To think there was a time a few months ago that I considered not taking this trip. That would have been a mistake! When you get the chance to travel, no matter where it is, take it!
As I always seem to be going somewhere and have already been to many places, this blog will continue, but here are some reflections on my big European adventure of 2015:
Most Misunderstood City: Amsterdam
The Keep Portland Weird Award Goes to: Berlin
Most Beautiful City: Vienna
The City Most friendly to visitors: Budapest
Most Surprising City: Sofia
Favorite Country: Greece
Favorite City: Budapest
Favorite All Around Location: Naxos, Greece
Best Views Santorini, Greece
Best Market : Naschmarkt in Vienna
Most Unique Experience: the public baths in Budapest
Most Unique Hotel: Hotel Cocoon in Munich
Favorite Hotel: Hotel Grand Budapest
Hotel that Felt most like home: Galazia Studios, Naxos
Least Favorite Hotel: Hyatt by the airport in Amsterdam
Friendliest people- Naxos
Favorite Building- The Russian church officially known as the Church Of St. Nicholas the Miracle Maker in Sofia, Bulgaria
Best Meal- Grilled Squid stuffed with Feta in Athens
Worst Meal- I found a well regarded Hungarian Restaurant in Budapest, and while it was fine, it definitely isn't my favorite cuisine.
Best Drink: I mostly drank beer but I had this great cocktail in Convivum in Santorini. It was a hybrid of a gin and tonic and a mojito.
Worst Drink: Pear Palinka a Hungarian Brandy
Best Day: There were so many, but maybe when I just laid back in the Aegean Sea in Naxos and relaxed.
Worst Day: The day I missed my train to Berlin was a tough one.
It was a great trip! It was the third time I took a month long trip like this one, and this time i knew almost nothing about the places I was traveling to. This definitely made it more of an adventure! Who knows when or where my next traveling adventure will be?
Saturday, August 29, 2015
I know places: Sofia
In planning this trip to Europe it was very important for me to go to places I had never been and knew very little about. That has been the case with the exception of Amsterdam--the place I flew into.
Even within that there are some places I pretty much knew nothing about. That would be the case in my trip to Sofia, Bulgaria. As I prepared to travel to Europe and listed off the places that I was going to my friends. I saw a lot of smiling and head nodding until I mentioned Sofia. Facial expressions sometimes went blank and sometimes full of wonder. Some did not even know where Sofia or Bulgaria was, not unlike me a couple years ago. Some wondered why? Others gave me suggestions on where I could go instead. Some had heard it was dangerous and had a lot of poverty. I'm not going to lie. I did my own internet research (almost never a good idea) and sometimes wondered if I should go somewhere else.
Well guess what? All that was stupid. Sofia is a beautiful amazing city. It's a hidden gem I'm Europe.
I told my friend Boris when I arrived in Sofia that it was much different than I had expected. There is a way Americans and perhaps other parts of the world often view Eastern Europe. And it is often not pretty. It's usually a gray view, a lot of concrete and a lot of disgruntled chubby people in a bread line.
Sofia, obviously, is none of those things. It's vibrant, youthful and energetic. It's perhaps one of the most colorful places I've ever been. One of my favorite visual memories from my trip so far is a small place of worship in Sofia. Believe me cathedrals and temples in Europe are a dime a dozen.. But this one had the most amazing kelly green roof tiles that set it apart from other places. It gave the building a magical enchanted look that I hadn't see in my viewings of nearly 100 (I kid) cathedrals throughout Europe. I should also tell you that Sofia has much grander and beautiful buildings to look at in the city. That one is just special to me.
Every week night during the summer Sofia is busy with its residence and tourists having a beer, experiencing fine dining and then many walk into after hours entertainment.
My point is this: some people like to travel to the places they know. And I guess that's fine. I like to leave my comfort zone and be a little uncomfortable. But for some reason Sofia was a little far outside my comfort zone even for me. It shouldn't have been. Go somewhere you know nothing about! Have an adventure! If you're afraid about safety issues, the federal government has a website that tells you where to be careful or not go.
Sofia was not on that website. I owe the beautiful city of Sofia an apology for my preconceived notions.
Travel as in life inherently has risk but those risks almost always pay off!
Even within that there are some places I pretty much knew nothing about. That would be the case in my trip to Sofia, Bulgaria. As I prepared to travel to Europe and listed off the places that I was going to my friends. I saw a lot of smiling and head nodding until I mentioned Sofia. Facial expressions sometimes went blank and sometimes full of wonder. Some did not even know where Sofia or Bulgaria was, not unlike me a couple years ago. Some wondered why? Others gave me suggestions on where I could go instead. Some had heard it was dangerous and had a lot of poverty. I'm not going to lie. I did my own internet research (almost never a good idea) and sometimes wondered if I should go somewhere else.
Well guess what? All that was stupid. Sofia is a beautiful amazing city. It's a hidden gem I'm Europe.
I told my friend Boris when I arrived in Sofia that it was much different than I had expected. There is a way Americans and perhaps other parts of the world often view Eastern Europe. And it is often not pretty. It's usually a gray view, a lot of concrete and a lot of disgruntled chubby people in a bread line.
Sofia, obviously, is none of those things. It's vibrant, youthful and energetic. It's perhaps one of the most colorful places I've ever been. One of my favorite visual memories from my trip so far is a small place of worship in Sofia. Believe me cathedrals and temples in Europe are a dime a dozen.. But this one had the most amazing kelly green roof tiles that set it apart from other places. It gave the building a magical enchanted look that I hadn't see in my viewings of nearly 100 (I kid) cathedrals throughout Europe. I should also tell you that Sofia has much grander and beautiful buildings to look at in the city. That one is just special to me.
Every week night during the summer Sofia is busy with its residence and tourists having a beer, experiencing fine dining and then many walk into after hours entertainment.
My point is this: some people like to travel to the places they know. And I guess that's fine. I like to leave my comfort zone and be a little uncomfortable. But for some reason Sofia was a little far outside my comfort zone even for me. It shouldn't have been. Go somewhere you know nothing about! Have an adventure! If you're afraid about safety issues, the federal government has a website that tells you where to be careful or not go.
Sofia was not on that website. I owe the beautiful city of Sofia an apology for my preconceived notions.
Travel as in life inherently has risk but those risks almost always pay off!
Friday, August 28, 2015
Some Like it Hot
Traveling to another country is always a great way to get,out of your comfort zone, but sometimes you have experiences in these places that are even more far removed from your comfort zone. Such is the case with my experience of going to the public baths in Budapest.
The city of Budapest is split down the middle by the Danube River on the banks of this river there are many thermal hot springs and Budapest has Mande some of these hot springs into public baths. The baths that I went to were in an establishmentt called Rudas.
