening on Broadway, streets were blocked off, and traffic was crawling. Nice day to ride around stopped traffic and run stop signs. So it's an afternoon of iced mochas, people watching, blog entries, and listening to the music from the band across the street. Hoping to see M & R later today.
Today I decided to hop on my bike and head up to Capitol Hill and hang at the Aurafice. My hill climbing sucks, and I now need some weeks of remedial riding just to get back to being sort of in shape. Good weather forecast for all of next week, so we'll see if I work up the motivation to ride to work. It was a nice time to be riding on Capitol Hill. The Pride Parade was happening on Broadway, streets were blocked off, and traffic was crawling. Nice day to ride around stopped traffic and run stop signs. So it's an afternoon of iced mochas, people watching, blog entries, and listening to the music from the band across the street. Hoping to see M & R later today.
Freedom Burns
Several topics to write about this weekend, but I really must begin with Fahrenheit 9/11. I saw it Saturday afternoon with J & P at the Bella Bottega in Redmond. I might have preferred to see it at the Neptune in the U District, but it was close to J & P's apartment, and I was interested in how audiences reacted in the burbs. We saw the 1:50pm show, the theatre was full, and the audience applauded at the end. Obviously a gathering of the faithful, although in a year of "playing to the base" this film may have a great impact even if that's all it does.
It's no secret that Michael Moore has often been accused on bias and sensationalism if not downright lying. I think Michael is pretty careful with his facts, and I've heard that his fact checkers have been busy on F9/11. On the other hand I must admit the facts are carefully picked to create the biggest impact for the message he's delivering. Given the political climate in America for the last twenty five years or so, I think Michael is entirely justified in doing this.
Slacktivist relates how when Bush (41) took office, his predecessor, Ronald Reagan, "was a man of enormous charisma who had presided over years of economic expansion and was beloved by a majority of Americans. But he was also deeply distrusted and hated by about a third of the country because of eight long years of demonizing attacks". He then applies the same description to Bush (43)'s predecessor Bill Clinton.
I don't think Bush and the Republicans can very credibly accuse others of lying. We've heard a lot of semantic arguments about the difference between "connections" and "collaboration" and between "imminent" and "immediate", but Matthew Yglesias argues:
After it became clear that the 9/11 attacks were the work if Osama bin Laden and that 15 of the high jackers were Saudi citizens, it seemed obvious to me that the appropriate action was to lean on the Saudis and the bin Laden family in particular, perhaps going so far as freezing investments in the US. In fact, while all commercial airline flights were grounded in the US, special flights were allowed to take off carrying Saudi citizens including the bin Ladens out of America. It was clear before 9/11 that the countries with the closest ties to al-Qaida were Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and yet these are our allies. Bush then labels Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as the "axis of evil", and of these three goes after the weakest, Iraq. Why Iraq? In addition to the points that Moore makes in F9/11 I think there are two reasons. First to establish a base from which to project power into the region. Prior to the first Gulf War, US forces were limited to a large naval presence and a land base on the small island of Diego Garcia. Saddam's invasion of Kuwait gave us a rationale to demand a land base in Saudi Arabia, something the Saudis had long resisted. But this base in the Moslem holy land was resented in the Islamic world. Iraq presented an opportunity to move our military presence to control the oil reserves of Iraq and project our power into the unstable nations of Central Asia, home to large petroleum reserves and long sought after pipeline routes. Moore discusses how our courtship of the Pakistanis and invasion of Afghanistan opens up the possibility of a pipeline to carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean.
In addition I believe the neo-conservatives longed for Iraq as a laboratory to try out their ideals of radical privatization unfettered by the constraints of the American political system. These were the people who so strongly believed that we could waltz into Iraq, depose Saddam, and with no effort bring about a free market paradise. Events have proven them disastrously wrong.
It's really hard to discuss F9/11 as a movie. I hate George W. Bush, I hate the Bush administration, I hate the policies they have pursued, and most of all I hate what they have done to my country. As a cinematic work, I preferred Bowling for Columbine. I found it a more personal film, both in the stories Michael told and the way he connected with the people he interviewed. Bowling for Columbine had an important message about how the media and our political leaders use fear to keep the people under control. Unfortunately this message was lost in the whole gun debate. I don't see Bowling for Columbine as an anti-gun movie. Michael showed us instances of countries with high gun ownership and low rates of gun violence. It was fear that distinguished the US. In F9/11 we're hit over the head with this message, particularly with respect to ever changing terrorism alert levels, vague warnings from John Ashcroft, and of course the Patriot Act. KMFDM says it best: "The constant realization of dominance results in fear".
It's no secret that Michael Moore has often been accused on bias and sensationalism if not downright lying. I think Michael is pretty careful with his facts, and I've heard that his fact checkers have been busy on F9/11. On the other hand I must admit the facts are carefully picked to create the biggest impact for the message he's delivering. Given the political climate in America for the last twenty five years or so, I think Michael is entirely justified in doing this.
Slacktivist relates how when Bush (41) took office, his predecessor, Ronald Reagan, "was a man of enormous charisma who had presided over years of economic expansion and was beloved by a majority of Americans. But he was also deeply distrusted and hated by about a third of the country because of eight long years of demonizing attacks". He then applies the same description to Bush (43)'s predecessor Bill Clinton.
"The parallels are remarkable, with one important difference: the focus of those demonizing attacks. During the Reagan years, the White House was the source of those attacks and the targets were everyone from poor women ("welfare queens") to environmentalists to unions. During the Clinton years, the White House was the target."In comparison to the lies and vitriol that have come from the right wing in the last two or three decades, Michael Moore's voice is a breathe of civility. I just can't accept the criticisms now leveled against Michael. Given the way politics are now conducted in America, Michael Moore manages to make his point as thoughtfully as is possible.
I don't think Bush and the Republicans can very credibly accuse others of lying. We've heard a lot of semantic arguments about the difference between "connections" and "collaboration" and between "imminent" and "immediate", but Matthew Yglesias argues:
"the important issue is not whether the administration's various claims can, when taken one by one, somehow be defined as factual. The relevant question is whether or not the picture they sketched enhanced or detracted from the public's understanding of the major issues of the day. Various assertions about ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda must, therefore, be put into the broader context of what the administration was saying about the war. This broad picture included the claim that the invasion of Iraq was an act of preemptive self-defense, that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States, that the Iraq War was part of the war on terrorism, that the desire to invade was motivated by the sense that the country had waited too long before responding vigorously to al-Qaeda, and that the lessons of 9-11 were an important factor in the president's thought process."Subsequent events have shown us that these arguments were fallacious and were the result of either self delusion or outright lying on the part of Bush and his advisors. Why might they do this? Moore focuses on long standing connections between the Bush family and the Saudis, in particular the bin Laden family, Osama's kin. George W. Bush's early business experience consisted of a string of failed oil drilling enterprises. Much of the financing came from Saudi investors including the bin Ladens. Bush then went on to successfully make his fortune by securing municipal financing for a new stadium for the Texas Rangers and then selling the team for a tidy profit. Quite an accomplishment for one who believes in cutting taxes and privatizing everything.
