Monthly Archives: November 2014
Where’s My Bike?
A starry dream realized.
Arguably one of the (if not the) best paintings in history is “Starry Night” by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. The swirling images, as told with brush strokes of vivid, other-worldly colors, has mesmerized generations of art lovers and casual viewers alike. This masterpiece has an eternally transcendent quality and that’s why tributes to this famous painting resonate so powerfully.
Someone even dared to take a stroll on this world renowned classic.
“In the Dutch town of Eindhoven, artist Daan Roosegaarde has paid homage to its most famous resident, Vincent Van Gogh, by creating a glowing bike path that relies on solar-powered LED lights and interprets his classic painting Starry Night” (NPR, In a Dutch Town, A Glowing Bike Path Inspired By Van Gogh).
You can close your eyes and imagine what this wild vision would look like, or you can just click on the video below:
You can ride your bike or take a romantic stroll on this glowing masterpiece.
Either way, talk about following a path to the stars.
A Stellar Experience
(The Hollywood Reporter)
“Wow…just, wow.”
That was my initial reaction while walking out of an IMAX theater in Columbus, Ohio on November 7th following a nearly 3-hour space journey that, like many of the great artists of the modern era, requires only a single name: Interstellar. The director and co-writer, (we could go with one name, but since brothers are involved) Christopher Nolan is famous for his incredible physical sets/playgrounds, realism and grit, amazing, star-studded casting and complex stories that have more satisfying twists and turns than one can ever hope to imagine.
Interstellar fulfills all these “Nolan prerequisites” and manages to take it one step higher…if not two.
The science in this science fiction epic is based on work by renowned theoretical physicist Kip Thorne of Caltech, who also served as an executive producer. The science and intergalactic travel juxtaposed with the emotional relationship of farmer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his two children Tom (Timothée Chalamet) and his relentlessly inquisitive daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) will pull and tug at your heart strings.
FYI – I firmly believe in maintaining movie plot secrets, so, therefore, the intent of this review of sorts is not to reveal any spoilers, but to attempt to put this film into some concise perspective, which for anyone who has seen it, is no easy task.
Interstellar is a movie about exploration, desperation, family, the unknown, love, adventure, solitude, scientific theory, hope, the dynamics of space travel, heartache and pushing oneself to a myriad of limits. Plus, a perfectly placed surprise here and there…Set in the near future, the broad-ranging inspiration for the story and main character Cooper is something he says while sitting alongside his father in-law Donald (John Lithgow) on their dust covered porch late one night: “We used to look at up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars…now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”
From the metaphorical curtain rise to the curtain close, this movie is a cinematic labyrinth that will launch its audience through a wormhole of expected and unexpected visuals and circumstances that ultimately gels into an unforgettable experience that is genuinely out of this world, yet deeply rooted in this one. It will hit seemingly every nerve you’ve got for 3 hours for something that feels real and surreal at the same time.
And bridging the real and surreal on the silver screen is, in essence, Christopher Nolan. He does this with the help of his superb wife and business partner Emma Thomas, their production company team (Syncopy Films Inc.) and we cannot forget about Nolan’s screenwriting partner and television producing brother Jonah Nolan. Interstellar was a Nolan family film through and through. Add in a brilliant, cosmically pulsating musical score from good friend and composing partner Hans Zimmer and you quickly realize you are part of something supremely grand.
Quick takeaways: Interstellar is an epic journey, every actor and actress’ performance is the real deal, Mackenzie Foy will damn near bring you to tears and this is a visual and audible experience that showcases what making and seeing movies is all about.
After processing everything featured on Earth and in the film’s multiple galaxies, my verdict (after two IMAX viewings) is simply this:
Wow…I love it.
Happy Monday!
This is Jimmy’s Daily Planet’s 500th Blog Post!
It’s truly surreal to try to fathom this milestone. I cannot even imagine what the future holds or what #1,000 might be about or look like, let alone #501.
