Saturday, April 30, 2011

Fantasy ?

"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."


~ John Rogers

Analogy and Metaphor, The Good And The Very Bad Indeed...

56 of the very best/worst bits of student writing

(Thanks to Alex for this link)

THINGS I LIKE IN CHALOEMKIAT SAEYONG'S FILMS

There are many things I like in Chaloemkiat's films, including:

1.The observation on female workers in HISTORY IN THE AIR (2009, 62 min) and "CHAY, GAYVAH-RAR 'N' THE MACHUPICCHU" (2010, 21 min)

2.The use of texts instead of direct voices, which unintentionally helps solving the problem of the imperfect sound systems, which is often found in alternative film screening venues in Bangkok.

Recently, I have found some problems with some films shown at Reading Room (such as RESIST by Teeranit Siangsanoh), films shown in the Siam Inception Program at Pridi Banomyong Institute (such as LOST by Yingsiwat Yamolyong), and films shown at BACC (such as HISTORY IN THE AIR), because I can't hear what the characters are saying. The sound volume is not low. It is loud, but the "speaking voices" is drowned by other noises in the films. The speaking voices in these films are frustratingly indistinct. I don't know if the problems result from the imperfect sound recordings by the filmmakers, or by the imperfect sound systems at the film screening venues, or by my imperfect ears.

I guess some cases result from the imperfect sound recordings or sound mixings by the filmmakers, and some cases result from the unfortunately bad matching between the film sound and the sound system at the venue. I know that some cases result from my own ears, because I couldn't hear what the interviewees were saying in the film CITIZEN TRAIN (2009, Arthawut Boonyuang + Kadnang Gohnoi) when it was shown in the Marathon Festival last year, but Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, who attended the same film screening, could hear it.

Whatever the cause of this problem, the filmmakers can help alleviate this problem by:

2.1 Reducing the speaking parts in their films

2.2 Using texts instead of voices, such as in Chaloemkiat Saeyong's films

2.3 Making subtitles, so that when we can't hear or understand the speaking voices, we can still follow what the characters are saying


3.The false endings

Chaloemkiat's films seem to have many endings before the real endings. The most obvious example is HISTORY IN THE AIR, which seems to have at least six endings in the film.

In HISTORY IN THE AIR, which is 62 minutes long,

3.1 The first ending happens at the second shot in the film, which occurs at the first second of the film. The first shot of this film shows a text saying "THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENTARY". The second shot of this film shows the word "END".

3.2 The second ending comes in at minute 18:28, when we see a text saying "Dedicated to Supaporn Konggrapee" appear on the screen, and then the film repeats all the Wikipedia texts which have already appeared in the first few minutes of this film.

3.3 The third ending occurs at minute 25, when we see what looks like the ending credit appear on the screen. I think this may be an unintentional parody of BLISSFULLY YOURS (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), because the opening credit of BLISSFULLY YOURS appears halfway into the film, while the ending credit of HISTORY IN THE AIR appears in the middle of the film.

3.4 The fourth ending occurs at minute 47, when the camera pans out to the runway, and the image of the runway is frozen for a while. The only thing that tells us that the frozen image does not occur by DVD malfunction is the soundtrack which keeps on moving.

3.5 The fifth ending occurs at minute 61, when we see the title of the film and some dedication texts appear on the screen, and then we see a black screen for about 30 seconds.

3.6 After the 30-second black screen, we see a very long text explaining why Chaloemkiat made this film. After this text, we reach the sixth ending, which is the real ending of this film.


4.The darkness, which occurs

4.1 At the end of PERU TIME (2008)

4.2 At the end of POLITICALLY LAWYER AND NARRATIVE CINEMA (2009)

4.3 In the airport in the "time lapse scene" at minute 9 in HISTORY IN THE AIR

4.4 In the hotel room in CHAY, GAYVAH-RAR 'N' THE MACHUPICCHU. The room is not totally dark, but it is dimly lit.

4.5 In 3/4 of the film EMPLOYEES LEAVING THE LUMIERE FACTORY (2010). Darkness prevails in this film.


5.Chaloemkiat's films don't try to arouse emotions in the same way as other films.

Personally, I think it is interesting that there are many Thai filmmakers who make "atmospheric films", including Chaloemkiat, but their films are different. What makes Chaloemkiat's films different from other atmospheric Thai films includes the fact that Chaloemkiat's films do not arouse emotions in the same way as others.

The differences between these atmospheric Thai filmmakers may be observed by comparing their films concerning with sea. These films include:


5.1 AFTERNOON LANDSCAPE (2011, Chaloemkiat Saeyong)

This film might be one of my least favorite films of Chaloemkiat, but it helps point out what makes his films different from others'. The view of the sea in this film is almost devoid of emotions.

5.2 BIRTH OF THE SEANEMA (2004, Sasithorn Ariyavicha)
The sea in this film hypnotizes me.

5.3 DEATHLESS DISTANCE (2009, Taiki Sakpisit)
We hear a strange, powerful, haunting soundtrack when we see the image of the sea in this film. I think the strange soundtrack is one signature of Taiki's films.

5.4 THE ETERNAL LIGHT (2008, Tulapop Saenjaroen)
The sea in this film looks abstract and very beautiful, though these characteristics may not apply to other films by Tulapop.

5.5 FAKE FIELD (ทุ่งกำมะลอ) (2008, Paisit Punpruegsachart)
I'm not sure if this film shows some signatures of Paisit or not. I like the soundtrack of this film very much, though what I love in other films of Paisit is not the soundtrack.

