Category Archives: Film Exhibit Reviews

Film Exhibit Reviews

TCM Classic Film Festival 2015 – Film Exhibition Report

 

So here we go again, only this time, you’re not hearing my past experiences but rather what I’m seeing right here and now.  I am once again at the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival in the heart of Hollywood, California. And as I am righting this, I am currently waiting in line for my first film of the day. The weather of course is ideal. And so far Hollywood Boulevard is relatively quiet. The festival itself has been going on for two days now, but because of work, I could only attend this Saturday.  Unfortunately that mean missing out on some exciting events earlier in the festival. This year’s festival opened on a high point this year as Hollywood celebrated the 50th anniversary of the classic musical The Sound of Music (1965), with stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in attendance.  Other screenings that I would have loved to have seen were a screening of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) with a discussion with Keith Carridine and also a screening of Chaplin’s Limelight (1952) with 100 year old Norman Lloyd in attendance and Apollo 13 (1995) with Captain Jim Lovell.

As for today, I am choosing to open my day with a screening of John Huston’s The Man Who Would Be King (1975), with a discussion with Christopher Plummer.  It’s a film that I have yet to see, so I’m looking forward to it, especially since it gives me another opportunity to see Mr. Plummer, a legendary actor in person. I will continue to update the rest of the day with my personal accounts, including pictures.  Hope you all enjoy reading this. And now, showtime.

12:55pm

First show complete and already I’m glad I made it. The Egyptian Theater was packed this morning, but even waiting in the standby line I still managed to get a seat.  The show was preceded by a short introduction by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, who of course was there to discuss the film with the special guest, Christopher Plummer.  Mr. Plummer arrived to thunderous applause as he walked up towards the screen and once seated, the interview began. Maltin of course touched upon some of Plummer’s extensive career, but the discussion quickly moved on to the film in question. Plummer discussed briefly how he prepared for the role of Rudyard Kipling, the author of the story on which the film is based, detailing how he formed the look as well as his vocal performance.

The conversation then turned to Plummer’s experience working with John Huston. Plummer of course found his experience working with the legendary director to be very rewarding, though Huston was also quite intimidating as he recalled. He offered a funny anecdote about a particular shot in the movie where a camel in the background was being a particular nuisance. But instead of accommodating Plummer’s concerns about the shot, Huston instead argued for the camel’s sake, saying that he had just as much a right to be in the picture as anyone else. Plummer also detailed his experiences with the film’s two leads, Michael Caine and Sean Connery, which was basically an account of a lot of off-set drinking.

 

Overall, the presentation was excellent, and Christopher Plummer was as great as you would expect. I can definitely tell you after seeing him in person that he looks great for someone with as many years behind him. Still very sharp and with a lot of energy, and he brings with him a fantastic set of life experiences that have in turn become some legendary stories. What I especially liked from his interview in fact were his impersonations of the people he worked with, specifically Connery and Huston. His John Huston impression was especially spot on.  The movie itself was also a delight. Presented with an original 35mm print, I’m glad that I waited until now to watch this movie on the big screen. Connery and Caine are wonderful in the film, and Plummer adds some great scenes in his brief role. Well, the first movie is in the books. Now I’m headed across the famed Walk of Fame to my next show at the legendary Chinese Theater.

6:05 pm

Over at the Chinese Theater, I managed to catch a whole different type of show from the first. In this case, a musical.  The show in question was the 1972 film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical 1776.  It’s a film that I have seen before in parts, but never from beginning to end, so this was a perfect place to finally catch the entire thing.  The film has recently received a full 4K digital scan and the Chinese Theater’s IMAX projectors perfectly represented the glowing restoration that’s been put into the film. Though I believe the number of audience members was roughly the same as my first movie, the theater wasn’t quite as packed this time and I attribute that more to just the sheer size of the venue. Luckily, I was there early enough to get a good seat; about halfway down in the auditorium.

