See Cam Go

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING

2010-04-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's obvious that I haven't made any new blogs for quite a long time. I'm sorry if anyone actually misses them but I'm currently putting the extra creative energy I do have into a fictional book I'm writing. Recently, I've had a lot of ideas and a strange boost of motivation to start it so we'll see how it goes. This blog may, or may not continue someday depending on how things go with the book. In the meantime, thanks for reading while it lasted!

AND THE WINNER IS...

2010-03-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

As a part of my duty as someone who blogs about films, I forced myself to watch the entire four hour long 82nd Academy Awards show. The show was kind of a mixed bag filled with awkward, embarrassing moments, but it was mildly entertaining. The hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin along with Ben Stiller's appearance were the highlights of the evening.

I was pretty disappointed that a couple of my favorite films of 2009, District 9 and Up In The Air, didn't win any awards but at least they were still recognized by being nominated. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the movie Moon, which was overlooked for any nominations, which is really too bad because Sam Rockwell was brilliant in that movie. Overall, the big winner of the night was an Iraq war film called The Hurt Locker, raking in a total of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.

The Hurt Locker follows the story of a United States Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team of three men who deal with life in the war zone. Defusing explosive bombs, taking hostile gunfire and suicidal insurgents are horrific things these guys are forced to deal with throughout the film.

I first saw this movie back during the summer of 2009, when it was released in theaters. I really liked it but I don't remember it as a movie that's quite deserving of all of those awards, when considering its competition. Due to the clean sweep at the Academy Awards, I watched the movie again to give it another chance to convince me that it really is one of the best films of 2009. Did watching The Hurt Locker a second time allow me to further appreciate it or was it the exact same movie that I remembered it to be?

The Hurt Locker

Unfortunately, I'm afraid the latter is the case. This movie does succeed at making one think, but personally, it doesn't make me feel much of anything. While watching it, I found myself emotionally detached because I felt like the movie itself lacked heart. It may sound silly to be looking for 'heart' in a war movie, but I don't think it's unreasonable. Saving Private Ryan was a fantastic war movie which was directed by a filmmaker who had a clear passion for making an entertaining movie with an emotionally moving story. We Were Soldiers and Black Hawk Down are a couple more war movies that come to mind that are like that. To me, those films succeed where The Hurt Locker falls short.

Make no mistake, this is a very good war movie. In fact, it's the best movie that's been based on the Iraq war so far. Notably, there are some great suspenseful scenes and the actors do a fantastic job with their characters. There really are a number of good things to like about this movie.

As someone who has been deployed to Iraq before, I can relate to this film in many ways. Thankfully, I never got involved in anything too crazy while over there, but I did experience a few scary moments. The Hurt Locker may not be a perfect film, but it's portrayal of how life is in Iraq for soldiers is right on, I can vouch for that. I recommend seeing this movie if you're into war movies at all or if you would like a glimpse on how life is for many who are deployed in Iraq.

Does The Hurt Locker deserve the six academy awards it won? Well, when it all comes down to it, does it really matter? Not really. A film doesn't change because of awards it does or doesn't have. It's as good or as bad as it was before any kind of awards ceremony. A great film will be remembered for being great, not for being a winner of "that one award" during "that one year."

The Hurt Locker: 8/10

ANIMATION NATION

2010-03-03T09:01:00.001-08:00

Since 2004, Walt Disney Studios has released ten major animated films, eight of which were computer-animated and two that were hand-drawn. That statistic alone tells you that computer-animated films like Toy Story and WALL-E have become very profitable for Walt Disney, which is why today, most animated movies are no longer hand-drawn. Now, with the recent rise of popularity in 3D technology, one can only expect to see even more of these computer-animated films to be made in 3D and even less hand-drawn films to be made at all.

While I do prefer hand-drawn animation over computer-animation, I do enjoy computer-animated films every once in a while. There is nothing wrong with them and this blog post isn't an argument that computer-animation is flat-out worse than hand-drawn animation. I would just like to simply shed some light on a couple filmmakers and animated films that definitely deserve some more recognition. It may be true that hand-drawn animated films are barely being made in the states anymore but that doesn't mean they aren't being made elsewhere. In fact, there is still one place in particular where it's in absolutely no danger of becoming a thing of the past.

"You guessed it!"

Hayao Miyazaki is the most prominent Japanese filmmaker of animated films, in a nation where that traditional art form of hand-drawn animation is held in the highest regard. Many people have drawn comparisons between him and the legendary American animator, Walter E. Disney. While these two men are very different people, the impressions they've made in the animation industry are both profoundly deep. At age 69, Miyazaki has been working in the animation industry for over 45 years. In 2005, he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He has over ten feature-length films under his name, including classics like My Neighbor Totoro and Sprited Away which, by the way, is Japan's highest grossing film of all time.

