Monthly Archives: December 2017
A Real Hollywood Ending
There’s a new movie that takes the idea of practical effects and realism to another cinematic level.
Clint Eastwood is an acclaimed actor and is proving to be, with each new major motion picture under his belt, one of the best directors on the planet. And leave it to the 87-year-old all-American badass to innovate a “young man’s game” in Hollywood by not casting professional actors for events inspired by real-life heroes but by casting the real-life heroes who defined an inspiring event.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first trailer for The 15:17 to Paris (based on a book with the same name) directed by Clint Eastwood was released by Warner Bros. Pictures today.
If The 15:17 to Paris doesn’t qualify as a must-see movie, then I don’t know what does.
Mark down February 9, 2018, on your calendar as movie night. Real-life American heroes (Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos of the Oregon National Guard, and U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone) will be given a Hollywood treatment unlike any we’ve seen before in cinema.
Along with Christopher Nolan’s surreal, yet very realistic and necessarily gritty Dunkirk and Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour led by Gary Oldman’s sublime metamorphosis as Winston Churchill, there’s been no shortage of mainstream films spotlighting incredible people and their acts of courage and bravery.
That’s worth the price of admission and so much more.
Acting Like We Know
The following experience is coming from dumb or dumber…
but either way, it’s smart.
How do we remain calm while performing stressful tasks?
Jeff Daniels, seen in the recent interview above, highlighted the necessity of the process and not merely the end result. The expression goes, “Fake it until you make it.” To varying degrees and situations, this is true. In his world, the process literally dealt with the well-known and uncertain “acting process.” For us, the process is likely different in our daily lives, though still filled with comedy and drama. Not to mention unstructured dynamics that are frustratingly opaque. And yet, it’s not unusual for these moments that are absent of control to morph and provide, oddly enough, a surprising path toward control and certainty.
Just a random example of perseverance and perspective from 1/2 of the legendary duo of the 1994 cinematic gold standard in comedy Dumb and Dumber. Take a stand on something (pick-up the perfect snowball) and give it everything you’ve got.
Maybe you’ll get stuck (to a ski lift), but it’ll only be temporary.
Happy Monday!
When will virtual reality make its defining pivot into the mainstream of modern society as an everyday technological necessity? How will we as a species change as a result? Will this transformation be good, bad or found somewhere in between?
For now, the first full trailer for Steven Spielberg’s forthcoming pop culture-infused virtual reality cinematic bonanza, inspired by the pop culture literary giant Ready Player One imaginatively penned by Ohio’s own Ernest Cline, has arrived.
No virtual reality headsets required.
Suggestion: Host Ready Player One’s movie premiere this March in Columbus, Ohio.
Author Ernest Cline is from Ashland, director Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati and the story takes place in central Ohio. The legendary filmmaker and Warner Bros. could officially make Columbus the pop culture capital of the world for a night, which would be unforgettable and crazy awesome.
However, would that mean that a major business would purposefully invest in the city and people of Columbus with the intention of having fun and making us look good? It’s been a while but we’re actively on the hunt for people with good intentions who are ready to inspire and celebrate this city (#SaveTheCrew). And favorite sons Steven Spielberg and Ernest Cline would be welcomed back to Hollywood blockbuster-level acclaim and fanfare.
That’s the reality.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
These ARE the Voices You’re Looking For
We all hear voices from time to time (so I’m told…). However, there’s a real talent for impersonating voices. Enter Last Jedi actor and Star Wars legend Mark Hamill in a recent sit-down interview with famed movie critic Peter Travers.
For the record, the merchandise from Star Wars, Jurassic Park and countless movies and television shows are what enabled escapism normally confined to a movie theater and family TV rooms (pre-YouTube and Internet) to reach new levels of imaginative curiosity. It’s an impactful part of being a kid, going to the movies and dreaming big. So, Sir Alec Guinness, wise Obi-Wan Kenobi, you were gravely mistaken.
If only Mr. Guinness (bet that got him a few free beers over the years) could have heard the voices of millions of kids seeing his films and playing with a myriad of merchandise, all while beginning a lifetime passion for some of the most treasured films in cinematic history.
Obi-Lost that Debate Kenobi more like it, hmmm (just one of those voices…).
Jimmy's Daily Planet 