Favorite Movie Contest
The winner of this contest gets a set of 9 beads,
your choice of colors, my choice of designs...ok here is how you play, send me a story about your
most favorite movie ever & WHY you liked it so much, tell us what it
meant to you, or it was so funny you laughed & that's what you needed in
life, and so on and so fort...you get the picture...I will also write a story about mine...but I can not
Contest will run until Aug 3rd, and on Aug 10th I will
announce the winner who is picked by my hubby...since I can not be
AUG 10 2005, WE HAVE A WINNER,
Lilly P. Wins the contest & a set of 9 beads, I have moved her
entry to the top...Hubby read all of the entries last night, he said he
like Lilly's best...but he also wanted to give Honorable mention to
Ginny's entry & Toria Betson's entry, I will also send 5 beads each to
these 2 ladies, my choice of colors & designs...I will post a photo of
the beads that Lilly has won, once she chooses what she likes and I make
them...thanks all for playing along...
Beads for the winner Lily...she picked out the
Beads for Ginny & Toria the honorable
mentions...I picked the colors...
Winner of Movie
movie ever has to be Turner and Hooch. It was
hilarious. My husband and I met when we were both working
full-time jobs with crazy schedules. He was traveling a lot
with his job and I was working very long crazy hours. Most of
our time was spent on the telephone. We were finally going to
meet at a truck stop to have coffee and talk. I showed up but
he sent a friend to let me know his sister died and explain the
situation so I left and went home. He called me again during a
business trip. When he got back from his trip he was going to
have 200 people for a Labor Day weekend party . In the
meantime, my 16 year old son died. I called to let him know.
He left his party that he was hosting to meet me at a picnic
grove to spend a little time together. Two months later, we
finally were able to make a date and we went to see Turner and
Hooch. I never laughed so hard in my life and neither did he.
You see, I think it was the fact that we both went through a
loss around the same time and there was a lot of stress in our
lives with jobs, being unable to go on a date, and everything
else that was going on at the time. We laughed so hard we
couldn't get out of our seats! We were both laughing so hard we
were crying when we came out of the movie theater. I will say
that is a memory that will last a lifetime...............Our
first real date!
favorite movies. The first is "Chariots of Fire." When I first
saw it, I was floored. It was lovely, touching, thrilling, kept
the audience on the edge of their seats, and did it all from
different angles and points of view. The adversaries are
friends, there is love and success for the one who feels he is a
misfit, there is satisfaction on different levels. And the
sheer beauty of the cinematography couple with that Vangelis
score! It knocked me out and I went back the next day to see it
again. This was during a time when money was very, very tight,
and seeing the same movie the next day was a major frivolity.
My second favorite movie is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
because it is genius and made me laugh my ass off. Lena
Oh My Jelveh, I hope it's not too late!! But,
here is my favorite movie:
My most favorite movie is Chocolate. If
you've seen the movie, you'd know why. It is filled with
many facets: a love story, a sad story, empowerment,
friendship, and comedy. This movie inspired me to open my
own business. While watching Viviane, making her delicious
art forms of chocolate, I thought of my own passions:
jewelry. I saw myself in her. Working endlessly, lovingly
at her craft/art. Not only did Viviane inspire me, but so
did the other characters: Rue (Johnny Depp), with his dark,
mysterious gypsy self. Her friend who begins in the movie a
shy, meek, and scared person; to evolving into this
independent, happy woman. Also, her daughter, who just
wants stability and a normal life. And of course ALL the
other characters that make this movie a sensation, an
experience! The main character, Viviane, I identify most
with. Also the movie is shot in France in a town where the
surroundings and the people are bit conservative and
stuffy. It is interesting how the producers have everyone
in dark, earthy tones while Viviane is dressed in colorful,
vibrant colors. I loved how they associated the people in
the movie to color. It shows how powerful color really can
be. Finally, a great movie that both men and woman will
The Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie. It
shows all the angst of society. The man who is good against the
man in charge. The need of people for power over people that
have no say. the bond between men that can't fight back! I'm
a little MS and I can't bring women into it.
It reminds me of our society today with no
one talking about what is wrong.
I love the end when the Man knows he has
under estimated his foe! That a man still can have a chance
at life. That a person has a chance to come out of the
sewer he lived in and survives. The sewer in this case is a
very flawed system of justice as we know it!
It is a testament to us all that he
Think about justice as if you are the
There are so many great movies out there that
it's really difficult to narrow it down to just a few, but I
will talk about my favorite comedy and drama:
For comedy, I have to say "What About Bob" is
one of my all-time favorites. Being familiar with the
mental health community where I used to live, this movie
really brings some insight on the subject, but in a humorous
light. Bob, played brilliantly by Bill Murray, is a
multi-phobic patient who has been dumped by every
psychiatrist he's ever seen. He winds up becoming the
patient of Dr. Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss. This
movie is an absolutely hilarious portrayal of a patient who
unwittingly drives his doctor over the edge!
For a drama, "Mr. Holland's Opus", starring
Richard Dreyfuss as the talented composer and music teacher,
has to be one of my all time faves. As a struggling
composer, Richard Dreyfuss and his wife have a deaf son,
which they have to enroll in an expensive school for the
deaf. It is a moving, endearing movie showing Dreyfuss
going from a young artist to an accomplished high school
music teacher who makes his mark. Lots of laughs and tears
in this movie, as we watch Mr. Holland age, as well as his
students who never forget what he's done for them.
My favorite movie is called Empire of the Sun.
It is a very moving film and one of the all time best, though
not very well known. I really appreciated how it showed that
even during times of extreme distress or hardships, we can
either allow ourselves to become weak and wither away or we can
be use the circumstances to mold ourselves into better
stronger individuals. That was what happened to the main
character, the little boy in the film. In the beginning he was a
brat from a rich family but throughout the film and in the end,
he changed and became the opposite of what he was. And because
of that he was able to bridge the gap between himself and his
oppressors. It is truly a very touching film that speaks many
truths about humans. It reminds all of us that no matter how
different we may seem from the outside, we are all still part
of the large human family and thus are not very different from
each other in areas of values, etc. I hope I have peaked your
interest without giving away too much.
by: Toria Betson
Some movies make us laugh, some movies make us cry, and some
movies forever transform out lives. Smoke Signals
does all three.
Perhaps it was the timing….Smoke Signals, based on
the book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,
written by Sherman Alexie, is a contemporary Native
American, ‘Odyssey’. It tells the story of a
journey by two unlikely companions, Victor and Thomas, as
they leave their Coeur d'Alene reservation, to collect and
bring home the remains of Thomas’s father.
Victor, a proud and tough young man, is full of anger. His
alcoholic and abusive father left home when he was just 12
Thomas, the same age as Victor, is a nerdy, almost fragile
looking, storyteller, who was raised by his grandmother.
We get the impression Victor feels Thomas’s soul purpose in
life is to annoy Victor. While Victor is full of anger at
his father, Thomas remembers him fondly, almost as the
father he didn’t have.
The young men’s lives have been bound together from the time
Victor’s father caught the baby Thomas, who was thrown from
a window of the blazing house fire that killed both his
When Victor cannot afford the trip to Arizona, it is Thomas,
with his glass jar full of change, who offers to pay the
way, on the condition Victor takes him with him.
Because this is not a movie that everyone has seen, I am
reluctant to give away too much of the plot. Despite the
serious subject of the film, this beautiful, touching movie
is full of humor. I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again.
As an adult survivor of child abuse, I have spent most of my
life trying to heal and find happiness. Like Victor,
unrecognized hurt and anger at my parents affected my entire
life: my feelings of self-esteem, my ability to have a
healthy relationship with others, my hope for any kind
At the same time I first saw this movie, I had became
obsessed with genealogy. The side of the family I originally
had the least interest in, because of the abuse, was the
side I was able to go back the furthest in, to the end of
As I studied the records, I discovered that every few years
some disease would strike my ancestor’s village, and the
youngest would die. The women would have 10-12 pregnancies
each, but only a couple of children would ever survive past
their childhoods. This happened generation after generation.
I realized that they must have learned to shut part of
themselves off from their children, so as to be able to bear
all the losses. They must have tried their hardest to raise
them to be 'tough'.
I began to understand the coldness I experienced growing
up. I stopped judging my family so harshly. It was at
this time, I began to truly be able to let go and forgive.
I also started experiencing a connectedness with my
ancestors. I truly believe by healing ourselves, we help
our ancestors heal.
Letting go was a long process for me. Somehow doing my
genealogy helped, not because it excused my parents, but
because I could begin to understand who they were in the
bigger picture. It helped me remove myself, and look at them
as characters in a larger story.
In the film, Victor and Thomas come to learn the true story
of that fated night, the night of the house fire.
Ultimately, seeing the larger picture helped them understand
Victor‘s father, and why he made the decisions he did.
Forgiveness is not about saying what was done to you was ok.
Forgiveness is about not carrying around the pain any more.
Releasing the pain and anger changes everything, not just
emotions and how we see our families, but how we see the
world. The more I learn about others, the more compassion
I feel toward them, and the less I find myself passing
By the end of this movie, I was crying for Victor, crying
for Thomas, and crying for myself. I want to share this
poem with you. It is recited at the end of the movie.
How Do We Forgive Our Fathers?
By, Dick Lourie
How do we forgive our Fathers?
Maybe in a dream
Do we forgive our Fathers for leaving us too often or
when we were little?
Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage
or making us nervous
because there never seemed to be any rage there at all.
Do we forgive our Fathers for marrying or not marrying our
For Divorcing or not divorcing our Mothers?
And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or
Shall we forgive them for pushing or leaning
for shutting doors
for speaking through walls
or never speaking
or never being silent?
Do we forgive our Fathers in our age or in theirs
or their deaths
saying it to them or not saying it?
If we forgive our Fathers what is left?
My favorite movie is Predator. I was dating my
husband back when it came out and we decided to see a movie. He
asked me to pick out a good show. I had no idea what Predator
was about but wanted to see it because it starred Arnold
Schwartzenegger. This movie was so interesting and full of
suspense it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!! I
didn't even realize or remember if my boyfriend-turned-husband
held my hand or not the movie was that good. The idea of
something out there in the jungle that you can't see that is
hunting you, an alien being, is so scary. We thought it was
funny, though, when that lady they took captive never would talk
and no one could get her to speak then in the second half of the
movie she wouldn't stop talking! I've since seen this movie
several times over the years and always take the time to watch
it all the way through again as it's still scary and good fun.
My husband says I pick out good movies. They just don't make
movies like they used to, most producers just cannot come up
with good ideas anymore.
My very favorite movie ever is
Yentil. The reason I love it is
because she does something that women weren't suppose to do and
at great sacrifice follows her heart. My favorite line is "Why
settle for a piece of sky, when you can fly".
Whenever I feel a little discouraged, I pull out this movie and
watch it. Usually once per year. It has such a positive impact
on my ability to continue pursuing a difficult career where
women have to be so much better than the men to succeed.
Thankfully for our daughters it is changing.
I love movies, I used live for them, my mom thinks
I loved them so much that once we came to America I learned to
understand English inside of 7 months just so I can watch
movies, that was 27 years ago. Since then the love of movies
took me through a 15 year movie career that began as the popcorn
& ticket sales person all the way to the big shot District
Manager who worked way too many hours, sometimes 18 hours a day,
which gave me no time to enjoy one of my all time favorite
pastimes...I like movies for all kinds of reasons, like when I
was convinced that John Wayne had to have spoken Persian in his
movies, because when I saw them in English, he sounded just the
same...I loved that someone cared about his accent so much that
they picked someone to dub him that sounded just like he did in
English...I love movies because some make me sad, some make me
happy, some make me mad & some make me feel silly & good. I like
action movies, I like serious movies, I love all kinds of
movies... for a while when I used to interview kids for work at
the theater, I used to ask them what was their favorite movie &
their least favorite & why? I used to learn more about them
faster that way...or at least that's the way it seemed to
me...so if you asked me what was my favorite movie of all time
and why, I would have many answers for many reasons, but the
first one that jumps to my mind is The Color Purple, I felt that
movie with all my heart & still do every time I watch it, it was
so powerful for me, it was not just one thing or another, or one
character or another, I liked all of the characters, I believed
them all, I cried for them all, the good ones, the bad ones, all
I remember the first movie I saw with my ex husband, it was Shaw
Shank Redemption, I always disliked the fact that he ruined it
for me by being such a brat during the movie, talking & saying
things like when is this thing over, I guess I should have known
then that he was not the one...the first movie I saw with my
dear sweet Hunk of a hubby now was The Perfect Storm, I remember
later that it was one of the best movie experiences of my life,
although the movie itself holds not too much feeling for me,
that first date, that first movie, my gosh, I will never forget
(I can not play to win, the contest is for you to win)
This is my favorite movie story.
First, I must tell you that my mother is of Scottish descent,
and a huge genealogy buff. My father died a few years ago, and
since my mother lived in a town with no relatives, my sister and
I would try to go visit fairly often. When I was there once, I
noticed that Braveheart was playing at the local theater. I
asked my mother if she would like to go. She hesitated and said
it had been years she had been to the "movies" and added that
not many 83 year old ladies went to the movies. I finally
talked her into going to an afternoon showing. I bought goodies
for us as we entered, and picked some prime seats. She cried a
lot during the movie but she absolutely adored every bit of it.
I liked the movie too but what meant more to me was that I
brought a little diversion and entertainment into her life when
she needed it most. I might also add that, to this day, my
mother thinks Mel Gibson is a HUNK!