After it became clear that the 9/11 attacks were the work if Osama bin Laden and that 15 of the high jackers were Saudi citizens, it seemed obvious to me that the appropriate action was to lean on the Saudis and the bin Laden family in particular, perhaps going so far as freezing investments in the US. In fact, while all commercial airline flights were grounded in the US, special flights were allowed to take off carrying Saudi citizens including the bin Ladens out of America. It was clear before 9/11 that the countries with the closest ties to al-Qaida were Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and yet these are our allies. Bush then labels Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as the "axis of evil", and of these three goes after the weakest, Iraq. Why Iraq? In addition to the points that Moore makes in F9/11 I think there are two reasons. First to establish a base from which to project power into the region. Prior to the first Gulf War, US forces were limited to a large naval presence and a land base on the small island of Diego Garcia. Saddam's invasion of Kuwait gave us a rationale to demand a land base in Saudi Arabia, something the Saudis had long resisted. But this base in the Moslem holy land was resented in the Islamic world. Iraq presented an opportunity to move our military presence to control the oil reserves of Iraq and project our power into the unstable nations of Central Asia, home to large petroleum reserves and long sought after pipeline routes. Moore discusses how our courtship of the Pakistanis and invasion of Afghanistan opens up the possibility of a pipeline to carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean.
In addition I believe the neo-conservatives longed for Iraq as a laboratory to try out their ideals of radical privatization unfettered by the constraints of the American political system. These were the people who so strongly believed that we could waltz into Iraq, depose Saddam, and with no effort bring about a free market paradise. Events have proven them disastrously wrong.
It's really hard to discuss F9/11 as a movie. I hate George W. Bush, I hate the Bush administration, I hate the policies they have pursued, and most of all I hate what they have done to my country. As a cinematic work, I preferred Bowling for Columbine. I found it a more personal film, both in the stories Michael told and the way he connected with the people he interviewed. Bowling for Columbine had an important message about how the media and our political leaders use fear to keep the people under control. Unfortunately this message was lost in the whole gun debate. I don't see Bowling for Columbine as an anti-gun movie. Michael showed us instances of countries with high gun ownership and low rates of gun violence. It was fear that distinguished the US. In F9/11 we're hit over the head with this message, particularly with respect to ever changing terrorism alert levels, vague warnings from John Ashcroft, and of course the Patriot Act. KMFDM says it best: "The constant realization of dominance results in fear".
Saturday, June 26, 2004
3.1415927...
I just read Kevin Drum's post Bush's War on the Truth Continues, and it reminded me of a story I heard long ago about a state legislature, Tennessee I heard, that tried to legislate the value of π, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it's diameter. So I did a Google search, and came up with The Straight Dope. Whether this account is true or not, I don't know, but when Dubya says: "The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda, because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda", he's part of a long historical tradition of "the truth is what I say it is".
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Varsity Theatre
I complained in my Donnie Darko post about the quality of the projection at the Varsity Theatre. Since I'm normally a big fan of Landmark Theatres, I thought I'd send them an email and complain. Paul, the assistant manager at the Varsity replied, and had this to say:
"...it was a bad night – bad week really. There is a particular problem in that auditorium that is not typical at any of our theatres in any of our auditoriums. The lens was damaged during some fairly routine maintenance. This does not happen often, but it’s not the first time & it won’t be the last. It will have to be shipped off to be repaired. The problem would never have been just left, or ignored – so please don’t hold a grudge against our #2 auditorium. Donnie Darko is the worst movie for this to happen to. I have run all or parts of 3 different prints on 4 different screens in the past few weeks. The lighting in the movie itself is very soft – to the point that sometimes it will look out of focus even when it is not. It’s just how it was made. The problem with the lens amplifies this to the point that it is ridiculous. Donnie Darko is no longer playing in this auditorium for that reason."I'm aware of the soft lighting in Donnie Darko, and if I hadn't noticed the problem on the previews, I might just have written it off to the film. In any event the problem is being dealt with, and Donnie Darko is now on another screen. So go see it at the Varsity. It's a cool theatre, and they have a super lineup of films coming this summer. I'll do an upcoming movies post sometime soon.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Good Anime
Last night I watched the DVD of Satoshi Kon's Millennium Actress with some friends from work. We saw it on O and P's wide screen projection TV, and now of course I really, really want one. The movie itself was fun to watch. The story starts with a documentary crew going to interview an aging Japanese actress, but when she begins to tell her story, the interview transforms into her story and into the roles she played. The film rolls on through homages to Japanese cinema and historical themes. Some of this went over my head, but most of the themes are universal. It is a story of the quest for love, and it asks which is more important, the quest or the finding.
I saw Kon's newest film, Tokyo Godfathers a few weeks ago. It tells the story of three homeless friends who find an abandoned baby at Christmas time in Tokyo. This movie connects with it's characters on a very human level. It's a more profound film than Millennium Actress, but the latter is a fun ride, and I enjoyed them both for different reasons. I've heard mixed reviews of Kon's earlier Perfect Blue, but I have it in my Netflix queue, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
I saw Kon's newest film, Tokyo Godfathers a few weeks ago. It tells the story of three homeless friends who find an abandoned baby at Christmas time in Tokyo. This movie connects with it's characters on a very human level. It's a more profound film than Millennium Actress, but the latter is a fun ride, and I enjoyed them both for different reasons. I've heard mixed reviews of Kon's earlier Perfect Blue, but I have it in my Netflix queue, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Clinton Talks about the Press
Kevin Drum discusses the BBC interview with Bill Clinton, the one in which the right wingers are accusing Clinton of "losing it". I caught the interview on KUOW tonight, and Clinton delivers an articulate, reasoned, and succinct indictment of the press's single minded fascination with scandal and its willingness to let right wing lies and abuses slide. Drum has a link to the video of the interview. Give it a listen and see what you think. Did Clinton "lose it", or did he say something that's long overdue?
Donnie Darko Director's Cut
I saw the director's cut of Donnie Darko Saturday night at the Varsity Theatre in Seattle and was profoundly disappointed. First off, the upstairs auditorium we saw this in at the Varsity absolutely sucks. The picture was dark and not quite in focus. I noticed this about the previews as well as the feature. I havent really experienced this at the other two auditoriums at the Varsity. This was my first time in this particular one. The film itself was jarring at the onset for R and I. We have watched the DVD version a number of times, and Richard Kelly has changed the opening music. I suppose this is because the original opening song is used again later in the movie, but I think it was appropriate in both places and didnt need to be changed just to avoid repetition. The added excerpts for The Philosophy of Time Travel did provide some useful exposition of what was going on, but I didnt like the technique of floating the page in front of us and only giving us time to read one sentence, which was helpfully focused. It might have been better if they could have gotten Jake Gyllenhaal back to do a voice over of the passages. I usually think of a directors cut as an opportunity for the director to add back material they have for one reason or another been forced to cut in the theatrical release. This felt more like a lame attempt by the director to explain himself. If you havent seen this film before, Id recommend renting the DVD, and if you want the explanation, then the commentary by Richard Kelley and Jake Gyllenhaal does a better job of it than the director's cut does.
