Nadine Feldman, Author

celebrating strong female characters and whatever else strikes my fancy

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Off to the Movies! #porttownsendfilmfestival #movies

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Every year in late September, we head down our hill and spend three solid days watching movies at the Port Townsend Film Festival. This year’s guests are Beau Bridges and Chris Cooper, so we’re excited! We’re also hosting (in our home) Jon Gann, the founder/director of the D.C. Shorts Film Festival, and Joanne Feinberg, former program director for the Ashland Independent Film Festival. The house will be filled with lots of creative energy!

From short films to documentaries to full-length features, we have a long list of films to enjoy. Our days will begin at about 9:00 a.m. and go until as late as 11:00 p.m. We grab food wherever we can in between films, and we’ll be attending a few parties, too! It’s an exhausting, fun, exciting festival, our favorite of the year!

Do you enjoy films? What’s your latest favorite movie?

Grab the Popcorn — It’s Oscar Time!

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Let me tell you about our little movie theater in Port Townsend. The Rose has just three screens, yet somehow we end up seeing the best films of the year. We love walking downtown to see a movie, and before each film we’re treated to an introduction that tells us behind-the-scenes tidbits.

This year we saw all the nominated Oscar Films. I can’t begin to pick a winner, but I’ll tell you what I think of each film.

Whiplash – This is a stunning film about a wannabe jazz drummer and his hard-driving, head-game-playing, abusive teacher. Loosely based on real life, Whiplash is an intense ride. There’s an odd sag in the middle where the plot falls apart, so I wouldn’t give it a best picture nod, but it has a powerful ending and a brilliant performance by J. K. Simmons.

American Sniper – Forget the controversy and go see the film. I’m a pacifist from way back, and Clint Eastwood’s performance to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention did not impress, but holy cow, what a film. Bradley Cooper is mesmerizing as real-life sniper Chris Kyle.

Birdman – A lot of people will tell you this film is brilliant. I didn’t get it. Sorry. I love Michael Keaton and am glad he’s getting his due, but this was too “out there” for me.

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Another quirky, fun, enjoyable ride from Wes Anderson. I’m turning into a real fan. I doubt this film will win (Oscar seems to love the “serious” films), but I’m thrilled to see it nominated.

The Imitation Game – Based on the life of Alan Turing, whose contributions to the modern computer remained in obscurity for decades, and who endured unspeakable Nazi-esque “treatment” for being gay, The Imitation Game brings attention to Turing’s achievements.

Selma – My personal favorite, Selma focuses on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protests in Selma over voting rights. David Oyelowo’s performance is not to be missed. Was he robbed? Hard to say. The Best Actor field is a tough one yet again this year, with not enough room for every great performance. Still, it’s fantastic work.

The Theory of Everything – Here’s another unbelievable acting performance, this time from Eddie Redmayne, who somehow inhabits the disease-ridden body of Stephen Hawking. Though Hawking’s real life is a bit more lurid than that which ended up on film, it’s a wonderful tribute to a brilliant man. Do nerds rule this year? We’ve got Hawking and Turing movies up for Best Picture. Maybe there’s hope that it will one day be cool to be smart.

Boyhood – A lot of people think this is the winner. I don’t know. It was…okay. It’s a unique film because the same actors were filmed over a 12-year period. The problem, for me, was some of the story got lost in the process.

Do you enjoy movies? What were your favorites this year (nominated or not)?

Friday Fun: Holiday Films

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We’re now knee-deep in the holiday season. This time of year, we like to revisit some of our favorite films. As Jews, we don’t celebrate Christmas, but I’ve yet to find a good Hanukkah film — someone guide me if I’ve missed something! At any rate, here are some of the movies we turn to again and again this time of year:

  1. It’s A Wonderful Life – hubby’s all-time favorite, we dust this one off every single year, and it never fails to make me cry. I love the character of George Bailey because he’s a good man, but a flawed one, just like the rest of us.
  2. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott’s classic is more than just a saccharine story of four sisters. These are strong women, and Jo will not compromise, even though she lives in a time when women were expected to.
  3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – This one never fails to crack me up. Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid are at their best.
  4. Big Fish – Okay, there’s no holiday theme to this one, but it’s one of my all-time favorites. It’s funny, fanciful, and deeply touching as a son tries to find the real truth in his father’s tall tales. I like to watch this one at least once a year, especially when I’m feeling blocked creatively.

Do you have favorite films that you watch this time of year? Let me know!

 

Friday Fun: Let’s Go to the Movies

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Happy Friday, everyone! I’m in the process of re-evaluating my writing career, so I’m a bit erratic with my blogging. I will share a guest post next week, and if anyone else would like to do the same, let me know. It’s time, though, for some Friday fun! Have a great weekend!

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Who doesn’t love a good movie? As we settle in to colder weather, I look forward to nestling in to a comfy chair in a dark, warm theater. So put on the popcorn, and I’ll tell you about some great little films I’ve seen in town, but recently and at the film festival a few months ago.

