Tonight I saw Jaws, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider in honor of its 44th anniversary.
The legendary score, the almost-laughable fake shark, the unlikely bonding of the bros who venture out to kill the beast—I simply never tire of this classic, which is just a few months older than me.
I've seen the film dozens of times, but I don't recall ever enjoying it on the big screen, so I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite indie theaters would host a complimentary viewing as part of their Throwback Thursday series. The crowd was in my age range (with many of their kids in tow) and the audience behavior was perfect. Absolute silence throughout, with the exception of claps and cheers when famous lines were spoken.
The thing I realized that had never dawned on me before was the emphasis on the 1%/educated character besting the blue collar warrior who at first seems to know far better in every circumstance. It's an interesting lens in which to see the film, especially in light of our class divisions present day, and one that perhaps deserves a closer look.
Nevertheless, the experience was a wonderful way to welcome summer and keep me out of the water for at least a few more days.
~~~
Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ocean. Show all posts
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Saturday, June 02, 2018
Adrift
Last night I saw Adrift, starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin.
Tami (Woodley), a free spirit from California, falls in love with Richard (Claflin), a sailor from England. Their romance is flirtatious and fast, leading to a quick engagement and a commitment to sail the world together.
Blissful in their travels, they soon agree to take a job delivering a friend's yacht back to California and run into a horrific storm (what would be recorded as one of the worst hurricanes in history). The storm injures them and damages the boat severely. From that point on, every hour of every day is a battle for survival as they float adrift dangerously off course.
Based on a true story, if you've read the book by the real Tami, you know how the story ends, but this film is all about how the story plays out and both leads rise to the challenge. The acting is nothing short of terrific.
Witnessing this turmoil I was alternately cold, hot, tired, dizzy, hungry, thirsty and devastated. It's an emotionally draining film to watch, but also a testament to the absolute will for survival us humans possess.
What's more amazing? Tami was only 24 when she endured this living hell.
I enjoyed the agony of this adventure; the excruciating nature of it may not be for everyone, but it's doubtful anyone would argue it lacks merit.
~~~
Tami (Woodley), a free spirit from California, falls in love with Richard (Claflin), a sailor from England. Their romance is flirtatious and fast, leading to a quick engagement and a commitment to sail the world together.
Blissful in their travels, they soon agree to take a job delivering a friend's yacht back to California and run into a horrific storm (what would be recorded as one of the worst hurricanes in history). The storm injures them and damages the boat severely. From that point on, every hour of every day is a battle for survival as they float adrift dangerously off course.
Based on a true story, if you've read the book by the real Tami, you know how the story ends, but this film is all about how the story plays out and both leads rise to the challenge. The acting is nothing short of terrific.
Witnessing this turmoil I was alternately cold, hot, tired, dizzy, hungry, thirsty and devastated. It's an emotionally draining film to watch, but also a testament to the absolute will for survival us humans possess.
What's more amazing? Tami was only 24 when she endured this living hell.
I enjoyed the agony of this adventure; the excruciating nature of it may not be for everyone, but it's doubtful anyone would argue it lacks merit.
~~~
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Deepsea Challenge 3D
Last night I saw the documentary Deepsea Challenge 3D, about the journey James Cameron takes to a deep section of the ocean floor.
The director asks himself on screen whether or not he's a filmmaker who explores as a hobby or an explorer who makes films as a hobby. This film suggests the latter.
After seeing two men journey to the bottom of the ocean on television as a child in the 60s, Cameron held on to the dream of doing it himself until he had the means to duplicate the mission. That chance came a few years ago, when he commissioned the construction of a new submarine that would not only take him to those impressive depths, but also possess the capabilities to film and collect sediment samples during the journey.
A great portion of the film is spent watching Cameron, known for his tough treatment of employees, pushing the engineers and scientists to finish the build and fix the problems that keep surfacing (no pun intended). He can't be blamed for wanting them to get it right (after all, it is he who will perish if they don't); but I'm not sure viewers need such exploration of the preparation. For at least an hour, I was saying to myself "just get down there already."
After personal tragedies and systematic failures of epic proportion during testing are behind them, the trip finally takes place in 2012. The journey is long (over 35,000 feet) and insanely dangerous. It's hard to picture anyone but Cameron with the patience and passion to actually risk his life to do it—lucky for us it is him, and he does a beautiful job of capturing what he sees and experiences.
Though it could be argued that the sea life he encounters at elevations higher than his final mission are more illuminating than the desolate space at the bottom, there's an instant peace you can't help but experience, placing yourself for moments in his pod-like contraption and watching the quiet existence of nothing that is a magnificent something, wide-eyed in wonder.
