International Cinema

One of the many things that I miss about studying at BYU is the International Cinema Program. I didn't make it to most of the movies I wanted to see but when I did make it, I was always impressed with what I saw. One semester I was sitting in on a film and theory class taught by Dr. Greg Stallings, one of the co-directors of International Cinema. We were discussing film noir in class and by design, our discussions in class coincided with one of the two weeks of noir at International Cinema.

I don't recall which movies were showing which week, but I recall that I saw Rififi,

M, and The Blue Gardenia with some of my friends/colleagues, all within a short period of time, it was a grand experience. I didn't make it to Bob le fambeur but it's in my Netflix queue so I will see it soon.

During that class I saw many great movies and had great fun talking with the other students. We learned a lot and it was fun. I miss that, I miss my friends, I miss International Cinema. Right now I'm in a Visual Studies Film class that I was initially excited about. However, after three weeks, this is a class I will just have to push through to the end. The other students are very smart, use an extremely high vocabulary, and interact in the same way that those strange drama kids that you knew in high school did. It's not very fun at all, there is an obvious political/theoretical bent to the class and it often lasts about 4 hours. Maybe I'll rent a few of the movies being shown this semester at International Cinema and watch along with them. There's some really cool stuff being shown. I've been toying with the idea of a virtual film festival, where each participant watches the same movie during a given week, and then posts thoughts, interpretations, or whatever on a blog. If any of you are interested let me know, I think if we did one movie a month it would be doable for most.

Also, I really need some movie recommendations, I haven't seen an INCREDIBLE movie in a few months, mostly just good ones. I want to see something great, so send 'em my way folks!!

p.s. I tried to avoid using the word 'film' in this post out of spite. The folks in my visual studies class are so pretentious that they won't use the word 'movie.' Sorry bubs but I was raised on movies and if you don't like that you can frown upon me and my ignorance all you want.

Synecdoche, New York

I don't know how to write about this movie yet. But knowing who reads this I'll say first that it won't appeal to 97% of you, maybe two people that (occasionally) read this blog would like it. Synecdoche, New York is Charlie Kaufman's first directing effort (he also wrote the script). Some of you may him as the writer or Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If you don't really like those two movies, please, don't see this one.

SPOILER ALERT: Below are some screen captures from part of the movie and a transcription of part of the voice-over that accompanies these images. This was my favorite part, maybe because it reminded me of Borges.

"What was once before you, an exciting mysterious future is now behind you. Lived, understood, disappointing. You realize you are not special. You have struggled into existence, and are now slipping silently out of it. This is everyone’s experience, every single one."

" The specifics hardly matter, everyone is everyone. So you are Adele, Hazel, Claire, Olive, you are Ellen. All her meager sadnesses are yours, all her loneliness, the gray straw-like hair, her red, raw, hands. It’s yours; it is time for you to understand this."

"As the people who adore you stop adoring you. As they die, as they move on, as you shed them, as you shed your beauty, your youth, as the world forgets you, as you recognize your transience, as you begin to lose your characteristics one by one. As you learn that there is no one watching you, and there never was. You think only about driving. Not coming from any place, not arriving any place. Just counting off time, now you are here at 7:43, now you are here at 7:44, now you are…gone."

"Is this heaven?"

False Starts

I've attempted to put together a solid post more than a few times in the last month but I'm having trouble giving shape to my ideas (nothing new). For now I'll just tease you with the titles of some of the posts I've started and, in the tradition of Welles, not finished. If there is an overwhelming demand to finish one of these posts (and by that I mean that if one of my two readers really wants to read one of them in particular) I'll make an extra effort to finish that one soon.

Un abrazo para mis queridas lectores (that means you Shaunie and Mom),

Ben

-Beyond the Anthology: Why You Should Consider Reading Neruda's Obra Completa

-Struggling to Speak, or, The Virtual Death of José Arcadio Buendía (I'm most excited about this one)

-Another Year Another Passing