Stunning...Visceral...Illogical...Dark...Painful...Breathtaking...
They all describe Darren Aronofsky's new masterpiece. Aronofsky is one of the most talented people in Hollywood. His previous films are Pi, Requiem For A Dream, The Fountain, and The Wrestler. Pi is a solid black and white movie about math. Requiem For A Dream is one of the greatest movies you'll never want to see again, it's so dark and painful to watch that you can't help but feel bad about everything. The Fountain is quite possibly one of my favorite movies, a love story over 3 life times. and finally The Wrestler is a brilliant character drama made so much better by its should-have-been oscar winning performance by Mickey Rourke.
Black Swan is about Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) who is picked to be the Swan Queen in a stage production of Swan Lake. As opening day grows near the role consumers her to the point of obsession.
Aronofsky's newest outing holds strong to his Independent roots. I am simply in awe of his simplistic style and plodding story-lines. In the past he hasn't relied on overly complex special effects or crazy camera moves. Although when it comes to Black Swan, he throws caution to the wind. He keeps his trademark stationary locked down camera style, but adds some CG effects to show the mental transformation of Natalie Portman.
Never have I been yanked into a film so emotionally. The biggest thing about the film is that it is an allegory, the whole film is about being creative person. I think my boss/friend at Envision Sean said it best, "We give up so much to be creative people, it's mentally and physically exhausting, but it's the end product that makes it worth it." This is no truer than in Black Swan. I know that in my creation of The Last Chapter and my book "True Fantasy" I have gotten to the point of being so engulfed in the characters, story, and ideas that it ends up becoming everything in my life. To the point of saying lines that the characters would say as the characters walking to my car in the rain.
Another one of my favorite lines about being a creative person is from George Lucas, "I don't make movies because I want to, I make movies because I have to."
See being creative is like being gay...you don't wake up one day and say I think I am going to be xxxxx, it's hardwired in our brain.
Through out the movie Nina slowly becomes the Swan Queen. It's a gorgeous and heart wrenching transformation too. Without telling too much there's multiple scenes where parts of Nina become Swan body parts.
There are brilliant performances from not only Natalie Portman, which is a Golden Globe Nominated performance, but Mila Kunis, also nominated, and Vincent Cassel.
Darren Aronofsky is nominated for best director, and it's nominated for best picture. This is a top 3 movie of the year. A must see and just a terrific explanation of the creative mind set.
It will be nominated for all the awards so if you watch award shows you have to see it.
Soon I'll post about the best movies of 2010.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
It's Time
I am here at Envision, my internship, listening to the commentary of one of my favorite guilty pleasures...Batman Forever. Now to some of you this is not blog worth and believe me you are correct, but I feel very differently. It's not Batman Forever that I want/need to talk about. It's actually the song that made the soundtrack for this movie one of the highest selling soundtracks in history. That song is "Kiss From a Rose" from Seal. For those of you who have read what is of my book you know this song plays a large part. Simply put "The Gray Tower alone on the sea". It's a turning point in the book and I feel oddly lucky to have left the book just before getting to The Tower. I have not touched my book since I started college and it seems fitting now that I am almost done to really start thinking about it again.
I've got thoughts and feelings coming back that frankly I am happy that are there. I need that to finish this. "True Fantasy" has been a passion project from the beginning and it seems that passion is back. So I have finally decided that I will be writing more on my book. The time has come to do this.
I have always felt that I needed to finish this to close this chapter of my life and the more it comes up the more I realize this is true. It's the elephant in the room. The thought on the back of my mind. It's a very real part of me.
Look for more to come!
Simon
I've got thoughts and feelings coming back that frankly I am happy that are there. I need that to finish this. "True Fantasy" has been a passion project from the beginning and it seems that passion is back. So I have finally decided that I will be writing more on my book. The time has come to do this.
I have always felt that I needed to finish this to close this chapter of my life and the more it comes up the more I realize this is true. It's the elephant in the room. The thought on the back of my mind. It's a very real part of me.
Look for more to come!
Simon
Monday, November 1, 2010
Confidence
I've been talking to a few people lately and in the span of 1 week I was called cocky 3 times. I am not quite sure how to take this information. I used to be the shy, quiet, kid that wouldn't say shit with a mouth full. That was quite some time ago. Any more I'd like to think I exude confidence.
