"Well the themes for me were and remain sex and love and grief and death - the things that make us and undo us, create and destroy, how we breed and disappear and the emotional context that surrounds these events." ~Thomas Lynch
In this earthly experience, these four are probably the most common, and most influential, themes expressed. Think of the songs you've heard, or books you've read. Movies, TV shows, plays, even stand up comedy, all revolve around these things.
In fact, I submit the question,"Is anything else worth writing about?" I love to read biographies and non-fiction books. I'm also a big poetry fan, although these past few years have seen my reading in all areas drop off considerably.
The last few books I've read are posted on my LinkedIn page: The Unlikely Disciple, Fractals: The Patterns of Chaos, Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting, White Peonies and Cezanne's Composition. Despite the titles, as one reads these, it becomes apparent that, even in a book on fractal geometry, discussions on these themes arise. Of course, books on art will contain these in both pictoral and textual forms.
It's a strange thing, to narrow the existence down to just four subjects. Especially in a time when we seem to be pushing so hard to make material things the priority.
Yup! That's Rubberduckzilla. Thanks to my friend Kelly for this.
I Walked with a Zombie
"skewed" (but not what you might think)
Released- 1943
Producer- Val Lewton
Director- Jacque Tourneur
Writers- Curt Siodmak and Ardel Wray
Stars- Christine Gordon, Frances Dee, Tom Conway, James Ellison, Edith Barrett
This is a film you have to see. Yes, it's old. Yes, it's in black and white. Yes, it's barely over an hour long. Yes, it is brilliant.
I'd probably say that about any Val Lewton film, but this is one of my special favorites. You'll remember Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People and The Leopard Man. Each of these brought something unusual to the screen. IWwaZ is no exception. There is so much going on in this short little piece that it's hard to explain.
What I love about this movie:
The cinematography is exemplary. Some scenes are beyond any expectation. For example, the night scene in which Betsy is leading Jessica through the darkness and they happen upon the tall, motionless, seemingly emaciated zombie. The moment when he waits, then turns and walks into the darkness is a tremendous shot.
The direction of Jacque Tourneur. Through his direction, this piece maintains a measured pace that brings the viewer along carefully, not fitfully or hurriedly, as we might expect. Also, he is able to control the personalities of his characters. For instance, in the scene I just mentioned any other movie would have sent Betsy screaming and running. In this film, she keeps her head and continues on, as though it was to be expected (which it probably was). It is this contra-intuition that keeps us in the piece.
The Singer. Although it might seem campy, this character is key to the psychology of the film. He brings commentary into the piece, sharing feelings that might not otherwise be communicated.
The final scene. I wont talk about details, but it is poignant and moving, certainly unexpected, yet unquestionably appropriate for this film.
Despite its title, this is an art film that can be appreciated by a wide ranging audience. Even if you dont like horror movies, or art films, or movies with singing in them, you'll find something that resonates with you in this one.
Interestingly, it's the only credit film appearance Christine Gordon (Jessica Holland) ever made. It appears that she also had small, uncredited parts in a few other movies, but this was her most important role. Of course, it wasnt a difficult role and could have been played by any stunningly beautiful woman, but she did it in a way that doesnt seem forced or wooden.
Here's a clip from Turner Classic Movies. It's the scene I was talking about earlier.
Enjoy this one. It comes double packed with The Body Snatcher, which I'll talk about another time.
I seem to see a lot of movies. Being a night person, I'm usually up until 1:00 AM or so. There arent a lot of other things to do that time of night. Now that we have On Demand movies and several cable movie channels, I experiment a lot. So I see a lot of movies/films others might not.
Having said that, it bears mentioning that a good portion of them are things that I wouldnt recommend to anyone. They're bent or twisted in some way, but sometimes those are the ones I enjoy.
Another reason for this blog is that there are a lot of films that I think others should see, but they're being forgotten. Cases in point would be Shadowlands, 20 Million Miles to Earth, The African Queen, North by Northwest, His Girl Friday and how many more that I cant think of. If I can, I want to encourage people to watch them, so they dont simply fade away.
Why is this important?
Despite what some people say, film is an art form. Like the art forms of previous generations, much of what is made is just junk, but there are some works that are very worthwhile. Some speak to the human condition, to love, to the deeply spiritual.
Unlike works of previous times, these are extremely accessible. You dont have to go to a museum to see them. They're available through Netflix or On Demand.
Also unlike previous art forms, these are extremely fragile. Even now, some original prints have become unviewable.
That's it. I'm an artist and I love art of all kinds and I think those celluloid images can tell us a lot about ourselves. Whether it's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Babette's Feast, there are movies that speak. I want to share some of them with you.
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