Despite threats from hackers, Sony is making the controversial Seth Rogen comedy available at a limited number of theaters on Christmas.
The movie studio’s CEO, Michael Lynton, said Tuesday that “we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day.”
He did not specify an exact number because the plans were still being worked out. So far, theaters in Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and South Carolina all say they’ve agreed to show the film, and more theater announcements are expected later on Tuesday.
The announcements come almost a week after Sony originally canceled the Christmas release of “The Interview.” Backlash to the decision was fierce, including from President Obama, who said the movie studio had made a mistake.
On Tuesday, a White House spokesman said “the president applauds Sony’s decision to authorize screenings of the film.”


Chapter 10. Editing Audio
How important is audio in a movie? If you ever get the chance to attend an advance test screening of a Hollywood movie, the answer may be painfully clear. I've been to screenings where the audio in some scenes consisted of just what was recorded on set—no background music, no sound mixing to balance actors' voices and dampen background noise, no re-recorded dialogue to enhance enunciation. Although quite a bit of work goes into editing audio, people tend not to notice it unless something is wrong.
I covered some methods for capturing quality audio in Chapter 5, which is the first step. But audio can be much more than just video's underappreciated sibling. In this chapter, you'll see how editing audio tracks can give depth to your movie by working independently of the video, and by adding music, narration, and sound effects.
Changing a Clip's Volume
When you import footage, the video and audio are combined in the Timeline Viewer's video track (Figure 10.1). So, as you're editing video clips, you're also editing the audio—splitting, trimming, and cropping it with the visuals. You can control how loud an individual clip plays, or change the volume level within the clip.
Figure 10.1. Although the top track is usually referred to as the video track, it also contains the clip's audio.
To set a clip's volume evenly:
To change volume within a clip:
To remove a volume marker:
Fading Audio In or Out
iMovie 2 featured controls for creating audio fades—increasing the volume from silent to full strength (fade in) or dropping the volume from full to silent (fade out). With iMovie 3's improved volume controls, you don't need the old Fade In and Fade Out checkboxes, but sometimes you still want the effect. Here's how to do it.
To fade audio completely in or out:
To change the fade duration:


event videography & promotional videos
Serving Maine and New Hampshire, our outstanding videographers are always filming the action. Through multiple angles, both moving and stationary, we're able to create a cinematic film that captures the energy of the event. During post-production, we're able to edit clips together cohesively that guarantees a high-quality film that you deserve.
Please contact us to discuss your upcoming event or ask any questions.
We offer a countless range of videography projects, so don't hesitate to contact us if your specific event is not listed below. A few of our services include, but are not limited to:
• Sporting Events
• Promotional Events
• Theatre Production
• Summer Camps


THERE’S 101 reasons to watch Disney’s new live action extravaganza.
From the very first scene to the last, Cruella is packed full of energy, action, punchy performances, incredible style, delightful dogs and one of the best soundtracks in modern film.
Cruella starts life as Estella – a feisty little girl with black and white hair, and an eye for style.Credit: AP
Emma Thompson stars as Baroness von Hellan who is Estella’s boss at the fashion houseCredit: AP
The story of the origin of one of Disney’s most edgy characters – the Dalmatian-stealing fashionista, Cruella de Vil.
Heading to London in a bid to find a better life
Cruella starts life as Estella – a feisty little girl with black and white hair, and an eye for style.
Estella doesn’t exactly fit in at school – and when the red mist falls she uses her fists to get her out of trouble.
Her loving mother names this side of Estella’s character ‘Cruella’, and encourages her to not listen to the devilish voices in her head.
But Cruella appears in Estella too many times, and soon the pair – along with their scruffy pup – are off to London to seek a better life.
She is soon alone on the 1970s London streets and found by a couple of other street urchinsCredit: AP
Estella has an eye for fashion and has dreams of being a designer over a con womanCredit: AP
She is soon alone on the 1970s London streets and found by a couple of other cheeky street urchins – Jasper and Horace.
The trio are survivors, and like Oliver Twist on speed, we see them sweep through the city picking pockets and scamming their way through life.
They continue this to adulthood, but Estella (Emma Stone) has an eye for fashion and has dreams of being a designer over a con woman.
This finds her working for The Baroness, and so starts an on screen frenemy relationship far sassier than anything from Mean Girls.
Soon Cruella is rearing her two-toned head more than Estella, and brings all-out war to the fashion world.
This dastardly dark and dramatic Disney flick is one for both kids and adultsCredit: AP
Estella hires two thieves to help her with her crimesCredit: AP
The styling and creativity is utterly breath-taking, with one scene involving a rubbish truck arriving at the red carpet actually making me gasp in awe. Power-punk Vivienne Westwood would be proud.
Meanwhile, the two Emma’s scenes together are so delicious I wished I could have another bite the moment they finished.
This dastardly dark and dramatic Disney flick is one for both kids and adults.
With a fast paced, colourful and endlessly entertaining, it should be the one to get the masses back in front of the big screen.


Many in St. Blog’s have been all over this movie like white on rice. And much of the hoo-ha is surrounding Mary and whether or not she experienced labor pains and whether or not this movie is good enough for Catholics.
Esther had a post up about a good review of the movie. I’d like to point you to another, at First Things (scroll down to the second movie review in the article). I would really like to see this movie, but I’m not sure we’ll make it out without the kids. We’ll have to see.
Finally, I decided to post here my own answer to Esther’s comments, because I just want to vent a bit.
I am so tired of some of the people in St. Blog’s being so danged sensitive that they cannot give credit to anyone for making a movie about the Nativity that isn’t perfectly Catholic. They honor Mary, make her obviously different than anyone else, and that isn’t enough.
I wonder if they also boycott “Jesus of Nazareth” because Mary obviously goes through labor pains in that, too.
Sheesh, people…Protestants are Christians, too. And a lot of them love the Lord very much and want to give glory and honor to Him however they can. Is your carping on tiny theological points like this going to help bring unity to the Church, or are you just chiseling away on your side of the big wall?
This kind of attitude is forcing me to delete some otherwise good blogs from my blogroll. I’m tired of the “Protestants aren’t really Christians” attitude that mirrors some of the more rabid Evangelicals I’ve known.


