Beautiful Frames: Elegy

Based on the novel, The Dying Animal by Philip Roth, Elegy was a film I'd never heard of but queued with the hunch that it would be worthwhile. This was based solely on the merits of Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz. My hunch paid off. Kingsley plays a fiercely independent and accomplished professor who ends up falling for a former student, played by Cruz. He's never been consumed with anyone quite like Cruz's character and we watch as his independent spirit fades into his preoccupation with the woman he loves.

Beautifully shot, we often feel like we're eavesdropping. Scenes are primarily shot with pairs of characters (which eventually works to further contrast Kingsley's singularity as the story progresses). The supporting cast is a bonus with Patricia Clarkson, Dennis Hopper, and Peter Sarsgaard each taking memorable turns with Kingsley.

Patio Makeover: Phase 1

So, I've finished the first "phase" of our patio makeover. We love our space back there, but we started to collect a hodgepodge of random pots, plants, and herbs and the area wasn't really defined. We love the chairs and table, but without any real planning or forethought with the plants, it started to look like a bit of a cluster:




With Margaret's full support, I've set out to give our patio a little makeover. First, I made a quick sketch to organize the elements we'd like to implement:

1. Streamlined/symmetrical planters
2. Vertical/wall garden housing herbs and greens (incl. arugula!)
3. Horizontal planter box in front
4. Keep the two chairs, gate-leg table, and Mags' round planter
5. Keep a pot for my orange daisies



Then, I researched and purchased the galvanized planters online. They didn't have drain holes, so we made holes using a hammer and a nail. I'm sure the neighbors just loved that sound! So far they seem to be draining fine. I wanted to select flowers for the planters that would clash or get lost in the backdrop of our green and yellow house. Our space isn't exactly neutral! Since Margaret's not a huge fan of mums (the ultimate "go-to" plant for the fall season) , we agreed on the perennial purple aster which pops nicely against the yellow brick. They'll keep blooming until the first real frost.






Instead of placing the orange daisies on the windowsill, the pot's on a raised plant stand between the right chair and the side of the door. We also have an umbrella plant comfortably tucked in the corner behind the other chair. This replaced a stalky, sunburned corn plant from IKEA. Meanwhile, we've been able to keep the umbrella plant alive (both indoors and out) for nearly two years!

So, that's as far as we've gotten. I'm still researching the vertical/wall garden with a built in irrigation system. That probably won't be installed until the spring since we'll soon have to take the herbs indoors anyway. Then I'll be enlisting my dad to build the horizontal planter box! I'll give an update on Phase 2 as things develop...

Beautiful Frames: Let the Right One In

Lately I've really been enjoying our Blu-ray DVD player. I'm a bit of a cinematography junkie and the films we've been watching lately are so beautifully executed and so crisp on the player, it's like watching a photography exhibition. The composition of each frame has been nothing short of spectacular. So, I'm moved to share and create a new series here where, from time to time, I highlight some frames that have captivated me.

Mags has been really great about letting me do this. In the middle of the film, she'll let me pause or rewind a scene--sometimes more than once--so I can pull out my camera and snap away. Unfortunately, it's hard to take photos of a TV without screen lines transferring to the image. So my shots may not always do justice to the film or the Blu-ray quality, but take a look at some of these frames and you'll get the idea. My intention is to catalog these stills as inspiration in my continuing effort to take better photographs.

Despite the surprising popularity of the vampire genre lately (Twilight and True Blood come to mind), I know I'll lose some folks as soon as I mention Let the Right One In is a vampire story. When I disclosed this to a friend, I noticed a vacant, distant look surface on his face. But don't shortchange yourselves. When it comes down to it, this Swedish novel-to-film adaptation is really a coming-of-age story first (albeit a dark one) and then tackles the notion of difference or what Lacan would call "the Other" second. For those of you who do enjoy vampire lore, some have called it a masterpiece of the genre while transcending it at the same time. Swedish director Tomas Alfredson and director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema craft the story beautifully, making the most of the stark white Stockholm winter (although it was actually shot to the north in Lulea).

I was annoyed to hear the U.S. has already slated to do a remake for 2010. Insert eye roll here. I don't mean to discount Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Felicity) before his project gets out of the gate, but if you take look at these stills, it's clear he has some very large and stylish shoes to fill.

Thank you, John Hughes, for introducing me to these top 5 songs

I spent many an adolescent evening over at Alyssa Georgelas's house. She, Cindy, Beth Donahue and myself passed countless hours hanging out and swimming in her family pool. Then, we'd inevitably end up popping in Sixteen Candles. On VHS.

We watched it so much, in fact, that we could recite lines and pick apart scenes. You know that scene where the whole family piles into the Buick to head to the wedding? If you look closely, the little brown-haired grandmother acts like she gets in the car, but she really just DUCKS BEHIND the car until the scene cuts! The rewind button hasn't been hit that much by a gaggle of girls since the infamous "ghost boy in the window" scene in Three Men and a Baby. Lord... and the grim, mythical story surrounding it. How did rumors like that spread across the nation without the internet?

Sorry. I digress.

Sixteen Candles became synonymous with obsessing over the misunderstood Jake, played by Michael Schoeffling. Sure, we all knew a girl like Samantha Baker would never in a million years end up with him, but it makes a good story. Schoeffling, btw, now lives in Pennsylvania building handcrafted furniture. Can you imagine? You're shopping for a nice teak coffee table in some woodworker's shop..and all of a sudden you're talking to "Jake" from Sixteen Candles. Surreal.

