Movie Review: Stranded: I have come from a plane that crashed in the mountains) October 31, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Movie Reviews, Movie Trailer, Photography.Tags: Movie Review: Stranded: I have come from a plane that c
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Movie Review: Stranded: I have come from a plane that crashed in the mountains)
Alternate Title: Staying Alive
Story: Some stories capture the imagination. This one has fascinated me for 36 years. In October of 1972, a Uruguayan flight carrying students, parents and alumni from Stella Maris College to a rugby match in Chile crashed in the Andes. Out of the 45 on the plane an incredible 29 survived the original crash and 16 ultimately made it back to civilization some 72 days later.
This survival tale made headlines around the world when these boys came out of the mountains and it was revealed that they survived by resorting to cannibalism. Yes, that part of the drama is great fodder for retelling and form some ghoulish thoughts, but for me, being able to survive as a group, work as a team, do what they had to do to survive and that two of the boys managed to walk out of the Andes to get help is the real heart and soul of the story.
Writer/director Gonzalo Arijon was able to interview all 16 survivors and accompany them back to the crash site to pay homage to those left behind. It is moving, heartfelt and even when you know what is going to happen, compelling story telling. The survivors are all still friendly to this day. The archival footage seen at the end of the film is worth the price of admission.
Check out some amazing photos from the official website here.
Acting: Arijón interviewed all sixteen survivors: José Pedro Algorta, Roberto Canessa, Alfredo “Pancho” Delgado, Daniel Fernández, Roberto “Bobby François, Roy Harley, José Luis “Coche” Inciarte, Álvaro Mangino, Javier Methol, Carlos “Carlitos” Páez, Nando Parrado, Ramon “Moncho” Sabella, Adolfo “Fito” Strauch, Eduardo Strauch, Antonio “Tintin” Vizíntin, and Gustavo Zerbino.
Trivia: There have been four films based on the event including: Trapped: Alive in the Andes (documentary-2007) Alive: The Miracle of the Andes (1993) It explores the lives of the survivors twenty years after the crash. Supervivientes de los Andes (1976) This was a Mexican production directed by René Cardona jr. It was based on the unauthorized 1973 book, Survive by Clay Blair. Books based on the event include: Parrado, Nando (with Vince Rause). Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home. Read, Piers Paul. Alive: Sixteen Men, Seventy-two Days, and Insurmountable Odds — The Classic Adventure of Survival in the Andes. Enrique Hank Lopez. They Lived on Human Flesh
Predilection: I have been fascinated by this event ever since it happened. I have seen all of the films and read all of the books on the subject. I like tales of incredible human feats.
Critters: Goats, sheep and horses.
Food: Gulp. Probably not a good idea to discuss in detail the food that this film includes on its menu.
Visual Art: The Andes are spectacular as photographed by Cesar Charione (The Constant Gardener, City of God).
Theater Audience: Pretty crowded.
Weather: Brrrrrrrrrrrr
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I did not drift at all but there were lots of snow drifts.
Predictability Level: I am very familiar with the story so there were no surprises for me.
Tissue Usage: I welled up towards the end.
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine as would rental for the other films on this topic.
Length: Two hours
LOBO HOWLS: 7.5
Trick or Treat October 31, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Dogs and cats, Movie Trailer, Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: Benny the dog, Estelle Reiner, Halloween candy. Joe the PLumber, Keith Olbermann, Madison the cat, Rachel Maddow
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Happy Halloween to all. I hope that all of your Halloween surprises are sweet and that this sweetness carries us all through Tuesday. Yesterday we went to a noon-time lecture on he History of Candy and yes – there were samples. A fun diversion in these otherwise nerve-wracking days. Did you know that 65% of the candy we eat today was introduced during Prohibition? It seems we had a craving for sweets when all of those pubs were bordered shut. Check out this photo montage of some of yesterday’s samples. Recognize most of them?
- Here’s a funny ad from the Obama campaign perfect for Halloween:
- If you missed this segment on the Daily Show the other night it is a must see. It is about Sarah Palin ‘going rogue.’
- Looks like Joe the Plumber has gone rogue too!
- Last night Keith’s special Campaign Comment:
- If you missed Rachel Maddow’s fine interview with Barack Obama last night, here you go.
