Taking Woodstock

It's been a while since I've been pleased at the theaters, but I can gladly say I was again after walking out of Taking Woodstock. It tells the story of Eliot Tiber and the development process of one of the greatest concerts in American history... Now to really enjoy this movie you have to have the right expectations, otherwise you might be disappointed... luckily I read some critic reviews before I saw it... Had I not done any research I'm sure I would of walked into that theater expecting to see full dramatic coverage of the concert, and i would have been disappointed because this movie doesn't show the concert... Matter of fact, it hardly has any music at all from the concert... Instead the entire story revolves around Eliot Tiber, a Jewish kid trying to come to terms with himself, in the backdrop of Woodstock... He was the key liaisons in bringing the concert to Bethel, New York. Other notable roles are Emile Hirsch, as a crazy Vietnam vet and Liev Schreiber as a transvestite... The movie is just easy and fun to watch with a great story, great setting, and some great visuals... (Though be warned, there is a lot of frontal-nudity) The hands-down best scene of the movie is when Eliot joins two other hippies on an acid trip outside of the concert... The scene takes you on a pyschedelic roller coaster, and lets you experience what was really happening in those fields... If you have any appreciation whatsoever for the 1960s Counter-Culture and the legacy of the Woodstock Festival, than I highly recommend this movie!

Yellow Submarine Remake

Just read a very interesting article today, that Disney and Robert Zemeckis (director of Forrest Gump) are considering a remake of the classic 1968 animated Beatles film "Yellow Submarine"... I use to always watch this film as a kid, and was one of the reasons I got turned on to the Beatles... The film is set to be released in 2012 to coincide with the London Summer Olympics...

So I feel a Beatles phase a'coming... It's funny though because it always seems to happen to me around the beginning of fall... They must be marketed that way, cause along with this news, they are currently on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, and are releasing a Rock Band video game in September... Interesting stuff! More on this later...

Tribute: Edward "Ted" Kennedy

Ted Kennedy passed away last night of brain cancer, yet his legacy in American Politics will not be forgotten. Throughout his 47 years as senator of Massachusetts he worked hard for Civil Rights, Education, Health Care and was the defining voice of American Liberalism... He is considered the most progressive senator in  US history and for this reason he will long be remembered as a Great Revolutionary...

He was the youngest child of the iconic Kennedy family... A well established political family that brought many privileges yet also many curses... He followed in the footsteps of his progressive brothers John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy and in 1962 became a senator of Massachusetts. Yet the 60s were a terrible time for Ted Kennedy...

• His brother John was assassinated in 1963
• He nearly died in a place crash in 1964
• His brother Bobby was assassinated in 1968
• Then there was the infamous Chappaquiddick incident of 1969 
  

In the Chappaquiddick incident, Ted was out drinking and partying at Martha's Vineyard, when he decided to go on a little drive with Mary Jo Kopechne... He drove off a bridge and into a pond, and managed to escape the vehicle, while his passenger, Mary Jo, died in the car. He left the scene that night and did not notify the authorities... He was later found guilty for leaving the scene of the accident. He still managed to win senate  re-election in 1970 yet this incident ruined his chances to ever become president...

In the 70s he spoke out against the Vietnam war, pushed for a Universal Health Care plan, and passed many other progressive bills. He finally made a run for presidency in 1980 against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, which was a very unusual move.Yet unfortanetly he lost the primaries to Carter, much due to the Chappaquiddick incident. It was at the 1980 Democratic Convetion in New York City where he gave his most famous speech...

"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end... For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."


Following his defeat, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to working as a senator, passing laws that would favor the lower and middle classes. He fought hard against the Reagan Conservative Movement of the 1980s, and by the 1990s had become the famous liberal "Lion of the Senate" we know him as today... He passed many labor laws in the 80s and 90s most notably he helped increase the minimum wage in 1996 with President Bill Clinton... He strongly opposed the Iraq War during Bush's presidency, and was quick to favor Al Gore and John Kerry in their unsuccessful bids as president. In 2008 he endorsed Obama early on in the heated primaries against Hillary Clinton. Once Obama became president, Ted spent the last few months supporting him, and working on a way to pass the Universal Health Care plan...