5.6 JONAH WILL BE 35 IN THE YEAR 2010 (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMb3jfy-Fk

The sea in this film gives a poignant, melancholic feeling, which may be one characteristic of Wiwat's films.

5.7 NO ONE AT THE SEA (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vB7yCQURj8

The sea in this film gives a very lonely feeling, which is one of the signatures of Tossapol's films

5.8 THE SAME OLD SEA (2008, Pisut Srimhok, 22 min)
Pisut Srimhok makes atmospheric documentary films, so the sea in this film is different from others because it is shown matter-of-factly to serve the documentary.

It is interesting to compare the sea in this film with the sea in I'M FINE THANK YOU AND YOU? (2008, Patana Chirawong, 87 min). Patana is also a documentary filmmaker, but he doesn't make atmospheric films like Pisut.
The sea in I'M FINE THANK YOU AND YOU? provides "the climax" for the film, but the sea in THE SAME OLD SEA doesn't concern with the emotional trajectory of the film. I think Patana's films tell stories, and may have "lessons" for the viewers, such as "you should help other people" or "you should be kind to other people", while Pisut's documentaries don't tell obvious stories and don't seem to have lessons for the viewers.

5.9 SCAR (2010, Arthawut Boonyuang)
The sea in this film "invites me to imagine some stories" concerning with the erotic story shown before the sea scene. However, this may or may not be a characteristic of Arthawut's film. I'm not sure.

5.10 WAKE UP TIME (2008, Chaiwat Wiansantia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYlE9nS9smM

The sea in this film feels intimate, and gives a little bit warm, cozy feeling, which may be one characteristic of Chaiwat's films.


This is a photo from Chaloemkiat's graduation day. It is unlike other graduation day's photos I have ever seen in my whole life. I think this photo is a good representative of his films.


Super American?

*

If any of you reading this post would like to play professional hockey as a goal tender please send your applications to the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey team, ASAP. They would desperately like to find one.

A seven spot? You have got to be kidding me.

Anywhoo, what's with winguts and their hatred for things in popular culture?


The latest artistic endeavor to face the wrath of my wingnut friends is the television show, Glee. Personally, I have never watched it, but I do know that it's a television show, (A TELEVISION SHOW!) it is not real and therefore what plays itself out on the small screen is based on a script that was written by someone who is paid to write material that people will want to watch.


But try telling that to some people.

"Looks like Glenn Beck has hopped on the right-wing hate bandwagon that's been rolling all over "Glee" lately.

Beck trained his laser-like focus on the musical series on his show this week, deeming it "a horror show" and "a nightmare" because "everyone is sleeping with everyone else, it's all about self-gratification."

Just wait until Beck finds out that his boss (for now, anyway), Fox honcho Rupert Murdoch, is responsible for putting such trash on the air. He's gonna need a bigger blackboard to explain the complexities of that one...[
Source]

And then, of course, there is the latest little dust up with the "Man of Steel". Wingnuts have lost their minds because he is threatening to renounce his A-merry-can citizenship. The horror!
Is nothing sacred anymore in the world?

The wingnuts even tried to get cute with this shocking development:

Whatever. We all know what this is really about. It’d be one thing if Superman renounced his U.S. citizenship under The Evil George Bush. But we put a black man in charge, and all of a sudden the Man of Steel heads for the exits? Nice try, Kracker-El. You might as well trade in that red cape for a white hood and join the Kryptonian Klux Klan. [Source]

I like it. Console yourself -and the anger you are feeling -with satire.



Hey, what's wrong with just truth and justice? Must we throw in the "American way"?


Is American truth and justice any different from other versions of truth and justice? I don't think so. At least it shouldn't be.



Maybe Superman isn't liking what he sees with the "American way". When a significant number of Americans look at their duly elected leader as somehow illegitimate because of his....well something, it makes you wonder. That must be worse than kryptonite to the big fellow.



Oh well, relax folks, he was just threatening to renounce his citizenship. I don't think he really did it. We can still claim him as our own. His outfit is still primarily red and blue, not green and white.



We are just lucky that when he left Krypton he decided to settle here, in A-merry-ca.


*Pic from Action Comics.






















louis vuitton surfboard

FAVORITE FILMS ABOUT "PROBLEMS WITH MOTHER"

(in alphabetical order)

1.IN AFRICA (2010, Phunjephol Songvisava, 30 min)

2.THE INGRATITUDE (อกตัญญู) (2005, Setthawit Punpeng, 26 min)

3.THE LETTER (ภาพ) (2008, Wuttichai Tengwongwattana, 15 min)

4.MOTHER (2011, Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul, 64 min)

5.MOTHER, HUG ME PLEASE (แม่จ๋ากอดหนูหน่อย) (2004, Nutchapol Chotsurakulya, 5 min)

6.OH MADA (1977, Chana Kraprayoon)

7.OR (2004, Keren Yedaya, Israel)

8.PHANTOM LOVE (2007, Nina Menkes)

9.TARNATION (2003, Jonathan Caouette)

10.UMMA (2003, Hohyun Joung, South Korea)



MOTHER (2011, Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul, 64 min, A+++++++++++++++)

สิ่งที่ชอบมากๆในหนังเรื่องนี้มีดังต่อไปนี้

1.ชอบประเด็นเรื่องแม่ในหนังเรื่องนี้มากๆเลยครับ มันเจ็บปวดมากๆ ที่แม่ในหนังเรื่องนี้ไม่ค่อยปกติ มันทำให้เกิดภาวะกลืนไม่เข้าคายไม่ออก และหนังก็ไม่ได้สั่งสอนศีลธรรมคนดูหรือพยายามชี้แนะคนดูมากจนเกินไป ว่าต้องรักเคารพแม่และให้อภัยแม่ทุกสิ่งทุกอย่าง หนังทำให้เราเข้าใจความรู้สึกของลูกได้เป็นอย่างดีว่าต้องลำบากใจขนาดไหน

