Hollywood and "Oscar Nominated Shorts" - Live Action, Animated and Docs

A couple of weeks ago I met my friend Karen and her sister Amy in Santa Monica, at the Nuart Theatre. We'd gotten tickets for the earlier evening show of Live Action Shorts. Then got later tickets for the Animated Shorts. The way it worked out, we had about 40 to 45 minutes in between to run across the street for miso soup and rolls! One cannot live on popcorn alone!

Compilation of all of the shorts ...

Before each little film, the screen would say the title, the country of origin and the length of the piece. The longest of the live action pieces was about 30 minutes. The shortest, I think, was 13 minutes. 

On the screen ...

Three of the five live action short were very heavy... 

The first Live Action short was Ave Maria and I would say it was definitely the lightest and had the most humor ... an Israeli family's car breaks down in front of a convent on the West Bank, and the nuns inside have taken a vow of silence. While the film comments on taking religion to the extreme, it's quirky and humorous.

Ave Maria 

Here's the trailer ...

SHOK

This film stayed with me for days and apparently was based on true events, not long ago during the war in Kosovo. It's actually the first ever film nomination for Kosovo. It was rough but possibly the best of the bunch.

Everything Will Be OKAY

This felt very real and the two main characters were so connected. It was intense. A Father going through a divorce wants to take his little girl away. It was stressful but so well done. It was Amy's favorite of the five. It's from Germany.

The Stutterer

This was very short, so so well done, and well edited. It was one of my favorite shorts of the year.

This is the whole thing! Watch it fast before they delete it off youtube! It's 12 minutes 30 seconds!!!

Day One

This is the story of this woman's first day on the job in Afghanistan, working as an interpreter for the U.S. military.  I thought the actress was really good and because of the subject matter it might win but there were some moments that felt a bit like I was watching a movie of the week, and I was taken out of the moment. Not sure if it was the direction or writing or acting or what. I guess I'd need to see it again to figure that out but because of the subject matter I'll pass.

You can watch all the live action and animation shorts for 5.99 on youtube here! Totally worth it!

Sanjay's Super Team 

7 Min.

 

Here's a video of the backstory of the making of Sanjay's Super Team ...

Here's a clip from the film ...

It was very sweet and tender.

World of Tomorrow

17 Min.

This was fascinating ... it takes place in the future where little "Emily Prime" (Voiced by the niece of the filmmaker) meets on of her future clones ...

It was strange and funny and melancholy and I kind of loved it.

You can rent it for 3.99 on Vimeo Here

 We Can't Live Without Cosmos

15 min.

This is the whole film! (below) I loved this. It's a moving and sweet story about best friends, or maybe more? ... I actually cried with this one.

Bear Story

10 min.

This was beautifully animated and sort of sad. This bear's family was torn apart and he misses them but as it's from Chilé, apparently it's really an allegorical tale about how families were torn apart during the Pinochet regime.

Here's a clip from Bear Story ...

Prologue

6 min.

This is really beautifully drawn and tell of violence and its after effects on a small child but feels unfinished. After reading about it, it sounds like it's maybe the beginning of a larger project.

If you want to read a great article with synopsis of these films in Variety, click here.

I hardly get to the Nuart in Santa Monica because, I hardly go to the westside these days, but it was so worth it!

 The Egyptian Theater

Last night I went with Lauren to see the Oscar nominated short documentaries, at the Egyptian Theater. Wow. Ebola, Honor Killings, Agent Orange, the Holocaust, and the death penalty. We went for a cocktail after.

Mixed Trailer of the Short Docs

As difficult as they were important, there was a lot inspiration in these films, as well. The screenings were put on by American Cinemateque, so a few of the filmmakers were actually there.

Body Team 12

This was an intense 12 minutes in Liberia, following this group "Body Team 12" around, to take those people away who'd passed from Ebola. The woman at the heart of it, is a badass and a total goddess. 

It was picked up for distribution by HBO so you can see it there. I think it was about 12 minutes.

A Girl in the River:

The Price of Forgiveness

The producers of A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness talked to us about the film and that with the attention that this documentary has gotten, a law has actually gone through to help in the prosecution of these crimes.