Reportedly, Miyazaki has signed on for at least two more feature-length films over the next three years. However, he has been in and out of retirement over the past few years, so we would be very lucky to get anything more from him after those two he has planned. So after Miyazaki's inevitable retirement, which Japanese filmmaker will become the next trailblazer in the animated film industry? I'm betting on a man named Mamoru Hosoda.

Although well into his 40's, Mamoru Hosoda is still a relatively new filmmaker. Despite the low number of films he's directed, a lot of people have been very surprised by how capable of a storyteller Hosoda has proven to be. Recently, I got a chance to watch his 2006 film titled, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

This movie is inspired by and is a psuedo-sequel to the novel "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It's actually implied that one of the side characters in this film is the protagonist of the original novel. It should be noted that this movie was intended to stand as it's own complete story, you certainly won't be missing anything critical if you don't read the novel first.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time focuses on a high school girl named Makoto Konno, who inadvertently gains the power to travel back through time. Once she realizes she has this new-found power, she begins to use it on frivolous things, like getting a perfect grade on a test or reliving a single karaoke session for ten hours straight. She eventually begins to realize how the small changes she chooses to make can negatively affect others. This is a heartwarming movie that's appropriate for all ages and while it may not have the most detailed animation I've ever seen, it's still very charming and beautiful. In 2007, this film won the Animation of the Year award from the Japan Academy Prize Association. If you haven't seen any Japanese animated films before, this is a great one to start with.

After three years of production, Hosoda's latest film called, Summer Wars, was released theatrically in Japan last August. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it yet so I can't summarize what it's about but like The Girl Who Leapt Though Time, it's a blend of drama and comedy.

Summer Wars

This film has received very high praise among both movie-goers and critics and it seems that Hosoda has hit yet another one out of the park. This success only further establishes Hosoda as a historically important animated film director and as a person who is capable of following in Miyazaki's footsteps. Summer Wars was released on DVD and Blu-Ray today in Japan, but us poor folks in the United States and UK will have to wait until September to get our hands on a copy. This is definitely a film worth looking forward to seeing this fall.

For those people who still appreciate the beauty of hand-drawn animated films, you may have to start looking abroad to Japan to find new ones these days. It may take some time and research to find your own favorites but if you're just starting out, you can't go wrong with a Hayao Miyazaki or Mamoru Hosoda film.

One last thing, I recommend watching foreign films (animated or not) subtitled instead of dubbed. You may not be able to understand the language, but the performance of the original voice actors is better 99% of the time. You can hear the energy and emotion that comes through in the original performances, unlike a dubbed over recording, which usually comes off sounding flat or just plain bad. I would only choose a dub over subtitles if there were young kids who were wanting to watch a foreign movie... or, you know, if I was blind.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: 9/10

TMR - FEBRUARY 2010

2010-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

- THE MONTHLY ROUNDUP -
February 2010

THE LOOSE ENDS

Topics: Relationships, breakups, dealing with the past.
Movies: (500) Days of Summer [10/10], In Bruges [9/10]

OH DEAR GOD

Topics: When and where to talk about politics, insensitive people.
Movies: None.

MOVING IS LIVING

Topics: Moving, the airport experience, chance meetings.
Movies: Up In The Air [10/10]

VAMPIRES AND BUTTERFLIES

Topics: Foreign films, Japanese animation, films based on books.
Movies: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly [9/10], Let The Right One In [9/10]

THE LOOSE ENDS

2010-02-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

A week before I moved to North Carolina, my ex-girlfriend messaged me out of the blue. It had been almost two years since we broke up and we've only talked briefly a few times since we split. Those conversations never went over too well, as we would always end up taking potshots at each other. She and I never did get back to hanging out or being real good friends or anything like that. When she messaged me this time though, things seemed to be a little different. There was no animosity, no bitterness, or anything like that between us. We both just wanted to tie up the loose ends.

We decided to see each other once more before I moved away so we picked out a day and met at a coffee shop to talk for a while. It was really nice to see her again, but it was even nicer to lay everything to rest without any arguing or cruelty. I consider myself a pretty lucky guy to have been able to make everything right between us before I left for good. From what I've observed from others, not many people who have been in past relationships get that kind of opportunity like I did.

If you have been in relationship that didn't work out and you were never able to set things straight with the other person, that's alright. What really matters is when you look back at any past relationship, if you're able to retain a positive experience from it.