ปกติแล้วบทแม่ในหนังสั้นของไทยที่ได้ดูมา มักจะเป็นบทแม่พระที่ลูกเคารพรักเสียเป็นส่วนใหญ่ ส่วนบทแม่ที่ไม่ใช่คนปกติแต่หนังทำออกมาได้น่าประทับใจนั้น เท่าที่ผมได้ดูมาก็ไม่น่าจะเกิน 10 เรื่อง ผมก็เลยดีใจมากๆครับที่ได้ดู MOTHER เรื่องนี้ เพราะหนังเรื่องนี้ไม่ได้นำเสนอบท "แม่" ในแบบที่ทำให้ผมรู้สึกเบื่อหน่าย

ในด้านความแรงของบทแม่ในหนังเรื่องนี้นั้น ผมคิดว่ามันแรงพอๆกับ TARNATION เลยครับ


2. documentary/mockumentary

ในช่วงที่ผมได้ดูหนังเรื่องนี้รอบแรก ผมไม่แน่ใจว่าบางส่วนของหนังเรื่องนี้เป็น documentary หรือ mockumentary แต่ผมก็ชอบมันมากๆครับ ไม่ว่ามันจะเป็นอะไรก็ตาม ถ้าหากบางส่วนของหนังเรื่องนี้เป็น documentary ผมก็ชอบมันมากๆในแง่ความกล้าในการนำเสนอความจริงที่เจ็บปวดของชีวิต แต่ถ้าหากสิ่งที่ได้เห็นมีความเป็น mockumentary ผสมอยู่ด้วย ผมก็ทึ่งมากที่มันทำออกมาได้สมจริงมาก

สาเหตุที่ทำให้ผมไม่แน่ใจว่ามันเป็น doc หรือ mock นั้น ก็เป็นเพราะความแรงในประเด็นเรื่องแม่นี่แหละครับ คือถ้าหากหนังเรื่องนี้นำเสนอแม่ในภาพของ "แม่พระผู้แสนดี" ผมก็คงเชื่อว่ามันเป็น doc โดยสนิทใจ แต่ภาพลักษณ์ของแม่ในหนังเรื่องนี้ดูค่อนข้างแรง ผมก็เลยไม่แน่ใจขณะที่ผมดูหนังเรื่องนี้รอบแรกว่ามันเป็น doc จริงหรือเปล่า

ตอนที่ผมดูหนังเรื่องนี้รอบแรกนั้น ผมลุ้นมากๆครับว่าในตอนจบของหนังเรื่องนี้ เครดิตท้ายเรื่องจะมีชื่อนักแสดงหญิง 1 คนหรือ 2 คน เพราะในส่วนของคุณณัฐญา นาคะเวชนั้น มันชัดเจนอยู่แล้วว่าเป็นการแสดง แต่ในส่วนของผู้หญิงอีกคนนั้น ผมไม่แน่ใจว่ามันเป็น "จริง" หรือ "แสดง" แถมใบหน้าของคุณแม่ในหนังเรื่องนี้ยังมีส่วนคล้ายคุณสุมณฑา สวนผลรัตน์ (นักแสดงละครเวทีระดับปรมาจารย์) ด้วย ผมก็เลยลุ้นอย่างสุดๆเลยครับ ว่าใน ending credit ของหนังเรื่องนี้ จะขึ้นชื่อของนักแสดงหญิง 1 หรือ 2 คน ซึ่งก็ปรากฏว่าขึ้นชื่อของนักแสดงหญิงเพียงคนเดียว

เหตุการณ์แบบนี้เกิดขึ้นน้อยครั้งมากครับสำหรับผม ที่ผมไม่แน่ใจว่าหนังที่ได้ดูเป็น doc หรือ mock เท่าที่ผมจำได้ ก็มีหนังเรื่อง THE LOVE MACHINE (2000, Gordon Eriksen), PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007, Oren Peli), THE FOURTH KIND (2009, Olatunde Osunsanmi) และ WANTANEE RETROSPECTIVE ENCORE (2008, Wantanee Siripattananantakul) ครับที่ทำให้ผมไม่แน่ใจว่ามันเป็น doc หรือ mock ในขณะที่ได้ดู ซึ่งในตอนหลังผมก็พบว่ามันเป็น mock ทั้ง 4 เรื่อง ในขณะที่ MOTHER เป็น documentary ในบางช่วง (ถ้าผมเข้าใจไม่ผิด)

3.ชอบฉากเปิดของหนังครับ ผมเข้าใจว่าฉากเปิดของหนังเป็น documentary ซึ่งผมก็ทึ่งมากว่าถ่ายได้ยังไง เพราะคนถ่ายคงนั่งซ้อนท้ายมอเตอร์ไซค์รับจ้าง และคงลำบากไม่ใช่น้อยในการถือกล้องถ่ายหนังไปด้วย แถมยังถือส้มโอมาด้วย (ถ้าเข้าใจไม่ผิด)

4.ผมชอบที่ฉากเปิดของหนังเหมือนจะหลอกคนดูในหลายๆอย่างครับ ซึ่งได้แก่

4.1 หลอกคนดูว่าหนังเรื่องนี้จะเป็นสารคดีบริสุทธิ์ แต่อยู่ดีๆหนังก็กลายเป็นเหมือน fiction ในฉากต่อมาเฉยเลย

