Friday, September 02, 2005
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts: Donate To Help
A friend of mine sent this around at work. It's a great list of organizations that you can donate to that will have an impact in the relief efforts underway due to Hurricane Katrina. The outpouring has been encouraging to date, but this disaster appears to be larger than anyone expected, so help is always needed and welcome.
• American Red Cross, 800-HELP NOW, 800-435-7669
• Operation Blessing, 800-436-6348
• America's Second Harvest, 800-344-8070
• Adventist Community Services, 800-381-7171
• Catholic Charities, 703-549-1390
• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 800-848-5818
• Church World Service, 800-297-1516
• Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998
• Episcopal Relief & Development, 1-800-334-7626 or
• Lutheran Disaster Response, 800-638-3522
• Mennonite Disaster Service, 717-859-2210
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 800-872-3283
• Salvation Army, 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
• Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
• United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583
• American Red Cross, 800-HELP NOW, 800-435-7669
• Operation Blessing, 800-436-6348
• America's Second Harvest, 800-344-8070
• Adventist Community Services, 800-381-7171
• Catholic Charities, 703-549-1390
• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 800-848-5818
• Church World Service, 800-297-1516
• Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998
• Episcopal Relief & Development, 1-800-334-7626 or
• Lutheran Disaster Response, 800-638-3522
• Mennonite Disaster Service, 717-859-2210
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 800-872-3283
• Salvation Army, 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
• Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
• United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583
Extremely Bad Canadian Rap
First Blood is proof that making good rap music is harder than it would first appear.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Wikipedia Article: 16 pages in 4 days
I'm continually impressed by the amount of community reporting and fact-finding that goes on with people who post and edit content on the World Wide Web. Case in point: in 4 days, an article on Hurricane Katrina on Wikipedia has reached 16 printed pages. That's just awesome.
Is the article perfect? Not yet, since this is a developing story. That said, there's lots of factual information in there that I've yet to read in one place, be it a news story or another web site, including when and how the storm was first discovered, effects on different industries, and specifics on the response by military and National Guard.
Power to the commons.
Is the article perfect? Not yet, since this is a developing story. That said, there's lots of factual information in there that I've yet to read in one place, be it a news story or another web site, including when and how the storm was first discovered, effects on different industries, and specifics on the response by military and National Guard.
Power to the commons.
Camping In The Olympics
We spent last weekend camping in the Olympic National Park, on the coast at Mora. Camping on the beach was a new experience, but a great one at that.
Saturday day was spent road-tripping from Seattle to Mora. On the way, we stopped in Olympia to have breakfast at their farmer's market. This one's much more small and quaint than Pike Place, but it has its charms. We also stopped for lunch at Forks, where Sully's Drive In offered up some great burgers, shakes, and slushies.
Arriving in Mora, we hiked in about a mile and half, close to hole-in-the-wall (see below). We found a great site to set up camp that was both close to the beach but secluded and shielded somewhat from the elements.
Saturday night was a bit rainier that we would have liked, but the overall natural beauty and peaceful surroundings made up for any wetness. A campfire, dinner, and s'mores, and fermented beverages wrapped up the evening.
The beach at Mora is pretty rugged. As this picture conveys, it's no Florida Gulf Coast beach. But there's tons of wildlife, especially in the tidepools, that you can explore.
Mora is a very photogenic area. We should get some pictures up here soon, courtesy of our friend's camera skills.
Saturday day was spent road-tripping from Seattle to Mora. On the way, we stopped in Olympia to have breakfast at their farmer's market. This one's much more small and quaint than Pike Place, but it has its charms. We also stopped for lunch at Forks, where Sully's Drive In offered up some great burgers, shakes, and slushies.
Arriving in Mora, we hiked in about a mile and half, close to hole-in-the-wall (see below). We found a great site to set up camp that was both close to the beach but secluded and shielded somewhat from the elements.
Saturday night was a bit rainier that we would have liked, but the overall natural beauty and peaceful surroundings made up for any wetness. A campfire, dinner, and s'mores, and fermented beverages wrapped up the evening.
