#back to the future: music from the motion picture soundtrack

[kooabreen]

that moment when you find your old sunset lamp from when you tried to make your dorm pretty - it’s hidden in a box with all the other stuff that was a tad too sentimental to donate (rat figurines you found abandoned outside the music building that sing opera if you press their paws, cheap plastic champagne glasses that you used to drink the wine you snuck on campus, a bundle of random stolen incense from each of your old friends)

you’ve been mopping all day so the furniture in your living room is all out of sorts, pushed to the walls leaving space in the center

your tv doesn’t work anymore (you took a lighter and screwdriver to the base of it in order to bend the plastic so that it would fit on the hutch you bought - it lasted a good 5 months before dying) so you’re left with a borrowed record player and a few thrifted records to create some ambiance

the quality of music isn’t great - it’s all scratched and distorted and grainy, but it’s music and that’s all you needed at the moment - it’s a lot of obscure jazz and classicals, the cheapest records you could find

it’s warm outside and sunny - neighbors are working on their lawns and an icecream truck is nearby, riling up the kids on the block - you decide to open all the windows up wide, letting in sounds and smells and fresh sweet air

curtains are drawn closed, letting the sunset lamp shine in the center of the room - it’s pointed upwards so that each wall is basked in light

and then you dance in a very embarrassing way - all gangly limbs and unpracticed motions - you can’t see the picture you make, but you can catch glimpses of yourself in the shadows projected onto the surrounding walls - after awhile, that too becomes part of this strange dance - shadow puppets and silly poses join awful awful dance moves

after a while, you’re winded and sweaty and you feel like stopping, but the world hasn’t stopped around you yet. people are still laughing outside and crows are still yelling at each other - the record needs to be flipped, but there’s almost no need for that - the world is it’s own sort of soundtrack as you take a break on the floor, catching your breath and feeling the way sweat gathers behind your knees and where your arms meet torso

your back is to the lamp, so you see your shadow self ahead of you - smaller now that you’re sitting and seemingly inconsequential in the liveliness of the moment, but capable of many silly and ridiculous things and moments that are often spurred on by last second decisions

i hate making important decisions and i hate having to be serious about my future - i’d much rather break tvs and look around forgotten boxes and pretend i’m a kid again creating shadow birds with the hands i use to write

[amgerychair]

ON THIS DAY, June 30th, 1992, Epic Records released the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Primarily focusing on the ascendant Seattle music scene of the early 1990s with songs by Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, and Mother Love Bone. It also features contributions from Seattlites Jimi Hendrix and The Lovemongers, the latter being a side project of Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. And reaches further afield with Chicago’s Smashing Pumpkins who sit alongside the first solo material from Minneapolis’ legend Paul Westerberg, after the breakup of The Replacements.

How do you catch lightning in a bottle? Ask Singles director Cameron Crowe. He began his career as a staff writer for Rolling Stone; music was his passion. Having written screenplays for movies like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) and “The Wild Life” (1984), he struck out as writer/director with the hit movie “Say Anything…” in 1989. A confluence of events most likely led to Crowe championing the music scene of the Pacific Northwest; chief among them would be him marrying Nancy Wilson of Seattle rock pioneers Heart in 1986. Crowe moved to the Emerald City and quickly became enamoured with the local scene.

For his 1989 directorial debut “Say Anything…” starring John Cusack, he compiled a soundtrack of artists that deftly looked back through the annals of rock history while hinting that he may have had some prior knowledge regarding the new alternative rock revolution, which would explode in 1991 with the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind.

The “Say Anything..” soundtrack featured’ 70s/80s rock icons Nancy Wilson and Peter Gabriel alongside future ’90s lollapalooza alumni Fishbone and The Red Hot Chili Peppers (remember both bands were relatively unknown in 1989, and still considered oddities on the landscape of ’80s rock). Crowe also chose to add flannel-wearing Minneapolis firebrands The Replacements, one of the great American rock bands. With a vibrant talent for wrecking their career; The Mats, as they were affectionately known, influenced a generation of alternative rock and punk bands.

Interestingly, Crowe included two bands on the “Say Anything..” soundtrack that didn’t make the official album release but whose songs featured in scenes in the movie itself. Mother Love Bone with Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns sat side by side with Soundgarden’s Toy Box. In 1989, both bands were mere blips on the musical radar. Their additions gave credence to the idea that Crowe wasn’t blind to his new surroundings in Seattle.

His love of seeking out new music and the influence of his wife Nancy Wilson and her sister Ann (who, despite Heart’s worldwide mega-stardom, never lost sight of the local Seattle music scene) led Cameron Crowe to be in a prime position when it came to choosing cutting edge music for his next film, Singles.

Filming for Singles took place in various Seattle locations between March 11th, 1991 and May 24th, 1991. At that time, Alice In Chains had released their debut album, Facelift, that previous summer (August 1990). Pearl Jam had formed mere months before, in late 1990, their debut album Ten would hit shelves in August of 1991. Soundgarden’s opus Badmotorfinger would be released in October of 1991, and Nirvana was in LA recording Nevermind while filming took place. Within one year, these bands would become household names and flip the music world on its head.

However, in early 1991, as filming progressed, the earth-shattering success of these bands still seemed unlikely despite the groundswell of interest. It took Nirvana’s Nevermind and the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” single in September 1991 to crack the lid and shoot the whole scene into the stratosphere.

Crowe assembled the cast for Singles. But rather than feature the songs wafting through various scenes in the background during some dialogue, he featured the bands themselves throughout the movie. Alice In Chains and Soundgarden played live, and due to the awkward acting skills of various band members, the film has many hilarious cameos. Singles felt like a love letter to the Seattle music scene just before it exploded worldwide.

The soundtrack captured the zeitgeist of the time, quite unlike anything that came before it. It’s packed to the brim with incredible songs and performances. On display is the sheer diversity of this close-knit community of musicians. It looks back at the forefathers who influenced its development, and it stretches beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest to include like-minded artists from other zip codes.

The album opens with “Would?” by Alice In Chains. The song was a first glimpse of new Alice In Chains material from their forthcoming album Dirt, and it didn’t disappoint. Mike Starr’s simple yet memorable bass riff opens proceedings, followed by Sean Kinney’s rolling, tribal drums and Jerry Cantrell’s atmospheric guitar. Jerry takes the lead vocal on the verse before Layne takes command of the chorus. “Would?” was written as a tribute to Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood, who passed away in March 1990.

Pearl Jam’s “Breath” follows, the first of two songs from them to feature on the soundtrack. Rarely has a band found its “sound” with the rapid ease of Pearl Jam. Almost immediately after Eddie Vedder arrived in Seattle from San Diego in 1990, the band pumped out a succession of breathtaking, classic songs, and “Breath” is no exception. Later, the band offered up “State Of Love And Trust,” both songs are a galvanising statement of intent from a band in its infancy but in complete control of its destiny.

Chris Cornell’s “Seasons” is a highwater mark. It’s easy to run out of superlatives to describe the sheer beauty of this song. Infused with a cinematic scale that belies its acoustic instrumentation, “Seasons” continues a streak of more intimate, earthy songs Cornell produced around this time, outside the Soundgarden fold. Similar to the Temple Of The Dog material released in April 1991, it’s one of Cornell’s finest moments and is more convincing evidence that he was one of his generation’s greatest musicians and songwriters.

The addition of Paul Westerberg makes a lot of sense. The Replacements were trailblazers. Rising from the fertile Minneapolis punk scene, these snot-nosed savants left a trail of destruction and a glut of stunning albums and songs in their wake. Highly regarded and massively influential, The Mats embodied the spirit of savage, catchy Rock ‘N Roll and Punk.

Frontman Paul Westerberg’s two songs were the world’s first glimpse at solo material after The Mats disbandment. Largely acoustic, Dyslexic Heart is an infectious pop masterpiece with clever wordplay. “Waiting For Somebody” is equally catchy, vibrant and melodically sophisticated.

The Lovemongers tackle Led Zeppelin’s “Battle Of Evermore” with astonishing results. Ann and Nancy Wilson’s powerhouse vocal performance stands shoulder to shoulder with Robert Plants’. Staying true to the original’s sound and arrangement, they pull off that difficult feat of adding to the song’s legacy with a pitch-perfect, fiery performance of real emotional depth and deep understanding and respect for the source material.

Mother Love Bone’s “Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns” follows. A song of two halves, its unhurried piano intro (Chloe Dancer) accompanies the epic rock masterpiece (Crown Of Thorns). The song’s grandiose scale is matched only by its awe-inspiring ambition. Its blissfully melancholic trancelike build is soaringly uplifting and could easily be regarded as “Stairway To Heaven” for the Gen-X alumni. It’s a fitting epitaph to the late great Andrew Wood.

Soundgarden’s “Birth Ritual” is a juggernaut. Kim Thayil’s behemoth riffs are propelled by Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd’s savage rhythm section. Chris Cornell’s banshee wail shoots spectre-like across the crushing din; it’s the stuff legends are made of. Mudhoney’s “Overblown” is a trashy romp, filled with edge-of-your-seat abandon and lashings of attitude. It’s everything we love about the band condensed into three glorious minutes.

Jimi Hendrix’s “May This Be Love” is a tip of the hat to one of Seattle’s most famous sons. It is a gorgeous track from 1967’s Are You Experienced album; the song’s inclusion is fitting and doesn’t feel out of place. Screaming Trees “Nearly Lost You” is a thunderous track filled with ecstatic energy, immense hooks and Mark Lanegan’s gritty baritone. The song’s runtime perfectly captures the organic beauty of the Screaming Trees sound. Despite the band being one of the forefathers of the Pacific Northwest scene that rose in the 1980s, the inclusion of “Nearly Lost You” on Singles was the first introduction to the band for many.