4.2 หลอกคนดูว่าหนังเรื่องนี้จะเป็นเรื่องเกี่ยวกับ "คุณแม่ผู้แสนดี" เพราะคุณแม่ในฉากเปิดดูเหมือน "คุณแม่ผู้แสนดี" ที่เคยปรากฏตัวในหนังสั้นของไทยหลายเรื่อง

4.3 หลอกคนดูว่าหนังเรื่องนี้จะมีอารมณ์ feel good เกี่ยวกับ "ความรัก" "ความผูกพัน" ของคนในครอบครัว

5.ผมชอบที่ 4 ฉากแรกในหนังมันกระโดดข้าม genre ถึง 3 genre เลยครับ โดยในฉากแรกนั้น หนังเป็น documentary แต่ต่อมาหนังก็เป็น dramatic fiction ในฉากแม่กระโดดตึกและเข้าโรงพยาบาล และต่อมาหนังก็เป็น surreal

6.ผมชอบ "เส้นเวลา" ในหนังด้วยครับ เพราะในฉากที่สองของหนังที่ลูกชายนั่งดูจอโทรทัศน์นั้น เราเห็น "ภาพลูกชายไปเยี่ยมแม่ในคุก" ปรากฏอยู่ในจอโทรทัศน์ ซึ่งนั่นเท่ากับว่าเราไม่สามารถจัดเรียงเวลาหรือลำดับเหตุการณ์ในหนังเรื่องนี้ให้เป็นเส้นตรงได้

ถ้าหากตัดฉากที่สองออกไป เราก็อาจจะลำดับเหตุการณ์หรือเล่าเนื้อหาในหนังเรื่องนี้ให้เป็นเส้นตรงได้ไม่ยาก แต่พอมีฉากที่สองเข้ามาในเรื่อง โครงสร้างของหนังเรื่องนี้ก็พิสดารขึ้นมาทันที

สิ่งนี้ทำให้ผมนึกถึงหนังเรื่อง BEFORE THE RAIN (1994, Milcho Manchevski, Macedonia) ด้วยครับ เพราะใน BEFORE THE RAIN นั้น หนังเล่าเรื่องเป็นวงกลม บอกไม่ได้ว่าฉากไหนเกิดก่อน ฉากไหนเกิดทีหลัง แต่ถ้าหากตัดฉาก "ตัวละครดูภาพถ่าย" ออกไปจากเรื่องปุ๊บ เราก็จะเล่าเนื้อหาใน BEFORE THE RAIN ให้เป็นเส้นตรงได้ในทันที

7.ฉากพิสดาร

นอกจากลำดับเวลาในหนังจะพิสดารแล้ว ผมก็ชอบฉากในนาทีที่ 18 มากๆเลยครับ ที่เหมือนมีปลาหรือตัวอะไรสักอย่างบินมากลางอากาศ มาหาแม่กลางป่า มันเป็นฉากที่น่าจดจำมากๆ

8.การถ่ายภาพ

ผมชอบการถ่ายภาพในหนังเรื่องนี้ด้วยครับ โดยเฉพาะในฉาก supermarket ที่เราจะเห็นภาพคมชัดแค่บางส่วน และเบลอๆในบางส่วน ผมไม่แน่ใจว่าการจงใจถ่ายภาพให้ออกมากึ่งเบลอกึ่งคมชัดแบบนี้ มีจุดประสงค์เพื่อตอกย้ำความผิดปกติของแม่หรือเปล่า ผมคิดว่ามันน่าสนใจมากๆเลยครับ

9.สิ่งที่อยู่นอกฉาก

อีกฉากที่ผมว่าน่าสนใจมาก คือช่วงนาทีที่ 47-51 ที่หนังจงใจไม่ให้เราเห็นว่าใครคุยอยู่กับ "แม่" ในฉากนั้น ผมดูฉากนี้จนจบแล้วผมก็ไม่แน่ใจครับว่า คนที่ทะเลาะกับแม่ในฉากนั้นคือใครและมีความสัมพันธ์ยังไงกับแม่ในเรื่อง

หนังโดยทั่วไปมักจะให้เราเห็นตัวคนพูด แต่ในฉากนั้นเราจะไม่ได้เห็นตัวคนพูดคนนึง และเราก็ไม่รู้จนจบว่าใครคือเจ้าของเสียงพูดในฉากนั้น ผมก็เลยทึ่งกับฉากนี้มากๆเลยครับ

10. การใช้เสียงประกอบ

ผมชอบเสียงประกอบหลายอย่างในหนังครับ อย่างเช่น

10.1 เสียงทีวีในฉากที่แม่นอนบนเตียง ซึ่งเป็นเสียงที่อาจจะฟังดูน่ารำคาญมากๆ และหนังทั่วไปคงตัดเสียงนี้ทิ้งไป มีก็แต่เพียงหนังบางเรื่องของ Rainer Werner Fassbinder ที่จงใจใส่เสียงเหล่านี้เข้ามาเพื่อเหตุผลอะไรบางอย่าง

10.2 เสียงประกาศรางวัลหวยออกในฉากที่แม่นั่งมองดูตู้ปลา ซึ่งผมก็ไม่รู้ว่ามันสื่อถึงอะไร แต่มันประหลาดดี

