Lost Forest After Dark

With gas prices firmly planting its flag above the $4.00 mark for the foreseeable future, everyone is looking at ways to save money on gas. Of course you could buy a Hybrid. Others are thinking the moped route.

Luckily in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area we are also blessed with a pretty extensive bike trail system. In fact Forbes Magazine recently listed Minneapolis as the 9th best City to ride your bike to work, school, places to shop and/or visit. Other reports have shown that Minneapolis ranks behind only Portland with the most bike commuters. Which is crazy considering that four months of the year (Nov-Feb) are downright brutal for bike riding and two additional months (Oct, March) can be pretty tough as well.

I am lucky enough to have a pretty good route to ride my bike to the University and have been riding around 2-3 times a week lately. Of my six mile trip, I would estimate that four are on dedicated (no car) bike routes. Relatively flat, 25 minutes, and only a couple of bike/car conflict points, I usually put something loud on the I-Pod (yesterday the Ramones in the morning, The Cult on the way home) and pedal away. Of course weather and schedule determine when I can ride, but it’s good to know that the opportunity is there.

Of course the environmental and health related benefits go without saying and there’s nothing better than pedaling over I-94 on a Friday afternoon and looking down at hundreds of cars sitting in traffic not moving while I’m enjoying the sun in my face and the Replacements in my ears. So tune up your bike, buy a bike helmet, and check the best route to work. You’ll find getting out of the car even one day a week will not only help your wallet, but it will help your overall well being as well.

What’s your bike route to work?

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This summer has finally gotten me to think that Hollywood doesn’t make movies for someone my age anymore. I just haven’t been that excited about this year’s slate of Summer Movies. In fact I didn’t see a single movie at a theater from about February to Memorial Day. What’s worse is that few movies coming out are getting me excited. I’ll probably see the new Batman movie out of habit but not because I need to see it. The Love Guru looks absolutely execrable and no way are you going to get me in the theater to see The Incredible Hulk or Hellboy II. Thank God my wife wasn’t a big Sex and the City fan so I wasn’t dragged to that either.

I have seen two movies in the last 2 weeks that were enjoyable but won’t make any top 10 lists. I make no recommendation to get out and see these but if you want to blow a couple of hours on a rainy day, go ahead. With that ringing endorsement, here are my summer movie reviews so far.

Iron Man. This was fun. What I think a lot of comic book movies have missed out on lately is that they should be fun, they don’t have to be so serious (I’m looking at you Dark Night). Iron Man gets it and that’s why it’s selling so many tickets. Tony Stark is a smart ass who is as impressed with his new found powers as we are. The final battle with a larger Iron Man is kind of dumb, but doesn’t detract from a good time at the movies.

Indiana Jones. Not spectacular but in the spirit of the other Indy movies. Couple of nice homage’s to previous movies and a couple of nice set pieces. As typical in these movies an overly long fist fight scene and way to many machine guns that miss their target at point blank range. I didn’t lose any sleep over the fact that we had to wait 19 years for an Indiana Jones movie and I won’t be heartbroken if they don’t make another one. How’s that for a tepid response?

What about it. Any good summer movies out there? Anything you are looking forward to seeing?

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Guy grows up in a mid-size Midwestern city listening to radio stations that play Journey, Bad Company, and Styx, is introduced to “new” music through U2 and in college discovers such English bands as New Order and Joy Division and later champions “indie” band such as Pavement, My Bloody Valentine, and The Replacements. Finally the guy later discovers Guided By Voices years after their best albums comes out and is infatuated to the point that he collects everything they’ve ever recorded. Big deal, my life story right? Except that it isn’t me, it’s the story of John Sellers and he writes about it in the engaging book: Perfect From Now On, How Indie Rock Saved My Life.

If any of the above sounds familiar to you (and I know it does for many of this blog’s readers) then I suggest you either buy or get this book from the library. Besides being pretty funny, it is nice to read something that you yourself have lived. I remember those days in the 70’s when Styx was the high point of rock, and I knew, just knew, there were better bands out there. Also the excitement of being infatuated with a band that few knew about is downright palpable.

The books also has a number of quirks, like numerous asides in footnotes, including a 10-page(!) footnote, describing what Sellers did to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Ian Curtis’ suicide, numerous lists, a la High Fidelity, and an intricate formula you can use to determine how good a band is.

For me the highlight was the last third of the book where Sellers describes his discovery of Guided By Voices and through dumb luck and strategic friendships, is able to meet the band and Robert Pollard, gets to drink with them, and was able to attend their last shows. Also because he wrote about his experience, was ostracized by the GbV community and almost excommunicated by Pollard. As someone likewise infatuated with GBV, this part of the book was great. In fact I re-read these passages while listening to GBV, I think Sellers would understand.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I have had friendly debates with Shane over at Greet Machine about buying books versus taking them out from the library. Shane works for the Library and as you can imagine, is a strong advocate for using libraries to fulfill your book reading needs. His argument, and it’s a good one, is why pay for a book when you can easily get it from a library? Furthermore, given the ease by which you can now look for library books on-line and have them delivered to your nearest library, the days of rifling through musty old stacks is long gone.

While acknowledging that Shane makes a strong case, (in fact I currently have 5 books out from three different libraries) I am still a book buyer. One, I am a notorious book re-reader and I love to go back to books I’ve read to re-read them whole or just chapters, passages even. Many times I will come across an item that reminded me of something I’ve read in a book I own and I need to revisit. Also, let’s face it, books in a book case look good in your living room and nothing says “hey look how smart I am” than bookcases overflowing with books. Finally there is something about pulling out a book to make your point in a discussion or argument or handing a book over to some one to enlighten them on a subject they are interested in.

I am reminded of this lately by a series of Nick Coleman articles in the Star Tribune. Last week, Nick Coleman wrote an article about Eric Sevareid, a Minnesota native who was recently commemorated by a stamp. Although a famous journalist, Sevareid first became known to Minnesotans as a teenager who, with a friend, paddled a canoe over 2000 miles from Fort Snelling to the Hudson Bay in 1930. He wrote about the trip in a book called Canoeing with the Cree and this book is the touchstone for any Minnesotan who is interested in canoeing, camping or roughing it in the great north woods. As Coleman wrote in his column, the book can be found “on the bookshelf in a lot of cabins and in the imaginations of Minnesotans.” This book and Sevareid’s adventures have literally thrilled boys (and girls) for generations. What is really interesting is that the book clearly still resonates today as Coleman followed up the original column with one this week about two boys who, having read the book in 7th grade, decided to recreate the trip. They graduated early from high school and started their journey this past Monday.

