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Gone Fishin’
Learning to fish is one of the most important skills a person should master.
But not in a river or a pond.
Well, not a literal river or pond.
Daniel Wallace’s literary masterpiece Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, translated into the cinematic masterpiece Big Fish by the perfectly weird and surprisingly sentimental Tim Burton, does not dethrone The Great Gatsby as America’s favorite novel, but it surely has earned a spot on that same top-shelf.
The stories, the characters and the extraordinary circumstances experienced by an ordinary man should be read, seen and enjoyed by anybody who sees life through a dream-filled lens. This imaginative wonderland forces us to pause and challenge our surroundings and the people we meet and the people we become. It even dances around (though barefoot) the supreme question, “why are we here?”
Unfortunately, there is no magic sentence or grand reveal from Mr. Wallace or Mr. Burton that definitively answers that eternal uncertainty.
Fortunately though, Big Fish reminds us that earthly hints to answering this question are sprinkled along the long, winding path we walk.
It’s just an issue of how you see and hear the world.
https://youtu.be/KIuyDlPYTcg?t=9m
Before we get too far into this week, remember that your wild imagination is not limited to the weekend.
Walking up a busy stairwell could simply be walking up a busy stairwell.
Or…
Happy Monday!
Man’s best friend is a dog.
Boy’s best friend is…a dragon?
1977 was quite a year for moviegoers, including the cinematic wonders Star Wars and Pete’s Dragon. While each film showcased its graphics differently, both movies left a memorable impression with everyone who saw them. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a massive hit (putting it lightly) at the end of 2015 with its throwback to practical effects as the first choice and CGI as the alternative when realism needed just a little imaginative assistance.
The first peak inside the revisited world of Pete and his magical dragon seems to be leaning on that same dynamic.
Will 2016 be the year of the dragon?
Have a Magical Week!
Filming in Space, You Are?
(Colin Trevorrow, Comic Book Cast)
“I asked the question, ‘Is it possible for us to shoot IMAX film plates in actual space for Star Wars?’,” he said.
“I haven’t gotten an answer yet, but they’ve shot IMAX in space.”
–Colin Trevorrow
Filming Star Wars: Episode IX in the stars?
Let the war for cinema’s best practical effects begin.
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, working on his second mega franchise with Star Wars, revealed this stunning news recently during a panel at the Sundance Film Festival. He and a few directors, including Christopher Nolan, were discussing the incomparable quality and necessary future of film as an alternative to digital for filmmakers when this golden nugget surprisingly made its way into the conversation.
The conversation for saving film as a means for making movies is a worthy discussion for another day.
Returning to the burgeoning and ambitious young director, Mr. Trevorrow clearly means business in preparing to tackle the Star Wars universe. If simply daring to direct his second prodigious blockbuster isn’t proof enough.
One of the primary consequences of Star Wars: Episodes I-III was a rejection of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) as central, interactive settings. This forced a return to the newest trilogy to feature locations that are rooted in practical effects. Add in supreme storytelling, better characters (ie-Jar Jar Binks) and a modern twist with a vintage, blue lightsaber glow.
Regarding the first film in the new trilogy, J.J. Abrams did an amazing job with The Force Awakens. The blockbuster utilized practical effects to the max. However, like any industry, innovation is paramount (the word, not the studio). Despite the lack of perfect effects, though groundbreaking at the time, the original Star Wars trilogy is cherished by fans for its revolutionary look and feel.
Episode IV, for example, looks like 1977. Watching this classic is like opening up a time capsule with a lightsaber inside.
Episode IX, with an expected release in 2019, could very well turn an important page for science-fiction epics in ways found only in our imaginations.
The investment in more practical effects correlating with demand for more realism in cinema is constantly increasing. The ROI has proven to be remarkable for movies that mimic real life to a certain extent, yet still give us what we want in a movie and in the theater: suspended belief.
Imagine a Star Wars battle scene, set in outer space, that’s actually filmed in outer space…
That would certainly be a new hope for the series.
Colin Trevorrow’s vision for Star Wars: Episode IX is bigger than any IMAX screen.
The Bold, Fabled Glance
Steven Spielberg has done it again.
Roald Dahl wrote The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) in 1982 for generations of children to enjoy. Regardless of whether or not this was your favorite book growing up, it most likely ranked high on your list. And let’s not forget Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (made into a movie), Matilda (made into a movie), The Witches (made into a movie), James and the Giant Peach (made into a movie) and many more Roald Dahl literary classics that scream adventure and imaginative euphoria.
I present to you the first teaser trailer for The BFG released this morning.
Come next summer, we’ll get to be a kid again…a big kid.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 