I posted this review on a movie list at work, and got the following reply from Alex Zambelli:
I posted this review on a movie list at work, and got the following reply from Alex Zambelli:
"I think the primary reason for making a director's cut was to get this movie back into theaters and get the attention that it deserved but never got during its original theatrical run. After all, what other excuse can you use to get a movie back into theaters only 3 years after its original release?"This is a valid point, and I must admit the additions and changes detract in no way from the story. My main disappointment was the quality of the projection at the Varsity. If you haven't seen this film, and want the big screen experience, then by all means see the director's cut. As much as I like to support Landmark Theatres, I'd suggest avoiding the Varsity. The film is also showing at the Uptown Cinema in lower Queen Anne.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
She came, she saw, she conquered
Via slacktivist:
"'The key in terms of mental ability is chess. There's never been a woman Grand Master chess player. Once you get one, then I'll buy some of the feminism ...'
-- Pat Robertson
I so wish Robertson had been at the library in Bear, Del., yesterday. Susan Polgar kicks ass."
The Difference
Matthew Yglesias draws an interesting distinction between Democratic and Republican foreign policy.
"When the GOP sees a regime that's hostile to the United States and that it is within America's capacity to topple militarily, they say: 'Go for it.' A hostile state always might become an al-Qaeda sponsor, and Republicans think the possibility of state sponsorship of al-Qaeda is very, very, very bad, so it's worth going way out of our way to make sure it doesn't happen. Fundamentally, Republicans are eager to overthrow regimes not because they're democracy-promoting idealists (though some are democracy-promoting idealists, that's just not the dominant strain of thought) but because they're very worried about state sponsorship.
The Democratic foreign policy establishment sees this very differently. Democrats worry about failed states. Democrats think al-Qaeda grows -- and grows powerful -- where institutions of governance break down. Iraq wasn't governed pleasantly, but it was governed. Hence, Democrats are loathe to destroy a regime unless they're prepared to put it back together. This makes Democrats more hesitant to overthrow regimes, not because they're stability-worshipping realists (though, again, some probably are) but because their collective nightmare is more failed states. Democrats take nation-building seriously -- too seriously to want to do it more often than is really necessary."
Friday, June 18, 2004
Updated Bicycle Commuting Site
I've posted a beta of my updated bicycle commuting site. I hope to have the final version sometime next week.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Bush and Zarqawi
Ballistic Chicken Farm Inspection Team
From Salon:
U.S. analysts also erred in their analysis of high-altitude satellite photos, repeatedly confusing Scud missile storage places with the short, half-cylindrical sheds typically used to house poultry in Iraq. As a result, as the war neared, two teams of U.N. weapons experts acting on U.S. intelligence scrambled to search chicken coops for missiles that were not there.
''We inspected a lot of chicken farms," said a former inspector who asked not to be identified because he now works with U.S. intelligence. His U.N. team printed "Ballistic Chicken Farm Inspection Team" on 20 gray T-shirts to mark the futile hunt.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Back to Work
SIFF 2004 is all over, and it's back to work for me. Not too bad a transition. I installed a new hard drive in my work computer. It's been sitting on my desk for months, but now it's in the machine with a new OS install, and things are almost back to normal except with lots more disk space. Much goodness.
I enjoyed spending two weeks watching movies and hanging out at wi-fi hot spots. I'm back at the Aurafice tonight writing this post. It's Tuesday night and Aurafice is hosting Polygraphic. I have no idea what this is, and the web link confuses as much as enlightens. I just helped feed a string of lights under the tables, and some sort of control box is taking shape atop a table. We'll see what develops.
To close off SIFF I've rated the movies I saw on the Fool Serious rating scale.
Absolute Best
Having a break in routine has given me an opportunity to reflect on my life and how it's going. I've decided to take a vacation from alcohol for a while. A glass or two of wine after getting home from work was turning into 3 or 4 glasses, which isn't really a good thing. It's making me fat too. I want to start being more thoughtful about what I'm eating and start using my bicycle again to commute and run errands. One thing at a time, though.
I'm revising my bicycle commuting page based on GPS data I gathered riding around last summer. I'm also switching to DeLorme Topo USA 5.0 for base maps. I like MapPoint 2004, and as a Microsoftie my bias is to use it. Topo USA has some excellent drawing and markup features, and the topographic information should be useful. It can even do elevation profiles of a route, but so far I'm dissatisfied with the format that I can get into a jpg file to put on my site. I'm hoping to have a beta site up in a week or so.
I enjoyed spending two weeks watching movies and hanging out at wi-fi hot spots. I'm back at the Aurafice tonight writing this post. It's Tuesday night and Aurafice is hosting Polygraphic. I have no idea what this is, and the web link confuses as much as enlightens. I just helped feed a string of lights under the tables, and some sort of control box is taking shape atop a table. We'll see what develops.
To close off SIFF I've rated the movies I saw on the Fool Serious rating scale.
Absolute Best
CarandiruAlmost Best
A Tale of Two SistersTruly Great
Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav, Dunarea
Love Me If You Dare
Sexual Dependency
Untold Scandal
Witnesses
Asshak, Tales From the SaharaNearly Great
Control Room
Ghost In the Shell 2: Innocence
Los Debutantes
Nicotina
The Corporation
25 Degrees In WinterGood
Cavedweller
Danny Deckchair
Incident at Loch Ness
Primer
Revolution
Turn Left Turn Right
Deep BreathAverage
Festival Express
Natural City
Quality of Life
Red Lights (Feux Rouges)
Riding Giants
Roads to Koktebel
Vodka Lemon
A Relative ThingBelow
Bright Young Things
Cowards Bend the Knee
La Vie Promise
Running on Karma
Scent of the Lotus Pond
The Python
A Problem with FearWay Below
Haute Tension
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
Bright FutureLeast Favorite
Harry and Max
Undead
Darkness BrideI saw a total of 42 films. Will a do this next year? I think so, and if possible I'll take the whole three weeks off from work. To hard to see films and work at the same time. I'm not sure my full series pass quite paid for itself this year, but it's nice to have the option of being spontaneous about which film to see. I exercised that option more than once. Readers of my reviews may note that some of these films have gone up or down in rating. Some films are fun to watch, but the next day I'm already forgetting them. Others are more of a challenge, but the next day I'm still figuring them out. Hence the rating changes. I think this is a weakness of having the audience vote at the end of the movie. There's no time for it to sink in. In any event for those interested, check out the Golden Space Needle awards. I missed most of these, but that's OK. The winners are likely to show up in theatres soon, so no worries.
