Surprise, Surprise

There is nothing like a surprise at the holiday time of year. Mine is "Kick-Ass"(2010). I never paid any attention to it.  Not much of a super hero fan other than the Japanese reels of Ultraman and the weirdly wonderful Batman T.V. show from childhood. Big mistake! "Kick Ass" is a black comedy worthy of late night cult status. I thought it was simply a Coming of Age flick. Fun but not worth the time. Wrong! This is an absolutely strange and brilliant film. In the tradition of "Harold & Maude", "Eating Raoul" and many others. A MUST see. Brilliant Nicloas Cage as " Big Daddy" is actually over shadowed by his onscreen daughter named "Hit Girl". Other surprises for film history fans are everywhere!. I'm not going to tell....
Well done.

Pick of the Week

Classified X (1998)- A documentary tracing the history of stereotypical portrayal of African Americans in the movies. Written and narrated by writer/director/actor Melvin Van Peebles. Van Peebles is best know for his groundbreaking 1971 film "Sweet Sweetback's Bad Asssss Song". Yes, the title is spelled that way. "Sweetback" broke the mold of stereotyped and assimilated black Americans in the cinema. His characters spoke like the people in the streets of the 1970's. They were strong, defiant and sexual. We will get back to that film in another posting. Classified X is entertaining and edged by the delivery of Van Peebles. He also wrote but did not direct this fascinating look into mirror for us all.

Film Crew Slang

"Bracketing"-Shooting the scene several times with different F-stops/T-stops to create a range of exposure effects.
F-stop-The amount of light transmitted by a lens based on a simple mathematical calculation. Focal Length of lens divided by the diameter of the aperture.
But different lenses will take in different amounts of light depending on the number of elements in them. So two lenses with an aperture of f4 may actually allow different amounts of light to pass through them. One might create a brighter image than the other.
T-stop-Similar to F-stop but a T-stop is measurement of the actual amount of transmitted light for a particular lens as opposed to the theoretical calculation of an F-stop.
T-stops are used mostly in the motion picture industry.

Pick of Last Week

Catching up on the posts. I neglected to post a Pick last week, so here it is:
"Paradise Now" (2005)- A disturbing but humanistic film about two Palestinian friends in the occupied Western Bank. They have been recruited to become suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. It's more about people than politics, but the two cannot be separated. It won a Golden Globe and was Oscar nominated.

Ghost Hunter

"A Christmas Carol" (1938)- My favorite version of the Dickens tale. Reginald Owen is the greatest Scrooge, as Sean Connery is the greatest James Bond. Owen shows mastery of his craft as the bitter, angry, and sad man who lashes out at the world and covets all. He must do so or admit to his own faults and terrible life. The Ghost of the Past admonishes him "It's men of greed like you who have long forgotten gratitude". His response of confusion, realization and insult is pure gold. See this one. It's nostalgia and brilliance wrapped in a present. Additionally, the Lockhart family is half the cast. They were much like the Barrymore family. Anyone who knows "Lassie" or "Lost in Space" will be surprised to see Bob Cratchit's daughter.

It's A Wonderful Life

It's on NBC right now. As I get older I realize how everyone whose life I've touched and whose touched my life in however slight or grand way has steered me to where I am today, for good or ill. This movie really drives home how we all make a difference in so many peoples lives and never even realize it! And under the direction of Capra it's a classic!

Tora, Tora Tora

I usually don't watch war movies, but this one caught me off guard. It actually tells of all the missed signs of the people who could've prevented it. Reminded me a lot of 9/11. However, I can see why it did not do well when it was released. Deep in the screw-up called the Vietnam War, the country was not ready for this movie at this time.

Film Crew Slang

Hero- A special item, prop or accessory. As in “Gimme the Hero Bomb, we are shooting the close-up.”
This is a request for the best looking bomb. We are about to cut the blue wire….or is it the red wire? Television commercials  have Hero as the star. The big juicy burger that is 6 inches tall, steaming hot is the “Hero” or “Hero Product”. The Hero “Product Shot “is usually the last shot of the day.

A guy walks onto a film set....

Q: How many Studio Development Executives does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Hmm...first let's talk about the concept behind this whole "light bulb" thing.

Radio Talk continued

Essential radio codes to remember for working on set.

10-1: To go to the restroom to do “number 1"

10-2: To go to the restroom to do “number 2"

10-4: I understood the message

10-20 (or 20): Location as in "What's your 20?"

Stand up Proudly Filmmakers

Haskell Wexler, Director of Photography (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Mulholland Falls, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?") is involved in the below site.
http://12on12off.com/
Actors, crew and anyone working on or near a film set might want to look at it.

Be On The Look-Out For....

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
Watch the trailer at trailers.apple.com
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel stars Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Robert DeNiro and Peter Fonda. It's in theaters on December 16th, 2011.

Roger Corman was the man that gave first gigs to the likes of Coppola, Scorcese, Hopper, Nicholson, Cameron, Demme, etc. Because he had an output (distribution) deal through his company AIP, he became one of the most profitable filmmakers (according to Roger he has never lost a dime). He gave a new generation of filmmakers who were ready to break the mold of now corporate run studios and the devil may care attitude towards the Hays Code, thanks to the new MPAA rating system.

