signs of success

well things have been fairly uneventful in my life people of the innerweb as of late. a bit of a shock to hear i'm sure, cause it has been a shock to me!

this week a fairly noteworthy event has occurred to disrupt my newly emerging normality though...

i stand here at the entrance to the dell (my new home here in the botanic garden) and admire the new OFFICIAL sign denoting my occupancy of the area.

it's official issue from the department of conservation, and is part of my new protection program. man that just sounds so cool, having my own conservation program... and it is even cooler then it sounds!

oh wait how rude of me people of the innerweb... i haven't told you that story yet have i!

well it all started yesterday morning...

a visitor arrived bright and early in the morning at the park... not an unusual occurrence i guess, come to think of it. we do get a LOT of visitors here a day!... but this would be no ordinary visitor...

she probably would have gone unnoticed like the countless hundreds others who have passed through the gardens since i moved in, but there was something about her that was different...

a presence i guess would be the best way to describe it... the very way she walked about the upper gardens with a sense of purpose denoted something unusual about her being here...

like the very capable and diligent headmaster of the gardens that he is, ben the gardener picked up on her within only a few minutes. being a much braver creature then me (it must be noted people of the innerweb despite my being a potentially fierce t-rex i'm something of a "chicken"... well in more then one way i guess. we t-rexs are related to chickens...) ben went up to personally investigate our new comer...

he was surprised to learn that she already knew who he was. even more surprising was her request for him to assist her in finding me...

now of course at the time i was unaware of any of this going on below me in the main part of the garden. all i know is that i got a phone call on my still newish "cell" phone from ben asking me to come meet as he put it a "special visitor".

so like a good tenant i started on my way to meet up with my landlord, and who ever this mysterious visitor ben had spoken of... having no clue as to just how important a meeting this would end up being...

ben in the meantime being the great guy he is tried to be a friendly host/facilitator by making small talk. our guest though would have none of it...

leaving poor ben in something of a lurch. he's not the sort to have people be unsociable to him (which is funny i guess... you'd think someone who spends a lot of time around plants would be used to not being talked to...)

instead the stranger seemed to be observing and scrutinizing everything as she walked. sizing up the whole garden for some unknown reason...

it was about this time that i entered the picture... in more then one way in fact! cause hey here i am in this picture hehehehe...

ben proceeded to introduce me to the stranger. from whom he had only gotten a name... and who she worked for.

"traumador this is agent hamiliton. she's from the department of conservation, and she's here to see you" ben said as politely as he could, though it was clear he wanted to leave the presence of our slight icy guest...

for a second i was really excited! man i'd been waiting for the D.O.C. (that's fancy movie type talk for department of conservation! who thought i'd get to cut down a big long title like that just like a movie boy oh boy!) to contact me for a little while here. cutting my enthusiasm short...

"excellent. thank you for your assistance," agent hamiliton said to ben. "you may go now."

wow that was almost rude i thought. she then turned to me. "we can get started now mr. tyrannosaur."

oh man i was primed. get started on my conservation program... not that i knew what that actually meant, but it sounded big and impressive...

"i'll need to see exactly where you've established your new habitat," requested (well almost came across as more of an order come to think of it) agent hamilton.

as i lead the way to the dell i started asking a ton of questions about agent hamilton, the D.O.C., and all sorts of other stuff... come to think of it why i asked her whether santa was ACTUALLY real may have been bad for a first impression...

much to my surprise she simply ignored my questions and was writing things down in her notebook... which as far as i can tell is part of her arm. cause she never puts it down...

due to her lack of talking to me... which was quite disconcerting i assure you people of the innerweb... the walk up to the dell seemed to take forever... it probably didn't help that we slowed down a number of times cause she had to take notes...

at the entrance to the dell we stopped. that surprised me as i was going to take her down to show her my home.

"i'm not properly appraised nor equipped for that in depth an investigation today," she countered my direct invitation to go into the dell.

i was confused...

"mr. tyrannosaur the purpose of my visit today is simply to establish the baseline for your protection program," agent hamilton started noting my confounded look. "if i were to enter into your habitat today without proper knowledge of your behaviour or biologic needs, i could cause critical disruptions to your well being."