Ted was the 2nd oldest senator in office next to Robert Byrd, and the third longest-serving senator in US History. Throughout his 47 years as senator he helped pass many important laws such as limits to federal campaign funds, amendments to improve retirement benefits, Disabilities Act of 1991, Civil Rights Act of 1991, Health Insurance Act of 1996, Mental Health Act, No Child Left Behind Act, and many others... He became a Democratic Icon and the face of American liberalism... It truly is a tragedy to lose such a great American leader...

Tarantino's Inglorious Movie

I saw Inglorious Basterds last night, and was greatly disappointed... I had my doubts to begin with, yet I hoped that Quentin Tarantino might deliver something original as he did in his memorable classics, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Vol 1... Well I was wrong, and Inglorious Basterds is a huge waste of time and money... full of extremely drawn out scenes, cheesy lines, and a ridiculous story... He not only disgraced the classic 1967 film, Dirty Dozen, yet he also disgraced history completely with his own take on WW2... I hate when stories can't stick true to history... Tarantino's approach has just become old with his trademark chapters, drawn-out dialouge, and gory violence... He has become over-rated in my opinion, living off the success of his first few movies... Not even Brad Pitt could save the film, as the Nazi-Hunter Aldo Raine... As great of an actor as Pitt is, he just didn't fit this role.. he's an American rebel not an American hero... The only worthy mention of the film was the German villain, Hans Landa played with great passion by Christopher Waltz... But take it from me the movie is a big waste of time... Tarantino is now as dead to me as M. Night Shyamalan...

Usain is Insane!!

He was the highlight of Beijing, in my opinion, winning 3 gold medals and setting 3 world records... Well he's done it again at the World Championships in Berlin, in typical Bolt fashion. This time he shattered his previous records with a 9.58 in the 100 meter dash and a 19.19 in the 200 meter dash... As a past track athlete myself, you can't help but have mad respect for this guy... Sure he can be somewhat arrogant, but you can't blame him... he just makes it look so easy! So here's to you Bolt, for the being the fastest man alive!

Top 25 Movie Recap

Here's a quick recap of my Top 25 Favorite Movies of all time...

25. Dazed and Confused
24. Reds
23. Children of Men
22. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
21. Scarface
20. Motorcycle Diaries
19. Raging Bull
18. Annie Hall
17. The Lion King
16. Almost Famous
15. Saving Private Ryan
14. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
13. Pulp Fiction
12. Pan's Labyrinth
11. American Beauty
10. Fantasia
9. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
8. Shawshank Redemption
7. Schindler's List
6. The Godfather
5. Braveheart
4. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
3. Forrest Gump
2. Amadeus
1. Gladiator

1. Gladiator

Director: Ridley Scott
Year: 2000
Actors: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris
Plot: The General Maximus has led a successful campaign against the Germanic tribes, and is set to return to his home country of Spain. Yet before he can return home, he is asked by the emperor Marcus Aurelius to take temporary leadership of Rome, so the power can be returned to the senate... Before Maximus can make his final decision, the emperor is murdered by his evil jealous son, Commodus... Maximus is then sent to be executed yet manages to escape with severe injuries... He is unable to save his family, and nearly dies at the scene of their graves... He is then picked up by traveling merchants, sold as a slave, and becomes a gladiator in Morocco... He then climbs up the ranks, to be one of the greatest, and is sent to fight in the Coliseum of Rome. Within the Coliseum, he is able to publicly defy the emperor Commodus and thus avenge the murder of his family...
Music: Powerful, inspirational, beautiful soundtrack by Hans Zimmer... Great vocals by Lisa Gerrard...
Why:

• First DVD I ever bought!
• Phenomenal story of vengeance, set in the ancient Roman Empire...
• Great artistic, dramatic, poetic filming by Ridley Scott
• Great CGI effects; The Coliseum, the city of Rome, The opening battle, etc...
• Passionate acting by Joaquin Phoenix as the evil emperor Commodus, and Russell Crowe as the heroic Maximus
• Beautiful score by Hans Zimmer... The music use to always inspire me before big sporting events...

Key Moment: After Maximus has killed Commodus in the arena, he begins to fade away from life, and enter his golden fields of Elysium... I think this was very artistically done, with Lisa Gerrard's beautiful closing theme song, "Now we are Free"...