Smashing Pumpkin’s “Drown” closes out the album in immaculate fashion. It’s a dreamy, blissed-out trip through a gorgeous soundscape that builds beautifully toward a crescendo of swirling feedback. There’s a stunning emotional arc to the song; Billy Corgan sings, “No matter where you are / I can still hear you when you dream,” in a serene vocal cadence before insisting, “Is it something someone said? / Was it something someone said?” in a more urgent timbre. The intensity lifts, allowing Corgan’s breathtaking guitar solo to soar. It’s a fitting end to an impeccably curated album of songs.

Singles helped crystallise the idea of the ‘Seattle scene’ in the mainstream public’s mind. It did so, featuring essentially new work from contemporary artists. It was a huge commercial hit and acted as a catalyst for the breakthrough of alternative rock into popular culture. It’s still a thrilling listen. And all these years later, it retains the power to return the listener to a time when all possibilities seemed endless.

Essential…!

SOURCE: The year grunge broke

[axxonn84]

Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985).

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)Best Sheet Music download from our Library.Please, subscribe to our Library.You can check all the NEW sheet music on this page.Vision Quest • Crazy For You • MadonnaBrowse in the Library:

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)

Contents: - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) (from AGAINST ALL ODDS) - Alfie (Theme from the Paramount Picture ALFIE) - As Time Goes By (from CASABLANCA) - Because You Loved Me (featured in UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL) - Blaze Of Glory (featured in the film YOUNG GUNS II) - Call Me (from the Paramount Motion Picture AMERICAN GIGOLO) - Crazy For You (VISION QUEST 1985) - Danger Zone (from the Motion Picture TOP GUN) - Don't You (Forget About Me) (from the Universal Picture THE BREAKFAST CLUB) - End Of The Road (from the Paramount Motion Picture BOOMERANG) - Endless Love (from ENDLESS LOVE) - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (from the Motion Picture ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES) - Eye Of The Tiger (Theme from ROCKY III) - Flashdance...What A Feeling (from the Paramount Picture FLASHDANCE) - Footloose (Theme from the Paramount Motion Picture FOOTLOOSE) - Ghostbusters (from the Columbia Motion Picture GHOSTBUSTERS) - Glory Of Love (Theme from KARATE KID PART II) - Hallelujah (featured in the DreamWorks Motion Picture SHREK) - Happy (from DESPICABLE ME 2) - How Deep Is Your Love (from the Motion Picture SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - I Believe I Can Fly (from SPACE JAM) - I Just Called To Say I Love You (from THE WOMAN IN RED) - I Will Always Love You (featured in THE BODYGUARD) - La Bamba (featured in the Motion Picture LA BAMBA) - Let It Go (from FROZEN) - Live And Let Die (from LIVE AND LET DIE) - Mrs. Robinson (from THE GRADUATE) - Moon River (from the Paramount Pictures feature film BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S) - My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From 'Titanic') (from the Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture TITANIC) - Night Fever (from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - Nine To Five (from NINE TO FIVE) - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Over The Rainbow (from THE WIZARD OF OZ) - The Power Of Love (featured in the Motion Picture BACK TO THE FUTURE) - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) (from the Motion Picture ST. ELMO'S FIRE) - Say You, Say Me (from the Motion Picture WHITE NIGHTS) - Separate Lives (Love Theme from WHITE NIGHTS) - Singin' In The Rain (from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN) - Skyfall (from the Motion Picture SKYFALL) - Somewhere (from WEST SIDE STORY) - Stayin' Alive (from the Motion Picture SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - (Theme From) A Summer Place (from A SUMMER PLACE) - That's Amore (That's Love) (from the Paramount Picture THE CADDY) - To Sir, With Love (from TO SIR, WITH LOVE) - Unchained Melody (from the Motion Picture UNCHAINED) - The Way We Were (from the Motion Picture THE WAY WE WERE) - The Wind Beneath My Wings (from the Original Motion Picture BEACHES) - Xanadu - You Light Up My Life (from YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE) First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play On The Piano Easy PianoDownload

Vision Quest • Crazy For You • Madonna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruSF0RY_gLM Soundtrack from the 1985 Harold Becker film "Vision Quest," with Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Harold Sylvester, Charles Hallahan, Daphne Zuniga, Madonna & Forest Whitaker. Read the full article

[rastronomicals]

10:31 PM EST November 20, 2024:

Medeski, Martin & Wood - "Whatever Happened To Gus" From the album Combustication (August 7, 1998)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

★★★★★

A postbop dreamstate, a figment of rotgut bourbon and scotch, a scrapple in the Apple on a bright sunny morning that exists only in some jazz poet's crazy-ass mind.

Zoot suits and porkpie hats, and cigarette butts, way back when, about Bird and Roach, figure 8 jam-sessions locked tight, chasing that shit hard, only you couldn't figure what the hell Bird was doing with his arms around Wynton Marsalis' shoulders. Saxophone cases resting against the brownstone walls, left empty in the bebop hallucination, everyone's split. All culminating in the perfect beatific vision, scads and scads of these fantastic jazz musicians, one after the other, descending into the City, rows upon rows of them, all dressed in coat and tie and dark sunglasses, hustling and running across the Brooklyn Bridge.

And say, man, you got the key?

After you tip your hat to narrator Steve Cannon (and without offense toward Chris Wood's very athletic bass-playing), you find that the key to this very fine, very historically-oriented, and very very freaky tune is John Medeski's mellotron. And just like Cannon says, that's when I did my research.

For those of you who have long since forgotten or even never knew Days of Future Passed or In the Court of the Crimson King, the mellotron was one of the earliest polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, being introduced in the mid '60's, and seeing some of its most prominent usage on the two proto-prog gems just mentioned.

The M400 mellotron we're talking about, the one that became popular within the nascent progressive rock movement, and the type that Medeski owns today, was electro-mechanical, which basically refers to how undeneath each of the 35 keys is a miniature tape head and roller. Each time you depress a key, 8 seconds of music plays. Then the tape rewinds, ready for the next time you depress the key above it again.

The factory preloaded its mellotrons with a choice of three sounds: strings, cello, or an 8-voice choir. But the thing about the M400 that endeared itself to musicians, and continues to, is that its tapes came in a removeable frame, meaning that artists could, with a certain amount of labor, switch away from the preloaded to sounds to those they themselves created.

Listening to the tune, and reading about the mellotron just now, Medeski is undoubtedly using tapes of his own creation on "Whatever Happened to Gus." But there's another thing going on with the wobbly, freaky, eerie background behind the slaphappy double bass. Evidently, the M400 had a flywheel that powered each of the keyboard's 35 tape reels. And evidently, Medeski has removed the lid from his mellotron so that he can reach into the machine while playing and retard or even stop the motion of the flywheel to get the fluttery distorted sound of his most current whim.

There's a picture of Medeski's mellotron here, if you're interested.

Now, nowhere did I read that Medeski used his mellotron on "Whatever Happened to Gus." But having listened, and having read, I'd bet dollars to donuts that the keening, wobbling, wailing chorus you hear as support through much of the track is exactly that: John Medeski slowing down and speeding up the tapes on his mellotron to better craft the band's soundtrack to Steve Cannon's strange jazzbo poem about the men who used to play back in the day--even the ones whose names you don't remember.

http://lahistoriadelamusicarock.blogspot.com/2008/12/whatever-happened-to-gus-medeski-martin.html

File under: All these fantastic jazz musicians

[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

Before leaving the subject of elephants inside or outside the room....

I suggested that Avatar be in a category of its own. Back in 1929, the Academy agreed sorta.

They didn't know what to make of the Jazz Singer so they gave it an honorary award for "revolutionizing the industry". Yeah, give Cameron that award and keep him out of the other categories.

They also gave an honorary award to Charley Chaplin in what amounted to a career award. Now a days, we've repackaged that award and turned it into Best Actor, Actress etc.

Keep it an honor not an award.

I love the Dude and Brendan and Jamie Lee but let's face it.....

And if you wanna give Speilberg an honor for his career just give it to him and don't nominate him for self-serving crap like The Fablemans at the same time as you're snubbing Buzz Luhrman and James Cameron.

Back in 1929, they split the top prize in two; one for the "most outstanding motion picture production considering all elements that contribute to a picture's greatness ( without a clarifying rubric detailing the elements that went into 'greatness') and the other to be awarded to the "most unique, artistic, worthy, and original production without reference to cost or magnitude".

In other words big-budget blockbusters and small art films. All the Academy Award winners at the inaugural ceremony held on May 16, 1929, were silent movies. The awards were given for films released between August 1, 1927, and July 31, 1928.

Wings, which was the most expensive movie of its time won Best Picture and Sunrise won most artistic picture.(although any clarifying rubric for 'art' has never been established Thank God)

The 1929 ceremony honored films that were released during the transition period between silent films and sound films, so some of the films nominated and awarded may have had sound elements, such as synchronized music or sound effects, but they were not "talkies" in the modern sense.

All of them were silent.

But the elephant was in the room.

The next year, all of the movies nominated for the Awards were talkies.

Her'e the deal...when you see an elephant in the room that everybody's trying to ignore....get ready for a pacheydrmal stampede from the outside in that will change everything, everywhere, all the time.

Best Picture: "Wings" (1927)

Best Director: Lewis Milestone for "Two Arabian Knights" (1927) and "The Racket" (1928)

Best Actor: Emil Jannings for "The Last Command" (1928) and "The Way of All Flesh" (1927)

Best Actress: Janet Gaynor for "Seventh Heaven" (1927), "Street Angel" (1928), and "Sunrise" (1927)

It's worth noting that the 1929 ceremony honored films that were released during the transition period between silent films and sound films, so some of the films nominated and awarded may have had sound elements, such as synchronized music or sound effects, but they were not "talkies" in the modern sense.

The restoration of silent films is a critical issue for film preservationists and historians. Many silent films have been lost or damaged over time, and it is essential to preserve what remains of them for future generations. However, the restoration of these films presents several challenges.

One of the primary challenges is the deterioration of the film material. Silent films were typically shot on nitrate-based film stock, which is highly flammable and prone to deterioration. As a result, many films have suffered from physical damage, including warping, cracking, and fading. Additionally, some films have been lost due to poor storage conditions or intentional destruction.