The beach at Mora is pretty rugged. As this picture conveys, it's no Florida Gulf Coast beach. But there's tons of wildlife, especially in the tidepools, that you can explore.
Mora is a very photogenic area. We should get some pictures up here soon, courtesy of our friend's camera skills.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Iraq Is A Terrorist Training Ground
I quote from this article:
All that cost (of life and of money) only to see Iraq surpass Afghanistan as the top terrorist training ground makes me concurrently very sad, angry, and hopeless.
At the same time, some Pentagon officials now acknowledge that the
two-and-a-half-year insurgent war has turned Iraq into a terrorist training
camp.U.S. intelligence indicates Islamic militants from several African
nations — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan and Somalia — travel through
Syria into Iraq, where they get hands-on training in roadside and suicide
bombings, assassinations and kidnappings as well as counter-surveillance and
counter-intelligence against military targets, constantly changing their
tactics to counter American defenses...And Pentagon officials now fear those freshly trained terrorists are taking the deadly lessons they learn in Iraq to other countries. U.S. intelligence indicates many of the
militants are returning home or slipping into Europe, where they may join
existing terrorist groups or create and train new cells of their own.
All that cost (of life and of money) only to see Iraq surpass Afghanistan as the top terrorist training ground makes me concurrently very sad, angry, and hopeless.
Lappert's Ice Cream May Be Diseased
We're big fans of Lappert's Ice Cream. They have great flavors, use good ingredients, and offer a nice variety of unconventional flavors.
Recently, while going to QFC to purchase some ice cream, we were surprised to see the shelves cleared of all Lappert's stock. We were a bit miffed at the possibility that QFC had decided to stop carrying our favorite frozen treat.
Today, over a week after the clear-out, Lappert's is back. OK, we thought, it's not QFC's fault. On one of the freezer doors, a sign was posted explaining the temporary disappearance of the ice cream. It seems a recall was in effect of Lappert's Ice Cream because of a Listeria scare. Sure enough, an article confirms the recall for all Lappert's Ice Cream produced through August 4th.
Listeria isn't a good thing. Gastrointestinal mischief is apparently just the start. Pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible.
If you've got an old pint of the stuff, check the date.
Recently, while going to QFC to purchase some ice cream, we were surprised to see the shelves cleared of all Lappert's stock. We were a bit miffed at the possibility that QFC had decided to stop carrying our favorite frozen treat.
Today, over a week after the clear-out, Lappert's is back. OK, we thought, it's not QFC's fault. On one of the freezer doors, a sign was posted explaining the temporary disappearance of the ice cream. It seems a recall was in effect of Lappert's Ice Cream because of a Listeria scare. Sure enough, an article confirms the recall for all Lappert's Ice Cream produced through August 4th.
Listeria isn't a good thing. Gastrointestinal mischief is apparently just the start. Pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible.
If you've got an old pint of the stuff, check the date.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Greek Air Tragedy Could Have Been Much Worse
The largest airplane disaster in Greece's history occurred last weekend, when Helios Airways Flight ZU522 crashed north of Athens last Sunday.
There's been plenty of speculation and mystery surrounding the circumstances of the crash. I don't want to speculate on the reasons for the crash, what the fighter pilots witnessed, or why the relative of one of the people on board lied about receiving a text message. I do want to talk about the disaster that didn't occur.
The crash occurred in a lightly populated area. The nearest house was 400m away. We have family friends who have a vacation home in Grammatiko, and who were there at the time of the crash (about 2-3km away). They drove over and witnessed the dozens of fire crews putting out the fire and dealing with the wreckage. But they also witnessed how the crash didn't affect other homes or people on the ground.
The tragedy is very awful and very mournful, to be sure. My thoughts go out to all of the families and friends affected by the crash. But I also stop and think how much worse things could have been if the plane crashed in a more heavily populated area.
And then I wonder how it came to be that the plane crashed in a remote area. And then I start speculating.
There's been plenty of speculation and mystery surrounding the circumstances of the crash. I don't want to speculate on the reasons for the crash, what the fighter pilots witnessed, or why the relative of one of the people on board lied about receiving a text message. I do want to talk about the disaster that didn't occur.