Searching for Sugarman – Recommended for all of us creative types who toil in obscurity. Sixto Rodriguez is a singer/songwriter/street poet who recorded two record albums in the early 1970s. With a fine voice and lyrics comparable to Dylan, Rodriguez seemed poised to superstardom. Alas, both albums flopped, and he disappeared — except for a few album copies that made their way to South Africa. Bootleg copies were produced, and he became bigger than Elvis as the anti-apartheid movement embraced his political spirit. Because of rumors that he had killed himself onstage, though, he didn’t know anything about his success for many years. SFS follows the story of his rediscovery and connection with fans who idolized him for decades as a voice of their generation.

Trash Dance – Choreographer Allison Orr takes a group of Austin trash collectors and turns them, and their garbage trucks, into performers. There are two stories here: one is how Orr brings the show together, and the other shows the daily lives and challenges of these unsung heroes. Recommended for anyone who thinks the 47% are all lazy!

QWERTY – A quirky story about love and — Scrabble! Two wounded people find each other and fall in love. Unlike real live, they lift each other up instead of dragging each other down. Yes, it’s a fantasy, but it’s a sweet movie. The character of Zoe will warm your heart.

Old Goats – This is a small, quiet buddy film about three men, all retired, who still embrace life and love, but find their richest moments with each other. Their lives aren’t perfect, and each one has his own disappointments…but I love how this movie shows that older people can still be vibrant, interesting, and sexual.

Chasing Ice – If you have any doubts about climate change, see this movie, which follows documentary photographer James Balog as he undertakes a massive project to photograph, over a multi-year period, the depletion of the glaciers. See this one on the big screen if you can — it opens in major markets today.

 

Have you seen any interesting movies lately?

This Week’s Blog Winner Is…

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…Passionate Pursuits by Brenda Moguez!

If you haven’t read Brenda’s blog yet, you’re in for a treat. She weaves thoughtful, lyrical magic to all aspects of womanhood. Add the threads of sensuality and authenticity, and you get a blog that always intrigues!

While I’m reading Brenda’s blog, I’ve gotten surprisingly used to the sound of jackhammers. Yesterday I managed to do my Ellen Barrett DVD while they were going on! Gotta get my exercise, and Ellen, as you all know by now, is my fave.

In the meantime, have you seen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel yet? It’s refreshing to see a fine film where older people are still vital, working, loving, and finding meaning in their lives. Judi Dench and Maggie Smith are just a few of the brilliant actors in this movie. Filmed in India, the chaos of Indian life is its own character, and many of the scenes were filmed among regular residents just going about their day. The beautiful line that threads the movie together is this: “Everything turns out all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end.” The first time we tried to see it, it was sold out! Last night we were still sitting waaaayyy up front. Hollywood, we want more like these!

Remember that skirt I’ve been knitting? Well, next week I have a lot more to say about that. Let’s just say it’s been an “interesting” experience. I may also post a Tuesday book review. I know, I said I wasn’t going to do that anymore for a while, but I’ve been reading some great stuff that I want to share. Enjoy your weekend!

Metropolis: The Movie

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Remember way back when Madonna was still cool and she made the video “Express Yourself“? The grim images of workers slaving away in dark rooms in an expansive city were an homage to Metropolis, a silent film made in the 20s in Germany. A cinematic masterpiece, the special effects of Metropolis remain stunning 85 years later. What Madonna didn’t know was that years later, in 2008, lost footage of the film would be found in Argentina, allowing a more complete restoration. It was this version, accompanied by a live three-piece orchestra, The Alloy, that I had the pleasure of viewing at the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend.

Metropolis paints a dystopian picture that is relevant to today’s politics. A class system has workers devalued and living underground while the upper class lived and played without a care. Sound familiar? One blog, moviediva, examines the movie in the context of Germany of the 20s, with a severe depression that ultimately led to the rise of the Nazi party. It’s an interesting read. Unfortunately, unlike the benign and helpful “mediator” who was sought in the story (a savior archetype), the Germans ended up with Hitler.

From a personal standpoint, Metropolis can also represent the inner journey. The son of the aristocrat has a Buddha-like awakening while frolicking in his garden, when he is unexpectedly exposed to a group of impoverished children. Awakened to suffering, his personal journey takes him to the depths of the workers’ city, even becoming a worker himself — and in his personal growth, has the potential to change the world. I write a lot here about overcoming inner struggles, and this includes traveling to the greatest depths of our being in order to triumph.

One of the memorable characters in Metropolis is Marie, who is encouraging faith among the workers. The same actress plays another role in the movie, that of a robot made in her image to trick the workers. She follows instructions to incite them to violence; unfortunately for the workers, they do not realize that in their rebellion, they risk destroying themselves. The robot invites references to the Whore of Babylon, and perhaps can be relevant today in terms of the myth of woman as destructive temptress.

The tagline of the movie is “The mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart.” Though dismissed later by Lang himself as being silly, I think it’s true for all of us — as individuals and, collectively, as a society.

I’m unclear as to how Metropolis plays into the narrative in Madonna’s video, but oh, well. It was fun to watch it again with a greater understanding of the Metropolis references…and to tap my toes a bit.