"uh but i just offered," i said thinking this was 'proper knowledge' enough.

"now i'm going to need to know a few things," she kept going ignoring me. "what is the approximate extent of your territory in the dell?"

"uh," i hesitated. based on her thus far stern and very serious nature i didn't want to answer the part of the dell that wasn't part of ben's fabled scary maze. so i opted for answering"the usable part."

"am i correct in assuming you establish a territory then?" she seemed to be interrogating me... like on a TV show or something...

"i guess so," i was kinda scared now that i'd answer wrong and fail a test or something.

"are you meeting your basic sustenance and shelter needs in this range?" she eyed me.

"huh?" i've never taken a basic sustaining shelter course before!

"you have enough food and acceptable shelter here," agent hamilton seemed to be getting impatient with me.

"oh. yeah, and if not there's a fish and chips shop just across the road," i replied. realizing i hadn't been specific. "uh that's for either more food or shelter."

"right," she seemed unhappy with that response as she wrote in her notes. "lastly what impacts have humans been having directly on your range?"

now as i've been trying to improve my out look on life and not focus on the negatives lately, people of the web wide world i haven't mentioned one of the problems with my new home...

"people walking through the dell or the rest of the garden have... well been kinda, getting scared when they see me," i answered.

"and?" agent hamilton didn't seem happy about that answer either...

"it's just i don't like making people scream is all," i hesitantly replied. i didn't want to get people in trouble, and i worried maybe my answer might do just that...

"consider it taken care of," hamilton looked up from the last note she scribbled down. "we were going to zone this off anyway. i'll just make sure it happens immediately so this noise pollution doesn't bother you anymore."

what? zone off? am i playing a sport suddenly that i was unaware of?

"right," she interrupted my pondering of her last statement. "that concludes my initial queries for now."

agent hamilton turned and started to walk away from the dell back towards the main gardens...

i was kinda caught off guard by this, and had to run to catch up with her. when i did without looking agent hamilton started talking to me...

"now mr. tyrannosaur for the last month and a half you're existence here in new zealand was, to put it gently nebulous," what does my life have to do with space clouds?

"as of this morning you and your case have been completely registered within the department of conservation, and as of such you are now our responsibility. we are going to be taking every precaution and measure we can to ease your integration into new zealand's biosphere, while at the same time hopefully impacting on your existence as little as possible."

"at the same time it must be said that unlike the month and half leading up to now things are going to be a little different," she almost turned to look at me. "you've been allowed to settle into your new surroundings and hopefully adapt to the native ecosystem without interference. more to the point you haven't had to deal with us at the department much. as of today that changes mr. tyrannosaur."

"from here on in you will be officially monitored and checked up on as per standard procedure for endangered species such as yourself. furthermore i must once again remind you of the official protocols and procedures placed on you by your conservation directives. you must remember to adhere to those directives ALL the time from here on in."

"apart from that this concludes this official first checkup," she reached into her pocket. "here is my contact information should you need to contact me about anything, especially your directives. i will be your contact to the department, and as of such don't feel hesitant to talk to me about any problems you might be experiencing."

though i had a gazillion questions i didn't want to invoke her stern look or make her mad by asking them so with that she promptly made her way out of the park...

this morning i was awoken by the sound of what sounded like drills...

investigating i was shocked to discover someone had posted a number of these signs at the entrances to the dell...

their again official issue from the department of conservation which is kinda cool.

so there we go people of the innerweb. quite a bit has happened from one visitor...

all i'm left wondering is why does the sign say "beware" of tyrannosaur... don't you think that will just make people more scared of me?...

Brand Upon The Brain! - 2007 - Film

Friday, May 18, 2007

A few notes of interest about Brand Upon the Brain!, which I saw awhile ago now, but am eager to share nonetheless. First of all, the movie is not just a "movie,' it is an experience that combines live narration and sound effects, while watching an image that sputters to life with spontaneity. It captures the memories of "Guy Maddin" (he is the director, yes, but the story's protagonist as well) and reruns them with overt attention to their repetition. These are not flashbacks, but the story unfolding in disconnected retrospect. The film is about memory and functions like it; it is the process of taking us through Maddin’s recollection that gives it meaning.