Having a break in routine has given me an opportunity to reflect on my life and how it's going. I've decided to take a vacation from alcohol for a while. A glass or two of wine after getting home from work was turning into 3 or 4 glasses, which isn't really a good thing. It's making me fat too. I want to start being more thoughtful about what I'm eating and start using my bicycle again to commute and run errands. One thing at a time, though.
I'm revising my bicycle commuting page based on GPS data I gathered riding around last summer. I'm also switching to DeLorme Topo USA 5.0 for base maps. I like MapPoint 2004, and as a Microsoftie my bias is to use it. Topo USA has some excellent drawing and markup features, and the topographic information should be useful. It can even do elevation profiles of a route, but so far I'm dissatisfied with the format that I can get into a jpg file to put on my site. I'm hoping to have a beta site up in a week or so.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11 Trailer
A Fahrenheit 9/11 trailer is now available. The film opens June 25.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Cain & Abel, Church & State
Slacktivist comments on the continuing influence of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church of American politics. Not only does the church own the conservative Washington Times, but several members of the house and senate recently leant the church credibility by participating in an event crowning Rev. Moon as the Messiah. It's bad enough when politicians pander to kooks on the Christian right, but at least their beliefs have deep roots in American religious tradition and represent significant numbers of voters.
I spent a couple days in a Moonie commune in Berkeley in the mid-70s. A friend had recently gotten sucked into the Unification Church, and I wanted to find out what it was about. There were some reasonably nice people there, but the movement clearly demanded the subjugation of the individual to the group. Even then they were preaching the eventual establishment of theocracy. I'm somewhat amazed that this movement has not only thrived but gained legitimization from national leaders. Liberal democrats on the other hand are condemned for even engaging in dialog with the likes of Louis Farrakan.
The difference is that the Unification Church is rich. My friend eventually got involved in the church's financial organization in New York. He told me about carrying around attache cases with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Church members lived in communes. Many worked high paying jobs, and turned all their money over to the church. There were also stories of large sums of cash illegally moved across borders. In contemporary American politics money talks, and billionaires like Rev. Moon will always have a voice.
I spent a couple days in a Moonie commune in Berkeley in the mid-70s. A friend had recently gotten sucked into the Unification Church, and I wanted to find out what it was about. There were some reasonably nice people there, but the movement clearly demanded the subjugation of the individual to the group. Even then they were preaching the eventual establishment of theocracy. I'm somewhat amazed that this movement has not only thrived but gained legitimization from national leaders. Liberal democrats on the other hand are condemned for even engaging in dialog with the likes of Louis Farrakan.
The difference is that the Unification Church is rich. My friend eventually got involved in the church's financial organization in New York. He told me about carrying around attache cases with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Church members lived in communes. Many worked high paying jobs, and turned all their money over to the church. There were also stories of large sums of cash illegally moved across borders. In contemporary American politics money talks, and billionaires like Rev. Moon will always have a voice.
SIFF: 06/12/2004
SIFF: 06/11/2004
The Fly Filmmaking Challenge
Ten filmmakers presented short documentaries made "on the fly" and based on words drawn from a hat. In this case the words were Seattle neighborhoods. The resulting films ranged from straight documentaries to more whimsical productions like Heather Renee Ayres' Lipstick Men, a film about drag queens inspired by Ballard. Also in the whimsical category, Ann Coppel uses Queen Anne as the basis of the fictitious I am Ann self empowerment movement. Based on audience response, this movement may no longer be entirely fictitious. Wes Kim looked at public art in Fremont, particularly the Monsruang sculpture on the Epicenter development. This of course undoes a year long mental exercise that allows me not to see this particular sculpture. The subtitled Thai narration was an amusing touch. I particularly liked the documentary on Georgetown. I always get lost in this neighborhood, which I visit from time to time to pick up packages. The proximity to Boeing field makes this neighborhood home to all the shipping companies. The documentary gives Georgetown a human face and ends with music composed of found sounds.
Love Me If You Dare 5/5
A boy and girl play a fearless game of dares, and as they get older, the stakes get higher and stranger. But this summary hardly does justice to this visually exciting film. As the dares escalate the movie begins to mess with the audience's minds, and how this film ends is a good topic for discussion. Daryl McDonald introduced the film and gushed on and on about it. With such an over-hyped setup, I was inclined to be critical. At the end I was ready to give it a 4, but the closing credits music pushed it to a 5. One last tweak from the director.
Riding Giants 4/5
A look into the world of big wave surfing going back to the 1950s. I liked the interviews with the sport's pioneers who are now in their 70s. It was interesting to contrast their free and easy life style with the high tech approach of today's professional big wave surfer. I am a little curious who finances the professional big wave surfers. These guys get towed by jet skis to catch waves on the outer reefs. Not exactly a spectator sport. I would like to have heard more about the business of surfing, but it was an interesting film nonetheless.
Ten filmmakers presented short documentaries made "on the fly" and based on words drawn from a hat. In this case the words were Seattle neighborhoods. The resulting films ranged from straight documentaries to more whimsical productions like Heather Renee Ayres' Lipstick Men, a film about drag queens inspired by Ballard. Also in the whimsical category, Ann Coppel uses Queen Anne as the basis of the fictitious I am Ann self empowerment movement. Based on audience response, this movement may no longer be entirely fictitious. Wes Kim looked at public art in Fremont, particularly the Monsruang sculpture on the Epicenter development. This of course undoes a year long mental exercise that allows me not to see this particular sculpture. The subtitled Thai narration was an amusing touch. I particularly liked the documentary on Georgetown. I always get lost in this neighborhood, which I visit from time to time to pick up packages. The proximity to Boeing field makes this neighborhood home to all the shipping companies. The documentary gives Georgetown a human face and ends with music composed of found sounds.
Love Me If You Dare 5/5
A boy and girl play a fearless game of dares, and as they get older, the stakes get higher and stranger. But this summary hardly does justice to this visually exciting film. As the dares escalate the movie begins to mess with the audience's minds, and how this film ends is a good topic for discussion. Daryl McDonald introduced the film and gushed on and on about it. With such an over-hyped setup, I was inclined to be critical. At the end I was ready to give it a 4, but the closing credits music pushed it to a 5. One last tweak from the director.
Riding Giants 4/5
A look into the world of big wave surfing going back to the 1950s. I liked the interviews with the sport's pioneers who are now in their 70s. It was interesting to contrast their free and easy life style with the high tech approach of today's professional big wave surfer. I am a little curious who finances the professional big wave surfers. These guys get towed by jet skis to catch waves on the outer reefs. Not exactly a spectator sport. I would like to have heard more about the business of surfing, but it was an interesting film nonetheless.
