Art as a persuasive device

Posted: December 15, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: movies | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

I just saw two documentaries that kept me away from actual work. One was very good and one was just plain bad.

The good film is called “The Most Dangerous Man In America / Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith. It’s like a great accompanying film to Errol Morris’ “Fog of War”. I love Daniel Ellsberg and his sharp and unflinching insight but I didn’t like so much the clever devices like animation and too much use of films. I felt that it was trying to be more commercial or more entertaining when the gravity of the topic was already so riveting. Nonetheless, that is but a small niggle. I really like this film and deserves all the attention it’s been getting.

The not-so-nice one is called “For the Bible Tells me So” is by Daniel Karslake. I seem to be in the minority in thinking this is not a nice film because rottentomatoes.com actually gives it a 98%. But I think it’s one of those films that kind of shove people into liking it. Perhaps people think that if they don’t like it then then agree with what these bible-thumping homophobes are saying but I don’t think so. The film is about homosexuality at odds with christianity. I think people acknowledge the courage of the topic but the documentary in terms of style and pacing is a little long winded and redundant.

It is clear though that it’s an important film to push the cause of the LGBT. And so perhaps its relevance has earned for it the metals and the glowing reviews. But it doesn’t really go beyond that or go deeper into the issue. It felt a little too much like Dateline without the voice over.

The reason why I love documentaries, whether they’re good or bad, is that no matter what happens, I’m invited to think a certain way or look at something few people have noticed before. Isn’t that amazing?

Let’s just Obama it

Posted: December 8, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Arkeofilms, movies | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment »

She said: Bravo. You make such vantastic vilm! Is brilliant!

Monster: {Heeh} Thank you.

She said: You make one-hour version!

Monster: {Eyes pop, a teeny hopefully unnoticeable jaw drop} Uhhhh…you mean cut it by almost 30 minutes???

She said: You muz maximize the vilm!

Monster: I didn’t maximize it by making it?

She said: You arteests. Always kidding. Nobody iz going to zee your vilm except a handful of people in tiny festivals. All you want is to make your babies and not share it with the world. {She looks at my producer instead}

She said to producer: You tell her to make the cut. She make it one hour or vat a peeti! One time artist say no to me, he regret it. You do not make vilm for yourself, you know.

Producer to Monster: You can make that cut, yes?

{Are you people telling me that this is not going to stop happening until all my hair is gone? I really have to do this? But but I just want to save my…}

Monster: Yes I can!

 

Why does it always have to be the next thing?

Posted: November 11, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Arkeofilms | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

One night over frozen margaritas and oily food, I was with the Dude who directs, Beef who’s a photographer, and Seeds who is a painter and pole dance artist. And the conversation started on a cheerful note. And how it’s so much fun to push the boundaries, give it all you got and then ahhh…an exhibit, a premiere, a performance. But then after the ahhhh…moment comes the now what??? moment. And it happens all over again. And then comes Nor, who is a wonderful wonderful actor. And he talks about enjoying the moment where everything is just PERFECT. And don’t we all look for it? Like heroin? That very very rare moment when you know you did a good thing. And you just keep doing what you do to be in that moment again.

I’ve been thinking about that with documentaries and I’m not sure THE MOMENT applies. Perhaps there is this absolutely profound and reflective scene that you just so happen to capture…NOT. Well maybe. I haven’t done enough to know if it’s true.

Unfortunately, the cheerful note turned to anxious as we all went into self-absorption required of all who need to be ahh-tist. Shmah-tist.

But on that note…I’m so excited to do my next film! The progress is a crawl but perhaps because i have not found this seemingly impossible MOMENT that they keep talking about. No a-ha! for me yet but I know this is going to be good.

And because I am a fool for procrastinating, I have resorted to stupid time eating activities so as to avoid the hard work of actual editing. But might as well publish my first amateur study of the poster. I’m sure my more talented graphic artist friends will do a better job.

www.arecloudsblue.wordpress.com

Give it a chance

Posted: April 24, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: movies | Tags: , | Leave a comment »

It’s always a struggle in the beginning, to think of watching a film that probably won’t look as good as your basic hollywood fare. The plot is probably going to meander to places you’re not used to. The characters are probably even uglier than you. But there really is something magical about documentaries.

So you’re bootlegging already and thinking of what movies to download, give some of these d’s a chance.