When you are in a foreign country you are always a bit out of your element, but sometimes I also choose activities that take me out of my comfort zone. Such is the case on the day in Budapest that I went to the public baths.
Even though that day the baths were co-ed, I still had no idea what to expect. For the most part, things like this are not in our American culture, and from the moment I walked in I knew this was going to be an experience to remember.
Even though that day the baths were co-ed, I still had no idea what to expect. For the most part, things like this are not in our American culture, and from the moment I walked in I knew this was going to be an experience to remember.
After I bought a bottle of water with gas, I walked up to reception. I told her "one" because that's a universal word. Everybody gets that. She starts speaking to me in Hungarian and I have no idea what she is saying. Luckily a lady to my side was acting as my personal interpreter and she told me where to look to decide what package I wanted to buy. To be honest, I just pointed and didn't really know what I was buying then reception gave me a price. My interpreter whispered in my ear, "Do you need a towel?" So that added to the price. Finally I was done with that, and I asked my interpreter where to go. She pointed me in a direction, and then I never saw her again.
I managed to find the locker room. I was unsure it was the locker room because both men and women were in there. A man handed me a computerized wristband to let me in and assigned me to my locker. It actually wasn't a locker at all. It was a small cabin. It was about the same size as a confessional booth in a Catholic Church. I did all my clothing changing in there, and I also left my belongings in there. Once I came out surprise surprise I didn't know how to lock the cabinet. So the attendant showed me how to lock the cabinet with my handy dandy wristband. Then I walked with him to get my towel which was more a low thread count bed sheet than a towel. I guess I could have brought one from the hotel, but that towel did its job.
After some tentative wandering, I found room of baths. I forgot to mention that because it was co-ed, everyone was required to wear bathing suits. On same gender days that is not the case. Anyway there is one big slightly warmer than lukewarm pool in the middle. I sat there for awhile. It was kind of like sitting in a jacuzzi with a wonky heater except no jets and it smelled like sulfur. After sitting here for awhile I experimented with the smaller pools In the corners. As I walked I found out each pool varied in temperature. One was very cold, one was cool, one was warm and one was hot. Strange as it seems, I spent the most time in the very hot one even though it was a little painful when I was first getting in. I did spend a little bit of time in each of them. While the whole building had been renovated the room of baths was very old just as I expected it to be. Some people came in to relax. Some came into socialize. It is definitely a traditional experience in Budapest culture.
I have to admit that I wasn't getting a whole lot out of it, so I explored a little more. I saw that there was a sauna and a steam room. They had warnings that they were only for people in good health.
The steam room was OK. It was hot but bearable. The sign said it was 40 to 45 C. That's over 100 degrees for the Americans. After I left there I took a shower. They had a regular shower and then they had a more rustic big bucket that you just dump over your head by pulling a rope. I chose the latter. It was freezing water! It was shocking to my senses but I'm glad I chose the more primeval expereince.
My final major activity was the sauna. It was the hottest experience in my life. It was so hot you could smell the oils vaporizing from the wood. It didn't have a temperature posted, but I was so hot that when I breathed it felt like the air coming from my mouth was going to turn into fire. The other people sitting with me looked very calm and delighted. I started to feel physically sick so I don't think I made it even 2 minutes. I quickly found a much cooler pool and settled for several minutes. I discovered that those two minutes had temporarily taken all the tension out of my body. He heat must have sucked all the toxins right out of me. I was relaxed yet a little bit tired for the rest of the day.
In any case even though I was nervous to do it, it ended up being a worthwhile experience. On any kind of vacation, I highly recommend doing something that interests you but also makes you a little bit uncomfortable.
The steam room was OK. It was hot but bearable. The sign said it was 40 to 45 C. That's over 100 degrees for the Americans. After I left there I took a shower. They had a regular shower and then they had a more rustic big bucket that you just dump over your head by pulling a rope. I chose the latter. It was freezing water! It was shocking to my senses but I'm glad I chose the more primeval expereince.
My final major activity was the sauna. It was the hottest experience in my life. It was so hot you could smell the oils vaporizing from the wood. It didn't have a temperature posted, but I was so hot that when I breathed it felt like the air coming from my mouth was going to turn into fire. The other people sitting with me looked very calm and delighted. I started to feel physically sick so I don't think I made it even 2 minutes. I quickly found a much cooler pool and settled for several minutes. I discovered that those two minutes had temporarily taken all the tension out of my body. He heat must have sucked all the toxins right out of me. I was relaxed yet a little bit tired for the rest of the day.
In any case even though I was nervous to do it, it ended up being a worthwhile experience. On any kind of vacation, I highly recommend doing something that interests you but also makes you a little bit uncomfortable.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
To Market
When I lived in Seattle, my favorite place to go was hands down the Pike Place Market. While it attracted lots of tourists, it never felt touristy. I think what I like most about it as that it revealed a lot about Seattle. It shows off the cities resources as well as its quirks. From the fish throwing vendors to the orca whale arts and crafts, you can really start to get insight into what Seattle is about--the personality of Seattle.
Most major cities in Europe have similar open air markets and they to reveal a lot about the cities personality. I have learned a lot about the European cities I have been to by browsing through their open air markets. Each city has the essentials like produce, but every city has its own unique wares for sell.
In Amsterdam, boxes of tulip bulbs are sold everywhere in the market, several stands also sell a traditional Dutch blue and white inexpensive china pattern as well. This time was my second visit to Amsterdam, and I noticed a newer trend at their markets. There were many places with kits showing how to grow marijauna. Seeds included. :)
Munich had lots of heart shaped crafts and baked goods. They also sold multiple flavor of Schnapps. I bought a couple bottles of the schnapps and I have to say it was definitely not the same Schnapps I was trying to get my hands on when I was in high school!
Here in Vienna, where I am about to end my stay, I've especially loved the open market called Nachtmarkt. I've roamed through it several times. I have found traditional Viemnese cakes along with cheese stuffed olives, nuts, and lots of spices. The spices alone make the experience different because they create an amazing smell throughout the market. For a lunch snack I picked a fried pita like bread stuffed with feta and spinach. It made a delicious snack! I also picked up 100 grams of vanilla caramels which I've been snacking on in my hotel room!
So if you're in a new city and you don't know where to start. Find out if they have an open air market and if they do go visit. You can find out a lot about the culture of a new city!
Most major cities in Europe have similar open air markets and they to reveal a lot about the cities personality. I have learned a lot about the European cities I have been to by browsing through their open air markets. Each city has the essentials like produce, but every city has its own unique wares for sell.
