A TRIP TO THE MOON (La Voyage dans la Lune, 1902)

 Greetings again from the darkness.  If you have seen Hugo, you know that a central figure in the Martin Scorcese film is Georges Melies, the grumpy train station vendor who catches young Hugo stealing from him.  Frenchman Georges Melies was an early innovator in filmmaking and his most famous work was A Trip to the Moon (La Voyage dans la Lune) from 1902.  The film is still studied today because of it’s ground-breaking work in animation and special effects, and is considered the first science-fiction film.  The story goes that Melies went bankrupt after Thomas Edison and his technicians copied the film and distributed it in the U.S. before Melies could.  It is also thought that this started the process of film copyrighting, so that ownership of film rights could be determined.

There are many versions of varying length in existence, but I could not find a complete 16 minute version which features the final parade.  The version below has English narration added (albeit with a heavy French accent), and the famous moon landing is at about the 5:45 mark.

 

 

 

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS – Live Action and Animated (2011)

Greetings again from the darkness. Every year I mention how the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas presents one of my favorite movie events … the Oscar nominated short films. Three hours of quality filmmaking! It’s also a reminder of just how frustrating it is that so few people actually get to see these interesting short films.  Why aren’t they screened periodically throughout the year in association with major film releases?  Pixar manages to do this successfully, so it only makes sense that others could follow suit.  With all of that being said, I must regrettably report that this year’s batch didn’t light the fire for me the way past years have.  The quality of the filmmaking was present, but the creative storytelling fell a bit short.

Below is my recap by category, and in order of preference:

LIVE ACTION

 THE SHORE (Ireland) directed by Terry George.  This one is probably the most mainstream/accessible because it tells a story that is easily relatable.  Ciaran Hinds stars as a man returning home to Ireland after 25 years.  He has his grown daughter (Kerry Condon) in tow, and she is much more anxious than he to reassemble the pieces of his past. As he reconnects with his former best friend and fiancé, we learn they have each harbored secrets and guilt since last they saw each other.  Watching how it plays out is actually quite touching, and includes some humorous moments as well.

TUBA ATLANTIC (Norway) directed by Hallvar Witzo.  Our lead character is an elderly man who has been told by his doctor that he has six days to live.  He is then visited by a self-described Angel of Death – a teenage girl volunteering to spend time with him, and help him through the stages of dying.  Their time together involves her causing him to lose one of his six days thanks to sleeping pills.  She also joins in on his personal vendetta against the local sea gulls, who clearly have been a menace for years. We also see the giant tuba that brings him some peace.

TIME FREAK (USA) directed by Andrew Bowler. One of the two characters has invented a time travel machine for the purpose of realizing his dream of visiting ancient Rome. Instead of visiting Caesar, he jumps off-track due to his inability to get over the minutae of life.  We also get the best Oceanography reference since “Seinfeld”.

PENTECOST (Ireland) directed by Peter McDaniel. We are dropped into 1977 Ireland as a young alter boy makes a critical mistake during mass.  His punishment forces him to miss his beloved futbol team’s big game. Given a second chance, we witness quite a funny pep talk by the local priest.  The sports analogy is impossible to miss, but the young man proves he may be a bit more hard-headed than first thought.

RAJU (Germany) directed by Max Zahle. A young couple travel to India to adopt an orphan boy. What they soon discover is that they are mere bit players in a human trafficking scam.  We see how differently the two people react and how self-interest can sometimes cloud one’s judgment.

ANIMATION

 THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR MORRIS LESSMORE (USA) directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. Despite a title that is impossible to remember, this little film was my favorite of the day. In a pretty creative way, it touts the impact that books can have on our lives. It has a tribute to Hurricane Katrina and The Wizard of Oz while it reminds us of the role books can play in providing hopes and dreams.  Humpty Dumpty and Pop Goes the Weasel both play a key role as we see books spring to life, and bring color to the world of kids and adults.

LA LUNA (USA) directed by Enrico Casarosa. This category wouldn’t be complete without the latest gem from Pixar. We see a young boy being introduced to a most unusual family business run by his father and grandfather. His real challenge is finding a way to keep them happy while still making his own mark. He succeeds in very dramatic fashion.