Our narrator at the Music Box Theater in Chicago was Crispin Glover. His character's voice was the steady rhythm that helped us digest the crackly picture on screen; he, along with the live Foley artists, gave the performance form. In fact, the finest contribution the Foley staff gave the first few rows, was another sensory experience, an inadvertent olfactory activity: the smell of fresh celery water from ribs of celery twisted to create the sound of a dead man's limbs being straightened on screen.

Brand Upon The Brain! has limited release, but is screening throughout the country this summer. Check the website for dates!

28 Weeks Later - 2007 - Film

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Having only seen a few minutes of the original 28 Days Later, I have no significant complaints about its sequel, 28 Weeks Later. In fact, I loved the latter horror flick. With a heavy splattering of blood, 28 Weeks gives us some of the best political commentary in recent horror history. In the context of the Iraq war and the indefatigable rhetoric of the U.S. military "surge," director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo asks the question, Where does insurgency end? Apparently, it doesn't. The quarantined area of central London a full 28 weeks after the first "rage" attacks (where infected humans transform into animalistic blood-suckers within seconds) is, as it turns out, unsafe: one human is discovered to have an immunity, but subsequently transmits the virus to the genetically weaker others and hell breaks loose. As the film ends (spoiler alert) silhouettes of the escaped infected tear across the screen, the Eiffel Tower stands firm in the background. In other words, the insurgency, like the "rage" virus, is not contained and is likely to keep on spreading. It's a comment that predicts doom for modern politics and civilization, and therefore provides a moment of pause to consider the consequences of our current actions.

I also enjoyed the London scenery, a space and skyline of which I am indeed ignorant. (One flight into Heathrow is hardly a sightseeing tour.) This is the first movie that leaves me with a map of London and the greater area in my mind, much like the movies of New York and Los Angeles that leave viewers with architectural points of reference. It probably sounds silly, but the repeated aerial shots of London make me feel like I know the city better.

Hollywood Dreams - 2007 - Film

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Oh my, Henry Jaglom. Director. Of American Dreams. It's my first Jaglom film, and let me say, I'm not eager for the next. It's a small story about an Iowa girl emotionally and financially beat in L.A. Margie (Tanna Frederick) is dying to be a famous actress--not just an "actress," but "famous." That's the primary distinction to be made with this character, who has no life of her own, no friends, or real sense of self, so naturally her push for fame is understandable. Fame is her permanent escape from reality.

After I saw the movie I asked a friend if he'd ever seen any Jaglom before. He answered no, but that he has heard him referred to as the Woody Allen of the west coast. And for a minute, Hollywood Dreams made a bit of sense: one of the film's main features are the near aerial views of L.A. from the Hollywood hills, or along the city's cafe neighborhoods--the ones that Margie and teams of other struggling actors inhabit.

But that interest is superficial. I can't stop thinking of Tanna's horribly annoying character, written with too much hyperbole to make any sense of. If the comparison between Jaglom and Allen holds true, at least Woody makes us fall in love with his city, and often with the help of some pretty witty characters; Jaglom makes us want to sprint as fast as we can away from L.A., from the endless, manic auditioning process.

The Brick and The Mirror - 1965 - Film

Saturday, May 5, 2007

This is the only still I could find of Ebrahim Golestan's 1965 film The Brick and The Mirror, and just might be the singular one available. This is a film of supreme realism and heart, and were it available for wider release it might prove to be one of the world's top movies of all-time. It follows an Iranian taxi driver around the city after he discovers a crying baby left in the back of his cab. Unable to find the baby's mother in a shadowy, almost abstractly dark and abandoned village on the outside of town, the cabbie takes in the bundled baby. He visits a smoky supper club, replete with a brazen cabaret singer, and a philosophy-spewing table of men that's reminiscent of something Godard. (As it turns out, I recently popped in my VHS of Breathless and instantly thought of Golestan's film.) The taxi driver gets help from a female friend, a waitress who finds this as the perfect opportunity to construct a family of her own. The police are reluctant to claim the baby so it's turned over to an orphanage--perhaps the biggest regret of this would-be mother and father's relationship, which fades away with the dusky night. One of the most outstanding scenes ever seen on film takes place inside the orphanage before the film concludes, with long, curious shots of the nursery's babies bouncing and crying; subtly noticing their own performance for the quiet camera.

