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Top 5 Films of 2012 (so far). Guest Post: Nictate

#1 Thursday Till Sunday

The predawn light, tinted blue. A sensible car, hatchback agape. A sleep-heavy child, lugged from bed. These opening scene details in Chilean writer/director Dominga Sotomayor’s yet-unreleased feature film debut, Thursday Till Sunday, herald the arrival of one to watch. This is a young filmmaker with an uncannily precise sense of observation and an undeniably keen eye for composition.

That sensible car is soon toting a family of four on a long road trip that looks to be their last, as the parents are considering a separation. Somehow turning the claustrophobic setting of a mid-sized vehicle into one beautifully framed shot after another, Sotomayor elegantly delineates the great divide that separates the driver’s seat of adulthood from the dependents who are literally and figuratively taking the back seat in their parents’ personal crisis.

While stops along the road provide some expository elaborations, there is always an intoxicating artlessness afoot in the way the film looks, feels and sounds. In knowing exactly what to leave out, Sotomayor’s evocative minimalism feels like a curative. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

#2 Moonrise Kingdom

I’ve been a Wes Anderson fan from the early days of his career and have consistently found whimsical magic in the intricate worlds he crafts. Exploring broken families, innocent love and true forgiveness,Moonrise Kingdom sustains thematic chords from Anderson’s oeuvre beautifully.

While winsome and witty, the film’s heart is shot through with melancholy, telling the tale of an orphaned boy scout and his star-crossed love—both of whom are only 12 years old.

Shot in 16mm and resembling the faded turquoise, orange and yellow of vintage Polaroid photos, the film perfectly evokes a very particular time and place: 1965 on an island off the coast of New England, to be exact. Unfortunately, but entertainingly, the adults roaming about in this nostalgic tale are stiffly sad, consistently uniformed and stubbornly determined to keep Suzy and Sam, the youthful love birds in question, from pursuing their romance.

In one of a trio of movingly frank scenes in the center of the film, Suzy’s mother and father talk in their darkened bedroom. The conversation is simply stated and quietly performed, but despite its unassuming air, it represents an emotional milestone in Anderson’s work. No punches are pulled. No winking punchlines are detonated. It’s just two seasoned actors (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) speaking on behalf of filmmaking’s eternal boy scout, but this time by way of a newfound, profound maturity. Wonder badge earned, Mr. Anderson.

#3 Damsels in Distress

Much has been made of writer/director Whit Stillman’s long absence from filmmaking. While Damsels in Distress arrived fashionably late, it’s a wry and pretty delight. As a comedy, it may seem prim at first, but it’s no goody-two-shoes. It aims and sinks its arrows neatly, making withering observations about society and human nature as it simultaneously charms.  

Shining through in the majority of scenes, Greta Gerwig hits perfect notes as Violet, a college student who longs to make the world a better place, one person at a time. It’s her character who unexpectedly becomes the beating heart of Damsels in Distress, as she finds herself as lost and lonely as her protégés.

With his signature wit and empathetic warmth, Stillman has polished up a sweet little gem of a film that’s got much wisdom to share. Why, it even has a healthy dose of optimism, plus characters dancing at the drop of a hat and an irresistible soundtrack to match. Whit is it!

#4 Miss Bala

Mexican writer/director Gerardo Naranjo wanted to test that the film he had in his head would work, especially since he was casting an inexperienced actress in the lead. So he test-shot the whole thing on video before he shot the actual film. The whole thing. It seems like an insanely demanding step to add to pre-pro, but Naranjo credits Miss Bala’s seamlessness to it.

Starring the very striking Stephanie Sigman as a poor young woman who dreams of beauty queen status, Miss Bala quickly raises the stakes by becoming enmeshed in the brutally violent world of drug cartels.