Another challenge is the loss of accompanying soundtracks. Many silent films were originally shown with live music accompaniment, but the soundtracks have not survived or were never recorded. This loss of the original musical accompaniment can impact the viewing experience and the interpretation of the film's meaning.

Fortunately, there are several solutions to these problems. One solution is the use of digital restoration techniques. This involves scanning the original film and using computer software to correct the damage, such as repairing scratches and restoring faded colors. Digital restoration can also help to recreate missing intertitles and other text-based elements of the film.

Another solution is the creation of new musical accompaniments. Many contemporary musicians have composed new scores for silent films, based on the original musical styles of the time period. These new scores can enhance the viewing experience and provide a new interpretation of the film's meaning.

In addition to these solutions, it is also crucial to improve preservation efforts for existing films. This includes proper storage conditions and the development of strategies for identifying and locating lost films.

Overall, the restoration of silent films is a challenging but critical task for film preservationists and historians. Through digital restoration techniques, the creation of new musical accompaniments, and improved preservation efforts, we can continue to enjoy these important pieces of cinematic history for years to come.

onelinecross@yahoo.com Has the film Wings survived. Wings won the first academy award for best picture Yes, the film Wings has survived and is still available for viewing today. In fact, it is considered a classic of American cinema and is widely regarded as one of the most significant films of the silent era.

Wings was released in 1927 and won the first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929. The film tells the story of two World War I fighter pilots who fall in love with the same woman. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and starred Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and Richard Arlen.

Despite its significance, Wings was thought to be lost for many years until a complete print was discovered in the Cinémathèque Française film archive in 1992. The film was then restored by the Academy Film Archive and premiered at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2012, with a new score by composer J.S. Zamecnik.

Since then, Wings has been widely available for viewing on home video and streaming platforms. It is a fascinating piece of cinematic history and an important part of the development of American cinema.

onelinecross@yahoo.com What other film was awarded best picture at the first Academy awards…didn't they split the best picture into two categoies awards Yes, at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, the Best Picture category was not split into two categories as it is today. Instead, there was only one award for Outstanding Picture, which went to the film "Wings," as you mentioned in your previous question.

It wasn't until 1932 that the Academy introduced a separate category for Outstanding Production, which was intended to recognize smaller budget films. This category was later renamed to Best Picture, and in 1944, the Academy introduced a new category for Best Story, which was later renamed to Best Original Screenplay.

So, to answer your question, at the first Academy Awards ceremony, "Wings" was the only film to be awarded Best Picture. It wasn't until several years later that the Academy introduced additional categories to recognize different aspects of filmmaking, such as budget size and screenwriting.

onelinecross@yahoo.com can you give me a rubric for evaluating for writing on Regents exams Certainly! Here is a sample rubric for evaluating writing on Regents exams:

Score 6: Excellent

Response fully addresses the task and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the content and the key ideas Response is well-organized and has a clear and effective structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion that are logically linked and support the main idea Response is written in a sophisticated and engaging style that demonstrates mastery of the conventions of academic writing Response uses a range of effective and appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions that enhance the clarity and coherence of the writing Response demonstrates effective and appropriate use of evidence, examples, and details that support the main idea and show insight and depth of thought Response is free of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics Score 5: Very Good

Response addresses the task and demonstrates a solid understanding of the content and the key ideas Response is well-organized and has a clear structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion that are logically linked and support the main idea Response is written in a clear and effective style that demonstrates competence in the conventions of academic writing Response uses a range of appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions that enhance the clarity and coherence of the writing Response demonstrates effective use of evidence, examples, and details that support the main idea and show some insight and depth of thought Response may have minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics, but they do not interfere with comprehension Score 4: Good

Response addresses the task and demonstrates a basic understanding of the content and the key ideas Response has a clear structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion that are linked and support the main idea Response is written in a clear and straightforward style that demonstrates some competence in the conventions of academic writing Response uses some appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions that enhance the clarity and coherence of the writing Response demonstrates some effective use of evidence, examples, and details that support the main idea and show some understanding of the content Response may have some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics, but they do not significantly interfere with comprehension Score 3: Adequate

Response partially addresses the task and demonstrates a limited understanding of the content and the key ideas Response has a basic structure, but may lack coherence or clarity Response is written in a basic style that may lack sophistication or clarity Response uses some basic vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions, but may lack variety or effectiveness Response demonstrates some use of evidence, examples, and details, but may lack depth or relevance to the main idea Response may have several errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that interfere with comprehension Score 2: Inadequate

Response minimally addresses the task and demonstrates a limited or superficial understanding of the content and the key ideas Response has a weak or confusing structure that lacks coherence or clarity Response is written in a weak or confusing style that may lack clarity or effectiveness Response uses limited or ineffective vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions that may obscure meaning or lack coherence Response demonstrates limited or ineffective use of evidence, examples, and details that may be irrelevant or superficial Response may have significant errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that interfere with comprehension Score 1: Poor

Response does not address the task and demonstrates a very limited or incorrect understanding of the content and the key ideas Response has a confusing or unclear structure that lacks coherence or clarity Response is written in a weak or incorrect style that lacks clarity or coherence Response uses limited or incorrect vocabulary, sentence structures, and transitions that obscure meaning or lack coherence Response demonstrates little

onelinecross@yahoo.com what about the use of similes and metaphors The use of similes and metaphors can enhance the quality of writing and help convey meaning and emotion to the reader. However, it's important to use them appropriately and effectively.

Here are some criteria you could use to evaluate the use of similes and metaphors in writing:

Relevance: Are the similes and metaphors relevant to the topic or idea being discussed? Do they add meaning or depth to the writing? Clarity: Do the similes and metaphors clarify or confuse the meaning of the writing? Do they make the writing more or less clear? Creativity: Are the similes and metaphors creative and original, or are they clichéd or overused? Appropriateness: Are the similes and metaphors appropriate for the audience and context of the writing? Are they appropriate for the tone and style of the writing? Consistency: Are the similes and metaphors consistent with the tone and style of the writing? Do they fit well with the overall theme or message of the writing? Overall, the use of similes and metaphors can be a powerful tool for writers, but they should be used thoughtfully and purposefully to enhance the meaning and impact of the writing.

onelinecross@yahoo.com What award did Sunrise get at the first awards show The movie "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" was not nominated for the first Academy Awards held in 1929. The film was released in 1927, but it was not eligible for the first Academy Awards, which only included films released between August 1, 1927, and July 31, 1928.

However, "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" is considered a classic of the silent film era and has since been recognized for its artistic merit. In 1989, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

onelinecross@yahoo.com who directed Sunrise "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" was directed by German director F.W. Murnau. Murnau was a prominent figure in the German Expressionist movement and is considered one of the greatest directors of the silent film era. He directed several other notable films, including "Nosferatu" (1922) and "The Last Laugh" (1924).

onelinecross@yahoo.com was there an award called Best Unique and Artist Picture which was won by Sunrise with the Crowd as honorable mention Yes, that's correct. At the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, the award for "Best Unique and Artistic Picture" was given to "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans." Additionally, the movie "The Crowd" received an Honorary Award for "Unique and Artistic Production," which was not a competitive award, but rather a special award given at the discretion of the Academy's Board of Directors. Both films were directed by F.W. Murnau and were praised for their artistic and technical achievements.

onelinecross@yahoo.com wasn't The Crwod directed by King Vidor You are correct, my apologies for the mistake. "The Crowd" was directed by King Vidor, not F.W. Murnau. "The Crowd" was a critically acclaimed film that was known for its innovative use of camera techniques and its realistic portrayal of urban life in America. At the first Academy Awards in 1929, "The Crowd" was not nominated for Best Picture, but it did receive a special award for "Unique and Artistic Production," which was not a competitive award but rather a special award given at the discretion of the Academy's Board of Directors.

onelinecross@yahoo.com did charley Chaplin and the Jazz Singer win awards at the first academy awards banquet No, Charlie Chaplin and "The Jazz Singer" did not win any awards at the first Academy Awards banquet in 1929.

Charlie Chaplin's film "The Circus" was actually nominated for several awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay, but ultimately it did not win any awards. However, in 1972, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Chaplin an Honorary Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century."

"The Jazz Singer" was released in 1927 and was not eligible for the first Academy Awards, which only included films released between August 1, 1927, and July 31, 1928. It is worth noting, however, that "The Jazz Singer" is often credited with ushering in the era of sound in motion pictures and had a significant impact on the film industry.

onelinecross@yahoo.com Didn't the Board give two special prizes…one to Charley Chaplin for the Circus and th eother to Warner Brothers for The Jazz Singer You are correct, my apologies for the mistake. At the first Academy Awards banquet in 1929, the Board of Directors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did award two Special Awards in addition to the competitive awards.

One Special Award was given to Charlie Chaplin for "versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing 'The Circus.'" Although "The Circus" did not win any competitive awards, Chaplin was recognized for his contributions to the film industry.

The other Special Award was given to Warner Bros. for "producing 'The Jazz Singer,' the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry." As you mentioned, "The Jazz Singer" was not eligible for any competitive awards at the first Academy Awards ceremony because it was released before the eligibility period.

onelinecross@yahoo.com what was the special Award for the Jazz singer At the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, Warner Bros. was given a Special Award for "producing 'The Jazz Singer,' the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry." This award was not a competitive award, but rather a special award given at the discretion of the Academy's Board of Directors.

"The Jazz Singer" was the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized sound, and its success paved the way for the widespread adoption of sound in the film industry. The film starred Al Jolson and was released in 1927, but it was not eligible for any competitive awards at the first Academy Awards ceremony because it was released before the eligibility period.

onelinecross@yahoo.com Is today's Best Picture Award split int two categories No, today's Best Picture Award is not split into two categories. The Academy Awards for Best Picture is a single award that honors the best film of the year, regardless of genre.

However, in the past, the Academy has experimented with different approaches to the Best Picture category. For example, from 1927 to 1929, the award was called "Outstanding Picture" and was given to one film each year. In 1930, the Academy introduced the concept of separate awards for "Outstanding Production" and "Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production," but this only lasted for one year.

