by Sandy | Feb 5, 2011 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Directors, Film, Movies
The 20 year anniversary of Spike Lee’s terrific film, “Do The Right Thing”, is celebrated with a special 2 disc DVD package containing extra footage, interviews, and new commentary by the director.
Director Lee has made so many films since 1989, but, “Do” is his most celebrated film so far – it came in # 96 in the 2007 American Film Institute list of the 100 best movies of all time.
The film tells the story of a hot day in Brooklyn’s Bed’Stuy, when pent up anger and resentment exploded into violence in a matter of minutes. The stellar cast includes Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence (film debuts for both Rosie and Martin).
What was the “right” thing?
“Do the Right Thing” (20th Anniversary Edition)
by Bob Martin | Nov 19, 2010 | Art, Cable, Directors, Movies
Films that are dependent on story and story alone are what I think of as “little” films.
Claire Danes in Polish Wedding
They are little films because they are not blockbusters. Blockbusters are ordained to be big and successful, little films have to grow in popularity and unfortunately may never be successful. Hannah and her Sisters is one film that I’ve seen a number of times and continue to find delight in the story telling I’ve just seen David Duchovny’s House of D (Don’t think it was ever released to theaters) and Theresa Connelly’s (if she every existed) Polish Wedding, both films are first time efforts for writer/director story tellers and neither meets the standard of “successful” and you’ve got to start someplace. Duchovny will get a chance if he wants to write and direct another feature film and it’s unfortunate that Ms Connelly has not done anything else in film. Those of us who like story telling need to support folks who try- otherwise films will consist of a 40 minute gun battle, 20 minute car chases, 25 minutes of suggested sex, 10 minutes of dialogue and 25 minutes of credits for the special effects. Lets give the story tellers a second and third chance.
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by Bob Martin | Jun 7, 2010 | Art, Directors, Movies
There are tons of movies that tell interesting and compelling stories about women. Two movies stand out for me, “The Hours” and “Revolutionary Road“. The women in these movies are asked to give up who they are for the sake of normalcy and to embrace mediocrity 
instead of their dreams. Dreams, aspirations and achievement was a man’s domain and women were seen as farms, a place where something is grown. Giving up your individuality was cost of love and marriage.
Love is not Love if it’s not Free
Today the only people who talk about the good old days are the people who where not there or those who benefited from them. The American Dream is a bit more complex then we had thought. It is interesting watching these movies back to back.
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by Bob Martin | Feb 19, 2010 | Actors, Directors, Film, Movies
I am most likely the last person to see this movie and seeing it last night moved me. The story was so familiar to me, as if it were a story about my neighborhood, friends and the strain of transforming yourself from a kid to an adult.
What grabbed me most was the feeling of being trapped in what is most comfortable, sometimes called the box we are born into. I believe this was Dito Montiel first time directing and it was masterful. If there any other, late to the party people, like me I suggest you place it on your Nextflix list.
by Sandy | Feb 17, 2010 | Art, Artist, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Directors, Exhibits, Movies, Museums
The Museum of Modern Art, NYC presents a retrospective of artist and film maker Tim Burton.
The program is a celebration of the gifted and often bizarre and controversial director of such movies as “Sweeney Todd”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Ed Wood” and “The Corpse Bride”.
The exhibition and film series is to highlight “Burton‘s career as a director, producer, writer, and concept artist for live-action and animated films, along with his work as a fiction writer, photographer and illustrator.”
Tim Burton at MOMA – thru 4/26/10
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by Bob Martin | Jan 27, 2010 | Directors, Film, Movies
Vera Farmiga
This film turned out to be more then I expected. I expected grown up humor, well acted, well written and directed movie about road worries, consultants who spend their lives someplace other then home. I was expecting an expansion of the films trailer. The film is much better then the trailer suggest. Up in the Air brings to the foreground the cost of being efficient. We’ve become consumed with records and “stats” as if they accurately reflected our lives. We count how many FaceBook friends or Twitter followers we have.
“
I thought we signed up for the same thing… I thought our relationship was perfectly clear. You are an escape. You’re a break from our normal lives. You’re a parenthesis.” Alex Goran
We conveniently use our “staying in touch” toys to distance ourselves from the people we need to be in touch with. We’ve begun to outsource our caring to the internet and our avatars.
I really enjoyed this movie and want to see it again. It’s fun and painfully true.
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