 

Like the first film, 1776 had a discussion beforehand with people involved in its making. Hosted by TCM’s own resident host Ben Mankiewicz, the special guests were the film’s director Peter Hunt as well as the actors who played the lead roles of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; William Daniels and Ken Howard respectively. The three men recounted their experience working on both the film and the stage musical from which they were all carried over. Peter Hunt talked extensively about having to deal with edits to the movie that were ordered by the producer Jack Warner after then President Richard Nixon expressed displeasure at some of the film’s more political undertones. Thankfully, years later, the edits made it back into the film, which was the version we saw this afternoon. With Daniels and Howard, they detailed their experiences on the set as well as how this movie helped to launch their film careers.  Mankiewicz even noted that Daniels has since had a long history with John Adams, even being a teacher on the show Boy Meets Worlds named after the founding father.

 

The whole show was excellent and the movie looks beautiful and holds up very well. Though I’m not a particularly strong fan of movie musicals, I do consider myself a history buff and this movie does an excellent job of presenting a historical event in an entertaining way. And also watching a movie made for the big screen, in all its Panavision glory, is a delight. So, two movies down and now it’s off to the next one. I tried to go from this screening into another one in the Chinese Theater, but the line was too long for me to get a standby seat. That show in case you’re wondering was a screening of The Apartment (1960) with special guest Shirley MacLaine. So, instead I’m watching a film in one of the smaller Chinese Cineplex behind the Dolby Theater (home of the Oscars).  That movie is a lesser known film starring Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn called Viva Zapata (1952).  Show’s starting soon, so I’ll be back.

9:10 pm

 

The screening of Viva Zapata began with an introduction by actress Ileana Douglas who invited the special guest present for the film, Anthony Quinn’s widow Kathrine Quinn. Mrs. Quinn talked extensively about her life with Anthony and what he was like as a husband and a father to their children, proving to be a ball of energy even into his late 70’s and early 80’s. Her stories were especially entertaining and gave us a great picture of the man that Anthony Quinn was. The best stories however were the ones that related to the movie itself. According to Kathrine, Anthony and Marlon did not get along well on set, and that tension was something that director Elia Kazan milked for the benefit of each other’s performances. This kind of knowledge helped to give the audience a nice little insight into the methods of both actors, and it was kind of an extra delight to see both men messing around onscreen, knowing how much they hated each other. 

 

 The movie itself was one I haven’t seen and overall I thought it was okay. Brando’s attempt at a Mexican accent was a little distracting and it is far from his best work. Quinn on the other hand felt very natural in this film, and it’s easy to see why he won an Oscar for his work. For one thing, I can see why TCM chose this movie as part of this festival, given that it fits within the overall theme of “History On Film.”  Still, the movie felt a little stale after the highly entertaining 1776 and The Man Who Would Be King.  But it was still worthy of catching at this festival. So, now I have one last opportunity to watch a film tonight and right now I am in line to enter the Chinese Theater once again, this time for a screening of 1971’s The French Connection with director William Friedkin in attendance. 

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12:45 am

 

Well, it’s been a long day, but the night has come to an end. The French Connection is a film that I have seen before, but never on the big screen. The presentation in the Chinese Theater was still a great experience and it was almost like watching it anew. It holds up very well, especially with Gene Hackman’s Oscar-winning performance and that legendary train sequence.  After the film, actor Alec Baldwin was brought out to conduct the interview with director William Friedkin. Now while everything Mr. Friedkin said was fascinating, he could also go off on many tangents. The Q&A went for nearly an hour after the movie ended and it touched upon everything about the movie, Friedkin’s filmography, and his method of direction. It was easily the longest interview I witnessed today, but it was still enlightening nonetheless.