In recent years, the Academy has occasionally expanded the number of nominees for Best Picture beyond the traditional five nominees, allowing for up to ten nominees in some years. This was done to increase the diversity of the nominees and to recognize a wider range of films. However, there is only one award given for Best Picture each year.

Regenerate response

ChatGPT Feb 13 Version. Free Research Preview. Our goal is to make AI systems more natural and safe to interact with. Your feedback will help us improve.

[rainingmusic]

Huey Lewis and the News - Power of Love 

[refreshdaemon]

A classic memorable score, nostalgic throwbacks, and Huey Lewis and the News, but the soundtrack itself has some odd sequencing and choices.

[brokehorrorfan]

Heavy Metal will be released on 4K Ultra HD (with Blu-ray and Digital) in Steelbook packaging on April 19 via Sony. The sequel, Heavy Metal 2000, is also included on Blu-ray and Digital. It features cover art by Chris Achilleos.

Based on the magazine of the same name, Heavy Metal is a 1981 animated science fantasy anthology directed by Gerald Potterton and written by Daniel Goldberg & Len Blum (Stripes). It's produced by filmmaker Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) and Heavy Metal publisher Leonard Mogel.

Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Percy Rodriguez, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, and Zal Yanovsky star.

Heavy Metal 2000 is a 2000 sequel directed by Michael Coldewey and Michel Lemire and written by Carl Macek and R. Payne Cabeen, based on the graphic novel The Melting Pot. Julie Strain, Michael Ironside, and Billy Idol star.

Heavy Metal has been newly restored in 4K, approved by Reitman, with new Dolby Atmos audio along with 5.1 and and original Dolby Stereo options. Heavy Metal 2000 has been newly restored in high definition with 5.1 sound.

Special features are listed below.

Disc 1: Heavy Metal 4K Ultra HD:

Heavy Metal: A Look Back – Retrospective with producer Ivan Reitman, famous fans Kevin Smith, Norman Reedus, and more! (new)

Disc 2: Heavy Metal Blu-ray: 

Original rough cut with optional audio commentary by Carl Macek

Imagining Heavy Metal - 1999 featurette

Deleted scene

Alternate framing story with audio commentary

Disc 3: Heavy Metal 2000 Blu-ray: 

Julie Strain: Super Goddess featurette

Voice Talent featurette

Animation tests

Animatic comparisons

Based on the sexy science fiction cult comic, Heavy Metal combines extraordinarily stunning visuals, new wave music and a series of mindbending stories in a unique motion picture experience. The anchor of the film is an eerie green ball that magically transports us into a series of adventures in the past, future, and into the world beyond. Included are stories of the space super heroine, Taarna; the hard.boiled exploits of Harry Canyon, cab driver of the future; and the adventures of "Den:' who the green ball changes from an introverted teen into a macho hero.

Heavy Metal 2000 is a high-octane science fiction adventure concerning a beautiful young woman named Julie who vows vengeance on a ruthless tyrant after he destroys her planet. As with the first film, the stunning visuals are backed by a stellar soundtrack.

Pre-order Heavy Metal Steelbook.

[movienotesbyzawmer]

September 18: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Time for another project of watching a movie series, taking notes, and posting the notes! I did not finish my last series. I probably will another day. But today I have obtained the six original Star Trek feature films on 4K and I'm starting it as a new notes project.

I saw every Star Trek movie upon its original theatrical release. I wouldn't say I'm a "trekkie", but I like a good sci-fi movie, right?

Worth noting is that I'm watching "The Director's Edition" of the first movie, which is an edit that I haven't seen before. I don't know if I'll notice the differences. I'll call them out if I do, though! Okay, pressing play.

This movie begins with… an overture? A shot of moving stars, and some pleasant orchestral music. Couple of minutes of that before even the Paramount logo. Seems like they were simply going for the same thing that the Superman movie had succeeded with a year earlier, making big, cinematic choices so as to transform it from a small-screen experience to a big-screen experience. Can appreciate.

Yes, first proper scene of Klingon ships approaching a something, it is cinematic, more so than you'd have seen on the show. And the music is cool. Wow, maybe I love this soundtrack? There is a creepy bass pluck sound.

They try to shoot the something with torpedoes. It's like firing a gun at a nebula, it makes no sense.

I'm happy to report that the look of the movie still looks very 1979. It's cleaned up, I guess, and it pops on my 4K OLED screen, but it looks like a good version of what they hoped it would look like at the time.

The nebula has fired back at the Klingon ships. Its torpedoes make them disappear in electricity balls. They just vanish.

That bass pluck sound is kind of like they took one very low piano string note and lowered the tension but still it makes a distinct note.

We're now on a scene with Spock on his home planet, with his parents, doing a judgement of some kind. That bass pluck instrument is getting used a lot. It's not just the theme for the nebula. It's overused.

0:12:50 - Now we're in San Francisco, headquarters of the future-peace union of planetary goodness or whatever. My not-a-trekkie-ness is starting to show, I guess. Anyway, it's Captain Kirk and he is being quite stubborn maybe? Saying he's going to take the Enterprise back.

Now these long, lingering, loving shots of the Enterprise it its space dock, a little indulgent but I get it. That ship with its iconic, recognizable shape is a big part of Star Trek. And it's a MOVIE so there's TONS of TIME.

Now finally Kirk is on the bridge, and between that and the lengthy sequence showing the Enterprise, I'm thinking must have been really exciting for people who had been fans since the original show aired.

Tension between Kirk and the guy who had just gotten promoted to Enterprise Captain, that's good for drama. Might have been more interesting with better actors in those roles. All due respect to William Shatner… not so much respect for the guy who plays Decker. Look it up. It is creepy.

0:27:40 - Transporter room malfunction, when I saw this as a kid I remember it being very scary, like almost traumatic. Not as effective to me today, but I've seen RRR now so maybe I just can't be fazed.

"My oath of celibacy is on record, Captain" announces Iliah. She is introduced with a strange gravity, like we're supposed to be blown away by a bald woman, but she also has romantic tension with Decker, but also she blurts out that weird celibacy comment, and plus also she is straight up pretty. I don't know what I'm supposed to come away with, and that's at least partly on purpose. Oh and they said "she's DELTAN". Don't know what that means.

0:40:45 - Okay, first the shot of them doing a big warp jump, the effect is kind of silly how, like, I don't know, fourth-of-july it looks. Like the backdrop of a performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever"….

…but while I've been typing this, it's going nuts with some other crazy visual stuff... as they did their warp jump, they got sucked into a different corny effect, very video-game-y, but it's making them be all smeared looking and sounding. It turns out this was the doing of a sinister asteroid, and they torpedoed it to resolve that issue. Video game-y.

So far this is the exact movie I remember.

Spock has boarded. Seems like the whole gang is back.

"Bones. We need him. I NEED HIM." William Shatner's dramatic flair is a little jarring.

They have arrived at The Cloud, and now there is the kind of story that drives a good episode of a Star Trek show. I really am curious about what the deal is with this cloud.

Spock has a vague telepathic understanding of what's going on, I guess? But also a sciencey understanding, and there's the thing about he thinks they, whoever is in The Cloud, don't understand why they aren't receiving a response, and Spock figures out it's because they're transmitting something but it's only a millisecond long, I think that's pretty cool.

Sometimes there are computer models on the big monitor in the bridge, and they look way way way more modern than they could have had in 1979 I think. I also think "so what".

1:08:10 - They've been penetrating The Cloud, and it's pretty suspenseful because what the hell is the deal with it. Did people complain that this part dragged? Because I don't think it's dragging. I think it's paced appropriately right now. They get to a solid part in the middle and it's a strange alien structure, what even is it. Again the pace is slow and again I'm not bored.

Then a thing I remember pretty well. After a long (but again I think appropriately long) sequence of them penetrating The Cloud and the middle part of it, an alien that is a vertical energy beam appears on the bridge and does stuff, like it's poking around. That ends with it making Iliah disappear, and Decker acting a little bit I-told-you-so about it. Unfair, Decker. This has literally never happened before.

By the way, I know a girl named Iliah whose parents actually named her after this movie's Iliah.

Now the Robot Iliah has been beamed aboard The Enterprise for the apparent purposes of being a leggy humanoid liason to what we learn is named "Veeger". I remember about the name "Veeger" which gets revealed at the end. Robot Iliah isn't the real Iliah, but there are memory imprints in her head and the gang is trying to exploit that!

Spock is sneaking around some room and he knocked a dude out who was just working at a console, wtf

Oh, that plot thickens, he did that so he could get in a space suit to get off the ship and do some kind of recon! It is one of many 2001-ish things in this movie. But it is maybe the most 2001-ish. He zips through the aperture thing that they didn't want him to get through, goes through some ovals, and starts narrating his trip past abstract things, and then, instead of the star baby from 2001, there's a star-Robot-Iliah. He touches it and it's damaging to him, but he still gets returned back to by the ship, like a respawn point. Get gud, Spock!

Veeger is now right by Earth, and I don't remember it looking like this. Did they totally redo that design? Maybe I just don't remember. It's sending onimous smartbomb things to hover threateningly because the "carbon units" aren't responding. They have to figure out how to be good at communicating to Veeger. I think it's an interesting conflict, I truly do!

A lot of the wide shots of the Enterprise inside the strange world of Veeger's interior actually probably look way, way cooler here than they did in 1979.

I think Leonard Nimoy is doing good acting in this movie.

1:55:45 - These big shots of the Enterprise near Veeger look really, really cool.

Sure enough, Veeger is just a little old 70s probe from Earth, it's "Voyager VI", but only VGER are still visible.

"Voyager VI disappeared into what used to be called a black hole," oh come on they definitely still call them that whenever this takes place.