DIGITAL THEATRE +
Beckman Unicorn is delighted to have teamed up with Digital Theatre + to support our Global Education Access programme.
Join thousands of schools worldwide with unlimited access to a rich collection of award-winning productions, as well as instructional guides and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, enabling you to help students of all abilities excel in class and beyond.
Discover the best resources to engage your students at digitaltheatreplus.com
The resources are particularly relevant for preparing students for Theatre Studies and Performing Arts courses at key stages 4 and 5, and for writing schemes of work for Great Expectations as part of English Literature AS/A Level.
The combination of movement, music and acting in the production makes it ideal assignment material for all levels of BTEC Performing Arts courses.
The element of the resource pack examining Beckman Unicorn’s role as a commercial production company supports mandatory BTEC units exploring the Performing Arts Industry.
The pack also offers practical ideas for using Drama as a tool to raise standards in English at key stage 3.
Also included are drama exercises that explore the original novel and are designed to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
Articles by Simon Callow, Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and interviews with members of the creative team including Graham McLaren (Director), Annie Gosney (Costume Designer), Simon Slater (Composer), Nick Warren (Brand & Marketing) and Bruce Athol MacKinnon (Producer) give an in-depth insight in to creating the West End Première.
Thanks to my awesome nan, I got to see the best actresses in showbiz. I really liked it and the other day I was really excited to see it - I've already heard about it. I wasn't sure if I would like it but I really enjoyed it. I would even go and see it again. Thanks for a great evening. I would give the show 10 out of 10.
I would give Great Expectations five stars because it was very well acted, the best part for me was the fire. I hope to see something like it again very soon and I will hopefully see it again. The mirror was very clever and the dresses were beautiful!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Great Expectations. I am studying drama at GCSE, so watching these amazing actors and actresses really blew me away. Especially Miss Havisham, whose performance actually sent shivers down my spine. The costumes were really spectacular, particularly Miss Havisham and Estella’s dresses. A stunningly refreshing version of Great Expectations and the use of only one set for everything was both extremely effective and original. An amazing performance and one of the best I’ve ever seen.
I think it was one of the best theatre productions I’ve ever seen. The way that they used the same props the whole way through made it more effective than having changing scenery. The main characters were played very well and the burning effect of Miss Havisham was very clever. Joe Gargery was my favourite character, and was just as I had imagined him to be when I read the book. Overall it was an amazing play and I would pay a great deal to watch it again.
I thought that it was really good and atmospheric. The characters were really emotional so that made it more exciting. My favourite character was Estella because at the beginning she was sweet and playful and at the end she was emotional and serious. The most scary character I think was Miss Havisham. I would recommend it to people who like tragic story lines.
'The performance was really excellent, particularly in the way it was adapted and translated for an unfamiliar / younger audience. Nothing of the story was lost through the condensing of it… we all found the performance very engaging, stylised and visually stimulating'
I watched Great Expectations and think it is a very fantastic show. I have seen a lot of West End Musicals with my Mum but think this is the best compared to the ones I have seen. Having a Narrator makes it easier to follow the story. The roles were played with great passion as if real especially Young Pip. What amazing costumes, and my favourite was the red one for Estella…
As a young student who loves literacy, I was very inspired and think as many students as can should watch this great production which is very educational. I would watch it again if I have a chance to. I rate it 8 out of 10. I have told all my friends and Teacher at St Saviour's School about the Show. Thank you for producing such a great play!!!


Christmas in Dragør
You will find the good old-fashioned Christmas atmosphere in Dragør. We think that was why DR chose Dragør as the backdrop for the Time Travel, which was the popular Christmas calendar in 2014.
Here the movie The Time Travel is recorded
In DR's Christmas Calendar 'The Time Travel', which was shown in December 2014, the main character is the 13-year-old science nerd Sofie. Her biggest wish is for her parents, who have been divorced since last Christmas, to reunite so they can celebrate Christmas as a family.


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Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Moonrise Kingdom (USA) Directed by Wes Anderson Written by Wes Anderson; Roman Coppola Starring Edward Norton; Frances McDormand; Bill Murray; Bruce Willis; Bob Balaban; Harvey Keitel; Jason Schwartzman; Kara Hayward; Jared Gilman; Jake Ryan
Say this for Wes Anderson - to paraphrase Holly Hunter’s character Penny from The Coen Brothers O Brother Where Art Thou, he’s “said his piece and counted to three”. If there has been any question looming out there about whether this iconic auteur director was going to choose a divergent path that might stray from the signature style he so firmly established in films like Rushmore; The Royal Tenenbaum’s; and The Life Aquatic, Moonrise Kingdom seems to make an emphatic statement to the contrary. Whether this is a good or bad thing will likely be proven in time, but for now there is admittedly something comforting about watching Wes do Wes.
Co-written with Roman Coppola (Owen Wilson and Noah Baumbach have also co-authored screenplays with Anderson), the characters here are somehow less compelling than those in Tenenbaum’s; Rushmore, or even Anderson’s debut Bottle Rocket, and on only a few occasions are we rendered unaware of the over-arching artifice at work. Anderson’s move toward adult sincerity in something like Tenenbaum’s over a decade ago, and, to some extent, carried forth in Aquatic and Darjeeling Express, is something the director has seemingly decided not to embrace and expand upon. Rather, the French New Wave influenced visual stylization remains dominant; the dry, staccato line deliveries replete with snappy retorts and non-sequitars (some of them quite funny, by the way) are fully in tact. In fact, if anything Anderson seems to have moved further away from the heart and soul of the characters on display and they largely remain intangible and inaccessible figurines there to serve the overall tone and pretty (and sometimes twee) storybook design instead of the other way around.
This is not to say that the film is heartless or soulless. Sleight perhaps, most definitely highly stylized, but the man in charge obviously has great fondness for the people he has created - just perhaps not as much as the world he has set them in. Taking place in 1965, nostalgia rules the day in this mostly fun coming-of-age fantasy fest and the sentiment on display has to do with the power of young (as in barely pubescent) love. The film’s ultimate effectiveness therefore rests almost solely on an audiences ability to relate to and invest in the lead characters and their youthful emotional tumult. For those who may harbor similar memories (regardless of the time period) Moonrise recalls what it’s like to be a young person on the cusp of entering one’s teens and how important family life, sex/hormones, and one’s peer group are in terms of forming a nascent adult identity.
Along with another sweeping dolly opening spying on the goings on inside a sprawling doll-house-like residence (Anderson had it built for the film), elements and themes like loneliness; parental abandonment; family dysfunction; emotional distance; infidelity; depression; social awkwardness; adult disappointment; Francophilia; water; children’s literature; uniforms; and obsessive love are all woven into the mix here in the same way that they, and others, run throughout Anderson’s oeuvre. Alexandre Desplat (Tree of Life; A Prophet; The King’s Speech; Fantastic Mr. Fox) does the score, which is buffeted by an eclectic mix of music from Benjamin Britten; Leonard Bernstein; Hank Williams; Francois Hardy; and The Choir of Downside School, Purley.
Jared Gillman and Kara Hayward play Sam and Suzy, two troubled, love-struck twelve year-olds living on the fictional New England island of Penzance (filming took place in Rhode Island), who attempt a daring escape from their surroundings in order to be together. The Suzy character is another version of a young Margot Tenenbaum, right down to the eye make-up, short skirts, and disaffected persona. The bespectacled Jared Gillman is a bit like Max Fischer-lite, another preternaturally bright misfit (this time an orphaned Khaki Scout camping with his troop) possessing a multitude of arcane skills and information. Hayward fares better than Gillman, her monotone oddness and unblinking forthrightness translating as believably compelling. The rest of the kids in the cast perform with mixed results, with Jake Ryan getting off some effective lines as Suzy’s younger brother (the one who actually speaks) Lionel.
There are touching moments sprinkled throughout, and when they coalesce with Anderson’s supreme eye for detail as evidenced by his intricately adorned sets and cleverly plotted and executed visual sequences (lensed on super 16mm film by the great Robert Yeoman) one is reminded of the immense talent Anderson possesses. There is simply not enough of this magic, however, and one cannot help but feel the wanting of better things to do for some of the major talent assembled (Bill Murray; Tilda Swinton; Frances McDormand; Edward Norton et al). The eminently watchable Murray (doing a version of Herman Blume from Rushmore) and McDormand are the most potentially compelling as Suzy’s parents/pair of attorney marrieds out of sorts with themselves and their relationship, but their sub-plot too suffers from a decided lack of development. Though some attention is also paid to the loneliness, smallness, and general ennui of the adult existence of characters played by Bruce Willis (as local island cop Walt Bishop) and Norton (as Scoutmaster Ward), one never feels truly emotionally connected to their individual plights.
Though it ends on a resonating high note, the latter part of the film feels a bit disjointed and overwrought, with a frenzy of mostly unnecessary action, though let it be said that even slightly above average Wes Anderson is much better than most of what’s out in theaters at any time. In the end there are enough amusing scenes and lines, as well as the aforementioned gorgeous photography and set/art/wardrobe design (the entire mis-en-scene is superb) to qualify the film as worthwhile viewing .


