images&words

Next weekend is going to be a great one. School will be over,...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:17:25 -0500

Next weekend is going to be a great one. School will be over, and I will make damn sure to see both of these films.

This day is over.

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:52:00 -0500

It was the absolute worst. I’m glad I start shooting tomorrow, though.

Iron Man 2, Whiplash poster.

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:59:00 -0500

Iron Man 2, Whiplash poster.

@ evermindx3

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:28:00 -0500

You’re right about Harry Potter. Since I never was a big fan (I have only read books 1-3 and probably won’t read the other ones. Might catch up with the movies, though.), I just ignored isawitontelevision’s comment, but you’re right. While I don’t think Twilight should be considered as much of a stepping stone, more of a vulgar bastardisation of the vampire mythos than anything, Harry Potter really is a stepping stone to greater and more adult fantasy. I haven’t read the books, like I said, but I’m pretty sure I can safely say that. The first three books inspired me to seek out other great stories to read and I’m thankful for that. So yes, I had to acknowledge that.

Regarding your despise of Romeo & Juliet, I understand you. For me it’s just this ridiculously dumb story that is frankly, not that romantic at all.

@ isawitontelevision

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:06:04 -0500

isawitonthetelevision:

swampandreviews:

(cont’d)

No problemo.

A really good adaptation - which for some reason I didn’t think of - would be West Side Story: to show a class, that is.

Plus + : it’s fun and snappy and totally fits both worlds (ie. the Bard’s and its own day’s). Problem – : it’s from the 60’s and kind of loopy in a way you have to love to appreciate. I remember being shown it and a lot of kids groaning “it’s gay” or “the fuck, man?” which isn’t the reaction you want from kids whom you need to “win” to the side of appreciating somethin.

My solution when I teach English (which I’ll be doing as soon as February): have them come up with their own versions and let them film five minute scenes. That way, the quality is dependent on them, and they get a chance to struggle through adapting something that they’ll have to like: “Oh so you don’t like this crap, eh? Well, why don’t you go and make your own” in the vein of Bart’s attempt to start a casino (“What’re you gonna do - start a casino in a treehouse and invite all your little friends to come?! Hahaha. I’d like to see that.” and later: “Well, I guess he showed me.”)

It’s funny you say that because we actually have to film our own adaptation later this year. As we’re flooded with other projects and stuff, we’ll probably end up doing something really simple, but what we’re looking at right now is a grindhouse/torture porn version where Friar Laurence, Tybalt, the Nurse and Paris kidnap both Romeo and Juliet and torture them and stuff. Of course, it’d be all a big excuse to make cheap gore effects and film the whole thing in a basement with chains. If it’s presentable, maybe I’ll upload it…

You really should - even if it’s not presentable. Or if it’s NSFW. Hahaha.

What is this for? high school? college? etc.

Last year of high school. I would really like it to be nsfw but I don’t think none of my friends would have the guts to film that kind of material hahaha. And I don’t think we could hand that in either. Anyways, we’ll see what happens with that…it promises to be a lot of fun.

@ isawitontelevision

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:57:06 -0500

(cont’d)

No problemo.

A really good adaptation - which for some reason I didn’t think of - would be West Side Story: to show a class, that is.

Plus + : it’s fun and snappy and totally fits both worlds (ie. the Bard’s and its own day’s). Problem – : it’s from the 60’s and kind of loopy in a way you have to love to appreciate. I remember being shown it and a lot of kids groaning “it’s gay” or “the fuck, man?” which isn’t the reaction you want from kids whom you need to “win” to the side of appreciating somethin.

My solution when I teach English (which I’ll be doing as soon as February): have them come up with their own versions and let them film five minute scenes. That way, the quality is dependent on them, and they get a chance to struggle through adapting something that they’ll have to like: “Oh so you don’t like this crap, eh? Well, why don’t you go and make your own” in the vein of Bart’s attempt to start a casino (“What’re you gonna do - start a casino in a treehouse and invite all your little friends to come?! Hahaha. I’d like to see that.” and later: “Well, I guess he showed me.”)