Oh boy this ending, you guys, I remember the gist of it but I don't remember it seeming so dumb. So like, they figure out that Veeger wanted to join with the creator, and because Decker has always loved Iliah, he decides he is just the guy to fix the bad wiring in Veeger, thereby turning him into a cyborg husband of Robot-Iliah, blowing everything up in just such a way that it is non-catastrophic to Earth and the Enterprise and all the people except for Decker. Chatting about it on the bridge moments later, they're like "we seem to have done a fine job of creating an advanced life form, we're kind of badass that way". Then they hurry up to the credits so you won't spend time thinking about that unsatisfying ending.

But not before a title card that reads: THE HUMAN ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING

So. I do not like the ending of that movie. But most of the movie was quite tolerable. It's been a long time since I watched it, but I watched it a number of times as a young Zawmer and I can't put my finger on any specific editing changes that are different in this "Director's Edition".

[reddvandaal]

name: renard “redd” van daal. age/dob: 37 / october 2. occupation: late night host for 96.8 & audio engineer. sexuality: heteromantic heterosexual. nationality: dutch. languages spoken: english, dutch, asl, ngt/sln. hair color: dark brown. eye color: hazel, favoring greys and greens. height: 6′0″. build: athletic - lean muscle.

biography.

triggers for death.

Life was not always easy for Redd. Born and raised in the Netherlands until he was 18, he knew a family filled with love and affection, with parents that strove to do right by their only child. Redd was born with significant hearing loss, though a proper candidate for cochlear implants, with 70% in one ear and 80% in the other. The challenges that followed him were ones he met head-on and with a smile on his face ---always striving to ensure he would meet no qualms because of the health implications he bore since birth. His parents took the steps to learn sign language and while the implants were a vast improvement on his life (his parents recorded and saved the video of his first time hearing their voices when he was a child) there were still roadblocks to surmount on his way up and through his childhood into adulthood.

Music became his first love. Piano was the introductory with the baby grand that sat in his family's living room, but it made way for the interests in sound and audio engineering. Redd was always smart ---pushing himself to meet lofty goals, reaching for the stars when it came to the ideals of his future. Scholarships lead him to attending college at Berklee University and graduating with a bachelor's degree in audio engineering where a well-connected professor initiated him into a career in a studio. The work was honest and tough - as Redd preferred, and it was in his twenties that he met his late partner. Their courtship was fast, and she moved in with him relatively early on in their relationship. It was bliss: good work, a beautiful girlfriend, and shortly after they began living together a child on the horizon.

But all good things must come to an end. Shortly after the birth of his daughter, Redd lost his wife in a car accident. It was a blow he wasn't sure he could recover from, but as his nature depicted he trudged through the grief for his little girl. Like his parents had done for him, Redd was sure to provide to her everything she could ever dream to want ---with no shortage of affection, now that he was the only parent present to give it. Years passed, time went on and the wound slowly healed, and while Redd threw himself more into work and hobbies with his daughter he found everything became just a bit easier.

The decision to move to Providence Peak was made for simply a change of pace. While slipping into the role of Late Night Host for a radio station is certainly a downgrade from his former successes, Redd sees it as an opportunity to spend more time with his 13-year-old daughter and relax for a while before potentially moving back into the industry. And while he has healed from the loss of the woman he believed wholly to be the love of his life, Redd often finds himself reminded of her in their child, who happens to be the very center of his universe - taking the time to see her succeed in life is his ultimate victory.

little bits.

redd can read lips very well. his eyes are typically on the lips of whomever he is speaking to when they reply out of habit more than anything. at home and with his daughter, he communicates primarily with asl - which his daughter is fluent in. 

he’s mixed and mastered a few studio soundtracks for major motion pictures, but he doesn’t really talk much about it. he’s here mostly to relax and take a break from that world.

likes to shoot photography as a hobby.

has a pet cat - a sphinx named wilhem ... or will for short.

still has his wedding ring. though he doesn’t wear it anymore, it’s in one of his late wife’s jewelry boxes on a vanity in his bed room ... along with her wedding ring.

has a bunch of music equipment strewn (neatly) throughout his home in claret park. instruments include: piano, several guitars, a bass, a drum kit, various synthesizers and all of the pedals and modules that go along with it. his office is one giant wall of electronics for mixing and mastering ---more of a studio than anything else.

his position as late night host is meant to be relaxing more than to make a mass amount of money. well-aware that he’s severely over-qualified for the position, redd just enjoys putting together varying types of music for the nighttime listeners. his raspy voice and accent surely help.

wanted connections.

coworkers: the daytime crew. the midday crew. the engineer whose working with redd at night. anyone at the radio station, really.

neighbors: claret park is nice, and redd is a quiet neighbor. whether you see him walking when he has the time to, or you’ve chatted at the fence when he’s mowing the lawn ... neighbors. we all have ‘em.

friends: he’s been in providence peak for a little while and surely has made some friends. close friends: perhaps one or two people he spends more time with than anything else. he’s a nice guy.

honestly, anything. i’m still fleshing him out so i’m open to discussions! but this is my lovely son, i hope you all enjoy him as much as i will writing him!

[rainydawgradioblog]

KID A MNESIA

Radiohead delivers a special reissue of two of the strangest and most forward thinking records of the early 2000s in KID A MNESIA.

In 2001, Radiohead released Amnesiac, an album often seen by fans as a collection of B-sides and other various recordings from the studio sessions which produced the band’s seminal Kid A, a record which needs little introduction, more often than not cited as one of the greatest albums of all time. Revisiting Kid A is a proposition few Radiohead fans and music heads are likely to pass up, but 2021’s KID A MNESIA provides not only an excellent celebration of the two sister records, but an opportunity to further understand the connective tissue between them, and highlights precisely why Amnesiac is such a criminally overlooked project in the Radiohead catalog.

KID A MNESIA consists of both of the original albums alongside a third disc, made up of long-forgotten fan favorites and sonic experiments, the bones of which can be traced to much of what ended up on the original tracklists. The few full songs that appear vary wildly. Some are consistent with the sounds of the icy Kid A, such as the solemn “If You Say The Word”, a dreary and droning cut laced with a laid back drum pattern and distant vocals from Thom Yorke. Others feel so distant from the electronic soundscapes of the era that it’s hard to believe they came from this period of Radiohead: the stripped-back acoustic rendition of grail “Follow Me Around” is strikingly simple and heart-wrenching. Meanwhile, the tracklist of this bonus disc flows together so well thanks to the appearances of various “Untitled” and alternate tracks that peek in, providing looks at the experiments the band was toying with at the time. “Untitled v1” sees the reappearance of the robotic infantile vocals that ended up on Kid A’s titles track, accompanied by lullaby esque bells; this whining infant noise returns in even more abstract fashion alongside the harps that closed out the original album’s emotional closer “Motion Picture Soundtrack”, one of the band’s most potent and moving pieces (which is saying quite a lot, considering the catalog) alongside “True Love Waits”, another track which remained a grail in Radiohead’s envelope for years, and a song which rears its head once more here in what was perhaps its original form, appearing as an odd fusion between it and Amnesiac’s “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors”.

These small glimpses into the recording process allow for a far deeper appreciation of the thought and compositional brilliance of so many of these moments. Still, more than anything, these additions help to make clear the importance of Amnesiac as more than a throwaway B-sides album. Many have debated the meanings and themes of Kid A, even down to its title, often even pointing to a narrative thread throughout the album, depicting a cold, technologically adept future where artificial life is formed, in the form of the titular child, following a birth in the title track down the emotional gamut of its life in this icy hellscape of a world depicted on the albums iconic cover.

If that logic is to be followed, then what of Amnesiac? The cover art consists of a tattered old red book, complete with a drawing of a tiny, crying figure instilled upon its face. Amnesiac, then, plays off of the idea of not only forgetfulness and mental strife, but isolation, as well; to be an “amnesiac” is to forget one’s place, to lose connection to the reality and identity one had prior. The album’s recurring imagery of crying cartoon figures is creepy, yes, but moving and thought provoking, as is all of the artwork that the generational talent of Stanley Donwood provides to each Radiohead record.

Amnesiac even goes so far as to replay alternate versions of the “memories” of Kid A, with songs like “Morning Bell” appearing on both albums. The original Amnesiac ultimately ends in a crescendo of emotion, much like one’s internal thoughts and feelings coming to a head in an untimely outburst; the alien otherworldliness of “Like Spinning Plates” reveals a sensation of being lost through its manipulated backwards vocals, leading into the bombastic closer that is “Life in a Glasshouse”, a jazzy track so beautifully constructed with clarinets, trumpets and more that it’s almost too easy to overlook the pangs of paranoia, loneliness, and the weight of being trapped by one’s own thoughts, eager for normalcy but trapped in this “glass house”: Well, of course I'd like to sit around and chat/ But someone's listening in.”

It’s here that the true value of KID A MNESIA becomes clear; if this overview has done anything to slide past the importance of Kid A, it’s because almost no other record has been so lavishly praised as it has. To truly shine a light on it’s twin album and its intricacies is a heavy task, and the ways in which KID A MNESIA allows for this deepened understanding should not be overlooked. Disc three’s opener “Like Spinning Plates (“Why Us?) Version” combines the cold strangeness of the album version with an early piano based arrangement reminiscent of the live renditions later performed. The aforementioned “Pulk/Pull - True Love Waits Version” not only gives a glimpse at an early idea for the track but begs the question of why the instrumental on its own was left on the original Amnesiac without that emotional core; perhaps the emptiness was exactly what was deemed necessary to get across. Finally, the flow of the last few tracks and sounds, straight from the soundscape of Amnesiac lead into a beautiful string arrangement of the iconic “How To Disappear Completely”, aptly titled “How To Disappear Into Strings”, leaving the listener with a sense of finality.

Many fans have so far referred to KID A MNESIA as Radiohead’s “LP 4.5”, a bridge between the two albums and a new perspective on this era in the band’s career. Alongside the reissue comes an artbook of Stanley Donwood’s work during this period, a paperback book of lyrics, scribblings, and scraps from Thom Yorke and Donwood, and much more. In summary, it’s hard to think of a better way a reissue can celebrate the legacy and artistry of a pair of albums such as this; the double album that never was becomes a larger piece that asks much of the listener; if one is willing to partake, both Kid A and Amnesiac remain every bit the examinations of isolation, grief, and mental health as they have always been, perhaps now more relevant than ever.

https://radiohead.bandcamp.com/album/kid-a-mnesia

-Casey Chamberlain

[bopinion]

2021 / 17

Aperçu of the Week:

"Problems can never be solved by the same way of thinking that created them."