The crash occurred in a lightly populated area. The nearest house was 400m away. We have family friends who have a vacation home in Grammatiko, and who were there at the time of the crash (about 2-3km away). They drove over and witnessed the dozens of fire crews putting out the fire and dealing with the wreckage. But they also witnessed how the crash didn't affect other homes or people on the ground.
The tragedy is very awful and very mournful, to be sure. My thoughts go out to all of the families and friends affected by the crash. But I also stop and think how much worse things could have been if the plane crashed in a more heavily populated area.
And then I wonder how it came to be that the plane crashed in a remote area. And then I start speculating.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
The Blue Angels Are Scary
Two weekends ago was the culmination of Seafair 2005, a celebration of airplanes, boats, and other mechanical widgets. Every year, the Blue Angels come and perform their air acrobatics for the crowds. The Angels practice during the end of the week, and perform on Saturday and Sunday. Their performance entails flying over the city when doing approaches, formations, and other tricks.
Now, if you've ever seen the Blue Angels, you know they are very skilled. You need to have quite a bit of skill to fly an F/A-18 Hornet mere inches from each other in a set formation, and to maneuver in sequence with the other planes.
That said, accidents happen. A crash happened as recently as 1999, killing two Angels as one plane was landing. The article references a prior accident in 1990, and a fatality in 1985. The total number of Blue Angel pilots killed in air shows or training is 23.
While these accidents are not common, they put at risk not only the pilots but those on the ground. If a pilot loses control while flying over an urban area, how many other lives will be lost as the plane hits the ground?
Air shows are not safe, in my opinion. Case in points are made here, here, here, and here. And, when you have an air show over a heavily populated area, the chance for accidents grows. I'm not against having air shows, but can't we have them in less populated areas?
Update (4/24/2007): I just learned of an accident in South Carolina. According to the details collected on a Wikipedia article on the crash, the Blue Angels were flying in a show in Beaufort, South Carolina, and during the show, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis's F/A-18 Hornet went down. Details as to the reason for the crash won't be released for a few weeks, but a local article on the crash does report that houses in the vicinity of the crash caught fire.
I'm truly sorry for the crash and for the loss of life. That said I do hope this incident causes air show organizers and the Blue Angels to re-evaluate some safety procedures and flight plans to ensure safety for both the pilots and those on the ground.
Now, if you've ever seen the Blue Angels, you know they are very skilled. You need to have quite a bit of skill to fly an F/A-18 Hornet mere inches from each other in a set formation, and to maneuver in sequence with the other planes.
That said, accidents happen. A crash happened as recently as 1999, killing two Angels as one plane was landing. The article references a prior accident in 1990, and a fatality in 1985. The total number of Blue Angel pilots killed in air shows or training is 23.
While these accidents are not common, they put at risk not only the pilots but those on the ground. If a pilot loses control while flying over an urban area, how many other lives will be lost as the plane hits the ground?
Air shows are not safe, in my opinion. Case in points are made here, here, here, and here. And, when you have an air show over a heavily populated area, the chance for accidents grows. I'm not against having air shows, but can't we have them in less populated areas?
Update (4/24/2007): I just learned of an accident in South Carolina. According to the details collected on a Wikipedia article on the crash, the Blue Angels were flying in a show in Beaufort, South Carolina, and during the show, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis's F/A-18 Hornet went down. Details as to the reason for the crash won't be released for a few weeks, but a local article on the crash does report that houses in the vicinity of the crash caught fire.
I'm truly sorry for the crash and for the loss of life. That said I do hope this incident causes air show organizers and the Blue Angels to re-evaluate some safety procedures and flight plans to ensure safety for both the pilots and those on the ground.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Ferrari Boat Car
Livio de Marchi is a man who's very good with wood. Very, very good. Livio's art includes necklaces, shirts, golf clubs, bags, hats, and socks made out of wood.
He's also taken to large-scale efforts. Livio has made a few life-size automobiles, including a Ferrari F50, a 1937 Jaguar, and a classic Volkswagen Beetle.
This stuff is amazing. Read on...
TransportTrends post, showing images of his wooden cars.
Livio de Marchi's virtual museum, with more details on his work.