It’s funny you say that because we actually have to film our own adaptation later this year. As we’re flooded with other projects and stuff, we’ll probably end up doing something really simple, but what we’re looking at right now is a grindhouse/torture porn version where Friar Laurence, Tybalt, the Nurse and Paris kidnap both Romeo and Juliet and torture them and stuff. Of course, it’d be all a big excuse to make cheap gore effects and film the whole thing in a basement with chains. If it’s presentable, maybe I’ll upload it…

isawitonthetelevision: swampandreviews: Romeo + Juliet was a...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:32:00 -0500

isawitonthetelevision:

swampandreviews:

Romeo + Juliet was a terrible, terrible film. I think this is a generally loved film around here, but I’m sorry, I found nothing good about it. Baz Luhrmann’s vision (as my English teacher kept referring to it as) is essentially flawed for two reasons: its inability to convey proper emotions and investment into the characters unless you’re a die hard Romeo & Juliet fan. This inability to invest the viewer comes from two facts: an overconfidence in the source material, and a direct dialogue adaptation that really breaks the whole urban hip feel Luhrmann was going for. The second reason this film is flawed is the precise “hip” feel. It overshadows every aspect of the production, from the video clip aesthetic and montage, the terrible camera work, the cheesy angles and it destroys what could’ve been a good enough adaptation. The only thing I found remotely good about this film is Claire Danes, and that’s only because she was pretty to look at. Asides from that, I’m glad I saw this in English class, because otherwise, it would’ve felt like an humongous waste of time.

Here here. I totally know what BL was going for (ooh, it’s juxtaposition), but it was really self-consciously done & kind of pretentious to think one could just smother one form with another style, and ta-da produce some kind of entertaining genius thing.

It reminded me a lot of those Kids Do Klassics books I was given as a kid: like The Count of Monte Cristo shrunk to 94 pages, every fourth being a hand-drawn sketch with captions like “The Count scraps his way out with a spoon” and “The Count is foiled, again” and “The Count sweeps his bride off her dainty feet” or some shit. At the time it was all: Heeeee! I’m reeeeding! But looking back, it kind of damaged my brain: thinking, as I did, Heeeee! I’m rearding adult booooks. AND I’m just a ked! Buh! Which is a lot like those bastards who’ll claim Harry Potter (or even worse: Twilight) is encouraging youth (My Cousin Vinny: yutes) to read - “yeah, to read more Twilight!”

It’s a bit downheartening (that is not a word) to think that BL et al. would make a movie that doesn’t really connext to Shakespeare fans or hip kids - it kind of straddles both worlds and splits itself into pieces on the divide of the fence: not really satisfying anyone, but also making attempts to “contribute” to both camps. “oooh Shakespeare is universal AND timeless” & “oooh R&J is so street right now!” Lame.

And yes: it’s kind of late 90’s MTV-looking, which is something I had thought our culture was throwing up (ie. rejecting) even as it was producing it. (See: Lopez, Jennifer & her videos).

If one’s gonna do a “translation” of something (ie. take Shakespeare into “our age” or adapt a foreign movie), one can’t just XEROX chunks of the original into the new context. Like those awful ‘crossover’ albums where Classical Music of the West is ‘arranged’ with like Oriental instruments or African drumming in the background. Or, gag, synthesizers for some reason. Shiny and new doesn’t mean good.

Translating a work from one time or place to another requires an examination of the principles or goals of the original, and then a transfer of those fundamentals to the space of whatever the new thing is.

Like: if you wanna do a transfer of Seven Samurai to the West, you don’t just redo the thing and then swap Japanese for English. You find out what’s similar and relevant in the West (ie. cowboys) and then make something like The Magnificent Seven.

Gawd, BL: don’t you know that?

And @swampandreviews: thanks for being brave and sticking your neck out with the most unpopular of opinions (at least for a tumblr whose audience can sometimes praise mediocre jazz like the above - sorry tumblr). :D

This might be the greatest, longest reaction anyone has ever written to me. And I couldn’t agree more: this was as bad as adapting something gets. A friend of mine pointed out something to me, a few minutes ago: this might just be the worst adaptation possible to show a class. But then again, teenagers are kinda retarded and I don’t think a bunch of uninterested teens would’ve sat through the 1968 version (I don’t mean to sound condescending, but it’s true: nobody would’ve given a fuck. I mean, I know: I wasn’t even able to keep my mouth shut during the Luhrmann version: our class is hellish, you’re with a bunch of friends, and you kinda need to go with it. Imagine an “old” film.) Anyways, I guess a fast paced DiCaprio film is always a good and satisfying choice for that kind of audience. Anyways, I wouldn’t have show this one, that’s for sure.

