I doubt any of you look at this blog anymore, but should you take a stroll down memory lane, you might be amused to hear that I am teaching my old film class at Tech again. I got a new job within the UFT that requires me to teach a single class each day. Most of you are probably wondering what terrible thing I did to deserve such a demotion, but the truth is that it is actually a highly regarded postion. So, go figure. Anyway, I hope you don't mind that I had the new students create a blog in the same spirit as yours. I know you're anxious that I should compare you favorably to my new class. Alas, that would be unkind, if not inaccurate. Also, not smart, since they are here and you are far, far away, never to return. Here's the link, should you be so inclined.
mrbennett310.blogspot.com
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
One Year Later.
It was just a year ago today that we began our film class. I still remember it fondly, and this blog is a nice memento of it. It's so great to read something one has written long ago, and forgotten about. It is like reading someone else's work, and it is in this venue, at last, that one can judge one's own work objectively. To that end, I laughed out loud at a few of my jokes. And a few of yours, as well.
I hope all of you are thriving in college. Alas, I suppose alcoholism has begun to wreak its slow havoc upon a few of you... that's to be expected. It needn't be fatal. Just exercise prudence.
Schizophrenia is another hazard of young adulthood. I'm surely hoping the only voices you're hearing are the ones emanating from thin walls of your dorm. You'll know it's a problem if the voices are accompanied by a crushing sense of paranoia combined with a suspicion that you are the Messiah come round again.
Let me know what films you've seen that you recommend. For me, the only thing I've seen that I really and truly loved was The White Ribbon from Germany. Other than that, I've continued to watch and rewatch a bunch of film noir hits, most notable among them is In a Lonely Place, with Bogart, which I watched like 3 times in a row.
If you're still looking, give me a shout out. I've been feeling a bit off lately. I could use a pick me up.
I hope all of you are thriving in college. Alas, I suppose alcoholism has begun to wreak its slow havoc upon a few of you... that's to be expected. It needn't be fatal. Just exercise prudence.
Schizophrenia is another hazard of young adulthood. I'm surely hoping the only voices you're hearing are the ones emanating from thin walls of your dorm. You'll know it's a problem if the voices are accompanied by a crushing sense of paranoia combined with a suspicion that you are the Messiah come round again.
Let me know what films you've seen that you recommend. For me, the only thing I've seen that I really and truly loved was The White Ribbon from Germany. Other than that, I've continued to watch and rewatch a bunch of film noir hits, most notable among them is In a Lonely Place, with Bogart, which I watched like 3 times in a row.
If you're still looking, give me a shout out. I've been feeling a bit off lately. I could use a pick me up.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
White Ribbon
I saw "White Ribbon" tonight at the Film Forum in Manhattan. Those of you who are attending NYU or FIT or Cooper etc. should keep this place in mind. It's over on Houston Street (remember it's not pronounced like the city in Texas) just west of 6th Avenue. It shows a lot of great stuff, mostly oldies, but also foreign films that won't be released widely in the US. It's a treasure, really, and if you're living in the area, use it.
Tonight I saw a great film, "White Ribbon." I'm too tired right now to expand on it, but if it gets released widely, (which I doubt) go see it. It's an amazing film.
I hope everyone is well. Best wishes for a great New Year. Was Y2K really ten years ago?
PS. Article in today's NY Times about "The Big Lebowski." Any Dude lovers out there, check it out.
Tonight I saw a great film, "White Ribbon." I'm too tired right now to expand on it, but if it gets released widely, (which I doubt) go see it. It's an amazing film.
I hope everyone is well. Best wishes for a great New Year. Was Y2K really ten years ago?
PS. Article in today's NY Times about "The Big Lebowski." Any Dude lovers out there, check it out.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A word of encouragement
A kind word for those of you who are not loving your new lives at college. I basically hated my first semester, and wanted to be home when I was away, and wanted to be away when I was home. I felt like a man cast adrift.
By the time my senior year rolled around, I didn't want it to end. I just loved it. I felt like I had come into my own as a person, and that person, with further evolutions, is still alive today. The person I was before college is gone.
Anyway, your experience may not dovetail with mine, but those of you who are window shopping in gun shops, wondering what the mimimum calibre pistol appropriate for blowing your brains out, just hunker down and wait it out. Things get better.
Which reminds me of the guy who decided to commit suicide, and went to a gun shop to buy the implement of his self-destruction, but was deterred when he saw how expensive the guns were. He'd be damned if he'd lay out that kind of dough for something he'd only use once.
By the time my senior year rolled around, I didn't want it to end. I just loved it. I felt like I had come into my own as a person, and that person, with further evolutions, is still alive today. The person I was before college is gone.
Anyway, your experience may not dovetail with mine, but those of you who are window shopping in gun shops, wondering what the mimimum calibre pistol appropriate for blowing your brains out, just hunker down and wait it out. Things get better.