There is an insanely thin line between being confident and being cocky. Now believe me. I know I flirt with the line. Not only do I flirt with the line. I live on the line. It depends on how I feel that particular day. Some days I think "I am OK at what I do." Other days I look at myself and think "Not only am I OK, but I am the best!"
The fact of the matter is that I don't talk about things I don't know and I don't like being wrong. Therefor I spend a lot of time making sure I know as much as possible. It's not that I want to rub anything in people's face. It's the fact that I want, maybe even need to not be wrong.
The funny thing is confidence isn't just a mind set...it's also in body language. I've been told on numerous occasions that my walk is like a panther. I've also been told that that is a put off, but others tell me it's sexy. It's interesting how that works.
In my soon to be career confidence is everything. If you don't hold yourself well or you're wishy washy how is someone suppose to believe in you?
So the question is...Is cockiness a good thing, bad thing, or neutral?
There is an insanely thin line between being confident and being cocky. Now believe me. I know I flirt with the line. Not only do I flirt with the line. I live on the line. It depends on how I feel that particular day. Some days I think "I am OK at what I do." Other days I look at myself and think "Not only am I OK, but I am the best!"
The fact of the matter is that I don't talk about things I don't know and I don't like being wrong. Therefor I spend a lot of time making sure I know as much as possible. It's not that I want to rub anything in people's face. It's the fact that I want, maybe even need to not be wrong.
The funny thing is confidence isn't just a mind set...it's also in body language. I've been told on numerous occasions that my walk is like a panther. I've also been told that that is a put off, but others tell me it's sexy. It's interesting how that works.
In my soon to be career confidence is everything. If you don't hold yourself well or you're wishy washy how is someone suppose to believe in you?
So the question is...Is cockiness a good thing, bad thing, or neutral?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Protest the Crap!
So there is a new trend in Hollywood and that's complaining about all the movies being the same. It seems that everyone is whining about remakes, reboots, sequels and prequels. These ideas are not new. Now granted Reboots and Prequels are newer than the sequels and remakes but they didn't show up last week. This newest wave of these types of movies really started in 1999 with the release of Star Wars 1, which went on to be the 5th highest grossing movie of all time (At that time).
The fact of the matter is Hollywood goes in waves and trends. I've been listening to a lot of people groan about how Hollywood doesn't have any original ideas any more. This thought is laughable at best. Seriously though. There are plenty of great original ideas in Hollywood, RIGHT NOW! Seriously.
The problem is that movie making is a huge gamble. If I make a new Star Wars movie I am probably guaranteed $250 million and that's only domestic, but if I make something new and original who knows what I'll be able to make. See there are examples of insane gambles in the industry all the time. Take 300 for example. A cast of no bodies, a budget of $65 Million, a director hot off the success of a Dawn of the Dead remake and a little known graphic novel. What do you have? A juggernaut! $210 Million later everyone involved is sitting there wondering what just happened. On the flip side look at Catwoman, the budget was $100 million and it managed to only gross $40 million and frankly it was luck to make that.
Now why is it such a gamble. How can a small movie like 300 kill, but a movie with brand recognition and a big star fail so badly? Most of it is quality, but it can't all be that. To almost completely kill that theory look no further than Transformers 2. One of the worst movies I've seen in ages and here it is grossing $402 million. Another part of it is escapism, people want to get away, especially in this economy. Movies like Transformers and G.I. Joe are about as escapism as possible.
But see we don't have to give in to seeing the same crap. Don't go see or rent something because "You've have already seen everything." Save your money. Re watch something that you've seen that's the same as the garbage Hollywood is feeding us. You want escapism fun go back and watch the first two Matrix movies. You want a great comedy go re watch The 'Burbs. Just don't see the sequel or remake if you don't want there to be another. Frankly don't see the original if you don't want to see another.
You have to realize that when you buy ANYTHING you are voting with your dollar. By buying an item or event you are telling the makers that you want more of that. You are supporting that. See Hollywood has original ideas, but you aren't seeing them. When Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain hit theatres in November of 06 where were you? I know I saw it twice in the same weekend. When Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World came out where were you?