Hughes' films, more importantly, introduced me to the following 5 songs. Music that was became the framework for dreaming about and eventually discovering my own first love in all its magical, awkward, braces-filled glory.

5. True by Spandau Ballet (from Sixteen Candles)
I bet you thought this was going to be #1. Nope.

4. Wish You Were Here by the Thompson Twins (from Sixteen Candles)

3. (Don't You) Forget About Me by Simple Minds (from Breakfast Club). This led me to another great Simple Minds song called Alive & Kicking.

2. Women's Work by Kate Bush (from She's Having a Baby)
Probably my favorite Hughes film of all. The song was written especially for the film and it showcases not only Kate Bush's brilliant lyrics, but the more mature side of Hughes' work as well.

1. If You Leave by OMD (from Pretty in Pink).
This one still makes its way into heavy rotation from time to time.

Thank you, John Hughes. RIP.

Film Observations # 5: Saul Bass-tic Posters are EVERYWHERE

Several weeks back the folks at Cinematical slapped up the poster for the upcoming film Precious. To my surprise, it received an amazing amount of praise in the comments. Don't get me wrong, it's a great poster... but it's just so Saul Bass! The film itself, based on the novel Push by Sapphire, has also been getting lots of buzz. The cast--including Mariah Carey, Mo'Nique, and Lenny Kravitz--doesn't exactly scream Academy Award-winning material, but I'm starting to wonder if the studio thinks this might have a shot at something. They are releasing it in November after all. Plus, after seeing the trailer, I have to admit I'm slightly intrigued. It looks like a cross between Dangerous Minds and Monster's Ball maybe?

Whatever the premise, this is a film that probably wouldn't have gotten my attention had it not been for its Saul Bass-tic poster. It reminds me of Clockers, another film that probably wouldn't have reached me, without its poster's play on Bass's work for Anatomy of a Murder.



The downside is that, like Burn After Reading, I guarantee we'll start seeing a mutation of the Precious poster at city bus stops before long-including headshots of Mariah Carey or Mo'Nique.

What's encouraging, however, is that these designs are starting to pop up more often. I was at E Street last week to see (500) Days of Summer (an awesome film, btw), and found myself staring at this poster in the lobby:



This gives me hope that the film poster might actually return as an artform. I'd much rather see posters with conceptualized elements of typographical style and illustration than the cheesy montage of celebrity faces the studios usually put out.

Upcoming Movie: Shutter Island

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This isn't your pimply preteen's horror movie. I've got two words for you. Martin. Scorcese. Not to mention a great line-up of actors including Scorcese's "muse," Leonardo DiCaprio (who's growing on me), Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Jackie Earle Haley (you'll know his face when you see him) and everyone's favorite exorcist, Max von Sydow. Who knew he was still kickin? Oh yeah, and Ted Levine is in it too.

Speaking of Ted Levine, technically this film is listed as a "thriller," but don't be fooled. Silence of the Lambs fell under the category of "thriller," too and we all know that thing creeped the bejeebuz out of most everyone who saw it.

This things currently scheduled for an October 2009 release. No specific day yet, but--who knows--maybe they're aiming for a Halloween release.

I love anyone who can poke fun...

...at themselves...especially a president. This WP account of President Obama at the White House Correspondents' dinner last night had me chuckling over my Sunday paper:

When President Obama made his debut as the nation's Stand-Up-in-Chief last night -- the star attraction at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner -- no one in his administration was safe from his one-liners...

Not Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel: "This is a tough holiday for Rahm. He's not used to saying the word 'day' after 'mother.' "

Not even, it turned out, himself: "During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days."

And: "My next 100 days will be so successful, I will complete them in 72 days. And on the 73rd day, I will rest.

Hosting the evening was uber-funny comedianne Wanda Sykes, who didn't shy away from zinging her own one-liners at the Chief:

"It's funny to me that [photographers] have never caught you smoking," Sykes told the president, "but they always catch you with your shirt off. I know you're into this transparency thing, but I don't need to see your nipples."

Is it more important to...

...document the experience or experience the experience?

Now that I'm getting up there in age, I've started to notice quite a few cultural shifts between myself and younger generations. I'm no Andy Rooney (yet) but one of the most irksome of these relates to cellphones (and cameras). The last concert I went to I was surrounded by a crowd, mostly under 40, who spent the entire time viewing the show through their cameras and/or iPod displays. This reminded me of a Fourth of July when I couldn't help but notice four tourists who spent an entire 20-30 minutes with their backs to the fireworks display. This was just so they could smile for the camera and have fireworks in the background of their photos and videos!

I'm not saying I've never documented anything, taken a picture or video, or made a sloppy phone call to share a concert or event, but I usually try to limit myself to spending 10% on documentation and 90% on in-person enjoyment. After all, the in-person enjoyment is what we pay for when we buy a ticket, right? Or is it just to get the opportunity to somehow prove we were there? And, if we spend the duration trying to get a good shot or snippet through our device, then... does that really count as experiencing the experience?

In any case, anyone who's done this at a concert knows the replay usually turns out to be crap. So, why not just sit back and enjoy it in real time with your own built-in A/V equipment... called eyes and ears!