Friday, June 11, 2004
David Sedaris
I took a break from the film festival, and joined R for a reading by David Sedaris at Elliott Bay Books. David was in town to promote his new book Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. He read a hilarious story about a house cleaning client and "Fire Island". We didn't stay for the book signing because R had to head back to BI, but I'll soon acquire a copy of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, preferably the audio tape version. David Sedaris stories are best appreciated when David tells them.
SIFF: 06/10/2004
Pits 3/5
An amusing but ultimately silly short, which I guess is the perfect lead in to the even more silly A Problem with Fear.
A Problem with Fear 2/5
An amusing but ultimately silly feature that over stays its welcome. I considered walking out several times, but it never became bad enough for this. In the end, it's OK as a romantic comedy if you're up for this sort of thing, but there's no interesting cinema here. Filler for a three week festival.
25 Degrees In Winter 5/5
I liked this Belgian film, which explores the immigrant experience in western Europe as well as relationship and family issues. It was funny, and it was touching. And an excellent performance from young Raphaëlle Molinier.
An amusing but ultimately silly short, which I guess is the perfect lead in to the even more silly A Problem with Fear.
A Problem with Fear 2/5
An amusing but ultimately silly feature that over stays its welcome. I considered walking out several times, but it never became bad enough for this. In the end, it's OK as a romantic comedy if you're up for this sort of thing, but there's no interesting cinema here. Filler for a three week festival.
25 Degrees In Winter 5/5
I liked this Belgian film, which explores the immigrant experience in western Europe as well as relationship and family issues. It was funny, and it was touching. And an excellent performance from young Raphaëlle Molinier.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
SIFF: 06/09/2004
Quality of Life 3/5
A well made film despite its low budget (under $1M) and lack of name actors. The story centers around two San Franclsco graffiti artists. I found the Q&A session with the director and producer particularly interesting. Both the director and some of the actors came out of the San Francisco graffiti scene, and this film was obviously important to them. Lots of good remarks on making a quality film on the cheap.
Control Room 4/5
A documentary about Al Jazeera's coverage of the Iraq war directed by Jehane Noujaim who brought us Startup.com. Some of the one on one discussions between the Al Jazeera correspondent and the army press officer were particularly interesting. In spite of the charges of bias lodged against Al Jazeera, they tried to explain the Arab peoples' viewpoint to the Americans and give them a chance to tell their story. The panel discussion following this film was for the most part boring.
Witnesses 4/5
This Croatian film is centered around one family's response to the murder of a Serbian smuggler in Croatia. The story is told from several viewpoints and gradually fills in the details of a tale that forms an indictment of war and ethnic hatred.
A well made film despite its low budget (under $1M) and lack of name actors. The story centers around two San Franclsco graffiti artists. I found the Q&A session with the director and producer particularly interesting. Both the director and some of the actors came out of the San Francisco graffiti scene, and this film was obviously important to them. Lots of good remarks on making a quality film on the cheap.
Control Room 4/5
A documentary about Al Jazeera's coverage of the Iraq war directed by Jehane Noujaim who brought us Startup.com. Some of the one on one discussions between the Al Jazeera correspondent and the army press officer were particularly interesting. In spite of the charges of bias lodged against Al Jazeera, they tried to explain the Arab peoples' viewpoint to the Americans and give them a chance to tell their story. The panel discussion following this film was for the most part boring.
Witnesses 4/5
This Croatian film is centered around one family's response to the murder of a Serbian smuggler in Croatia. The story is told from several viewpoints and gradually fills in the details of a tale that forms an indictment of war and ethnic hatred.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
American Candidate
Showtime evidently has a new reality show called American Candidate. Whatever. But I'm getting serious solicitations from lefty political groups including the Washington State Democratic Party to get out and support Lisa Witter. Come on folks, isn't there a real election going on, or did W cancel it in honor of the Gipper buying the farm? I'll be at the film festival, but if you're actually able to take this seriously, then show up at the Edgewater Hotel, 2411 Alaskan Way, 4th Floor Ballroom anytime between 6 and 7 pm tonight.
SIFF: 06/08/2004
Darkness Bride 0/5
My first walk out of the festival was at the press screening for this truly awful film. The premise of selling corpses of virgins to be wives in the afterlife for unmarried men was squicky enough that I almost passed on this one, but I like Asian horror films, and the summary seemed to indicate that it might go in that direction. The washed out photography, plodding script, and weak acting caused my mind to start wandering after about 20 minutes. My body followed a bit later.
Ghost In the Shell 2: Innocence 5/5
This film was a treat. I only recently discovered Mamoru Oshii, viewing Avalon and the original Ghost in the Shell. This film explores some of the same issues of reality and consciousness that Oshii's earlier films dealt with. And of course there's the obligatory basset hound. The animation was also beautiful. I saw this at a press screening at the Egyptian, but it's showing again Saturday night at the Cinerama. I may have to see it again for the Cinerama's screen and sound system.
Exposure 3/5
Artsy animation of objects changing over time. Not something I particularly care for, but it did provide a good lead in for the feature film, Sexual Dependency.
Sexual Dependency 4/5
Almost all of this film was done in split screen, often showing the same scene from a different angle or out of synch in time. This was disconcerting at times, and at first it seemed unnecessary since the film also tells 6 loosely connected stories. The film builds to a twist that I absolutely didn't see coming, and this perhaps justifies the sustained split screen. We're kept constantly off balance, the intensity is amplified, and things are not always what they seem. Important and disturbing issues of sexuality and gender are raised in the process.
Nicotina 4/5
A hilarious farce, even though most of the characters are murdered or die stupidly. Even the non-smokers. One quibble I had was the repeated use of focusing in and drawing a rectangle around key events. It's like "I picked up on that. Don't hit me over the head with it." My funniest film of the festival so far.
My first walk out of the festival was at the press screening for this truly awful film. The premise of selling corpses of virgins to be wives in the afterlife for unmarried men was squicky enough that I almost passed on this one, but I like Asian horror films, and the summary seemed to indicate that it might go in that direction. The washed out photography, plodding script, and weak acting caused my mind to start wandering after about 20 minutes. My body followed a bit later.
Ghost In the Shell 2: Innocence 5/5
This film was a treat. I only recently discovered Mamoru Oshii, viewing Avalon and the original Ghost in the Shell. This film explores some of the same issues of reality and consciousness that Oshii's earlier films dealt with. And of course there's the obligatory basset hound. The animation was also beautiful. I saw this at a press screening at the Egyptian, but it's showing again Saturday night at the Cinerama. I may have to see it again for the Cinerama's screen and sound system.
Exposure 3/5
Artsy animation of objects changing over time. Not something I particularly care for, but it did provide a good lead in for the feature film, Sexual Dependency.