 

The end of the show concluded with audience questions and one question was even asked by Boyz in the Hood director John Singleton. His question was regarding the film’s unique sound design, which is naturally the kind of question one acclaimed filmmaker would ask of another filmmaker. Overall, a nice high point to end the night. I hope all of you enjoyed reading this live blog of mine. Pretty remarkable that this worked considering that I’ve had to write this thing on the fly and on my smart phone this entire time. I hope in the years to come I can do more than one day at this festival. There are so many other good movies to see and so little time. If any of my readers are in the Los Angeles area, this is a festival that I strongly recommend catching. There are still some shows playing tomorrow, which closes out the festival. Anyway, this has been a good day for a classic film fan like me.

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Film Exhibit Reviews

TCM Classic Film Festival 2014 – Film Exhibition Report

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Film Festivals are usually set up to show off the talents of contemporary artists and the rising stars of tomorrow.  But, rarely do you see one that focuses entirely on the past.  Located right in the center of Hollywood itself, the Turner Classic Movies channel (TCM) is currently showcasing it’s 5th annual Classic Film Festival.  The festival is held every year in April and it features presentations of some of cinema’s greatest classics on the big screen, along with special appearances from a few Hollywood legends.  It’s a special treat for anyone living in the Los Angeles area, including myself, and I made an effort this year to have the full experience in order to share my thoughts with you, my readers.  First of all, I should say that one of the best things about this film festival is that it’s very easy for anyone to experience.  Unlike other prestigious industry film festivals, this one is more friendly to the casual viewer and for only $20 a ticket ($10 with a student ID), you have a good chance of getting into one of the many screenings.  Priority seating does go to people who have purchased the full festival passes, which run between $250 to $1500, but there is always a standby line outside the theater for everyone else, and usually those waiting in line do get in.  Suffice to say, this is what I did, and it was still worth the $20 a ticket price every time.  I managed to fit in three screenings throughout the day and the best part is that every experience was unique.
Since the festival is sponsored by the TCM, it’s not surprising that the faces of the channel were there in attendance as well.  Hosts Robert Osbourne and Ben Mankiewicz were on hand to introduce the movies throughout the day, as well as to conduct pre-screening interviews with the many special guests in attendance.  Also making appearances at the festival were film critics like Time Magazine’s Richard Corliss and Leonard Maltin, among others, who were also there to conduct interviews with the special guests.  All together, the presences of the hosts and guests is what sets this festival apart from others.  Not only are you getting to see classic movies on the big screen once again, but you also get the opportunity to see some of the people involved in their making up close and in person, sharing their own experiences.  Some of the most noteworthy people in attendance at this year’s festival have been Quincy Jones, Mel Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry Lewis, and Maureen O’Hara.  A couple years ago, I managed to get into a screening of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) with Kirk Douglas himself at the theater, which was remarkable and shows just how special an event like this can be, because it lets us the audience see many of these great legends of cinema before they are all gone.  This year was no different, and what follows is a breakdown of my day at the festival.
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The day started for me right at the heart of the festival at what is pretty much the world’s most famous movie theater, the iconic Chinese Theater.  Built in 1927, and home to some of the most famous world premieres in Hollywood’s history, the theater is like a living museum and it still has the ability to wow newcomers all these years later.  With a film festival happening this week, along with the sunny California weather, foot traffic was pretty heavy this weekend on Hollywood Boulevard, so getting to the theater was a hassle at times.  My first screening took place in the Chinese at it was the classic Vincente Minnelli musical Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).  It was a movie that I hadn’t seen before (odd, right?) and I was determined this year to watch films that were new to me, so this one seemed like a logical choice.  Plus, it allowed me to experience the Chinese Theater once again, which has gone through a full remodel in the last year, changing the old theater into a modern, stadium seating IMAX venue.  The remodel was beautifully done, and still manages to keep the original integrity of the theater’s ornate artistry; including the stunning ceiling centerpiece.