In Amsterdam, boxes of tulip bulbs are sold everywhere in the market, several stands also sell a traditional Dutch blue and white inexpensive china pattern as well. This time was my second visit to Amsterdam, and I noticed a newer trend at their markets. There were many places with kits showing how to grow marijauna. Seeds included. :)
Munich had lots of heart shaped crafts and baked goods. They also sold multiple flavor of Schnapps. I bought a couple bottles of the schnapps and I have to say it was definitely not the same Schnapps I was trying to get my hands on when I was in high school!
Here in Vienna, where I am about to end my stay, I've especially loved the open market called Nachtmarkt. I've roamed through it several times. I have found traditional Viemnese cakes along with cheese stuffed olives, nuts, and lots of spices. The spices alone make the experience different because they create an amazing smell throughout the market. For a lunch snack I picked a fried pita like bread stuffed with feta and spinach. It made a delicious snack! I also picked up 100 grams of vanilla caramels which I've been snacking on in my hotel room!
So if you're in a new city and you don't know where to start. Find out if they have an open air market and if they do go visit. You can find out a lot about the culture of a new city!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Television: ICONS
Last night I watched two HBO documentaries about two icons. They are most well known in the "gay world", but they deserve to be icons and revolutionaries for humanity. Both Greg Louganis and Larry Kramer were two public figures that were important to me in my own coming out process during the mid 1990s and for many others earlier on. As I watched their stories back to back I was a little sad by the depths of despair they both had seen, but mainly inspired by their influence and ability to endure and prosper.
When I was in high school I didn't really know that I was gay, but I probably should have. One reason why is that I pretty much didn't like any sports, but I would always tell people that I looked forward to the Men's Diving competitions. Yeah I really really should have known. But Greg Louganis was a big part of why I enjoyed diving. I was so used to athletes being these brutish hypermasculine caricatures, but here was someone who was shy and soft spoken while also insanely athletic. I felt a strong connection to Louganis and of course that connection makes more sense as He has since come out as gay as well. The documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis does focus some on his personal life, but it also reminds us of his amazing diving career. What a career it was! Each dive shown in the movie is beyond athleticism. They fall into the realm of what a professional ballet dancer does. In their own way each dive is art.
As I was coming out to myself, I read his book Breaking the Surface in secret. It made me feel a little bit braver. In 1995 Greg came out as both gay and HIV positive. It cannot be stressed enough how rimportant it was for him to do this. Athletes such as Arthur Ashe and Magic Johnson had revealed they were HIV positive, but Louganis came out as both. Even though it was only 20 years ago, things were much different for gay people then. It was hard enough being gay in 1995. I can't imagine having the courage it took to be HIV positive and then making the decision to be public about it.
The most heartbreaking part of the film to me was to see that in recent times Louganis has struggled financially. While he was high profile, Louganis never received any of the endorsements that many athletes do after the Olympics. He never even was on a Wheaties box. He reasons that he didn't receive major endorsements because he didn't fit into the traditional male athlete mold. He also says that even though he was not out as gay at the time, there were rumors and that may have also prevented him from receiving endorsements.
By the end of the film it looks like Louganis is a good place working as a mentor to divers and married to a man he met on Match.com. His present ends happily and hopefully his future will continue to be as bright.
A little bit later in my coming out process after I had told a few of my friends, I found out that there were a bunch of books being given away in a warehouse closed to where I lived. I still do not know why this actually happened, but they were giving away perfectly good books with perhaps a slash on the cover so that they could not be resold. It was an important moment in my life because I found a lot of gay fiction and non fiction books in that warehouse. This was important because at that time the Internet was just starting and I had no idea where to look for resources about gay people or how to meet other people like myself in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Finding those free books was such a blessing at that time. One of the books I found that day was The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer the somewhat fictionalized version of his very real experience during the beginning of the AIDS plague (his word) at the beginning of the 1980s.
Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger begins by showing a very frail Kramer approaching 80 years old in a hospital recovering from a liver transplant that was a result of his being HIV positive for over 30 years. If you don't known the story of Larry, you should watch this documentary, read or catch a performance of the play The Normal Heart or at the least catch the decent HBO Movie version of it starring Mark Ruffalo.
Larry Kramer is a hero. But he is a prickly grumpy hero. During the early 1980s until the beginning of 1990s the U.S. Government all but ignored that there was an AIDS plague happening in the USA. It is likely they didn't take it seriously because it primarily effecting gay men in the U.S. At that time, those administrations really didn't care if a bunch of gay men were eradicated from the planet. Kramer blames former President Ronald Reagan and former NYC Mayor ED Koch for being most responsible for the epidemic going on for as long as it did. But Larry Kramer and his group ACT UP wouldn't let me crisis be ignored. The fact that HIV is now much more manageable can mostly be attributed to Kramer's efforts. He was in your face and abrasive until his voice was heard and action was taken. This often came at the expense of his family relationships as well as his close relationships within the ACT UP group.
Larry Kramer is one of the most important men in modern gay history. One day I hope gets as much credit as someone like Harvey Milk does. Even though Kramer's health is fading, I am glad that he has been able to see some of the fruits of his labor come to pass in current gay history. But Larry Kramer will continue to say there is much more that needs to be done.
Both of these men came out as gay and HIV positive at a time when both were huge fears in American society. I can say that coming out as gay without having the added stigma of being HIV positive was difficult enough for me. However, I am thankful that these men made my path a little bit easier. If you have HBO Now or GO check out these documentaries. Anyone could benefit from knowing more about these men's stories.
When I was in high school I didn't really know that I was gay, but I probably should have. One reason why is that I pretty much didn't like any sports, but I would always tell people that I looked forward to the Men's Diving competitions. Yeah I really really should have known. But Greg Louganis was a big part of why I enjoyed diving. I was so used to athletes being these brutish hypermasculine caricatures, but here was someone who was shy and soft spoken while also insanely athletic. I felt a strong connection to Louganis and of course that connection makes more sense as He has since come out as gay as well. The documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis does focus some on his personal life, but it also reminds us of his amazing diving career. What a career it was! Each dive shown in the movie is beyond athleticism. They fall into the realm of what a professional ballet dancer does. In their own way each dive is art.
As I was coming out to myself, I read his book Breaking the Surface in secret. It made me feel a little bit braver. In 1995 Greg came out as both gay and HIV positive. It cannot be stressed enough how rimportant it was for him to do this. Athletes such as Arthur Ashe and Magic Johnson had revealed they were HIV positive, but Louganis came out as both. Even though it was only 20 years ago, things were much different for gay people then. It was hard enough being gay in 1995. I can't imagine having the courage it took to be HIV positive and then making the decision to be public about it.
The most heartbreaking part of the film to me was to see that in recent times Louganis has struggled financially. While he was high profile, Louganis never received any of the endorsements that many athletes do after the Olympics. He never even was on a Wheaties box. He reasons that he didn't receive major endorsements because he didn't fit into the traditional male athlete mold. He also says that even though he was not out as gay at the time, there were rumors and that may have also prevented him from receiving endorsements.
