West of Memphis... aka Arkansas

*Spoiler alert*

I was in one of those moods, my brain was overcome with the desire to be enraged, horrified and then overloaded with facts that, even though I had no prior knowledge of the case/ conspiracy/ law etc etc, would lead me to make a definite decision that I would share with anyone who would listen. You are now the person who is listening and this week's documentary, West of Memphis.

So I should probably clear my prior statement up a bit first - No, I do not believe every documentary I see... I've seen films about the holocaust and films made by holocaust denialists so if I did indeed believe every documentary I saw I would be, simultaneously, a holocaust-denier and a holocaust-believer. Fortunately I do not, because that  sort of paradox would leave you crazy. I do, however, find some documentaries so hell-bent on forcing an opinion upon the viewer and so little time presenting their facts that you, as a viewer, just kind of get lost in a surreal world of marginal fact and bias fairy-tales... sort of like The Sun, or Piers Morgan. Whichever makes you less nauseous I guess.

I have been wanting to see West of Memphis for a while, I never saw the Paradise Lost saga but I read the Milton book so I think I have that pretty much covered. West of Memphis, for those of you who haven't heard of Johnny Depp or Eddie Vedder, is the harrowing case of the West Memphis Three (not to be confused with the West Memphis Free, which they later became known as - it saved a lot of PR work, re-branding etc...) who at the ages of 16, 17 & 18 were convicted of the murder of three 8 year old boys in Arkansas. The case against them... being a Goth, Hillbilly and "Just plain stupid" - outsiders, "AHHHH SCARY". There's no evidence, no motive, no nothing... except Forrest Gump rats on them because he a) is manipulated by the Police or b) forgot that it was supposed to be a secret and accidentally told everyone (ahhh shit - it happens!)

So Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder and that Nazi guy from Sons of Anarchy decide to put on a concert to promote the case and raise money to get those three young roustabouts out of prison. I trivialise their efforts even though they literally saved three people's lives - kudos! However Henry Rollins' frequent reference to his own similarities to the West Memphis Three left me confused and concerned that he was actually just confessing that he was one of the West Memphis Three but had maybe got a double to stand in for him, you know so he could carry on with his movie career and stuff... sort of like when they changed the actress who played Mrs Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Like we weren't going to notice that!

Stop! Back to the film....

Although the film does speculate significantly, and I did find myself walking away from it determined that I knew who the killer was, it was still a excellent compilation of fact, celebrity, dramatic sound scoring and powerful portrait shots. Joking aside, it was an extremely powerful film, one that left me feeling genuinely concerned about the judicial system not just in the US but all over the world... no one is safe from the LAW! 

An additional plus for this film is that it ends on a sort-of happy note which, compared to most documentaries I find myself watching, is a pleasant rarity. 

Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour: All Muggles welcome

So it finally happened.... I returned to my true home, the magical world of Harry Potter!!!

If you haven't been, WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? Get there now!! Stop reading this... go go GO!

Ok, so now you have at least booked your tickets lets talk Harry Potter!

I wont go into too finer detail as I don''t want to spoil the magic for any other wanna-be magicians and witches but I will tell you how amazing and enchanting it is!

The Studio Tour is incredible, it captures all of the magic of the films but in a way that makes it accessible to all - Wizard or Muggle. My amazing friend, who took me to the Studios was not a Harry Potter fan (not through my lack of trying) but a fan of movies and production design which was perfect, as the studios are full of original sets, models and masks and offers a unique insight the somewhat mysterious world of production design and cinema.

I was amazed to learn that CGI played a very small part in the films, and that instead a vast crew of designers, artists, builders and many others were employed to create a physical world rather than a virtual one and really the studios are more a celebration of those who made Harry's world rather than the actors.

The studios are clearly a labor of love, and created by a team of Potter enthusiasts. Part of the tour was guided by some extremely enthusiastic folks, however, I found myself completely distracted by the sets, props etc that I have no idea what they said/did! Sorry guys - but I am sure you were great! However, when  you are in the Great Hall with Dumbledore stood ready to address an audience, its almost impossible to acknowledge anything else!

The tour is full of some fantastic surprises, and fantastic photo opportunities... and an opportunity to spend your months wages on a mimic wizarding cloak, wand and chocolate frog. Something I would normally be enraged by, but after you have been thrust through the awe-inspiring street, perved inside the dorm rooms of Harry and Ron, and knocked on the door of the Dursley's on Private Drive - it is hard to be mad about plastic wands that cost... **spoiler alert**... £25

As friend described my visit to the Studios, as like dealing with a hyperactive child on Ecstasy... and I don't think she was wrong!

In Search of Film: Silent film screening with Stephen Horne

In Search of Film: Silent film screening with Stephen Horne: Hi all, Firstly apologies for my server lack of blogs, I have relocated, changed jobs and started my MA so life just got extremely he...

Silent film screening with Stephen Horne

Hi all,

Firstly apologies for my server lack of blogs, I have relocated, changed jobs and started my MA so life just got extremely hectic! However, I am hoping that this will be one of many more blogs to come!

So for all three of my dedicated blog readers I am going to share a little bit of exciting news!