Canoeing with the Cree’s place in Minnesota life represents the greatest reason for owning books: The ability to say to your mom/dad/sister/ brother/son/daughter/spouse/friend “I loved this book and I think you will too, here’s a copy.” It’s that shared experience that binds us tighter, says to us, “we may have differences but we have a lot in common too.” Sure you can do that with a library book but a library book lacks that permanence, it limits the ability of the book recipient to one day pass the book on to another, to further the connection.

Posted by Freealonzo at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Let’s review:

The Weather has been horrible. Cold, wet, cold, cloudy, miserable, cold. Except for a few days April has been an extension of March and March was an extension of February. When or when are going to have a proper Spring?

Road Construction. With bridges closing daily, Interstate 35 under construction, Lyndale Avenue soon to be torn up, residents of SW Minneapolis will soon need helicopters to get around. With gas at around $3.50 why are we driving anyway?

Twins. Even worse than expected. Losing 10-0 to the Rangers!?! Pitching is becoming more and more disappointing, Liriano is no way ready. Except for a Morneau, hitting has been lousy, defense too. I was hoping for 78 wins, I’m thinking that 70 wins might be more likely.

Movies and Music. When was the last time a decent movie came out or a good album? I don’t think I’ve seen a movie since February. I don’t think I have heard anything released in 2008 that is worth keeping, haven’t seen a show all year either.

Politics. Obama can’t seem to seal the deal and Clinton is more than willing to tear down Obama to get elected this year or in 2012. Voter fatigue has officially set in.

Anything good happening out there? I need to know.

Posted by Freealonzo at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Three years ago Catholics were heartbroken when “The People’s Pope” John Paul II died after a long and successful Papacy and was a few weeks later replaced by Bavaria’s Cardinal Ratzinger. Elderly, conservative, dour, the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI promised to be short and uninspiring. Modern Catholics hoped that Pope Benedict XVI would be a transitory figure slotted between the populist John Paul II and some future, younger, worldly (hopefully liberal) Pope.

In those three years, however, Pope Benedict XVI has proven not to be at least not so dour. Of course he is still elderly, and basically conservative, but his genuinely pleasant demeanor has come through in spades. This was particularly evident in Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to the United States where Benedict won over the faithful with public masses at Nationals and Yankee Stadiums, visits with Church sexual abuse and 9/11 victims, and visits to a Synagogue and Mosque.

The Press even tried to get the Pope to weigh in on such hot-to-trot social issues such as homosexuality, but Benedict wouldn’t take the bait, claiming to only want to talk about the sins related to the Priest sexual abuse scandal, but not linking the issue to homosexuality as some anti-Church conservatives always like to do.

All-in-all a successful visit, and probably the only one we’ll get during this Pope’s lifetime. I think most Catholics were impressed with what they saw and probably have a gentler attitude about Pope Benedict XVI and his Papacy.

Posted by Freealonzo at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just think, what if you were a Microsoft Sales Rep with the task of trying to get your customers to "upgrade" to Vista. Sales, kinda slow aren't they? We'll maybe you need a motivational video. Not only a motivational video but one with by a Bruce Springsteen imitator. Think that would help you move Vista off the shelves? Well then, straight from the Microsoft Corporate office... Mr Microsoft Vista Sales Rep this one is for you...

Posted by Freealonzo at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tell someone you’re into Battlestar Gallactica and you get one of three responses:

1. Geez, what a geek!
2. Cool, I loved that show in the 70’s!
3. A knowing nod and then a 20-minute discussion on the nature of the Cylon’s.

If you’re in the second group, I am sorry but we’re not talking about the cheesy 70’s show starring Lorne Green that tried to piggy back on all things Star Wars. We talking about the current series on the Sci-Fi channel that is smart, sexy, with plenty of whiz-bang for geeks and heady philosophy for… I guess geeks.

As with any good sci-fi, BSG works because it’s more than just a bunch a guys flying around space fighting robots. When I told my son that it’s about humans who created a race of robots that turned around and tried to eliminate mankind he said “oh that’s original.” But it is original. Even though they all but wiped out mankind, the Cylons are by no means evil in a black and white sense and many times as compared to the humans, they are down right sympathetic.

The robots are monotheists who believe in a God quite similar to our own and the humans are Greek and Roman-like polytheists. There is a lot of religious back and forth between the two races. Think of the Cylons as religious fundamentalists, worshiping a definitely Old Testament God. In addition, Season 3 had many parallels to this Country’s situation in Iraq with again the Cylon’s playing the part of the Americans and humans the suicide-bombing insurgents. Don’t get me wrong, not all humans are bad and not all Cylons are well-intentioned, they are all multi-faceted. Oh and some of the Cylons are in humanoid form so you (and them) don't necessarily know they are/were Cylons.

Season 4, which started last week, is promised to be the last season and we are told that all the story lines will be wrapped-up. Unlike say The X Files where the mythological back story got so convoluted that the writers could never tie up the loose ends, BSG’s mythology is relatively simple: The Gods that the humans worship have been scattered from an Eden called “Earth” and the humans are desperately trying to find it before they are destroyed by the Cylons. So yes, the BSG humans are our ancestors. Of course that’s a gross simiplification, but it will do for now.

So anyway if you like sci-fi or just plain good story-telling with that makes you think a little bit, BSG might be for you. Plus you have lots of eye candy to look at regardless if you fancy the guys or gals. Finally any tv show that can introduce a new swear word – frack – and use it just like you think it should be used, is ok in my book.

Anyone else watch BSG? What do you think?

Here’s a link to Entertainment Weekly’s all things BSG, Be sure to check out the 15 things you have to know about BSG. That will get you caught up real fast.

Posted by Freealonzo at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With the rise of You Tube, TV broadcasters have struggled mightily to control their content on the internet. They obviously don’t want to follow in the footsteps of the music industry which has fought (fights) tooth and nail against the distribution of music over the internet only to see literally billions of songs being transferred illegally from thousands of peer-to-peer sites. The music industry’s response to the internet has even passed Decca Records not signing The Beatles as the biggest bonehead move in the music industry.

