Lawrence of Arabia and the epic
Hello everyone! Well I did a podcast on Lawrence of Arabia and the epic genre…
Do send me your feedback on the podcast as I am eager to see what can I improve from…
Suggested Reading (If you are guys are interested)
Romantics and Modernists in British Cinema (They have a great chapter on David Lean-The Desperate Romantic which I quote a bit in the podcast)
I deeply apologize for the silence,well I will be experimenting a new method of my film reviews through fan-made audio commentaries….
I have this thought after watching BBC The Musketeers (2014)-“A rebellious Woman” and noticed the symbolism. Basically it would be chockfull of in textual references,character analysis and observations.
I would post it mostly in my tumblr but I will try to make it available for the wordpress blog. Here are those I have in mind for audio commenatry
(Cross-referenced from my main blog)
So do let me know what films/televison shows you want me to talk about
Asian Films and why we are not watching it
I just wrote a post about Asian cinema because I think we need to be more aware of it
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,300 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 38 trips to carry that many people.
Well everyone it is going to be the end of 2013..well it have been a hell of a year in film for me. Sadly I do not have much time to watch films and I seem to be focused on Televison series on the second half of the year. It does not mean I will stop watching it. I just find television programs easier to catch on
I am become a Whovian (aka the nerd of Doctor Who) after two attempts and it is fitting that it was the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. I am glad for that new journey as a Whovian. For the next few months til August I would be catching up Classic Who mostly Tom Baker and McCoy.
I discovered Sherlock-such a great mini series with acting from Freeman and Cumberbatch
For films-wise
Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man-GODAMNIT it was beautiful,in addition I am excited for his latest film Only Lovers Left Alive
The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings are pretty mind-blowing for me especially after visiting the Shire in N.Z. I mean I questioned to myself why I did not watch that!
Richard II from The Hollow Crown
Oh my god,I know the play towards David Tennant acting in this play..Guess what I found a Shakespearean play that have so much depth. It stuck in my mind with Whishaw’s haunting performance.
Black Orpheus by Marcel Came-God it was beautiful!
Watching Taxi Driver and two Italian Neo-Realist films ( Vulcano and Stromboli) in the big screen for me in Film Restoration Asia-guys. Man it was mind-blowing! It was sooo good
Two deaths that struck me recently
Kumar Pallana
Being a big Wes Anderson fan,it saddens me that one of his collaborators passed away. I hope Wes would do a tribute to him for the Grand Budapest Hotel because he makes a difference for him.
Before Christmas,my acting hero Peter O’Toole passed away..It have a been a week. I still cannot comprehend on the passing of that man. I miss him dearly and I do wish I would have a chance to say thank you to him.
However I do managed to meet with 3 famous persons
Lord David Puttnam,this man is my hero. Ever since he talked to us via Skype in my film school. He does enegrize me with his love for stories. I do meet him on February and my god it was one of the best moments in my film life. I would love to go to the education area. Aside from Peter O’Toole,David Lean. Lord David Puttnam is the best human if you get to meet him,you would be changed
I get to meet Apichatpong Weerasethakul at film restoration asia where he introduced his debut film. He is very easy to talk to and wonderful 🙂
Simon Weaving-Hugo Weaving’s brother (Yep I nerd a bit when I heard that Elrond’s brother is teaching us). He is an amazing and fun guy ! BTW his lessons are damn fun
Making friends with Missmirandaslife,she is lovely! I love you gal!
Now here are the films/TV Shows I am looking forward for 2014
My goals for next year
Well I am using a Doctor Who quote as one of my resolutions
“We all change. When you think about it, we’re all different people all through our lives, and that’s okay, that’s good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.”
This year have been pretty tough for me,realizing that I am not too fantastic in the practical aspects of film and of course shooting makes me a nervous wreck. Man I realize I loved writing about films and I am reading more often (My literature nerd is leaking in me)
So Happy 2014 everyone!
That picture of him as Macbeth was the first thing I saw on my Facebook. My sister wrote this as the caption “Oh dear sis hope it doesn’t ruin your hobbit experience”
She kinda knew that today I would be watching The Hobbit:Desolation of Smaug and she is trying not to make me upset that my acting hero-Peter O’Toole passed on.
Of course I was in denial when I read the caption RIP Peter O’Toole. I was like “No it cannot be”. My entire morning I was really upset and trying to come into terms with Peter’s death. I even looked at the sky and cannot help but to think how fun Peter is rocking in heaven with all of his hell raisers
The reason why I am writing this post and perhaps this blog is because of that man’s acting. You may know the story on how Lawrence of Arabia have changed my life. Yes that haunting stare in the coda. This year I have a chance to share my love of Lawrence of Arabia to all or experience that magic I have at 19.