Which reminds me of the guy who decided to commit suicide, and went to a gun shop to buy the implement of his self-destruction, but was deterred when he saw how expensive the guns were. He'd be damned if he'd lay out that kind of dough for something he'd only use once.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Men Who Stare at Goats
I'm one of those damned fools who believes he can judge a new acquaintance by the look on his face, and a movie on the basis of the trailer. When I was a kid, the trailers were much better. They gave you a small taste, a teaser basically, but they never clued you in to the plot. Nowadays, the trailers are twice as long, and they tell you the entire story upfront. I guess the money people at the studios did some research and found out that people like to know upfront what it is they're going to be watching. I'm not one of them. Anyway, based on the trailer, I thought this movie was going to be much better than it was.
First of all, it had a lot, and I mean a LOT of voice over narration, and this was coupled by a lot, and I mean a LOT of explanatory dialogue between the two main characters played by George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. And you guys remember how I used to rail against voice over. My criticism that a movie should be shown and not told is, in many instances, unfair, because the structure of a particular film may call for narration, and the narration may be organic, and not "cheating." But I hate it anyway.
By the way, forgive me for using this opportunity to return to my former profession, but the film is a send-up of another film, a parody in other words. The references are not heavy-handed, but if you've seen the other film, you'll recognize it. Nick? Are you listening? I figure you'll see this film. And I know you've seen the film that it parodies. Hence, I am putting you on the spot. I don't recall seeing it mentioned in any reviews, but doing research of this kind is cheating, and I have always expected, (and received) more from you. Hence, quiz commences. Or gauntlet thrown, if you prefer.
For the rest of you, I do not give this one a high rating.
N.B. Professor, I thought you were going to send me a link to that video of my Ticker-tape parade. Can you just give me the Facebook account, or do I have to be invited by the postee?
First of all, it had a lot, and I mean a LOT of voice over narration, and this was coupled by a lot, and I mean a LOT of explanatory dialogue between the two main characters played by George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. And you guys remember how I used to rail against voice over. My criticism that a movie should be shown and not told is, in many instances, unfair, because the structure of a particular film may call for narration, and the narration may be organic, and not "cheating." But I hate it anyway.
By the way, forgive me for using this opportunity to return to my former profession, but the film is a send-up of another film, a parody in other words. The references are not heavy-handed, but if you've seen the other film, you'll recognize it. Nick? Are you listening? I figure you'll see this film. And I know you've seen the film that it parodies. Hence, I am putting you on the spot. I don't recall seeing it mentioned in any reviews, but doing research of this kind is cheating, and I have always expected, (and received) more from you. Hence, quiz commences. Or gauntlet thrown, if you prefer.
For the rest of you, I do not give this one a high rating.
N.B. Professor, I thought you were going to send me a link to that video of my Ticker-tape parade. Can you just give me the Facebook account, or do I have to be invited by the postee?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Ticker Tape Parade
When the Yankees won the World Series back in 1996, I decided to have a bit of fun. I marched my class down to Callahan's room, and we threw shredded paper all over the room, all the while marching around and around, chanting, "Eat your heart out Callahan, Yankees are the Champs again!"It was great theatre, and a great morale booster for the troops, who live for that kind of stuff. Naturally, I repeated it in 1998, and 1999. Being a Met fan made it harder in 2000, but it had become a tradition, and had to be done.
Then came the dark years, when Boston rose Phoenix-like from the ashes, and won two World Series and few Super Bowls. Callahan led a parade through my room after one such debacle, but the marchers marched under duress, and sullenly tossed their paper. I was proud of them.And so, today, I was not about to let the small and trivial detail of no longer working at Staten Island Tech deter me from my traditional role of "taunter of Callahan."
So, I emailed Manzo first thing this morning, and found, to my glee that a class was scheduled at the perfect time. I poked my head into his room before-hand, which ruined the surprise a bit, but added to the fun also, when he said, "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Bennett." The kids didn't know what a treat as in store for them, and they were gleeful when an entire brigade, including Manzo's class, and Ms. Ginos, (who had made a huge bag of confetti just for the occasion) strode down the hall and into his room.Prophetically, Manzo was teaching in room 310, my old room, the very one that I had launched so many epic parades from in year's past.
Alas, the Yankees denied me during my tenure in 313. I always thought something was missing.After we circled the class thrice, I hopped up onto a desk and proclaimed, "Let us hail the new Yankees, who, like their name-sakes, who saved the Union during the Civil War, have united the nation once again under the banner of Yankee greatness." We then asked Callahan to join in the salute, which he did, to his credit, but when we asked him to join the Yankee cadres, he demurred.
It was a lot of fun, but I have to say I was pretty downhearted when I left the building to rush off to my new job, which I loathe.
Until next year, then!
Then came the dark years, when Boston rose Phoenix-like from the ashes, and won two World Series and few Super Bowls. Callahan led a parade through my room after one such debacle, but the marchers marched under duress, and sullenly tossed their paper. I was proud of them.And so, today, I was not about to let the small and trivial detail of no longer working at Staten Island Tech deter me from my traditional role of "taunter of Callahan."