Pardon me, I need just a quick minute…
Before watching Interstellar for the second time yesterday (I highly recommend this movie!), a cornucopia of trailers blazed across the perfectly expansive IMAX screen, as well as our our five senses, to ensure at least one return visit to the cinema within the next several months. Yes, several months, including May 2015. Excluding the film about this group of avengers, one of the films that caught everyone’s attention was, Chappie, which tells the evolutionary story of how a robot seemingly built with scrap parts begins to (supposedly) feel emotions like humans.
Luckily, there are no frightening scenarios or consequences of machines with highly-advanced technology and a pulse entering society, right?
The presumed moral of the story and predictive nature of our future aside, the music used in the trailer sounds like something out of the future…and, fortunately, it sounds quite nice.
Build Yourself a Great Week!
They’d Be Dumb Not Two
Harry Dunne: I can’t believe we drove around all day and there’s not a single job in this town. There is nothing, nada, zip!
Lloyd Christmas: Yeah, unless you wanna work 40 hours a week!
There is a brilliance to the simplistic awareness of the 1994 cult classic Dumb and Dumber. In my opinion, Dumb and Dumber is the funniest movie ever made. To say, “I like it a lot!” with the necessary mouth play is an understatement. Twenty years have passed and I still quote random lines from this movie with pride and gusto in virtually any situation, just like many, many, many other fans from around every corner. Aside from the quintessential boy humor (sans profanity, FYI), there is a story about two lovable losers, whose intellectual ceiling is waist high, that are truly struggling to function within society. And this gets to the heart of the story, which is one of the paramount reasons why this comedy endures. Let’s not neglect the perfect casting, writing, settings and clothing as well.
The jokes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, not mean-spirited and are intended to bring out the goofiest parts of ourselves. They dance on the line of appropriate and inappropriate for a mass audience, but don’t cross it. And haven’t we all been in one of these situations (to some extent) at least once before?
Who hasn’t fallen off the jet way?
As shown by the scene below, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne have been beaten down by their shortcomings and reveal an emotionally raw, dejected sadness about their plight. Again, we’ve all been there, whether it’s a relationship/series of failed relationships, a lost job or a wide-range of personal issues that can devastate a man or woman to his or her core. It hurts and it feels inevitable to continue. All that Lloyd and Harry have is themselves. But, what if there was just a sliver of hope in the form of a briefcase (what brand was it again?) that offered the tiniest glimmer of hope?
Friendship requires forgiveness and the opportunity to act foolishly. A lot of things in life demands seriousness and focus. Yes, absolutely. But, if these events are not complemented with instances of random silliness, then, well, that’s pretty dumb and boring. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta hop on the back of a hog and ride on the road of life to wherever it takes you. In all seriousness though, it should take you to Aspen. It’s “where the beer flows like wine.” Also, note the spectacular song (“Where I Find My Heaven” by Gigolo Aunts) in the clip.
Dumb and Dumber is a story about friendship, stupidity, heartache, love, delusion, hardships, personal happiness, physical comedy, innocence, amusement and, above all else, acting dumb…and then acting even dumber.
After decades of hesitation to make a sequel to such a fan favorite, many people have long assumed that a sequel with the original cast and crew would never happen. Too much time had passed. And now that it’s really happened, the most prominent questions being asked are:
Was it a good idea to make a sequel?
What effect(s) will the sequel have on the legacy of the original?
Will the sequel live up to the original in its fresh, unique comedic perfection?
If Dumb and Dumber To (which brings back the best comedy buddy duo of all-time in Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, as well as its directing duo of Bobby and Peter Farrelly) has incorporated the aforementioned elements of nostalgic boy humor, realities of life, quotable lines and an unforgettably inappropriate scene, then perhaps making this sequel to a beloved classic will prove to have been a smart move after all.
Dumb and Dumber To is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
Oh, and I got worms.
Will Harry and Lloyd have worms?
Did Harry end up running a store specializing in worm farms?
I’d say the odds are like one in a million…just like the odds of a sequel finally being made.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 