Recently there have been a number of “TV on the internet” efforts by broadcasters and they’re actually pretty good. For a couple of months now Comedy Central has put all of its The Daily Show episodes on its web site and its great. You can easily search and view any The Daily Show item. Want to view all of Lewis Black’s rants? Easily found.

Now NBC and Fox have come out with their own version of You Tube call Hulu. Unlike You Tube, it doesn’t accept videos from the masses. Instead it has episodes from over 200 TV series, movies and sporting events. This includes series currently on the air like The Office and SNL as well as long ago episodes like The A-Team. It’s easy to use and commercials are at a minimum. There is another service called Joost that has similar TV episodes, but not as many current ones (but does have Star Trek!). If only the BBC would do something similar so that we could view old Monty Python’s or the Young Ones from our computers

Now of course watching TV on your desktop or notebook computer doesn’t match watching TV from the barcalounger but it is good deal if you have a few minutes to kill and want to see something that you recently missed. Want to check out the Hilary-Obama debate skit from SNL a couple of weeks ago? Hulu will get you there.

However the melding of your computer, internet access and television is only getting closer. We have been looking at new HDTV’s for our home and a couple of sets do include a way to connect your computer to the TV. I’m guessing that this will be a standard feature soon and we will have yet another reason to stay inside away from all human contact.

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So finally after three tries the State Legislature finally overrides Governor Pawlenty’s veto of a transportation funding bill. Funny how the deaths of 13 people and the need for one 300 million dollar bridge can shake up party loyalties.

Word from St. Paul is that the Governor is pissed and I’ve heard a lot from Republicans about their “concern” for hard workin’ families and how the gas tax will impact their wallets. Funny no concern about how hard working families are stuck in inadequate roads, having to spend more and more time in their cars or buses to get to and from work. Where’s that concern? Where’s the concern that we are falling behind economically (read jobs) because our infrastructure is literally collapsing?

Actually I think T-Paw’s peevishness is related to two items. First is his Veep standing. One of his positives in the eyes of Republicans is that he had controlled spending and taxes in a pretty Democratic state. It’s one thing to do it in Oklahoma but to do that in Minnesota. Looks good on the GOP resume.

But more importantly I think the Republicans know that in the end an extra $50 or so a year for gas is not really that big of deal for most if not all families and if we get a better infrastructure system out of it, all the better. That really goes against what the Republicans are trying to sell us. People ARE willing to spend more as long as they get something out of it. If the Republicans lose that argument, they have very, very little to run on.

Finally I think a shout out is deserved for the Twins ballpark funding plan. First, how come no one is complaining that there is no referendum for the increase in the sales tax to pay for transportation improvements? I thought that was a big deal? Second the ballpark deal demonstrated that politicians could raise the sales tax with no blowback at the ballot box. No surprise a year or so after the Twins were able to raise $$$ through the sale tax that politicians are coming back to the sales tax to pay for transportation and open space improvements.

Posted by Freealonzo at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I was quite happy that Diablo Cody won for best screenplay. Michael Clayton was good but Juno was great. It was all screenplay. Plus not too many times you see an Academy Award winner with a smoking tattoo. Finally I thought her opening line "What is happening?" was about as honest a statement that was stated all night.

Those three nominated songs from Enchanted were just wretched. I would have barfed if one of those won. I am very happy that Falling Slowly won. The way that song was presented and filmed in Once is very well done. You just see Glen Hansard’s soul opening up as they play that song. One of the great movie scenes from the past year.

No surprise about Daniel Day Lewis. Although I thought his role was just Bill the Butcher moved forward in time 50 years. The last two minutes of that movie were such a buzz kill although “I drink your milkshake” is a line that will life in infamy.

I haven’t seen No Country for Old Men because I’m not sure I want to deal with all that violence plus I heard it’s another movie with a non-ending. It sounds like the Coen’s were deserving of their awards and Ethan Coen's acceptance "speeches" were just hilarious.

That French woman who won for Best Actress was absolutely stunning. Tilda Swinton was very funny and that red hair was just shocking. Not sure if there was anything else that really stood out.

What did you think of the Oscars?

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Nothing brightens up the dregs of Winter in February like the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Guys can take their favorite sports magazine and check out the latest swimsuit fashions and exotic travel locations and dream of warmer weather that is at least three months away. The fact that there are shapely models in the swimsuits is an added bonus.

This year Sports Illustrated placed all of its Swimsuit issue photos online with easy-to-navigate links to photos by model and local. In addition there are videos and content that is not available in the magazine. These photos are available to all, no need to subscribe to SI, sign-up for anything, etc.

It’s obvious that Sports Illustrated gets the internet. Many magazines and some newspapers still try to limit their online content to subscribers and “premium service” payers. Obviously they are worried that if it’s on the internets for free, no one will buy their magazine. This is short sighted and foolish. First magazines have what is called portability: you can bring it anywhere. Although it is becoming much easier to lug notebook computers around, it will never be as convenient as a magazine. More importantly, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will be on newsstands for a month, the online content for much longer than that. If you check out the SI link, there is a lot of advertisement on the site as well. By not charging for the content, Sports Illustrated is ensuring that a lot more eyes will see those ads, and that is where the money is on the web.

The lesson here is that the internet is not going anywhere and is only going to be more omnipresent in the future. Content providers need to embrace the internet, use it to increase brand awareness of their publication and to drive eyeballs to their site and on-line advertisers. If you fight digital distribution of your product, you will end up like the music industry, becoming irrelevant to a large part of the culture-consuming population.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last week I posted a review of the U2-3D movie which I thought was really cool. I didn't mention that I went to the movie with Shane of Greet Machine and after the movie we heard the song Zooropa on The Current.

This past weekend I went to the movie again with the family. We all thought it was a blast. Also on Cities 97 on the way home we heard One Tree Hill by U2. Shane ended up going to the movie again on Sunday with his family and he tells me he heard Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2 on the radio on his way home.

Now I think that is pretty freaky. I see three possibilities:

U2 is so radio-friendly that you are bound to hear them on at least one radio station in any 30-minute period. We could have been going to see Meet the Spartans three different times and would have heard a U2 song on the way home.

Radio stations know when the movie lets out and purposefully program a U2 song 10-30 minutes after the show to cement a bond between the movie goer and the radio station.

