Movies Made By Sons About Their Dads

Posted on May 18, 2010 at 3:58 pm

Two small independent films opened up in New York this week that are both labors of love based on the dysfunctional fathers of the film-makers. One is “Touching Home” with Ed Harris as an alcoholic father of twin sons who struggles with addictions and homelessness. The other is “Daddy Longlegs,” the story of a mentally unstable father of two young boys played by Ronald Bronstein.

Both films were made by a pair of brothers about their own fathers. “Daddy Longlegs” was written, edited, and directed by Josh and Benny Safdie; Josh was also co-cinematographer. Identical twins Logan and Noah Miller wrote, produced, and directed “Touching Home” and play themselves. They have described in interviews the improbable process that took them from writing a script to insisting that Ed Harris read it because he was the only one who could play the part to assembling a team of Oscar-nominated and award-winning crew.

Ambushing Ed Harris “Touching Home” movie

Liz | MySpace Video

Both films are frank and unsentimental but made from a spirit of understanding and forgiveness, touching in part because the telling of the stories seems to be a part of the healing process. I love the way these two sets of brothers were so passionate about telling their fathers’ stories and I love the way Harris and Bronstein paid them and their fathers the respect of telling the stories with compassion but without compromise. I hope both films get a broader release and I hope that right now other sons and daughters are writing scripts and pestering actors to share their own stories.

How to Protect Yourself From Facebook’s New ‘Privacy’ Changes

Posted on May 16, 2010 at 7:33 pm

Facebook has made some new changes that make your information much more vulnerable to public display. Please take a few moments to watch this video from Connect Safely and share it with your middle and high school children to make sure that they adjust their privacy settings to avoid inadvertent disclosure.

The Evolution of Movie Soundtracks

Posted on May 15, 2010 at 8:00 am

The New Yorker has a fine article by music critic Alex Ross about soundtrack composer Michael Giacchino, who won an Oscar for his lilting but wistful score for “Up” and who also writes the evocative music for the television series, “Lost.” But even better is the podcast interview with New Yorker Out Loud editor Blake Eskin, because Ross talks about the evolution of movie soundtracks over the decades, from the lush orchestral scores composed by European emigres like Erich Wolfgang Korngold during the 1940’s to the jazz-influenced scores of the 1950’s that first acquainted mainstream audiences with music they were not yet ready to listen to on records or in clubs. And he illustrates his points with great examples that make you want to go back to see the movies all over again — or, I should say, listen to them all over again.

Here is Korngold writing for “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

And here is Duke Ellington’s score for “Anatomy of a Murder.”

I share Ross’ disappointment with today’s over-reliance on pop songs to carry the emotion of the story but was glad to hear that he thinks that fully-orchestrated scores will make a comeback. As he points out, “Star Wars” would not have had nearly the mythic power without the unforgettable soundtrack from John Williams.

Ebert’s Recommendation — Better than 3D

Posted on May 14, 2010 at 8:03 am

Roger Ebert, who recently took on some controversy when he said that video games could not be art, has kicked it up a notch with a piece in Newsweek called “Why I Hate 3D (And You Should Too).”

3-D is a waste of a perfectly good dimension. Hollywood’s current crazy stampede toward it is suicidal. It adds nothing essential to the moviegoing experience. For some, it is an annoying distraction. For others, it creates nausea and headaches. It is driven largely to sell expensive projection equipment and add a $5 to $7.50 surcharge on already expensive movie tickets. Its image is noticeably darker than standard 2-D. It is unsuitable for grown-up films of any seriousness. It limits the freedom of directors to make films as they choose. For moviegoers in the PG-13 and R ranges, it only rarely provides an experience worth paying a premium for.

It isn’t that he can’t enjoy 3D effects in the movies that most benefit from them. But he says it adds little to the best movies and can be a distraction and even deteriorate the picture by dimming it in the kinds of movies that can be enhanced with immersive effects. And he says the push for 3D is driven by commerce (selling new technology to theaters as well as to audiences) more than art.
What interests me most about Ebert’s critique is his endorsement of a better enhanced technology that he believes does enrich the movie-goer’s experience.

What Hollywood needs is a “premium” experience that is obviously, dramatically better than anything at home, suitable for films aimed at all ages, and worth a surcharge. For years I’ve been praising a process invented by Dean Goodhill called MaxiVision48, which uses existing film technology but shoots at 48 frames per second and provides smooth projection that is absolutely jiggle-free. Modern film is projected at 24 frames per second (fps) because that is the lowest speed that would carry analog sound in the first days of the talkies. Analog sound has largely been replaced by digital sound. MaxiVision48 projects at 48fps, which doubles image quality. The result is dramatically better than existing 2-D. In terms of standard measurements used in the industry, it’s 400 percent better. That is not a misprint. Those who haven’t seen it have no idea how good it is. I’ve seen it, and also a system of some years ago, Douglas Trumbull’s Showscan. These systems are so good that the screen functions like a window into three dimensions. If moviegoers could see it, they would simply forget about 3-D.

Take a look:

Related Tags:

Understanding Media and Pop Culture

Two PG Romances in One Week

Posted on May 11, 2010 at 11:41 pm

We don’t get many PG movies designed for general audiences but this week we have two, both sweet romances, “Letters to Juliet” and “Just Wright.” The first is the story of girl about to be married who helps a woman find the love she lost half a century before. The second is about a physical therapist brought in to help an NBA star get back into the game. While the films are not intended for or suitable for children and today’s PG is more like the PG-13 of ten years ago, it is still very nice to see Hollywood recognize that it is possible to tell a love story without a lot of nudity, bad language, or violence.
Also this week: “Robin Hood” with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, the latest in dozens of depictions of the gallant rebel who took on the corrupt on behalf of the downtrodden.