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Below the impressively giant screen was a small stage platform set up for the pre-screening interview.  Richard Corliss of Time Magazine walked out to greet us before the movie began and gave us a brief overview of the film’s production and legacy.  After his short introduction, he welcomed to the stage actress Margaret O’Brien, who played one of the key roles in the movie.  Margaret was a perfect choice of guest for this screening, because of her own on set experience, and she had a wealth of stories to tell, which is remarkable given that the movie is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary this year, and she was only a little girl when she was making it.  She talked about performing alongside the legendary Judy Garland, working with Vincente Minnelli, and how they managed to make her cry believably on film.  The interview was short, but nonetheless very worthwhile, and it certainly opened up our eyes in the audience to things we probably wouldn’t have noticed before, had we not heard it from Margaret O’Brien beforehand.  I particularly liked this interview portion, because she explained very well the experience of being a child actor in that era, and she shared her memories very well, including the knowledge that she acted alongside the late Mickey Rooney recently on what will be his last film.  The movie itself was fine enough for a first viewing (not much of a musical fan here), but it was a good start to the day.
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In the lobby of the Chinese Theater was a special treat for film buffs.  Enclosed in glass displays were some original costumes loaned out from various studio archives.  One of the most popular was Dorothy’s blue dress from The Wizard of Oz (1939), which readily had a line in front of it for pictures after the screening was over.  I, of course, didn’t waste the opportunity either.  It was a great added treat for film buffs like me.  Elsewhere in the lobby, I also found a dress worn by Julie Andrews in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), the famous curtains dress Vivian Leigh wore in Gone With the Wind (1939) (which made me instantly think of the gag version Carol Burnett wore on her show), as well as some new costumes from the movie Noah (2014), which is still in theaters.  Displays like these were very welcome, but sadly not very extensive.  I would’ve loved to have seen a full gallery display somewhere at the festival for film memorabilia of all kinds, but I guess with an event being as busy as this was, it was about as good as they could do.  Still, a worthwhile thing to add to the overall experience.
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Of course, I still had a lot to fit in on this day, so I quickly made my way to the next screening.  This one took me to the TCL Chinese 6 Theater, which is a brand new multiplex built adjacent to the legendary Chinese Theater and continues it’s same theme, but with some modern flourish.  The Chinese 6 was built as part of the whole Hollywood & Highland development that included the new home of the Academy Awards, the Dolby Theater, which is literally right next door to this venue.  Of the six screens in the multiplex, three were given over to the film festival for some of the screenings of the smaller and more obscure films of the festival.  But, even with the smaller venue, the screenings were still treated with the same respect as the ones in the bigger theaters.  The screening I caught here was for another film I had yet to see; Peter Bogdanovich’s Oscar-winning film Paper Moon (1973).  Like some of the other screening’s, we were promised a pre-show interview, but unfortunately this time, our special guest was a no-show; that being the film’s star Ryan O’Neal.  The volunteer staff did a good job letting us know ahead of time that Mr. O’Neal had canceled at the last minute, which does happen.  Ben Mankiewicz also filled us in on the situation during his introduction, and he mentioned that he was crossing his fingers that the same thing wouldn’t happen before his big interview with Jerry Lewis before the The Nutty Professor (1963) screening the next day.  Even without the special guest, it was still a nice experience seeing a classic film on the big screen for the first time, which is how it should always happen.
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Once night fell, I got in line for my final screening which was going to be for Blazing Saddles (1974), with the legendary Mel Brooks in attendance.  As a Mel Brooks fan, suffice to say, this was a screening that I was definitely looking forward to.  Unfortunately, I experienced my first sell-out of the festival here.  There weren’t enough seats left to fill with people waiting in the standby line, even with the huge venue that is the Chinese Theater.  The volunteer staff recommended that we check out some of the other screenings still going on at other venues, which would start over the next hour.  After checking my schedule, I noticed that the Egyptian Theater down the road was screening the classic Michael Caine film The Italian Job (1969), with composer Quincy Jones in attendance.  Luckily, since it was after 9 pm, there was less sidewalk traffic, so I was able to cover the half-mile between the Chinese and the Egyptian in no time, and this screening proved to be a great alternative for the night.  First of all, I had never been in the Egyptian up until now, so this was going to be something new for me, even if it was to see a movie that I had watched before.  The Egyptian Theater also has it’s own storied history; it’s older than the Chinese Theater, having opened in 1922, for one thing.  The theater also experienced a dramatic renovation as well, albeit removing much of the original ornate decorations in favor of a more sterile, modern look.