Thanks again for you reply. It’s great to see people actually read my stuff, and that I can inspire some thoughts.

I will make these holidays Steven Spielberg-themed holidays.

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:48:00 -0500

I make a promise to watch the following films,

Jaws (1975)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
E.T. (1982)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

in the ultimate goal of reliving my childhood. If I can, I think I will also watch the original Star Wars trilogy while I’m at it. I know I’m getting Grey’s Anatomy Season 5 for Christmas so I’ll be watching that too. These holidays are looking good. If only I hadn’t so much fucking schoolwork to do.

Romeo + Juliet was a terrible, terrible film. I think this is a...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:49:00 -0500

Romeo + Juliet was a terrible, terrible film. I think this is a generally loved film around here, but I’m sorry, I found nothing good about it. Baz Luhrmann’s vision (as my English teacher kept referring to it as) is essentially flawed for two reasons: its inability to convey proper emotions and investment into the characters unless you’re a die hard Romeo & Juliet fan. This inability to invest the viewer comes from two facts: an overconfidence in the source material, and a direct dialogue adaptation that really breaks the whole urban hip feel Luhrmann was going for. The second reason this film is flawed is the precise “hip” feel. It overshadows every aspect of the production, from the video clip aesthetic and montage, the terrible camera work, the cheesy angles and it destroys what could’ve been a good enough adaptation. The only thing I found remotely good about this film is Claire Danes, and that’s only because she was pretty to look at. Asides from that, I’m glad I saw this in English class, because otherwise, it would’ve felt like an humongous waste of time.

Any argument against the moustache is utterly destroyed by this....

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:08:00 -0500

Any argument against the moustache is utterly destroyed by this. Suck it up.

Dear God, my brain just exploded of envy. Star Wars-themed...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:28:00 -0500

Dear God, my brain just exploded of envy. Star Wars-themed Adidas shoes.
(Millenium Falcon, Storm Trooper and Yoda models are my favorites. See the rest here.)

I can't think of anything I'm proud of regarding my life right now.

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:04:00 -0500

It’s sad, and terribly terrifying. And I have two exams tomorrow, and can’t see no end to this. And there’s fucking 30 feet of snow outside.

I feel like watching Terminator and I can’t. Now if that isn’t the biggest drama of my life right now, I don’t know what is. Fuck you world.

Tron Legacy (2010)

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:35:01 -0500

Tron Legacy (2010)

I'm all set and ready to shoot.

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:37:21 -0500

Hello documentary film.

zachc reminded me I need to pick the up someday. (It’s...

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:25:00 -0500

zachc reminded me I need to pick the up someday. (It’s crazy how this can be my childhood and your childhood too. Thank you reruns.)

Sometimes I wish I'd meet a girl that loves movies as much as I do.

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:16:00 -0500

I feel retarded. And lonely.

I have to admit...

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:10:00 -0500

I have impossible expectations about Avatar. There’s a place in my brain were I’m convinced it’s going to be the greatest movie ever….and I know it probably won’t but, goddamn. I have 11 days to lower my expectations to an reasonable level, or else I will probably end up disappointed, and I don’t want to. I’m sure the story is going to be pretty straightforward and generic, I can say this, and I hope it doesn’t take away from the visual feast this promises to be, as I have absolute faith in the visuals.

One of the reasons that actually motivated me to write this post is that the theme/credit song (by Leona Lewis) leaked today (listen to it here), and it’s absolutely horrendous. Remember Celine Dion’s song at the end of Titanic ? Well, it’s worse. I seriously hope the song doesn’t make its way into the actual film, but we might never know…

I don’t understand the Avatar hate that seems to be going on out there, either…Why? Do people hate Cameron that much? Or CGI for that matter? I’m not particularly a CGI enthusiast, but this actually looks too good for me to complain, so…Anyways, I guess 11 days is not a long time to wait. In the meantime, I’ll ajust my expectations, just in case.

The remains of Deepcore, the set of The Abyss.

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:49:55 -0500

The remains of Deepcore, the set of The Abyss.

According to movies...

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:56:00 -0500

Oil rigger is the most adventurous job ever. I mean, you get to rig oil and ride asteroids and discover deep sea creatures and save the world. And wear a badass moustache if you discovered the trade.

Fuck everything else, I’m watching The Abyss. Nearly 3...

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:47:00 -0500

Fuck everything else, I’m watching The Abyss. Nearly 3 hours of Camerony goodness.