A profile on MostlyGlass.com.
Ashland Hardwood Gallery's page, including some glass sculpture.
Another gallery page on Lievehemel.nl.
He's also taken to large-scale efforts. Livio has made a few life-size automobiles, including a Ferrari F50, a 1937 Jaguar, and a classic Volkswagen Beetle.
This stuff is amazing. Read on...
TransportTrends post, showing images of his wooden cars.
Livio de Marchi's virtual museum, with more details on his work.
A profile on MostlyGlass.com.
Ashland Hardwood Gallery's page, including some glass sculpture.
Another gallery page on Lievehemel.nl.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Roadside South
We recently traveled to Atlanta for two weddings spanning two weekends. In between, we travelled down to Destin, FL to see my sister and brother-in-law. On the way, I took some roadside pictures. Here's the gallery.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Review: Junebug (SIFF 2005)
Junebug is a film about opposites coming together. Urban and rural. Northern and southern. Cosmopolitan and folk. Uptight and relaxed. Happy and sad.
The story is straightforward; two newlyweds travel from Chicago to North Carolina in search of a folk artist and his work. The wife is the urban art gallerist in search of the next big thing, while the husband is returning to his hometown in rural NC. As part of this trip, the husband's family has a chance to meet his new wife. In short order, we see how both of the newlyweds are outsiders; the wife because of her education and upbringing, and the husband because of his departure from his hometown.
The real joy from this movie is not in the story or even in its message, but in its delivery. Hailing from the South, I could relate to most scenes in the movie. A question about local customs, an uncomfortable moment while sharing one's past, a potluck dinner that includes a gospel song, and sibling rivalry all come through with honesty and clarity. The acting is very casual, and the actors' candid work makes you feel like you're just another person in the room, watching the confused looks and the awkward moments pass by. I came away from the film feeling I had been reintroduced to several people I have known, in situations I have seen them be part of.
Overall rating: 9.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 107m
Country: USA
Language: English
The story is straightforward; two newlyweds travel from Chicago to North Carolina in search of a folk artist and his work. The wife is the urban art gallerist in search of the next big thing, while the husband is returning to his hometown in rural NC. As part of this trip, the husband's family has a chance to meet his new wife. In short order, we see how both of the newlyweds are outsiders; the wife because of her education and upbringing, and the husband because of his departure from his hometown.
The real joy from this movie is not in the story or even in its message, but in its delivery. Hailing from the South, I could relate to most scenes in the movie. A question about local customs, an uncomfortable moment while sharing one's past, a potluck dinner that includes a gospel song, and sibling rivalry all come through with honesty and clarity. The acting is very casual, and the actors' candid work makes you feel like you're just another person in the room, watching the confused looks and the awkward moments pass by. I came away from the film feeling I had been reintroduced to several people I have known, in situations I have seen them be part of.
Overall rating: 9.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 107m
Country: USA
Language: English
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Review: Vital (SIFF 2005)
I have to admit, when we bought tickets to see Vital, we were expecting a horror movie. We were wrong, but in a good way.
Director Shinya Tsukamoto weaves a fairly intricate, slow-to-reveal tale about a Japanese medical student and his attempt to uncover his past. Recently, this student was involved in a car accident that left him an amnesiac, and killed his girlfriend. The accident caused the student to become a recluse, until an anatomy textbook brings his fervor for his studies back to life. As he and his fellow students work on dissecting human bodies, the student discovers he is operating on his dead girlfriend. As he dissects more of the body, the lines blur between dreams and reality, as the student tries to reveal his opaque memories of himself and his girlfriend.
What's most interesting about Tsukamoto's treatment of the film is its almost casual pace in building the emotions in the main character. There's no direct impact, no horror shots, no ghosts around the corner to surprise you, and no gruesome scenes to drive the points home. Instead, this tale focuses on the student's evolving emotions to create the sense of loss and discovery that the film ultimately conveys.
Overall rating: 7.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 86m
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Director Shinya Tsukamoto weaves a fairly intricate, slow-to-reveal tale about a Japanese medical student and his attempt to uncover his past. Recently, this student was involved in a car accident that left him an amnesiac, and killed his girlfriend. The accident caused the student to become a recluse, until an anatomy textbook brings his fervor for his studies back to life. As he and his fellow students work on dissecting human bodies, the student discovers he is operating on his dead girlfriend. As he dissects more of the body, the lines blur between dreams and reality, as the student tries to reveal his opaque memories of himself and his girlfriend.
What's most interesting about Tsukamoto's treatment of the film is its almost casual pace in building the emotions in the main character. There's no direct impact, no horror shots, no ghosts around the corner to surprise you, and no gruesome scenes to drive the points home. Instead, this tale focuses on the student's evolving emotions to create the sense of loss and discovery that the film ultimately conveys.
Overall rating: 7.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 86m
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Review: Frozen (SIFF 2005)
Frozen focuses on the story of Kath, a woman living in Lancaster, and the mysterious disappearance of her older sister, Annie, two years ago. Kath lives a relatively normal working woman's life in a relatively small city, but seems to be haunted by Annie's disappearance, so much so that she's seeking help from a therapist.
Kath's last living memory of Annie is some Closed-Circuit Television footage of Annie walking down an alley, away from the camera. In reviewing the footage one day, Kath notices an odd image on the tapes. She travels to the alley, and there she begins to have visions of an alternate reality in which clues of Annie's existence appear.
The movie oscillates between Kath's daily life, her therapy sessions, and her increasing exploration of the alternate universe she's discovered. As is expected, not many people believe Kath's experiences to be true, including her therapist, but this doesn't stop her explorations. Eventually, we find the answers to Kath's visions as the movie builds to its climax, and we see Kath's alternate universe collide with her reality.
Shirley Henderson does an excellent job playing Kath in the film. Her passive, shy, yet obsessive characteristics come through exceedingly well, yet she doesn't overdramatize or overplay the character's emotional state. The result is a very honest, believable performance.
The camera work in the film is equally superb. Some excellent shots during the alternative reality sequences clearly indicate a "dream-like" world, but a sinister one at that with a very defined blue and white color palette and striking contrasts in the exposure.
Overall rating: 9.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Kath's last living memory of Annie is some Closed-Circuit Television footage of Annie walking down an alley, away from the camera. In reviewing the footage one day, Kath notices an odd image on the tapes. She travels to the alley, and there she begins to have visions of an alternate reality in which clues of Annie's existence appear.
The movie oscillates between Kath's daily life, her therapy sessions, and her increasing exploration of the alternate universe she's discovered. As is expected, not many people believe Kath's experiences to be true, including her therapist, but this doesn't stop her explorations. Eventually, we find the answers to Kath's visions as the movie builds to its climax, and we see Kath's alternate universe collide with her reality.
Shirley Henderson does an excellent job playing Kath in the film. Her passive, shy, yet obsessive characteristics come through exceedingly well, yet she doesn't overdramatize or overplay the character's emotional state. The result is a very honest, believable performance.
The camera work in the film is equally superb. Some excellent shots during the alternative reality sequences clearly indicate a "dream-like" world, but a sinister one at that with a very defined blue and white color palette and striking contrasts in the exposure.
Overall rating: 9.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Countries: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Review: Dreamship Surprise (SIFF 2005)
On the heels of the German comedy Night of the Living Dorks, we saw another great German comedy, Dreamship Surprise. Dreamship (its proper German title being Traumschiff Surprise - Periode 1), spoofs popular American sci-fi franchises, most notably Star Wars and Star Trek, including plenty of takeoff jokes and silly situations.
The premise is probably familiar to any sci-fi film aficionado. The year is 2304, and humans have colonized Mars. Now, the people on Mars have turned a bit sour, and their leader, Regulator Rogul (think Emperor), along with his first mate, Jens Maul (think Darth Vader), want to attack Earth. Their armies are on the way, and the leaders of Earth, led my Queen Metaphor (think...oh, you get it) have no alternative but to call on the crew of the Dreamship Surprise for help.