The spare sleekness of Miss Bala, and the sense that the filmmaker is observing more than editorializing, makes the indictment of systemic sickness something the audience can process on their own terms. The film itself moves like sliding pressure panels and is jarringly perforated by the pop-pop-pop of gunplay. As humble as it is mighty, Miss Balafeels like an indie movie in the best way possible: created on a shoestring, but as fierce as a locomotive.

#5 Haywire

Inspired to build a movie around mixed martial artist Gina Carano, Soderbergh picked up the phone and told collaborator Lem Dobbs to write it. The result is a tidily constructed, tensely coiled, tight little action/thriller flick that tells the story of a black ops super soldier left to fend for herself when she’s betrayed.

Adding to the sparks are entertaining turns by Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas as men who get in our heroine’s way, in one way or another. The jazz-infused soundtrack is as saucy as hell, setting a perfect rhythm for the hold-your-breath action.

While Carano’s acting chops are the only weak thing about her, she turns in a performance that serves its purpose sturdily. And after you’ve seen her mop the floor with an adversary, you won’t really care if a line reading isn’t perfect. She is an undeniable femme fatale and her star vehicle, HAYWIRE, packs a delicious punch. Please don’t retire, Stevie.

Nictate plays a Peggy Olson type by day, working as a copywriter in advertising. Movies have always been a passion of hers, but it’s only been since joining Twitter in 2007 that her cinephile thirst has grown exponentially. Interacting with critics and fellow enthusiasts online has deepened her understanding of and passion for film and the quest to learn more feels (pleasantly) never-ending.  You can follow nictate on twitter at www.twitter.com/nictate

Search for Fashion, as seen in the Blitz Weekly

Pop Quiz:  The highlight of In Search of Fashion on August 3 will be:

a)      Dueling DJs and a jumping dance floor

b)      A five-way fashion design competition

c)      Artists on-site creating original works

d)      It’s really all about the little things

The correct answer is, “D.”  Search for Fashion is a benefit for people in the events industry (more on that in a moment).  Every detail will be designed to be noticed by people who make a living by noticing details: other events professionals.  “We are all about pushing the envelope,” says J. Damany Daniel the Award Winning Event Producer and coordinator of Search for Fashion. Those non-stop flourishes and surprises promise to create an unforgettable ambiance, but options A- C will be the centerpiece of the evening.

The main attraction is the fashion design competition and runway show.  The competition, “Fashion of the Fittest” pits five fashion designers, Ashlee Brooks, Lindsay Weatherread, Mario Gallegos and Yasmima Johnston (all Dallas natives) against each other.  They have 45 minutes to create an original design using a mystery material.  Attendees will be able to watch the designers at work in the adjacent room.  The audience gets to vote on the winner.

“Dress to impress,” Sasha Souza the events chair for the Search Foundation emphasizes, “this is a fashion event.”  When I ask Damany about formal attire, he bottom lines it for me, “When we get the dueling DJs going, I want everybody out on the dance floor.  This is a party, and we want our guests to be comfortable.”

The evening sounds mysterious and exciting, but what is this cause, The Search Foundation, helping events professionals in crisis – like if you run out of ice or something?  Sasha puts it in perspective, “Most people in this industry are small business owners.”  She refers me to Cameron Fox, Chief Creative Officer of i-entertainment in Arlington, who was recently helped by the Search Foundation.

“It was April third,” Cameron intones the date like someone who has told the story many times before. “It was the day we got all that hail and the tornados that came through the Metroplex.  The tornado touched down right on top of our building at about noon, by 2:30 the building was condemned.” He would have to move.  Despite the help of the close-knit industry professionals in DFW to get him moved and to ready his new space, there was still the matter of the $11,000 it cost him to relocate at the drop of a hat.  “The tornado hit on Wednesday, I had events on Friday and Saturday, I made those appointments.”  Wow.