2. Amadeus

Director: Milos Foreman


Year: 1984

Actors: Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham

Plot: A biopic of the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart told by his envious peer, Antonio Salieri... Set in 1700s Vienna, the film depicts the rise and fall of Mozart in a very artistic and poetic manner...

Music: The classical works of Mozart... Relaxing, beautiful, and masterful compositions...

Why:

• Watched it many times as a kid; gained an appreciation for classical music, especially for Mozart
• Great historical story about the life of Mozart
• Artistic, Poetic, and Passionate visual of music
• Extravagant opera performances... incredible cinematography by Milos Foreman
• Beautiful setting of 1700s Vienna, the city of Music
• Great acting by Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham

Key Moment: Inside a mental-house with a priest by his side, Salieri begins to reminisce on the first time he heard Mozart's music, a piece called the Serenade for Winds... As the song plays he describes it with such passion and admiration... It is a masterful scene with a beautiful track, poetic words, precise editing, and an incredible performance by F. Murray Abraham.

3. Forrest Gump

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Year: 1993
Actors: Tom Hanks, Sally Fields, Gary Sinise
Plot: Tells the story of Forrest Gump, a slow yet good-hearted person from Alabama who has an epic journey through life. This includes many firsthand encounters of historical events such as the Vietnam War, the Counter-Culture revolution, the Watergate Scandal, and a pivotal role in the ping-pong diplomacy with China... He also has many influences on American pop culture such as teaching Elvis Presley how to dance, inspiring John Lennon to write "Imagine", and coming up with catchy slogans... In the midst of all this he makes good friends with Bubba and Lt. Dan, and falls in love with his childhood friend, Jenny...
Music: Great score by Alan Silvestri, with an outstanding theme-piece... Incredible soundtrack of classic hits from the 60s and 70s... Includes Aretha Franklin, CCR, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Three Dog Night, The Byrds, and many more...
Why:

• Great artistic and dramatic filming by Robert Zemeckis
• Ground-breaking special effects that put Forrest Gump in the midst of real historical footage, such as shaking president's hands, standing through press conferences, or sitting next to John Lennon...
• Incredible story full of rich American culture
• Great acting performance by Tom Hanks
• Great soundtrack that really captures the time period

Key Moment: When the young Forrest Gump breaks out of his leg-braces to escape a group of bullies chasing after him... the scene is captured in slow-motion with perfect framing and an inspiring score, to make it the ultimate dramatic scene of the movie...

4. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Director: Peter Jackson
Year: 2001
Actors: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortenson, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin, Hugo Weaving
Plot: The ring of power falls into the hands of a hobbit named Frodo who must journey to the land of Mordor to destroy it in the flames of Mount Doom. He is joined by a fellowship of companions; a wise wizard named Gandalf, a ranger named Aragorn, a prince named Boromir, an elf named Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, and three other hobbits named Samwise, Merry, and Pippen. The 9 companions must journey together across Middle-Earth facing the many evil forces of Sauron.
Music: Beautiful composition by Howard Shore, most notably the opening score of the Shire... also Enya's soothing track, "May it Be"
Why:

• Incredible fictional story by JR Tolkien... Over the past few years I have become very obsessed with this imaginative, mythical world
• Artistic filming by Peter Jackson; examples include Galadriel's opening introduction about the ring of power, the sequence of the hobbit lifestyle within the Shire, the romance between Aragorn and Arwen, and many, many, more...
• Great acting performance by Ian McKellen as the wise and heroic wizard, Gandalf
• Ground-breaking CGI effects
• Amazing score by Howard Shore, and great song by Enya "May it Be"
• Beautiful fictional settings of The Shire, Gondor, Rivendell, the Mines of Moria, the elven woods of Lothlorien, and many more... The movie was filmed in New Zealand!

Key Moment: Inside the Mines of Moria, Gandalf turns to face the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dum... His act of courage, allows the others to escape the Mines while he destroys the bridge with his classic heroic line, "You Shall Not Pass!"