- And here:
- Finally, a sweet goodbye to 94 year old Estelle Reiner, Carl Reiner’s wife and Rob Reiner’s mother who will forever be remembered for her classic line in When Harry Met Sally – ‘I’ll have what she’s having’
Lobo Weeps October 30, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: McCain, Pbama speech, Sarah Palin
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I know today’s title does not scream headline news but for me to cry is a big event. I am not a sapster. I do not get all crunchy feely over a Hallmark Card image or expression. My demeanor leans towards eye-roller and cynic. However, last night while viewing Barack Obama’s 30 minute TV buy, I found tears rolling down my cheek. I think the lady with the severe arthritis started me off and then when he was discussing his mother, her cancer and his run for the Presidency – I lost it. My eyes teared and my heart swelled by the idea that we just might elect our first African American President. (Or maybe I was just emotional because my little dog Benny has been very sick this week). Nah- I am really proud of us right now. Let’s keep the faith and get this guy elected next Tuesday.
- Here is the entire Obama presentation. Get your tissue box ready.
- Keith Olbermann went off last night on Joe the Plumber – the latest faker con man to hoodwink the American public.
- I know we are all worrying about voter disenfranchisement but here is a tip of the hat to Governor Crist of Florida for extending polling hours and some scary stuff about the ’still’ President Bush and his cockamamie doctrine:
- Eye popping segment about Sarah Palin’s plans: “if you lose on Tuesday, would you simply go back to Alaska? Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News asked her and Palin said this, and I will read it to you verbatim according to an ABC News transcript: Absolutely not, Sarah Palin says. I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we’ve taken, that … that would … bring this whole … I’m not doin’ this for naught, and that is a direct quote from Sarah Palin. Clearly, leaving open the possibility that she would be interested in leading the Republican Party in 2012 if she and John McCain were to lose this presidential contest right now.”
- Rachel Maddow flew to Florida last night to interview Obama today. Watch it tonight on her show. You go girl! In the meanwhile, watch her chat with my hero, Frank Rich on last night’s show.
Movie Review: Synecdoche, New York October 29, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Movie Reviews, Movie Trailer.Tags: Movie Review: Synecdoche, New York
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Movie Review: Synecdoche, New York
Alternate Title: Theater of the Absurd
Story: Synecdoche (si-nek-duh-kee) is a riddle wrapped in an enigma or some other head scratching work of art and bullshit. The definition of synecdoche is as confusing as this muddled film. It is a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (as society for high society), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (as boards for stage).
Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman we meet a middle aged man, Caden Cotard, who spends most of his time obsessed over his insignificance, health and mortality. He is a regional theater director who wins a ‘genius’ award (a MacArthur Grant) which allows him to finally create his life’s meaningful work. Sadly it will take the rest of his life to figure out just what his life work is all about and we get to live that with him.
The film starts out very promising but as soon as Cotard’s wife and little daughter leave him for fame and fortune in Europe the film starts to erode and dissemble. Characters come and go, people age in odd time flows and after a bit – I just did not care anymore.
I like writer Charlie Kaufman’s work but this film was overstuffed, self-indulgent and simply not worth your time. Sorry Charlie.
Acting: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Caden Cotard, always gives a good performance but this time his character did not have the special essence that leaps off of the screen.Samantha Morton as Hazel, was delightful. Michelle Williams as Claire, was good too. Catherine Keener as wife Adele, did not get enough screen time for me. Emily Watson as Tammy, was wonderful as always. Dianne Wiest as Ellen Bascomb/Millicent Weems, came in late to the play,movie/lifework and I wanted more of her. Jennifer Jason Leigh as Maria, was her usual loony self. Hope Davis as the therapist was a hoot.
Trivia: The Cotard delusion or Cotard’s syndrome, also known as nihilistic or negation delusion, is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusional belief that he or she is dead, does not exist, is putrefying or has lost his/her blood or internal organs. Rarely, it can include delusions of immortality. Writer/director Charlie Kaufman is notorious for avoiding the press and in particular dislikes the idea of being interviewed on television. His first and only television interview was for Charlie Rose at the end of March 2004. 3 of the 5 movies he has penned so far are based around real people in fictional situations: Susan Orlean, John Laroche and himself in Adaptation. (2002), Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich (1999) (obviously).