The number-one Netflix TV show in the U.S. right now is the new hit-sensation, Wednesday. For this reason, please note that there will be spoilers included in this entertainment review of the show!
I had preconceived notions about the show before I watched it. I thought it was going to be cringey and have a bunch of stereotypes, but I was wrong.
In the first episode, we get a clear view about who Wednesday is when she first arrives at Nevermore, a school for outcasts that doubles as her parents’ alma mater. Her parents also left behind Thing, a sentient hand, to watch over her and report back to her parents.
She was expelled from her old school because she took revenge on bullies who relentlessly picked on her younger brother. Her roommate, Enid, is the exact opposite of her, as she is a colorful werewolf with a bubbly personality who had yet to “wolf out.”
The first episode is all about Wednesday adjusting to her new school and bubbly roommate while also being the victim of two attempted murders, both by the same character, Rowan, who is later killed.
Wednesday chased Rowan into the woods because she saw a vision of his death after accidentally bumping into him. When she caught up to him, he used his telekinesis to try and choke her to death, but was interrupted by a monster who then ripped him to shreds. After Wednesday was “saved” from Rowan by the monster, she became infatuated with the case and vowed to find out what, or who, the monster was.
As I watched the show, every episode led us closer to finding out who the monster was and who controlled it. Without spoiling too much, I will say I was not surprised by who ended up being the monster and the monster’s master. I have a tendency to read too many murder mysteries, so I am now able to predict most of what happens in any new media I consume.
Suffice to say, Wednesday had incredible character development. After being kidnapped, surviving multiple attempts on her life, going to counseling and even a school dance, she persevered and made friends (even after trying to push everyone away). When Wednesday first came to Nevermore, she was closed off and cold towards anyone who expressed any kindness towards her; but, by the final episode, she let Enid hug her and even accepted a gift from a love interest.
The dialogue was a bit too Gen-Z for me, but I liked how the writers didn’t make all the characters fall into stereotypes for their roles in the show. Enid, while being a bubbly character, wasn’t an airhead; she had depth and feelings that normally get swept aside when it comes to the main character’s best friend role (and I use “best friend” very lightly).
All in all, I would say that this show was definitely worth the watch. It was like watching a mix of young romance and dark plot lines come to life through the mind of a young goth girl.
Wednesday is not your typical main character, but she definitely makes you laugh while also questioning if her amount of angst will make you want to turn the TV off and never watch a Gen-Z based show ever again.
While season two of the show is not coming out until 2024, season one left me on the edge of my seat with a cliffhanger that I need answered, sooner rather than later. If you have eight hours to spare, I recommend watching this show; you will be laughing and igniting your own Nancy Drew as you try to solve the mystery before someone else ends up dead.


Zachary Quinto joins the third season of Hannibal
Hannibal’s premiere being moved to the summer instead of having its customary spring opening left me a little disappointed (I want it now!), but I fully appreciate that this move will only be good for the show. Creator Bryan Fuller had stated that this switch will give the production team more time to polish up those already fantastic episodes and that the move will hopefully result in a bump up in the ratings department.
Today EW reported that Zachary Quinto will be stepping into Hannibal’s world as a patient of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson). At the moment it seems as though he’ll just be appearing in one episode but I can only assume the door will be open for his return should he survive.
The third season of Hannibal has already added Joe Anderson (replacing Michael Pitt as Mason Verger), Richard Armitage (stepping into the role of the Tooth Fairy), Nina Arianda (as Will Graham’s love interest), and wisely upped Gillian Anderson to series regular status.
Hannibal will return to NBC this summer.


Hunting and Gathering / Ensemble, c’est tout
« The smell—the fumet, more like—of the bouillon stopped her from brooding. Mmm, it was wonderful; she almost felt like draping her napkin over her head to better inhale the steam. What on earth was in it? It was a very particular color: warm, oily, golden brown, cadmium yellow. With the translucent pearls and the emerald slivers of chopped herb, it was a joy to behold. She stayed like that for a few seconds, respectfully, with her spoon poised. Then, quite slowly because it was very hot, she took her first sip…»
I’m reading Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda. It started from the film and now I can’t tear oneself away from the book. It’s not about food (yet one of the main characters is a chef who made this consommé) but very elegant and French. A wonderful story. If you haven’t seen or read – I highly recommend! ❤
I’ll go read ahead.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Today we are talking about a lovely, atmospheric and interesting film about cooking – The Hundred-Foot Journey. This was the first firm I watched in the cinema in Austria. I didn’t speak German very well back then so I watched it in original in an English cinema. It’s a charming, extraordinary and positive story about a talented cook who moved with his family from India to France. About two competing restaurants 100 foot from each other. About love, talent, cooking, family. Amazing nature, delicious food, handsome characters, charming soundtracks and a happy end. After watching this film, you will have a sunny felling that everything will be right and just fine!
I’m going to tell you something interesting about the firm, and, traditionally, about the book it’s based on.
So, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a 2014 American film based on Richard Morais’ 2010 novel of the same name. No wonder that the film is so incredibly fantastic – it was produced by director, producer, and screenwriter with innumerable awards Steven Spielberg and talk show host, actress, public person and Oscar winner Oprah Winfrey. By the way, in 2017 Oprah published a culinary book («Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life»). But that is not what this review is about.
Starring: Madame Mallory, a proprietor of a French restaurant is played by wonderful English actress, Oscar and other awards winner Helen Mirren. An interesting fact about her is that her father was Russian and her mother was English. The actress was born Helen Lydia Mironoff in London suburbs. Later her father anglicized his and his daughter’s names.
Talented chef Hassan Kadam is played by Indian American actor Manish Dayal. His father who took his family from India and opened an Indian restaurant in France just opposite to Madam Mallory’s one, was played by Indian actor Om Puri, now-deceased, unfortunately. Charlotte Le Bon, a French actress born in Quebec plays a pretty Frenchwoman, talented chef and sous chef at the French restaurant.
The collaboration of such a great cast and producers couldn’t but resulted in a fantastic film! I recommend you watch it if you haven’t yet. We often watch it with great pleasure.
What can I say about Richard Morais’ The Hundred-Foot Journey novel? It’s different. This is a case when a book and a film are so completely different. They differ in plot, mood, main idea, and, I would say, genre. The book is interesting – it points out problems of traditional and modern trends in French culinary. But it the film was the exact reflection of the book, it wouldn’t become such a beautiful piece of cinematographic art! Praise to the scriptwriters, directors, producers and everyone who had a hand in the production. If you ask me what I would recommend – to see the film or to read the book – I would definitely recommend the film! But with all my love for books – this is rather an extraordinal answer for me. Enjoy the film!
Como agua para chocolate/Like Water for Chocolate
Today I am talking about another special film…and book. This is not a new film, but an ageless one, where every look, scene and line matters.
The film is about culinary, talent, love, passion and fate. It’s a drama, naturally. Though it’s not just a drama, it’s a Mexican drama (hence the film’s a hundred times more dramatic) – Like Water for Chocolate.
In 1989 Mexican writes and screenwriter Laura Esquivel published her novel – Like Water for Chocolate. Her husband, a famous Mexican director, Alfonso Arau, adapted it in a film in1992 where Laura Esquivel was a screenwriter. Maybe this is why the film turned out so harmonious that you get absorbed in it from the very first minute. I’m not going to explain you the plot in order not to spoil your watching, but this film is just marvelous yet dramatic.
The novel Like Water for Chocolate is no less noteworthy. The novel is created in a very interesting genre – magical realism which combines realistic view of the world and magical elements, such as legends, myths, miracles. Besides, Mexican realism is INCREDIBLY realistic – some scenes in this book can make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Each chapter starts with a recipe for a Mexican dish, so it feels like you are reading a culinary book of life. Although the events in the book and film are similar, the book is perceived differently.
I recommend you that you read the book and watch the film – no matter which first – this is the kind of works that are unforgettable and soul ennobling.
A few quotes from the book:
“…She turned her head, and her eyes met Pedro’s. It was then she understood how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real she was afraid she would start to bubble—her face, her stomach, her heart, her breasts—like batter, and unable to endure his gaze she lowered her eyes and hastily crossed the room…”
“…My grandmother said that each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it. Each person has to discover what will set off those explosions in order to live, since the combustion that occurs when one of them is ignited is what nourishes the soul…”
“…Those huge stars have lasted for millions of years by taking care never to absorb any of the fiery rays lovers all over the world send up at them night after night. To avoid that, the star generates so much heat inside itself that it shatters the rays into a thousand pieces. Any look it receives is immediately repulsed, reflected back onto the earth, like a trick done with mirrors. That is the reason the stars shine so brightly at night…”
Julie & Julia
Today we are going to talk about the film which was mentioned in comments to the previous post of the topic – Julie & Julia.
Be sure – the firm is fantastic! (I was writing a review yesterday and couldn’t help watching it again!). Very interesting and inspiring! You really must see it!!! High spirits and motivation are guaranteed! Something about the film and its main characters.
This is a 2009 American film based on a real story of young culinary blogger Julia Powell, who became famous by her culinary challenge: she aspired to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days. She vividly described each day on her blog.
But that’s not the point! And it’s not what the film is about! The story line of Julia Powell’s is more like a contemporary canvas by means of which is woven an incredible story of Julia Child – a woman who brought French cuisine to America. If you are still unfamiliar with Julia Child’s books or culinary shows – I recommend you immediately check them out. There are many episodes of her culinary show on YouTube. They are quite ‘retro’ yet still very interesting and educational. I have her Mastering the Art of French Cooking – it’s a real French cooking guide! When I cook a French dish I will always refer to Julia first :).
Let’s get back to the film. Cast is a smash! Julia Child is played by out-and-outer Meryl Streep. Her laugh in the film is so infectious that you involuntary start laughing along. Child’s husband, who supported her on her way to success, is played by charming Stanley Tucci (the star duet straight out of The Devil Wears Prada). And beautiful Amy Adams as Julie Powell.
The film is adapted from two books: My Life in France, Julia Child’s autobiography, and a memoir by Julie Powell, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.
I can keep on talking but you’d better watch this film!
Bella Martha & No reservations
The first film I want to tell you about was chosen of its own accord on the threshold of my trip to Germany the other weekend. It’s a 2001 Bella Martha. The film is so European – interiors, appearances, costumes, colors – everything is so calm, real, pleasant, subtle. Each scene, each dialogue, each look tells something important other than entertaining. Four countries toiled at this picture – Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The director and screenwriter is German Sandra Nettelbeck. The lead actress is German as well – Martina Gedeck – a woman with beauty coming from within.
The scene is laid in Hamburg. Martha is a star chef working in a French restaurant. She’s talented at cooking but lonely. I’m not going to tell the whole story for those who haven’t seen it yet. The only thing I will reveal is that Martha’s life circumstances will change considerably – there will be fortunes, misfortunes and a super charming Italian guy.
I highly recommend you watch this film. If you did, do it once again! I enjoy watching it from time to time as this is one of those films where you take pleasure in every scene, even if it’s a well-known one.
A few words about a 2007 American remake adopted from Nettelbeck’s original script. It’s No reservations with absolute beauty and remarkable actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in the lead role. Actually, I adore Catherine Zeta-Jones and I would love the remake if I didn’t see and loved Bella Martha. No reservations was too much for me: too flamboyant, too loud, too beautiful and too…unrealistic. The smiles were too shining and I had the feeling that they wanted nothing but entertain me. I missed that deepness and real characters, serious workaholic Martha and the Italian charmer…But! Both films are high rated, so check out both of them. I will be waiting for your reviews!
Enjoy the films!
Today I feel like talking about films, or, more precisely, about “mouth-watering films”, where the lead role is played by culinary, chefs or food. Have you ever noticed that in some films characters don’t eat at all, meaning that food doesn’t matter at all, and in others it stresses the atmosphere, lines, actions, fact, mood and in others again food becomes the main motive or character? From time to time I will be sharing with you my impressions about the two latter categories – about films with food in the lead role. As I mentioned before, I will express my subject opinion, that is how I felt or saw one or another film, but that doesn’t mean that you will like or dislike them. I will always recommend watch by yourself to form your individual opinion as all the pictures I will be talking about are worth your attention and time. Sometimes I will compare films and books as I always try to find authentic stories the films are based on and find more about them. If you have already watched the film/book I will be happy to hear your opinion/impression on them! Especially if you have a different view 🙂 So, let’s start. The next post is about my favorite European film and its confusing American remake.
Today's visits: 1.