A MORNING STROLL (UK) directed by Grant Orchard. A NYC street scene plays out in three widely different eras: 1959, 2009, 2059.  The twist here is we see a chicken doing the same thing in all 3 time periods, while the people he confronts, and the environment, shift each time.

DIMANCHE / SUNDAY (Canada) directed by Patrick Doyon. A boy is searching for something interesting to do while his family carries on with their Sunday visit.  Things involved include a house-rattling train, 3 crows that mimic the old men, a “mounted” bear and a bunny rabbit.

WILD LIFE (Canada) directed by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby. An English gentleman settles into a simple cabin in the harsh Alberta frontier in 1909.  His letters home paint a rosier picture than what reality dishes. The film compares his plight to that of a comet, replete with burnout.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS – Live Action and Animated (2010)

Greetings again from the darkness.  The Dallas Magnolia Theatre again presented showings of all Oscar nominated short films.  This has become one of my favorite movie events of the year.  Short films are quite a different art form than feature length films.  Connections with characters must be made so quickly and interest in the story must be gained within the first couple of minutes, or all is lost. 

It’s really a shame more short films don’t get distributed with mainstream movies.  It would be a nice bonus for the viewers and the filmmakers.  You know what I mean if you saw Toy Story 3 at the theatre this year.  Below is a quick recap of this year’s nominees.  They are by category and in order of my preference.

LIVE ACTION

 THE CRUSH (Ireland) by Michael Creagh.  It’s the age old tale of schoolboy crush on his teacher.  Only this one has quite a twist.  When Ardal discovers that his teacher is engaged to be married, he decides to save her from a marriage to this less-than-admirable character by challenging him to a duel.  This one makes a couple of really good statements in a short period of time and would have been even better if a real actor, rather than the director’s son, had been chosen to play Ardal.

 WISH 143 (UK) by Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite.  A teenage terminally ill cancer patient tells the make-a-wish representative that his wish is to lose his virginity before he dies.  When his story hits the newspaper, it doesn’t go as he wished.  With a little help from a Priest and a very thoughtful young lady played by the very talented Jodie Whittaker (Venus), the boy’s dreams are surpassed in a warm and surprising manner.

 THE CONFESSION (UK) by Tanel Toom.  Two young catholic school boys are on the verge of their first confession.  Being a bit confused on just what to confess, they stage a prank that inevitably goes horribly wrong.  Their response to this tragedy leads to yet another tragedy that is surely to scar for life.  Not very uplifting, but very well done.

 GOD OF LOVE (USA) by Luke Matheny.  The director plays a love song crooner who also happens to be an expert at darts, while terribly misguided on love.  His prayers are answered by the Olympus Foundation in a box of love darts.  Yes, these darts ignite the openness required for two people to fall in love.  While it doesn’t turn out exactly as he had hoped, Olympus rewards his efforts with a promotion to full Cupid status.

 NA WEWE (Belgium) by Ivan Goldschmidt.  This is mid 90′s Burundi and a war between the Hutus and Tutsis is waging.  The similarites to Don Cheadle‘s film Hotel Rwanda are inescapable, but this is limited to one incident where a van full of passengers is stopped and the frightening process of sorting out begins.

 

ANIMATION

 DAY AND NIGHT (USA) by Teddy Newton.  I feel a bit guilty selecting this Pixar production as my favorite, but it is simply another example of the genius we have come to expect from these people.  Sunny dispositioned “Day” stumbles into the dark, gloomy “Night” and the battle begins.  It’s only when they see the world through each other’s eyes that they began to celebrate their similarities and differences.  Whatever you do, don’t mistake this for the lame Tom Cruise movie, Knight and Day.

 THE GRUFFALO (Germany) by Jakob Schuh and Max Lang.  This probably would have been my favorite had it been original instead of based on the children’s book by Julia Donaldson.  The story, message and animation are all superb and it even has hints of Dr. Seuss!  Care for any Owl Ice Cream?

