FILM REVIEWS: Inception and Lebanon

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see some movies in the theatre. Even better, they were both excellent in an otherwise bad year for movies. The first was Inception, which I have been trying to see for weeks.

I won't give away anything from the story, in part because I can't explain it easily. Inception is one of those rare movies that creates a unique world, and lets you get lost in it. For the first 45 minutes, you will want to scream out, "Where the hell is the place?! Who the hell is that?! What the hell is going on here?!" Rest assured, you will get the answers and it will explain itself.

Movies like this tend to cause hours of discussion afterwords, and that's part of the fun. Like Dark City and 12 Monkeys, this is a film that demands repeat viewings. I thought it was brilliant.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

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The next film I saw was Lebanon, an Israeli film that is playing in limited markets. This was may go down as one of the best war films I've ever seen.

The picture takes place entirely inside of a tank during the First Lebanense War. Think of it as Das Tank. The only view of the outside world is through the gunman's periscope; images that gradually become more and more horrifying as the film goes on. By the film's climax, the tension is almost unbearable.

The ending of the film is ambiguous, but you will be thinking of Lebanon long after the final credits have rolled.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

Shoots, Shoots, Shoots!

Finding Grace Director Max Myers
Porterville, CA

Last Rites Films has really picked up. I am doing post sound for a name actor on his short film, but at the same time I am still working on set AND full-time at Columbia. One of my most interesting jobs has been doing pick-ups for a feature that was shot a number of years ago.

Originally titled Don't Let Go, it starred Katherine Ross (The Graduate) and Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood) in a story about the relationship between an alcoholic father and his son; both musicians. It was directed by Max Myers, one of my instructors when I was a student at Columbia.

This time we had to shoot in Porterville, which is located in the Central Valley of California. We previously did re-shoots in Hollywood, and we did some voice-over at Ms. Ross' house in Malibu.

From the Penthouse of Evo
Downtown Los Angeles

Almost all of my other sound jobs have come from PlayNetwork. Journey's hired us to cover a MotorCross even in Riverside, a Go-Cart Champion in Palmdale, and this past weekend, the band Gorgeous Got A Gun at Evo in Downtown LA.

Evo is a skyscraper Downtown and we were shooting in the penthouse. We carpooled from the network headquarters, and had plenty of time to set up. The view from the penthouse was absolutely stunning, and I'm guessing the price tag was in the 5-10 million dollar range.

I am doing another gig this Friday in Culver City. Beyond that, I have jobs lined up September and October as well. It may be too early to tell, but production seems to finally be kicking up.

The same view at night.

Do You Dream in Color in Napa...

One of the documentary subjects, and me
in a funny hat.

I had a very special job a few weeks ago in Napa. I was hired to do sound in Napa (Wine Country) for a documentary about blind children. I had mixed before for this project in Palm Springs, and I was happy to work with these folks again.

The drive up there was rough. There were four of us packed into a car with a ton of gear. Once there, we had to drive some more to pick up one of the subjects from Santa Rosa. The shoot itself went well, but it was exhausting. Woke up early, went to bed late, and long, extended interviews. That meant a lot of time with my hands above my head holding the boom, but that's the job.

Nick.

What made this job special is that it really opened my eyes to another world. The problems facing the blind are extreme. Unemployment is almost 80%, and education is not doing much to accommodate them. Still, these kids had good heads on their shoulders, and I have a feeling they will rise above.

I have never really spent much time with the blind, but at this camp I was one of the few people who could see. One thing I noticed immediately is that they seem to have much more patience then most people I've met. Perhaps this is because they can't judge you on appearances, and in turn make their impressions based on what you say or do. Basically, they have the gift to do the rarest of all human qualities: listen.

At the Dance Hall

I was also glad to see Napa. Besides San Francisco, I haven't seen a lot of Northern California. Wine Country is absolutely gorgeous; filled with mountains of endless green and imposing Redwoods. The air was clean and the quiet was very nice.

The way back was pure hell. We had to drop kids off in Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and San Jose. Then we still had the drive back to Los Angeles. I got in after midnight, and a few hours later I lurched into work like a zombie.

This kid wanted to be one the cowboys.

BIRTHDAY #27 AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK!

Mirror Lake
Yosemite National Park

I had been trying to get to Yosemite ever since I moved to California, but always made one excuse or another not to go. I decided going would be my birthday present to myself. And boy did it deliver.

Yosemite is quite possibly the most beautiful place on Earth. Granted, I haven't seen a lot of it, but this place was loaded with endless meadows, granite cliff walls, waterfalls, trees, and wildlife. Jen and I stayed at the Marriott in Madera (discount courtesy of Randy), so we actually had to drive quite a ways to get to it. But once we were there, we lived it up.

Half Dome
Seen from Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park

Our first trip in was difficult. I took the Western entrance in because I heard there was construction on the Southern roue. This required going through the vast Sierra National Forest before entering Yosemite. However, once you're in the park, you're right in Yosemite Valley which is the main launching pad for almost everywhere. We parked, ate, and started our first hike to Mirror Lake, so named because when the light hits the lake just right, it makes a mirror of the breathtaking scenery above. I brought my camera.

Yosemite wasted no time pointing out how out of shape we had become. It took quite a while to get there, and we hardly noticed it because the lake was dry! They didn't mention it was seasonal at the trail head. Still, there was an impressive view once we got there.

The photos I took were on a variety of color film stocks. I'm still waiting on the Kodachrome roll to get back, which I had to send to Kansas to get processed (my last roll ever!), but I was very unhappy with what I took. This trip convinced me once and for all that I am meant to shoot black and white. Color just doesn't look good in my hands, with rare exceptions. Most of the photos on this entry were taken in color and changed to black and white.

On day 2, which was the last day we had, we decided to hike to Vernal Falls. We didn't even make it that far. The trail was listed as "moderate to strenous," but I found it life-threatening. By the end, we were stopping every 100 feet or so. It was just kicking our butts! We did manage to make it to the lower bridge, which afforded a spectacular view of the falls. Those are among the Kodachrome pictures I'm waiting for, so I'll post those when they come in.

We headed back, but I really wanted to see Glacier Point before I left. This is by far the most famous view from the park, but the sun was setting rapidly at it was a long way away on curvey, mountain roads. Had we left 10 mintues earlier, I would have had some stunning pictures, but we just didn't make it in time. The picture above of half-dome was taken there, and it's amazing it turned out at all. Although it looks like daytime, it was almost night when I shot it!

Bear!

Oh, and we saw a bear! We were on the shuttle bus when an Asian guy next to us yelled, "Behr!" I didn't have my camera assmbled, so I quickly threw on the longest lens I had and snapped it through a green window. Again, I'm truly amazed that the picture above came out at all, and it's really good considering the circumstances: almost no light, lots of movement, no prep time. Jen has a video of it somewhere as well.

And just like that... it was over. We drove back to LA and I've been in the grind ever since. The picture below is one of the few color pictures I'm really proud of.

"Screaming Trees"