10.3 เสียงกระซิบกระซาบแปลกๆในนาทีที่ 30:50-31:50 ในฉากที่แม่เปิดประตูบ้าน ผมไม่แน่ใจว่าเสียงกระซิบแปลกๆในฉากนี้คืออะไร มันคือเสียงที่ต้องการตอกย้ำความผิดปกติของแม่, เสียงที่ติดเข้ามาโดยบังเอิญ หรือเสียงผี ฮ่าๆๆ

10.4 เสียงหมาเห่า

11.การที่ตัวละครมองกล้อง ทั้งในส่วนที่เป็น fiction และ documentary (แม่มองกล้องตอนท้ายเรื่อง) ซึ่งผมว่ามันทั้งแปลก และก็คล้องจองกันดี และเป็นสิ่งที่พบน้อยมากในหนังระยะหลัง เท่าที่ผมได้ดูมา หนังที่มีตัวละครมองกล้องตรงๆแบบนี้ ก็มีแค่ DISSOLUTION (2010, Nina Menkes), WOMAN I (2010, Nuntanat Duangtisarn) กับหนังบางเรื่องของ Taiki Sakpisit เท่านั้น

12. การแสดงของคุณณัฐญา และคุณกันต์ ชุณหวัตร ที่เล่นได้น่าประทับใจมากๆทั้งคู่ ผมชอบคุณณัฐญา นาคะเวชมากๆครับ และก็ดีใจมากๆที่หนังเรื่องนี้เปิดโอกาสให้คุณณัฐญาได้สำแดงฝีมือที่แท้จริงของตัวเองออกมาอย่างเต็มที่ ส่วนของคุณกันต์นั้น ผมว่าแกถ่ายทอด "ความห่างเหิน" ระหว่างลูกกับแม่ได้ดีมากๆเลยครับ

ตอนที่ผมดูหนังเรื่องนี้รอบแรกนั้น ผมรู้สึกว่าคุณกันต์เล่นแข็งครับ เพราะแกดูไม่รู้สึกรัก, ผูกพัน หรือห่วงใยแม่สักเท่าไหร่เลย แต่พอผมดูหนังเรื่องนี้จบรอบแรก ผมถึงเข้าใจว่าเพราะเหตุใดลูกชายในหนังเรื่องนี้ถึงมีปฏิกิริยากับแม่แบบนั้น พอผมดูหนังเรื่องนี้รอบสอง ผมก็เลยชอบการแสดงของคุณกันต์เพิ่มขึ้นมากครับ เพราะตัวละครตัวนี้มันสมควรแสดงออกแบบนี้จริงๆ

สรุปว่า MOTHER เป็นหนังที่สุดยอดมากครับ ผมชอบหนังเรื่องนี้มากๆ และขอเป็นกำลังใจให้คุณวรกรได้ทำหนังออกมาอีกนะครับ


coming

Drunk bloggih

It's funny how some people can drunk blog... I did t... Stupid! Sorry! Hahaha ababa!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Betti O. -- She was Not Misbehavin' at the C.L. Hoover Opera House, (and I Ain't Kiddin')

 

The singing, the humor,
 the set, the lights,
 the perfect musicians, the cohesive consistency-
-Betti O.'s debut in directing/choreographing shows off real talent and provided a great Friday Night Date Night in Junction City's Hoover Opera House.
I'm exhausted-- my toe was tappin and my head was popping, nonstop--i'm sure i lost weight--so here's a couple quick impressions,
gotta hit the hay,

more tomorrow.
BTW, the clever opening- the musicians sat as in a perfect postcard, then- well, i won't tell you -- but pay attention! who thought of that? wonderful.
alan drew was amazing.
Tracy Birdsong, Justin Black, Stacy Brown, Janice R Dowell, and Alan Drew were alternately Beautiful, hilarious, lovely, and nuaced. I was going to say how funny Janice Dowell was until i thought back and realized how each performer had Completely Pleased the audience in both singing, humor, and supportive actions, and each brought the house to to loud appreciation.


lead-up story HERE: Fort Riley News story

absolutely inimitable Betti O.

The House said no video or flash photography, so i only used a nonflash quiet camera; Man i wish i could have taken some time and caught the beauty of these actors. The set was truly gorgeous. The musicians were absolutely top notch.
 It was Clever -- which means
smart actors and wonderful direction. O, Betti.








My only complaints: wishing i could have heard the voices louder in the back of the theater; wishing betti o had a cameo walk on, wishing i could have taken some good pics because each cast member was alluring and beautiful.

click on pic to enlarge

No fly over.




That is some serious weather they are experiencing down south. I guess mother nature must be still mad at us here in A-merry-ca. Hopefully those poor folks can get their lives back together.



It must be gut wrenching to look at where your home once stood and see total devastation.

I see his O ness took the presidential disaster tour today. That was nice. Nothing like a little "I feel your pain" from our leader to make us feel better about a tragic situation.

Still, as is always the case with O, not everyone was pleased.

"Texas Governor Rick Perry criticized the Obama administration on Thursday for not responding to a request for a disaster aid for the parched state, where wildfires have scorched nearly 2 million acres.

“You have to ask, ‘Why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?’ I know our letter didn’t get lost in the mail,” Perry, a Republican and frequent critic of the federal government, said after addressing a Texas emergency management conference. [Source]



No Governor, your letter didn't get lost in the mail, you probably just forgot to put a stamp on it. But hey, weren't you trying to secede from these divided states just a couple of years ago? I guess that limited federal government thing isn't looking so good these days. (BTW, I love the comments that follow the article on the wingnut site I linked.)



Finally, I think I know why Philly's finest have been a little trigger happy these days.



You Negroes better behave when you come to Philly. Our cops are pumped.































updated

I took alcohol. But I didn't smoke. I waited for you. I cried.