From what I understand it's airing on HBO, and HBO on demand. (or will be)

Giving voice to those who cannot be heard, Obaid-Chinoy has made over a dozen award-winning films in more than 10 countries. She celebrates the strength and resilience of those fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds — and winning. I dare anyone to watch this film and not be moved to tears and inspired into action. - Angelina Jolie

To find out about Sharmeen Obaid and her films, click here!

Chau, Beyond the Lines

This was about a young Vietnamese boy/young man, Chau, overcoming obstacles and Chau's passion to become an artist.

 ... One of the producers spoke briefly and asked us to see past Chau's physical handicaps and see how strong he is, and yes, inspiring.

You can stream it on Netflix and to find out more about the film, click here.

Last Day of Freedom "Chasing Shadows"

This was rough. It's about this Veteran, who came back from Vietnam with horrible P.T.S.D. and what happened from there, told by his brother. It was interesting because unlike the other nominees it was animated but with the voice of the brother. It's too much to go into now, but you should watch it.

You can stream it on Netflix Here.

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah

This was about what Claude Lanzmann went though over the 12 years  of making "Shoah," the toll it took on him and his life. There's some very interesting behind the scenes stuff as well.

It will have its debut on HBO on May 2.

The were all great but it was a little exhausting and I'm happy to say that tonight, Lauren and I are going to see comedy!

After the screening of the docs, we walked west on Hollywood Blvd, to the little Bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt, for a cocktail and veggie burger!

On the way back I took a few pics of Hollywood getting ready for the Oscars. As you can see, the street is blocked off, with chain link fencing, and has been for the last week. 

The Dolby Theatre where they hold the Oscars ... you can see all the platforms for the press set up for interviews.

 Corner of Hollywood and Highland

OH! And I didn't realize last night that yesterday Ennio Morricone (favorite film composer ever) received his star on the Walk of Fame. Can you believe he's never won an Oscar? Not even for The Mission or Cinema Paradiso??

He's nominated this year for the Hateful Eight. Fingers crossed! Give that man an Oscar! (He has an honorary but come on.)

Here he is in ASSISI doing a Christmas concert of The Mission, in the basilica! Just found it and I'm crying. So much beauty.

Go Ennio!!!

Here he was getting his honorary ... cheek out the audience and their faces. So sweet.

LOVE him.

And lastly ...
In a previous post I talked about two of the feature length documentaries, Amy and What Happened, Miss Simone.

I watched another the other night on Netflix, the other night. Wow, I feel like wherever I was getting my news coverage during the Ukraine demonstrations/revolutions in 2014 really sucked.  I had no idea.

This doc was incredible and very worth the watch.

 O.K. y'all! Enjoy the Oscars, if you'll be watching! 

I'll be back to my New Mexico posting of Taos this week!

Blessing and light!

Oscar Nominations for Best Picture and Acting Categories: Just my take

OK, so right off the bat I'll tell you my pick for best picture. I'd like Spotlight to win. It could be the Revenant but It's probably between the two of them, so it has a good shot.

My favorites this year are probably not going to go away with any of the big awards. First of all I LOVED Trumbo and Brian Cranston was amazing. I think DeCaprio will win, and after a few nominations it's "his time" but Cranston ... loved him in Trumbo. I will say I'm biased toward movies about old Hollywood, but the movie comes together as a whole, in a kind of perfect way and all the performances were solid and the script was tight and very smart. Even the smaller roles felt fleshed out, alive and interesting.

My other absolute favorite was Brooklyn. Maybe it's because so many of the movies and documentaries were so dark, but it was wonderful to see a really beautifully made love story that was charming, had genuine emotion that didn't feel like a manipulation (which many American love stories of the last couple of decades do), that was well acted and directed, and wasn't cheesy or over the top. And I loved the two leads.

Here's a piece I enjoyed with Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) and Kate Winslet (who was great in Steve Jobs and I have loved since Sense and Sensibility!) interviewing each other.

