Five Frames
Images Taken With Various Digital Cameras (see descriptions)
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Cinema Cycle - Greed
CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE REVIEWED: 01/30/2017
FORMAT: LaserDisc
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hours 27 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 31.5 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6181.7 miles
SYNOPSIS: A lottery winning destroys the lives of three people in 1910 California
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Almost every human emotion and experience summed up in two and a half hours. Death Valley is a bitch….and then you die.
PROS AND CONS: An absolutely stellar film. I have seen it numerous times and after each viewing it just gets better and better.
The history and folklore around this work are legendary and indeed it is one of the films that gave Hollywood its persona. Every time I see Erich Von Stroheim as ‘Max’ in “Sunset Boulevard”, you realize that he had directed this only 30 years prior. If you don’t know about this film, just Google it.
This particular copy contains an orchestrated soundtrack by Carl Davis which greatly enhances the work and give a whole new layer to the film. Definitely on my top 10 list of all time and possibly the greatest American film ever created.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Cinema Cycle - The Muppets
CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE REVIEWED: 01/27/2017
TITLE: The Muppets
FORMAT: Blu-Ray
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 44 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 22 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6150.2 miles
SYNOPSIS: A young muppet aides the disbanded troupe in reuniting to save their theater.
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Wholesome family values and plot intermixed with sly adult humor.
PROS AND CONS: An entertaining film done well. Once you get past the idea of puppets interacting with humans it actually becomes a bit of an adult inside joke.
While the plot is simplistic and easily follow-able, it is the subtle low key sight gags and dialogue that make you take notice. This is a musical, but even the song and dance numbers are done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
This is a “Where’s Waldo” of Hollywood films. You get to try and spot how many well known Hollywood actors make cameos in the film. There are dozens. And Chris Cooper as the evil antagonist is hilarious, especially when he does his rap-number song.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
Five Frames - 01/27/2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With Speed Graphic / Minolta Maxxum
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Five Frames - 01/26/2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With Minolta 35mm / Lytro / Panasonic Lumix
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
A Thousand Words - 01/27/2017
A Picture Is Worth
A Thousand Words
(....and here they are.)
DATE TAKEN / DATE WRITTEN
07-01-2016 / 01-26-2017
That look. I recall it so many times. In all my old photographs from Highs School. Those years where you realize you are going to be an adult and think to yourself, jeez this isn’t going to be easy. The look of angst, boredom, frustration, fatigue and knowing it probably isn’t going to get any easier. The universal look. At this age we don’t have enough experience to understand that we have all been there at that point in our lives. It isn’t a singular experience that only you can relate to. The secret key to obtaining the final key to adult status is learning how to ‘cheerfully’ attack all those hard knocks and come out somewhat improved. Otherwise you will just be a bitter disenfranchised adult that nobody wants to be around.
(Actual Word Count = 146)
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Five Frames - 01/25/2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With Lytro / Speed Graphic Cameras
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
Cinema Cycle - Still Smok'in
CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE REVIEWED: 01/25/2017
FORMAT: Laserdisc
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 19.2 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6128.2 miles
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Skit comedy strung together in a promotional video for cannabis consumption in Denmark during the 1990s.
PROS AND CONS: Not a great film. It appears to be a series of skits and concert performances strung together on a loose theme that goes from flashback to fantasy to flashback indefinitely.
The humor here isn’t funny, but it is cutting edge for it’s day. It is an interesting film to watch from the historical perspective. The morals, attitudes and behaviors of society have fundamentally shifted. Leaving films such as this as a documentary of their time.
This film, and I suppose all of the other films by the duo, was financed, written and directed by Cheech and Chong. Some of the skits that they perform here show writing talent and acting that you wouldn’t expect. Which leads me to believe the Tommy and Cheech are pretty smart…..like foxes.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
A Thousand Words - 1/24/2017
A Picture Is Worth
A Thousand Words
(....and here they are.)
DATE TAKEN / DATE WRITTEN
10-10-2016 / 01-21-2017
Creative minds think alike, and when they do they are sometimes too creative. We oftentimes don’t see the ripples that we leave in our wake and how they affect others and ourselves. Frank Capra was right, we can’t always see how we affect the lives of others and vice versa. I wouldn’t be a better person if I had not met my wife. I shudder to think what I might have become without her. We would not have the dream castle we always wanted if we hadn’t move next door to our contractor. A contractor that, shall we say has his own ‘flair’. Here are the happy artisans after ripping out a wall and about to lay up a new ceiling before the new flooring goes in. Sometimes, the will to create can be a bit overpowering, like a narcotic. There must be that bug for excess in all of us, only it takes different forms. What drives each of us, the drive to succeed, to be the fastest, the one with the most toys, the one with the most influence, the one with the most experiences. When is enough enough? To the artist, I suppose this is a stupid question. When you stop creating, you die.
(Actual Word Count - 224)
Monday, January 23, 2017
Five Frames - 01/23/2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With 4X5 Crown Graphic / Minolta Maxxum / Panasonic Lumix
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
Cinema Cycle - Son In Law
CINEMA CYCLE
(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)
DATE REVIEWED: 01/23/2017
TITLE: Son In Law
FORMAT: Laserdisc
TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 36 minutes
DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 20.7 miles
TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6109 miles
SYNOPSIS: A 1990 Southern California hipster upsets the dysfunctional lives of a North Dakota ranch family.
CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Change is good and usually for the better. Parents are often times grown up children.
Zack, the baby brother of the family steals this film.
PROS AND CONS: Not a bad film, but light-hearted fare at it’s best. Shore is not a bad actor in his nitch. He has the range to be dramatic, but seldom is.
The farm family that “Crawl” (Shore’s character) invades is noteworthy only because of the well known character actors that portray it. They are old hands to Shore’s up and coming performance.
The most enjoyable part of the film was the performance of Patrick Renna, as the young son of the family. He has the best lines and delivers them well.
This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.
Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film.
This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle. A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Five Frames - 01/19/2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With Galaxy Tab 4 / Panasonic Lumix / Crown Graphic 4X5
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Five Frames - 01-17-2017
Five Frames
Images Taken With Crown Graphic 4X5 camera
These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.
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