I did a directing presentation of “No Prisoners”,that scene that shocked me to the power of cinema.
There is a lot of discussion despite many know how much I love Lawrence of Arabia so much. I was so proud of my presentation.
I get to try to do a livestream of that film with my newly purchased DVD of Lawrence of Arabia,I see things that I did not notice about that film,even the power Peter O’Toole have that is rare in today’s screen.
Most of all,I get to see clips of the restoration of Lawrence of Arabia,during the week-long programm. I swear that I nearly wept in seeing how gorgeous it was. I was moved on its sheer beauty and seeing O’Toole’s piercing blue eyes.
On the other hand I managed to catch his filmography beyond Lawrence of Arabia. Ratatouille, Anton Ego’s moving speech of critics and criticism,his scheming role as The King in Stardust, his haunting role as Mr Johnson in The Last Emperor on the big screen,god I was in tears that I saw my acting hero is in this film. His tenderness in “Venus” as an aging actor was wonderful and lastly Casanova,as the older self-he delivered it with finesse. I mean whatever role he have big or small-he delivered it with such beauty.
The reason why I lament is that moment when I heard he retired,a little part of me just died. I got upset that he is no longer pursuing acting. I think there is no actor that could fill the screen such as his. I wanted him to do more,maybe work with Wes Anderson-my current favorite film director. I imagine him bringing his wry pre scene into Anderson’s childlike roles. I wish he could do Tom Bombardali in Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings,he would bring magic into the screen. There are few stars that can deliver it in O’Toole’s standards. However you cannot beat the hellraiser.
Most of all ,the real reason I lament on his death is in my bucket list,I wish I could meet that legend in the flesh itself. I would give that man a big hug and just thank him for changing my life. If it wasn’t for him,look I will not be blogging about films I loved. I would just wander my head aimlessly in my film school. I would not build my love of old films and film preservation. I would not want to write about films. I would be just an anime otaku. Peter O’Toole is the reason for the love of cinema on that evening with parents on the television watching Lawrence of Arabia. Sadly my dream of meeting him would forever be unfulfilled.
I think it would be pretty difficult that I would watch a film with him,knowing that a legend would never be easily found. Maybe it would ease if my country would show Lawrence of Arabia in the big-screen. However I do feel that I am indebted to him for my love of cinema.
My condolences to his family members and friends especially Omar Sharif who is perhaps weeping over the loss of a great friend. So Rest in Peace,my king,my acting hero and lastly my inspiration. Without you I would not be that person again.
Strange fascination, fascinating me
Ah changes are taking the pace Im going throughCh-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you’re gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can’t trace time
Well David Bowie would totally understand what I am feeling about
I am itching to write about how I became such a cinephile,and I thought of that phase I have as a teenager. The anime phase that perhaps shaped me as this person.
What is a phase? Perhaps it is at that period of time where you got obsessed over these things and so. Perhaps there is a period of time where you are crazy about something and you are motivated to do that. As you grow older,you may not like it as passionately as before.
Like any usual teenager who searched for that identity ,you are looking for a place to belong. For me,I recall when I was 14-15 and recently transferred from a class that is not so kind to me. I saw one of my classmates who drew manga during my home economics class. That is where I got motivated to draw manga,and there I have the obsession of watching anime. I read random curiosity religiously! I even asked my parents (who are pretty supportive) to get some merchandise of Fullmetal Alchemist (which I still owned til this day). I even tried cosplay (I only did it once and it was fun). Perhaps I though there is somewhere I belong
I think I started to slowly growing out of my anime obsession when I actually enter film school. I do leave cosplay for personal reasons. I got into a fight with a person I know in my film school,that I became jaded at anime figures who display hope and joy. I started to listen to 60’s-70’s Rock music. I discover the joys of film and sometimes it feels more fulfilling than seeing the animation on screen. Watching all types of films (including all animation) and diverging myself into reading all types of literature seems to intrigue me more. I mean I get to somehow travel the worlds that are not simply one-dimensional.
I somehow look at myself in that phase,what am I in this phase ? I see that I was pretty lost and just desperate. I thought by looking at these two-dimensional figures with goggly eyes. I just want to masquerade myself in outlandish costumes to hide all my feelings.I do see anime as an art form. I do sometimes catch up with certain animes which I loved. However the joy of that it was over. It is not that I look at people being joyful at their obsession with anime with disdain,but I kinda look at it with bittersweet manner. I see that I grew out of it,it does not stick it out with me.