Like I said, I really liked Spotlight. It's great film and an important one, on a lot of levels. I'm the pickiest about acting and everyone was so solid and it also didn't feel too "shiny Hollywood" which wouldn't have been right for the subject matter. I also thought Bridge of Spies was really good, solid film, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know that it will, but it should win for art direction.

 I also thought Room was great little film and it really stayed with me. 

I thought about it for days. Such a great connection and wonderful chemistry between the two main actors. Some child actors can be be a bit irritating in their precociousness but Jacob Tremblay was great. Here's a cute interview with him, and Brie Larson who is nominated and favored to win. (For good reason.)

Loved what Brie Larson says about working with him here ...

Everybody has heard about the controversy with the lack of diversity in Hollywood, and I think much of the problem starts with the movies that get made and how they are cast. Everyone wants to cast a "sure thing" and not stick their neck out with casting outside the box, for fear of losing money, tickets sales, and their jobs. I get it, but come on. There are times when a movie is set in Ancient Egypt and everyone is a white as I am.

It is also ridiculous that Idris Elba did not get a nomination for Beasts of No Nation. He should have been nominated in the supporting actor category. I've seen all but Sylvester Stallone in that category and I stand by my opinion. It should have also gotten a best picture nod.

It is a really difficult movie to watch, because of the subject matter and how well it's acted. It's disturbing what goes on with children and child soldiers, and how families, communities and countries are destroyed. The filmmakers did a great job of showing that and immersing you in that world.

Maybe people didn't want to see that, but if you are given the responsibility of nominating the best of the best, deal with it and watch the movie! They must have watched that serial killer movie to give Charlize Theron an Oscar, right? Or maybe people were having their personal assistants vote. (Nothing against Charlize here.) Is it because she's a beautiful white woman who made herself look ugly? I don't know, but there are serious questions when out of 60 actors in the last three years, there's been 3 or 4 non white actors nominated. 

OK, now that I got that off my chest. I want to say that the little boy was also brilliant. He was totally present and filled with the life of his character. It was so moving, powerful, and ultimately heartbreaking, and frankly I could never imagine watching it a second time. I had a very large margarita while during my viewing. (The benefits of having a screener, you can take a break and make yourself a cocktail!)

Here's a short featurette about the child actor who plays Agu ... please watch.

Since Idris didn't get a nomination, it's a toss up for me with best supporting actor. Mark Rylance gave a fascinating character portrayal in Bridge of Spies, which I've mentioned is also a movie I really liked a lot. If you haven't seen it, you can stream it on Amazon Prime right now. I also really enjoyed Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight, which I've mentioned I'm rooting for for best Picture. He's great. (And still adorable. Just saying.)

Here's Tom Hanks on Mark Rylance.

Here's a scene ...

And then, there is Christian Bale, in The Big Short. Who knew a movie about the guys who bet against the housing market would be so entertaining?! Amazing script and direction! Bravo Adam McKay on a great film. Anyway, back to Bale. He completely disappears into a role the way Daniel Day Lewis does. Weird little quirks, speech patterns, and totally different energy and persona with every role. He's another actor that is just mesmerizing to watch and in The Big Short he plays an odd, kind of dorky, brilliant guy and was totally believable. It's as if he was channeling.

Christian Bale interviewed on The Big Short and the real person he played. He is obviously growing a  beard for his next role!

Here is a Hollywood Reporter Roundtable with Actors and creators of the film.

I'd heard a review about The Danish Girl and the reviewer said he'd wanted to be more emotionally invested. Maybe it takes a little while to become invested, but as I sat on my bed with tears streaming down my face toward the end of the movie, I thought (in reference to the reviewer) "What's wrong with people? Are they made of stone?!" Anyway, it was a lovely film and of course, Eddie Redmayne was phenomenal (I think he always is, and even was as the only tolerable thing in Les Mis.) Everyone is expecting Alicia Vikander, as Redmayne's wife, to win best supporting, and she did give a beautiful, strong but vulnerable performance.

The real subjects for the film were both artists. Lili the transgender woman, was a landscape painter and Gerda was an illustrator who did a lot of fashion illustration as well as portraits of Lily.