Movie goers are so full of the Holy Bono Spirit that the psycho-spitural energy generated causes radio DJ's to unthinkingly program a U2 song.

What's your theory?

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, a resurrection of biblical proportions is happening just north of University Avenue in Stadium Village. Blink twice and you see ghostly images of the band marching down University Avenue. If you listen carefully you can hear Ray Christianson announcing the names of Bronko Nagurski, Carl Eller, Tony Dungy swirling in the wind and a loud roar fills the air as the Golden Gophers enter the sun-drenched field ready to play football the way it was meant to be played: Under a fall sky.

Posted by Freealonzo at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

So who would win in a fight between Daniel Plainview, the protagonist in There Will Be Blood, and the Cloverfield Monster? Both characters are singularly focused on their goal of defeating all opponents. Both apparently hate people (Plainview says as much; the Cloverfield Monster’s actions speak louder than words). Both characters leave their mark on the landscape that may take centuries to overturn. Finally, although the stories are a century and a continent apart, they both try to relate their stories to modern day concerns. All-in-all a pretty fair fight. This weekend I went to both movies to find out for myself.

Critically, it’s no contest with There Will Be Blood garnering 8 Oscar nominations and Daniel Day-Lewis the hands down favorite for the Best Actor award. Cloverfield, while receiving some nice reviews, is generally consigned to the cheesy monster movie category and most critical reviews are reserved for its creative marketing campaign as much as what is seen on the screen.

There Will Be Blood sucks you into its story as Daniel Plainfield’s oil man is mesmerizing as he works over a small, desolate California town to get its oil. In addition, the movie's fascinating score (by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead) sounds as if it were played by a field of recently hatched cicadas. The problem with There Will Be Blood is that it presents all these “big” ideas but then doesn’t answer them, it strives to be bold without actually being bold. The end is almost farcical and ultimately the movie leaves you wanting more.

Cloverfield, on the other hand, pulls no punches on what it is or what it’s trying to say. The only question we have is what kind of monster is attacking the City: sea monster? government experiment gone awry? Rosie O’Donnell? The movie is a roller coaster ride experienced through a hand-held camera as NYC is being attacked by the monster and defended by generic army troops. There is no omni-present government agency watching the proceedings from afar, no scientist explaining everything that is happening. The only outside news we get is from random TV sets our heroes happen across.

I thought the movie did a good job of showing the street level view of a City under monster-siege. It’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s confusing. We get glimpses of the monster here and there but rarely a whole picture. The movie is also helped in that it is populated by unknown actors. We don’t know who is going to be the hero and who’s going to be monster meat. (much like the first Alien movie). The movie ends like you think it should. With no reason for sequels or spin-offs. An overall very scary, thrilling, monster movie.

Did you see There Will Be Blood or Cloverfield? What did you think?

Posted by Freealonzo at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Brauer over at Minnpost.com has an interesting article about the latest grim news over at the StarTribune. According to a leaked memo, the Strib is still hemorrhaging money ($75M), even with its recent staff cuts and reorganization.

It seems that the biggest culprit is the collapse of classified ad revenue. It’s dropped by nearly 50 percent and is below levels from eight years ago. While these trends are industry wide, apparently they are a little more stark at the Strib. The newspaper business seems to be on a death watch. Will we even have morning papers in 5 or 10 years.

I’m not really surprised by this situation. Over the last six months I’ve sold some concert tickets and tried to sell my sister-in-laws car. I didn’t even consider newspaper classifieds. Craigslist, E-Bay, Carsoup, and other web based sites are what I considered. Same goes when I’m looking to buy stuff. I never check the classified. Doesn’t even cross my mind.

We subscribe to the Strib but it’s somewhat out of habit. I get most of my news from the web and I religiously check a number of sites, some of which are newspaper sites. Also with up-and-coming news sites like Minnpost.com and dailymole.com, I’m getting a lot more local news from the web. My wife is pretty much a techno-phobe so I don’t see us anytime soon dropping our subscription. Plus I’ve never been satisfied doing the soduko and crossword puzzle on-line.

So if newpapers went away, I would still get my news. Who knows, maybe I could even teach my wife to go online too! It would be the end of an era but we’ve survived other ends of the era too like the death of picture magazines such as Life and Look and the death of sheet music.

What about you, do you still subscribe to a newspaper?

UPDATE:
Brian Lambert over at MSPMag.com has another take on the issues facing the Strib in light of the memo. Very interesting. His take: Look for the St. Paul and Strib to merge into one paper.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So, I dragged the Misses to Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. I thought it was funny with some dumb parts, she thought it was dumb with some funny parts.

If you've seen Ray, I Walk the Line, The Buddy Holly Story, La Bamba, etc. You know this movie: Young singer from a small town uses his music to get out of town. Soon fame and fortune bring him far away from what he grew up as. Drugs, women, etc are readily available. After the inevitable downfall it's the love of a woman and his family that bring him back up.

It's got all the cliches, except they are spoofs and it's hilarious. When Dewey sings at his first dance, girls are literally ripping their dresses off and the dance soon turns into a melee. Dewey accidently cuts his brother in half with a machete, after which Dewey loses his sense of smell. You get the idea.

Besides music biopic cliches there are hilarious spoofs on Elvis, the Beatles in India, Bob Dylan, and Brian Wilson during his acid-drenched, bearded Pet Sound and Smile days. In the end Dewey is sampled by some gangsta rappers and is re-descovered. At his lifetime achievement award banquet, Jewel, Jackson Browne, and Lyle Lovett sing his famous song Walk Hard and Eddie Veddar gives a speech. (The real singers btw).

The movie ends as a 71 year old Dewey sings a new song that sums up as entire life as his life passes by on the screen. I was literally in tears. When Dewey hits that final high note and the camera switches back and forth between modern day Dewey and 50's Dewey, while I was blubbering.

Jenna Fischer from The Office is great in this movie, she just lights up the screen. You forget how hot she is when she is in The Office.

Anyway a funny movie, probably not Oscar caliber but definitely a rental when it comes out soon on DVD.

Any one else see Walk Hard? What did you think?

Posted by Freealonzo at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here are my favorite movies of 2007...

I’m Not There. Movie of the year hands down. If you know the story behind Dylan, seen Don’t Look Back, read the David Hadju book, etc., the movie may have more meaning, but it is glorious nonetheless. Great film making from a Director who truly loves the subject matter. A must see.