Xoxo

Jeffrey james

RIP MARIE-FRANCE PISIER (1944-2011)

I think she is as beautiful and elegant as Anouk Aimee, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Stephane Audran.

I think the casting in DOMBAIS ET FILS is spot-on, because Caroline Bourg, who plays the daughter of Marie-France Pisier in this miniseries, looks like Kristin Scott Thomas.

Marie-France Pisier's films that I saw:

1.CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (1974, Jacques Rivette, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

2.THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974, Luis Buñuel, A++++++++++)

3.TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS (1967, Alain Robbe-Grillet, A++++++++++)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4276930021793732862#

4.DOMBAIS ET FILS (2007, Laurent Jaoui, A++++++++++)

5.TIME REGAINED (1999, Raoul Ruiz, A+)

6.THE BRONTE SISTERS (1979, André Téchiné, A+)

7.THE FRENCH ATLANTIC AFFAIR (1979, Douglas Heyes, 278 min)

8.THE LADY BANKER (1980, Francis Girod, A+)

9.THE ICE RINK (1998, Jean-Philippe Toussaint, A+)

I'm also saddened to know that Ken Russell suffered from a stroke.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/apr/28/ken-russell-the-devils



Congrats to Kate and William


The Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen

Beauty Dogs from the Calendar -- and a British Shorthair Cat for Sweetest Friday

two wirehaired fox terriers?

 Dogs and Cats from the CALENDAR 


Happy Friday dude


chow chow

English spaniel

greater swiss mountain dog
uuhhmmm
click on pics to enlarge


more HERE

Softer than Milkweed

RK illumination3



You must have stroked a rabbit
Soft
Softer than milkweed
Softening your heart

So soft that no bump registered
The truck drove smoothly on as if not even a pebble had been under
The wheel
That instantly
Sent the life of that beautiful rabbit elsewhere

(I know there is no sin here
But
On this Friday after the Good Friday
As I drive into town
And these strange hot tears keep streaming down my face
I feel Buddha looking this way
maybe wondering
If we still shed tears
If we ever shed tears
For the Bigger Life we took


road kill illumination 3 marytodd





Thursday, April 28, 2011

another peek

This explains it.



I was wondering why some of you Negroes can't make it in A-merry-ca. Thank god for elected republicans who can break it down for me. Who needs a bunch of social anthropologist telling us why certain groups are the way they are when you have people like Sally Kern.

Thank you Sally, it all seems so much simpler now.

"Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern, a Republican, made questionable remarks in the wake of a measure seeking to ban affirmative action programs advancing in the state, Tulsa World reports.

According to the local outlet:

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said minorities earn less than white people because they don’t work as hard and have less initiative.


“We have a high percentage of blacks in prison, and that’s tragic, but are they in prison just because they are black or because they don’t want to study as hard in school? I’ve taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn’t study hard because they said the government would take care of them.”

In light of the proposed constitutional amendment in question clearing the state House of Representatives on Wednesday evening, the GOP lawmaker also suggested women earn less than their male counterparts because they generally spend more time in the home.

The AP recently reported on the legislation:

The measure [will] put on the 2012 election ballot a provision that the state may not grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin. The ban would apply to public employment, education and contracting.
Opponents say the proposal targets a non-existent problem. Several Democrats contend the bill is an attempt to use race to generate fear and draw conservative white voters to the polls. "
[Source]



Sally, I think I know what it is; they think that just because their ancestors did all that work for nothing A-merry-ca owes them something. Sally, when will they learn that they can't depend on government handouts? Don't thy know that handouts are only for hardworking A-merry-cans?

Finally, I bet that Mr. Bad Hair is thinking that he should have kept his big mouth shut.


Seems my man's milk ain't so clean and folks are starting to dig. Apparently Mr. Bad Hair has been keeping company with some Tony Soprano types. (It makes sense, his hair already looks like he has been "sleeping with the fishes". ) [Story]



Anyway, now that he has decided to get into politics, he might want to lose his mob friends. Although, to be honest, they might be more honorable than the crowd he is hanging with these days.












I was chatting with my best friend and she was telling me that she was experiencing some personal problems of her own. I'm not going into her problems but basically I was also telling her about the problems that I was facing.

I just ended things with this person I was dating. And she asked me if this is the worst I've felt from a 'breakup'.

Well, the answer is no. I've felt worse when my relationship with my 'supermodel' ex ended. I remember crying every night because of that. And the relationship after when I got dumped by my 'entertainment industry related' ex and I went outside and teared in the gym when I was trying to tell my friend about it.

The feeling I'm feeling now isn't new, but it still sucks nonetheless. However, I haven't cried a single bit. Don't get me wrong, I want to cry, I want to let this intense pressure out of me, I want to cry so I can feel that it comes out. But I can't somehow. I've been through worse heartbreaks and thos feeling I'm feeling now doesn't feel strange to me. But I hate it.

However, what I can say is that because of this person that I was dating, I've made the craziest decisions! I've never flown back to see someone a couple of times. That's a first though! But I'm glad that I'm doing better as the days go by. Even though I still feel like shit.

And it was nice having a chat with ness, it did make me feel better. I love you:)

Xoxo

Jeffrey james.

Thought

Some things are better left unsaid. Some things are better not knowing.

Even though I'm dying to find out. But, I will try and grow up!

Three days without smoking and drinking.

Well, except last night when my friend gave me a glass of rum and coke and i took a sip. He told me is was just coke.

I put the glass down.