How horribly wrong can a boy’s dream of owning a pair of full pants go? Set in 1986, in a small town in Andhra Pradesh, Ranga Half-Pants is a breathtaking, coming-of-age tale of love, courage and friendship.
Ranganathan aka Ranga, 14, goes to school after Dasara holidays to discover that he is the only boy in his class still wearing half-pants. All the other boys have moved on to full trousers making Ranga the butt of cruel jokes and bullying. Things hit a real low when his arch-nemesis Joel becomes friends with Ranga’s best friend Kaivalya.
Prasad, 24, is a man forced to live by the sword. Now he wants to give it all up for the love of his life, Tabassum. His rivals, however, have other plans for him.
The worlds of Ranga and Prasad clash on a fateful, violent night. Will Ranga get his full pants? Will Prasad outwit his foes?
Thoughts : Oh this book was such fun to read! It isn’t literary fiction, let me tell you that, it’s more like a cross between an Indian YA coming of age story and a commercial book. In fact it is perfect to make into a movie (Desperately tweets Nivin Pauly). The story is about a Tamil Iyengar boy, Ranga (Ranganathan Srinivasan), settled in Chitoor and his greatest trouble in life; the fact that he is the last boy in school wearing half pants.
If you aren’t aware of the school uniform codes here, boys wear half pants till they are considered adolescents and then they were full pants. Girls wear a skirt and then graduate to a Kurta(tunic) with a dupatta(scarf). So Ranga being the last boy wearing half pants in his school leaves him embarrassed and desperate to get himself a pair. Alas, his parents aren’t wealthy and it’s not exactly easy to get a pair of pants at the drop of a hat. To top it off he is from a Brahmin family, which means every single expense will be vetoed by the elders with some excuse or the other.
Add to this mix a brave boy who’s stood up to the local rowdy and somehow replaced him, a best friend who is slowly blossoming into a crush, an annoying villain who’s a politician’s nephew and you’ve got yourself a perfect story based in Andhra. This might seem like an unrealistic story but trust me, it isn’t. And it is also a perfect story to make into a movie (which is why I’m going to tweet this book to all my favourite actors).
The only negative is the ending and the lack of female main characters, while there is a portion where we get a female characters POV the rest of it is just men and it got a little sausage festy for me. But since this was placed in a time period and social class where women and men didn’t really spend much time together, it was reasonably forgivable. I’ve heard how difficult it was for people to talk then (I don’t know. I wasn’t alive yet in 1986)
Perfectly paced and smooth flowing, Ranga Half pants is a story that will pull you in with its 80s nostalgia and the childlike thoughts of the main characters. He’s a silly selfish boy who doesn’t really mean any harm but somehow manages to screw up all the time. A delight to read. I’ll definitely be picking up Suman Kumar’s next book the second it comes out. I gave it 4.5 stars.
I received a copy from the publisher fro review, but thoughts are my own.


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The Harvey School
As part of a phased Master Plan for campus development, KG+D completed a new Arts Center for The Harvey School. The 24,100sf visual and performing arts facility includes music, art and photography classrooms, video and dance studios and a gallery to display student work. The centerpiece of the project is a 3,400 sq. ft. black box theater designed to seat more than 200. The theater has movable partitions that open to create space for audience overflow into the gallery and as well as a flexible stage that can be moved to accommodate a variety of performances.
Completion Date: 2005
Honor Award for Architectural Excellence, AIA Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter


Excerpt: Noir grows in your blood. When you come to love noir, you’ll appreciate a film like The Lady from Shanghai all the more. It’s noir on speed, noir on crack, so hyper-realized that it makes all the other classic noirs pale in comparison. It’s SO evil, SO shadowy, SO gritty, it’s almost understandable why it pissed off the head honchos of Hollywood. Welles never liked to play by the rules; he preferred to toss the rulebook out the window. Welles does noir well, but it’s his way, with everything to the extreme. No other way would work for him. It’s what makes his films his.


Lovers on the screen but not only! These stars met behind the camera and brought their love story to real life!
You’ve probably known these stars together on screen, but that’s not all. Behind the scenes hides many secrets! Discover these stars who met on a film set and who, since, spin the perfect love.
1* Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
They met on the set of the movie Sexy Dance in 2006. They get married in 2009 and become parents of a little girl in 2013.
9* Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck
They will meet on the set of Pearl Harbor in 2001 and share the screen in Daredevil in 2003. They get married in 2005 and separate in 2015 after 10 years of love and three children.
8* Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Mr and Mrs Smith in 2005, does that mean anything to you? At the time Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. However, he will leave her for Angelina Jolie. They get married in 2014, have 6 children together and unfortunately separate in 2016.
7* Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
Remember last summer (1997) will mark their first meeting. They will be together with the poster of Scooby-doo in 2002 and will not leave each other. They now have two children.
6* Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Meeting on the set of Green Lantern in 2011 and express marriage the following year in 2012. The actors are already the happy parents of two children.
5* Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied
Black Swan in 2009 will mark the beginning of their romance. They got married in 2012 and recently welcomed their second child.
4* Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
The beautiful blonde meets her future husband on the set of Peace, Love and more if affinities in 2011. In 2012 their engagement takes place and they get married in 2015.
3* Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz
They have known each other since 1992 and have appeared in several films together. They take the plunge in 2010 and get married. They are, together, parents of two children.
2* Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas
She is Snow White in Once Upon Time, him her prince charming. Their romance is transported offscreen since they get married in 2014. They too are parents of two children.
1* Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
Together since 1995, they met on the set of The Prince of Bel Air. The inseparable couple have two children.


HALALYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT - AMERICAN SHARIA MOVIE - COMING TO MEMPHIS!!
HALALYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT – AMERICAN SHARIA MOVIE – COMING TO MEMPHIS!!
We are excited to be screening our highly anticipated, comedy-action film, “American Sharia”Join us, along with your family and friends, for a fun time at the movies.
Stay after the movie for a Q&A with Writer & Director, Omar Regan himself.We suggest you take advantage of amazing early bird special price ending SOON!Price will go up to – $18 and $20 – No ticket sale at doorBuy tickets here: https://memphis7.eventbrite.comEvent Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1076051115843594/


Banff Mountain Film Festival
- Start date:05 May 2017
- End date:17 May 2017
- Where:Various locations accross the UK and Ireland
The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is back in the UK and Ireland for 2017, with more screenings and more action than ever before.
Featuring an evening of exhilarating adventure films, with nearly 100 screenings at over 50 venues between January and May.
The 2017 Banff Tour will include a collection of the latest and best films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival. Two unique and entirely different film programmes will feature on the Tour – the RED and BLUE film programmes.
Banff Mountain Film Festival UK & Ireland 2017 Tour dates are
as follows: (* discount applicable)
5 May: Wrexham, William Aston Hall *
6 May: Llandudno, Venue Cymru
9 May: Dublin, National Concert Hall
10 May: Galway, Town Hall Theatre
11-12 May: Newtownabbey, Theatre at the Mill
13 May: Ennis, Glor
14 May: Cork, The Everyman
16 May: Kilkenny, Watergate Theatre
17 May: Milford Haven, Torch Theatre
- How much:
Ski Club Members can get an exclusive 10% off tickets to applicable screenings.
- Want to know more:- website: Banff Mountain Film Festival