Juno. Very arch, but with a heart of gold. I felt at times that the 16-year old Juno was witty and composed way beyond her years but we do see some vulnerability come through at the end. I saw this movie with my teen kids, including my daughter who is adopted and whose birthmother was 13 at the time of her pregnancy.

Superbad. Raunchy, profane fun. The thing is, guys think, act and talk just like the characters in this movie. I thought the ending was great as it laid out exactly the emotions guys go through when deciding when to leave their pals for regular sex with a girlfriend.

Across the Universe. Great vision, great music. On par with Moulin Rouge but without the choreography.

Into the Wild. Beautifully shot, emotional, thought provoking. Sympathetic to Chris McCandless while also showing the hurt he created in those who loved him.

Once. Nice, quiet little movie with characters you absolutely adore. Simple story, simply told. No big surprise at the end, stupid subplots, or unneeded characters. Great music that is integral to the story.

Pan’s Labyrinth. I think this movie was officially released in 2006 but didn't make it to Mill City until 2007. Great vision, set pieces, and acting. Very dream like, you wish it were a fantasy story.

Biggest Disappointment: I Am Legend. It had potential but it turned out to be a big zombie chase movie. Definitely wait for the DVD.

What were your favorite movies?

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here’s my annual review of Books read this past year. Mostly non-fiction because that’s what I like!

Gettysburg Gospel – Gabor Boritt
Although only 2 plus minutes long, the Gettysburg Address is arguably the most famous speech ever given. Not well received or understood when it was spoken at the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery, it grew in esteem over the decades. Abraham Lincoln is easily our most fascinating president.

Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice – Griel Marcus
Another dense and oblique treatise from Griel Marcus on the meaning of America: From its glorious founding as the bright City on the Hill, America was constructed on a promise that that was so vast it could only be betrayed by its citizens. However through that betrayal American gained its voice. Griel uses popular culture to show us the connections between this ideal and the betrayal. Like I said it’s dense and complicated. Think of Bruce Springsteen’s album Nebraska and that’s what Griel is trying to describe only he takes 350 plus pages to say it.

In the Trees – Richard Preston
A fun and compelling story of a bunch of scientists who actually climb into 350 foot redwood trees to study them, creating a new science as they go. Absolutely fascinating and amazing. Highly recommended to all.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
The 7th and final book of the Potter series and Rowling actually pulls it off. As usual, a gripping page turner except for a slow “camping trip” in the middle. A fun end to a great series.

Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light – Patrick McGilligan
Biography of the great director. Great insight into the movie making process, Hitch’s life and the golden age of Hollywood. Covers a lot of the same ground as the Spoto book but if you like Hitchcock, you want to read this book.

Worst Hard Times – Timothy Egan
Fascinating book about the families that stayed in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas during the dust bowl years. One of the greatest man-made disasters ever created and we hardly know anything about it. A must read if you like recent American History

A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles – Mark Hertsgaard
Focusing on the creation of the music that we all love, this book provided a great insight into the Beatles and their songbook. If you want to learn about the songs, their inspiration and their creation, this book is a must.

The Replacements: All Over But The Shouting – Jim Walsh
Oral History of the Replacements that I reviewed here. I find myself going back and re-reading passages. The oral history style can be limiting at times but still a great read.

The Natural – Bernard Malamud
Baseball as great literature. Although an effete, urban intellectual, Malamud perfectly describes the sights, sounds, smells, and characters of pre-WWII baseball. If you’ve only seen the movie, you also need to read this book, but be careful, the story isn’t wrapped up in mom and apple pie at the end. Third time I read this book.

Cool of the Evening: The 1965 Twins – Jim Theilman
Story of the 1965 American League Champion Minnesota Twins. Now over 40 years since their historic run, it was fun to read how much of an interesting team this really was. Only a Herculean effort by Sandy Koufax stood in the way of the Twins first World Series Championship.

Chimes of Freedom – The Art of Bob Dylan’s Art – Mike Marqusee
Second time I read this book. If you want to discover how Bob Dylan’s early work reflected and shaped the politics of the early 1960’s this book is for you. A great companion to A Day in the Life reviewed above.

Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
I read this book when it first came out and re-read it after I saw the movie. The movie is great, the book is better. Fascinating tale of Chris McCandless and his journey to find himself. The book and movie may be sympathetic to Chris but both don’t shy away from describing the emotional damage he left behind to those who loved him.

Never Mind the Pollacks – Neal Pollack
About the third or fourth time I read this book. Side-splitting funny, vile, disgusting, and oh so right on. The adventures of Neal Pollack -- world ‘s greatest rock critic who, in Zelig-like fashion, finds himself discovering all of the rock’s greats. Neal’s father was killed by Elvis Presley, cried “Judas” when Dylan played his second acoustic set at Freeport, gave Lou Reed his first blow job and shot of heroin, turned Iggy Pop into what he is now, was an amnesiac roady for Bruce Springsteen, and discovered Kurt Cobain under a bridge and introduced him to “she who shall not be named.” If you like Rock and Roll you must read this book.

What did you read this year?

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

O.k. I'm officially geeked out on the movie Cloverfield. If you've been to a movie theater you've seen the poster of a headless Statue of Liberty and a swath of destruction through lower Manhatten. Besides that poster there's been little publicity...until now.

Below is an extended clip from the movie. Apparently the entire film is like this -- shot from a video camera of someone who was witnessing the events presented in the movie. If this extended clip doesn't suck you in, I don't know what would.

I actually found one review and it's pretty damn funny. If you've ever checked out Aint-it-cool-news you might have run into Neil Cumpston and his reviews. This one doesn't disappoint. Here's the review. By the way, the language is pretty raw, no images so I guess it's semi-safe for work. Definitely don't read it if you have a nine year old looking over your shoulder.

Also I plan to check out a bunch of movies between now and New Years. I'll review them as I see themr. However, I Am Legend is just so so. Decent premise, intense as all hell, but kinda dumb. I plan to see I'm Not There, Juno, Walk Hard, maybe Golden Compass, and a few others so I'll have a good list to review. Check back soon!

Check the clip above and let me know what you think in the comments. Like I said, I'm salivating over Cloverfield right now.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Besides getting an I-Pod Touch, if this doesn't make your Holidays brighter, nothing will...

ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER PETER JACKSON AND NEW LINE CINEMA JOIN WITH MGM TO PRODUCE “THE HOBBIT”...

Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, December 18, 2007) Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson; Harry Sloan, Chairman and CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM); Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs of New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that they have entered into the following series of agreements:

* MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute two films, “The Hobbit” and a sequel to “The Hobbit.” New Line will distribute in North America and MGM will distribute internationally. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on “The Hobbit.” New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously.

The two “Hobbit” films – “The Hobbit” and its sequel – are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning as soon as possible. Principal photography is tentatively set for a 2009 start, with the intention of “The Hobbit” release slated for 2010 and its sequel the following year, in 2011.... For more information about “The Hobbit” films, please visit www.TheHobbitBlog.com.

Posted by Freealonzo at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Torii goes to Anaheim. Five years for $90 million. The Twins never had a chance. I’m happy for Torii, he gets the big payday and gets to play for a winner. If I were the Angels I would be worried about years 4 and 5 of that contract. Which is probably the attitude the Twins have. Angels may think it’s worth it if they get a World Series ring or two out of it. The Twins HAVE to get a big bat at 3rd base and a decent Centerfielder if they even want to compete with K.C. Santana trades for 3 or 4 good players would work for me.

The Klaxons. I’ve been rockin’ to the Klaxon’s Myth of the Near Future lately. Fun, arty, punky rock and roll. Definitely one of the better albums of the year.

Beowulf in 3-D. The boys like to go to a guy movie every Friday after Thanksgiving. Since we still have teens and pre-teens R movies are out. Beowulf was the only movie that kind of appealed to everyone. We saw it at an I-max in 3D. Stupid movie, some interesting stuff with the 3-D including Angela Jolie’s near naked breasts. Kind of like watching a video game. Don’t go unless you absolutely have to.

Battlestar Galactica Razor. Two hour movie on Sci-Fi channel that fills us in on the history of Battlestar Pegasus and some interesting preview of season 4 (coming in March!) Loved seeing some of the scenes on Pegasus we only heard about. I didn’t like the whole Admiral Cain and Cylon babe Gina were lesbian lovers. Not that I have anything wrong with that but it sort of lessened the hard as nails, fascist tendencies of Admiral Cain. Was she a hardass because she was a lesbian? A heterosexual Admiral Cain is a more compelling character IMHO.

BCS. LSU and Kansas lose. Missouri could very well lose to Oklahoma. The BCS is a being blown up and it’s great. It won’t happen, but this year demonstrates why we need a play off in Division I football.

Prep Bowl. Eden Prairie crushes. Totino Grace wins on a prayer. We are friends of the family of one of the players who tipped that ball for Totino Grace. He’s played on three championships teams in 4 years and may get a free ride scholarship to play football for Princeton.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Although the movie pickings have been pretty slim lately, I have seen a couple of flicks that are worth bringing up…

Across the Universe. Ever since Momma Mia became a touring smash, any band with a whiff of popularity has had its back catalogue mined for a potential play/movie. The set up is pretty much the same: Use popular songs that everyone knows and loves as a skeleton from which to construct a (usually thin) story. Given that we love the songs so much it is hoped that we don’t notice things like plot holes and lousy acting. Across the Universe is the Beatles version of this trend.

Now Across the Universe is going to affect people either one of two ways: either you’re gonna love it or hate it. I fall in the kind of love it camp. I thought the use of some directions in the plot were a huge stretch just so the filmmakers could include an iconic Beatles song and some of the one liners that referenced a Beatle song were mostly groaners: “Where did she come from?” “She come from the bathroom window.” Plus there was one stretch in the middle of the movie that was completely unneeded as Bono played Dr. Robert, a Timothy Leary type character. The whole scene was only in the movie so that we could get our psychedelica on. It played really no other part of the movie.

However the movie was a winner in many ways. Of course any movie with Beatles songs is going to be fun to watch and Across the Universe was no different. There were a number of set pieces that were just stunning with creative choreography. Great scenes were Max at the draft review board and a football cheerleader singing I want to hold your hand as a lesbian tear jerker. One of my favorite scenes was early in the movie as we saw two dances, one in New Jersey and one in Liverpool using the same song (Hold Me Tight) as the Americans were all dressed up in poodle skirts and chinos while the Brits were in rolled up jeans and leather jackets. A great way to open the movie. If you like the Beatles you’re probably going to dig this movie and I would recommend going.

Into the Wild. Moving across the cinematic universe (sorry) we come to Into the Wild. Based on a true story and a beloved book of the same name, it’s the story about an upper-middle class kid who gives all his money to Oxfam and goes out looking for “reality.” After two years of travels he finds himself in the Alaskan wilderness where he lasts for nearly 4 months before dying of starvation due to ingesting the seeds of a poisonous plant.

Directed by Sean Penn who waited nearly 15 years to make the film before receiving the blessings of the McCandless family, the movie is both sympathetic to Chris/Alex while not deifying him. The movie holds pretty close to the book and is shot on location, including South Dakota, Nevada, and Alaska. I think we get a pretty good picture of where Chris/Alex was coming from while at the same time seeing that he had a lot to live for. One of the paradoxes of the entire story is that Chris/Alex was so alienated from modern society that he had to find reality living off the land in the Alaskan wilderness while at the same time was such an engaging character that he was able to befriend and positively impact just about anyone he came across. A great movie that is stunning to watch and thought provoking as well. Go. Now.

What did you think of these movies?

Posted by Freealonzo at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I’m just as mindless a sucker for the big budget summer movie as the next rube. As you can see from reviews here, here, and here. I pretty much took in all the “major” movies this past summer. Most of them are a lot of fun and the ones that aren’t at least provide a way to keep cool during a hot summer night. Unfortunately a lot of these movies are like cotton candy: tasty, but gone quickly and ultimately providing empty calories, something forgotten before you find your car in the parking lot.

Fortunately I also like to keep an eye out for “smaller” movies, as well. Quirky or grown-up movies that are little more challenging can be much more satisfying and stick with you for days if not weeks later. One such movie comes out of Ireland and it’s called Once. It’s a low budget movie (apparently shot for about $200k) about a going-through-the-motions singer/songwriter/vacuum repair man in Dublin who meets a young female Czech immigrant piano player and through their friendship, gets back on his feet and starts living life again.