Surprise is manned by three very ebullient men: Captain Kork, Mr. Spuck, and chief engineer Schrotty. Simply put, they're very gay and are focused on training for the Miss Waikiki song-and-dance contest. Instead, they're summoned to Earth (via a taxi driver, Rock, and his spaceship taxi) and commissioned by the Queen to travel back in time to 2004, where a UFO brought knowledge of space travel to humans, which led to the Mars colonization.
Mishaps abound, leading the Queen, our three Surprise crew members, and the taxi driver to jump to different points in time, courtesy of a couch-turned-time-machine. All the while, Jens Maul is pursuing our heroes in time with a flying-scooter-turned-time-machine. The result is some predictable but very amusing scenes as our heroes interact with people from times long past.
Dreamship Surprise plays off of other sci fi movies well to make its jokes, but doesn't linger too long on any of them. The result is a well-made, fanciful, relatively high-budget sci-fi spoof. One more point of evidence that German cinema can be (and is) funny.
Overall rating: 8.5 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 87m
Country: Germany
Language: German
The premise is probably familiar to any sci-fi film aficionado. The year is 2304, and humans have colonized Mars. Now, the people on Mars have turned a bit sour, and their leader, Regulator Rogul (think Emperor), along with his first mate, Jens Maul (think Darth Vader), want to attack Earth. Their armies are on the way, and the leaders of Earth, led my Queen Metaphor (think...oh, you get it) have no alternative but to call on the crew of the Dreamship Surprise for help.
Surprise is manned by three very ebullient men: Captain Kork, Mr. Spuck, and chief engineer Schrotty. Simply put, they're very gay and are focused on training for the Miss Waikiki song-and-dance contest. Instead, they're summoned to Earth (via a taxi driver, Rock, and his spaceship taxi) and commissioned by the Queen to travel back in time to 2004, where a UFO brought knowledge of space travel to humans, which led to the Mars colonization.
Mishaps abound, leading the Queen, our three Surprise crew members, and the taxi driver to jump to different points in time, courtesy of a couch-turned-time-machine. All the while, Jens Maul is pursuing our heroes in time with a flying-scooter-turned-time-machine. The result is some predictable but very amusing scenes as our heroes interact with people from times long past.
Dreamship Surprise plays off of other sci fi movies well to make its jokes, but doesn't linger too long on any of them. The result is a well-made, fanciful, relatively high-budget sci-fi spoof. One more point of evidence that German cinema can be (and is) funny.
Overall rating: 8.5 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 87m
Country: Germany
Language: German
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Back From The Southeast
I've been remiss in posting for a while due to being in the Southeast US for a week for two weddings and a jaunt down to Destin, Florida. Fear not, no sharks were seen. Coming soon on this blog:
- Pictures of interesting road signs on the way from Atlanta to Destin, Florida (preview: "The Best Butts in Alabama" can be seen on one)
- The top 5 reasons Atlanta is (and isn't) cool, and what's changing in the ATL as of late
- How clouds and rain seems to follow us wherever we go (and, strangely, we don't mind)
- Catholic weddings and receptions, and being the partner of the maid of honor
And of course, a wrap up of SIFF reviews and back on a real-time schedule.
Wish me luck.
- Pictures of interesting road signs on the way from Atlanta to Destin, Florida (preview: "The Best Butts in Alabama" can be seen on one)
- The top 5 reasons Atlanta is (and isn't) cool, and what's changing in the ATL as of late
- How clouds and rain seems to follow us wherever we go (and, strangely, we don't mind)
- Catholic weddings and receptions, and being the partner of the maid of honor
And of course, a wrap up of SIFF reviews and back on a real-time schedule.
Wish me luck.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Review: Waiting for the Clouds (SIFF 2005)
Waiting for the Clouds is a combination history lesson and personal story. The movie depicts an elderly woman who lives with her ailing sister in a small Turkish village. The woman, with an almost perpetual forlorn look on her face, is somewhat recluse and perceived as a bit off by her fellow villagers. A stranger visits the town one day, and jogs her memory. From this encounter, the woman sets off on a trip to connect with her familial roots. We leave the woman at the end of the film only as she's opened the door to her past.