Albert Einstein

Bad News of the Week:

Unawareness, ignorance, hubris, bad luck.... there are many factors for India currently collapsing under the Corona pandemic like no other country before. The images are staggering: people with makeshift care lying in the dirt on the floor in front of overcrowded hospitals. People whose bodies are being burned in the middle of a park in New Delhi because the crematoria are overloaded. People who are simply suffocating and by the look in their eyes you can tell they know what is in store for them. People who are experiencing unimaginable suffering - and we have already seen so much of it in this pandemic.

One of the things that upsets me most about this is the fact that the shortage of vaccine in India - actually a major producer - is largely due to the fact that the U.S. had banned exports of an essential raw material. "America first" thus lives on even with a more sympathetic poster boy. It almost seems like a mockery when the USA now also brings aid supplies to India in order to "stand by our Indian friends in these difficult times".

Good News of the Week:

The German government has passed a law. With all democratic steps. With good will. With the agreement in principle even of the opposition. Then there is only one possibility in our constitutional system to stop such a law: one has to sue in our supreme court, the Federal Constitutional Court. This is rather limited, since the court "only" monitors whether this law is in conformity with the constitution. Last week, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled a brand new law unconstitutional. Although it is the "climate protection law". So about something actually positive. And very many citizens and parliamentarians are happy about the rejection, even parts of the government are satisfied. What's going on?

Our current Chancellor Angela Merkel was Minister for the Environment and Nature Conservation in the 1990s. In the face of considerable resistance, she pushed through the end of coal and nuclear energy, roughly at the same time. Backs the European Union in its ecological reorientation. So she has well earned her reputation as "climate chancellor". And now, of all things, her government's climate protection law has been overturned. Among other things, this was supposed to be the basis for achieving the goals of the Paris climate protection agreement. Is that supposed to be good news?

The decisive aspect of the Federal Constitutional Court's rejection of the Climate Protection Act is the reasoning behind the ruling. The law is dismissed as "not ambitious enough". For example, it does not tackle CO2 reduction "resolutely enough". This would not sufficiently take into account the interests of younger generations, and the law is therefore unconstitutional. It is no coincidence that the lawsuit was brought by, among others, the young climate activists of Fridays for Future. "We are here, we are loud - because you are stealing our future!" ("Wir sind hier, wir sind laut - weil Ihr uns die Zukunft klaut!") I also shouted with the children at our first environmental protection demonstration. Even though I'm one of the thieves.

The first reaction from the cabinet came from Economics Minister Peter Altmaier: "The decision gives us the chance to ensure more intergenerational justice." He, too, has been environment minister. As was his boss. So you might well wonder why they didn't come up with this idea in the first place. But I'd still rather see a second, more decisive attempt that goes in the right direction than a hypocritical "just keep it going".

Personal happy Moment of the Week:

And the Oscar goes to... Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross - and Jon Batiste! Just in time for 12/25/2020, we had subscribed to Disney+. To see on a cozy holiday with the kids "Soul". Whereas every Pixar film is a must-see for us anyway, this one was a highlight. Unlike its predecessor "Onward", which was just a nice movie, this animated film shined with a really new story with surprising twists, outstanding visuals and a great soundtrack with - oh, yeah! - a lot of jazz. Responsible for this is my personal new musical discovery of the last time, namely that very Jon Batiste (see Album of the Month in April 2021). Although I consider myself objectively style-sure - although my daughter regularly points out to me that this is narcissistic, since there is no such thing as objectivity - I am nevertheless happy that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences proved me right and awarded not only the Oscar to the film itself, but also to its soundtrack.

As I write this...

...the month of May begins. It has the nickname "Wonnemonat" (wonderful month) and it is rainy-cold. It starts with the "Labor Day" and nobody works because it is a holiday. And because of the pandemic, the tradition of setting up the maypole is cancelled this year as well. Weird, all this...

[aion-rsa]

Once Upon a Time in America Is Every Bit as Great a Gangster Movie as The Godfather

https://ift.tt/38Ku8cF

This article contains Once Upon a Time in America spoilers.

The Godfather is a great movie, possibly the best ever made. Its sequel, The Godfather, Part II, often follows it in the pantheon of classic cinema, some critics even believe it is the better film. Robert Evans, head of production at Paramount in the early 1970s, wanted The Godfather to be directed by an Italian American. Francis Ford Coppola was very much a last resort. The studio’s first choice was Sergio Leone, but he was getting ready to make his own gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America. Though less known, it is equally magnificent. 

Robert De Niro, as David “Noodles” Aaronson, and James Woods, as Maximillian “Max” Bercovicz, make up a dream gangster film pairing in Once Upon a Time in America, on par with late 1930s audiences seeing Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney team for The Roaring Twenties or Angels with Dirty Faces. Noodles and Max are partners and competitors, one is ambitious, the other gets a yen for the beach. One went to jail, the other wants to rob the Federal Reserve Bank. 

Throw Joe Pesci into the mix, in a small part as crime boss Frankie Monaldi, and Burt Young as his brother Joe Monaldi, and life gets “funnier than shit,” and funnier than their more famous crime films, Goodfellas and Chinatown, respectively. Future mob entertainment mainstays are all over Once Upon a Time in America too, and they are in distinguished company. This is future Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly’s first movie. She plays young Deborah, the young girl who becomes the woman between Noodles and Max, and she even has something of a catch-phrase, “Go on Noodles your mother is calling.” Elizabeth McGovern delivers the line as adult Deborah. 

When Once Upon a Time in America first ran in theaters, there were reports that people in the audience laughed when Deborah is reintroduced after a 35-year gap in the action. She hadn’t aged at all. But Deborah is representational to Leone, beyond the character.

“Age can wither me, Noodles,” she says. But neither the character nor the director will allow the audience to see it beyond the cold cream. Deborah is the character Leone is answering to. She also embodies the fluid chronology of the storytelling. She is its only constant.

The rest of the film can feel like a free fall though. Whereas The Godfather moved in a linear fashion, Once Upon a Time in America has time for flashbacks, and flashbacks within flashbacks, and detours that careen between the violent and the quiet. It’s a visceral experience about landing where we, and this genre, began.

Growing up Gangster

Both The Godfather and Once Upon a Time in America span decades; it’s the history of immigrant crime in 20th century America. But they differ on chronological placement. Once Upon a Time is set in three time-frames. The earliest is 1918 in the Jewish ghettos of New York City’s Lower East Side. 

Young Noodles (Scott Tiler), Patrick “Patsy” Goldberg (Brian Bloom), Philip “Cockeye” Stein (Adrian Curran) and Dominic (Noah Moazezi), are a bush league street gang doing petty crimes for a minor neighborhood mug, Bugsy (James Russo). New on the block, Max (Rusty Jacobs) interrupts the gang as they’re about to roll a drunk, and Max makes off with the guy’s watch for himself. He soon joins the gang, and they progress to bigger crimes.

The bulk of the film takes place, however, from when De Niro’s Noodles gets out of prison in 1930, following Bugsy’s murder, and lasts until the end of Prohibition in 1933. Max, now played by Woods, has become a successful bootlegger with a mortuary business on the side. With William Forsythe playing the grown-up Cockeye and James Hayden as Patsy, the mobsters go from bootlegging through contract killing, and ultimately to backing the biggest trucking union in the country as enforcers. They enjoy most of their downtime in their childhood friend Fat Moe’s (Larry Rapp) speakeasy. Noodles is in love with Fat Moe’s sister, Deborah, who is on her way to becoming a Hollywood star. The gang’s rise ends with the liquor delivery massacre.

The final part of the film comes in 1968. After 35 years in hiding, Noodles is uncovered and paid to do a private contract for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Christopher Bailey…  Max by a different name who 35 years on has been able to feign respectability and make Deborah his mistress. An entire life has become a façade.

Recreating a Seedier Side of New York’s Immigrant Past

While The Godfather is an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s fictional bestseller, Once Upon a Time in America is based on the autobiographical crime novel, The Hoods. It was written by Herschel “Noodles” Goldberg, under the pen name of Harry Grey while he was serving time in Sing-Sing Prison. 

Coppola’s vision in The Godfather is aesthetically comparable to Leone’s projection. From the opium pipes at the Chinese puppet theater to the take-out Lo Mein during execution planning, the multicultural world of old New York crowds the frames and the players in both films. Most of Once Upon a Time in America was shot at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The 1918 Jewish neighborhood in Manhattan was a street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which was made to look exactly as it had 60 years earlier.

Leone skillfully, yet playfully, captures the poverty of immigrant life in New York. The first crime we see the four-member gang commit could have been done by the Dead End kids. They torch a newspaper stand because the owner doesn’t kick up protection money to the local mug. And like the Dead End kids, they needle their mark, and joke with each other. At the end of the crime, Cockey is playing the pan pipe, and the very young Dominic is dancing. They are proud of their work and enjoy it. It’s fun to break things for money. And even better when they get a choice between taking payment in cash or rolling it over into the sure bet of rolling a drunk.

Violence without the Cannoli

Gangster films, like Howard Hawks’ Scarface and William A. Wellman’s The Public Enemy, were always at the forefront of the backlash to the Motion Picture Production Code. Which might be why gangster pictures were one of the first genres to benefit from the censors’ fall. A direct line can be drawn from the machine gun death which ends Bonnie and Clyde (1967) to the toll-booth execution of Sonny Corleone (James Caan)  in The Godfather. Another from when Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) gets one through the glasses and Joe Monaldi gets it in the eye in Once Upon a Time in America.

The Godfather has some brutal scenes. We get a litany of dead Barzinis and Tattaglias, horse heads and spilled oranges. Once Upon a Time in America ups the ante though. The shootings and stabbings are neat jobs compared with the beatings, which allow far more artistic renderings of gore, and pass extreme scrutiny. The one time the effects team balks at a payoff is when it’s not as gruesome as the setup.