Sexual Dependency 4/5
Almost all of this film was done in split screen, often showing the same scene from a different angle or out of synch in time. This was disconcerting at times, and at first it seemed unnecessary since the film also tells 6 loosely connected stories. The film builds to a twist that I absolutely didn't see coming, and this perhaps justifies the sustained split screen. We're kept constantly off balance, the intensity is amplified, and things are not always what they seem. Important and disturbing issues of sexuality and gender are raised in the process.
Nicotina 4/5
A hilarious farce, even though most of the characters are murdered or die stupidly. Even the non-smokers. One quibble I had was the repeated use of focusing in and drawing a rectangle around key events. It's like "I picked up on that. Don't hit me over the head with it." My funniest film of the festival so far.
SIFF: 06/07/2004
Yesterday I gave everything fives, which means I was probably too generous. So today I was stern. Draw whatever conclusions you will.
La Vie Promise 2/5
This film was well acted, but I found the story too improbable to buy into. The characters are dysfunctional, but appealing, and the film ends the way we want it to. But we're brought to this conclusion a little too conveniently, without feeling that the characters had changed or grown in any fundamental way.
Roads to Koktebel 3/5
Slow in places, this film takes us on a journey through the Russian countryside as a father and his 11 year old son walk, hop firelight trains, and hitch hike from Moscow to the Crimea. We see the story mostly through the eyes of the young boy, an interesting and sometimes magical perspective.
Deep Breath 3/5
This Iranian film proves that the Islamic Republic of Iran can produce young people every bit as sullen and cynical as the Christian Republic of Amerika. Which is actually kind of hopeful. Live free. Die Young.
La Vie Promise 2/5
This film was well acted, but I found the story too improbable to buy into. The characters are dysfunctional, but appealing, and the film ends the way we want it to. But we're brought to this conclusion a little too conveniently, without feeling that the characters had changed or grown in any fundamental way.
Roads to Koktebel 3/5
Slow in places, this film takes us on a journey through the Russian countryside as a father and his 11 year old son walk, hop firelight trains, and hitch hike from Moscow to the Crimea. We see the story mostly through the eyes of the young boy, an interesting and sometimes magical perspective.
Deep Breath 3/5
This Iranian film proves that the Islamic Republic of Iran can produce young people every bit as sullen and cynical as the Christian Republic of Amerika. Which is actually kind of hopeful. Live free. Die Young.
Monday, June 07, 2004
SIFF: 06/06/2004
Los Debutantes 5/5
This Chilean film had me at the opening credits. Director Andres Waissbluth, a rock muslcian himself, has chosen music that propels us into the story of two brothers from a small town who descend into the Santiago underworld. A complex story, seen from three points of view, presents an allegory of the loss of innocence in modern Chilean society.
Asshak, Tales From the Sahara 5/5
An incredible journey into the Tuareg culture of the Sahara. I appreciated that director Ulrike Koch let the Tuareg tell their story with no added narration or explanation. I'm eager to go rent her earlier film The Saltmen of Tibet.
Vodka Lemon 5/5
I over-rated this Armenian film, but gee, it was an enjoyable evening at the Harvard Exit. An old man says, "don't you miss the Soviet Union". His friend says, "we didn't have freedom", to which the old man replies, "yes, but we had everything else". In a small village amidst grinding poverty, people still find love and humor in life.
This Chilean film had me at the opening credits. Director Andres Waissbluth, a rock muslcian himself, has chosen music that propels us into the story of two brothers from a small town who descend into the Santiago underworld. A complex story, seen from three points of view, presents an allegory of the loss of innocence in modern Chilean society.
Asshak, Tales From the Sahara 5/5
An incredible journey into the Tuareg culture of the Sahara. I appreciated that director Ulrike Koch let the Tuareg tell their story with no added narration or explanation. I'm eager to go rent her earlier film The Saltmen of Tibet.
Vodka Lemon 5/5
I over-rated this Armenian film, but gee, it was an enjoyable evening at the Harvard Exit. An old man says, "don't you miss the Soviet Union". His friend says, "we didn't have freedom", to which the old man replies, "yes, but we had everything else". In a small village amidst grinding poverty, people still find love and humor in life.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
SIFF: 06/05/2004
Scent of the Lotus Pond 4/5
This Sri Lankan film was an interesting glimpse into another culture, but with themes that are universal. The opening credits bill this as a Buddist trilogy. My limited knowledge of Buddism meant that this aspect of the story sailed on past me, but I could easily relate to this story of desire, obsession, and tragic choices.
Harry and Max 3/5
I waited a day to review Harry and Max and concluded that a rating of 3 was exceedingly generous. I'm willing to accept that an incesthous relationship between brothers may be a valid element of a good story, but in the end Harry and Max didn't really have anything important or even interesting to say. Eewww!
This Sri Lankan film was an interesting glimpse into another culture, but with themes that are universal. The opening credits bill this as a Buddist trilogy. My limited knowledge of Buddism meant that this aspect of the story sailed on past me, but I could easily relate to this story of desire, obsession, and tragic choices.
Harry and Max 3/5
I waited a day to review Harry and Max and concluded that a rating of 3 was exceedingly generous. I'm willing to accept that an incesthous relationship between brothers may be a valid element of a good story, but in the end Harry and Max didn't really have anything important or even interesting to say. Eewww!
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
We got movie tix for a morale event at work, so R and I attended Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban this afternoon. I was pretty luke warm on the first two movies directed by Chris Columbus. They were fun, but hardly outstanding cinema. I had higher expectation of this one, primarly due to the direction of Alfonso Cuarón. More recently known for the excellent and controversial Y tu mamá también, he also directed A Little Princess, which has more the flavor of a Harry Potter movie. I was pleased with the focus on story telling in this movie, although I felt like it was cut too short. In particularly the Mooney, Wormtale, Padfoot, and Prongs back story was not filled out. While this is perhaps not critical for this story, it's an important setup for the following books. Hopefully there will be an extended cut on the DVD release that will fill in more of the story.
We got movie tix for a morale event at work, so R and I attended Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban this afternoon. I was pretty luke warm on the first two movies directed by Chris Columbus. They were fun, but hardly outstanding cinema. I had higher expectation of this one, primarly due to the direction of Alfonso Cuarón. More recently known for the excellent and controversial Y tu mamá también, he also directed A Little Princess, which has more the flavor of a Harry Potter movie. I was pleased with the focus on story telling in this movie, although I felt like it was cut too short. In particularly the Mooney, Wormtale, Padfoot, and Prongs back story was not filled out. While this is perhaps not critical for this story, it's an important setup for the following books. Hopefully there will be an extended cut on the DVD release that will fill in more of the story.
You Don't Need a Weatherman to Tell Which Way the Wind Blows...
In addition to seeing 3 or 4 movies a day at SIFF, I've had time to watch a few DVDs also. Here are a few comments.
