Blade Runner: A Historic Masterpiece

"Blade Runner", a film that has captured the imagination of people, architects, and film directors around the world. A piece of artwork that will always be spoken of, and will always be a medium on which to compare. At the time of it's release in 1982 "Blade Runner" was in many ways ahead of it's time. Although movies like "Star Wars" had already set a high standard for science fiction films, "Blade Runner" showed it was diverse from previous productions in it's genre. At the time, most stories of the future portrayed a clean, sterile living condition. In the exact opposite way, "Blade Runner" told a story of a more realistic view on the future, a polluted, overpopulated, crime filled world. Now in 2009 we still compare science fiction films to "Blade Runner". Director Ridely Scott had already outdone himself three years earlier with "Alien", but "Blade Runner" was truly unique.
Ridley Scott began directing commercials in England in the 70's, and eventually became very successful. He graduated college with a degree in design, which would later influence his perfectionism. Being that he was so used to commercials, he took his knowledge in photographic expertise, and transferred it to film. This would later result to beautiful, visually stimulating pictures that he so precisely controlled. In "Blade Runner" the world that Ridley Scott created showed just how precise he was. When Ridley first read the script, he immediately began to draw amazing story boards of what he thought the picture should look like, the entire art department would later be based on these drawings. A tremendous amount of work was put into the visual aspect of "Blade Runner", and you can definitely tell.

The story is very simple, what I always say is that so much complexity can come from simplicity, and so it is applied to "Blade Runner", a simple story in a complex world. It is based in the future, Los Angeles 2019 to be exact. The Tyrel Corporation has created genetic beings that are visually indistinguishable from humans, they are called replicants. After violent incidences in the past, replicants were declared illegal on the planet earth, because of this, a team of high ranked police officers known as "Blade Runner's" were created. A "Blade Runner's" sole purpose is to retire(kill) any replicant that is illegally on earth. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is hired to retire a group of replicants who's visit is not intended to end on a positive note. He finds himself on a mission with a series of unexpected events, and an outcome he would have never predicted.

The very ambitious story should have been a hit, but it did not do what is was intended to do until much later. The film had mixed reviews, some critics saying that is had a strange pace, others saying they loved the visual stimulation of it all. Although it was considered a box office failure, "Blade Runner" has since become a cult classic. "Blade Runner" has inspired me in so many ways to become a film director, It is a film that should be seen by anyone who loves a good story, a good ride, and most of all an amazing movie. It is a touching, beautiful, and very entertaining film that should give you goosebumps every time you watch it. I recommend this movie more than any film on my favorites list(It's on my profile). If you have not seen it make sure you do, you will probably end up writing your own blog about the film.

Finding a Movie Just for You

Alright, so you are at the video store, and you have no idea what to rent. You have already browsed the new releases, and you don't know where to start looking. I am going to give you five easy steps to find a movie just for you. All you have to do is follow these steps right before you are heading out the door to the video store.

1. Think of a movie you love.
2. Find out who the director, or favorite actor is.
3. Go to http://www.imdb.com/ and look up that directors or favorite actors name.
4. You will have a list of movies that you will most likely like!
5. Read the plot, if you are interested, chances are you will like the movie.

It sounds very stupid and obvious, but most people don't think about it, they spend an hour or two at the video store for nothing. Obviously it can't always work, but usually the styles will be the same if you keep it in the favorites. Example: My favorite actor is Leonardo Dicaprio, lets say I have seen "Titanic", and I thought it was an awesome movie. So I look up Leonardo Dicaprio, and I see he has done movies like "The Aviator", "The Beach", "Catch Me If You Can", they are all amazing movies. The cool thing is the trick acts as a chain reaction of good movies. "The Aviator" was directed by Martin Scorsese, "The Beach" was directed by Danny Boyle, and "Catch Me If You Can" was directed by Steven Spielberg, all amazing directors. Like I said, it will not always work, every movie is different, but you should give it a try.

Please leave a comment if this movie finding "technique" worked for you. Enjoy!

Rope

One of my favorite movies is Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope". It was recommended to me by my father, and at the time I was a little sceptical, being that the film was released in 1948. I was young, and I didn't realize that movies from that time are amazing, and carved a path for movies now. Most comments I have seen about this film are negative, people tend to judge things of the past with the eye of today, if you ask me it is a genius classic.


First and for most, I want to talk about the direction and organization of the film. Take a minute to think about any other movie, and how many times it is cut in the editing room. When you watch dialogue between two or more people, the angle changes a lot. Lets make up a number and say that in a 90 minute film there are hundreds of cuts, well in "Rope" an 80 minute film, there are only nine. If you pay attention you will see the cuts, they are disguised with blackouts on the actors backs giving the illusion of a full length film with no cuts. The cameras they used were very big, and the entire film took place in the same apartment, so pulling this off was not easy. Everything had to be planned, and everything had to be perfect. The actors could not miss a single thing, there lines, or there positioning. I think that the way Alfred Hitchcock directed this movie is amazing, the patience and precision that was put into the film is inspiring.