5. Braveheart

Director: Mel Gibson
Year: 1995
Actors: Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Brendan Gleeson, Sophie Marceau
Plot: Tells the legendary story of William Wallace, who leads the Scottish War on Independence against the British. After his wife is killed for not obeying the British "primae notcis" law, William leads a war for Scottish freedom against the evil King Edward Longshanks.
Music: Incredible score by James Horner, full of rich beautiful Irish compositions...
Why:

• One of my favorite movies, growing up as a kid...
• Great story, great drama, and great action!
• Artistic and poetic filming by Mel Gibson!
• Incredible setting in the green pastures of Scotland and Ireland!
• Phenomenal acting by Mel Gibson!
• Beautiful score composed by James Horner...

Key Moment: In the end as William Wallace is being tortured he looks out into the crowd to see his deceased wife, and knowing that he is almost with her he yells for "FREEDOM" instead of Mercy...

6. The Godfather

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Year: 1972
Actors: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Plot: Tells the story of a fictional Italian crime family set in New York City from 1945 to 1955...
Music: Classical Italian score by Nino Rota, with a beautiful theme and many other catchy Italian melodies...
Why:

• It is a classic masterpiece by Francis Ford Coppola that has become the defining movie of crime films...
• All around great acting, especially Marlon Brando...
• Beautiful Italian score
• Great setting in 1940s New York City, as well as the fields of Italy...

Key Moment: I don't have one in particular, but I do enjoy the business negotiations that capture the sophistication of these mafia-gangsters...

7. Schindler's List

Director: Steven Spielberg


Year: 1993

Actors: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Plot: Based on the true story of a Nazi business man named Oscar Schindler... He arrives to Poland in 1939 to exploit cheap Jewish labor. Once he sets up his mess-kit factory, he bribes many German officials, such as the twisted Amon Goth, to not interfere with his production... As he becomes very wealthy, he suddenly realizes the sad truth of the situation and begins to sympathize with the Jews...

Music: Beautiful score by John Williams, along with the sad violin theme of Itzhak Perlman...

Why:

• A classic masterpiece by Steven Spielberg... filming at it's finest... the choice of black and white colors makes for a depressing old-style feel, that really captures the time and place...
• Great acting by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley
• The beautiful violin music of Itzhak Perlman... the defining tone of the movie...
• Interesting historical setting that demonstrates the harsh truths of the concentration camps of the Holocaust...

Key Moment: At the closing of the film, Oscar Schindler begins to break down and cry as he realizes he could have saved more lives...

8. Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont
Year: 1994
Actors: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman
Plot: The story begins in 1947 where Andy Dufresne's gets wrongfully accused and sentenced to life in the Shawshank Penitentiary of Maine... The movie spans for a good 20 years, depicting life in prison, where Andy makes good friends with Red, and constantly finds ways to defy the corrupt establishment of the warden, Samuel Norton.
Music: Great score by Thomas Newman, as well a beautiful piece by Mozart
Why:

• Incredible story by Stephen King... vengeance at it's finest!
• Great acting by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
• Beautiful music, most notably the Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Key Moment: Andy Dufresne locks himself inside the warden's office and plays the beautiful music of Mozart on speaker so the entire prison can hear...

9. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Director: Peter Jackson
Year: 2003
Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving
Plot: The final chapter of JR Tolkien's masterpiece puts the war for the ring at its climax. Frodo and Samwise have finally reached Mordor and before they can drop the ring in Mount Doom, the ultimate battle of mankind must be fought at Gondor...
Music: Incredible score by Howard Shore as well as a great final song by Annie Lenox, "Into the West"
Why:

• Masterful poetic story by JR Tolkien
• There has never been a battle on screen quite as exciting as the Battle of Pelennor Fields
• Artistic filming by Peter Jackson; ground-breaking CGI effects such as Shelob the spider, Gollum, the oliphants, the ents, the Nazgul, and many other creatures...
• Amazing score by Howard Shore

Key Moment: King Theoden and his riders of Rohan come to the rescue at the Battle of Pelennor Fields and lead a glorious charge to save the kingdom of Gondor...

10. Fantasia

Director: Walt Disney


Year: 1940

Plot: It is an animated visual representation of significant classical music. The movie is set in eight animated pieces of art that try and tell the story through sound and abstract visuals instead of dialogue...

Music: Starts off with Toccatta and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach; then comes The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky; the third piece is the most famous of the film known as The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas; then comes The Rite of Spring composed by Stravinsky; after this comes The Intermission where we get to meet the instruments; after this is my favorite piece of the movie, the Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven; after this comes The Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli; and finally is the Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgsky and the Ave Maria by Franz Schubert...