Maybe a past relationship made you a better person in the long run. Maybe it made you grow a little wiser and learned a few lessons about life and love. Or maybe you just remember the good simple memories when you think back on it. Whatever it is, if a past relationship has made some kind of positive influence on your life, then it holds some value despite the breakup, the heartache, and the time invested.

(500) Days of Summer

When it came to deciding what movie I should go with this topic of relationships and breakups, I didn't hesitate to pick (500) Days of Summer. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies since it was released back in 2009. It's as honest and grounded as modern romantic comedies go; like the film's trailer says, it is not a "love story" but rather a "story about love."

Like usual, I'm not going to give anything away as far as spoilers go but if you have ever been in a relationship and haven't seen it yet, you really should get around to it.

In Bruges

I also wanted to briefly touch on a movie I saw recently for the first time called In Bruges. In this film, two hit men, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, are ordered to lay low for a while in the city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a job. While waiting for a call from their contact, the two men spend their days getting used to the local customs in the city. Meanwhile, one of them is forced to confront his past and tie up his very own loose ends.

The main characters are well-developed and memorable and the film itself is a perfect blend of dark comedy, drama and brutality. In Bruges was a limited release in 2008 and despite the critical acclaim it received, not too many people saw it. If you happened to miss this one like I did when it came out, go check it out.

(500) Days of Summer: 10/10
In Bruges: 9/10

OH DEAR GOD

2010-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

Today, I had the pleasure of having someones political views shoved down my throat. Of course, people often express how they feel about the political state of the country, it's not an uncommon occurrence. But the thing that made this different was that this guy was a preacher, and you guessed it, he was preaching when this happened. Now, I'm a really easy-going guy and I can tolerate stupidity from people in fairly high doses (thank you, military) but I was so appalled by what he said that I had to get up and walk out of the church with only about two minutes into his sermon.

Now, this isn't a political blog, nor is it a religious one, I'm not writing to change hearts and minds on any kind of issue. People can think and believe whatever they want and I'm okay with that. However, when I go to a Christian church and the preacher opens his mouth and begins to speak, I expect to hear things about Jesus, the Bible, salvation, faith, and sin - not so much about president Obama, gay marriage, abortion, conservative talk radio and Fox News. I guess that caught me a little off guard. I went from thinking, "Hmm, this guy seems really, really conservative," to "Wow!! Did he really just say that?!" I was able to make my exit quietly without any audible reaction but I know some people who aren't quite as restrained, such as my sister, who probably would have flipped out on the spot. It's a good thing she's not visiting this weekend.

"We lost the war on abortion. We lost the war on gay marriage." That's the line he said when he completely lost me. Excuse me, but please don't include me on this so-called 'war' of yours.

"Well played."

I'm not super liberal by any means but these are very sensitive subjects to people and to have a preacher like this openly proclaim that we're all in a grand battle against these things is a bit ridiculous. I am aware that Christianity frowns upon abortion and homosexuality but there is a time, a place, and more importantly, a manner in which this kind of stuff can be discussed. From the pulpit, in front of the entire congregation and with absolutely no tact is an example of how not to handle this.

I probably could have made a giant list of my favorite inappropriate things which he said but unfortunately, I missed out on most of the sermon because I was too busy outside laughing as I recalled the few absurd things I did hear. After about fifteen minutes, I walked back in and was able hear the last bit of the sermon. Not much to my surprise, the preacher had a few more things to say about politics. He mentioned the "insanity" of the way things have been going in this country, due to our president's administration. He also said how he can't "watch Fox News or listen to talk radio anymore without taking a tranquilizer," because it gets him so fired up, apparently. As you can imagine, it came as a big shock to me when let it be known that he watches Fox News.

"Fox News, don't panic - it's NOT what you think."

In retrospect, I wonder if me standing up and shouting, "GLENN BECK GITS 'R DONE, YEE-HAW!!" would have garnered a round of applause, or at least a nod and smile of quiet admiration from the preacher.

MOVING IS LIVING

2010-02-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Moving around a lot is something I've always dealt with throughout the years. Over the weekend, I undertook the ninth major move I've had so far. It's not something I particularly enjoy doing, due to all of the packing and unpacking, but I've grown accustomed to dealing with it. After nine times, I've gotten used to saying goodbye to friends and starting over in new places.

As a result of moving around so much, I've spent a good amount of time in airports. Checking in luggage, going through security, and navigating through the terminals are all things that come second nature to me. While these may remain troublesome obstacles to some people, I'm able to breeze through each of them with a smile on my face. I find myself in a place of tranquility amidst the storm of people rushing around to make their boarding times. To me, airports bring a promise of new opportunities and new experiences.