Charles Manson Superstar
M is going through a serial killer phase. Not all that unusual for adolescents so chill man. I didn't watch the Dahmer and Gacy movies, and I found Bundy a bit disturbing. Maybe because I moved to Seattle right about the time "Ted" was doing his thing. Manson, I think, is not really a serial killer. He wasn't even at either the Tate or La Bianca killing. He was more a cult leader a la Jim Jones. We watched Helter Skelter based on Vince Bugliosi's book, and it was a fairly lame movie. Charles Manson Superstar lets Charlie speak for himself, and it gives us a view into the charismatic madness that lead to a series of notorious murders and ultimately an attempted assassination of the President of the United States. I'm glad Charlie is incarcerated, but I'm also glad he wasn't executed. We need to understand the phenomenon of charismatic madness. It brings us Bundy and Manson and Hitler.
The Weather Underground
More late 60s, early 70s cultural history. Around the time of the Manson family's notoriety, the Weatherman faction seized control of the Students for a Democratic Society and advocated the violent overthrow of the government of the United States. In this film we see Martin Luther King quoting John F Kennedy: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." And while the Weather Underground was violent, they tried to avoid loss of human life. They tried to make sure buildings were cleared before bombs went off. McVey and Nichols could have learned from the Weathermen. It's interesting to see what has become of the Weather Underground since they turned themselves in. They all did jail time and David Gilbert is serving a life term. Mark Rudd on the other hand is a community college instructor. Bernadine Dohrn is a professor at Northwestern and has spoken out against zero tolerance programs in the schools.
Human Nature
This film looked dumb from the previews, I ordered it from Netflix because it's written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Danerous Mind, and Adaptation). It also features Rhys Ifans and Miranda Otto from Danny Deckchair. I liked this one, although it's not my favorite Charlie Kaufman film.
Charles Manson Superstar
M is going through a serial killer phase. Not all that unusual for adolescents so chill man. I didn't watch the Dahmer and Gacy movies, and I found Bundy a bit disturbing. Maybe because I moved to Seattle right about the time "Ted" was doing his thing. Manson, I think, is not really a serial killer. He wasn't even at either the Tate or La Bianca killing. He was more a cult leader a la Jim Jones. We watched Helter Skelter based on Vince Bugliosi's book, and it was a fairly lame movie. Charles Manson Superstar lets Charlie speak for himself, and it gives us a view into the charismatic madness that lead to a series of notorious murders and ultimately an attempted assassination of the President of the United States. I'm glad Charlie is incarcerated, but I'm also glad he wasn't executed. We need to understand the phenomenon of charismatic madness. It brings us Bundy and Manson and Hitler.
The Weather Underground
More late 60s, early 70s cultural history. Around the time of the Manson family's notoriety, the Weatherman faction seized control of the Students for a Democratic Society and advocated the violent overthrow of the government of the United States. In this film we see Martin Luther King quoting John F Kennedy: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." And while the Weather Underground was violent, they tried to avoid loss of human life. They tried to make sure buildings were cleared before bombs went off. McVey and Nichols could have learned from the Weathermen. It's interesting to see what has become of the Weather Underground since they turned themselves in. They all did jail time and David Gilbert is serving a life term. Mark Rudd on the other hand is a community college instructor. Bernadine Dohrn is a professor at Northwestern and has spoken out against zero tolerance programs in the schools.
Human Nature
This film looked dumb from the previews, I ordered it from Netflix because it's written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Danerous Mind, and Adaptation). It also features Rhys Ifans and Miranda Otto from Danny Deckchair. I liked this one, although it's not my favorite Charlie Kaufman film.
SIFF: 06/04/2004
Untold Scandal 5/5
Yet another retelling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, this time transposed to the Cho-sun dynasty of Korea. This film is a visual treat with beautiful costumes and sets, attractive actors and actresses, and stunning cinematography.
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi 2/5
I didn't particularly care for this film, although it was good for laughs. This was evidently based on a popular series of Japanese movies dating back to the early 1960s. I'm totally unfamiliar with the series, but the movie definitely had a formulaic feel. It certainly had some funny moments and clever production, but there was too much plot for me. I spent the last 20 minutes wondering when this was going to be over.
Natural City 5/5
I'm really liking Korean movies this year. Natural City has been compared with The Matrix and Blade Runner, and while it certainly shares plot elements and ambiance with the latter, it manages to tell the story in a fresh and engaging way.
Yet another retelling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, this time transposed to the Cho-sun dynasty of Korea. This film is a visual treat with beautiful costumes and sets, attractive actors and actresses, and stunning cinematography.
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi 2/5
I didn't particularly care for this film, although it was good for laughs. This was evidently based on a popular series of Japanese movies dating back to the early 1960s. I'm totally unfamiliar with the series, but the movie definitely had a formulaic feel. It certainly had some funny moments and clever production, but there was too much plot for me. I spent the last 20 minutes wondering when this was going to be over.
Natural City 5/5
I'm really liking Korean movies this year. Natural City has been compared with The Matrix and Blade Runner, and while it certainly shares plot elements and ambiance with the latter, it manages to tell the story in a fresh and engaging way.
Friday, June 04, 2004
SIFF: 06/03/2004
A Relative Thing 3/5
This film grew on me. I chose it because it was shot on Bainbridge Island, where I lived for some time. The film was shot on Super 16, and what we saw was a digital transfer from the negative. As such it was rather rough in places, and the sound wasn't always in synch. The opening credits went in and out of focus a lot, which I found disturbing. The film opened with a voice over exposition of the various characters' back stories. A lucky find of old home movies formed the visual backdrop for this. This was a nice device, but I found it a bit long. The story of siblings reconnecting as a family was well written and acted. A good local production. I hope to get to see the technical problems fixed in the release version.
Cavedweller 5/5
This film blew me away with a compelling story and outstanding performances by Kyra Sedgwick and Regan Arnold. With only one previous film credit, young Regan Arnold nailed the role of Cissy like a seasoned pro. Getting films of women's stories made is evidently quite a challenge, and Showtime is to be commended for underwriting this one. Because it's not just a good "women's" story. It's a good story.
Festival Express 5/5
I joined a crowd of aging hippies to watch this story of a 1970 rock festival tour across Canada including the likes of The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. While the footage of the stage performances was excellent, even more interesting were the round the clock jam sessions on the train between appearances. While Woodstock was described as a treat for the fans, this tour was a treat for the musicians. And treat is the correct term. Fans and even the mayor of Calgary were demanding free admission. The promoters lost money, but the attitude was "we're on the train, let's party!" The film was grainy, clearly old footage, but the sound quality was excellent. A must see for folks who remember these performers and anyone interested in the history of rock and roll.