Its low production values actually adds to the charm as the camera work and sound editing give the movie a more realistic feel. The two main characters are not professional actors but do a wonderful job, these are completely believable characters and part of the reason is that they have lived the lives they are portraying. The plot is simple and the ending is not clichéd nor is it shocking or unbelievable either.

What really sets this movie apart is the music. The music is actually what movie snobs call diagetic which means that the music comes from the world of the movie and not a soundtrack placed over the dialogue from somewhere outside of the movie world (it’s not 100% diagetic as one song is repeated at the end of movie in a montage that shows how the characters move on in their lives). The performance of the songs was done live and typically in one take with only one or two cameras. The songs are absolutely mesmerizing and will haunt you for days afterward. Also since they songs are performed live within the movie the viewer gets to enjoy the song in its entirety and not a snippet or one chorus as is typical in movies.

I don’t want to give a whole lot of the plot away as it is more fun to watch these two characters grow and make their life decisions without preconceived notions. It is a joy to watch and I encourage anyone who is sick of the big blockbuster to check it out either in the theater or when it is released on DVD.

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well July is in the books so it’s time to take a look at all that I’ve been enjoying or not this summer.

Movies. I’ve previously reviewed the movies I’ve seen here and here. Since that time I’ve seen Transformers, Harry Potter 5, Hairspray and The Simpson’s Movie. The Transformers movie trailer had me drooling in my seat so of course it couldn’t live up to my expectations. While stunning to watch, the movie was too much like a cartoon. If you’re a 12 year old boy you’re gonna love this movie. Simpson’s was an extended TV show – very funny with biting satire. The first 40 minutes are so chock full of jokes, you can hardly keep up. If you’re a Simpson’s fan you can’t miss this movie. Harry Potter 5 was good. The darkest, and I thought best, Potter movie thus far. The story has moved beyond a magical children’s story and the movie reflects that change. That leaves me with Hairspray. I was a big fan of the original movie and thought it was hilarious if a little silly. The current version is also great. From the opening song Good Morning Baltimore (with a wonderful cameo by John Waters), you know you are in for a treat. The movie was a blast, fun to look at and the set musical pieces were stunning. The one movie so far that I would go back to see again (although I could be dragged to the Simpson’s just to catch some of the jokes I missed).

Books. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I thought it was a good ending to the story. A surprising amount of sub plots were wrapped up and a large number of known characters were killed (nine at my count). The ending is a little confusing but with a little research I’m pretty sure I get it. Rowling can write some great set pieces and there are definitely parts that are absolute page turners. Wild Trees: This is a fascinating little book about researchers of Redwood trees who climb up to the top of 350 foot redwoods to find out what’s going up in the canopy. Fun characters that you care about and what would seem like a boring story – tree researchers – is actually quite interesting. Written by the author of Hot Zone. Also check out my review of The Natural at Stick and Ball Guy.

Music. I haven’t listened to a whole lot of new music this summer. Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky is a nice addition to the Wilco canon. It definitely has a 70’s vibe and the guitar work is stellar. Not as experimental as Yankee Foxtrot Hotel or a Ghost is Born but compelling and worthy of multiple listenings nonetheless. Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible is good but not the second coming of the Lord as it was described by some reviewers.

TV. I haven’t watched a lot of TV other than the Daily Show or Twins baseball games. ESPN’s The Bronx is Burning has been good. Based on a book that I read last year it tells the story of 1977 NYC including the Yankees (Billy Martin v. Reggie Jackson), the Son of Sam killings, the mayors race, and eventually the blackout. Since it’s on ESPN the series is focusing on the Yankees angle but is actually done quite well.

Sports. Twins have been maddenly inconsistent but weren’t able to add that one bat or two to get them over the hump. Wolves trade Garnett, Michael Vick sponsored dog fights, doping epidemic at the Tour de France, Freddy Adu goes to Portugal, Barry Bonds will break Aaron’s record any day now, and the Vikings promise to wallow in NFL mediocrity once again. Summer 2007 will not go down as a shining sports era under anyone’s measure.

What have you been doing this summer? What have you liked or not liked?

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Unless you have been living under a rock these past few months you know that Friday at Midnight is hour zero for Harry Potter fans as the last(?) Harry Potter book comes out and after 10 years, seven books, and nearly 4,000 pages we learn what finally happens between Harry and Voldemort. In addition, the movie version of the 5th book – The Order of the Phoenix – is in the theaters entertaining Harry fans young and old alike.

Our family got the Harry Potter books early on and began by reading them to our kids. Actually my wife read them, although I filled in from time to time. I never fully read the books until the summer of 2005 when the penultimate book – The Half-Blood Prince – came out. I spent a large chunk of that summer reading books one through six in order, over 3,000 pages, to get caught up. Although not necessarily my favorite type of book, I have to admit Rowling can tell a good story and I whipped through them pretty quickly. I’d say Goblet of Fire was my favorite book.

I also went to all the movies and although not great art, have appreciated that they have stuck close to the books and have brought the movie public along for the ride pretty well. That blasé attitude changed with Order of the Phoenix which I think is by far the best Potter movie so far. The book’s new characters, Luna Lovegood and Dolores Umbridge, were perfectly cast and the movie captures quite well the darkness of the story and Harry’s teenage angst. This is not a kiddie movie but a struggle between good and evil. The stakes are much higher here and you feel in it this movie.

As for the final book – The Deathly Hallows – we have a copy on reserve at Barnes and Noble and I am sure we will pick it up sometime on Saturday or Sunday. However I can’t wait and I took a look at the .pdf file that someone put on the web where they took a picture of each page in the book. I of course didn’t read every page but I checked in on a few characters. Don’t worry no spoilers here, although I am sure by Monday or Tuesday that everyone will know what happens. I will say that the book DOESN’T end with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Hogsmeade, Hermione putting a coin in the jukebox and then you turn the page and its nothing but white. However if you don’t believe that I saw the ending of the book, I’ll give you this non-spoiler: The second to last word in the book is the word “was.”

What are your Potter predictions?

UPDATE: nytimes.com has a review of Deathly Hallows. Slate.com has a nice book club discussion going on regarding the book.

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well having survived the May threequels, I have continued to take in a bunch of Summer movies. Except for one standout, the movies have been so-so this summer.