On Saturday 13th April 2013, Stephen Horne (Silent Film Pianist) will be joining us at The Gulbenkian Cinema, Canterbury for a Silent Film Screening!! I am fortunate enough to work for an amazing company Kent Creative Arts CIC, who encouraged me to arrange event. the event will also be raising funds for a project my company is running called, 365: A Year in the Life of Whitstable, which will be capturing 365 days of the town in photos through the course of 2013.

The program for the screening is still being finalised, but expect to see a collection of shorts from Chaplin, Keaton and Melies :)

Extremely exciting times!!!

Tickets will be going on sale in the coming months from both The Gulbenkian Cinema and directly from Kent Creative Arts CIC - so watch this space!

For more information about 365: A Year in the Life of Whitstable - email me

Back to the Future; Rochester Castle & Luna Cinema

The true curse of British weather is that it hinders our enjoyment of the beautiful outdoors, and whatever you think about Britain you cannot deny its enchanting landscapes and awe-inspiring buildings. There are so many activities to be enjoyed outdoors, and yet when they are planned they seem to be cancelled due to bad weather. Even as a child I remember events that had been planned for months starting and ending with the opening of the curtains. Now, bad weather does not necessarily have to be the end to your day but like the rain it puts a dampener on it. I may be being over sensitive but picnics in the rain, roller-coasters in the rain, swimming in the rain, hiking in the rain all suck! So when I watch films, especially American films, were every outing is seemingly undertaken in the sunshine I become somewhat envious.
Whatever the occasion, the sun is out! 

Horror: Students take a road trip to a cabin in the woods and excluding the murder scenes when it is usually night, the sun is out!

Comedy: A family take a road trip to a beauty pageant and the sun shines their path all the way.Even when there is bad weather, it is only used as a part of the storyline to delay or affect their journey in some way.

Thriller: A student goes mad a starts shooting people at a University and then later at a drive in movie – only to be captured by Boris Karloff? Again except when it is evening, it’s sunny!

Now I appreciate that this is a generalisation, and there are several films which probably do not subscribe to my descriptions but the mass do! So when I find myself watching these films I can’t help thinking to myself, ‘This isn’t fair, we never get the weather for drive-in theatres to be a permanent structure’ and ‘If we went to the cabin in the woods we would probably spend 2 out of 7 days outside and the rest of the time staring out of the window waiting for the rain to stop!’ – It is not moaning, it is jealousy and I am ok in admitting that!

Thankfully, however, there are several groups of people in the UK who, unlike me and my pessimistic attitude, believe that we can still have drive-in movies and outdoor theatres despite of the unpredictable British weather. Thank Hitchcock!

One such group, The Luna Cinema, have taken up the challenge of introducing cinema, heritage and the outdoors to us folk in the South East, so last weekend I went to Rochester Castle to watch Back to the Future! The Castle gardens were awash with people wrapped up in blankets perched on deckchairs, enjoying their picnics and wine. It was an incredible experience, and one that I would recommend to all. There were; friends, families, couples and even the odd lone-wolf, all huddled together outside to enjoy this classic film.

Even with the wind blowing, the ripples of the screen went unnoticed as everyone quoted the iconic lines of the film. Now, this is an activity that would infuriate me in an indoor cinema but here, outdoors, in the presence of Rochester Castle it was ok. 

Not that this should encourage those people who can’t go 10 seconds without talking during a film to go to outdoor screenings instead. NO... you people should watch films indoors, alone, where you can check your Facebook every 10 seconds. HEY?!?! Why not update your Facebook status and tell all the people, who hate going to the cinema with you because you talk all the way through or cheer at happy endings, what a great time you’re having watching that film alone? 

*Rant complete*

This was truly a unique experience and one that I would undoubtedly partake in again. However, if it rains next time I may change my mind.

Next stop, ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ in Rochester Cathedral!

                            

Jeff Who Lives at Home

One of my favourite things about independent cinema is its ability to perch itself in the background, it does not throw anything in your face and to an extent is doesn’t demand anything from you; what it or don’t watch it, like it or don’t like it, ultimately it puts the decisions is the palm of its viewer.

From time to time I like to put a film on that I know nothing about: cast, storyline, awards won, director, nothing. So many times I hear the phrase “I went in expecting the film to be...”, I myself am guilty of it and one of the beautiful things about cinema is its ability to challenge your expectations and preconceptions. Some of my favourite films have been participants of my Blind Projects; Oldboy, The 400 Blows and The Other Guys. I love that feeling of the unknown, but knowing your safe in a dark room rather than exploring an underwater cave 1000 metres below sea level where, if cinema has taught me anything, you are traditionally NOT SAFE!

Today my blind screening of choice was Jeff Who Lives at Home.

Jeff is 30, he resides the in the basement of his mother’s home, he seeks for meaning in everything and is just 1 member of a 3 tiered dysfunctional family. Jeff’s mother, Sharon, is a widower, insecure and frustrated and is the recipient of a secret admirer. Jeff’s brother, Pat, is the stereotypical male; he doesn’t listen, he hagrides his wife and he just used their savings to buy a Porsche. This is a story of 3 very disconnected and different individuals who unite on the path to happiness.