This film grew on me. I chose it because it was shot on Bainbridge Island, where I lived for some time. The film was shot on Super 16, and what we saw was a digital transfer from the negative. As such it was rather rough in places, and the sound wasn't always in synch. The opening credits went in and out of focus a lot, which I found disturbing. The film opened with a voice over exposition of the various characters' back stories. A lucky find of old home movies formed the visual backdrop for this. This was a nice device, but I found it a bit long. The story of siblings reconnecting as a family was well written and acted. A good local production. I hope to get to see the technical problems fixed in the release version.
Cavedweller 5/5
This film blew me away with a compelling story and outstanding performances by Kyra Sedgwick and Regan Arnold. With only one previous film credit, young Regan Arnold nailed the role of Cissy like a seasoned pro. Getting films of women's stories made is evidently quite a challenge, and Showtime is to be commended for underwriting this one. Because it's not just a good "women's" story. It's a good story.
Festival Express 5/5
I joined a crowd of aging hippies to watch this story of a 1970 rock festival tour across Canada including the likes of The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin. While the footage of the stage performances was excellent, even more interesting were the round the clock jam sessions on the train between appearances. While Woodstock was described as a treat for the fans, this tour was a treat for the musicians. And treat is the correct term. Fans and even the mayor of Calgary were demanding free admission. The promoters lost money, but the attitude was "we're on the train, let's party!" The film was grainy, clearly old footage, but the sound quality was excellent. A must see for folks who remember these performers and anyone interested in the history of rock and roll.
SIFF: 06/02/2004
Revolution 5/5
I almost passed on this movie. I saw Margaret Cho a year ago when her Revolution tour played Seattle. But I got tickets late and was up in the nose bleed section of the Mark Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. Margaret has an amazing sense of comedic timing and uses whacky facial expressions to draw out her pauses. From where I sat at the concert I just couldn't fully appreciate this. So this film was a chance to see the part of the performance I missed last year. A must see for Cho fans who weren't in the front rows for the Revolution tour. And even for them, Margaret's performances don't grow old with multiple viewings.
Turn Left Turn Right 4/5
This was a pleasant surprise. I planned to see the films immediately before and after at the Egyptian, so I decided to take this one in too. Fate teases us in this story of two lovers who meet by chance, and then circumstance and rivals keep them apart. All the while, and unbeknownst to each other, they're next door neighbors. But when they leave home, one always turns left, the other turns right. The film milks this premise for all it's worth, and this could have gone badly wrong. But Johnnie To handles this with a real affection for the characters, and the film succeeds on this basis.
Running on Karma 4/5
Another film from Wai Ka-Fai and Johnnie To, but this time we’re in the Hong Kong martial arts genre. I liked Turn Left Turn Right a bit better, but I still enjoyed this one. Lots of action and running on walls, a philosophical trip into the laws of karma, and some good laughs make this a fun movie to watch.
I almost passed on this movie. I saw Margaret Cho a year ago when her Revolution tour played Seattle. But I got tickets late and was up in the nose bleed section of the Mark Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall. Margaret has an amazing sense of comedic timing and uses whacky facial expressions to draw out her pauses. From where I sat at the concert I just couldn't fully appreciate this. So this film was a chance to see the part of the performance I missed last year. A must see for Cho fans who weren't in the front rows for the Revolution tour. And even for them, Margaret's performances don't grow old with multiple viewings.
Turn Left Turn Right 4/5
This was a pleasant surprise. I planned to see the films immediately before and after at the Egyptian, so I decided to take this one in too. Fate teases us in this story of two lovers who meet by chance, and then circumstance and rivals keep them apart. All the while, and unbeknownst to each other, they're next door neighbors. But when they leave home, one always turns left, the other turns right. The film milks this premise for all it's worth, and this could have gone badly wrong. But Johnnie To handles this with a real affection for the characters, and the film succeeds on this basis.
Running on Karma 4/5
Another film from Wai Ka-Fai and Johnnie To, but this time we’re in the Hong Kong martial arts genre. I liked Turn Left Turn Right a bit better, but I still enjoyed this one. Lots of action and running on walls, a philosophical trip into the laws of karma, and some good laughs make this a fun movie to watch.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
June release for Fahrenheit 911
From MTV.com: "On June 25, U.S. audiences will finally get a chance to see the film that set the Cannes Film Festival abuzz and Disney's boardroom ablaze when Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is released nationwide."
SIFF: 06/01/2004
Bright Young Things 3/5
I attended the press screening of Bright Young Things. This film is a good example of its genre (English aristocracy between the world wars), but it's not a genre I usually care for. Based on Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, it starts out with the youthful exuberance of parties every night. This becomes frayed, and then the reality of World War II intervenes. The story ultimately is about the value we place on love. A good well acted story if you like this sort of thing.
Bright Future 1/5
I probably shouldn't have eaten right before this movie. It made me tired, and I found myself nodding off, which is a bad thing in a subtitled film. And I'm not really sure what this was about. Two Japanese dudes, a toxic red jellyfish, murder, suicide. WTF.
Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav, Dunarea 5/5
I saw this delightful movie on a friend's recommendation (thanks TJ!). A group of characters (each with a back story) come together on a "rust bucket" sailing down the Danube. On the way we meet the land and people of the Danube valley. Amid scenes of recent warfare and political change, our characters follow their own journeys of self discover and connection. Highly recommended.
The Python 3/3
I overheard some buzz that this movie was a loser, and the house was very sparsely populated, but I got some good laughs out of this movie. It's a quirky story, and while the headmistress is over the top, the rest of the characters are totally believable. What is it with the long slow zoom in shots in this movie and then cut to something completely different. This was somewhat jarring, but overall this was a fun film.
I attended the press screening of Bright Young Things. This film is a good example of its genre (English aristocracy between the world wars), but it's not a genre I usually care for. Based on Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, it starts out with the youthful exuberance of parties every night. This becomes frayed, and then the reality of World War II intervenes. The story ultimately is about the value we place on love. A good well acted story if you like this sort of thing.
Bright Future 1/5
I probably shouldn't have eaten right before this movie. It made me tired, and I found myself nodding off, which is a bad thing in a subtitled film. And I'm not really sure what this was about. Two Japanese dudes, a toxic red jellyfish, murder, suicide. WTF.
Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunav, Dunarea 5/5
I saw this delightful movie on a friend's recommendation (thanks TJ!). A group of characters (each with a back story) come together on a "rust bucket" sailing down the Danube. On the way we meet the land and people of the Danube valley. Amid scenes of recent warfare and political change, our characters follow their own journeys of self discover and connection. Highly recommended.
The Python 3/3
I overheard some buzz that this movie was a loser, and the house was very sparsely populated, but I got some good laughs out of this movie. It's a quirky story, and while the headmistress is over the top, the rest of the characters are totally believable. What is it with the long slow zoom in shots in this movie and then cut to something completely different. This was somewhat jarring, but overall this was a fun film.