Why:

• Grew up as a kid always watching this movie...
• Beautiful classical music... Gained a greater appreciation for music after watching this movie...
• Artistic and Abstract visual elements that take you inside the music; it makes for a deep interpretation...

Key Moment: The Pastoral Symphony is by far my favorite piece in the movie, thanks to the beautiful composition of Beethoven that depicts a colorful world of Greek mythology...

11. American Beauty

Director: Sam Mendes
Year: 1999
Actors: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Chris Cooper
Plot: Set in modern day suburbia, it tells the story of Lester Burnham and his dysfunctional family; a daughter who hates him, and a wife who loves her job more than him... After accepting that he hates his life he begins to completely change his environment to a stress-free, easy-going lifestyle...
Music: Score by Thomas Newman, along with several famous tracks from The Who, Bob Dylan, and the Guess Who...
Why:

• Very artistic filming by Sam Mendes... Great use of colors, most notably the color red...
• Great acting by Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening
• A setting that many people can relate with of a middle-class suburban lifestyle...

Key Moment: After he is shot to death, Lester explains how the final flash of life is not a second, but more like an ocean of time... and that he cannot stay mad when there is so much beauty in the world...

12. Pan's Labyrinth

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Year: 2006
Actors: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Doug Jones, Maribel Verdu
Plot: Set in the 1940s post-Civil War Spain, a young imaginative girl named Ofelia finds a mysterious labyrinth. There she meets a faun who appoints her three tasks to become a princess... Yet in her way is her evil step-father who will put his military cause above everything else.
Music: Incredible score by Javier Navarrete, with the sounds of a lullaby...
Why:

• Incredible story... multiple realities, along with artistic filming... Great symbolism and metaphors...
• Great CGI effects; ex (the faun, the frog, the pale-man, the fairies, and the labyrinth)
• Chilling performance by Sergi Lopez as the evil Captain Vidal...
• Beautifully sad music, that goes well with the fictional world

Key Moment: At the end of the movie when Ofelia is reunited with her deceased father and mother inside the great hall of the labyrinth....

13. Pulp Fiction

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 1994
Actors: John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Christopher Walken
Plot: A nonlinear plot that mixes several stories together all set in the 1990s crime-world of Los Angeles. It follows the story of two hitman, Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega, the bossman, Marsellus Wallace, his wife Mia, and a boxer named Butch. There are a total of seven mini-stories in the movie.
Music: Electronic surf music along with some tracks of rock and roll, pop, and soul music...
Why:

• Original filming technique by Tarantino to introduce non-linear story-telling... The more you watch it, the more you understand it
• Great single shot sequences, great cinematography... Props to Tarantino!
• Great all around acting performance

Key Moment: Uma Thurman and John Travolta's twist-dance at the 1950s-themed restaurant...

14. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Director: Michael Gondry
Year: 2004
Actors: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo
Plot: A very abstract love story in which a man has his memory erased only to realize as it happens that he no longer wants to do it... The story blends both the past and the present and can be interpreted in many ways.
Music: Great score by Jon Brion... It's got a modern psychedelic sound to it with many unique instruments....
Why:

• Interesting and creative concept, to be able to erase one's memory.
• Very abstract filming by Michael Gondry... it's a movie you can watch over and over again, and always catch something new
• Great acting chemistry by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet
• Chilled artsy soundtrack by Jon Brion

Key Moment: As the final memory is erased, and the cabin on the lake begins to collapse, Carrey explains why he left when he first met her... Kate Winslet then tells him to stay with her, and to meet him in Montauk....

15. Saving Private Ryan

Director: Steven Spielberg
Year: 1998
Actors: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Matt Damon
Plot: Captain John H. Miller must lead a team through German-occupied-France to recover a paratrooper who has just lost his three brothers. In the backdrop of WWII, the story emphasizes the camaraderie these soldiers had with one another...
Music: Score by John Williams
Why:

• Incredible filming by Spielberg; Graphic, eye-opening shots, most notably is the opening footage of the invasion of Normandy
• Great acting by Tom Hanks
• Historical setting in the ruins of France

Key Moment: The opening 24-minute sequence of the invasion on the beaches of Normandy...