Predilection: I like Charlie Kaufman’s work and will not give up on him.
Sex Spectrum: Some fumbling around.
Opening Titles: Simple titles superimposed over the opening sequence.
Visual Art: The attention to detail was the best part of the film.
Theater Audience: About 20 other confused theater goers.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 3
Squirm Scale: If discussions about poop and other bodily functions and malfunctions are disturbing to you then the squirm factor will soar.
Drift Factor: I started looking at my watch at about an hour into the film.
Predictability Level: I did not have a clue where this was going.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: If you are a Charlie Kaufman fan then the big screen is the way to go. You can also rent some of the better films he has written such as:Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Length: Too long at a bit over two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 4
Rogues, Divas, Mavericks & silliness October 29, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Animal Videos, Photography, Politics, Videos, wildlife.Tags: dancing candidates, Keith Olbermann, Mavericks, Michale Beschloos, Rachel Maddow, Robert Greenwald, Rogues, Wolf howl
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Six days and counting. Raise your hand if you are excited? I know some of you are so nervous you can barely sleep at night and all of that Halloween candy is getting eaten early because it is so very comforting in these uncertain times. Here is a hint – all of that sugar is not helping you sleep at night. So it looks like the Repugnants have chosen their final mantra to the base of their party. They are screaming about Socialism and redistribution of wealth (usually to crowds that have no wealth and are mortgaged up to their eyeballs) and are sure that coming from behind is the way to win. Watch Rachel Maddow use a football analogy to show how the McSame campaign is running their last days of the campaign.
- So who was behind that very popular ‘wassup?’ video riff on the old beer commercial?
Here is the video for you again in case you missed it on last weekend’s post.
- Blah blah blah? Gasp!
- So you think you can dance AND lead the free world? More creativity coming your way:
- Keith Olbermann discusses the possibility of Sarah Palin running for president in 2012 and the turmoil that’s causing within the Republican party with Bloomberg News ‘Margaret Carlson. Sarah Palin as ‘whack job.’
- In case you missed Robert Greenwald’s video ‘who’s the original maverick? – here it is – AS usual, McSilly has it all ass backwards – you betcha!
- I am going to miss all of the special campaign comments by Keith Olbermann. Check out last night’s comment on Sarah Palin being the real Socialist as shown by her own statements to a reporter about her Alaska and sharing the wealth.
- Check out Rachel Maddow speaking with Michael Beschloss about Presidential relationships thru history and the relationship between McSame and Ms. Betcha Rogue.
- And for some fun – a Lobo Howl for you
The 60th Seat? October 28, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Animal Stories, Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: Christopher Hitchens, David Korn, fruit flies, Jay Leno, Keith Olbermann, Michelle Obama, Rachel Maddow, Sarah Palin, Ted Stevens
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Alaska certainly has had their share of attention this election cycle, eh? And now, crotchety ’series’ of tubes’ Ted Stevens has been found guilty of 7 counts of ethic abuses (what’s with Alaska and a problem with ethics)? Will this give the Blue team its filibuster proof 60th Senate seat? Now that would be a grand trifecta victory come next Tuesday. Having those 60 seats in the Senate will allow a Blue team agenda to go forth and ’spread the wealth.’ Stay tuned.
- Watch Rachel on the subject with David Korn of Mother Jones Magazine.
- The new description of Sarah Palin is that she has gone ‘rogue.’ Apparently she is not on message with the ‘other’ part of the McSame campaign and she also has a problem remembering that everything one says nowadays is recorded and remembered. Check out what she said about ’spreading the wealth’ right before she was nominated for Veep. A few weeks before she was nominated for Vice-President, she told a visiting journalist—Philip Gourevitch, of this magazine—that “we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.” Perhaps there is some meaningful distinction between spreading the wealth and sharing it (“collectively,” no less), but finding it would require the analytic skills of Karl the Marxist. The entire article can be found in this week’s New Yorker.
- Watch McGoofy try to remember the big guns who are supporting him. Gasp.
- Keith had one of his Campaign Comments last night about Miss Ashley ‘backwards ‘B’ Todd and her idiot hoax. McCain Should Condemn His Staffer’s Racist Hoax:
- In the all too common morons with guns stories, the Feds disrupt alleged skinhead plot to kill Obama. How many of these do we have to endure?