In Search of Fashion, sounds cool, but vaguely cool.  If only there was more detail about the surprises, and how, for the love of God, how could there be no mention of the food!  Although I wasn’t able to get a scoop, or even a hint, if you are on the fence – go for it.  Search for Fashion looks like an evening with “wow” around every corner.  The event planners will be behind the scenes making sure everything goes perfectly as usual.  Behind them is the Search Foundation providing a little peace of mind, and a big helping hand in case of catastrophe.

Don’t get carried away with being fashionably late.  Event professionals will be attending from all over America, Search for Fashion sponsors and event planners will be showcasing their most innovative work.  Dust off your twitter account and charge up your smart phone or iphone, because they will come in handy.  Tickets are $85 per person.  The event is from 8-midnight at the eM the Venue, in the Design District.

Planespotting Qantas

With three generations of my family working as cabin crew, and having worked on the ground crew at three different airports (MCI, STL & BOS) and logging an irresponsible number of hours playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, I am something of an airport junkie.

DFWAirport has an area especially for plane spotters, Founder’s Plaza located to the north of the airport.  Most often the plaza is the best place to watch planes land, but not always.  Whether they land to the south or north depends on which way the wind is blowing.

There are a couple of other things to pay attention to at Founder’s Plaza.  You can see where flights are coming from by using the app Flight Aware.  Air Traffic Control (ATC for short) is piped in live at the plaza.  Those rapid-fire instructions aren’t going to mean very much (not to me either), but you do want to perk up your ears for the word, “heavy” that indicates a big jet.  You can look for the various kinds of planes http://arunrajagopal.com/2010/08/12/identify-airbus-from-boeing/ (landing gears and engines are the telling signs).  The most thrilling part of plane spotting is the when the international carriers land.  From 1:30 – 2:30 you can see KLM come in from Amsterdam, Qantas come in from Sydney and Lufthansa come in from Frankfurt.

Here are a couple of videos of Qantas landing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGD3ZhRdXCA&feature=g-upl

Here’s the good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MFfg13sb2g&feature=g-upl

Friday Art of the Week, Guest Post: Margo McNeil, Missouri State Representative 78th District

My long time friend, Drew Davis, asked that I submit a favorite painting for discussion on his art blog. I am pleased and honored to do so. As a former art teacher, choosing one piece of art was difficult. My comments below are a reaction to seeing this particular painting for the first time in a gallery. There is, by the way, no substitute for seeing the actual art work.

Wheat Field with Crows by Vincent van Gogh

I saw ‘Wheat Field with Crows’ for the first time at the St Louis Art Museum, during a special Vincent van Gogh exhibit. As I entered the room and looked to my left, I saw this breathtakingly beautiful painting, ‘Wheat Field with Crows’ by Vincent van Gogh.

The wheat field glowed with light and warmth. It was lovely and vibrant like a sunny garden after the rain and gave me a sense of joy. The color of the field was so rich and intense that the crows flying directly at the viewer and the hovering storm clouds – were of no consequence to me. The beauty of the picture seemed to overpower the agitation and symbolism in the sky. For me, the crows and clouds seem to frame the picture and punctuate the vibrancy and life of the painting.

‘Wheat Field with Crows’ was painted during the last weeks of van Gogh’s life, a life that ended sadly from suicide. One can only speculate on his frame of mind and the relationship of this picture to his final days and final decision. Had a turbulent storm in his life just passed and raindrops intensified the color or was the storm brewing?

Vincent van Gogh was a brilliant and visionary artist. He saw the world differently. He saw people, things and nature teeming with energy, passion and great beauty. Van Gogh was uniquely gifted in being able to share his vision and its beauty with the world.

Margo McNeil is the Missouri State Representative for District 78.  She is an artist, a former Art Teacher and the play group mom for my 1980 playgroup.

Top 5 Films of 2012 — Guest Post from Cliff Froehlich, Director of Cinema St. Louis

1) The Separation, the deserved winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film and the work I consider the best film of 2011 (though it opened here in 2012, thus qualifying for this list).

2) Beasts of the Southern Wild, a Sundance and Cannes favorite that conflates Terrence Malick and David Lynch but remains utterly sui generis (opens in July).

