March 21, 2008

College the Musical - "Good Enough for Now"
Hello again from UNC’s Daily Tar Heel. The past few weeks have been quite eventful, and I know I speak for many when I say thank you for keeping our community in your thoughts.

On a lighter but college-related note, I chose a film this week that most of us can identify with. “Good Enough for Now” by Casey Ford Alexander from Princeton is a videotaped recording session of a song from a potential Broadway hit musical that I’d definitely go see entitled, “COLLEGE The Musical.” Truth be told, I’m a huge fan of showtunes – and this might have had some effect on my choice – but hopefully I can convince you that showtunes are not just for nerds and bookworms. Alexander presents a comical, guy-meets-girl song but in a not-so-romantic light.
According to the lyrics, Nathan and Lindsey meet drunkenly at a party and decide to give romance a shot despite an apparent difference of interests.
I chose this particular musical/film for the actors’ and director’s abilities to lyrically and vocally capture the awkward and often random situations we find ourselves in at college parties. While we don’t get to see the action, the story and associated emotions are well-painted through song. The vocals aren’t too poppy, and they aren’t too seasoned. That’s definitely something the director had to find himself – two actors who could play the part and sound good (but not too good).
Alexander is also able to direct his actors in such a way that they can demonstrate the awkwardness of the situation. Words like, “Maybe people just seem better-looking in the dark,” further reveal successfully that their interaction is in fact quite superficial.
Lindsey continues to sing, “I thought you were stupid, I actually still do.
And I thought you were immature; and I still think that, too.
But I’m so bored right now that from my point of view, I guess I’m sorta in love with you… a little.”
The lyrics are funny, lighthearted, but still sincere. Nathan and Lindsey might not be a perfect match or each other’s dream come true, but everything these days is so ephemeral anyway – why not give this brief romance a chance?

February 8, 2008

Feel the Swift
Hello again from UNC!

I hope the holidays treated everyone well and that spring semester is going smoothly.

This week's film of the week might tie into your New Year's resolution as it is a fun little exercise/self-defense video. Feel the Swiftness by Olan Rogers and Balloon Shop from the University of Memphis will prepare you for a safe and happy new year. Rogers and his pals have created a short film that exhibits the qualities of a 1980's self-defense video our parents probably secretly jammed to back in the day. Clint Swift presents an easy approach to fending off assailants or wily hobos you might encounter in your everyday activities. His "Danger Tactics" DVD teaches you such moves as the "Arctic Zap" and the "Bear Paw", even though they're pretty much the same strategy. That’s where Rogers
succeeds, he makes the seemingly bizarre look completely acceptable.

So what if "Arctic Zap" and "Bear Paw" are identical? So what if when executing these moves, Clint doesn't actually break the board? It’s okay! That's the beauty of Rogers' direction; he can perfectly and consistently produce spoofs of reality. Many of his shorts lack in concrete plot development, but then again many of his shorts don’t tell concrete stories; instead, they are recreations of commercials or clips we’ve all seen on TV and in the movies. The best part of Rogers' work is that he and his gang of friends don’t look like they make films because it’s their job; they do it because it’s FUN. From what I can see, they’re not seeking to impress anyone. This is true of all their pieces (and there are dozens).
?Feel the Swiftness? is as fun as a session of Rex Kwan Do from that quirky little film, "Napoleon Dynamite" (If you can’t recall who Rex is, it’s worth it to refresh your memory; then you’ll say to yourself, 'Oh-em-gee! She was so totally right!') And no 80s exercise video is complete without a set of cheesy, rainbow-colored TV graphics which announce the instructor and the strategies. Many of Rogers' shorts may leave you asking, 'What’s the point??' and to that I answer, There isn’t one; it’s just for fun!?

November 16, 2007

Beginning and the End
Hi, guys! Greetings from UNC's Daily Tar Heel. This week I’ve selected “The Beginning and the End” by Josh Greenbaum of the University of Southern California for the Best Film on Campus Film of the Week. “The Beginning and the End” tells one story both forward from the beginning and backwards from the end simultaneously. I chose this film for its ingenuity and for the director’s ability to present the same plot in two very different yet similar ways. Greenbaum perfectly syncs up the images to be both identical to and opposite of each other. While the final intersection of story lines is a bit vulgar, Greenbaum presents it very tactfully to create the perfect ending to a tragic story.
At first the images on screen are nearly identical. There are subtle differences in the placement or appearance of objects. Only the lighting in the two panels differs; the music is the same, but the backwardly-sequenced panel plays the song in reverse. Somehow Greenbaum orchestrates it together beautifully. The protagonist executes the same actions in both the forwards and backwards images, but in one instance, rather than watching liquid pour into a glass, the liquid is pulled back into the carton, completely defying gravity. The plot and character development occur at an accelerated rate because the viewer is given two opportunities to put the story together. Yet the viewer still wonders when the two stories will meet and what causes the
outcome. One of the most haunting images is that of the protagonist
in the reverse frame, smoking a cigarette in the elevator. The smoke doesn’t plume out of his mouth, but it’s pulled back into his lungs like you might see a Death Eater do in Harry Potter.
Compared to Greenbaum's other films, "The Beginning and the End" has much more somber undertones, but it works for him. It really shows his versatility as a writer and director. Thanks for stopping by, and see you all again soon!

October 19, 2007

"Rita" Rises to the Top
Hi, guys! I’m Christina from UNC-Chapel Hill, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be one of the four film critics for Best Film on Campus’ Best Film of the Week. What a great way to combine my love of films with my love of writing!

This week I picked “Rita” by Alison Blehert-Koehn from the University of Southern California as the film of the week. Based on Alison’s real life experiences in the Himalayas, “Rita” tells the tale of a young girl who travels the world with her parents, seeking new adventures and meeting new people.
Because the protagonist and her family are always traveling, she feels that something is missing; namely lasting friendships. After all, sharing a small camping tent with your parents on the side of a mountain can really cramp your style, which is apparent in a few quick scenes.
But on this particular trip to the Himalayas, Alison meets a young Sherpa girl named Rita. Although the girls don’t speak each other’s language, the viewer can see the longing and chemistry between them. Both Alison and Rita crave novelty, and their differing cultures allow their exploration to bloom.....