- Back to the fruit fly issue. In a bizarre Lobo note, I happen to know two people (via two degrees of separation) who study fruit flies. Check out this website from one of the people I know who studies fruit flies on this issue.
- Watch Conservative Christopher Hitchens nail Sarah Palin’s views on fruit flies and creationism.
- David Letterman on McGoofy thinking on his feet:
- Jay Leno with Michele Obama last night – Part one. Watch it before NBC takes it down. If they take it down you can find it on NBC and on the Huffington POst.
- Part Two:
High and Lows for a Monday October 27, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Politics, Videos.Tags: McCain, Miss Teen South Carolina, Robert Greenwald, Sarah Palin, the 'n' word
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This campaign has brought out a lot of creativity from the populace. There are photos, videos and songs floating about for all to share. I found a few that tickled my fancy and thought an amusing Monday was the way to go. Halfway through today’s morning post I decided it was enough merriment and share some videos I found this morning that made my head spin around. With one week to go, all indications look sound for the Blue team. I am feeling settled, less anxious and should this go the way I think it will – I am feeling mighty proud of the populace this time around.
- The Sarah Palin Song and Dance – Oh my gawd.
- The Ballad of Sarah Palin:
- Enjoy this Palin music:
- Hey Sarah, Sarah:
- On a more serious note, my hat tips to Robert Greenwald for his consistent measures to right the wrongs. In recent weeks, the McCain campaign has been attacking ACORN, a widely respected voter registration organization, claiming ACORN knowingly participated in “voter fraud.” In reality, this is just another calculated attempt by the McCain campaign and the RNC to suppress new and marginalized voters.
- And you wonder why this guy is losing?
- This is astonishingly awful and why they are going to lose in a week. A supporter of Sarah Palin shouts the n-word in a reference to Barack Obama while Palin herself attempts to connect her opponent to “other countries where people are not free.” This time it’s clear that Palin actually heard what the person said, because the racial slur broke her stride and caused her to stammer for a brief second before continuing in her sentence. However, she did nothing to condemn her supporters’ racism, and even seemed to egg it on by suggesting that Obama is not a real American but belongs in some other country, such as perhaps Iran.
- My personal favorite is still Sarah Palin vs. Miss Teen South Carolina
Movie Review: Happy-Go-Lucky October 26, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Movie Reviews, Movie Trailer.Tags: Movie Review: Happy-Go-Lucky
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Movie Review: Happy-Go-Lucky
Alternate Title: Little Miss Sunshine
Story: Sunshine and light is something we have come to expect from a Disney film – not a film by writer and director Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake). It seems there are no certainties in film and Mike Leigh has given us a successful character study that diverts from his usual path.
Poppy, our protagonist is happy-go-lucky. Evil is often more interesting to watch on the big screen. Goodness can often be cloying. Our Poppy sees the world as one overflowing glass of liquid sunshine and inserts her exuberance everywhere she goes whether it is asked for or not. Can this bounciness be irritating? Annoying? At first I was suspicious and a bit uncomfortable with this perky, optimistic piece of fluff but soon found her endearing and authentic.
The story is a series of vignettes in Poppy’s life. How she fills her time when not teaching her third graders is the heart of the tale. She takes driving lessons, flamenco dance classes, parties with her friends and generally sucks life in for every atom it offers. Her clashes with the dark side of life’s inhabitants inject themselves into her carefree world and how she handles these encounters is the beauty of this movie.
This is not a film for everyone but if you want to see one heck of an actor and see how much work it takes to be happy all of the time check out this latest Mike Leigh film.
Acting: Sally Hawkins as Poppy gives a tour de force performance that is well worth the price of admission. Eddie Marsan as driving teacher Scott, is magnificent as representative of the darker side of life. Alexis Zegerman as roommate Zoe hits all the right notes.
Trivia: English director Mike Leigh is the son of Jewish-Russian immigrants. When actors audition for him, he asks them to sit at a table while he observes. Leigh uses a minimal script and has his actors improvise.
Predilection: I like Mike Leigh films.
Critters: Loads of street pigeons and a dog being carried over a guy’s shoulder.
Sex Spectrum: Some kissy face stuff.
Soundtrack: The music by Gary Yershon is odd. The bouncy segues between scenes is reminiscent of TV sitcom fluff.
