Caspar Newbolt’s Rules for Watching Movies
“Hype not only ruins the impact of the art, it undermines the very value of art itself in the first place.”
Intriguing piece by graphic designer/photographer/ filmmaker Caspar Newbolt on hype, expectation and projection that comes when we rely on reviews, marketing and advertising’s spin on a film.
It doesn’t always happen this way, but I prefer to go in with very little knowledge about the films I see. I find going in with little to no expectations really does add to the richness of the experience - good or bad. This is what I loved about Sundance. I’d end up with tickets to a film I knew nothing about and only had my own feelings/reactions to the film to really process.
Anyway, you can read the full essay here, but to summarize there are three rules to follow…
“Rule 1. (to kill expectation)
Go into the film without having read or watched anything. Trailers are acceptable, as they are sometimes created by film directors themselves, though even that sometimes is questionable.
Rule 2. (to kill projection)
Assess what the film is trying to say or achieve within the realm of what kind of movie it is trying to be. Do not project your own expectations. Let the film dictate the level of expectation, be that tonally, narratively or conceptually.
Then, assess how well you think the film reaches whatever goals it set out to achieve.
Rule 3. (to kill hype)
Don’t talk about the film with anyone who has not seen it, except if you’re encouraging them to go see it. Only discuss the film with those that have seen it, and discuss it hard. That’s what it’s there for.”
Film log - 1.8.12
I’m trying to keep better track of the films I see, so here’s the first batch of the first week of what has so far been a pretty great 2012.
After reading Paul Auster’s Sunset Park, a novel with its pros (strong start) and cons (weak finish), I was more curious about a film obsessed throughout by the book’s many characters.
The Best Days of Our Lives explores the stories of three WWII veterans coming home to revisit their previous Midwestern civilian lives. An American drama, the film was released in 1946 and won seven Academy Awards including a supporting actor award for Harold Russell, a first-time actor selected to play the role of Homer, a former all-star high school athlete who returns home from the navy with hooks for hands.
In many ways, the film is timeless. There are scenes so humanizing that thoughtfully unveil just how difficult coming home from war can be even when returning to a loving wife, a fiance in waiting, or to children. With the war in Afghanistan over, more and more military servicemen and women are coming home, and that’s incredible. Yet, it’s easy to overlook the sacrifice, and this film was a nice reminder of how the many layers of psyche that make that journey difficult.
I found this particular scene so moving… an important metaphor - a lone soldier treads into a graveyard of abandoned aircrafts, he wanders and finds his way into the only place where he feels valued - the bomber jet he used to command. Watch.
Bombay Bicycle Club - Lights Out, Words Gone
Source: penreadygallery
Do you have a dollar?
C’mon, friends… let’s DO this.
A philanthropic social challenge to see if
1 million New Yorkers can give just $1 each to help the homeless/poor/hungry of NYC in 40 days, 11/22/2011 – 12/31/2011
All proceeds go to the Bowery Mission.
#3 of 5 in the series “I See You: Bushwick.”
Here I am caught looking through my camera in a new photo series by Melissa Murphy called “I See You.” As I documented the neighborhood, she documented me. This one is my favorite… oh, and finding my balance and shooting from those ginormous truck wheels was pretty rad.
Source: photomelissa
This report broke my heart. Of all the families without shelter in America, 1/3 are in Florida. I’ve been working on a project very close to this issue. We receive daily reminders of our broken country every single day, and quite honestly tracking it all has been depressing and disheartening. Yet, I never want to be a person who ignores stories like this. There’s nothing wrong with desiring the best in life, but living a life unaware of humanity and the problems of the world is of no interest to me. Stories like this force you to pause. To take time to appreciate what you have and hopefully strive to be a better person. The one thing I’m most thankful for these days is perspective.
“Every time I see like a teenager or any other kid fighting with their parents or arguing with them and like not doing what they’re told it really hurts me. Because they could be in my shoes. And of course I don’t want them to be in my shoes. But they need to learn to appreciate what they have and who they have in their life. Because it may be the last day they might have it.” - Arielle Metzger, age 15
Prepping the bird. My first turkey. Gulp.