By the end of the film it looks like Louganis is a good place working as a mentor to divers and married to a man he met on Match.com. His present ends happily and hopefully his future will continue to be as bright.
A little bit later in my coming out process after I had told a few of my friends, I found out that there were a bunch of books being given away in a warehouse closed to where I lived. I still do not know why this actually happened, but they were giving away perfectly good books with perhaps a slash on the cover so that they could not be resold. It was an important moment in my life because I found a lot of gay fiction and non fiction books in that warehouse. This was important because at that time the Internet was just starting and I had no idea where to look for resources about gay people or how to meet other people like myself in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Finding those free books was such a blessing at that time. One of the books I found that day was The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer the somewhat fictionalized version of his very real experience during the beginning of the AIDS plague (his word) at the beginning of the 1980s.
Larry Kramer: In Love and Anger begins by showing a very frail Kramer approaching 80 years old in a hospital recovering from a liver transplant that was a result of his being HIV positive for over 30 years. If you don't known the story of Larry, you should watch this documentary, read or catch a performance of the play The Normal Heart or at the least catch the decent HBO Movie version of it starring Mark Ruffalo.
Larry Kramer is a hero. But he is a prickly grumpy hero. During the early 1980s until the beginning of 1990s the U.S. Government all but ignored that there was an AIDS plague happening in the USA. It is likely they didn't take it seriously because it primarily effecting gay men in the U.S. At that time, those administrations really didn't care if a bunch of gay men were eradicated from the planet. Kramer blames former President Ronald Reagan and former NYC Mayor ED Koch for being most responsible for the epidemic going on for as long as it did. But Larry Kramer and his group ACT UP wouldn't let me crisis be ignored. The fact that HIV is now much more manageable can mostly be attributed to Kramer's efforts. He was in your face and abrasive until his voice was heard and action was taken. This often came at the expense of his family relationships as well as his close relationships within the ACT UP group.
Larry Kramer is one of the most important men in modern gay history. One day I hope gets as much credit as someone like Harvey Milk does. Even though Kramer's health is fading, I am glad that he has been able to see some of the fruits of his labor come to pass in current gay history. But Larry Kramer will continue to say there is much more that needs to be done.
Both of these men came out as gay and HIV positive at a time when both were huge fears in American society. I can say that coming out as gay without having the added stigma of being HIV positive was difficult enough for me. However, I am thankful that these men made my path a little bit easier. If you have HBO Now or GO check out these documentaries. Anyone could benefit from knowing more about these men's stories.
Pink Triangle
Across the street from the labyrinth Jewish Holocaust memorial in Berlin is a beautiful park with several small memorials and monuments strewn throughout. I was on a mission to hunt down the memorial below.
Jewish people were obviously impacted by the Holocaust the most, but many people don't know that thousands of gay people were also put into concentration camps during this terrible time in history. Instead of a yellow star that the Jews wore, gay people wore a pink triangle and that is why the pink triangle is one of the gay community's symbols today.
It is not one of the popular structures to visit. I stood near it for several minutes and only a couple came to look into the window which features a video of two men kissing. I am glad though that this part of history is being recognized. It was truly an amazing, emotional moment for me to get to see this. .
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Film: The "Truth" is stranger than "Fiction"
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is one of those odd movies that is based on a true story. Keeping in mind that anything based on a true story is fictionalized by the filmmakers, it is one of those obscure stories that makes you wince and wonder, "Did something like that really happen?"
There are some fairly major differences between the movie and the real life events, but I will leave some of that to your own interested research. I will say that it is the story about Kumiko played by Babel's Academy Award nominee Rinko Kukuchi who is unhappy with her life in Japan. She is obsessed with the film Fargo and becomes fixated on coming to the USA to hunt for the treasure that is a plot point in that film.
The first half is a bit slow and blah like Kumiko's Japanese life, but it picks up when she finally gets to the USA and meets a few folks on her way to explore Fargo, North Dakota in the middle of winter. Kukuchi is a versatile actress, and it is nice to see her featured again after not seeing her too much since her Academy Award nomination. It's an interesting film with enough quirk to blur the line between reality and fiction.
While I was watching this I started thinking about other films that were "based" on true life movies with stranger than fiction plot lines. Here is a list of 13 that I think are good films.
127 Hours (Suspense/Drama)
Argo (Drama)
Bernie (Black comedy)
Catch me if you Can (drama with comedic and suspenseful elements)
The Conjuring (Horror)
Foxcatcher (Drama)
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (Family Drama)
Into the Wild (Drama)
Life is Beautiful (Foreign drama with comedic elements)
Monster (Drama with Horror elements)
Open Water (Suspense/Horror)
The People Vs. Larry Flynt (Drama with comedic elements)
Wolf Creek (Horror)
What are some of your favorites?
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter 7 out of 10
There are some fairly major differences between the movie and the real life events, but I will leave some of that to your own interested research. I will say that it is the story about Kumiko played by Babel's Academy Award nominee Rinko Kukuchi who is unhappy with her life in Japan. She is obsessed with the film Fargo and becomes fixated on coming to the USA to hunt for the treasure that is a plot point in that film.
The first half is a bit slow and blah like Kumiko's Japanese life, but it picks up when she finally gets to the USA and meets a few folks on her way to explore Fargo, North Dakota in the middle of winter. Kukuchi is a versatile actress, and it is nice to see her featured again after not seeing her too much since her Academy Award nomination. It's an interesting film with enough quirk to blur the line between reality and fiction.
While I was watching this I started thinking about other films that were "based" on true life movies with stranger than fiction plot lines. Here is a list of 13 that I think are good films.
127 Hours (Suspense/Drama)
Argo (Drama)
Bernie (Black comedy)
Catch me if you Can (drama with comedic and suspenseful elements)
The Conjuring (Horror)
Foxcatcher (Drama)
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (Family Drama)
Into the Wild (Drama)
Life is Beautiful (Foreign drama with comedic elements)
Monster (Drama with Horror elements)
Open Water (Suspense/Horror)
The People Vs. Larry Flynt (Drama with comedic elements)
Wolf Creek (Horror)
What are some of your favorites?
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter 7 out of 10
Biting the Hand That Fed You
One of the big adventures of traveling is eating the types of food of the country you visit. Generally I'm pretty open about trying food, but I have to admit the word liver in any menu description is a big turn off. It's fairly easy in countries with a lot of tourists to eat safely. You may even find some of your hometown favorites in your host city. I'll admit when I see a rare Dunkin Donut or even a Starbucks, I scramble for my 2 euro change. But try to resist. :)
When I was in Amsterdam a few nights ago, a person I met invited me to come try the restaurant he worked at. They served Dutch food. I have to admit that on my previous trip to Amsterdam the Dutch-est cuisine I had was delicious pancakes. So this time I was going to try some traditional Dutch food.