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer I actually liked the original Fantastic 4, I thought it was a fun thrill ride and good way to kick-off these characters. Rise of the Silver Surfer was a tad disappointing. Reid and Sue Storm have virtually no chemistry and no way would they be getting married. There were a couple of nice moments in this movie but nothing to write home about. The Silver Surfer was cool but I would check this out only if you're bringing a pre-teen boy (who's gonna love it).

Ocean's 13 A light breezy movie more in character with O11 and not O12 (thank God!) Danny and the Boys are up to their old tricks and it's just as fun to see the witty banner than how they pull off the caper. Enjoyable but slight. Unless you have nothing else to do, can easily be classified as a renter.

Knocked Up Hands down the best movie I've seen this Summer. There are parts that are gut busting funny, Katherine Heigl is very easy on the eyes, and Seth Rogan and his stoner buddies are outragous. Although rated R for language, lots of sexual banter, drug use (and slight nudity), it would be a great movie to bring teens to because it doesn't sugar coat the impact pregnancy has on a woman's body, relationships, etc. The comedy doesn't undercut the message that having children is a great life changing event and has many responsibilities associated with it. Besides being really funny, the movie has keen insight on man-woman telationships and the joys/frustrations of raising a family. A great date movie with your new girlfriend or wife of 17 years.

Movies looking forward to:

Simpsons
Transformers
Harry Potter

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well the three big “3” movies have now come out (Pirates, Shrek, Spiderman) and I’m assuming most people have seen them. As expected each movie is making oodles of money but after huge opening weekends, there has been steep drop-offs in ticket sales. Although none of the movies can remotely be considered a bomb, each movie will probably fall well short of the box office efforts of their sibling releases.

I came out of each movie entertained but somewhat disappointed. What’s interesting is that I found the same fault with all three movies in that the filmmakers tried to shoehorn too much stuff into each movie. I can just hear the director of Spiderman saying, what’s better than having one villain? How about two? Then someone pipes in “hey let’s have three villains!” Sure three villains may sound cooler but it muddied the movie. Spiderman v. Sandman would have made a taut, thrilling movie. Spiderman 3 couldn’t explore deeper the whole Sandman character because it also had to deal with Venom and the Goblin. The end result being that all three villains were given short shrift.

The same could be said for Shrek and Pirates. There were so many characters having so many issues to resolve that each individual character wasn’t fully realized. This was an acute problem with Shrek, especially since it clocks in at a tidy 85 minutes. An additional 10 minutes may have actually helped. In the end it was the same old jokes and wry commentary on pop culture and fairy tales. Much like cotton candy, it just kinda melted away and was forgotten about by the time I got to the parking lot. The final battle in Pirates was awesome to behold, the effects were stunning and there was little there to suggest that most of it was CGI. However what was the deal with Calypso? It made no sense, added nothing to the picture and was a distraction. At 2 hours and 45 minutes plus, Pirates could have easily been cut down to a more manageable 130 or 140 minutes. Again too many characters, too many subplots to explore and try to resolve, and not enough selective culling. Was it better than Pirates 2? Absolutely, hands down. Was it as good as Pirates 1? Not even close.

It seems that the makers of the blockbusters are so worried that they have to amp up the WOW! factor that they add characters, sub plots, and set pieces at the expense of storytelling and identifiable characters. A few, well directed, incredible scenes are all we need, more than that just waters down the whole movie. Spiderman 3, Shrek 3 and Pirates 3 are good counter-examples of why sometimes less is more.

Summer Movies planning to see:

Knocked up
Transformers (looks absolutely amazing)
Harry Potter
Simpsons Movie
Fantastic 4 (good mindless fun)

What do you think of the movies thus far? What movies are you looking forward to seeing?

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

One of the perks of working for the University of Minnesota is that you can take college-credit courses for free. This past Spring term I decided to take a class for the first time since I didn’t finish my Masters Degree in 1990.

My first venture back to school was an Art History film class: The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock. It met one day a week and we got to watch Hitchcock films and discuss them in class. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, got an A, and learned a lot about Hitchcock and filmmaking. So all and all, a pretty successful foray. I thought I would discuss a couple of things I learned about Hitchcock and his films:

The camera tells the story. Alfred Hitchcock started his career in the silent film era and it showed throughout his films. Hitchcock was very cognizant of what was seen on the screen and how that propelled the story or added texture to the characters. If you watch Hitchcock’s films carefully, you’ll find that there will be long passages of no dialogue, in essence, silent film making. There is one amazing sequence in Vertigo where there is no dialogue for nearly 20 minutes! However the viewer knows exactly what is happening, and is actually caught up in the actions of the characters.

Suspense is built by informing the viewer, not the actors. Besides Psycho, Hitchcock typically let the viewers in on the evil/bad things that were about to happen to the characters on the screen. It is described as such: Which is scarier, showing the viewer the bomb under the table with the clock counting down to zero while the some of the characters are unaware of the bomb, or surprising the viewers by having a hidden bomb suddenly blow up under a table? Certainly the later is more shocking but the former is more suspenseful.

There are a lot of good Hitchcock Films out there. Sure everyone knows about Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, etc. But there are a number of other less known, forgotten classics, most of are available at your local video store/Netflicks. Films you may not be aware of but are great include: Strangers on a Train (a must see!), Rebecca, Shadow of Doubt, Notorious, the 1934 version of the Man Who Knew Too Much (better than the 1950’s version) and the 39 Steps. The last two films were from Hitchcock’s “English” film career and are harder to come by at your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. All these films are in Black in White by the way.

Finally I have to put a word in on Vertigo. I’d seen the film before but didn’t think it deserved all the accolades. Having watched the film with a critical eye and discussing it afterward changed my opinion greatly. Besides the aforementioned no dialogue for 20 minutes, the film really is a wonderful example of great filmmaking. From the wonderful cinematography, to the classic scenes of 1950’s San Francisco, to the obsession of Jimmy Stewart, the film is quite enjoyable, even with its rather bleak ending.

Also as an added treat, here is a link that discusses some the best long tracking shots in movie history, some with YouTube videos. A technique that Hitchcock virtually invented in his film Rope.

What’s your favorite Hitchcock film?

Posted by Freealonzo at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I heard with great sadness that David Halberstam was killed yesterday in a car accide