However if I look it with some form of gratitude,me scribbling reviews on my thoughts of what I watched in my anime episodes leads to me loving to research and write about film. I am glad that I do not get arrested for outrage of modesty as I read that hooha that an auntie arrested a cosplayer during AFA 13. I am glad that I appreciated animation and not to be too snobbish.
Sometimes you cannot turn back to the past but instead you move to the present.
Well hello again! Thanks for looking thru my previous post “A hero’s journey with Avatar Wan.” I would be covering today is perhaps my adventures in tackling Classic Doctor Who.
Now let me tell you my story how I encounter The Doctor first.
(Some awesome theme music then!)
I grew up in the Nuwho era (The era revitalized by Russell T. Davies with Eccleston,Tennant and now soon to be off Matt Smith) In my teenage years in Singapore,Doctor Who is not so widely spoken here despite being from British roots. We are only crazy about anime and I know one friend who loved David Tennant as his stint as the Doctor.
I think it was until I enter Tumblr,then I know a bit of its fandom. Sometimes I do catch episodes of Doctor Who on the television but it does not get into me. I tried so many times to watch Doctor Who (The new ones),even still I do not get it. Basically what is so special about a 9,000 year old alien traveling with a police box?
It was until the ‘election’ of the 12th doctor that I got caught with the news of who shall be the doctor. Let me call it the nerd version of electing the president. It cropped some familiar names which I dread of being the doctor like Ben Whishaw
While being cool with a Doctor being played by a female,or a POC (Moffat I am looking for you for that). I was with the Whovians who are wondering who is the next doctor,and there was Peter Capaldi chosen as the 12th doctor.
In this little video,he introduced him damn straight “Hello! My name is Peter Capaldi and I am the New doctor.” Of course most are positive about this choice (with some naysayers because of his age). Of course I am intrigued by him and of course I diverge into his filmography…I realize he is a fascinating actor and plus he acted out my founder’s Lord David Puttnam film Local hero (apparently a fave for him).
Of course I am so not convinced on the magic of doctor who until the 50th anniversary special (I am looking forward to Pcap) and I do tried the 50th Anniversary Special-The Day of The Doctor which I enjoyed a lot but I still did not get it
It was then I started to watch that television film “An Adventure with Space and Time” which tell the origins of Doctor Who. I realized it was no- ordinary series for nerds. It was the circumstances that struck me,we have JFK’s assassination where all hope is lost and we have an unlikey crew,-A Jewish Female producer and an Indian director. Most think it would be a flop as why teach children history by showing an old bloke and his adventures. Eventually what I learned that it was the hope that Doctor Who provide to the children in the turbulent sixties and onwards. Yes The Doctor do have that case of humanity through his alien perspective. That is when I wanted to achieve the impossible-catching up with Classic Who.
Yes I tried the first episode that Mark Gatiss recreated-The Unearthly Child. My god it was slow as hell..however I am still trying to attempt it.
It was until I watched Logopolis Part 4 with Tom Baker and Peter Davison,because my sister liked 5th Doctor (Peter Davison)’s fashion sense. There I discovered my first doctor-Tom Baker and eventually my favorite version of the master Anthony Ainely. I do love Tom’s rich voice and his bohemianism. I was bummed that it was that episode where he regenerated into Peter Davison
Of course I decided to give Peter Davison a shot for Castrovalva and despite some little moments. He does not gel with me as I kind find him a bit too passive for me. Alright I laughed how bad the special effects are and how melodramatic the acting is. Yet I still hang on to that hope that I would like it.
Eventually I managed to suspend how crappy the effects are as I continued the Classic Who watching and that is where I found my utmost favorite doctor that may rival Tom Baker. I really wanted to cover Sylvester McCoy’s era because I know that I love his character in The Hobbit as Radagast
However I have a month til Christmas special and I decided Battlefield because it have Arthurian legends in Earth. Oh yes! It was where I found the true spirit of Doctor Who,usually I will get bored with the Classic who but for me that two episodes are so fun. I do feel the suspense and the enjoyment of that episode. I do love the antics of McCoy and there I found out the magic of Doctor Who. I do experienced what is like being a new whovain,I still miss Tom Baker very much (I want to watch him more) and of course see that twinkle in the doctor’s eyes
It’s a pretty short journey for me encountering Doctor Who,but I am hoping that I would enjoy Pcap’s season
Well hello everyone! I hope you are all good…
I would be focusing on the narrative aspect of the hero’s journey by Jospeh Campball and how does it get into Avatar Wan in “Beginnings Part 1 and 2”
Why should I discuss about this theory and Avatar Wan? I remember I was watching these,and I cannot help but to apply the molds of Wan’s story into the “the hero’s journey” from my “The western goes east” class from Simon Weaving. Yes it borrow from many mythologies,like Prometheus and the eastern philosophy of Yin and Yang but the story remains the same.
