5.27.2010

mother



saw this on saturday and haven't stopped thinking about it. genre but perfectly executed. amazing last 5 minutes.

5.17.2010

strange convergence/s

had a lot of cassavetes on the mind lately - firstly in just sort of a generalized man-making-a-movie-on-his-terms thing which i admire to no end (even if i don't love the films themselves) but more specifically: i'm currently reading marshall fine's (overly) adulatory 'accidental genius', watched 'husbands' last week (which i did not care for) and 'minnie and moskowitz' (which i liked a lot). in a parallel universe i've been listening to 'sometimes i wish we were an eagle' by bill callahan more or less on repeat the past few wks.
so, strange intersection this morning when i came across this text of bill callahan introducing faces at the maryland film festival. here.


wknd, movies

managed to get 6 movies in this wknd. oh glory and beauteousness!



'field guide for november days' at nw film ctr. shot and directed by local
filmmaker nick peterson. among its merits the production was shot nearly all by bicycle - yes an incredibly portland-y notion - and features local actor and musician joe haege who (shameless plug) wrote a song for my latest short film (which is done!) which you can see soon.




small change by truffaut at the hollywood theater. restored print. i had never seen this and am still reeling. wow.



un prophete at the academy. one of the shining glories of living in portland is being able to watch cinema and enjoy a fine oatmeal stout
at the same time. this cannot be overstated.



down in the bone by debra granik. watched this at home netflix on demand.
reminded me very much - in a great way - of brian lindstrom's finding normal but
w/ vera farmiga



bicycle thieves at hollywood theatre. restored, brand-new print. or so they said. the last reel appeared to have been from a different print.



medicine for melancholy, at home on dvd. the 2nd time i saw this wk. loved, loved. the antithesis of mumblecore. tight time frame, 2 characters,
mostly talking, still cinematic, still compelling.

5.11.2010

last day of mercury retrograde

mm is away this wk at a writing residency (you can follow her exploits here) which means it's great week for me to lay on the couch and watch a lot of movies. i've been going at a noble clip if i do say so (see below for one example). still the absence of one person can upend the daily routine a bit - the wake times, the dog walks, the meals, the cleanliness, you get the idea - and i came to realize this wk just how frequently i'm on the computer or checking the computer or walking near the computer so as to check it for any sort of email update or blog update or social network blog twitter feed electronic whatever update. it alarmed me. so yesterday morning i made myself actually turn the computer off (as opp to 'sleeping' it) and agreed w/ myself to leave off for a 24 hour duration.

i did it. went swimmingly. no issues. came home last night and felt
the faintest tingle of desire to turn it on but i resisted. walked the dog, prepared dinner, watched movie. all fine.

then this AM i go to turn on computer, an imac, and, after startup chime, i hear 3 quick sonic blasts, indicative of something out of wack, repeating. a loop of computing error blasting in triplicate w/ all the urgency of a submarine nuclear launch. computer will not start. looping will not stop unless I turn off.

fortunately i have laptop. was able to naviage to apple service and type in info and receive a phone call. they schedule me to come to apple store
downtown, in the mall, 2 blocks from my work at 115. since the unit in question is a 24 inch imac i have to box up, put in car, park car in parking garage downtown, decide whether to tote unit to work or keep fingers crossed and leave in car until 115. i keep fingers crossed.
as soon as i get to work i take $ from atm in anticipation of parking garage payment which will be close to 15 bucks.

not too long after getting in to my cube i am instant messaged by mm, who has noted my recent atm withdral and who urges me to not use the debit card until friday, when the mortgage clears (note: yes, she tracks my every financial step and movement b/c, she keeps saying, we are in love and tethered together and, especially, b/c i am not good with numbers or equations and therefore it's in our own best interest to not allow me to have serious financial responsibility so i am instead allowed a small sum to walk around with per week. it's a compromise, marriage)

so, for hrs i'm sitting in cube, counting down until i can go back to parking garage on my lunch break. finally lunch comes. and i go out into the world. when i return, over an hr later, i compose and send the following email to mm:

went to garage on my lunch break
retrieved heavy box w/ imac in it.
walked it across the street to apple store, which was swarming.
they had no record of my appt.
finally we determined it was under your name.
i was told to browse for a few minutes until called.
finally called.
it's either ram or logic board
both of which are parts they don't have in stock. 2-3 days at earliest.
had to leave it there.
got parking validated
figured i'd drive up to library to return dvds
and then try to find one of those 5 hour parking spots
couldn't find one but found a 3 hr one.
pulled up and realized that they charge 1.60 an hr
which is ridiculous considering i'd have to run back out
at 5pm to move the car again and i should have
just left it at the garage. plus since you told me that mortgage business
i don't want to use the card. keep in mind i'm starving
and keep in mind i have to be back in the office at 2pm for a conference
call. it's 150pm. i decide to drive across hawth bridge, park and take the 4 which doesn't arrive until 2:05.
i walk up to my building, starving, hoping for a burrito
but the burrito man is packing up
i'm sweaty b/c i didn't shower this AM b/c i was running late
so i'm stinky and tired and kerfluffled.
i get back in office at 215, preparing to apologize profusely
but there is no conference call. cancelled.
!
xo


5.03.2010

doves and crocodiles

Walter Murch: "Three Fathers of Cinema" from Old School Cinema on Vimeo.

the great walter murch discusses the 18th century confluence of realism in literature and dynamism in music - two rivers joining to create cinema.
a bit on the longer side but it's worth a look.

gavotte in c minor, js bach