I will try my best to quite smoking, and I'm off liquor only until im sure that i dont smoke :)

xoxo

Jeffrey James

FILM ARTICLE WISH LIST

The article in the link below questions the female roles in Andrei Tarkovsky's films. I'm not sure whether I agree with this article or not. Maybe I have to re-watch Tarkovsky's films again.


http://filmmakersjournal.co.uk/article.php?id=45


I wish some critics write articles about the female roles in the films of


1.Chana Kraprayoon, who directed DANGEROUS GIRLS (1976), OH MADA (1977), RAI SANAYHA (1979), VICTIMS (1987), TONG PRAGAI SAD (1988)


http://www.thaifilmdb.com/th/pp01651


2.Permpol Choei-aroon, who directed LIFE IS A BITCH (1977), MUANG NAI MORK (1978), A CITY OF BEGGARS (1978), HOSTAGE HUSBAND (1985), and THE JUDGEMENT (1989)


3.François Ozon


4.Paul Verhoeven


5.Arturo Ripstein

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

im a sad person

It's funny how when you don't want to be reminded of something, everything will start reminding you of the thing you want to forget. When I turn on the radio, and I hear them playing tonight by enrique iglesias, I'm reminded. When I hear grenade by bruno mars I'm reminded, or most top 40 songs I'm reminded. It sucks how this makes me feel shitty when I try to get better.

But I understand it's part of the whole process, and so far, it's been going sort of well, I did however click on that person's facebook profile yesterday and felt like shit, but my friend told me "never visit their profile page" so I'm going to try and stop myself from doing that.

The holiday has been quite good so far but I know that it could be better. I can't wait to go back to kl, I can't wait to be alone and concentrate on myself when I'm there again. Even though I tried to have fun, I seem to not be able to do it. I'm do boring now.

Oh well, I'm going to finish reading my book.

Xoxo

Jeffrey james

quick peek

Clip 4I animated this in Harmony using both straight ahead traditional drawing and some tweening Flash type tricksof course you couldn't get lines like this in Flash-not easily anyway. Once I got the whole scene set up and the main drawings done, most of the rest were drawn clean in 1 shot with no real roughing neededI moved the head up and down using the camera peg in Harmony on a 12x beat. the

Still not good enough Mr. President!



I just saw one of those great You Tube moments on John King's show.

"JOHN KING, HOST, “JOHN KING USA”: You raised this –

DONALD TRUMP, CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: No, no, you raised this.

KING: No, I did not raise this. I did not call the press conference in Palm Beach earlier this week –

TRUMP: Excuse me, you raised this. And every time I sit down with the press, all they want to talk about is the birth certificate. And I got him to do something that nobody else could get him to do, and I’ve been getting great credit for that.

KING: And you - you raised this issue of his credibility, that if he has it, he should release it.

TRUMP: Absolutely.

KING: There are people who question yours in the middle of all this. The other night, you went on "ANDERSON COOPER" and you said your investigators told you it was missing or it wasn't there.

TRUMP: Excuse me.

KING: What was that about?

TRUMP: Excuse me. Very simple. I had people looking into it. Now I don't have to have the people - I can call them back, I hope. I mean, I haven't seen this. I'm sure a lot of experts –

KING: But if – would you ever pay them – if serious people told you it was missing or not there, here it is. Here it is.

TRUMP: Would I pay them? I don’t know. Maybe I'll let you negotiate for me.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Some people think you just made that up though.

TRUMP: Let me just tell you, I don't make up anything. Let me tell you something. I have done a great service to the American people...."



For more laughs please watch the clip that goes with this link.



I will say this much for Mr. Bad Hair, he fits right in with the republican party. He looked right into the camera and told a lie. When King asked him why he said he was even with the president in the CNN polls he said because he was. When King told him that CNN had no such poll he told King that he [King] was lying and tried to send some flunky to get it [The poll]. CNN and the rest of A-merry-ca is still waiting for proof of that poll. It will never come. Just like we will never hear from the investigators that he had in Hawaii. It was all a lie.



Still, I am mad at O. I did not want him to release his birth certificate. The thought of an A-merry-can president having to release a birth certificate to prove that he is an A-merry-can is astonishing to me. It's why I can't stop blogging about it. Can you imagine? Two years into their presidency one of the previous 43 presidents having questions raised about where they were born?



So there was Mr. Bad Hair today taking credit for O showing a document which every person in A-merry-ca who doesn't see black helicopters over his/her lawn knew existed.



"Yes, but why did it take two years for him to show it. Tell the people, Mr. Obama, why two years? "



Mr. Wingnut, why did he have to show it to you in the first place?

Two new videos!!



Watch me put on my usual routine of makeup with a bare-faced me on the side for comparison!




Haul video of my purchases from F21 and Topshop.



I've been a hardworking youtuber LOL!!

Please support by subscribing ok!!












CLICK THAT BUTTON!!!



DO IT! It's my freaking birthday today and I demand it!!

I think I'd have an awesome birthday weekend (it has already started yesterday :D). I'd blog about it soon with peektures!

CHALOEMKIAT SAEYONG'S RETROSPECTIVE THIS SATURDAY

The retrospective of Chaloemkiat Saeyong, who is one of my most favorite directors of all time, will be held this Saturday on the 9th floor of BACC at 1500-1800 hrs. The details of the event can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194731583900668


The event is organized by Bodin Theparat. The poster is designed by Nattaphan Boonlert.

This is what Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke wrote about Chaloemkiat's films:
" Chaloemkiat's films are structured like a vast, dazzling labyrinth in which being lost is considered less like a loss than a reward, the complex yet never tiring one to wander into. Challenging experiment inducing pleasure deserves to be seen and enjoyed. A must for the adventurous!"