So what is the hero’s journey? It was created by this American mythologist and lecturer Joseph Campball (Thanks man!)
That is our man!
Well, he gather the structure of the journey of the hero through his paper “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” after analyzing a whole lot of myths (I mean everyone from Chinese myths of The Monkey King to the Greek’s Prometheus). Of course they are so many variations of that,well like thus
It was famously used in Star Wars
As George Lucas used this module as inspiration for it!
Here is the one I learnt from my class…
It was divided into 3 sections,we have the world (i.e the character’s world),the threshold and the underworld
However it may not be filled all of the criteria but it still remains the same.
Now let’s move towards my analysis of Avatar Wan’s journey,feel free to debate with me about that topic.
Hero’s normal World
Looks like Disney leaks in Wan
Wan is a poor peasant,who steals food from the Chus but however we see that he does have a compassionate heart for the animals and his fellow people like Yao and Jayin
Call into action
Hating to be passive,he decided to “steal” bending from the lion Turtle to benefit his company,by chickening out into the mission. Of course it leads to the revolt with the Chus,however it was unravel when Wan gave mercy to one of them
Recluantcy
Of course he is unsure how to use his fire while surviving in the forest.
I do also add Wan did not kill the Chu brother
Threshold level
His banishment is perhaps the entrance to his test/trials
Trials/Tests
Well I think majority of what Wan experienced is mostly trials,there are many but I would bold those that are needed for his character growth
Survival in the forest
Saving Mula (It helped him to gain the trust of Aye-Aye)
entering the spirit oasis
Wan accidentally releasing Vaatu out of Raava (This is where he realized his true goal of saving the world)
Helper
There is the lion turtle (Because I loved them),who is willing to keep Wan’s power
We have Aye-Aye and the spirits,there he learnt how to understand their nature
I would also add the magical spring water as a helper too!
His companion Mula (he gained a longtime friend)
His training of his fire-bending do save him (and protect his peers)
The Main Goal
We have the air-village invasion,it urges him to learn the elements within the year (Visit more lion turtles people!)
Now Wan released chaos (i.e Vaatu),now he does need some help again after that Spirit attack in an Air Village. How does Wan,the hero prepare himself to his goal
Potions and Help
We have Raava,who we can say it was the helper despite her reluctance to Wan in the beginning
We seen more lion turtles! And yes they helped in giving Wan the elements (YES!)
The Chase
Of course to me what really set the chase is perhaps the conflict between his old friend in the past and his spirit friends. It really show how urgent the situation is,and Wan realize it’s a do or die.
Raava is growing smaller!
Wan is unable to handle Raava’s spirit!
The Showdown
It’s pretty obvious it was the Harmonic Coverange
IT’S NOW OR NEVERRRRRRR
O.K we worry if Wan would be able to connect with Raava’s spirit and if Vaatu would destroy the world.
Wan managed to convince Raava to fuse with him,and of course they kicked butt!
Gift to the world
Of course he managed to contain chaos,and in result bringing balance in the world. He sealed Vaatu in the tree of Time.
As said in this line (with animation porn) ‘This is my mission: to use Raava’s light spirit to guide the world towards peace.,I would be the bridge between the humans and spirits”
He wanted to maintain diplomatic understanding with spirits and humans
Hero’s change
*cues ugly sobbing*
Now let me dissect why we suddenly feel very sad when Wan is dying alone in the field. He gave this world,a new era through the media,to establish peace and propersity. They do not need to shield with the lion turtles. However he feel that he is unable to contain the “darkness” i.e people’s greed and vices.
As Raava promised Wan in his dying breath “I would be there with you all of your lifetimes”
He is given an another shot in maintaining balance with all of the Avatar reincarnations (until much later I would not tell you as I am still recovering on it)
(Screencaps courtesy of AvatarSpirt and gif courtesy of Tumblr)
The hero’s journey would start again,with many….
I know it’s a little cliche,but it really works as Beginnings Pt 1 & 2 are two of my favorite episodes ever. It allows us the viewers to join the character’s journey. We do support him emotionally to see Wan grow as a character.
I hope you guys enjoyed it,by the way feel free to debate on the events of the hero’s journey of Wan. I am more than happy to interpret it.
So hello everyone again,I will be spicing up that film blog with my thoughts on television shows (Mostly British).
Today I would be focusing on a particular TV movie-Adventure in Space and Time in my discussion.