While slow to get off the ground, the movie captures village life in Northern Turkey alongside a woman's conflicted past with her present. The events the movie base on were real, yet little known or understood about this time period overseas. The acting in the movie is excellent, and the scenery is shot superbly; the eponymous "clouds" scenes in the mountains were truly haunting.
Overall rating: 8.0 /10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Countries: France / Germany / Greece / Turkey
Languages: Turkish / Greek
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Review: Night of the Living Dorks (SIFF 2005)
Before watching Night of the Living Dorks, I admit I hadn't been exposed to much German comedy before. I think I chose the right entrance in the genre. This is an excellent, light-hearted comedy that plays off of themes in zombie and teenage-high-school movies at the same time.
The basic premise revolves around three dorky high school students who don't get any respect. After a night in a graveyard with some Goth kids and a spell gone bad, the trio ends up in a morgue, zombified. They're not your George Romero zombies, mind you; their personalities are intact, and in fact they've gained a few skills:
- They don't feel pain, and are pretty strong
- They like raw meat
- Their body parts are more easily detachable
The movie is much more bent on teen comedy; it's the zombie premise that puts the twist in the expected scenes (with a girl, against a bully, attending a party, in a class, etc.). The jokes are frequent and consistently funny; there are quite a few laugh-out-loud lines and images in the movie. All in all, a movie worth your time if you're in the mood for a film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Overall rating: 7.5/10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Country: Germany
Language: German
The basic premise revolves around three dorky high school students who don't get any respect. After a night in a graveyard with some Goth kids and a spell gone bad, the trio ends up in a morgue, zombified. They're not your George Romero zombies, mind you; their personalities are intact, and in fact they've gained a few skills:
- They don't feel pain, and are pretty strong
- They like raw meat
- Their body parts are more easily detachable
The movie is much more bent on teen comedy; it's the zombie premise that puts the twist in the expected scenes (with a girl, against a bully, attending a party, in a class, etc.). The jokes are frequent and consistently funny; there are quite a few laugh-out-loud lines and images in the movie. All in all, a movie worth your time if you're in the mood for a film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Overall rating: 7.5/10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Country: Germany
Language: German
Review: Hostage (SIFF 2005)
SIFF 2005's only (mostly) Greek film was another fine offering from Constantine Giannaris (director of One Day in August, a SIFF offering from a couple of years ago). Hostage is a fictional story based on a true event of an Albanian who holds a Greek bus hostage in northern Greece in 1999.
The film almost immediately plunges into the conflict: very soon after the opening credits, we see a young man climbing into a bus, and a few minutes later he is holding it hostage. Soon after, he lets most of the passengers go, but holds seven of them hostage. His demands: 500,000 Euros and passage to Albania. His threats: an automatic gun and a live hand grenade.
Greek authorities tail the bus, and approach the hostages and the Albanian when he stops. The scenes are markedly conversational: the hostages talk to the police, asking them to fulfill the Albanian's demands. The police do indeed bargain. The hostages also ask for cigarettes and pizza, as if they're holed up somewhere, cramming to finish a project. These scenes between hostages, hostage-taker, and police are much less tense than one would expect see in a American action movie.
But these scenes serve the film's core theme: the hostage-taker is seeking freedom from prior failings (and framings) in a foreign land. He first and foremost wants to clear his name; he's not interested in the news cameras that follow the bus, nor does he get overly aggressive with any of the hostages (considering the circumstances, of course). Rather, the hostages begin to become somewhat compassionate with the hostage-taker (I'll leave it up to you to decide whether they were suffering from Stockholm Syndrome).
Giannaris does a good job keeping the momentum and tension up in the movie, and he delves below the surface with more than one character on the bus; only a handful remain relatively flat (predictably for sake of time, though everyone gets at least a few lines for us to paint a sketch of their personality from).
Once the bus crosses the Albanian border (much to the disagreement of the Greek police chief), the movie takes a dark turn. Giannaris casts Albania as a Wild West compared to northern Greece, and it is here where, sooner or later, we expect the bus to come to a halt.