This was the first screening in 35 years, so if it comes to town it is urgent that you, film fans, see it immediately.

Boyz n the Hood - 1991 - OnDemand broadcast

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Boyz n the Hood looks like Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989), but transplanted in L.A. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as the son of divorced parents, a pickle in the middle of a upwardly-mobile mother who worked her way out of the ghetto, and a moralistic but blue collar father who raises him in south central Los Angeles. It's a socially aware flick that laments the loss of young blacks to drugs, guns and gangs—worlds away from the aforementioned Lee whose films are a public display of outrage meant to incite awareness and change. In comparison, Lee is uncomfortable with a romanticized ghetto culture, but here, director John Singleton presents it as a simple fact of life. In no way does Singleton advocate gang violence and other like ailments of this youth demographic, though a sense of nostalgia about it exists nonetheless. Perhaps it was the bright color of the costume and props among the drab yellowing neighborhood that tipped me off to its melodramatic mode, and between a sexually frustrated relationship between Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his girlfriend, and a final shooting scene with one of the film's most sympathetic characters, the film truly is equal parts social picture and melodrama.

Escape From New York - 1981 - OnDemand broadcast

Saturday, May 5, 2007

What a frightening, surreal, sometimes unintentionally funny, but overall awesome movie. It takes place in a futuristic and dystopic Manhattan island that's been converted into a criminal compound. Yes, you heard right: the entire island of Manhattan is now one massive prison cell where the criminals create their own sub-society within. It's the late 1990s—already a future of the past—and though the film isn't prophetic, it is at least a dark coincidence that the President's airplane has been hijacked and crashed into lower Manhattan. The shadows of the blacked-out skyscrapers mingle with the night sky to create an effect of eerie surrealism. Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a criminal himself, is sent to rescue the president who has since been captured by the criminal underground after the crash. Snake has 24 hours to glide his plane atop the World Trade Center unnoticed, maneuver his way down 50 flights of stairs (the elevator stops at floor 50), and track down the President through a barrage of litter, graffiti, and thousands of hardened criminals—the worst of whom look a lot like the undead.

Essentially one of the biggest cities in the world has been converted into a space of grotesque horrors and inhuman characters; a social commentary that comes between George A. Romero's final two installments of the Dead Trilogy, Dawn of The Dead and Day of The Dead. The former of which takes place in a society so superficial and consumer-driven that it's shot in a shopping mall, where the customers are quite literally zombies. The latter, is set in an underground military base, because the world above is so ravaged it's uninhabitable. Escape From New York is more akin to Day of The Dead, primarily for it's commentary on military defense structures, and the impending social apocalypse as a result.

Harry Dean Stanton, Isaac Hayes, Donald Pleasence, and Lee Van Cleef also star. Also, don't forget Ernest Borgnine as the cartoonish cabbie.

Pariah - 2007 - DVD

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Look for my review of student filmmaker Dee Rees' amazing thesis film Pariah at Scarlett Cinema--coming very soon! Her film premiered at the First Look Film Festival in Denver, Colorado last month to rave reviews, and I feel lucky to have seen this soon-to-be-famous director's work at such an early stage. Check in at Scarlett this weekend for details.

Fay Grim - 2007 - Film

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Watch for my review in Four Magazine in the next few days!

Dropped into the middle of Hal Hartley's career never having seen any of his previous films, it might be difficult to assess the virtues and vices of Fay Grim, especially considering it's a sequel to his last picture, Henry Fool. Though, my instincts are intact and they tell me that Fay falls a little flat. The primary issue was the camera technique that for the first half of the film (and more) was so closely zoomed in on the characters that they could have been shot in front of a blank wall. We would never know the difference, which is a major demerit for a film that takes place in Queens, New York, where scenery acts as much as its characters. As the story ventures into European territory in the latter half of the film this changes, and that's where the story's momentum picks up, but by that point it's almost too late.

Stay tuned for my final thoughts...