This man was a game changer and I am proud to have actually worked on a Corman film, “Stripped To Kill II” back in the late 1980’s. It was during the writers strike of 1988, and Rogers company was one of the few companies in town making movies, despite the strike.

Hopefully this movie will show somewhere here in Orlando. I’m guessing if it does it will either be at the Enzian or the Regal in Winter Park. Or if you don’t live in the Orlando area, I would look toward your local “art” movie theatres to see if it might be playing.

I know I will definitely be seeing it if it comes to Orlando. Color me there!
--
Lori M. Turchin

Film Crew Slang

"Crossing" – Say this to the camera operator before you walk in front of the lens. Just because the camera is not rolling does not mean that the camera op is not working on the shot.

Pick of the Week

"The Party" (1968)- Peter Sellers at his best in another Blake Edwards film. Hrundi V. Bakshi (Sellers) a stage actor from New Dehli is cast in the big Hollywood film "Son of Gunga Din". In that special Peter Sellers way, he manages to destroy the most expensive set on the Picture. The head honcho immediately orders him fired. Through a clerk's error he is instead accidentally invited to an exclusive Hollywood party at the film executive's mansion. Sellers and Edwards teamed with their "Pink Panther" composer Henry Mancini to rip the swingin' Hollywood party scene to shreds.

Best scene: There are so many great "bits" it's tough to nail down the best. I will name two:
First----"The White Shoe". On his arrival at the party, Hrundi's (Sellers) white shoe is dirty. He attempts to clean it by dipping it in a fountain that flows throughout the house. 
Next----Socially uncomfortable at the party, Hrundi has  a conversation with"Birdie Num Num", the studio exec's parrot. 
Much of Seller's performance is without dialogue. Hrundi doesn't want to draw attention. It's amazing to see him in silent mode. We are used to the bumbling words & actions of Inspector Clouseau. Or the multiple characters in Dr. Strangelove. In contrast, Hrundi is subtle, extremely self-conscious and has a true sense of humor. He messes with socially savvy people in his own "innocent" but  purposeful way. Is there a social message? You decide for yourself. Maybe see "Gunga Din" (1939).
Even if you don't ever choose to watch "The Party", I suggest that you Google "Birdie Num Num" and "Peter Sellers The White Shoe" to watch these scenes.

West Side Story - 50th Anniversary on the big screen

Last night I went to the 50th anniversary presentation of "West Side Story" and saw it on the big screen for the first time in my life. Prior I had always watched it on television.

What a stunning film. How could they lose with players like Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins, Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, etc. All were giants in their fields. The use of color, lighting, wardrobe, set design/art direction, etc. as narrative tools are seamless.

However, one thing that stood out as odd to me was how bad everyones teeth looked. It kept popping out at me. I guess because we live in a day and age where even the most average of us have beautiful straight and white teeth. In the movie the teeth looked like chiclets. Just another sign of the times.

Just thinking out loud!

More Dialogue Greatness

Michele: "You know, even though I had to wear that stupid back brace and you were kind of fat, we were still totally cutting edge." ----- Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (1997)

Film Crew Slang

"Jack Lord"- Slang for a 50 mm lens. Why? Jack Lord was the cowlick-haired star of the 70's t.v. show "Hawaii Five-O".  50 ! Crew slang evolves over time, is created and passed along to the rest of the tribe. Other nicknames for a 50mm are: "The Deuce" and "Half a Buck."

Pick of the Week

"Stop Making Sense" (1984)  Director Jonathan Demme's ("Silence of the Lambs") rock concert documentary of "The Talking Heads" in their heyday.The pacing and pure stage presence of David Byrne and the other T Heads brings the show into full gear. Not to mention the beautiful photography by the Cinematic god Jordan Cronenweth (ever heard of "Blade Runner" or "Altered States"?). "Stop Making Sense" is more than a film, it is a party favor guaranteed to rock the house.

You Calling Me Short?

"The Brain Washers" (2002), Short animated film directed by Patrick Bouchard -  Two chimney sweeps are injected into a man's skull to clean house. Strange, a bit gory and definitely odd, this Canadian claymation is a well crafted journey down the rabbit hole. You might consider it a dark, ethereal "Robot Chicken". Find it at the National Film Board of Canada website www.onf-nfb.gc.ca

Radio Talk

Walkie talkie radios are used as a primary source of communication on a film set. Slang for a radio is a "Walkie. Important note of etiquette and efficiency: You should answer all radio requests by repeating what was requested and then acknowledging that it is on the way. In other words, if the 2nd AD asks you for a cooler of water, an extra radio and a director's chair brought to set, the reply is: "Copy, a cooler of water, an extra radio and a director's chair, flying in". You have told them that you are getting everything requested and that you have acknowledge that it is "flying in" a.k.a on it's way. Before flying in, you also quickly make sure that the cooler is full of COLD water bottles, check the radio to make sure it transmits and receives, and bring an extra radio battery in case anyone needs it. Communication and efficiency are the key. I've used an example of a request a Production Assistant might receive, but the etiquette is to be practiced by all crew, no matter what department they are in.

A guy walks onto a film set

Q: How many Screenwriters does it take to screw in a light bulb? 

A: The bulb is IN and it's staying IN!