This is what I wrote about Chaloemkiat in INDIAN AUTEUR:
http://www.indianauteur.com/?p=976
" Chaloemkiat Saeyong’s masterpiece is Politically Lawyer and Narrative Cinema (2009, 27 min), which plays with many elements of cinema. The film tells a fictional story about a murder in an airport and uses this murder to remind the viewers of the real case of Somchai Neelaphaijit, a Thai political lawyer who disappeared in 2004. Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, a Thai film critic, makes an interesting observation that the film seems to both tell a story and destroy its story at the same time. The film is extremely self-reflexive and has numerous weird things in it. For example, both the English title and the Thai title of this film are “intentionally” grammatically wrong. The film shows us a lecture room or a corridor in a building, while a text appearing on the screen says that the audience must imagine that what they see is an airport. The film reminds me of some weird and wonderful films by Jean-Luc Godard. Chaloemkiat also made Peru Time (2008, 18 min), which lets us watch a sunset for 18 minutes while some unreadable texts keep appearing on the screen. Wiwat compares this film to the opening scene of India Song (1974, Marguerite Duras). Chaloemkiat also made A Place of Different Air (2008, 24 min), in which the images appearing on the screen change their sizes from time to time. This semi-documentary, semi-experimental film is about a family who has just moved to a new place, and the different image sizes seem to emphasize the contrast between the old place and the new place."

My comments on other films of Chaloemkiat:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/02/afternoon-landscape-2011-chaloemkiat.html
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2010/07/judge-2010-wachara-gunha.html
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2010/02/history-on-air-2009-chaloemkiat-saeyong.html

Chaloemkiat's interview in Thai:
http://fuse.in.th/blogs/interview/3941
http://www.youtube.com/siaminception#p/u/38/GaFAul6my3g

How to financially support Chaloemkiat's new film:
http://dominofilm.blogspot.com/2011/04/supporters.html

EMPLOYEES LEAVING THE LUMIERE FACTORY (2010, Chaloemkiat Saeyong, A+++++++++++++++) is my most favorite Thai film I have seen so far in 2011.

What I like very much in this film include:

1.Its trance-like quality. While I was watching this film, I feel as if I was having a trance. It's the same kind of feeling I get from watching AUTOHYSTORIA (2007, Raya Martin, A++++++++++).

2.Its darkness, its dim light, and the image of a woman in the dark.

3.Its sound effects. These sound effects might be just a room tone in most films. But in this film, this "room tone" becomes enormous, becomes something very special.

4.The film arouses my imagination very much by its darkness and its "room tone". The "dark scenes" in this film make my imagination explode.

5.Its repetitive structure. The same event seems to happen 3-4 times in this film, with slight differences each time. This structure reminds me of some films by Jean-Marie Straub.

6.The man lying on the stair. I think this is very weird and wonderful. Chaloemkiat said that this man performs "a sculpture" in this film.

7.The mysterious woman who walks in a very strange manner near the end of the film. Chaloemkiat said that he doesn't know who this woman is. She just walked into the frame of this film by accident.

8.Its minimalism

9.Its uncompromising quality. I think it should be screened together with RUHR (James Benning).

10.The film can be greatly enjoyed no matter whether you understand this film or not. I had seen this film before I had a chance to listen to Chaloemkiat's explaining about why he had made this film. So while I was watching it, I had no clue at all what this film is all about. I didn't understand anything in this film, but I enjoy it very much.

After I had seen the film, Chaloemkiat explained to the audience that the film is about some film education in some Thai universities, which is like keeping the film students in total darkness.

Though this film has its real meaning, what I like very much about it is that I don't have to understand its real meaning to enjoy it. Even though I know its real meaning by now, I don't think I will focus my mind on its meaning when I have a chance to see it for the second time or third time. When I see this film for the second time or third time, I will forget its real meaning, I will let my imagination explode again, I will use the "sound" and the "images" in this film to imagine "other films" and "other stories" that I like.

FAVORITE THAI FILMS SEEN SO FAR IN 2011

1.EMPLOYEES LEAVING THE LUMIERE FACTORY (2010, Chaloemkiat Saeyong)

2.THE FESTIVAL OF DEMON SPIRIT (2011, Sittiporn Racha)

3.RESIST (2009, Teeranit Siangsanoh, 54 min)

4.ME AND MY VIDEO DIARY (Tani Thitiprawat, 30 min)

5.EROTIC FRAGMENTS NO. 1, 2, 3 (2011, Anucha Boonyawattana)

6.PANYA RENU (2011, Bhin Banluerit)

7.HUG NA SARAKHAM (2011, Tanwarin Sukkhapisit)

8.I HOPE WE WILL PASS THROUGH THIS NIGHT (2011, Wattanapume Laisuwanchai)

9.DINING TABLE (2011, Wararak Thienkunakorn)

10.PIG'S STORIES (2011, Amrit Chusuwan, video installations)




INTRODUCTION TO DOMINO FILM EXPERIMENT


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrJPTfOUL8M

maxi and denim

Thank you all for your comments on my previous post, I had a lovely time with my family indeed! As you saw only the close-up photos and not my complete outfit, I had a photoshoot with my cousin and this is what I wore on that special day! As spring is almost here I thought of wearing something that matches this time of the year. 
Hope you all had an amazing easter, as well, and spend it with your lovable ones! xx










(wrangler denim jacket, unknown maxi dress, topshop studded boots, grandmas vintage hat, sunglasses and jewelry)