As a non-Whovian who runs a tumblr blog, I am extremely aware of the Doctor Who fandom and its prescene in British television. I have a friend who loved Doctor Who (her favorite is David Tennant I.E the 10). Doctor Who is like synomous with everything British alongside tea,Shakespeare and James Bond. It happens that they celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend,yes my country do have that live-screening of “The Day of The Doctor” at 3.30 A.M in the morning! Few of my fandoms can be linked to Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy (The 7th Doctor) is in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit as Radagast (Jackson is a big Doctor Who fan),Christopher Eccleston recently appeared in Thor 2 as the evil elf Malkeith (It’s a pity that it did not mentioned him). The writers of Sherlock,Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat wrote episodes of Doctor Who. I just cannot escape its influence for Sci-Fi genre.
Now back to the topic An Adventure in Space and Time which is written by Gatiss,on the origins of Doctor Who in the sixties. It was the craziest decade in pop culture,you have The Beatles and Rolling Stones,the Bond Franchise is up and you have the counterculture rising. At this time Doctor Who was telecasted,it concede with the assassination of JFK. I mean it was a turbulent year of values. Not only that fact Doctor Who is shown on that assassination but the creators of it.
It was conceived by a Canadian who desired to teach children history. Ok a white male- Sydney Newman…But what strikes me is the power duo that pushed Doctor Who for what it’s. A Jewish Female Vertie Lambret,given an impossible task of pitching a madcap show of doctors,aliens and cavemen to veteran male producers. An Indian junior director- Warris Hussim have to directed an experienced William Hartnell and deal with the technical problems of that era. What? a female producer and a person of color directing something crazy ? I am so mind-blown. As the T.V film progressed,they did the impossible,Vertie convincing Sydeny (The creator of Doctor Who) to give Daleks as a model of tolerance. Making each child interested in the fun effects while learning something. Giving hope to British society in times of darkness despite Hartnell battle his personal demons and the aftermath of JFK’s death. I admit I nearly shed a tear on the meeting between soon-to-be-gone Matt Smith (2nd youngest doctor to date) and William
Houston I think we have a problem
There I have an ephinany halfway in the film…O.K looking at today’s Doctor Who crew…most are white and male. Even the actors are male (even though I am looking forward to Peter Capaldi to get me started into Doctor Who). The POC characters are mostly sidekicks,the females…I say they are one-dimensional in Moffat’s writing.
I did watch the 2nd half of Moffat’s “Day of the Doctor”, I do like John Hurt as The War Doctor (he is so fun). I do like the hopeful ending,I do like the “Ride of The Valkyries” invasion to freeze Gallfiery with Capaldi’s badass moment.I am aware of Eccleston’s refusal to come to 50th.It feels missing without Nine (My sister was upset when we did not see enough Eccleston) I find Clara rather boring (I do not care as I am fangirling over Tennant)
However reading at the comments of what others say, plus tweaking Queen Liz I does not do good for the History buff Whovians. However I do not enjoy it as much as this TV movie and the five(ish) doctors reboot (a hilarious shortie written by Peter Davison with PJ and Ian McKellen goofing around). These two specials got me closer to the spirit of Doctor Who than Moffat’s special. I am somewhat convinced that Doctor Who is special.
I think what I feel we need to change after I watched Adventure of Time and Space is perhaps how we put female and POC perspectives in Doctor Who (or basically any television show of your choice). Let’s use Doctor Who as an example.
that 12 year old is one BAMF,she does not her disability get in her way and in addition all the guys liked her. Moving on to Korra,and there is Jinora (My flawless queen) 
She is a 10 year old,pretty smart and very strong in her spiritual side (even outshining her dad). Despite her trapping by Unalaq,she let Korra to find the light and saved the world. Female characters should not be simple as black and white,but varied. Moffat if you are hearing me take ALTA and LOK to make BAMF female characters.I could list so many stuff and mind you I did not touch the LGBTQ aspect yet. Do television do progress from its conception of Vertie Lambret and Warris Husseum pushing Doctor Who in the sixties despite its racial prejudice and gender inequality? A little…..we do seen POC characters on TV and film Steven Yuen in The Walking Dead,George Takei in Star Trek,Idris Elba in Pacific Rim and Thor (A POC playing a Norse God,that is awesome). Female characters,I can name Miyasaki’s females like San from Monokeke Hime and Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle…. But it’s not enough,the crew must be diverse in perspectives…We need more female Television and film roles beyond costume designer and makeup artist.
In the end,this special actually provoked me to thinking about that..We need to do something to change how we wire TV and film industry. I would like to end with the quote that Hartnell mentioned in the special
“Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”
I do believe that one day we would have main POC characters and strong females which I needed for my television series (and film)
filmgeekwatching 