See if you don't want to see sequels and remakes. Don't see them. Don't go watch them. Encourage others not to see them. Push your friends to stay away. Have your friends push their friends not to see them. If we want new and original ideas in movies we have to come together as a society and demand it. Now if it's of quality give it money because sequels aren't evil, but bad one's are. We have to show them that new and original is good and lucrative. The good news is we've already started doing that. With the $282 million that Inception has already grossed we have helped show Hollywood that this is what we want to see in the future.
The fact of the matter is Hollywood goes in waves and trends. I've been listening to a lot of people groan about how Hollywood doesn't have any original ideas any more. This thought is laughable at best. Seriously though. There are plenty of great original ideas in Hollywood, RIGHT NOW! Seriously.
The problem is that movie making is a huge gamble. If I make a new Star Wars movie I am probably guaranteed $250 million and that's only domestic, but if I make something new and original who knows what I'll be able to make. See there are examples of insane gambles in the industry all the time. Take 300 for example. A cast of no bodies, a budget of $65 Million, a director hot off the success of a Dawn of the Dead remake and a little known graphic novel. What do you have? A juggernaut! $210 Million later everyone involved is sitting there wondering what just happened. On the flip side look at Catwoman, the budget was $100 million and it managed to only gross $40 million and frankly it was luck to make that.
Now why is it such a gamble. How can a small movie like 300 kill, but a movie with brand recognition and a big star fail so badly? Most of it is quality, but it can't all be that. To almost completely kill that theory look no further than Transformers 2. One of the worst movies I've seen in ages and here it is grossing $402 million. Another part of it is escapism, people want to get away, especially in this economy. Movies like Transformers and G.I. Joe are about as escapism as possible.
But see we don't have to give in to seeing the same crap. Don't go see or rent something because "You've have already seen everything." Save your money. Re watch something that you've seen that's the same as the garbage Hollywood is feeding us. You want escapism fun go back and watch the first two Matrix movies. You want a great comedy go re watch The 'Burbs. Just don't see the sequel or remake if you don't want there to be another. Frankly don't see the original if you don't want to see another.
You have to realize that when you buy ANYTHING you are voting with your dollar. By buying an item or event you are telling the makers that you want more of that. You are supporting that. See Hollywood has original ideas, but you aren't seeing them. When Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain hit theatres in November of 06 where were you? I know I saw it twice in the same weekend. When Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World came out where were you?
See if you don't want to see sequels and remakes. Don't see them. Don't go watch them. Encourage others not to see them. Push your friends to stay away. Have your friends push their friends not to see them. If we want new and original ideas in movies we have to come together as a society and demand it. Now if it's of quality give it money because sequels aren't evil, but bad one's are. We have to show them that new and original is good and lucrative. The good news is we've already started doing that. With the $282 million that Inception has already grossed we have helped show Hollywood that this is what we want to see in the future.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Brilliance
There's an interesting thing that happens about once a year. There is a movie that comes out that solidifies my love of filmmaking. A movie that literally gives me chills. In 2007 it was No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. In 2008 it was The Dark Knight. in 2009 it was District 9. 2010 has brought us something brilliant. Something fantastic. It's called Inception. It's the newest film from one of the most talented directors in history. Christopher Nolan. He has one of the most impressive resumes in cinema. Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and now, Inception.
Let me start off by saying that If you haven't seen any of these movies, shame on you...haha These are some of the greatest movies to come out in the past 10 years. The great thing that Nolan does is that he actually cares about and loves what he's doing. It's not about the money (although I am sure he's paid handsomely) It's about the story. It's about the characters and about the idea. FYI There will be NO spoilers in this review.
Inception is a story about a man with a very special job...he steals ideas. He is what is called an Extractor. This is Dom Cobb, he is haunted by demons which have caused him to be far from "home". He eventually gets an opportunity to go back home, but first he must create an Inception which is implanting an idea.