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The highlight of the screening, however, was the pre-show interview with Mr. Quincy Jones.  Ben Mankiewicz had the honors of conducting the Q & A, and it was very apparent that he was speaking to someone that he very much admired.  Before the interview began, Ben introduced a special career retrospective video that played on the big screen, which beautifully laid out all the contributions that Quincy has made to both the film and music industry.  Quincy Jones was brought up on stage next and the interview went into the man’s own experiences working in all facets of the entertainment industry, as well as working on a film score like the one he did for The Italian Job.  Let me tell you, this man has some great stories; the interview could have gone on for hours and the whole audience would’ve still been captivated.  The interview was so good, that the movie itself would’ve been a letdown if it wasn’t also a good movie.  Ben Mankiewicz was also very drawn in, and he even said he wanted to go overtime a bit because he was loving Quincy’s stories so much, especially the one’s about his friendship with Frank Sinatra.  Once the interview portion was over, Quincy Jones walked off stage and actually stayed to watch the movie, which some of the special guests rarely do, especially this late at night.  I was excited because he took his seat only two rows ahead of where I sat, and let me tell you, he was enjoying the movie experience just as well as the rest of us.  It’s special perks like that which makes this kind of film festival special and it helped to make up for missing out on seeing Mel Brooks at that Blazing Saddles showing.
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Overall, these were my experiences at the TCM Classic Film Festival this year, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.  For one thing, you’re watching all these classic movies in the very heart of Hollywood culture itself; at places where many of these movies had their world premieres many years ago.  Secondly, you get the chance to take in a lot of film history, either by seeing a movie in one of the legendary theaters, or by attending a screening with one of the special guests in attendance.  Even with all that I was able to see at the festival this year, there were still many other events that I wasn’t able to get into; and ones I couldn’t get in at all because they were exclusive to premium pass holders.  Some of the other events taking place at this year’s festival were a special presentation at the Chinese Theater commemorating a new postage stamp in honor of actor Charlton Heston, with his son Fraser in attendance.  There was also a special tribute held for recently deceased actor Mickey Rooney, as well as special one on one interviews held at a special area called Club TCM, located in the legendary Roosevelt Hotel, across the street from the Chinese Theater.  Other venues like the Montalban Theater and the El Capitan also have featured screenings as part of the festival, which helps to give this event a very wide spread variety of things to do.
This was my third year of attending the festival and the first time I’ve ever fit in more than one screening.  Like I mentioned before, the first time I came to this was for the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea showing with Kirk Douglas in attendance (he was 95 years old at the time).  The second year I caught a screening of Mel Brook’s The Twelve Chairs (1970), which Mr. Brooks was also present; which made my sell-out the other night not as painful as it could have been.  This year was another excellent year for the festival and I hope that it continues to stay popular for years to come.  It’s especially worthwhile for anyone who’s a fan of classic movies and would wish to see many of the people involved in the making of these films before they are long gone.  Hopefully in the future I will be able to afford one of the premium passes available, so that I can get better access to all the different events and see more of the movies.  The festival is still going on now through Saturday and Sunday, and it will return the following April with a whole new line-up of films and honored guests.  If you live in the LA area, and like classic movies, I strongly suggest you make your way to Hollywood now and enjoy this special gift to classic movie fan-dom.
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Film Exhibit Reviews