 LET’S POLLUTE (USA) by Geefwee Boedoe.  Created by a Disney animator, this brilliant work is done in the style of a 1960′s educational film … only with top notch satire that instructs the viewer on how to be a better polluter!  The voice-over is tremendous and the lessons can’t be missed.  Want it.  Waste it.

 MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY (French) by Bastien Dubois.  This is the most artfully drawn of the nominees.  The watercolors are beautiful and the movements are unique and eye-catching.  Even the music is terrific and unusual.  Presented to us as scrapbook pages describing a trip, we experience many people and the culture, and even the affect on the artist.  This one just needed a bit more substance and it could have jumped to the top of the list.

 THE LOST THING (Australia) by Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann.  A guy discovers a most unusual creature just by being a bit more observant than the masses who seem to be lost in their own world.  He helps the thing find it’s place in the world and proves the point that we all belong somewhere … oh yeah, and pay attention to your surroundings!

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS – Live action and Animated (2009)

(2-25-10) Greetings again from the darkness.  For the past few years, the Magnolia Theatre in Uptown Dallas has allowed a limited engagement for the Oscar nominated short films, both live action and short.  This has become an annual event for me … one that I really enjoy.  Short films are a different kind of art from feature films.  The characters and story must materialize quickly and, in the best ones, strike a chord with the viewer within the first two minutes.  An additional benefit of getting to see these nominated shorts is that it provides a connection when the winners are announced.  It’s unfortunate more people don’t get to see these.

 The 2009 nominees do not provide the overall strength of the past couple of years, but there are some moments of brilliance nonetheless.  Although, I will soon be posting my Oscar predictions and preferences, you will also see below that I have given you which of the shorts I consider to be the best of 2009.  I have broken these out by category – Animation and Live Action.

 ANIMATION

French Roast (France) – you have to enjoy watching the French poke a bit of fun at themselves.  Here a snooty businessman sits in a café all high and mighty until he realizes he has lost his wallet.  There is some humor and a couple of nice moments, but overall, this one was a little lame.

 Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty(Ireland) – this one is my favorite of the animated group.  It features wonderful voice acting for the off-center grandmother who frightens the heck out of her grandchild with her bedtime story “loosely” based on Sleeping Beauty.  The grandmother seems to bring quite a bit of emotional baggage to her storytelling and it had me laughing out loud.

 The Lady and the Reaper (Spain) – the weakest of the entries, although one of the better premises.  An older woman is ready to join her deceased husband, but the medical staff, including the braggadocios doctor, really do serious battle with the frustrated reaper.

A Matter of Loaf and Death (UK) – another strong entry based on the Wallace and Gromit characters (previous Oscar winners).  Here Wallace falls for the wrong woman and Gromit frantically tries to save him.

Logorama (Argentina) – maybe the most creative of the entries and certainly makes a social statement based on the brand name world we live in.  Just about every major product or company logo makes an appearance here as Ronald McDonald goes on a crime spree.

LIVE ACTION

Kavi (India/USA) – Kavi is a young boy serving as a work slave with his parents.  Kavi dreams of playing cricket with the rich boys who get to go to school.  There is a statement at the end of the film that says 23 million people are working as slaves throughout the world.  This is a glimpse into the daily heartache of those poor souls.

 The New Tenants (Denmark/USA) – this one plays out like a cross between Tarantino and Polanski, complete with violence and emotional distress.  A gay couple discovers that the previous tenant was brutally murdered.  This leads to a very odd day and an even stranger ending.

Miracle Fish (Australia) – an eight year old boy is mad at the world because his mother disappoints him on his birthday.  Turns out someone else was mad at the world on the same day and when these two worlds collide, it’s not pretty. 

The Door (Ireland) – based on the very personal aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, this dark and dreary story brings to light what happens when a government doesn’t openly communicate with its citizens.

Instead of Abracadabra (Sweden) – offbeat story is my favorite of the live action shorts.  It has a little Napolean Dynamite in the form of a 25-year-old wannabe-magician who still lives at home.  His parents have become less tolerant, but his magic show proves to be quite a surprise at his dad’s 60^th birthday party.