For individuals with Down syndrome, finding employment can be a formidable challenge, with less than 5% in Europe and approximately 3% in the United States being employed. The performing arts, specifically acting on stage or in film, offer even fewer opportunities for those with developmental differences. However, it’s vital to recognize that aspiring actors with Down syndrome face similar challenges and can excel with the right support.
Mackaella Goodwin, speaking on behalf of her sister Macclaren, who has Down syndrome, sheds light on the journey of becoming an actor. Macclaren’s story exemplifies the determination and passion needed to overcome the unique obstacles that may come their way. Macclaren engaged in various plays during high school, from “Hello Dolly” to “Bright Star” and “Drowsy Chaperone.” These productions demanded rigorous rehearsals, and like any actor, Macclaren had to adapt to a demanding schedule.
One of the hurdles was the disruption of routine, something individuals with developmental differences often thrive on. “Sometimes there were curve balls that the theater would present with scheduling, which created a level of discomfort for Macclaren,” explains Mackaella. The unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry, particularly the fast-paced schedule, can be challenging. Macclaren occasionally needed extra time for costume changes, and her theater director thoughtfully accommodated these needs.
Tips and Techniques for Aspiring Actors With Down Syndrome
- Find a Supportive Group: Joining a group of fellow actors or entertainers can help ease nervousness and foster a sense of belonging.
- Learn to Embrace Mistakes: In the world of improv, there are no mistakes. Encourage individuals to explore and experiment without fear of judgment.
- Find the Right Match: Identify an acting situation that aligns with individual strengths and abilities. Not everyone faces the same challenges, so customize the experience.
- Audition Widely: Casting a wide net during auditions can lead to unexpected and rewarding roles.
- Be Flexible: Acknowledge the importance of every role within a production, regardless of size. Each part contributes to the success of the entire performance.
- Practice Regularly: Incorporating acting practice into daily routines at home helps build confidence and comfort during performances.
It’s important to recognize that people with Down syndrome have made remarkable strides in the acting profession. Notable actors include Jamie Brewer, known for her work in “American Horror Story,” Chris Burke, Zack Gottsagen of “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” Tommy Jessop, the first actor with Down syndrome to star in a prime-time BBC drama, Daniel Laurie of “Call the Midwife,” Pablo Pineda, renowned for his award-winning role in “Yo Tambien,” and Lauren Potter, famous for her portrayal in “Glee.”
These individuals serve as inspirations for those aspiring to follow in their footsteps. By offering the right support, understanding, and opportunities, we can create a more inclusive world for actors with Down syndrome and celebrate their talents on stage and screen.


WATCH & DOWNLOAD COCO FULL MOVIE ONLINE
Pixar veterans Darla K. Anderson and Lee Unkrich told reporters backstage that the experience of working on “Coco,” which won the Golden Globe for animated film, has helped the company move forward after the jolt of allegations of inappropriate behavior leveled against Pixar stalwart John Lasseter.
In November, Lasseter went on a six-month leave from Disney after he was accused by multiple women of inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Lasseter is one of dozens of high-powered men who have been so accused in the past few months, sparking the Time’s Up initiative to help women across the country who face workplace harassment.
“We all can improve. We can all be better,” Unkrich said. “And at Pixar, we have been taking steps and we will continue to move towards making it an even better place for people to create art.”
For Anderson, it was important to be “in solidarity with tonight’s movement,” she said of Time’s Up, which was prominent throughout Sunday’s ceremony. “We have been looking at a lot of things and making our environment as safe as possible and with as much integrity as possible.”
“Coco” revolved around the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. To ensure cultural authenticity in the telling of the story, producer Anderson and director Unkrich brought in a host of experts and creatives with a vast range of experience. The disparate influences on the development of the production made for a much stronger movie — and that’s a lesson that Pixar is taking to heart.
“From the very beginning, we tried to create an environment that welcomed as many diverse voices as possible, not only in the consultants we brought in, but in the crew we assembled,” Unkrich said. “It was a very diverse crew and we’re proud of that, and we believe that all of those voices really did help make the movie as successful as it was. Moving ahead, we’re learning from the lessons of what we did on ‘Coco.’”PARACHO, Mexico (KTRK) — The popular Disney movie “Coco” is giving guitar makers in one tiny Mexican town something to sing about.
Guitar makers in Paracho, Michoacán, Mexico say their guitars stood out in film, and now they are flying off the shelves.
The guitar makers are also adding a little flair inspired by the movie, painting Dia de Los Muertos-themes skulls and symbols in multiple colors onto the guitars.
Those musical instruments are now finding homes around the world as the instrument maker ships internationally to meet the demand.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station.
It marks the Walt Disney Company’s 10th win in the category, an impressive feat when one considers that the the Golden Globes have only presented an animation award for 12 years. The only two non-Disney animation winners in the history of the Golden Globes have been Tintin and How to Train Your Dragon 2.
The other nominees in this year’s feature animation category were the aforementioned European entries – Breakthru Films/Trademark Films’ Loving Vincent and Cartoon Saloon’s The Breadwinner – as well as Blue Sky’s Ferdinand and Dreamworks’ The Boss Baby.
Before tonight’s Golden Globe win, Coco had already emerged as the frontrunner for the Oscar, winning 27 out of 31 American film critics’ organization awards for best animated feature of 2017.
Nevertheless, the preference for Pixar might be a tad surprising for the Golden Globes, which are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of foreign film journalists, the majority of whom are based in Europe. Then again, the HFPA is not exactly a group that is respected for its knowledge of film. “They’re fucking ridiculous,” 2018 Golden Globe nominee Gary Oldman said of the HFPA. “It’s 90 nobodies having a wank. Everybody’s getting drunk, and everybody’s sucking up to everybody.”Pixar’s Coco has won the award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday night in the US. The film follows a Mexican boy who dreams of becoming a musician, and accidentally ends up in the land of the dead during the annual Día de los Muertos festival.
Coco was nominated alongside The Boss Baby, Afghanistan-set The Breadwinner, Ferdinand – the story of a pacifist bull who doesn’t want to bullfight, and the fully-hand painted van Gogh biopic Loving Vincent. Coco grossed $589 million (about Rs. 3,730 crore) worldwide, and has become the highest-grossing film of all-time in Mexico.
Coco was made with a reported budget of $175-200 million (about Rs. 1108-1266 crore), and was notable for being the first film with a nine-digit budget (in dollars) to have an all-Latino cast. The voice cast included Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Anthony Gonzalez, Alanna Ubach, and Renee Victor among others.


How many people watch Breaking Bad? Is anyone else excited for the season premier?
I didn’t watch all of Season 3, but it was good as far as I saw. Only problem is the plot is somewhat predictable:
Jessie does something fucked up -> they solve it with science.
Yeah, I watch Breaking Bad. I’m pretty excited for it as well.
Never heard of it, whats it about?
In a nutshell a chemistry teacher finds out he has cancer so he decided to start manufacturing crystal meth.
I have seen the first episode of the first season, does that count?
Boring show is boring.
I like the pace of breaking bad. It’s one of my favorite shows all time, and it hasn’t gone downhill like many other series tend to do after the first season.
A good example of this would be “Lost”. (going downhill)
way better then an glorified holly wood production .
Breaking bad is one of the only shows I’ve ever watched on TV and it’s really well done.
If anything, it’s going uphill with all of the new action taking place.
I watched the first few episodes when it first premiered. It was decent; nothing I’d go out of my way to watch.


Jessica Alba and her daughter Honor, 10, visited Florence and other Italian cities.
Hollywood poster designer and painter Silvano Campeggi, one of the most important graphic artists in the history of American cinema, has died at the age of 95.
After Ron Howard’s Inferno, the historic center of Florence is once again a film set. This time arrives “Six underground” directed by Michael Bay.
Holidays in Tuscany for George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin during the last week of July 2015.
American actor, director and art historian Dr. Peter Weller endorses the #CrazyforPazzi international crowdfunding campaign for the restoration of the Pazzi Chapel loggia.
Hollywood star George Clooney says he will marry his fiancé, British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, in Venice, Italy, at the end of September.
Julia Roberts was in Tuscany this summer for filming.
The American actor Will Smith has decided to fly in Tuscany, Italy, to enjoy a holiday without his wife and children.
”In 10 years, I hope to still be designing and in 20 years I’ll be happily living on a farm somewhere far away. I don’t really mean a farm, I mean a huge luxurious villa in Tuscany.” The 31-year-old beauty told to a Britain magazine: ”In three years, I see myself moving into acting and designing and I’d like to start a family.


About Kiki Haynes
Kiki Haynes is an American actress. She has appeared in several top movies but she is best known for portraying Keisha on Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. She joined the acting industry in 2000 and her first acting role was a small part in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled.
A few years later, she landed a minor role in the comedy Nora’s Hair Salon which was aired in 2004. However, her breakthrough role came in 2007 after several years of hard work. She was chosen to play the role of Nicole Lawson in the stage play The Bachelorette Party.
Since that year, Kiki has secured leading roles in some of the most famous movies in Hollywood. Her biggest role came in 2011 in Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. She portrays Keisha Jones, a single mother, and ex-girlfriend to Marcus Williams (a role which is played by Michael Jai White).
Kiki Haynes Grew Up in New Jersey
Haynes is currently 46 years old. She was born on December 17, 1976, in East Orange, New Jersey, United States. Kiki followed in the footsteps of her father, Reginald Haynes in the entertainment industry. Reginald was a founding member of the R&B singing group The Legendary Escorts.
Her mother, Oona’o Haynes, was a spoken word artist and founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists. Kiki grew up alongside her sister Alethia Pierson.
Kiki was intrigued to become a performer at a very young age. She used to watch her father perform with his friends on stage and this ignited her passion. During her middle school years, she joined a drama club and portrayed her prowess.
She ended up joining a drama competition and eventually won the best actress amongst her peers in 6th grade. From that point, Kiki knew that she was destined for greatness and she started to pursue her career.
After winning the best actress, Haynes won a spot to appear on the set of The Cosby Show. She met top celebrities among them; Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm Jamal, and Warner. That was the turning point when she understood that one day, she would end up starring in a TV show on her own set.
Kiki Haynes Height
The American actress stands at an average height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m).
Kiki Haynes Husband
Haynes married her now ex-husband, Henry Bell on October 15, 2005. The couple separated under unclear circumstances and the specifics of their divorce are not known. At the time of their divorce, the couple had no children together. These days, it is quite a challenge to tell whether or not she is married because she doesn’t share the specifics of her marital status.
Kiki Haynes’ Net Worth
Haynes’ net worth ranges between $1 million and $3 million. Acting her long been her source of income and she has ended up landing exclusive deals and endorsements. Her career has enabled her to create a sustainable livelihood.