At this point he must collect a team, enter long time partner and "Point Man", Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Protege and "Architect" Ariadne (Ellen Page), old friend and "Forger", Eames (Tom Hardy), and sedative creator Yusuf (Dileep Rao). At this point the movie digs deep in to the ideas we all go though in dreams. As in most of the scenes that we enter while in the dream world we enter in the middle, since you never enter a dream at the beginning. One of the first dreams we enter it's raining. One of the characters looks at the creator of the dream and says "Seriously you couldn't have used the bathroom before we started this?"
The greatest thing is that Nolan believes that CG should be used as little as possible. So most everything is actually done in camera.
Everything from the script to cinematography to acting is all superior to just about everything Hollywood's been pumping out. I highly suggest it. I am not a fan of calling things masterpieces so soon after their initial release, but believe me when I say it's one of the greatest things you'll see. It's a thinking man's sci-fi film. It's great that sci-fi is getting a well deserved resurgence. It's about time really, but that is a conversation for a later blog...maybe later today?
Thanks all,
Simon
Let me start off by saying that If you haven't seen any of these movies, shame on you...haha These are some of the greatest movies to come out in the past 10 years. The great thing that Nolan does is that he actually cares about and loves what he's doing. It's not about the money (although I am sure he's paid handsomely) It's about the story. It's about the characters and about the idea. FYI There will be NO spoilers in this review.
Inception is a story about a man with a very special job...he steals ideas. He is what is called an Extractor. This is Dom Cobb, he is haunted by demons which have caused him to be far from "home". He eventually gets an opportunity to go back home, but first he must create an Inception which is implanting an idea.
At this point he must collect a team, enter long time partner and "Point Man", Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Protege and "Architect" Ariadne (Ellen Page), old friend and "Forger", Eames (Tom Hardy), and sedative creator Yusuf (Dileep Rao). At this point the movie digs deep in to the ideas we all go though in dreams. As in most of the scenes that we enter while in the dream world we enter in the middle, since you never enter a dream at the beginning. One of the first dreams we enter it's raining. One of the characters looks at the creator of the dream and says "Seriously you couldn't have used the bathroom before we started this?"
The greatest thing is that Nolan believes that CG should be used as little as possible. So most everything is actually done in camera.
Everything from the script to cinematography to acting is all superior to just about everything Hollywood's been pumping out. I highly suggest it. I am not a fan of calling things masterpieces so soon after their initial release, but believe me when I say it's one of the greatest things you'll see. It's a thinking man's sci-fi film. It's great that sci-fi is getting a well deserved resurgence. It's about time really, but that is a conversation for a later blog...maybe later today?
Thanks all,
Simon
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The World and Movies
Here I am again to discuss not only movies but at in part the condition of the world.
I'll get the movie stuff out of the way. One of my favorite movies of 09 has just topped Dark Knight in Worldwide gross. As of Tuesday morning Avatar has made worldwide, $1,022,314,898. Dark Knight topped at $1,001,921,825. All it needs is just over $100 million to be the second highest grossing film EVER! At the rate it's going it will do it too. That would mean that Mr. James Cameron will have the second AND first highest grossing film ever. I doubt it will beat Titanic, but I'd like it to give it a run for it's money.
There are 2 people in Hollywood who consistently push technology. Those men are James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) and Robert Zemeckis (Roger Rabbit, Polar Express, Forrest Gump). Roger Rabbit was a piece of mastering sporting the best cartoons in the same scene as real people. James Cameron's The Abyss is the first movie to showcase a CG character in the same scene as a real character.
There are 3 people in Hollywood with the most talent. Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), Christopher Nolan (Memento, Dark Knight). All three have done 6 movies or less which basically makes them young directors. These guys are simply the best at what they do and if they play their cards right they will have many years of great success.
Now let us get to the worldly stuff. I've been doing some research on this 2012 thing and do you realize it's complete bullshit? The Mayan calendar that "ends" on December 21, 2012 actually doesn't end. The Mayan calendar has cycles that are 144,000 days each, which is represented as: 1.0.0.0.0 this equals roughly 394.3 years. See on the date at hand 12/21/12 the calendar will be 13.0.0.0.0 which means that a new cycle will start. What does that mean? Not sure. It could mean anything from the world will start to repeat itself to a worldwide reawakening. The whole world ending thing is pretty crazy seeings as many have found the Mayan calendar to go as far as 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.0.0.0.0
I don't think I have to tell you that that is a ways off.