“Inflammatory words from a union boss,” corporate thug Chicken Joe asks as he is about to light Jimmy “Clean Hands” Conway O’Donnell on fire. The mobster has such a nice smile, and the union delegate, played by Treat Williams, looks so pathetic while dripping gasoline that it feels like it might even be a mercy killing. It is a wonderful set piece, perfectly executed and timed. When Max and Noodles, and the gang defuse the situation, rather than ignite it, it is a lesson in the dangerous balance of suspense.

Like many specific scenes in Once Upon a Time in America, Conway’s incendiary introduction would’ve worked in any era. This is the turning point for the gang. The end of Prohibition is coming and all those trucks they’re using to haul liquor can be repurposed for a more lucrative future. 

“You Dancing?”

Music is paramount in both Leone’s and Coppola’s films. The Godfather is much like an opera, the third installment even closes the curtain at one. Once Upon a Time in America is a frontier film. The score was composed by Ennio Morricone, who wrote the music behind Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The film opens and closes with Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America.” Though the scene occurs during the 1968 timeframe, the song comes out of the radio of a car seemingly from another point in time.

Morricone’s accompaniment to Once Upon a Time in America is as representational as Nino Rota’s soundtrack in The Godfather. Characters, settings, situations, and relationships all have themes, which become as recognizable as the Prohibition-era songs which flavor the period piece’s ambience. Fat Moe conducts the speakeasy orchestra through José María Lacalle García’s “Amapola” while grinning dreamily to Deborah who is chatting with Noodles. He’s a romantic.

Read more

Movies

Taxi Driver: A Look at NYC’s Inglorious Past

By Tony Sokol

Movies

The King of Comedy: What’s the Real Punchline of the Martin Scorsese Classic?

By Tony Sokol

The music becomes part of the action in Once Upon a Time in America. Individual couples cut their own rugs, doing the Charleston between tables as waiters and cigarette girls glide by. Cockeye, who has been playing the pan pipe since the beginning of the film, wants to sit in with the band. 

Forsythe almost steals Once Upon a Time in America. He cries what look like real tears at the mock funeral for Prohibition and drinks formula from a baby bottle during the maternity ward scene. The blackmail scheme, which involves swapping infants, plays like an outtake from a Three Stooges movie, something Coppola would never dare for The Godfather. The ruse is choreographed to the tune of Gioachino Rossini’s “The Thieving Magpie,” which elicits the youthful thuggery celebrated in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. 

Devils with Clean Faces

One ironic difference between the two films is whimsy. The Godfather, which glorifies crime as corporate misadventure, is a serious movie with no time for funny business. Once Upon a Time in America, which is an indictment of criminal life, has moments of innocence as syrupy as in any family film (of the non-crime variety) and can be completely kosher. It’s sweeter than the cannoli Clemenza (Richard Castellano) took from the car, or the cake Nazorine (Vito Scotti) made for the wedding of Don Vito’s daughter. 

The scene where young Patsy brings a Charlotte Russe to Peggy in exchange for sex is a masterwork of emotive storytelling. He chooses a treat over sex. On one level, yes, this is a socioeconomic reality. That pastry was expensive and something he could never afford to get for himself. But as Patsy sneaks each tiny bit of the cream from the packaging, he is also just a child, a kid who wants some cake. He learns he can’t have it and eat it. It is so plainly laid out, and so beautifully rendered.

The Corleone family never gets those moments, not even in the flashbacks to Sicily or as children on the stoop listening to street singers play guitars. We know little of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) or Sonny as youngsters, much less teenagers, and are robbed of their happier moments of bonding. We know they are close, they are family. But Michael has his own brother killed while Noodles balks at the very idea. Twice, as it turns out.

Read more

Movies

The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Proves a Little Less is Infinitely More

By Tony Sokol

Movies

Mob Antipasta: Best Gangster Movie Food Scenes

By Tony Sokol

“Today they ask us to get rid of Joe. Tomorrow they ask me to get rid of you. Is that okay with you? Cos it’s not okay with me,” Noodles tells Max after the gang delivers on a particularly costly contract, double-crossing their partners in a major diamond heist. They are not blood family, but from the moment Max calls Noodles his “uncle” to fool a beat cop, they are all related. 

Noodles then does what young men in coming-of-age movies have done since Cooley High: Something really stupid. An indulgence the Corleones could never enjoy. He speeds the car into the bay. The guys can’t believe it. It adds to his legend. The scene could have been in Diner, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, or even Thelma & Louise. It is hard to dislike the gangsters in these moments. We know them too well, even as they do such horrible things.

How Women are Really Treated by an Underworld

The Godfather is told from the vantage point of one of the heads of the five established crime families; organized crime is as insular as the Corleone mall on Long Beach. That motion picture reinvigorated the “gangster film,” long considered a ghetto genre, but its perspective is insulated. By contrast, no matter how far they climb, Leone’s characters never really get off the block. They are street savages, even in tuxedos. Once Upon a Time in America whacked the gangster film, and tossed its living corpse into the compactor of a passing garbage truck.

The Godfather doesn’t judge its gangsters. The Corleones are family men who keep to a code of ethics and omerta. They dip their beaks in “harmless” vices like gambling, liquor, and prostitution. While there are scenes of extreme domestic violence, and a general dismissal of women, the film stops short of challenging the image of honorable men who do dishonorable things. Leone offers no such restraint. His history lesson is unabridged.

Long before Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman stripped gangster lore to a tale of toxic masculinity, Once Upon a Time in America robbed it of all glamor. There is a very nonchalant attitude toward violence and other demeaning acts against women in Leone’s film, from the very opening scene where a thug fondles a woman’s breast with his gun in order to humiliate her civilian date.

This is deliberate. The director, best known for Spaghetti Westerns, wants to obliterate any goodwill the gangsters have accumulated through their magnetic antiheroism. One scene between Max and his girlfriend Carol (Tuesday Weld) is so hard to sit through, even the other members of the gang squirm in their chairs.

Noodles sexually assaults two women over the course of the film. While there is some motivational ambiguity in the scene during the jewel heist attack, the rape of Deborah is devastatingly direct. It kills any vestige of romance the gangster archetype has in film. The camera does not look away, and the scene lingers with terrifying ferocity and traumatic intimacy. There is a visible victim, and Noodles’ wealth and pretensions of honor are worthless.

The Ultimate Gangster Epic

Once Upon a Time in America brings one other element to the genre which The Godfather avoids, a lingering mystery. Coppola delivers short riddles, like the fate of Luca Brasi, which are revealed as the story warrants. But the 35-year gap between the slaughter of Noodles’ crew and the introduction of Secretary Bailey is almost unfathomable. How did Max go from long-dead to a man with legitimate power?

What happens to Noodles in those years is fairly easy to guess, without any specifics. He got by. The gang’s shared secret bankroll was empty when he tried to retrieve it as the last surviving member. He put his gun away and eked out a quiet life. But even as the details spill out on the true fate of Max, it is unexpectedly surprising, as much for the audience as Noodles.

“I took away your whole life from you,” Max/Bailey says. “I’ve been living in your place. I took everything. I took your money. I took your girl. All I left for you was 35 years of grief over having killed me. Now why don’t you shoot?” This final betrayal, and Noodles’ inert revenge, take Once Upon a Time In America into almost unexplored cinematic depths. 

Max has gone as low as he could go. The joke is on Noodles, everyone’s in on it, including “Clean Hands,” who is tied in to “the Bailey scandal.” The cops are in on it, and so is the mob. Max admits even the liquor dropoff was a syndicate set-up. He’d planned this all along. Just like Michael Corleone had a long term strategy to make his family legitimate. 

This is an ambitious story. Beyond genre, this bends American celluloid into European cinema. By sheer virtue of being outside of Hollywood, Leone transcends traditional boundaries. He has a far more limitless pallet to draw from. He can aim a camera at De Niro’s spoon in a coffee cup for three minutes and never lose the audience’s rapt attention. Leone can pull the rug out from everything with a last minute reveal. Coppola bent American filmmaking for The Godfather, but stayed within proscribed parameters. He never gets as sweet as a Charlotte Russe nor as repulsive as the back seat of a limo. 

Once Upon a Time in America ripped the genre’s insides out and displayed them with unflinching veracity and theatrical beauty. It is a perfect film, gorgeously shot, masterfully timed, and slightly ajar.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Once Upon a Time in America Is Every Bit as Great a Gangster Movie as The Godfather appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3yRxHIy

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)Best Sheet Music download from our Library.Please, subscribe to our Library.You can check all the NEW sheet music on this page.Vision Quest • Crazy For You • MadonnaBrowse in the Library:

First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play on the Piano (New sheet Music)