"Heaven or hell?"

While it is true that most of the people you see in airports will hold little to no significance in your life, there is a chance that you could have a pleasant conversation with someone you've never met before. I'm not saying you should run up to everyone you see and say, "Hello," but if the opportunity presents itself, why not say something? At the very least, you can pass the time waiting on a flight with a good conversation.

One time while waiting for a flight to San Antonio, I noticed a pretty girl in the same waiting area that I was in. Feeling adventurous and with nothing to lose, I decided to strike up a conversation with her. Well, it's been over five years since that conversation and we are still very good friends to this day, despite never actually living near each other. An off-chance meeting with a stranger turned into one of the best friendships that I have.

Up In The Air

Recently, I finally got the chance to watch Up In The Air, a film by Jason Reitman, who also directed Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Without getting into spoilers, this film is about a man named Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) who makes his living flying around the United States, firing people. When corporations need to downsize but hate dealing with the mess that comes with it, they hire a man like Ryan Bingham to take care of it.

This is a movie about relationships, family, isolation and the value of human connections. All of the characters are easily relatable in their own way and I often found myself reflecting upon my own life while watching it. I highly recommend this one!

Up In The Air: 10/10

VAMPIRES AND BUTTERFLIES

2010-02-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not completely new to foreign films. It all started when I started watching Japanese animation when I was about 14. I think it's safe to say that most people probably start watching anime that's dubbed and they'll usually start with a very mainstream show. For people like me, whose interest in anime grew beyond that initial stage, I quickly found out that watching anime in its original dialogue with subtitles was the best way to go. After getting used to "reading" through my shows, I became more open to the stuff I'd choose to watch so I started to watch some stand-alone anime movies as well. Eventually I watched a handful of live-action Japanese movies like Casshern and Battle Royale and from that point on, I no longer limited myself to domestic film-making.

At this point in time, I haven't even scratched the surface to really experience some of the great European foreign films out there. But over the last few days I've gotten off to a pretty good start by watching a Swedish vampire film called Let The Right One In and a French film called The Diving Bell and The Butterfly. Coincidentally, both of these films are based on books.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

It's common for people to say, "But the book is far better then the movie!" and in most cases this is true but from what I've read, these movies are an exception. Apparently, they actually do justice to the literary work that they're based on. You know a movie is damn good when you plan to read the book after seeing the movie! So, not only do I now have two more books on my must-read list, but these movies have encouraged me further to see what else I've been missing out on in foreign films.

Shortly after watching Let The Right One In I did a bit of reading about it online. Apparently, when the DVD was initially released in North America the subtitles were terrible. After a lot of criticism from fans, the company in charge of the DVD finally re-released the DVD with the proper theatrical subtitles. If anyone is interested in the movie, make sure that on the back of the DVD case it says: English (theatrical) Subtitles.

Let The Right One In

One other thing worth noting. For whatever reason, they're doing another version of the movie for us people in the states called Let Me In. The title is not the only thing that's different though, they've also changed the two main character's names and the location of where the story is supposed to take place. I can almost say with certainty that this movie is going to be crap in comparison to the Swedish version, so before you start seeing previews for it this summer do yourself a favor and see the more authentic (and likely much better) version.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly: 9/10
Let The Right One In: 9/10

THAT JUST HAPPENED

2010-01-31T07:08:00.000-08:00

I took the plunge.

Facebook, Twitter and Blogger! Now that I've subscribed to a ménage à trois of social networking websites, I can (hopefully) satisfy my narcissistic cravings!

Years ago, I had a MySpace page as well, when all of the cool kids were doing it. Looking back at it now, it was a pretty silly website. There was this whole unchangeable adolescent mentality that plagued the experience. But I suppose the design of the website had a lot to do with why it was like that. When the focus of your social networking experience is the order of your "top" friends, there is a serious problem.

"Hmm, 8 seems like a good number."

That's really just the tip of the iceberg though, and who really needs any convincing these days? The Titanic, I mean MySpace, has been on a steady decline while Facebook has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years.

However, there is one thing I am thankful for that MySpace did. Yes, they did one thing right! A lot of music artists finally got some well-deserved recognition! I know that there are at least a few artists in my iTunes library that wouldn't be there if it wasn't for MySpace.

I'm not suggesting that Facebook should follow the same path though! Yikes, Facebook has its own good share of problems, but for just keeping in touch with people it's still the best way to do it these days. I just have my Twitter and Blogger for those people who want to do more then poke me on Facebook.