Giannaris was at the screening I attended, and answered a few questions after the movie. He mentioned that the film didn't do well in Greece, noting that Greeks didn't like the way it portrayed themselves. Granted, Albanian/Greek relations haven't been the best of late, but as a Greek living outside of Greece, I think it was a fairly accurate portrayal. It's these kinds of movies that bring forth an artistic version of the truth that will help two countries and cultures come together over their differences, so I applaud Giannaris in his efforts in making what he must have known would be an unpopular movie in his native land.
Overall rating: 8.5/10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Countries: Greece / Turkey
Languages: Greek / Albanian
The film almost immediately plunges into the conflict: very soon after the opening credits, we see a young man climbing into a bus, and a few minutes later he is holding it hostage. Soon after, he lets most of the passengers go, but holds seven of them hostage. His demands: 500,000 Euros and passage to Albania. His threats: an automatic gun and a live hand grenade.
Greek authorities tail the bus, and approach the hostages and the Albanian when he stops. The scenes are markedly conversational: the hostages talk to the police, asking them to fulfill the Albanian's demands. The police do indeed bargain. The hostages also ask for cigarettes and pizza, as if they're holed up somewhere, cramming to finish a project. These scenes between hostages, hostage-taker, and police are much less tense than one would expect see in a American action movie.
But these scenes serve the film's core theme: the hostage-taker is seeking freedom from prior failings (and framings) in a foreign land. He first and foremost wants to clear his name; he's not interested in the news cameras that follow the bus, nor does he get overly aggressive with any of the hostages (considering the circumstances, of course). Rather, the hostages begin to become somewhat compassionate with the hostage-taker (I'll leave it up to you to decide whether they were suffering from Stockholm Syndrome).
Giannaris does a good job keeping the momentum and tension up in the movie, and he delves below the surface with more than one character on the bus; only a handful remain relatively flat (predictably for sake of time, though everyone gets at least a few lines for us to paint a sketch of their personality from).
Once the bus crosses the Albanian border (much to the disagreement of the Greek police chief), the movie takes a dark turn. Giannaris casts Albania as a Wild West compared to northern Greece, and it is here where, sooner or later, we expect the bus to come to a halt.
Giannaris was at the screening I attended, and answered a few questions after the movie. He mentioned that the film didn't do well in Greece, noting that Greeks didn't like the way it portrayed themselves. Granted, Albanian/Greek relations haven't been the best of late, but as a Greek living outside of Greece, I think it was a fairly accurate portrayal. It's these kinds of movies that bring forth an artistic version of the truth that will help two countries and cultures come together over their differences, so I applaud Giannaris in his efforts in making what he must have known would be an unpopular movie in his native land.
Overall rating: 8.5/10.0
Details:
Runtime: 90m
Countries: Greece / Turkey
Languages: Greek / Albanian
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Review: Warsaw (SIFF 2005)
On the heels of Hawaii, Oslo comes another movie involving characters of separate trajectories bound together by relationships and events. Warsaw shares the theme of love as a unifying (and destructive) force with Hawaii, Oslo, but I believe the similarities fall away from there.
Warsaw depicts a day in the life of different characters with different goals. A woman stops in Warsaw on the way to Andalusia with the hopes of finding love. A man leaves an orphanage he has lived in for most of his life to find a job. A fruit farmer arrives in the capital with the hopes of finding his long-lost daughter. A confused, aged war veteran can't find his way home.
Director Dariusz Gajewski places these characters together only at the very end. The audience sees the interconnections between the characters slowly uncover themselves, but the characters are not as quick to catch on; they pass each other on the street, unknowingly.
The character development and storyline was reasonably good in this film, albeit with a somewhat weak tying-together of the storylines at the end. But, the most striking part of this film for me was the portrayal of Warsaw as a new, modern Eastern European city, versus the Warsaw at the conclusion of World War II that we've all seen in film footage. The film depicts modern Europeans going about their lives in a modern (and snowy) capital city, with scenes that could play out just as well in Berlin or Edinburgh. For those of us who haven't traveled to Poland (myself included), the film becomes a peek into modern life in the city and challenges viewers to remake Warsaw in their (potentially stereotyped) minds.
Overall rating: 6.5/10.0
Details:
Runtime: 104m
Country: Poland
Language: Polish
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