Hours after the discharge of Kay Kay Menon starter Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story, the online sequence has been leaked on-line and is obtainable for full HD download on a number of pirated web sites, in accordance with experiences.
Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story has additionally joined the checklist of movies which have been leaked on-line.
Directed by Neeraj Pandey and Shivam Nair, Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story takes viewers again in time to witness the making of the fearless Himmat Singh.
According to experiences, the movie leaked on Tamilrockers, Movierulz, Telegram channels, skymovieshd. onl and the opposite piracy based mostly web sites.
Over the years, a number of movies, from Tollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood, Hollywood films and different regional films, have been leaked on-line by such infamous websites Tamilrockers and Movierulz and torrent websites.
The leak of those films known as piracy, and it’s a menace to movie trade.
Special Ops was one of many first Indian exhibits to launch on the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Launched on Disney+ Hotstar in March of final 12 months, the eight-episode sequence starred Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Muzammil Ibrahim and Divya Dutta, amongst others.


By Coleman Bandy
Modern ‘superhero cinema’ can be seen as a microcosm of the film industry as a whole, so – tellingly – it took about three million (a rough estimate) comic book movies about men in tights before Hollywood shelled out a big-budget, female-centric offering.
In 2017, Wonder Woman not only filled that cultural void, but turned out to be a much-needed smash hit for DC. Coming after the middling Man of Steel and self-serious Justice League, two misguided would-be blockbusters, Wonder Woman was a fun, funny, lighthearted romp that extolled female empowerment among a sea of similar movies made for and by the boys. It’s not a perfect film, but it was a step in the right direction for not only DC, but Hollywood in general: a non-white female lead was kicking ass and giving young girls a hero of their own, one without that pesky ‘–man’ suffix.
One primary reason for Wonder Woman’s critical and commercial success: it was directed by a woman, the supremely talented Patty Jenkins. Before her foray into mainstream superhero fantasy, Jenkins was best known for writing and directing 2003’s Monster, the Charlize Theron vehicle which earned the actress a well-deserved Oscar for playing real-life mentally impaired serial murderer Aileen Wuornos.
Monster is a wonderful film about a serious subject – something far removed from Wonder Woman at first glance – but both movies greatly benefit from Jenkins’ singular voice. The story is not a crime drama in the vein of Zodiac, but an intimate character study about a woman at the end of her proverbial rope. Monster’s Wuornos is both perpetrator and victim, a sex worker with delusions that every male client wants to kill her, brought on by the fact that more than one nearly had. What happens when a volatile woman is pushed over the edge because of circumstance, poverty, and lack of proper behavioral health care? The movie takes no sides, its camera hovering on the fringes of each scene like a third party observer. What it does do is put its audience inside the mind of a troubled woman who can’t tell reality from fiction. It’s a daring story to tell, a female-centered drama that most men wouldn’t dare make. Most men wouldn’t feel compelled to.
Hollywood is in dire need of female voices, especially those behind – not in front of – the camera. There have been only a handful of profitable critically acclaimed films made by female directors in recent years: Katherine Bigelow directed The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, slow-burning thrillers that aren’t as concerned with war as they are with war’s psychological toll. Both movies were up for major awards. The Hurt Locker even won the Academy Award for Best Picture, a rarity among films directed by women.
The Hurt Locker won Best Picture more than 10 years ago, but since that time virtually no movies directed by women have been up for major awards. Greta Gerwig was the subject of much controversy in 2018 when the acclaimed director of Lady Bird, one of the best movies about growing up I’ve ever seen, wasn’t nominated for the Best Director Golden Globe. She was instead supplanted by a litany of well-respected men, all of whom failed to make anything nearly as powerfully resonant as Lady Bird. After public outcry, the Academy duly righted the industry’s course and nominated Gerwig for its Best Director Oscar. She did not win – but would she even have been nominated without the rightful backlash?
Gerwig and Bigelow nonetheless represent two rare success stories, talented female directors honored by the filmmaking industry during awards season. Unfortunately, for every Greta Gerwig, there are legions of women who either can’t break into Hollywood or remain under the radar once they do – regardless of the quality of their work.
Take Lynne Ramsay, a Scottish filmmaker who is one of the best directors alive today. Her rollicking 2011 feature We Need to Talk About Kevin thrust her into the limelight, and she sustained its glow into 2017’s You Were Never Really Here, one of the 21st century’s very best films, and one that garnered virtually no awards season buzz following its release. The Taxi Driver-indebted movie is a bravura take on gonzo filmmaking, a violent and bloody story about a tortured man with a penchant for saving innocent underage girls from lives of prostitution. Had, say, Scorsese or De Palma been in the director’s chair, the film undoubtedly would have been hailed as a legacy-boosting masterwork. Instead, it remains an important but unfound gem relegated to the back alleys of your favorite streaming service.
It’s even tougher for a woman like Ava DuVernay, who is black, to break through in Hollywood. In fact, it took a specific program targeted at black filmmakers to unearth DuVernay’s talent: as part of Showtime’s ‘Black Filmmaker Showcase,’ the writer-director was given $6,000 to produce her first short film in 2007. DuVernay was able to slowly climb the ranks until, in 2014, she was finally able to make her passion project, Selma, a drama about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. By nearly all accounts, the film was a success: rave reviews and solid box office receipts drove the Academy to nominate Selma for Best Picture. Of course, DuVernay wasn’t nominated for Best Director and didn’t even receive a credit for her work on the film’s screenplay.
The lack of female voices in film and television is pervasive. Hollywood has shorted not only female directors, but female writers and producers, too. One of 2019’s best new Netflix shows, the hilarious Tuca and Bertie, seemed like a surefire hit: created by former Bojack Horseman animator and writer Lisa Hanawalt, the brilliant show is told by and for 21st century women. Still sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes months after its initial release, Tuca and Bertie is a prime example of a show perfectly equipped to tell modern, topical stories about what it’s like to be a woman in America today. Naturally, Netflix cancelled it after one season.
Netflix is famously averse to releasing its viewership information. Presumably, just not enough people watched Tuca and Bertie – but the issue is multifaceted. Netflix ran limited advertisements for the program prior to its release, and the few it did run did their best to link the program to Bojack Horseman without promoting its female-centric message. Similarly well-received but unseen shows are often renewed for a second season to let audiences catch up to the critics. Tuca and Bertie was promptly cancelled two months after its premiere with no explanation.
The issue is systematic. Hollywood has championed stories about powerful men for 100 years and left little room for ones about women that don’t involve love or a man’s affection. Now that there are more women behind the camera fighting to get their voices heard, we as an audience have an obligation to support them. Follow your favorite director’s career and each of her films. Watch your favorite writer’s new Netflix show. In Hollywood, money talks louder than anything else. Buy a ticket. Support these women with your wallet when you can.
If, come next February, Greta Gerwig or Lynne Ramsay or Ava DuVernay or Patty Jenkins remain conspicuously absent among various Y-chromosomed Best Director and Best Screenplay Oscar nominees, don’t be afraid to speak out. In order to champion these women, we have to fight for their success. Think of the amazing stories we’re already deprived of just because a talented woman’s script remains unread in the wrong pile on some executive’s desk. Despite Netflix’s mysterious algorithms, art isn’t an equation. It takes active effort to overthrow the status quo. There are talented women whose careers are at stake. Let’s just hope the next Lady Bird isn’t in that pile of abandoned screenplays.


The Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
hmm… lagi keranjingan buat nyari2 twilight nih, insyaAllah pas Natalan (loh bukan kami ngerayain) mau nonton bareng sama mba puput en maunya sih ngajak temen yg lain juga, biar ramee.. keknya yang berminat cuma para wanita2 yahh.. hehe secara edward cullen ituh guantengs banget, plus romantis, plus gentle, uhhhh keren,,, vampire gitu loh! hihihi.. keknya bakal gantiin posisi bang josh dihatiku deh.. 😳
Nih abis mampir ke situs yang beralamatkan di http://thetwilightmovies.blogspot.com
Nah silakan baca deh tuh tentang the twilight series
Isabella (Bella) Swan moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to allow her mother, Renée, to travel with her new husband, Phil (who is a baseball player). After moving to Forks, Bella finds herself involuntarily drawn to a mysterious, handsome boy, Edward Cullen, who turns out to be a ‘vegetarian’ vampire, (a vampire who drinks animal blood, as opposed to human blood). They fall in love, and must fight off a rival vampire who wants to drink Bella’s blood. Bella escapes to Phoenix, Arizona where she is tricked into confronting James, a sadistic vampire who wishes to kill her.
Edward and his family leave Forks because of his belief that he is constantly endangering Bella’s life by his presence. Bella falls into a deep depression, until she develops a strong friendship with wolf shape-shifter Jacob Black. Jacob and the other wolves in his tribe must protect her from Victoria, an evil vampire who intends to avenge the death of James, her mate, by killing Bella. A misunderstanding occurs, and Edward is led to believe that Bella is dead. Edward decides to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy, but he is stopped by Bella and Alice. They meet with the Volturi and are let go on the condition that Bella be turned into a vampire in the near future. Bella and Edward are reunited, and the Cullens return to Forks.
The vampire Victoria has amassed an army of “newborn” vampires to battle the Cullen family and kill Bella. Meanwhile, Bella is forced to choose between her relationship with Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Edward’s family of vampires and Jacob’s pack of werewolves join forces to successfully destroy Victoria and her army of vampires. In the end, Bella chooses Edward’s love over Jacob’s. Jacob, devastated to hear of Bella’s choice and her decision to become a vampire, runs away from Forks.
Bella and Edward marry, but their honeymoon is cut short by Bella’s realization that she has become pregnant. Bella’s pregnancy progresses at an extremely fast rate, and makes her very weak. She nearly dies while giving birth to their half-vampire-half-human daughter, Renesmee, but Edward injects Bella with his venom to save her life by turning her into a vampire. A vampire from another coven sees Renesmee and mistakes her for an “immortal child”, the existence of which violates vampire rules, and informs the Volturi. The Cullens gather vampire witnesses who can verify that the child is not one of the immortal children. The Cullens convince the Volturi that Renesmee is not a danger to vampires or their secret, and they are left in peace.