The traditional dish I chose was called Stamppot. I liked all the ingredients in it. I just didn't know if I'd like them mixed together. Stamppot is mashed potatoes mixed together with vegetables. I chose sauerkraut, but that night carrots and endive were also available. Then it is usually topped with a sausage and gravy. Mine was also topped with a meatball and Dutch bacon. I was offered Dijon mustard as a condiment which I generously used.
The verdict: it was delicious. Maybe it was a little meat heavy, but All the ingredients plus the Dijon mustard complimented each other well. If I made an American version at home, I might make it with potatoes, sauerkraut and just bacon on top.
But what if it had been terrible? Oh well, then I'd have had a terrible meal that I could talk to people about until my last breath on my death bed. . But it wasn't terrible. And while it wasn't something I'd usually been drawn to on a menu, I'm glad I gave it a try.
I'm in Germany now, and it's proving to be tricky in Berlin which is in northeastern kind of central Germany. The German food I'm finding here seems to be influenced by southern Germany and Austria. I'm going to travel to both of those places next. I'm going to have to open my mind to adventure. I'm going to have to find some other menu options before I'm all schnitzeled out!
Monday, August 24, 2015
Travel: You'll Never Get It Right!
I didn't do a lot of sight seeing today. I gave myself recovery time for jet lag. I do this on every long trip. Five years ago I used the first day to do a bus tour and a boat tour of Amsterdam. I know these tours are cheesy, but I got to sit instead of walk around, and it gave me ideas on what to do for the rest of my trip. Good tip! Thanks Marian!
But today I didn't do that because I've been to Amsterdam before. I felt a little more prepared this time around even though I'm only staying in Amsterdam a couple of days. It made my first day which is usually my hardest day less challenging.
Most people who travel to a different country want to get it right. Many good travelers research the differences in culture of the country they are going so they don't commit any cultural faux pas. If this doesn't cross your mind as a traveler, then may I suggest that you never leave your house. 😝
But here is the thing. No matter how much you research and no matter how hard you try, at some point probably very early on in your vacation you are going to mess it up. You'll never totally get it right.
So my suggestion is embrace that you're going to make little mistakes. Take a breath and relax. Stand at a restaurant with a clueless look on your face and wait for a hostess to seat you and have the greeter wonder why you won't sit down (unless of course that's not the case because it depends on the type of restaurants. ) In my first 12 hours in Europe I probably made at least a half a dozen little mistakes, and this is my 5th time here! Just don't be an asshole about it. Be kind and say lots of pleases and thank yous. The citizens of the country you go to will likely not negatively remember little mistakes you made, but they will remember if you acted like an asshole.
Off to Germany tomorrow!
Dan
But today I didn't do that because I've been to Amsterdam before. I felt a little more prepared this time around even though I'm only staying in Amsterdam a couple of days. It made my first day which is usually my hardest day less challenging.
Most people who travel to a different country want to get it right. Many good travelers research the differences in culture of the country they are going so they don't commit any cultural faux pas. If this doesn't cross your mind as a traveler, then may I suggest that you never leave your house. 😝
But here is the thing. No matter how much you research and no matter how hard you try, at some point probably very early on in your vacation you are going to mess it up. You'll never totally get it right.
So my suggestion is embrace that you're going to make little mistakes. Take a breath and relax. Stand at a restaurant with a clueless look on your face and wait for a hostess to seat you and have the greeter wonder why you won't sit down (unless of course that's not the case because it depends on the type of restaurants. ) In my first 12 hours in Europe I probably made at least a half a dozen little mistakes, and this is my 5th time here! Just don't be an asshole about it. Be kind and say lots of pleases and thank yous. The citizens of the country you go to will likely not negatively remember little mistakes you made, but they will remember if you acted like an asshole.
Off to Germany tomorrow!
Dan
Sunday, August 23, 2015
My Top 10 Musicals of the 2000s...so far
So here is my list:
Disclaimers: Revivals are not eligible and I have not seen anything from the current season yet except Finding Neverland. So Fun Home, Hamilton, and Something Rotten may or may not show up on here one day.
10. The Drowsy Chaperone
9. The Book of Mormon
8. Hairspray
7. If/then
6. Billy Elliot
5. Grey Gardens
4. Avenue Q
3. Matilda
2. Wicked
And
1. Next to Normal
Any I missed? Any WTFs?
Discuss!
Disclaimers: Revivals are not eligible and I have not seen anything from the current season yet except Finding Neverland. So Fun Home, Hamilton, and Something Rotten may or may not show up on here one day.
10. The Drowsy Chaperone
9. The Book of Mormon
8. Hairspray
7. If/then
6. Billy Elliot
5. Grey Gardens
4. Avenue Q
3. Matilda
2. Wicked
And
1. Next to Normal
Any I missed? Any WTFs?
Discuss!
Friday, August 21, 2015
Film: Do We Need Another Hero?
This year a pedestal has been a particularly wobbly place to be. In the last few weeks alone we have seen huge earth shattering revelations from some of the "squeaky cleans" and the "morally superiors". The pro family anti-gay Josh Duggar can now adulterous sex criminal to his name. It may take us awhile to look at Subway the same after thus week's sick and sad revelations about Jared Fogle. And the half dozen more women who came forward in the last couple weeks is only really scratching the surface of the fall of former comedian great and family icon Bill Cosby. Former pedestal dwellers like Tiger Woods will probably tell you from personal experience that the fall is greater for a hero or a role model.
I remember thinking earlier this week that maybe there are really no heroes. Why should there be when the people we look up to let us down?
Then I put a random DVD from Netflix into my old school Blu-Ray player. The movie was I am Big Bird: the Caroll Spinney Story. The cynical part of myself told me that Big Bird was going to be ruined for me from footage of Caroll Spinney swearing at an elderly person or tripping a preschool child. Fortunately no such footage was shown in the highly unlikely event it exists.
Everyone knows Big Bird, but few knew Caroll Spinney the man who has played him and Oscar the Grouch for over 40 years. For the first twenty minutes I waited patiently to see if Mr. Spinney was going to be knocked down a peg. It turns out the man who plays Big Bird is......get ready......a human being. He had a challenging relationship with one of his parents like a few people I know. He also was divorced and didn't get to see his children as much as he'd have liked which is similar to a few other people I know. He was also maybe a little jealous of the Elmo takeover Sesame Street had a few years ago but who wouldn't be? And that my friends is pretty much that's the extent of the "scandal" in this film.
