Colbie Caillat’s Wonderful New Video
Posted on July 12, 2014 at 4:43 pm
The video for Colbie Caillat’s new song, “Try,” from Gypsy Heart Side A
A History of Apes In Movies from Michael Marisol
Posted on July 11, 2014 at 3:59 pm
My friend Michael Mirasol has put together another magnificent compilation — this time it’s a history of apes and monkeys in film. How many can you identify? He writes:
Non-human primates have existed on film from the art form’s inception, primarily as sideshow spectacles, most notably in King Kong (1933). Their display for our amusement is perhaps an extension of the tradition of the zoo and the circus, where such creatures are viewed more as oddities than as fellow earthly denizens.
Rarely have these creatures been viewed on their own terms. They have been human sidekicks, villains, accomplices and lab rats. They’ve drank our booze, laughed (or cringed) at our jokes, and played our sports. Even in the most thought-provoking films that feature them, rarely have we been given the benefit of their perspective. But in reality, how can we? W.G. Sebald once said that “Men and animals regard each other across a gulf of mutual incomprehension.” We cannot help but humanize creatures in which we see our resemblance so that we can relate to them.
Museum Exhibit Explores Illinois Film Censorship Bureau
Posted on July 10, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Illinois’ Lisle Station Museum has an exhibit about the little-known and less-remembered history of film censorship in Chicago under the direction of what was originally called the Police Censor Board, formed in 1907, the first such oversight organization in the country. It remained in force until 1984, though of course its work had long since been superseded by first the Hays code and then the MPAA.
Titled “Banned in Chicago: Eight Decades of Film Censorship in the Windy City,” it examines the history behind film censorship in Chicago and provides a glimpse into the types of films that were being censored and a broader look at the implications of censorship throughout America.
Though this gathering, vividly illustrated with documents and photos and embellished by clear writing, is based on serious academic research, it is wildly, somewhat weirdly and even comically entertaining.
For each film viewed, the board members would fill out censor cards, detailing their complaints. The card regarding the movie “Woodstock” in 1972, for instance, contains notations such as a “hippie cult song festival,” “nudity, free sex and pot smoking.” Efforts to ban that film were unsuccessful.
Not so “Scarface.” That 1932 film, generally regarded as the first gangster movie, starring Paul Muni and written by former Chicago newspaperman Ben Hecht, never did play at any Chicago movie house when it was first released. Such was the clout of the board for a time.
It will be on display through August 16, 2014.
Where are the Cartoon Moms?
Posted on June 30, 2014 at 3:54 pm
One of the questions I get asked most often is why parents in movies for children are always dead or otherwise out of the picture. As I wrote in my book, The Movie Mom’s Guide to Family Movies
This is often much more troubling for parents than for kids, though some children will ask what happened to Heidi’s parents or Dorothy’s parents or become upset when the parents are killed in “The Witches” and “James and the Giant Peach.” Even in movies where the child has loving parents, they are physically separated for the course of the movie, as in “Home Alone,” “Peter Pan,” and “Pinnochio.” Adults who watch these films (and are at a stage of life when they have reason to be concerned about losing their own parents) are sometimes upset at this consistent theme and wonder if there is some sort of maliciousness behind it. There isn’t. Parents are missing in children’s films for two reasons. First, it is very hard to place a child in the middle of the action if a parent is there to protect and warn him. It removes most of the narrative momentum. Second, one thing it is impossible to have in a movie about a child is romance. And a single parent provides the potential for a romantic happy ending to appeal to a broader audience.
This is true not just of movies but of all kinds of stories. Alice in Wonderland has parents somewhere but we only meet her sister and that only briefly. The character modeled after Mark Twain’s own mother is called “Aunt Polly” in Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn has an alcoholic and abusive father (who is killed in the book) and no mother. Dorothy Gale lives with her aunt and uncle. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty have lost their biological mothers and are treated badly by evil stepmothers. “Home Alone” is an entire movie about a child coping without his parents. Shirley Temple never had both parents except in one film where her parents were estranged and her role was to bring them together.
A child has to be alone in order to have an adventure. And the child who reads or watches the story can vicariously enjoy the independence of the character while (we hope) being confident that his or her own family is secure.
The current issue of The Atlantic explores this question in an article by Sarah Boxer called “Why Are All the Cartoon Mothers Dead?” Her focus is on a recent trend in movies to eliminate the mother but give the child a fun and loving father. This includes films from “Finding Nemo” (though of course Nemo spends most of the movie separated from his over-protective father) and “Despicable Me” to “Mr. Peabody.” (On the other hand, in the “Toy Story” movies, Andy has a single mom.) But she concludes with a good example of a loving family with two parents: “The Incredibles.”
Does the Dog Die? An Important Movie Question
Posted on June 28, 2014 at 8:00 am
Some people want to know if a movie has a good story, compelling characters, or stunning images. You can come here to read my reviews and find answers to those questions.
Some people just want to know if the dog dies. So, now there’s a website that will tell you if the dog dies. Thanks, internet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnhojq63-Bs