January 26, 2012    the artist   shame   tree of life   warrior  

Faves of 2011

It’s not yet February so I can still list my favorite films of 2011 right?

I saw a lot of films last year and enjoyed most of them, but these four really stayed with me. They had me walking out of the theater  emotional, meditative, and inspired.

TREE OF LIFE

One of the most beautiful looking and feeling movies I’ve ever seen. I’ve gushed enough about this film in a previous post.

tree of life

tree

WARRIOR

Long scenes of heavy character development and quiet dialogue juxtaposed with heavy MMA fighting. If you are a guy and have a brother you will most likely be crying your eyes out at the end of the film. If you’re not yet on the Tom Hardy fanclub, please get on it asap. Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton performances are amazing as well. If you think you’re too cool for sports films, maybe its use of two tracks from The National will entice you?

warrior1

warrior2

SHAME

Already went on and on about this film in a previous post. So good.

shame1

shame2

THE ARTIST

For film fans, it’s a lot of fun to see somebody make a silent feature film with modern day techniques. Wonderful music and great use of sound when it matters. It’s also impressive how an entire film can use less dialogue than a single trademark Tarantino scene and still tell an emotional and driving story. 

Artist1

Artist2

Comments
January 17, 2012    photography  

How do you get your subjects to relax in front of the camera?


Like a dentist or doctor, a photographer must have an excellent bedside manner. You have to instill confidence in your subject. If you’re having a tooth pulled, you want your dentist to act as if this is a really normal procedure that he’s done thousands of times before. It’s the same with taking a portrait. Talk to your subject about what’s going to happen, ask them questions about how they’re feeling, explain that this should be a collaborative and enjoyable experience. Use positive reinforcement. Some people are natural in front of the camera, but most people aren’t, so allow them time to warm up and realise that getting their picture taken really isn’t as bad as having a tooth pulled. And if all that fails, get them drunk.

Comments
January 5, 2012

so good.

criterioncorner:

it’s almost as if Quentin Tarantino likes referencing older movies…

elguindilla:

8½ (1963) vs Pulp Fiction (1994)

Gracias, JUAN, por el enlace

Comments
December 31, 2011    music video  

Death Cab For Cutie - New Year (directed by Jay Martin)

One of my favorite videos. I love how it features a less glamorous look on a holiday. 

But despite that downer of a video, Happy New Year to my friends on the other side of the planet. We’ll be joining you soon!

Cheers to everyone. 2012 is gonna be awesome.

Comments
December 16, 2011    shame   film comment  
I feel like all adult men should be required to see this film. We may not all be extreme cases like Brandon Sullivan, but I think there’s something in there about both sexuality and addiction that anybody can relate to.
Technically, the film is also refreshingly precise. Director Steve McQueen doesn’t rely on standard film-ology (close up + wide shot + medium shot - then edit between them) but has a lot of long takes with the camera locked down. It’s refreshing because the actors end up controlling the rhythm and timing of a lot of the important scenes, which makes everything feel more truthful. Not a lot of directors are secure enough to trust their cast that way. 
I have to read the script to know for sure, but i feel like there’s maybe only one or two scenes where the characters actually say what they’re thinking. Most of the emotions and intentions are interpreted through their actions and the subtext. With that being said, Michael Fassbender is amazing in how he expresses so much while being relatively quiet throughout the film. And Carey Mulligan is equally good. I think she really thrives opposite excellent actors in longer scenes (see Drive).
There was a thirty-something man sitting by himself behind me in the theater. When the ending credits rolled, I could hear him crying. He was really sobbing and seemed so deeply emotional. And it wasn’t like the film had tricked him into an emotional blackmail type of ending, demanding tears. It must have just struck a chord with him, the way good art can just break through your defenses and penetrate your soul.

I feel like all adult men should be required to see this film. We may not all be extreme cases like Brandon Sullivan, but I think there’s something in there about both sexuality and addiction that anybody can relate to.

Technically, the film is also refreshingly precise. Director Steve McQueen doesn’t rely on standard film-ology (close up + wide shot + medium shot - then edit between them) but has a lot of long takes with the camera locked down. It’s refreshing because the actors end up controlling the rhythm and timing of a lot of the important scenes, which makes everything feel more truthful. Not a lot of directors are secure enough to trust their cast that way. 

I have to read the script to know for sure, but i feel like there’s maybe only one or two scenes where the characters actually say what they’re thinking. Most of the emotions and intentions are interpreted through their actions and the subtext. With that being said, Michael Fassbender is amazing in how he expresses so much while being relatively quiet throughout the film. And Carey Mulligan is equally good. I think she really thrives opposite excellent actors in longer scenes (see Drive).

There was a thirty-something man sitting by himself behind me in the theater. When the ending credits rolled, I could hear him crying. He was really sobbing and seemed so deeply emotional. And it wasn’t like the film had tricked him into an emotional blackmail type of ending, demanding tears. It must have just struck a chord with him, the way good art can just break through your defenses and penetrate your soul.

Comments
9:17pm    constanza   apartment series   photography  
model: Constanza. / Photo: carlo dj
apartment series

model: Constanza. / Photo: carlo dj

apartment series

Comments
December 10, 2011    videos  

faketv:

It’s Friday, treat yo self:

theatlanticvideo:

‘The Gift’: A Russian Sci-Fi Mini Thriller With a Twist

A mysterious box sparks mayhem among men and robots in The Gift, a short film directed by Carl Erik Rinsch. The film was made for Philips Cinema’s Parallel Lines film series, but it transcends the limitations of branded content and short fiction in general — not to mention the usual sci-fi clichés.

Comments
November 20, 2011    videos  

monsterbeard:

alexblagg:

“Drive-Thru” (official movie trailer)

It’s like “Drive”, except more delicious. 

(dir. by Matthew Michaud, co-starring saraliz, edited by Terry Huynh)

This is like getting a Big Mac with a Double Whopper and a side of Arby’s curly fries.  Incredible.

Awesome. But if you haven’t seen Drive you may not appreciate the spoilers.

Comments
November 11, 2011    photography   apartment series  
model: Constanza. / Photo: carlo dj
apartment series

model: Constanza. / Photo: carlo dj

apartment series

Comments
November 8, 2011
azizisbored:

Wow. How lame do emails seem after seeing this. 
awesomepeoplehangingouttogether:

Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol corresponding

azizisbored:

Wow. How lame do emails seem after seeing this. 

awesomepeoplehangingouttogether:

Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol corresponding

(Source: whereisthecoool)

Comments