Here is a video slideshow of some of Gerda Wegener's paintings and illustrations ... (beware, though most are elegant, sweet or fashion oriented, a few are very racy!!!) There is also an exhibition of her work going on right now in Denmark at the ARKEN, until May.



You can see Lily "Einar Wegener's" art Here.

Here's a short featurette on The Danish Girl, which plays after a portion of the trailer, with interviews with the director and leads.

I've only seen 3 of the 5 best supporting actress nominees. The other two I saw were Rachel McAdams, in Spotlight (Go Spotlight!) and Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs. Like I said, love Kate. I think it's worth seeing Steve Jobs just to watch her and Michael Fassbender who are two of the greatest actors working and like Christian Bale, both become unrecognizable in their roles.

As far as the Revenant, it's worth seeing on the big screen if you are planning to see it. It's one of those movies with big sweeping shots of landscape and really it is beautiful. Well, it's also violent and stressful and gruesome and I had to cover my eyes with my cap, over and over. So, see it but bring your hat.

I think that pretty much covers the acting categories. Apologies to the few I haven't seen.  I'm going to try to see the rest of the feature length documentaries this week, which can be streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and I'm going to a screening of the documentary shorts on Friday night at the Egyptian. So excited!
The Foreign films will have to wait.

OK, this was a way longer post than I intended and I don't know if anyone will read my musings on the nominations but there are!

Hope you are having a great week!

Blessing, light and movies!

Oscar Nominated Docs ~ What Happened, Miss Simone and Amy

I'm a real rebel with a cause.

~Nina Simone

Well, it's that time of year again. When most of the "serious" movies come out and I try to see almost everything I possibly can!

I get a certain number of screeners, because I'm still in the actors union, but when it comes to Documentaries, I'm on my own. (No acting nominations to vote on, obviously!)

I still have a long way to go, but of the documentaries, I decided to watch the two music docs first. Both were fascinating stories about brilliantly talented jazz singers who ... well, lets just say things were really rough and/or did not end well for the central figures.

First, I streamed What Happened, Miss Simone? on Netflix, about the jazz singer and pianist. I've had some of her music for probably 20 years and though I had appreciated her voice I had no idea that she had trained as a concert pianist or of how tumultuous and difficult her personal life was, though the emotional way she sang gave you a sense of that.

Here's the trailer ...

In the documentary they  play a bit of this clip from the Playboy Club, singing Porgy ...

It was a very interesting and well made documentary, with great old footage and I felt like it was a pretty all encompassing look at her life, and its different phases, including the civil rights movement. 

Here is another live concert performance, in Rome, 1968. 

I only knew classical Music, 

which to me was the only true music. 

The only way I could survive at the bar

was to mix the classical music with popular songs,

and that meant I had to sing. 

What happened was that I discovered 

I had a voice plus the talent 

to mix classical music together with more popular songs,

which at the time I detested.

~ Nina Simone

My favorite (and super sexy) song, that I don't think was in the documentary is I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl.  LOVE this recording.

And this awesome recording of Feeling Good ... 

You've got to learn to leave the table

When Love's no longer being served.

~Nina Simone

Then there's Amy, about jazz singer Amy Winehouse, which I just streamed on Amazon Prime. Definitely frustrating to see the people around her, some of which made things even more difficult for her, and to see how she never got the help she needed. She was so young and I'm sure if she'd just played jazz clubs and the whole fame thing hadn't blown up, she'd still be here. Very sad. 

There are definitely differences between the lives of Simone and Winehouse, their stories, and the demons they had to battle, but there are some similarities, as well. They both had a lot of people living off of their talent and working them to exhaustion without regard to their mental and physical health!

We've lost one of the jazz greats ...

~Tony Bennett on Amy Winehouse

Here is the trailer for Amy.

This is an interview from 2004 with Amy, that they used part of for the documentary. She's darling and it's nice to see her early on, healthy, with her cute personality at 20 years old. My favorite moment is at 3:08. At 4 minutes she performs. 

Here's a performance, not in the Documentary ... 

This is an audio recording (with slideshow) of Amy Winehouse that I'd never heard, doing a jazz version of the Beatles "All My Lovin'."

And the Recording with Tony Bennett ...