3) Moonrise Kingdom, an especially winning example of Wes Anderson’s melancholic whimsy.

4) The Deep Blue Sea, the latest masterpiece from Terence Davies, a filmmaker whom I’ve long admired and whose The Long Day Closes ranks among my Top 10 all time.

5) Footnote, an Israeli film that manages to mine surprising comedy and drama from Talmudic scholarship.

Cliff Froehlich is the director of Cinema St. Louis.  Cinema St. Louis organizes film competitions throughout the year and the St. Louis Film Festival.

July Android App of the Month: The Guardian

The UK based newspaper, The Guardian, has been my favorite newspaper for some time.  The Guardian’s webpage is organized so you can take a broad look at the news (including a US site) or a very narrow look at a particular topic.  The Guardian app is an extension of that flexibility.

Through the Guardian app, you can select 8 sections to appear on your homepage.  That’s pretty good.  Here’s where it gets crazy good.  At the end of each article there is an extensive index of topics related to the article.  In a recent article on Julian Assange you can select Julian Assange or Wikileaks as a favorite topic; you can also select “extradition” as a favorite topic.  In fact, you can select any of those index topics (left) as one of the 8 sections on your homepage.

I want to assure you… in fact, I would like to emphasize that extradition isn’t one of my topics.  One of my topics though is the theatrical Prime Minister’s Question Time, during which members of Parliament and especially the oppostion leaders hold the PM’s feet to the fire.  Not only can you read articles about PMQ as it is known, you can also listen to the audio.

The one complaint about the Guardian’s coverage is the play by play blog coverage of major events.  Their real time coverage is a  disorganized rat’s nest of news.

It’s edgy coverage of Europe, the Arts and the US is a perfect fit for me.  The Guardian doesn’t have the boots on the ground of the Beeb.  But it does have maintain a focus on Europe, Russia, the US and Arts that the BBC lacks.

If you do pick up the Guardian App, be sure to follow columnist Marina Hyde.  Her witty, snarky columns are the epitome of that dry British humor which makes being an anglophile so much fun.

American Vanguard at the Amon Carter Museum

American Vanguards at the Amon Carter Museum focuses on an association of artists who dubbed themselves the “Three Musketeers:” John Graham, Arshile Gorky and Stuart Davis.  When a fourth member was added (Willem de Kooning), the group doubled down on their lack of originality to become the “Four Musketeers.”  The group’s appropriation of their moniker is in some ways fitting for their association, as their styles from the interwar period are more borrowed than original.

That is actually very much the point of the exhibition. Before becoming leaders in the art world, they were followers, borrowing heavily from the trends popular in Paris from truly avant garde groups. Continue reading →

Kids Country Coppell, Texas

My fondest Olympic memory is of the ‘84 games.  Even though I was just 8 years old, I vividly remember the way our neighborhood ‘70s-style metal playground was hastily transformed into an Olympic venue.  Our Olympians, the teenage boys in the neighborhood, invented events and rules as they went along.  The event most likely to be featured on a box of Wheaties was the way they used the momentum of the swing to kick off a shoe.  The champion’s shoe made it all the way to the slide (an Olympic record that still stands)!  A few years later, a new wooden playground was put in where everything was connected to a two story wooden structure (a precursor of the playgrounds of today) we had entered a new era!!!

The magic of my playground memories in no way prepared me for my first encounter with Kids Country in Coppell.  It is a sprawling wooden castle with bridges and turrets galore; there’s even an amphitheater.  Ancient looking Oak trees provide a roof that covers the vast majority of the area.  As I looked incomprehensibly, I realized there was something I had lost sight of: my four year old son.

When I ask Kyle Cundy at Leathers and Associates about the redesign of the playground, she picks up on my experience as a parent right away, “I don’t think the way kids play has really changed, but parental expectations have.”  “Sight lines” is the first thing she mentions along with accessibility & an emphasis on age appropriate play areas.  The designer of the original 1992 Kids Country, Leathers and Associates is designing the updated version as well.