Lets talk about the story. The film takes place in Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan's (Farley Granger) apartment. In the apartment they murder their former classmate David Kently (Dick Hogan) with a rope. The two killers hide David's dead body in a big wooden chest in the apartment, the chest resembles a big dinning room table. In an attempt to prove a perfect murder, the two invite Davids friends over for dinner. The friends eat dinner on the table that David's dead body is in, resulting in a very suspenseful awkward dinner. I don't want to ruin the movie for you so I'll stop there, just enough to hopefully get you interested.

I would not say the film is a masterpiece, but I definitely think it is a great movie, and it should be considered a classic. The precise direction from Alfred Hitchcock, and the wonderful acting from James Stewart is something to be seen If you enjoy watching movies. Go rent it at blockbuster, and try not to think about the fact that it is a sixty one year old movie. enjoy!

Avatar: the new film by James Cameron

On December 18,2009 director James Cameron is releasing his much-anticipated film "Avatar". James Cameron has been an amazing director since the late 70's, breaking ground with films like "The Terminator", "The Abyss", and "Titanic". After making "Titanic" in 1997, James Cameron took a break from film making and began exploring T.V episodes, and documentaries. It has now been twelve years since we have seen a James Cameron film, and I think we should all be excited.

Cameron claims that he held onto the script (which he wrote) for fifteen years before attempting to film due to a lack in technology. Eager to start his film, he co-developed a new generation of stereoscopic cameras. A stereoscopic camera is designed to mimic the human eye. Because we have two eyes, we are able to see images from two different perspectives. A stereoscopic camera is like having two cameras strapped together, simultaneously filming together, thus creating a three dimensional world. Previous three dimensional films give the viewer a somewhat flat background with occasional pop outs, but the new technology gives depth to the screen and every object in it. Cameron is very serious when he says that the film is not intended to only impress people with special effects, but it is intended to tell a beautiful story. The story is set in the future, Jake a paraplegic war veteran is taken to the planet pandora to undergo a procedure that should enable him to once again walk. While he is there, he and the scientific team find themselves in a battle with the planets natives.

Unfortunately we have no choice but to sit tight until December, until then keep your eyes out for new and old films to distract you from the time you have to wait!

13 Tzameti

In 2005 Georgian filmmaker Gela Babluani released his first feature film "13 Tzameti". Staring his brother George Babluani it was the Winner of the 2006 Gand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

The unique film tells the story of twenty-two year old Sebastien. An immigrant living in France working on small construction jobs. Sebastien is working on Godon's roof, a morphine addict who's life seems to be slipping away. One day Godon dies of a morphine overdose. Sebastien overhears a convorsation through a hole in the roof. Godon's widow is speaking with a man about a "job" that Godon was supposed to attend. Sebastien has no idea what the "job" is, but he knows it involves a lot of money, he continues to listen learning that an envelope containing all the information on the "job" will be delivered to Godons house the following day. Being an immigrant with very little money, Sebastien steals the envelope. He will later find out that this was the biggest mistake of his life.

When I first saw the film I had very little knowledge on what it was about. As I continued to watch it I was shocked and surprised. I truly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a great ride of suspense. The film is spoken in French, but with subtitles, its not a problem. The overall "feel" is very "film noir". The amount of music is limited, so the sounds of suspense sink in very well. I recommend that you do not look it up and read about the story, it will only ruin the film for you. It's the kind of movie that grabs you by the balls and surprises the hell out of you. I think you can find it at BlockBuster, if not its for sure online for you to purchase. Enjoy!

Cannes Film Festival 2009

This years 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival was a delight for film connoisseur's. With films from Austria, Spain, France, Denmark, Italy, and the United states, the festival was a grab bag of versatility as well as a visual landscape of different regions. Although the films were great, you could say the festival "was feeling the economic downturn" . Most producers, distributors, and overall people ready to buy and sell films were not there to be seen. Even the press was scarce, many T.V stations, magazines and newspapers claimed it was too expensive to send their staff. Although Cannes Film Festival was feeling down on the business aspect, the stars were there, and they were big. Stars like Brad Pitt appearing for Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds", and Penelope Cruz appearing for Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" drew plentiful crowds.

Taking home Le Palme D'or (Golden Palm Award) This year was German director Michael Haneke. His film "The White Ribbon" tells a story about a series of unexpected events that accour in a small protestant village in northern Germany. Critics say that it is a superb cinematic work. French director Jacques Audiard took home the Grand Prix award for his film "A Prophet" the story of a young Arab man who is sent to a french prison where he becomes a mafia kingpin. Critics rave that the raw intensity of the film will have you on the edge of your seat. Brillante Mendoza proved to be "brilliante" this year. The director from San Fernando, Philippines impressed everybody taking home best director for "Kinatay" a film about a criminology student who is offered a job by a shady friend, he finds himself working for a group of criminal gangsters. Although the film is very violent, it did not fall short of any awards. The "big buzz" this year can be blamed on nobody else but Quentin Tarantino. His new film "Inglorious Basterds" about a group of Jewish-American soldiers chosen to spread fear through the Third Reich by brutally killing Nazis created some controversy, some critics saying it was disrespectful to try and change history. Nevertheless Christoph Waltz picked up best actor, His performance in the film as a Nazi "Jew-hunter" was outstanding.

I think all of us look forward to next years festival. If you love movies, you love the Cannes Film Festival. If you are interested in learning more about the 2009 Cannes Film Festival follow this link. http://www.festival-cannes.com/