I have to admit there was a moment when I looked at the TV and thought "this is going to be boring". But it turns out that being a human being like Caroll Spinney isn't boring at all. I had always wondered how the puppeteering of Big Bird and Oscar haooened and through behind the scenes footage Spinney makes it look easy. But it isn't.
This movie reminded me what an important part of my young childhood Sesame Street, Big Bird and even Oscar the Grouch were. They taught me a lot. They taught me how to count in Spanish. I learned about other countries like China. And Big Bird even jumped into the deep end one day when Sesame Street dealt with the real life death of the actor who played Big Bird's friend Mr. Hooper.
While there are a few surprising anecdotes in the movie that I will not reveal so that you might try to watch this very good documentary, it turns out that Caroll Spinney is basically a slightly flawed decent human being. Maybe there are real heroes after all. Caroll Spinney should definitely be one of them!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Important Vs. Entertaining (and why not both?)
This week I watched two movies that may not be so well known. Neither of them will likely be mentioned in the same breath again. One was entertaining and one that could be perceived as important. Neither movies is both. Does a movie need to be both?
What We Do in the Shadows is a faux documentary about a house full of vampires. As it is a comedy, it is often more about how the vampires deal with being roommates Real World style and less about bloddy vampire action. The movie is often very funny and clever. It knows its vampire mythology well, and does a great job making a parody of all that. To U.S. audiences the only possible familiar face would be Jemaine Clements, my favorite of the Flight of the Conchords pair. The movie clocks in at less than 90 minutes, but the comedy still gets a little repetitive. This is a problem I have with most comedies though. For the most part though, the film succeeds in its purpose and that purpose is to entertain. I would expect nothing more.
The Russian film Leviathan is a different story. It received great acclaim at the Canne Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for best Foreign Language Film. I have to think that the fact that the film takes on Russia's current political climate has to be a big part of the acclaim. The film is neatly two and a half hours long and there isn't enough action here to sustain an hour. There are lots of drab scenic shots and people sitting deep in thought. The movie really doesn't get going plot wise until about an hour and 50 minutes into it. AN HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES! That's when most movies are ending! And yet film snobs (I'm not going to lie. I can be one) have anointed it as agood or great film because it's important with a capital I! Well great it's not entertaining with any kind of e. Does an important film need to be entertaining? It does if it wants me to get through it without nodding off!
What We Do in the Shadows 7 out of 10
Leviathan 4 out of 10
What We Do in the Shadows is a faux documentary about a house full of vampires. As it is a comedy, it is often more about how the vampires deal with being roommates Real World style and less about bloddy vampire action. The movie is often very funny and clever. It knows its vampire mythology well, and does a great job making a parody of all that. To U.S. audiences the only possible familiar face would be Jemaine Clements, my favorite of the Flight of the Conchords pair. The movie clocks in at less than 90 minutes, but the comedy still gets a little repetitive. This is a problem I have with most comedies though. For the most part though, the film succeeds in its purpose and that purpose is to entertain. I would expect nothing more.
The Russian film Leviathan is a different story. It received great acclaim at the Canne Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for best Foreign Language Film. I have to think that the fact that the film takes on Russia's current political climate has to be a big part of the acclaim. The film is neatly two and a half hours long and there isn't enough action here to sustain an hour. There are lots of drab scenic shots and people sitting deep in thought. The movie really doesn't get going plot wise until about an hour and 50 minutes into it. AN HOUR AND FIFTY MINUTES! That's when most movies are ending! And yet film snobs (I'm not going to lie. I can be one) have anointed it as agood or great film because it's important with a capital I! Well great it's not entertaining with any kind of e. Does an important film need to be entertaining? It does if it wants me to get through it without nodding off!
What We Do in the Shadows 7 out of 10
Leviathan 4 out of 10
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Film: She Told Us She's No Good- Amy
Documentaries about a subject who is no longer alive are often tricky because they usually are composed of a lot of interviews. This is especially the case if the subject was young and there wasn't a lot of video footage. As I watched Amy the documentary of the story of Amy Winehouse's career, I wasstruck most by just how much video footage they had of her to be able to construct her story. The only talking head interviews are off screen interviews that are often played while footage of Amy is showing. It's almost as if people knew from the beginning that they were in the midst of greatness, and they had to catch the rise of this career. Unfortunately, the fall is also there to see.
The saddest thing about this film is that we will never get to see what Amy Winehouse could've achieved. Her very limited musical output had already reached greatness. Where would she have gone from there? Sadly there is no answer.
Much has been said about the participants feelings about how they are portrayed in the film. Amy's father in particular takes exception to his portrayal and while I obviously don't know him, for the true story that is being told in this film, his portrayal seems accurate. He's a human being who gets caught up in fame and fortune as it would be easy for any human to do. But the footage is there. The footage is there of him using his daughter's name to create his own reality TV show. The footage is there of him telling her handlers that she doesn't need to go to rehab. (That's also in her song lyrics). So while it may be very difficult for him to see this warts and all portrayal, it doesn't feel unfair.
But the star of the film is Amy. The Amy we see in this film loves everything strongly--too strongly. This includes the men in her life, her music, and unfortunately drugs and alcohol. Her personality was one of excess, but the film never loses sight of the fact that Amy was a woman not too far out of childhood. There is a lovely moment, perhaps my favorite, in the film where Amy works with her idol Tony Bennett. It is striking how dedicated to perfection she is in getting the song with Tony right. He tells her how great she is doing and all of the sudden amidst her perfectionism, I saw a child's face. Her innocent face wanted to get the song perfect mostly because she didn't want to disappoint her idol. It's a scene that shiws Amy at her most innocent and vulnerable. It's lovely and sad at the same time as the audience knows what is about to follow.
I had looked forward to this film this summer, but it exceeded my expectations. I think it did a remarkable job of letting the audience into Amy's life and talent even when it isn't pretty. And mostly it wasn't pretty.
9 out of 10
The saddest thing about this film is that we will never get to see what Amy Winehouse could've achieved. Her very limited musical output had already reached greatness. Where would she have gone from there? Sadly there is no answer.
Much has been said about the participants feelings about how they are portrayed in the film. Amy's father in particular takes exception to his portrayal and while I obviously don't know him, for the true story that is being told in this film, his portrayal seems accurate. He's a human being who gets caught up in fame and fortune as it would be easy for any human to do. But the footage is there. The footage is there of him using his daughter's name to create his own reality TV show. The footage is there of him telling her handlers that she doesn't need to go to rehab. (That's also in her song lyrics). So while it may be very difficult for him to see this warts and all portrayal, it doesn't feel unfair.