Contents: - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) (from AGAINST ALL ODDS) - Alfie (Theme from the Paramount Picture ALFIE) - As Time Goes By (from CASABLANCA) - Because You Loved Me (featured in UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL) - Blaze Of Glory (featured in the film YOUNG GUNS II) - Call Me (from the Paramount Motion Picture AMERICAN GIGOLO) - Crazy For You (VISION QUEST 1985) - Danger Zone (from the Motion Picture TOP GUN) - Don't You (Forget About Me) (from the Universal Picture THE BREAKFAST CLUB) - End Of The Road (from the Paramount Motion Picture BOOMERANG) - Endless Love (from ENDLESS LOVE) - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (from the Motion Picture ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES) - Eye Of The Tiger (Theme from ROCKY III) - Flashdance...What A Feeling (from the Paramount Picture FLASHDANCE) - Footloose (Theme from the Paramount Motion Picture FOOTLOOSE) - Ghostbusters (from the Columbia Motion Picture GHOSTBUSTERS) - Glory Of Love (Theme from KARATE KID PART II) - Hallelujah (featured in the DreamWorks Motion Picture SHREK) - Happy (from DESPICABLE ME 2) - How Deep Is Your Love (from the Motion Picture SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - I Believe I Can Fly (from SPACE JAM) - I Just Called To Say I Love You (from THE WOMAN IN RED) - I Will Always Love You (featured in THE BODYGUARD) - La Bamba (featured in the Motion Picture LA BAMBA) - Let It Go (from FROZEN) - Live And Let Die (from LIVE AND LET DIE) - Mrs. Robinson (from THE GRADUATE) - Moon River (from the Paramount Pictures feature film BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S) - My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From 'Titanic') (from the Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture TITANIC) - Night Fever (from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - Nine To Five (from NINE TO FIVE) - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Over The Rainbow (from THE WIZARD OF OZ) - The Power Of Love (featured in the Motion Picture BACK TO THE FUTURE) - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) (from the Motion Picture ST. ELMO'S FIRE) - Say You, Say Me (from the Motion Picture WHITE NIGHTS) - Separate Lives (Love Theme from WHITE NIGHTS) - Singin' In The Rain (from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN) - Skyfall (from the Motion Picture SKYFALL) - Somewhere (from WEST SIDE STORY) - Stayin' Alive (from the Motion Picture SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) - (Theme From) A Summer Place (from A SUMMER PLACE) - That's Amore (That's Love) (from the Paramount Picture THE CADDY) - To Sir, With Love (from TO SIR, WITH LOVE) - Unchained Melody (from the Motion Picture UNCHAINED) - The Way We Were (from the Motion Picture THE WAY WE WERE) - The Wind Beneath My Wings (from the Original Motion Picture BEACHES) - Xanadu - You Light Up My Life (from YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE) First 50 Movie Songs You Should Play On The Piano Easy PianoDownload

Vision Quest • Crazy For You • Madonna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruSF0RY_gLM Soundtrack from the 1985 Harold Becker film "Vision Quest," with Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox, Harold Sylvester, Charles Hallahan, Daphne Zuniga, Madonna & Forest Whitaker. Read the full article

[dweemeister]

The Daydreamer (1966)

By the 1960s, Christmas television specials were in vogue in the United States. Yet this recent phenomenon had yet to yield a true cultural touchstone. On December 6, 1964, the first Christmas special mainstay aired on NBC. Produced by a fledgling animation studio, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer put Rankin/Bass, named after co-founders Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, into the public consciousness. Rankin/Bass’ brand of stop-motion animation (“Animagic”) was mostly outsourced to Japanese studio MOM Productions in Tokyo, under the direction of Tadahito Mochinaga. With the windfall of Rudolph, Rankin/Bass and MOM Productions delved into the realm of feature theatrical films. This review concerns their second feature film, The Daydreamer – a stop motion animation/live-action hybrid based on Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. The Daydreamer has starpower in its cast that no Rankin/Bass production had yet matched. But as one might expect from a Rankin/Bass film, there are narrative flaws abound. The Daydreamer, episodic in nature and alternating between live-action and animation scenes, suffers due to the inconsistent quality of the handful of Hans Christian Andersen adaptations it has and the kitschy live-action acting.

The young Hans Christian Andersen (“Chris”; Paul O’Keefe) is the son of a cobbler (Jack Gilford). Papa Andersen often has to face the verbal tirades of frequent customer Mrs. Klopplebobbler (Margaret Hamilton; it is difficult not to think of Hamilton’s portrayal of the Wicked Witch here). His struggling business often means he cannot pay the gangling Pie Man (Ray Bolger; yet another Wizard of Oz star). To take him away from these troubles, Chris will let his imagine run wild while napping. If he can only just find the mythical Garden of Paradise, all these troubles might vanish. One evening, the Sandman (voiced by Cyril Ritchard) promises him to guide him there. Along the way, Chris is subject to dreams that may seem familiar to the viewer. These dreams shift away from live-action into the signature Rankin/Bass animation – adapting “The Little Mermaid”, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”*, “Thumbelina”, and “The Garden of Paradise”. Elements of “The Ugly Duckling” and “Little Claus and Big Claus” also appear.

Among the many voice actors during these animation sequences are Hayley Mills (The Little Mermaid); Burl Ives (Neptune – I have never heard Ives’ voice so devoid of jaunt before); Tallulah Bankhead (the sea witch); Terry-Thomas (the first tailor); Victor Borge (the second tailor); Ed Wynn (the Emperor); Patty Duke (Thumbelina); and Boris Karloff (the Rat).

The film’s adaptations of Andersen’s tales differ in that Andersen himself becomes a character in each of the stories. The Daydreamer approaches the stories as if the ideas are only just forming in the young Chris’ head, to be written and published when he is an adult. Within these dreams-someday-to-be-stories, Chris is largely a passive character. He takes instruction from the central figures of his future tales, never really asserting himself or asking basic questions about the misadventures he goes through. Chris acts as if lost in his own imagination – which fits the conceit of the film. So when he awakens into the real world, the film’s pacing slams the brakes. In the real world, everyone except Chris is a caricature, somehow less realistic than the individuals appearing in the daydreams. The transitions between animation and live-action will take the viewer out of the film because of the unceasing manic acting in the latter, as opposed to the charming puppetry of the former. As such, The Daydreamer’s weaknesses lie almost entirely with the live-action scenes – too consciously playing to the audience and over-the-top in their absurdity.

In an era of American animation defined by Disney on the screen and Hanna-Barbera on television, Rankin/Bass carves out its own niche in how it tells its stories. The meta humor and fourth wall breaking of Hanna-Barbera’s works (a legacy of the duo’s work at MGM) makes no appearances here. Disney’s clean-cut fairytale endings also do not apply. The Daydreamer’s adaptation of “The Little Mermaid” does not have the gruesome premise as Andersen’s original fairytale, but it retains the ending’s heartbreak. There appears to be no alterations to “The Emperor’s New Clothes” – which includes Chris, but he just feels superfluous to the plot and to the tale’s keen comedy. Each of the film’s segments bring Chris closer to the final animated sequence, “The Garden of Paradise”. The adaptation of that tale sanitizes its deathly overtures for a devil-like creature, but keeps the ambiguous, open-ended conclusion. By maintaining the original conclusion, “The Garden of Paradise” is a curious coda for The Daydreamer – a film that ends as abruptly as its several transitions, like a daydream.

The Daydreamer’s live-action sets benefit, however, due to the fact many of its scenes were shot at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The World’s Fair pavilions used in this film mimic a feel of small-town, nineteenth century Europe more realistically than a Hollywood soundstage might. The production design for the animated dream sequences, too, are mesmerizing. Perhaps this is best exemplified in “The Little Mermaid”. There, the special effects work make it appear as if the whole sequence was shot underwater, rather than a room that contained blue lights streaming into Neptune’s palace. Where are the strings and wires suspending the puppets in mid-air while they “swim”? To the animators’ credit, there are none to be found. Neptune’s palace is one of the grander sets constructed for a Rankin/Bass production; its imposing walls and generous empty spaces reflect a sense of regal grandeur. That royal otherworldliness does not extend to “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, but many of the same production design decisions carry over. Rankin/Bass and MOM Productions are obviously working with more money and manpower for these animated scenes than in the likes of Rudolph or their many holiday television specials. The sense of scale and grandiosity seen here in The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party? (1967) would rarely, if ever, be replicated for television. And it is also obvious that the filmmakers put the money into the animation and for paying headline-worthy actors, rather than for any writers able to string the animated and live-action halves together.

Seven songs comprise The Daydreamer’s musical soundtrack. Composed by Maury Laws and Jules Bass, most of the songs are forgettable once your viewing is done (including Robert Goulet singing the title song over the opening credits, despite the fact I admire Goulet’s voice). But there are notable exceptions. Sung by Hayley Mills at the end of “The Little Mermaid”, “Wishes and Teardrops” brings the segment to a worthy close. Her loved ignored, the Little Mermaid sings this lament – backed with percussion straight from a ‘60s love ballad and timeless swelling strings – for herself:

Wishes and teardrops Won’t make him love me. He’s gone and he’ll never return. Does he know how teardrops can burn, When they fall for a wish That can never come true?

In the film’s final third, “Luck to Sell” injects a jolt of energy sorely missing from many of the other live-action scenes. The song itself is simple and the singing just avoids being flat, but when paired with the energetic choreography from Paul O’Keefe and company, it elevates itself from the rest of the soundtrack (save “Wishes and Teardrops”).

Not often will a viewer encounter a film with two sets of opening credits. I’m not writing about films that have an overture that transition to opening credits (an entirely different approach that modern filmmakers should utilize more), but two sets of opening credits that list the names of the actors involved. For the first set of credits, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld (uncredited) was hired to draw caricatures of the various actors and actresses appearing in, or lending their voices to, The Daydreamer. The Daydreamer is the second of three films that Hirschfeld was involved in. The first, appearing as himself uncredited, was in Main Street to Broadway (1953); his third and final film was as an artistic consultant on the “Rhapsody in Blue” segment (which was influenced by his caricatures) in Fantasia 2000.

Rankin/Bass’ ventures into feature film animation peaked several months later with Mad Monster Party? After that and the unfortunate production of The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1967; a traditionally animated eyesore), Rankin/Bass almost completely dedicated itself to its animated television specials. The Daydreamer, distributed by the now-defunct Embassy Pictures and currently owned by Sony Pictures Television (the ownership of the rights to Rankin/Bass’ features are exasperatingly scattered), has not been widely seen when compared to Mad Monster Party?, let alone Rankin/Bass’ television specials. If one can find a serviceable print of The Daydreamer, the viewing experience will be a valuable glimpse into the studio’s collaboration with MOM Productions. A Rankin/Bass fan that has only known the studio through its television specials will see their work operating with higher production values; Rankin/Bass novices can experience a dimension of animated filmmaking too often considered an afterthought.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

* “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was adapted twice by Rankin/Bass. The second adaptation is the heart of the television special The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye (1972), starring Danny Kaye. That adaptation of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is distinct from the one that appears in The Daydreamer. The Danny Kaye special’s adaptation has a more developed storyline, completely different voice cast, and completely different soundtrack.