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The Infinite Possibilities of the Unknown
Two things:
First, Matthew McConaughey has officially transitioned from a charming romantic comedy staple to a character actor that explores deep, complex and sometimes morally conflicting terrain and alleyways. To clarify, his transition is not necessarily permanent and is somewhat representative of a Game Show portfolio. He can pick Door #1 (serious), Door #2 (comedy) or Door #3 (sports/drama).
It’s not a bad hallway to walk through each day as an actor. However, it’s not yet clear which door he’s built or walked into with his most recent adventure with a relatively unknown, independent British filmmaker…
Some of his roles recently (Mud, Dallas Buyer’s Club, The Wolf of Wall Street) surely have taken McConaughey into new levels of the unknown. The same likely goes for some of his longtime fans. Will these more serious character portrayals shine a new light on a before darkened corner in the actor’s study to reveal a gold envelope containing a decorated card stock with his name written on it?
Time will tell…
Speaking of time, the second note today involves the recent release of a trailer for director Christopher Nolan’s latest mind-bender: Interstellar. From Memento (psychological) to Inception (dreaming) to The Dark Knight trilogy (pain, fear, chaos, belief), Nolan and Co. (& Syncopy of course) has now entered the world of science fiction with Interstellar.
Here is the first glimpse:
The question isn’t whether or not Matthew McConaughey can successfully propel himself into a new horizon in the stars that leads him to an Oscar, but rather if Christopher Nolan will have a good reason to invite him on another crazy road trip in the future, as the director tends to do with a select group of actors and actresses.
The better question today is will you take the ultimate journey to explore the unknown with McConaughey one year from now?
The Addicitive Pull of “Gravity”
“Gravity” has been universally hyped (true story) for its spectacular imagery, filmography, acting and overall story.
Fortunately, October 4th has arrived and it’s now our turn to enter the local movie theater to sit down and prepare for what has been anticipated as a literal “edge of your seat” adventure.
Do seats come with tethers?
The story takes place in Space and the word to best describe its aura would not be epic, but grand. The depth of Space is infinite and unknown. This dynamic alone opens the curious mind to a myriad of unthinkable possibilities and cognitive wonderment.
For those of us who have seen the footage of astronauts in Space, there are undeniable elements of fragility, vulnerability and pure amazement. And it’s these restrictions and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that simultaneously attract and terrify us when watching the trailers and television spots for the star-studded journey featuring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
Just from the trailers alone, director Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” has captured our imaginations and sped up many heart beats. That doesn’t happen with every movie.
The following song is not part of the official soundtrack for “Gravity,” but it was used as music for an emotional trailer of “Zero Dark Thirty.” It is currently featured in the “What Amazing Looks and Sounds Like” section. However, this music fits with this major motion picture too, with its perfectly aligned notes of hope, haunting panic and something that feels bigger than us…
It sounds like something mysterious and grand is about to occur.
The time has come for us to hold onto our seats and experience what “Gravity” really feels like.
Red Bull isn’t just for Late Night Studying
“like swimming without touching the water”
October 14, 2012 should be remembered as the day that redefined the 21st century skydiver: A brave soul who dares to defy perceived impossibilities and preconceived limitations. On this day, Felix Baumgartner leaped into that role.
This image provided by Red Bull Stratos shows pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria as he jumps out of the capsule during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos, Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo)
The above picture will become iconic for those who dare to dream big and break down barriers of epic proportions. While it was a jump and not an exercise of floating around space with a personal dock, it was still record-breaking and incredible to witness.
It was 43 years ago when the United States won the Space Race when Apollo 11 touched down on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong of course cemented this monumental achievement with the ever-famous words, “…one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The people of the United States and its government were winners. It was one of those rare moments when the entire country celebrated this successful partnership. We truly were the United States of America.
From 1969 through 2012, a seismic shift in the approach of exploring new horizons has been occurring and in recent years has begun to bear its fruit and is in the midst of a bloom. As a consequence of fiscal uncertainty and debt by the U.S. government coupled with unprecedented wealth and therefore nearly unlimited resources of big thinking millionaires, the art of making historic advancements and discoveries is now in the hands of ambitious and borderline ‘crazy’ individuals.
Richard Branson, Amelia Earhart and Steve Jobs immediately come to mind of Americans who have challenged the status quo and have made the world better as a result with their inspiring actions and visions. For example, Branson has been actively pursuing and preparing commercial space flight in the next few years or so. A seat can be reserved for those willing to pay a hefty down payment.
“…Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson revealed that the company has now accepted deposits for suborbital flights on SpaceShipTwo from 529 future astronauts, a number greater than the total count of people who have been to space throughout human history” (Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight, Virgin Galactic Online News).
Wow.
One of the most famous explorers in history started his journey with the help of a few powerful allies, some of which were in the upper levels of government:
Christopher Columbus: “Columbus made his transatlantic voyages under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain” (Britannica Online).
The commitment to explore new horizons has proven to be a timeless truth for the human race.
“Sky adventurer Felix Baumgartner completed a 24-mile skydive Sunday, wrapping up a five-year effort to shatter a world record set 52 years ago” (USA Today).
“Baumgartner, whose Sunday freefall was watched around the world, was at one point traveling at 833 mph or Mach 1.24, and he shattered the speed of sound during his 4 minute 20 second freefall. He is the only human to do so without the aid of a supersonic jet or space shuttle” (ABC News Online).
More and more stories are featuring individuals who are transforming their big ambitions into actions. The pendulum swing of grand achievements and discoveries is undeniably moving from government sponsorship to private citizen funding. The only assumed anomaly is research and development regarding military advancements, many of which we will likely never see or know about…
There certainly are questions to be asked with this gradual yet undeniable swing. Has the uniquely American notion ‘power of the individual’ entered a new era with regard to exploration? Is this transition one way to more clearly define government’s role in society? Recalling the national pride and success of 1969, is this a good thing?
Felix Baumgartner’s jump from the edge of space from inside a personal capsule endorsed by Red Bull Stratos overlooking planet earth instantly altered the modern definition of a skydiver. His single leap from the edge of space has set a precedent for what is sure to come next from somebody who dares to dream even bigger. Publicity stunt or not, Baumgartner and Red Bull proved the thrill we share of just imagining what the next steps or leaps the human race will take. This is part of the American dream and American ideal and its exciting to witness each person’s attempts to alter the world we live in because he or she ultimately was driven by the following notion:
“why not?”
Jimmy's Daily Planet 