D23 Expo 2013 – Film Exhibition Report

 

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With a media giant like the Walt Disney Company continuing to expand their reach into many different areas of the entertainment industry, it’s no wonder that they would put on a grand exhibition to show it all off.  Started back in 2009, the D23 Expo is the ultimate showcase for Disney fans of all kinds.  Within its home at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is conveniently across the street from Disneyland, you will find a show floor full of pavilions devoted to every conceivable department of the Walt Disney company.  From the Animation departments, to the Theme Parks, to television stations like ABC and Disney Channel; all of it can be found at D23. The Expo is held bi-annually, and I myself have missed the previous two opportunities to attend. This year I was determined to make it.  Unfortunately, my work schedule relegated me to just one day, and lack of pre-planning kept me from experiencing the biggest presentations at the convention.  I did manage to get a pretty good overview of the pavilions on the show floor, many of which were impressive and well worth visiting.  Along with some pictures I took inside the convention, this is my report of the sights and sounds of the 2013 D23 Expo.
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D23, for those who are unfamiliar, is a fan club run by the Disney company.  Anyone who becomes a D23 member gets special insider perks and access to events related to Disney and all its subsidiary parts.  This Expo is the biggest such event, and while D23 members are given priority at the convention, the show is still open to anyone.  Once there, you are brought into the main show floor, which is quite expansive.  Even though the Expo covers an impressive amount of real estate on the main floor, it still only filled up a fraction of the Convention Center’s total space.  Front and center is the Coca-Cola sponsored stage, where various small music acts performed throughout the day.  Nearby was the Expo’s own Disney Store, which had a line that could rival anything at the park across the street.  Around the corner were special art pavilions highlighting the different media properties of the Disney company; such as Marvel and Star Wars.  Disney Animation’s pavilion highlighted the upcoming animated feature Frozen, which is coming to theaters around Thanksgiving weekend.  ABC’s pavilion highlighted its own fairy tale series, Once Upon a Time, with a mock up of Captain Hook’s ship.
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The largest pavilion, however, was devoted to the Imagineering department of the Walt Disney Company.  This impressive section was constructed to appear on the outside like the Imagineering building in Glendale, California, complete with a front door entrance that all guests had to enter through.  Past the front doors was a small foyer with a large projection screen.  What follows in this room was a small pre-show that was so well executed, it could’ve been at home in one of the parks on its own.  The show concluded with the opening of some automatic doors that lead into a show floor, highlighting all departments within Imagineering.  Each section of the pavilion covered areas such as Research, Development, Modeling, Engineering, Construction, and even Landscaping, all with actual samples of the Imagineers own work.  Many of the displays featured things I had known about, but have never seen in person, like the original concept drawing of Disneyland. There were also things on display like an early concept model of Spaceship Earth in Epcot, which featured a much different layout than the one that exists today; something I hadn’t seen before.  The pavilion also had a fun Animatronics section, where you could actually take the controls of an Audio-Animatronic parrot and animate it live.  There were only hints of things to come in the future at the parks.  One new thing that was revealed was the announcement that Marvel characters would soon be seen around the parks in meet and greets, which is a welcome addition.  Overall, this particular pavilion represented the absolute best presentation at the Expo.
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Though there was much shown on the show floor regarding the future of the Disney company, there was also welcome attention given to the company’s legacy in a showcase on the upper floors.  On the second level of the Convention Center, you would find the Treasures of the Disney Archives exhibit.  This section featureed actual pieces of movie memorabilia and artwork from the Disney Archives.  The years edition of the gallery was devoted to Disney’s many different takes on the tales from the land of Oz, as well as a special exhibit celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the classic Mary Poppins (1964).  The Oz section highlighted two Disney films that explored the Oz storylines beyond the MGM classic, those being 1985’s Return to Oz and 2013’s Oz: The Great and Powerful.  Most of the displays here featured actual costumes used in the films, along with some artwork and a handful of props.  Any fans of the films will certainly like what Disney put on display.