If you've ever wanted to feel for a moment that you were part of an alternate world, treat yourself to this one-of-a-kind documentary. And enjoy the mysteries of the earth that are still yet undiscovered.
~~~
The director asks himself on screen whether or not he's a filmmaker who explores as a hobby or an explorer who makes films as a hobby. This film suggests the latter.
After seeing two men journey to the bottom of the ocean on television as a child in the 60s, Cameron held on to the dream of doing it himself until he had the means to duplicate the mission. That chance came a few years ago, when he commissioned the construction of a new submarine that would not only take him to those impressive depths, but also possess the capabilities to film and collect sediment samples during the journey.
A great portion of the film is spent watching Cameron, known for his tough treatment of employees, pushing the engineers and scientists to finish the build and fix the problems that keep surfacing (no pun intended). He can't be blamed for wanting them to get it right (after all, it is he who will perish if they don't); but I'm not sure viewers need such exploration of the preparation. For at least an hour, I was saying to myself "just get down there already."
After personal tragedies and systematic failures of epic proportion during testing are behind them, the trip finally takes place in 2012. The journey is long (over 35,000 feet) and insanely dangerous. It's hard to picture anyone but Cameron with the patience and passion to actually risk his life to do it—lucky for us it is him, and he does a beautiful job of capturing what he sees and experiences.
Though it could be argued that the sea life he encounters at elevations higher than his final mission are more illuminating than the desolate space at the bottom, there's an instant peace you can't help but experience, placing yourself for moments in his pod-like contraption and watching the quiet existence of nothing that is a magnificent something, wide-eyed in wonder.
If you've ever wanted to feel for a moment that you were part of an alternate world, treat yourself to this one-of-a-kind documentary. And enjoy the mysteries of the earth that are still yet undiscovered.
~~~
Friday, September 28, 2012
Finding Nemo 3D
Tonight I saw the Pixar classic, Finding Nemo, in 3D.
Though I've seen the film dozens of times, until this evening, I had never seen it in 3D. And oh, how beautiful it was!
Nemo (Alexander Gould), a young clown fish, is angry with his father on the first day of school and swims to a nearby boat. His father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), goes after him but doesn't make it in time and a scuba diver scoops Nemo up.
The young fish lands in an aquarium at a Sydney, Australia dental office; his father desperately sets out (despite his own fears about the ocean) to find him.
Marlin soon meets up with a female fish, Dory, who is voiced by a hilarious Ellen DeGeneres. She suffers from short-term memory challenges, but thankfully remembers the address on the scuba diver's goggles so they can try to get to Nemo.
Nemo meanwhile has made friends with his fellow aquarium fish, as they are busy planning their escape.
Will they reunite? Well, if you haven't seen it by now, you should get yourself to a theater.
As with every Pixar film, there are delightful tidbits for the adults to enjoy while the kids marvel at the visuals. This is all underlined with a healthy dose of heart, delivered sentimentally in just the right places.
I think after seeing the vibrant ocean life pop with new dimension, I love this film even more than I did before.
~~~
Though I've seen the film dozens of times, until this evening, I had never seen it in 3D. And oh, how beautiful it was!
Nemo (Alexander Gould), a young clown fish, is angry with his father on the first day of school and swims to a nearby boat. His father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), goes after him but doesn't make it in time and a scuba diver scoops Nemo up.
The young fish lands in an aquarium at a Sydney, Australia dental office; his father desperately sets out (despite his own fears about the ocean) to find him.
Marlin soon meets up with a female fish, Dory, who is voiced by a hilarious Ellen DeGeneres. She suffers from short-term memory challenges, but thankfully remembers the address on the scuba diver's goggles so they can try to get to Nemo.
Nemo meanwhile has made friends with his fellow aquarium fish, as they are busy planning their escape.
Will they reunite? Well, if you haven't seen it by now, you should get yourself to a theater.
As with every Pixar film, there are delightful tidbits for the adults to enjoy while the kids marvel at the visuals. This is all underlined with a healthy dose of heart, delivered sentimentally in just the right places.
I think after seeing the vibrant ocean life pop with new dimension, I love this film even more than I did before.
~~~
Saturday, May 26, 2007
A Life Among Whales
Today I saw the documentary A Life Among Whales, which is part of the Planet Cinema series at SIFF.
To read my written review on Cinebanter.com, click here.
To read my written review on Cinebanter.com, click here.
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