Tony Bennett said of Amy Winehouse, 

"She had the whole facility of an Ella Fitzgerald, 

of a Billie Holiday, who are the two best singers of jazz in the world. 

Since Elvis Presley into the Beatles, the Rolling Stones 

and the whole so called "new era" 

she was the best singer of any young singer that I've ever heard. 

She sang in the true tradition of being a great artist. 

She was a great artist ... "

So, both docs were both worth watching, especially if you like the artists, though I thought the tail end of Amy was a little heavy handed with the little review of footage of her, but it didn't ruin it or anything.

I'll be posting some more reviews, shortly! I've seen 6 out of the 8 best picture nominees, all the best actor nominees, but I'm behind on the women! I've only seen 2 best actress, but 3 best supporting. It's going to be a busy week! Friday I will go see the documentary shorts. I've already seen the live action and animated shorts. Love supporting the smaller short films! Anyway ... off to stream Bridge of Spies!

Have a great evening!

Blessings and light!

The Kid ~ Charlie Chaplin

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

~Charlie Chaplin

When my friend Erin came to town last spring, with her daughter, we watched one of my all time favorite films ...

Actually, Erin fell asleep after our long day in Little Tokyo, (also seeing the Hello Kitty exhibition) but McKenna and I stayed up and watched the whole movie. 

McKenna is 9 and wasn't too sure about watching an old, black and white, silent movie, but she's a cool kid rolled with it. When I looked over while we were watching the movie, I saw her laughing, and paying close attention, especially in some of the more serious parts. She stayed awake and in the end told me it was really good and that she really like the movie.  :)

I told McKenna that at some point someone would mention Charlie Chaplin or she'd see a photo of him or something and she'd be able to say she knew who he was and had seen one of his films. When I went down to San Diego a couple months later it had already happened. She'd told me she'd been in the car going down El Cajon Blvd, looked out the window and saw a big statue. "You were right, I saw him! I saw a big statue of him and knew who it was! Charles Chaplin!!

This is the full film. If you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a long time (It had been maybe 8 years since I'd sat down and watched the whole movie) you should watch it! It might be in my all time top 10 list of favorite films! 

I remain just one thing, 

and one thing only, and that is a clown.

It places me on a far higher plane than 

any politician.

~Charlie Chaplin

Here is a really interesting documentary about the making of The Kid. There's information about Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, and the establishment of United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, as well as an Iranian filmmakers take on the film.

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world -

not even our troubles.

~Charlie Chaplin

Oscar Nominated Documentaries and the Monuments Men!

In feature films the director is God;

in documentary films

God is the director.

~Alfred Hitchcock

I love Docs. It seems I can't get enough of them. I had a relationship last years longer than it should have, in large part, because both of us could spend hours eating burritos and watching documentaries on P.B.S.

Anyway, this year was another great year for Documentary film making. I am by no means an expert on the subject, so let me just say that before continuing. I just happen to love watching them.

By the way, this is my 3rd in a series of posts about this years Oscar Nominees. If you want to see the others, click here and here.

Oscar Nominated Documentaries for this years awards …

20 Feet From Stardom - I LOVED this. It was so engaging and the subjects of the film were so talented and fabulous, it would be difficult to find someone who wouldn't enjoy this Doc. Seriously, I don't mean to be judgmental but if someone doesn't like this one … they must be a few chips short of a full bag. 

Here is the trailer. Enjoy!

It's available on Netflix.

These singers are crazy talented! Here's another video of one of these amazing gals, Lisa Fischer. I'm crazy about her! Her voice and spirit get me so emotional!

Here's a great interview with three of the singers and the filmmaker. 

Cutie and the Boxer - This film is a also nominated, this year, for best documentary and I rented the DVD on Netflix.

I love documentaries about art and artists. This documentary is about two artists, a husband and wife. The doc, becomes really more about a marriage, than about art, though it's still a huge part of the film. It's touching and sometimes sweet, but at other times sad and frustrating … and you feel so bad for the wife! Anyway, I don't want to give it all away, because it's definitely worth seeing. 

Here's the trailer.