Kids Country is a beloved part of the area.  It was brand new when Ed Guignon started taking his family here.  Now Ed is a part of the volunteer steering committee working on the redesign of the park.  “When Kids Country was built in 20 years ago, it had a 15 year lifespan,” Ed explains.  As we walk along the weathered wood of the playground, he points to spots where slides had to be removed because they couldn’t find replacement parts.  Swinging bridges and stairs suspended by chains have had to be fixed in place or even phased out over the years.  The playground PVC pipe telephone system has been out of service for years as it has become clogged with debris.  Then there are the drainage problems that have raised maintenance costs for the park.

Looking at the design of the new playground, Ed walks through the new features and innovations.  One of the changes being made is actually including some of the most beloved features of the original Kids Country in the new park, including: the amphitheater and musical opportunities (glockenspiel, drums etc).  All of the trees will stay in place, as will the handprints that line the sidewalk.

Community listening session at area elementary schools have yielded new features as well including: a guitar shaped slide, a banana shaped balance beam, an additional tire swing and covered seating for parents.  Accessibility changes include a wheelchair/stroller friendly rubberized surface, lower bars and some lower swings.  When asked about what he is most excited about, Ed immediately mentions a last minute addition to the playground that doesn’t show up on the plan, described as a climbing pyramid.

Beyond individual features, there are some big picture design changes as well. There will be separate areas for the under 3s and a 3-5 area.  The sight lines are improved, so if a parent comes to the playground with their 2, 4, and 7 years old he or she could see them playing on different playgrounds simultaneously.  Other innovations include play villages, pirate themes, and two climbable sculptures with mosaic styles.

The plans are laid out on the website www.kidcountry2012.com/. There is also a Facebook page www.facebook.com/kidcountry2012/.  More than offering a glimpse at the future, these pages are the best way for members of the community and businesses to contribute/volunteer to make a difference.  Just as the original Kids Country was built by the community (with some help from the Dallas Cowboys players), the new playground will be built by community members during build week from Oct 2-9.

As I enjoy playgrounds (mostly) vicariously these days, I am aware (from my own childhood) that memories and magic are being made right before my eyes.  The last day the park will be open is Friday, July 27.  Put a final trip to KidsCountryPark on your list of things to do this week.  When I can see him, I will be watching my son with an extra dose of sentimentality.

Oscar Nominated — Moonrise Kingdom: an anthem (as seen in the Blitz Weekly)

The location “Moonrise Kingdom” in Wes Anderson’s new movie by the same name isn’t instantly recognizable.  After the lights have come up, however there is a realization that like Hotel California, it is a destination we all know.

At a younger age, we all had these special, secluded places where we could go to try to make sense of things.  By embracing these isolated places, they became a part of our own worlds, in an actual world that still saw us just kids.  The prepubescent protagonists in Moonrise Kingdom take this place to a completely different level.

The young couple, Sam (Jared Gilman) & Suzy (Kara Hayward), are labeled “emotionally disturbed” and “troubled” respectively.  To be sure these two are quite different, and their environments aren’t helping them.   For Suzy, it is her dysfunctional parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) communicating through a blow horn in their labyrinthine house.  Continue reading →

June Android App of the Month: Air Control

I don’t play video games at home, nor is my phone loaded up with games, but I LOVE Air Control.  Touch the aircraft and drag it to the runway/helipad.  There are four different kinds of aircraft — each of the four flies at a different speed.  As more aircraft are added to the sky, the flight paths become a tangle.  Eventually a couple of the aircraft will collide: game over.

Here is one of two free airports you can choose.

Because the game requires such a high degree of focus, it really clears my head.  The game is easy to put down, and it doesn’t take long to play.

Air Control is a completely engrossing, satisfying distraction, and it is free.  My high score is 164.