Don't believe me check the sources
http://ezinearticles.com/?Mayan-Calendar-Facts,-Insights,-and-Possibilities&id=2844203
http://www.skepdic.com/maya.html
So before we all freak out and jump out of buildings let's look at the whole picture. Things like the West Nile Virus, The Bird Flu, The Swine Flu, where are they? They got here and ummm died! Don't get me wrong it's good to be safe, but at the same time don't freak out. The hand sanitizer? Really people? you do realize if you use sanitizer to often you are helping to mutate the virus so it becomes stronger? Yeah There's the facts!
Finally I want to ummm inform all about this car wreck on the highway of a TV show called "Bank of Hollywood". It's a new reality show on E! (the quality of the channel has crashed over the years) where Candy Spelling (widow for Aaron Spelling), Sean Patterson (President of Wilhelmina Modeling), Vanessa Rousso (professional poker player), and Melody Thornton (pussycat dolls) a.k.a. Hollywood's "elite" have people come before them and beg for money for everything from starting their own business to a $5000 dog bed. God the world hurts. What's the name of my blog? BRING BACK THE LOGIC! Why do we have to plaster people petty problems and painful suffering all over TV.
I'll get the movie stuff out of the way. One of my favorite movies of 09 has just topped Dark Knight in Worldwide gross. As of Tuesday morning Avatar has made worldwide, $1,022,314,898. Dark Knight topped at $1,001,921,825. All it needs is just over $100 million to be the second highest grossing film EVER! At the rate it's going it will do it too. That would mean that Mr. James Cameron will have the second AND first highest grossing film ever. I doubt it will beat Titanic, but I'd like it to give it a run for it's money.
There are 2 people in Hollywood who consistently push technology. Those men are James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) and Robert Zemeckis (Roger Rabbit, Polar Express, Forrest Gump). Roger Rabbit was a piece of mastering sporting the best cartoons in the same scene as real people. James Cameron's The Abyss is the first movie to showcase a CG character in the same scene as a real character.
There are 3 people in Hollywood with the most talent. Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain), Christopher Nolan (Memento, Dark Knight). All three have done 6 movies or less which basically makes them young directors. These guys are simply the best at what they do and if they play their cards right they will have many years of great success.
Now let us get to the worldly stuff. I've been doing some research on this 2012 thing and do you realize it's complete bullshit? The Mayan calendar that "ends" on December 21, 2012 actually doesn't end. The Mayan calendar has cycles that are 144,000 days each, which is represented as: 1.0.0.0.0 this equals roughly 394.3 years. See on the date at hand 12/21/12 the calendar will be 13.0.0.0.0 which means that a new cycle will start. What does that mean? Not sure. It could mean anything from the world will start to repeat itself to a worldwide reawakening. The whole world ending thing is pretty crazy seeings as many have found the Mayan calendar to go as far as 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.0.0.0.0
I don't think I have to tell you that that is a ways off.
Don't believe me check the sources
http://ezinearticles.com/?Mayan-Calendar-Facts,-Insights,-and-Possibilities&id=2844203
http://www.skepdic.com/maya.html
So before we all freak out and jump out of buildings let's look at the whole picture. Things like the West Nile Virus, The Bird Flu, The Swine Flu, where are they? They got here and ummm died! Don't get me wrong it's good to be safe, but at the same time don't freak out. The hand sanitizer? Really people? you do realize if you use sanitizer to often you are helping to mutate the virus so it becomes stronger? Yeah There's the facts!
Finally I want to ummm inform all about this car wreck on the highway of a TV show called "Bank of Hollywood". It's a new reality show on E! (the quality of the channel has crashed over the years) where Candy Spelling (widow for Aaron Spelling), Sean Patterson (President of Wilhelmina Modeling), Vanessa Rousso (professional poker player), and Melody Thornton (pussycat dolls) a.k.a. Hollywood's "elite" have people come before them and beg for money for everything from starting their own business to a $5000 dog bed. God the world hurts. What's the name of my blog? BRING BACK THE LOGIC! Why do we have to plaster people petty problems and painful suffering all over TV.
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