I’ll start off by admitting that I am a huge Star Trek fan! I may not be as crazed as some Trekkies out there, but I love it. The TV shows, the movies, the books, I even have a toy Starship Enterprise. So there’s my disclaimer.
Yesterday, my husband and I actually got to go and see the newest Star Trek movie. We planned the day, got a babysitter, the whole 9 yards! Of utmost importance in our plan was to find out where we would have access to the movie with Audio Description. This was an important aspect of the plan, since most theaters near us do not have the equipment available. We knew the movie itself had been equip with the necessary audio track, so we went to the internet to find out where we could go. We decided on the Bob Bullock IMAX Theater. They have the equipment, the sound there is fantastic, and my sighted husband would get to enjoy the film on a life-size screen. The Bob Bullock Theater seems to have a lot of accessibility features, so we thought for sure they would have the descriptions available, as long as the film provided the track. I didn’t even mind paying a little extra for the tickets, since I would get to enjoy the description along with the superb theater sound. So, I bought our tickets ahead of time, the date was set.
We arrived at the theater a little over an hour early and the line to get in was already very long, everyone wanting the best seats in the house. It was sold out, which was why we bought our tickets ahead of time. We asked the man at the front desk about the Audio Description and he said that should not be a problem, we would just ask the theater master at the door just before giving her our tickets. We went right to her and asked, and she looked right at me and then asked if we wanted the little machine that showed the captions/subtitles. We explained to her that we wanted the headphones in order to hear the audio description that we knew the movie was released with. She called someone and then told us that they do not offer this film with Audio Description. We almost left in frustration, but we had been anticipating this movie for so long, planned for a sitter and had it all scheduled. I didn’t know when or if the opportunity would come again, so we stayed and attended the movie.
It was a great show, but as I had expected, filled with action. My husband was trying to describe quietly what was happening, but it was hard to hear everything and I know I missed many of the details. I couldn’t help but be frustrated, knowing the movie was provided in audio description, that this theater had the equipment needed, and yet I could not access it. Very possibly it would have been a matter of plugging something in and voila, I would have been privy to description of the action as it happened.
My advice, call ahead, don’t just look on the internet. Take a look at the list of theaters with the proper equipment, then check and double check that your movie is available before making your plans. Really, we should have walked out of there to make the point, but that just didn’t seem fair either. So, I may never get to see the movie with Audio Description, unless they make it available on the DVD release. I am very disappointed, yet it really was a cool movie. I guess I just don’t understand why it wasn’t available when the audio and equipment were there? I wonder who would be the one to ask that question? One consolation is that there is an audio book, so I can read it and get what I missed at the movies.


KPage Stuart Valdes
KPage Stuart Valdes is a New York-based writer, director, and musician. Her screenplay, Borderline ‘73, was a Academy Award Nicholls Screenwriting Fellowship semi- finalist and a Sundance Writer’s Lab finalist and, under the name Midnight Oil, was a second rounder under at the Austin Film Festival. Her screenplay, Psychotropia, won Best Screenplay at the California Women’s Film Festival, second place at the LA Underground Film Festival screenplay competition, was also a finalist for the Sundance Writer’s Lab. Her short,Talking Piece, premiered at Detroit's Charles H Wright Museum of African American History, earned honorable mention at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, and screened at multiple festivals nationally and internationally winning the Complex Cultural Currents Award from Stories by the River Festival. Her short, Full Service, won the best short at the Katra Film Festival in NYC, screened in the African Diaspora Film Festival at Columbia University, and screened at numerous festivals nationally and internationally. Her music has been presented by Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Atlantic Center for the Arts, HERE Art Center and in countless smaller clubs in and around NYC. Her music-theater pieces were presented at the Obie award winning Ice factory Festival and the Obie winning HERE Arts Center and have been featured in the openings section of the New Yorker magazine. She has received fellowships and commissions from Yaddo and the Jerome Foundation. She holds a BFA in Acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA from their Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program where she wrote both words and music.


Big Shot: Bully
Before Harmony Korine recruited Disney’s brightest stars to shed their tops in Spring Breakers, he teamed up with Larry Clark to throw moms into a tailspin with their debaucherous youth exposé Kids. Six years later, Clark’s Bully is an attempt to tackle similar territory. Based on true events, the film follows a group of aimless youth as they screw and fight, try to earn money where they can, and generally lay about until a careless murder brings it all comes to an end.
Bully jumps right in. Teen Beat heartthrob Brad Renfro tells someone on the other side of his cordless phone “I want you to suck my big dick” when his mom calls him down for dinner. No further introduction is necessary to set the scene. These kids dominate their lower middle class suburban America through disaffection and sex appeal. Renfro as Marty and his best friend Bobby (Nick Stahl) work at the sandwich counter at the local grocery store by day, and turn tricks at night. Alli and Lisa (Bijou Phillips and Rachel Miner round out this millennial brat pack) cruise town looking to get some D. Parents’ influence is limited to poking a head into the bedroom in the morning to make sure their kids came home the night before, and by insisting on family dinner, but really nobody gives much of a damn. This is a picture of American Youth, doing drugs, fucking, and fighting without much conscience or supervision.
Instead of drifting in and out of parties and orgies like Kids does, painting a picture of a larger story, as Bully progresses it narrows its focus, honing in on Marty and Bobby’s tumultuous friendship and how that affects Marty’s girlfriend Lisa. The adorable, charismatic, and don’t-give-a-fuck Renfro is mostly unbelievable as Marty, Bobby’s shy doormat. He moons and swoons, let’s Bobby punch him, and even cries at one point, but it seems like an act. As a result, Nick Stahl’s nuanced and conflicted Bobby is more trustworthy. He is played unexpectedly sympathetic; he is believable. Despite increasingly violent, cruel, and erratic behavior toward Marty and Lisa, Stahl plays Bobby as a character conflicted and confused by his own darkness. Unlike the rest of the gang, he is not a type that is recognizable from our own lives. And this specificity recenters the film, transforming it from a portrayal of universal disaffected adolescence to a single story of unique events.
The best parts of the film are also the scariest. Though Bobby comes off as vaguely threatening from the start, he becomes a real threat when he surprises Marty and Lisa in the bedroom, forcing his way into their sex life. It’s gross and mean. And when Lisa, trying to distract him from picking on her, convinces Alli to give Bobby a chance, what starts as sweet flirtation crosses the line into rape and depravity. Bobby is unable to control himself, and is seemingly completely unaware that what his is doing is wrong and hurts others. Even more scary is that throughout, he remains likable and charming. He is a monster but he’s hurting. This dynamic can’t and doesn’t last very long. When Lisa and Marty are finally fed up, the film refocuses, moving to Lisa and Marty as they hatch a plan to eliminate Bobby.
Although this murder plot is ostensibly the point of the film, it is also Bully’s undoing. All of a sudden a handful of new characters show up, including pimply-faced Michael Pitt as drugged up Donnie and Heather (Kelli Garner) whose raver blue, empty head would feel right at home in Spring Breakers. Although the performances are compelling, suddenly there is too much going on. Big personalities offset undeveloped relationships and the camera can’t seem to get enough of each face/crotch/decolletage. Miner and Renfro as the supposed bandleaders are unsteady, thus weakening the explosive moment of violence that should be shocking. It’s disjointed and unsatisfying.
But this unraveling is certainly, in part, deliberate. Miner and Renfro as Lisa and Marty are unsteady bandleaders of an unfocused, confused group of idiots. They don’t know what they are doing, and once it’s done, they can’t react ‘appropriately’. In the final scenes, they seem like they might burst out laughing at any moment. It may be bad acting, but it achieves Clark’s desired effect: incompetence.
The true story of Bobby Kent’s murder involves a bunch of stoner dropouts from Florida who ended up being terrible problem-solvers. What happens in Bully is an attempt to universalize that story and turn it into a cautionary tale: The youth these days are anesthetized sex maniacs who see too much violence on TV, and they make it look good. Although Bully takes place in familiar suburban sprawl with grocery stores, crap diners, poorly manicured lawns all in a row, and parents spouting BS, Bobby Kent is a distinctive case. The true story tells us he was so abusive to his friends, they felt they had no other choice but to kill him. But as he exists in the film, his bullying isn’t so out of control and murder doesn’t seem like the only option. The decision to kill him and the act itself is hazy on purpose, because …disaffected youth! But it’s not enough. Clark did this better with Kids and now, working off of actual events, there are too many unique details for the larger story to land. The result is a film that vacillates back and forth between a good story and a universal one, but never truly commits to either.