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First, a quick and heartfelt thanks to my readers, commentators, and friends on my flist...in particular those of you who have stuck with me since 2003. Lots of things have changed in my life, and I've lost people, but there's a handful of people from my Buffy fan board days who ended up on LJ and DW...that have been there...in good and bad times. Thank you.
Just came back from seeing the Ang Lee flim The Life of Pi based on Yan Maartal's book of the same name. It blew my mind. Lee does things with 3 D that no one to my knowledge has done and not quite in this way. He's redefined the film experience and movies. This is a film that will be studied in film courses, theology classes, and philosophy and psychology class. It plays with your mind, your perception, and your heart and/or soul. Providing few answers but multiple questions.
Possibly one of the best films that I've seen inside a movie theater in years. It's a beautiful and at times frightening film. And the young Indian actor who plays PI, and has never acted in a film before - is a find. His performance is truly remarkable. It's a book that appears impossible to film, yet Ang Lee accomplishes it.
The plot is simple - after a Japanese freighter sinks, taking with his parents and brother and all the own, a young Indian boy is lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in a life boat, with animals from the family zoo - including a zebra, an organgatung, a hyena, and a Tiger - named Mr. Parker. Yet the story itself isn't simple at all - it's a story about belief. About reason vs. faith.
The film - which is filmed in 3D, must be seen in 3D, or you will lose half of it. I honestly don't think the film works as well not in 3D - it would be duller, slower. It's not a film you can rent, unlike Lincoln or Skyfall or even the Avengers which are all films you can rent and enjoy on DVD. Life of Pi requires a big 60-100 foot screen, a darkened theater, surround sound, and 3D special effects. If you see one film in a movie theater this season - pick that one. Everything else - you can most likely wait until it pops up on netflix.
That said, apparently Peter Jackson chose to film The Hobbit in 3D...which I'm not sure I can handle. Granted fantasy stories work very well in 3D and the Hobbit in particular would. But. I'm not sure I can handle spiders, fakes as they may be, jumping out the screen at me. Watching a Tiger occassionally jump out of the screen at me was bad enough. It's my problem with 3D - I don't like things jumping out of screen at me...it's a thing. But the trailer for The Hobbit in 3D is really cool! I can't wait for that movie - The Hobbit was my favorite book as a kid. Some people love the Chronicles of Narnia, I fell in love with The Hobbit and Dune.
The other flick they are doing in 3D is the new "OZ" film - which is a prequel about the Wizard of OZ, played by James Franco, who is actually great casting for that role. The special effects look awesome, particularly in 3D, but again not sure I can handle flying monkeeys jumping out at the screen at me. Hummingbirds are okay.
Just came back from seeing the Ang Lee flim The Life of Pi based on Yan Maartal's book of the same name. It blew my mind. Lee does things with 3 D that no one to my knowledge has done and not quite in this way. He's redefined the film experience and movies. This is a film that will be studied in film courses, theology classes, and philosophy and psychology class. It plays with your mind, your perception, and your heart and/or soul. Providing few answers but multiple questions.
Possibly one of the best films that I've seen inside a movie theater in years. It's a beautiful and at times frightening film. And the young Indian actor who plays PI, and has never acted in a film before - is a find. His performance is truly remarkable. It's a book that appears impossible to film, yet Ang Lee accomplishes it.
The plot is simple - after a Japanese freighter sinks, taking with his parents and brother and all the own, a young Indian boy is lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in a life boat, with animals from the family zoo - including a zebra, an organgatung, a hyena, and a Tiger - named Mr. Parker. Yet the story itself isn't simple at all - it's a story about belief. About reason vs. faith.
The film - which is filmed in 3D, must be seen in 3D, or you will lose half of it. I honestly don't think the film works as well not in 3D - it would be duller, slower. It's not a film you can rent, unlike Lincoln or Skyfall or even the Avengers which are all films you can rent and enjoy on DVD. Life of Pi requires a big 60-100 foot screen, a darkened theater, surround sound, and 3D special effects. If you see one film in a movie theater this season - pick that one. Everything else - you can most likely wait until it pops up on netflix.
That said, apparently Peter Jackson chose to film The Hobbit in 3D...which I'm not sure I can handle. Granted fantasy stories work very well in 3D and the Hobbit in particular would. But. I'm not sure I can handle spiders, fakes as they may be, jumping out the screen at me. Watching a Tiger occassionally jump out of the screen at me was bad enough. It's my problem with 3D - I don't like things jumping out of screen at me...it's a thing. But the trailer for The Hobbit in 3D is really cool! I can't wait for that movie - The Hobbit was my favorite book as a kid. Some people love the Chronicles of Narnia, I fell in love with The Hobbit and Dune.
The other flick they are doing in 3D is the new "OZ" film - which is a prequel about the Wizard of OZ, played by James Franco, who is actually great casting for that role. The special effects look awesome, particularly in 3D, but again not sure I can handle flying monkeeys jumping out at the screen at me. Hummingbirds are okay.