But the star of the film is Amy. The Amy we see in this film loves everything strongly--too strongly. This includes the men in her life, her music, and unfortunately drugs and alcohol. Her personality was one of excess, but the film never loses sight of the fact that Amy was a woman not too far out of childhood. There is a lovely moment, perhaps my favorite, in the film where Amy works with her idol Tony Bennett. It is striking how dedicated to perfection she is in getting the song with Tony right. He tells her how great she is doing and all of the sudden amidst her perfectionism, I saw a child's face. Her innocent face wanted to get the song perfect mostly because she didn't want to disappoint her idol. It's a scene that shiws Amy at her most innocent and vulnerable. It's lovely and sad at the same time as the audience knows what is about to follow.
I had looked forward to this film this summer, but it exceeded my expectations. I think it did a remarkable job of letting the audience into Amy's life and talent even when it isn't pretty. And mostly it wasn't pretty.
9 out of 10
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Film: While We're Young
Noah Baumbach has been a director and writer who I have paid attention to over the last decade. His films usually have something unique and interesting to say about upper to middle class white people living in New York. It is no surprise that he is often compared to Woody Allen. While his work has been criticized by some for its quirk and lack of diversity, I have always found most of his films have a unique and entertaining perspective. The Squid and the Whale and Frances Ha were two of my favorite films from their prospective years and Margot at the Wedding was a film that I admired. His eye is usually refreshing and his messages are interesting.
So begins While We're Young, a film that starts out latching onto the moment people who are entering middle age cling to staying young. As a person entering that age bracket, it is not an feeling or situaton from which I am unfamiliar. The film is about two couples: one middle aged played by Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts and one young played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. All of these actors have shown that they are capable of giving fine performances throughout their careers, and they all have their moments in this film. After they meet, the older couple feels younger by being with the younger couple and they start doing things like taking hip hop dance classes, wearing hipster bowling hats and ignoring their age appropriate friends. There is definitely something interesting here trying to be said.
But then the film decides it wants to say more and say something different. It kind of becomes this treatise on documentary filmmaking. It's begging the viewer to decide if the old way of filming documentaries is better than the new reality TV tinged way of doing it. It's a fine conversation to have, but it never seems to really fit well with the rest of the film. Then add a little bit of middle aged baby angst, and finally an attempt to return to the middle age vs. youth themes it started with and you have a bit of a mess. A mess that has its moments, but ultimately an unsatisfying mess.
5 out of 10
So begins While We're Young, a film that starts out latching onto the moment people who are entering middle age cling to staying young. As a person entering that age bracket, it is not an feeling or situaton from which I am unfamiliar. The film is about two couples: one middle aged played by Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts and one young played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried. All of these actors have shown that they are capable of giving fine performances throughout their careers, and they all have their moments in this film. After they meet, the older couple feels younger by being with the younger couple and they start doing things like taking hip hop dance classes, wearing hipster bowling hats and ignoring their age appropriate friends. There is definitely something interesting here trying to be said.
But then the film decides it wants to say more and say something different. It kind of becomes this treatise on documentary filmmaking. It's begging the viewer to decide if the old way of filming documentaries is better than the new reality TV tinged way of doing it. It's a fine conversation to have, but it never seems to really fit well with the rest of the film. Then add a little bit of middle aged baby angst, and finally an attempt to return to the middle age vs. youth themes it started with and you have a bit of a mess. A mess that has its moments, but ultimately an unsatisfying mess.
5 out of 10
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Film: An Unexpected Summer Gift
Summer is the time that most people go to the movies to get their superhero injection, ad nauseum. For me it is the time I usually take a break from movies with the exception of a few art house things and maybe a blockbuster or two starring an animated Amy Poehler or a trainwreck Amy Schumer (or as the case later this week a documentary about Amy Winehouse.) So for me to find something compelling like The Gift is a surprise summer treat.
I say all that to tell you I won't tell you very much about The Gift. The less you know the better. That isn't because "there is a Bruce Willis has been dead the whole movie" twist. It's because it's a puzzle, and the fewer pieces you have going in, the better the film experience you have.
I'm sure marketing this film was very tough. It could easily be marketed as a horror/thriller, and while it is those things, it is also NOT those things. It's also a very thoughtful film that has a lot to say about.....well damn I really want to tell you, but I won't.
Joel Edgerton directed, wrote, and co-stars in this film, and if you don't know him you likely will very soon. He's been in a few not hugely successful films in the USA, and he is best known to me as a co-star in the great Australian film Animal Kingdom. He has created something unusual with this film. It is riveting, entertaining and also thought provoking. Jason Bateman and Vicki Cristina Barcelona's underrated Rebecca Hall star as a husband and wife with Edgerton playing their acquaintance. That's all I'm going to tell you.
Go see it. Maybe you won't think it is as good or as deep as I think it is. But hopefully it will make you think and also entertain you.
8 out of 10
Friday, August 7, 2015
Amy Schumer is a Trainwreck and so am I
Blah blah blah. A star is born. Amy Schumer is amazing! That is true and has been said a lot this year. But when is Hollywood going to get a clue? The reason why movies like Trainwreck and the Melissa McCarthy canon do so well is because we the audience sees a little of ourselves in the main characters and we get to laugh at ourselves a bit and feel not pathetic but empowered. Sure we also like to be taken away from real life, but this kind of movie makes real life funny. There should be more stars like Amy Schumer and Melissa McCarthy. They shouldn't be the exception, but the rule.
Trainwreck is a funny movie for any person who has ever felt at times that their life is a bit of a disaster, particularly their dating life. Yes, Amy Schumer plays the "guy" in this romantic comedy, but rarely is the guy this well written. She is flawed, funny, and a little bit sad. This is something most people can relate to. Schumer, who everyone knows is funny, gets to play a few dramatic moments in this and she pulls the, off.
Bill Hader gets the "chick" part in this romantic comedy and again rarely is this archetype so refreshing and well written. From his days on Saturday Night Live, I never would have expected him to have so much leading man potential. Between this and last year's Skeleton Twins, I hope his career trajectory continues and he becomes the first former SNL star to win an acting Oscar.
The film has a great cast with nice performances from Colin Quinn (though it makes me feel old to think that he could play a character who is in assisted living facility) and refreshingly funny performances by LeBron James in the "girlfriend of Meg Ryan" role. Some of the comedy felt a little bit too "comic" to me though. There is a lot of dialogue that doesn't feel real to me, but then again this is a common problem for me in comedy films and why I don't like a lot of them.
Trainwreck is a very good comedy that could've been great if it weren't for its sagging final act. After a big event happens in the movie that I won't give away, it all becomes a little too dramatic for a romantic comedy. It starts to feel long, but is almost saved by the final scene. Judd Apatow films often have this problem. If he just could allow just a little bit of editing in certain parts, his very good films could be even better. Mostly it doesn't matter though because Schumer, Hader and most of the cast are so fun to watch.
