Tag Archives: Movie Reviews
Movies in Bed: Sita Sings the Blues
Post by Mark T. Locker
Last night while channel surfing, I happened across a very interesting cartoon. It was three Indian shadow puppets discussing the Indian epic tale, the Ramayana. I was quickly hooked on Sita Sings the Blues which is truly unlike any other movie, much less cartoon, that I’ve seen. A mix of old jazz, even older Indian myth, and a modern story of heartbreak, this movie is an unlikely mish-mash that somehow works perfectly.
The shadow puppets discuss, as three regular folk might, the story of the Ramayana, about the ruler Rama and his wife Sita. This take on the ancient story is focused not on Rama but Sita, her trials and sorrows and joys. Interspersed with the dialogue about the story are musical numbers in which Sita sings the music of 1920’s jazz singer Annette Hanshaw. It sounds like a stretch, but it works incredibly well. So well that it’s hard to believe they weren’t intended to be together. The third, and least prevalent, part of the movie is bits about the creator’s own experiences of love and betrayal in India. But these parts, although illustrating how she came to make this feature, don’t hold a candle to the rest of this movie.
I love finding something while channel surfing and being so captivated that I watch the whole 90 minutes. What’s best is that Nina Paley has made her movie freely available on her website. So go look it up and watch it on your laptop in bed tonight!
Movies in Bed on Planes: House Hunters
Post by Mark T. Locker.
I am slowly recovering from our first-ever family airplane trip. One of the great features of the airline we took was the DirecTV on the back of every seat. We do not have cable at home, so any time I get to watch the Food Network or National Geographic or any other fancy channel it a major treat. Once my son was happily settled in with the requisite airplane ginger ale and watching Oz, I settled happily into a House Hunters/House Hunters International binge.
Perhaps you have seen the show; people are in the market for a new home or apartment. Often, they are utterly unbearable, complaining about wall colors as though there is no earthly way to change it. Or multi-millionaires looking for a vacation home in a third-world country and being surprised at the otherness of the foreign country. Also, it is completely staged. A friend of mine was on and there was a whole fake going-away party for her, despite her having been gone for months.
Normally, I cannot endure “reality” TV. However, I cannot get enough of this “realty” TV. I love seeing all the different kinds of houses, and the tastes that each house hunter seems drawn to. Just like there is a person for everyone, there is a home for all types. Add to that the far-flung corners of the globe you get to visit in the “International” version, and it’s downright educational. I’ll probably never see a family home in Oslo outside of this show. Great fun to watch and apparently it’s always on.
Movies in Bed: Oz the Great and Powerful
Post by Mark T. Locker.
So, this isn’t out on DVD or streaming yet, but according to the Internet, it will be on June 11, so just consider this something to plan ahead for. IN TEN DAYS’ TIME…get out the pillows, pull the cushions off the couch and bust out the spare sheets. It’s time to build a fort, watch a movie, and fall asleep right there on the floor!
We went and saw Oz the Great and Powerful at one of those second-run pizza and beer theaters that are so prevalent here in Portland. I was at best not terribly interested in the movie and went for the sake of my kid. But I gotta tell you, this is actually a pretty good, entertaining movie! Now, I don’t know if this has any relation to any of the L. Frank Baum books or is entirely unique, but it fits so perfectly into the back story of the Wizard of Oz. How did Oz get there? How did an admitted charlatan attain Wizard status? Although bits of it are kind of intense, and some parts are scary, I think Felix is more frightened be the mean trees in the original than the flying baboons in this installation. Me too.
The main criticisms I’ve heard are ones that try to compare it to The Wizard of Oz. It will never be a classic in that sense, but for a Disney movie with appeal to both kids and adults, you could definitely do worse. A fun way to spend a lazy evening together.
Movies in Bed: NOVA science NOW
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Neil deGrasse Tyson or David Pogue? Sorry, David, but Neil has a rock star appeal you’d be hard-pressed to live up to. This question only makes sense if you are a regular watcher of the PBS show which makes science approachable to the masses, NOVA science NOW.
In our home, if we are all going to watch something together, we try to make it as pleasant as possible for we the grown-ups. Luckily for us, our kid likes some pretty fantastic programming. Most recently, we turned him on to this show. We watched an episode called, “How Smart are Animals?” which discusses, as you doubtless guessed, the intelligence of animals. We all love to watch it. It’s approachable enough that a 4 3/4-year-old enjoys it and takes something away from it. And, IT’s FASCINATING. Dolphins are SO smart! They can coordinate all new tricks together, like a new synchronous twirly flip without EVER having done it! Even dogs are apparently smart; it’s not just dog peoples’ bias. I like the older episodes because of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s aforementioned appeal. But David Pogue is actually quite entertaining. A little grating to me but he definitely gets the 4 3/4-year-old crowd.
They have a bunch available online and on Netflix. It’s entertaining and you get to feel good about yourself for watching it!
Movies in Bed: Oregon Field Guide
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Okay, I know that this is a very regionalist show to be writing about. But maybe your neck of the woods has a similar show. I am also using this as an excuse to celebrate the new development that PBS now has a channel on Roku! (Really, I’m not paid to sponsor them; I consider it poor man’s cable so any new developments are noteworthy to me.) What’s great is that all the nationally broadcast shows are available any time for DVR-less folk such as myself as well as local programming! For me, this means Oregon Field Guide.
OFG is one of those shows for me that is like a big comfy blanket you wrap around yourself to feel safe. If the outside world is too noisy and stressful, watch a piece about Oregon’s brown pelican population, or the oak prairies of the Willamette Valley. Watch people canoe in the sun. It’s lovely. They also address a lot of important issues, such as invasive species and habitat destruction. These are hot-button issues in Oregon.
If you live outside of Oregon, you really ought to see if there is a similar program in your area. Otherwise, you can go to OPB.org and stream some episodes from the comfort of your own big comfy blanket.