So, I emailed Manzo first thing this morning, and found, to my glee that a class was scheduled at the perfect time. I poked my head into his room before-hand, which ruined the surprise a bit, but added to the fun also, when he said, "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Bennett." The kids didn't know what a treat as in store for them, and they were gleeful when an entire brigade, including Manzo's class, and Ms. Ginos, (who had made a huge bag of confetti just for the occasion) strode down the hall and into his room.Prophetically, Manzo was teaching in room 310, my old room, the very one that I had launched so many epic parades from in year's past.
Alas, the Yankees denied me during my tenure in 313. I always thought something was missing.After we circled the class thrice, I hopped up onto a desk and proclaimed, "Let us hail the new Yankees, who, like their name-sakes, who saved the Union during the Civil War, have united the nation once again under the banner of Yankee greatness." We then asked Callahan to join in the salute, which he did, to his credit, but when we asked him to join the Yankee cadres, he demurred.
It was a lot of fun, but I have to say I was pretty downhearted when I left the building to rush off to my new job, which I loathe.
Until next year, then!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Amelia
I saw Amelia, with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. I had very low expectations, so even a mediocre film would have satisfied me, and I was satisfied on that basis. It was Saturday afternoon, a rainy miserable day, and I needed something to get me out of the moment. I thought Amelia would be tolerable for a couple of reasons. FIrst of all, I figured it would be stunningly, beautifully, filmed, and I was right. Every room, every cigarette lighter, every Scotch and Soda shimmered in art deco delight. You could almost taste the cherry red enamel high gloss finish of one of the planes she flew. And all this is before anyone takes flight. The flight scenes only added to the visual enjoyment.
The second reason I thought it would be ok was that biography films are usually that, namely, "ok" and not much more. They're usually not terrible because there is an intrinsic interest all of us have in the course of someone's life. In this regard, I think bio pics of lesser well known figures are generally more interesting than those of iconic figures. After all, we kind of know most of the details of Lincoln's life. But aside from the fact that she was a famous aviatrix, who wore her hair in a mannish way, who was lost in the Pacific while attempting a circumnavigation of the globe, I knew next to nothing about Amelia Earhardt. Interestingly, the film tends to downplay, rather than exalt, her accomplishments. In fact, it appears that that there really wasn't much more to know beyond the facts related in the sentence that preceded the one you are reading now.
But, the aerial photography, and the beautiful facial close-ups keep one watching. For those of you who don't think Hilary Swank has a beautiful face, I was referring to Richard Gere, who certainly does. And her face is very interesting if it isn't classically endowed.
Without knowing anything about her, I kind of suspected that she was gay. I had no reason to think it, and I can't say I ever discussed it openly. But, her mannish style and aggressive spirit in an age when women were not encouraged to have those things might have made me ask the question, were I so inclined. The film shows her as being very heterosexual, with the exception of one rather interesting scene. She is sitting with her soon-to-be-lover and she looks at another woman sitting across the room, and remarks on how beautiful she is. Her companion says that she always notices women, or something to that effect. But, the topic is never explored further.
Naturally, I was waiting to here Joni Mitchell's song, "Amelia" which is very evocative, but the score was original, suggestive of the 1930's, and the insertion of a post-modern ballad of sorts, would not have fit.
The second reason I thought it would be ok was that biography films are usually that, namely, "ok" and not much more. They're usually not terrible because there is an intrinsic interest all of us have in the course of someone's life. In this regard, I think bio pics of lesser well known figures are generally more interesting than those of iconic figures. After all, we kind of know most of the details of Lincoln's life. But aside from the fact that she was a famous aviatrix, who wore her hair in a mannish way, who was lost in the Pacific while attempting a circumnavigation of the globe, I knew next to nothing about Amelia Earhardt. Interestingly, the film tends to downplay, rather than exalt, her accomplishments. In fact, it appears that that there really wasn't much more to know beyond the facts related in the sentence that preceded the one you are reading now.
But, the aerial photography, and the beautiful facial close-ups keep one watching. For those of you who don't think Hilary Swank has a beautiful face, I was referring to Richard Gere, who certainly does. And her face is very interesting if it isn't classically endowed.
Without knowing anything about her, I kind of suspected that she was gay. I had no reason to think it, and I can't say I ever discussed it openly. But, her mannish style and aggressive spirit in an age when women were not encouraged to have those things might have made me ask the question, were I so inclined. The film shows her as being very heterosexual, with the exception of one rather interesting scene. She is sitting with her soon-to-be-lover and she looks at another woman sitting across the room, and remarks on how beautiful she is. Her companion says that she always notices women, or something to that effect. But, the topic is never explored further.
Naturally, I was waiting to here Joni Mitchell's song, "Amelia" which is very evocative, but the score was original, suggestive of the 1930's, and the insertion of a post-modern ballad of sorts, would not have fit.
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