It is usually about ordinary lives but the good ones are not mundane. Look for:

51 Birch Street (by Doug Block)

It’s a first person account of a son who gets to know more about his parents. Nothing really much to it until he discovers that his parents were unhappy in this marriage the whole time. It’s completely dysfunctional and reminds me of “Capturing the Friedmans” (by Andrew Jarecki) and yet we all know (hopefully not in one) of couples in unhappy states.

Old Partner (Chung-ryoul Lee)

It’s about an old man and his ox. And again, not much to it but it’s really a compelling watch.

And there are documentaries that actually go well with popcorn.

Hoop Dreams

Man on Wire

The Cove

Helvetica

March of the Penguins

most of Errol Morris films

Gimme Shelter

Anvil

And there are documentaries that will require you to sit somewhere that won’t tempt you to fall asleep…but if you get into it rest assured it’s worth your time.

The Corporation

Objectified

The Betrayal (a triple espresso for this one)

Salesman

Grey Gardens

American Movie

The more I eat, the more I fat.

Posted: February 2, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | Leave a comment »

I’m looking forward to my next docu. Blog title slightly connected bu not really.

Yipee!

She is not done

Posted: July 18, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Kano | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »

She thought it was almost over. She’s been doing it forever. Well not forever. Let’s say she’s been doing it since 2005. Had we been talking about a baby then that baby would’ve been in Nursery right now, learning the alphabet…C you’re so cute and full of charm, D you’re a darling, E you’re exciting…why is it that most of us still have to sing the alphabet to know what comes after K. So anyway, it is not a baby. It is however novel-like in breadth and she is therefore doing only one thing, because it is the only thing she’d be patient enough to do that long a time. It is of course the epic movie. The movie that some generous Korean is waiting for  and the same movie zat ze Swedish perzons are waiting for.

So she makes a call to an American consultant, who hopefully knows what he’s talking about. Because as he gives his 2 cents on the never ending movie in the making…the world comes crashing down on her. The American tells her: It’s still very rough at the moment, I will be able to give you finer points when you’re done.

She did not have the heart to remind the American that she already mentioned that she was just about done. The American assures her that it’s very strong and she must keep on going. But she is too disheartened to tell him…that there seems to be nowhere to go. Because she thought it was almost over.

But it’s not over. More hairfall on the floor. More second guessing. She needs that second wind to get to the finish line which apparently is still far far far away.

Born Poor Born Rich

Posted: May 27, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: movies | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

I was thinking of turning in early so went off to bed. As I tossed and turned, fighting the urge to pop a pill I finished the rest of Barbara Kopple’s Harlan County U.S.A. which I was forced to stop midway as Cuba demanded attention and blocked the screen. Certainly I should’ve seen this movie before I’ve waded through all of Errol Morris stuff, who I absolutely idolize but his style is taking over substance and it’s just not good watching one after the other. I have never used this word before because I would never have known where to put it in but after watching that beautiful doc…it was elegiac. It was just haunting and sad and gripping. That was pure hard work and Kopple’s deft touch is amazing. I am glad we have Ditsi Carolino to raise the banner for us, who I must say is at par with the rest of the world. It’s nice to say that you know someone who’s world-class. And not just Pacquiao. Haha.

After such gripping material, still couldn’t sleep so decided to watch light fare. Born Rich. It’s a personal doc (at least it was “structured” like a personal doc) about the director’s friends who talked about being astoundingly rich. The director is Jamie Johnson of Johnson & Johnson fame. It was a cute concept but didn’t really fly. If you already have a bunch of outrageously rich friends…that’s what you do…you put them in a bunch and make them talk and converse and be themselves. It was a strange thing to force them to share introspection on being rich when you’re sitting down the whole damn time. I didn’t see them live their lives. I saw them under poorly lit frames and standard sitners that don’t mean anything. As all bad reviews go, maybe the reason I don’t dig this movie is because of it’s lazy storytelling and also there’s a version of that documentary that I want to do. Hehe. I would focus more on the director and his father of Johnson & Johnson fame. The scandalous J&J family story is also part of the gazillions that the father inherited. He seems to not want to be rich, and spends his days painting. While Jamie Johnson is torturing his father with q’s…i thought wow. there’s a story. Jamie wants to talk about money and the father who hates the idea of even broaching the topic of wealth. jamie’s father didn’t even divulge to his son they were rich until jamie’s classmates found out.