Dirty Wars- Rented this on Netflix. Very depressing film about what has happened behind the scenes, during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's very involved, and took more than the years of effort and tenacity (and the possibility of physical harm) to make it, so I have to give props to the journalist and filmmakers, for that. 

But, the voice over (which was done by the journalist) drove me nuts! There was something effected and melodramatic about his read. The subject matter is dramatic enough, so I think it could have been more straightforward. It's hard to explain. It's like he really really wants you to know how it all goes down, because he lived it, but in a weird way, that makes it seem more unbelievable.

Anyway, it's very interesting and gives you the feeling we have no idea what is really going on in the government, and our military … which is scary.

The Square- No review. I haven't seen this. It's available to stream on Netflix but not yet on DVD. Big bummer, because it's supposed to be great, and unfortunately I don't have streaming, yet!!!  Here's the trailer.

The Act of Killing - Lots of controversy involving this film. It's an amazing concept but just way too dark. For me, seeing the trailer was enough. This war criminal is basically creating reenactments of his crimes. If you want to see it, you can Google it, but I don't want to put it on my blog.

OK, so I saw two of the five Best Documentary nominees, for this years Oscars. 
If I see The Square, I'll pass on my thoughts. 

Past Oscar Nominated Documentaries, that I think are worth seeing, and that I really liked for one reason or another!

Anne Frank Remembered (1995) won
The Long way Home (1997) won
Last Days (1998) won
Into the Arms of Strangers (2002) won
Bowling for Columbine (2002) won
Fog of War (2003) won
Winged Migration (2003) -watch the special features!
Born into Brothels (2004) won - This is one of my absolute favorites.
The story of the Weeping Camel (2004) 
March of the Penguins (2005) won
Jesus Camp (2006) 
Man on Wire ( 2008) won
The Cove (2009) won
Food Inc. (2009) (very important, for anyone who eats food. ;)
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

More recent Docs I've rented ...

Gerhard Richter Painting- (2011)  I want to share another Doc that I recently watched and was pretty incredible, especially if you are an artist or art lover! It's not a fast paced doc, but the pace worked well for the subject matter. Sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy, this modern master!

It really was fascinating! The artist's process, especially.

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision- (1995) This won best documentary Oscar! I really enjoyed this one, as well. Maya Lin is such an interesting and incredible artist and I love hearing her concepts behind the works that she's created. 

This documentary also covers the controversy surrounding her design of the Vietnam Memorial, in D.C. and how the narrative has changed over time, in regards to peoples response to it. 

Here is a video with clips from the film.

Available on Netflix

The Saint of 9/11 - (2006) I had heard about this man, a priest, over the years since 9/11. This documentary is moving telling of his life, and work in his community. It's wonderfully made and inspiring … and holds some unexpected stories within it, as well. I recommend this one, too!

I rented this on Netflix but it's free on Hulu.

Sort of switching gears … 

Monuments Men- I love this story!!! I had seen the greatest documentary about the art, stolen by the Nazis during WWII, called The Rape of Europa. In fact I did a blog post about it, some time back. 

Anyway, the movie was entertaining. It's not his very best directing (that, I would reserve for Good Night and Good Luck or Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) but it was still completely enjoyable and a story that I am so happy he has told, about the soldiers who did what they could to find the art, as well as protect what was left, of both important pieces of art and historic places. 

And who doesn't love a little Clooney? Plus, it was fun to see all those guys together, including Lord Grantham. ;)

I'm sure you've seen all the commercials and trailers for the Clooney movie, but here is the trailer for The Rape of Europa. I highly recommend this documentary. It's fascinating!

One of the producers of Rape of Europa, Robert Edsel, also wrote the book of The Monuments Men, as well the books Saving DaVinci (which I gave my dad for Christmas) and a new book Saving Italy. Recently, because of the Clooney movie, he has been interviewed on Charlie Rose, as well as other news outlets. Click here for that interview, if you are interested! Took me a minute to get it play, I had to click the center of the screen. Anyway, it's interesting.

You have to understand, my dears, 

that the shorts distance between truth 

and a human being 

is a story.

~ Anthony de Mello, From One Minute Wisdom


Have a great weekend!