Opening Titles: Simple black background with white type.
Visual Art: The attention to detail is eye popping grand.
Theater Audience: A few Mike Leigh fans and us.
Weather: It is worthy to note that in our cock-eyed optimist’s world view it is always warm and sunny in London.
Drift Factor: I did look at my watch a few times and think the film could have been shortened by a good 15 minutes.
Predictability Level: I was not sure where we were headed in this one.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: Sally Hawkins’ performance is surely Oscar worthy but I would not count on it happening.
Big Screen or Rental: Either
Length: Two hours.
LOBO HOWLS: 7.5
Countdown to the Big Day October 26, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Animal Stories, Animal Videos, Links, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Boo at the Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Frank Rich, Gail Collins, Joe Biden, Maureen Dowd, McCain, monkeys, Sarah Palin
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The countdown has begun. It is a mere nine days until we cast our vote, bite our nails and await the TV talking heads to call the election state by state. I read the entire article today’s New York Times Magazine section called The Making (and Remaking) of McCain. Fascinating stuff about the behind the scenes thought process that went into this bipolar campaign. The part about the selection of Sarah Palin is required reading for all of the political junkies out there.
- Oh oh – According to Sarah Palin, Obama has gone from a Socialist to a Communist. This woman needs a choke collar. Gasp!
- According to demconwatch.com as of 10/24, among the top 100 papers, Obama has been endorsed by papers with a circulation of 12.8 Million, McCain by papers with a circulation of 2.5 Million.
- Maureen Dowd is back and tells it like it is about the McSame Campaign and Sarah Palin’s makeover. Check out this paragraph “In The New York Times Magazine today, Robert Draper reveals that the campaign also hired a former New York stage and screen actress, Priscilla Shanks, to be her voice coach for the convention. The expense was listed in finance reports as Operating Expenditures and Get-Out-The-Vote consulting. Apparently getting out the vote includes teaching a potential vice president the correct way to pronounce “nuclear.”
- The continuing list of ship jumpers.
- Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe discusses the truth in the Politico.com report on the infighting between senior McCain aides over Sarah Palin’s stump speeches and her deviations from campaign-approved talking points.
- Gail Collins writes about our four year electoral college lament. I too live in one of the Blue States that does not get any robo-calling or non-stop ads on TV. I guess that is good news and bad news. Don’t we count at all anymore?
- Frank Rich should be required reading. He gets it right each and every week.
- This is what a candidate for Vice President looks like and sounds like. Go Joe the Veep! You have my vote.
- This week in the best of late night jokes, SNL comes up with a slogan for Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart mocks Palin’s extravagant expenditures on clothes, Colbert dissects Powell’s endorsement, and the hysterical Kimmel spoofs the tension between McCain and Palin -
- It is that time of year. Boo at the Zoo has become an event all over the US. - Boo at the Zoo is fun for one and all – especially the monkeys. Check out some of the pumpkin enrichment fun I saw yesterday at the Central Park Zoo.
- Watch our snow monkeys enjoying pumpkin enrichment.
- Watch our Black and White Colobus Monkeys enjoy pumpkin enrichment too.
The Backwards ‘B’ October 25, 2008
Posted by judylobo in Photography, Politics, Videos.Tags: Ashley Todd, Eugene Robinson, hoax, Keith Olbermann, McCain, Palin, Rachel Madow
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Yesterday morning when I saw that story about the young Repugnant campaign worker, Ashley Todd, who claimed she was attacked by a 6′4″ black man who saw her McSame bumper sticker, I instantly knew it was a hoax. Did you see the backwards letter ‘B” on her cheek? Any idiot that has watched two episodes of Law & Order knew that she did the deed herself while looking in a mirror. The most outrageous thing about this false claim is that the beat of centuries old racism continues in some communities around the US. Shame on the Repugnants for spreading this story and kudos to the Pittsburgh Police Department who did their job and got her to admit it was a hoax. There are lots of great photos floating out there these days. Hats off to my CA connections for the photo on the left.
- Here is Keith and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson on the same subject:
- Its been eight long years since the boys said wassup to each other. Even with the effects of a down economy and imminent change in the White House, the boys are still able to come together and stay true to what really matters.
- Here is a funny cautionary tale for you:
