super-duper platinum I-mean-it-this-time Final Cut

I'm not what you would call a movie buff.

There are only two movies that I've ever willingly seen more than once.

Harold and Maude

and

Blade Runner

I'm not sure what that says about me, but I bet it's nothing good.

Oh, and also that I haven't moved beyond adolescence.

But my husband just got me the 4 disc Blade Runner set - (so many choices, 2-disc, 4-disc, 5-disc. Which level of Blade Runner insanity are you willing to pay for?)

There's no need for me to go on and on and on about the re-mastering, and the changes.

There's only one reason in my mind to watch Blade Runner:

Harrison Ford

Oooh he looks so young and tasty!

yeah, yeah, brilliant-futuristic-film-noir-timeless-science-fiction-classic... it's all true, but that's not why I keep coming back to the film.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have three more dvd's to get through.

Megatron meets the psychologist

Transformers is here! Thank you Amazon for working your magic and getting the movie to us one day after it was released.

It's not like I don't have issues with the movie... I mean, doesn't Michael Bay know about character development?

But I have to be here to cheer and shout and REVEL in the battle scenes with my son. I have yell "OH NO!" when Jazz dies, cover my eyes when Megatron crashes through the building, and high five him when Megatron goes down.

And then when it's all over I have to tell him that I don't like violence and that the movie is too scary for me.

Sometimes to be a good mom, I have to act like a big brother.

_______________________________

We got the results of our Summer of testing finally.

More than anything else, it makes clear that Daniel's anxiety is affecting him in ways that we didn't even realize.

I have to digest the material a little  more before I can describe it in a coherent fashion.

The rush recedes

I am tired.

Tired with a heaviness that pushes up from the back of my eyes.

Tired with the weight of hours of adreniline flowing out of my body like the tide.

Too tired to sleep.

Too tired to write.

Just tired enough to watch the movie The Iron Giant and cry and cry. Because really, those robot men get me right here every time.

My first day at the new job was good.

Hey! I know that name!

I don't think I've ever talked about a film that wasn't geared towards children on this blog.

But in this case I'll make an exception. You'll see why in a minute.

On January 20th the World Premiere of Dante's Inferno  was shown at the Slamdance Film Festival in the 21+ Film Series.

This film was born out of a project by Sandow Birk and Marcus Sanders. A modern adaptation in words and paintings of Dante Alighieri's masterwork, The Divine Comedy. Birk's paintings reinterpreted the circles of Date's hell in an altogether modern fashion while still echoing the moody beauty and tenor of Gustave Dore's illustrations.

As an example:

Gustave Dore -

Sandow Birk -

I don't own a copy of Birk and Sander's adaptation of The Divine Comedy ... yet. But you can bet it will be on my wishlist.

So this was the starting point for this movie. Using Birk's illustrations as a blueprint, the movie is told entirely with miniature paper puppets on a toy theater stage. More than 500 intricate puppets were created for the production.

I could go on and on talking about the film and its innovative use of zero technology (in the form of CGI), as well as its funny and disconcerting take on the circles of hell, but you really have to see it for yourself.

You see?

The film is comfortable in its depiction of hell as the everyday seediness of modern life. The puppets and scenery are lush but not polished in just the right way and the obviousness of the sticks and wires that hold the puppets intrigue me.

The plain language and use of current politics (and politicians) fits in well with Dante's original manuscript which did not shy away from the politics of his day. Nearly seven hundred  years ago, when Dante crafted The Inferno it spoke to his readers with a currentness that I think this film accurately captures for those of us in 2007.

Of course it's not like I actually SAW the movie. Are you kidding? Slamdance is in Park City in the Land of Dooce. No, I was in Jersey the whole time watching the same trailer that you just saw - only I watched it FORTY-FOUR times in a row. Now if that don't make me an expert, I don't know what does.