I was not born rich nor born poor. I feel like a Jane Austen, sometimes feeling lucky I’m not starving and sometimes feeling wickedly jealous I can’t even get a hair spa. Okay that’s unfair. I’m not friends with Jane Austen.

Top of Mind Top 3 Stuff

Posted: March 27, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Arkeofilms, Kano, movies, television | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

It’s always so hard for me to think of my top 3 of anything. But this time, I’ll make it easier and think of the stuff that come to mind in order. This is also procrastination…as I progress, snail’s pace, to the finish line of our first rough cut.

BOOKS


  1. Shipping News by Annie Proulx
  2. A Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography
  3. A Once and Future King by TH White

DOCUMENTARIES


  1. Hoop Dreams by Steve James
  2. Grey Gardens by the Maysles Brothers
  3. Capturing the Friedmans by Andrew Jarecki

PINOY MOVIES (this is hard)

  1. Kakabakaba ka ba? / Dir by Mike de Leon
  2. Bagets / Mario J de los Reyes
  3. Salawahan / Ishmael Bernal

ASIAN MOVIES, but not Pinoy

  1. In the Mood for Love / Kar Wai Wong
  2. Chungking Express / Kar Wai Wong
  3. Raise the Red Lantern / Yimou Zhang

EUROPEAN MOVIES

  1. Amelie (I can’t help it…the commentary is the best part of it all) / Jeunet
  2. Jules et Jim / Francois Truffaut
  3. Butterfly and the Diving Bell / Schnabel

AMERICAN MOVIES

  1. Clueless / Amy Heckerling
  2. Groundhog Day / Ramis?
  3. Godfather (is this Hollywood? in a sense…very hollywood) / coppola

TELEVISION

  1. West Wing
  2. Six Feet Under
  3. Todas

DISHES BY THE DUDE

  1. Crispy Patalbog
  2. Key Lime Pie
  3. Poached egg with roasted tomato and basil, swimming in olive oil and other leafy goodies…resting on bread.

SITES

  1. www.cnn.com
  2. google reader (is that a site?) –it has all the blogs of people i follow, from chums to bourdain to perez hilton to inquirer.net
  3. www.mirandajuly.com

LIQUIDS


  1. Sunquick
  2. Coke Light avec Rhum
  3. Apple Juice

I WANT TO LEARN

  1. français
  2. how to drive
  3. CPR

I WANT TO SEE

  1. New York City
  2. Barcelona
  3. the Pyramids

ALTERNATIVE CAREERS (wishful thinking lang)

  1. investigative journalist
  2. lawyer
  3. back-up singer

*Not that you’d care, but I posted the pictures after the list.  Just to make sure I don’t muck the train of thought.

To what end?

Posted: March 27, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Arkeofilms, movies | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Before, in the agricultural and industrial days…the harder you worked, the richer you got.

Today, in the information age…the smarter you are, the richer you get.

And then somehow, smarter wasn’t just about IQ or thinking capacity. Smart became about wile and shrewdness and cunning.

Why does it always have to be about the money? Why does bottomline mean money? Why can’t it be “new learning” or “discovery” or “new friends”?

But I’m not like thaaaaaat. How’s dat.

And please, to everyone out there who’s getting sick of all those capitalists drowning in money? (What are they supposed to do with all those billions?) Please watch The Corporation. It’s an engrossing documentary, about the institutions that shield mortals from their morals, that have allowed them to think of bottomline before real people.

Open your eyes and watch it.

8 Steps and Voila!?

Posted: February 13, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: movies | Tags: , , | 3 Comments »

I wish it was this easy. But it’s not I tell you. It’s not. And whoever tells you to stick to your script is a fool! But just for your entertainment, these are the steps according the site, on How To Make a Documentary.

Step1 Write a good documentary script, or team up with a writer who has already produced one.

Step2 Create a shot-by-shot outline of the script and use this as your guide. A timeline is also beneficial.

Step3 Lease or purchase a camera, tripod, microphones and video editing equipment. Without these basic tools, you will not have the means to make a documentary.

Step4 Contact all of the people you want to interview and set up times to meet with them.

Step5 Stick to your outline and relay the story. Film everything on the script.

Step6 Film two or three times more footage than you expect to use. It can always be edited later.

Step7 Edit the footage into a concise 90-minute film. Enlist the help of experienced documentary makers or editors to help you with this process.

Step8 Write a documentary treatment, which includes a synopsis and other details about the film. Submit it to film distribution companies for consideration.

And to this I say —- lol.

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