7 out of 10
Trainwreck is a funny movie for any person who has ever felt at times that their life is a bit of a disaster, particularly their dating life. Yes, Amy Schumer plays the "guy" in this romantic comedy, but rarely is the guy this well written. She is flawed, funny, and a little bit sad. This is something most people can relate to. Schumer, who everyone knows is funny, gets to play a few dramatic moments in this and she pulls the, off.
Bill Hader gets the "chick" part in this romantic comedy and again rarely is this archetype so refreshing and well written. From his days on Saturday Night Live, I never would have expected him to have so much leading man potential. Between this and last year's Skeleton Twins, I hope his career trajectory continues and he becomes the first former SNL star to win an acting Oscar.
The film has a great cast with nice performances from Colin Quinn (though it makes me feel old to think that he could play a character who is in assisted living facility) and refreshingly funny performances by LeBron James in the "girlfriend of Meg Ryan" role. Some of the comedy felt a little bit too "comic" to me though. There is a lot of dialogue that doesn't feel real to me, but then again this is a common problem for me in comedy films and why I don't like a lot of them.
Trainwreck is a very good comedy that could've been great if it weren't for its sagging final act. After a big event happens in the movie that I won't give away, it all becomes a little too dramatic for a romantic comedy. It starts to feel long, but is almost saved by the final scene. Judd Apatow films often have this problem. If he just could allow just a little bit of editing in certain parts, his very good films could be even better. Mostly it doesn't matter though because Schumer, Hader and most of the cast are so fun to watch.
7 out of 10
A fly on the wall in Timbuktu
While film is a great form of entertainment, one of its other wonders is that it exposes people to worlds they may not otherwise experience. This is the case for the Academy Award nominated film Timbuktu. It is a frustrating type of film because those who need to see it probably won't ever see it because it doesn't make them feel good or entertained. It does something worse! It makes you feel just a tiny bit more educated.
The setting of Timbuktu is a nice quiet Muslim village until it is overtaken by Muslim extremists. The film is basically this village's attempt to live their life as before they were overtaken. It has a main storyline that involves the shooting of a cow that has tragic consequences. This story is successful, but what I found really interesting about this film were the secondary characters attempting to do small things they used to be able to do such as play soccer and listen to music only to be punished by their village's new "laws".
Timbuktu does a great job at showing the clear division between your every day average Muslims trying to live a normal life and the extremists. This is important because it is something that we don't see in American media or culture often. But even the extremists are given some dimension. They work to enforce strict laws that they aren't even able to always keep.
While Timbuktu does have its moments that are both funny and entertaining, it also does something that movies all too often do not accomplish. It helps us understand.
8 out of 10
The setting of Timbuktu is a nice quiet Muslim village until it is overtaken by Muslim extremists. The film is basically this village's attempt to live their life as before they were overtaken. It has a main storyline that involves the shooting of a cow that has tragic consequences. This story is successful, but what I found really interesting about this film were the secondary characters attempting to do small things they used to be able to do such as play soccer and listen to music only to be punished by their village's new "laws".
Timbuktu does a great job at showing the clear division between your every day average Muslims trying to live a normal life and the extremists. This is important because it is something that we don't see in American media or culture often. But even the extremists are given some dimension. They work to enforce strict laws that they aren't even able to always keep.
While Timbuktu does have its moments that are both funny and entertaining, it also does something that movies all too often do not accomplish. It helps us understand.
8 out of 10
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Boys (and Anne Hathaway) go to Jupiter to get more stupider: Interstellar
I know I'm a bit behind on my movie watching here! But Interstellar?? What the hell was that?
There are just a few directors who can bring me to their movies with name alone. Christopher Nolan is one of them. Or maybe I need to rethink that. All of his movies have been great or at least interesting until now. Inception was my favorite film of 2010. But his most recent movie Interstellar gives me pause.
Apparently Hollywood is on the Christopher Nolan train also. A lot of big movie stars and Topher Grace were drinking the Nolanesque flavored Kool Aid as well by starring in this film Mr. Nolan seems to be falling for his own hype. That can be the only reason a movie like Interstellar can exist.
He had me for the first hour. A story about a daughter devastated by her astronaut father leaving her to go to space could be a good movie, no? Then after the hunky father played by Matthew McConaughey actually goes to space, the film kind of fell apart for me. Probably the Dr. Who watchers of the world couldn't get enough of all the talk of wormholes, tesseracts and black holes. As for me, sorry I almost fell asleep from boredom typing that last sentence. Along
with all the science fiction jibberish, the rest of the film is a bunch of explosions, some deaths and then Ellen Burstyn tries to save the day. Tries is the key word.
Visually I also expected more. Now granted I watched this on my big screen TV at home and not at the theatre, but after Gravity, I kind of expect more visually from a film that takes up a lot of its time in outer space. I'm sure it was not, but Interstellar just looked kind of cheap.
I suppose every great filmmaker gets a self flagellating movie or two on their IMDB page, hopefully this will be Christopher Nolan's only one for awhile.
There are just a few directors who can bring me to their movies with name alone. Christopher Nolan is one of them. Or maybe I need to rethink that. All of his movies have been great or at least interesting until now. Inception was my favorite film of 2010. But his most recent movie Interstellar gives me pause.
Apparently Hollywood is on the Christopher Nolan train also. A lot of big movie stars and Topher Grace were drinking the Nolanesque flavored Kool Aid as well by starring in this film Mr. Nolan seems to be falling for his own hype. That can be the only reason a movie like Interstellar can exist.
He had me for the first hour. A story about a daughter devastated by her astronaut father leaving her to go to space could be a good movie, no? Then after the hunky father played by Matthew McConaughey actually goes to space, the film kind of fell apart for me. Probably the Dr. Who watchers of the world couldn't get enough of all the talk of wormholes, tesseracts and black holes. As for me, sorry I almost fell asleep from boredom typing that last sentence. Along
with all the science fiction jibberish, the rest of the film is a bunch of explosions, some deaths and then Ellen Burstyn tries to save the day. Tries is the key word.
Visually I also expected more. Now granted I watched this on my big screen TV at home and not at the theatre, but after Gravity, I kind of expect more visually from a film that takes up a lot of its time in outer space. I'm sure it was not, but Interstellar just looked kind of cheap.
I suppose every great filmmaker gets a self flagellating movie or two on their IMDB page, hopefully this will be Christopher Nolan's only one for awhile.
What the?
I watch a lot of movies, TV shows, and plays. I read some books, listen to some music and pay more attention than I should to award shows. You're a naked movie star is where I come to talk about these things and other cultural excitement!
I hope you come for a read and feel free to comment about what you see!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)