Jeff is a character who you love to hate; he is lazy, unambitious, unmotivated and is submerged in a reality disconnected from society in which everything is something. However, his idealism is endearing. He seeks comfort in wisdom and excitement in discovering the source of the universe, because for Jeff everything is the progeny of a singularity. Jeff’s exploration for the bigger picture is on a academically adolescent level, and it all starts with Kevin. However, on route to discovering Kevin Jeff, unintentionally, he is the catalyst to solving the greater issues that afflict his family.

For me, one of the greatest relationships in this film is the love affair Sharon develops with an online secret admirer. For those of you who intend of watching this film I will not divulge the identity of the anonymous romantic but their identity is irreverent anyway, well somewhat. I loved watching Sharon grow from a frustrated middle aged mother into a sexual being, free of the worry of her descendents but now anxious her aging appearance. In a weird way it reminded me of Clueless’ Miss Geist, but a little less... clueless.

I rarely found myself “laughing out loud” during this film; however, the spontaneous acts of Jeff and Pat would ensure a smile remained upon my face. When the vertically well endowed Jeff hides behind the vending machine and his curly hair protrudes over the top or even when Jeff attempts to “bust down” a hotel door, I found myself smirking at the absurdity of it. However, Jeff's most significant act comes at the end of the film and is the action that unifies his family both emotionally and physically, as he dives into the river to rescue a floundering car. When he and Pat head back towards shore where Sharon awaits them, I felt myself well up but not cry and I think this is what is so poignant about this film, it never pushes you over the edge but places you at the cliff point.

If you want to be laughing your arse off (or LMAO as someone told me recently), or even sobbing your heart out (SMHO, I just made that up!) this is not the film for you. Jeff Who Lives at Home is an emotionally subtle film; I never laughed out loud (LOL) or cried but teetered on the edge of both. I did love this film and have subsequently found myself writing probably one of my more serious blogs to date.

So to rectify this:

SUSAN SARANDON KISSES ANOTHER WOMAN!!!!!!! Phew, now I feel better!

It has been 15 years, and I can still smell the fresh popcorn!

So as the April 14^th 2012 rapidly approaches, we mark the eve of the centurial of Titanic’s ill-fated voyage with the re-release of Titanic, in 3D. 15 years since the film’s original release, it is back and with a publicity campaign that makes the Olympics look like a children’s birthday party!

There is little point in reviewing this film on its original merits, and to do so would be tiresome. Most of us have seen the original 2D film, whether it was on the big screen or at home on your laptop, so to discuss at length, the films incredible visual effects and acting merits would be outdated and pointless.

Before I leap into the controversy around 3D-ing this film, and indeed the benefit of 3D to the narrative, there is one particular foundational element of the film which still managed to blow me away – the score! With the exception of the feature track, Celine Dion’s “My heart will go on”, which after 15 years still shows little sign of “evaporating into the midst”. Damn those unimaginative couples who lack creativity when choosing their “first dance” song at their weddings! And damn those unimaginative widows who lack creativity when burying a loved one! However, dispersing that single negative attribute, the remainder of the soundtrack still mesmerised me - after all this time. I never studied musical scores in cinema or music itself, but I am sure there is an appropriate word for that type of film score. One which manages to pull the most disinterested viewer into the centre of the action. Scores the likes of Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones and, dare I say it, even Pirates of the Caribbean! I will just call it epic film scoring or EFS for short?

However, regardless of the films EFS, it has seemingly become the victim of time and looks a little out dated. Now don’t mistake what I am saying here, for the era this film was leaps and bounds ahead of what a lot of other films were doing but in comparison to today’s 3D epics the effects where clearly not as good. Films no longer require the imagination and creativity they did in the 1970’s when there was little in the way of computer graphics. Now we have, at our disposal, visual effects software that would allow a 12 year old boy to fool the world and create the “first ever footage of the loch ness monster”, while sat at his desk eating a fish finger sandwich. 3D is, although a little gimmicky, the next step in cinema aesthetics, and so to use it on a film with dated visuals seems odd. There was one particular occurrence, in which a stray wire was 3D-ed and left protruding from the screen, which although frustrating, made me think “wow” this is just as annoying as scouring through my broom cupboard at home - as I waved my hands in front of my face, trying to remove it from my peripheral.  However, there were aspects of the film which benefited from the 3D graphics, such as Titanic’s flounder, the evil iceberg and, as Liz Davis eagerly pointed out, “Kate Winslet’s breasts in 3D – winner!” Though, these are all aspects of this film that benefit from viewing in a cinema, 3D or 2D.

I went to see this film for the pure nostalgia. To remember how I felt when I was 10, sat in the Cineworld in Shrewsbury with my mum and sister, in total awe of the film’s grandeur and its visually moving portrayal of the tragic events that unfolded that night in 1912. A film that ultimately started my obscure love affair with the Titanic and its occupants. 

Please note, it is still 3 ¼ hours long, so cheaping out on cinema seating would be ill-advised.