Monthly Archives: March 2016
These Sounds Will Not Be Silent
Batman or Superman?
Fortunately, there’s a cinematic battle between these two DC Universe icons in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that will finally answer this age old question. This movie of epic proportions premieres in theaters today and the hype, expectations and immediate future of both characters is on the line.
Henry Cavill gave moviegoers an introduction to his Superman in 2013s Man of Steel and Ben Affleck is following the damn-near perfect (if not arguably perfect) portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman with The Dark Knight trilogy that concluded just 4 short years ago.
No pressure there.
I have not seen Batman v Superman yet, but there have been plenty of teasers and trailers lately (too many?) that, visually, the movie’s look has been pretty well revealed. How about the soundtrack? This movie is interesting in that it has two very familiar composers. Hans Zimmer composed a brilliant Dark Knight trilogy score and he also did Man of Steel’s wonderful soundtrack with assistance from Junkie XL.
Playing on his expertise with both superheroes, Mr. Zimmer collaborated with soundtrack veteran Junkie XL and crafted the sounds of Batman v Superman.
Here’s the opening taste from the soundtrack.
Once again: Batman or Superman?
Dude, Where’s My Accent?
That’s acting! vs. That’s acting?
Acting is a equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. The dreamlike thrill of being on stage or in front of the camera is difficult to explain, but it brings out characteristics in yourself you never knew you had or have always wanted to express. The feeling is infinitely sublime.
Then, there’s the terrifying aspect. What happens when we do something wrong from taking a chance or not understanding the deeper meaning of the character or situation? Did we go too far or not far enough?
For acclaimed actor Jake Gyllenhaal, he’s been through both ends of this spectrum, even during the same audition…
Sometimes, we need to fail in order to see our path forward with clarity before taking our next steps. Sometimes, we need to laugh at ourselves.
Either way, don’t disappoint Peter Jackson.
We’ve all been in “that room” before. Next time, just speak with a British accent and you should be good.
Cinema’s First Steps
“Je veux vous montrer quelque chose…”
(“I want to show you something…”)
This could have been said by the Lumière brothers (Louis and Auguste), who were pioneers in motion pictures in Lyon, France. Long before IMAX, 3-D and superheroes galore, cinema was born out of, to put it in a disappointingly anticlimactic way, walking out of a factory.
That was it. No exaggeration.
Still, despite the pedestrian nature of this cleverly titled documentary, “Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory” or “Exiting the Factory,” seeing the inception of cinema with the first projected film is a wonderful reminder of how far movies we enjoy today have improved and innovated through the decades. There’s a beginning to everything and, as a movie fan, the following video is quite exciting because this film underscores how the world was forever changed in ways the workers walking from their job and the Lumière brothers never could’ve imagined.
On March 22, 1895, cinema visually framed the world.
French factory workers literally opened the doors of cinema.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 