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The next room, which of course was the more popular of the two, highlighted Mary Poppins.  The collection of the material in this room was very impressive; covering all aspects of the film from visual development to the film’s premiere.  Of course there were costumes on display, including Mary’s trademark nanny dress and flower hat, but there were also original matte paintings that played a big role in the film’s visual effects.  If you remember the shot in the film where Mary is sitting on a cloud above London and then it pans down to a city park where we’re introduced to Dick Van Dyke’s Bert; that particular matte painting was found here.  The highlight of this section however was the actual carousel horses used in the film.  This was a popular photo spot for many people, and of course I got my picture in front of them as well.  In addition to the classic film’s displays, there were also costumes on display from the upcoming film Saving Mr. Banks, including the suit Tom Hanks wore for the role of Walt Disney.  The exhibit concludes with a gallery devoted to fan art, some of which was quite good and it shows the beloved legacy that this film continues to have.  Overall, anyone who is a fan of Disney film history would love the Disney Archive exhibit.
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Speaking of the Disney Archive, chief Archivist Dave Smith held a special seminar at the D23 Expo highlighting the production of Mary Poppins.  It was basically a Power Point presentation led by Mr. Smith, but an excellently executed one which featured many never before seen material straight from the archive.  In particular, I really liked the showcase of outtakes from the film.  It’s interesting to see what the actors do onstage after the director yells cut;  in particular, Dick Van Dyke’s fooling around between takes gets a good laugh.  Later in the day, I attended another seminar called Pixar: Doing our Homework, which featured onstage a handful of Pixar’s top filmmakers.  The panel detailed the filmmaker’s experiences in researching for their films, and how much work goes into it, giving the audience a good insight into how their films are built from the ground up.  The panelists included directors Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) and Pete Doctor (Monsters Inc., Up), who recounted his experience visiting the tepuis of Venezuala on a research trip for Up. There were many other seminars going on throughout the three days of the Convention. Unfortunately, like most other conventions, you have to pick and choose which ones you’ll see, which is hard when so many of them are worth seeing.
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The big draw of the convention, of course, were the big presentations put on in the D23 Arena.  The Arena was the place where the Disney company presents all of their upcoming projects in spectacular fashion; with celebrity guests on hand and exclusive clips showing footage for the first time to the public.  I was unable to attend the showings regrettably, but I did learn that the films highlighted included Pixar’s next slate of films over the next few years (including Finding Dory, the sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo), as well as the slate of live action films coming in the next two years, including Saving Mr. Banks, the Angelina Jolie-starring Maleficent (2014), the Kenneth Branaugh-directed remake of Cinderella (2015), and the very top-secret  Brad Bird film, Tomorrowland (2015).  Also, Marvel Films presented their upcoming movies, including the new Thor and Captain America films, and there was even a little tease for the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII.  These presentations more than anything else showcases Disney’s expanding influence, and it’s interesting to see a more varied platter of projects on display at the Expo.
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Of course, like most conventions, D23 also caters to the avid memorabilia collectors, and a large area called the Collector’s Forum is made just for them.  Here you’ll find small vendors selling everything from original art to special collectibles.  I found everything from original animation cels, to antique figurines, to even a collection of park maps there.  A silent auction was also being held for extra special items, including actual bobsleds from the Matterhorn attraction in Disneyland. Also on hand are special Disney celebrities to sign autographs.  On the day I attended, I found the voices of Belle and Ursula (Paige O’Hara and Pat Carroll) signing autographs in this room, both drawing a long line of fans to the floor.  The whole convention caters to all fans, but this is the section of the show floor where you see Disney fandom in it’s full form, and it’s a fascinating place all on it’s own.
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The D23 Expo was a fantastic experience overall, and I’m glad I made the time to visit it.  Maybe next time I’ll put more thought into the planning into my visit, so that I can take in the full experience.  At least this time, I got a sampling of what the convention has to share.  I enjoyed taking in all that the show had to share.  You can spend hours just on the main show floor alone.  The Archive exhibit was a particular highlight, as was the Imagineering pavilion.  For a movie history buff like me, I was happy to see such an impressive display presented for a classic film like Mary Poppins, and I hope future conventions have exhibits like it.  But, what impressed me the most about the convention is that each pavilion’s showcases were hosted not just by volunteers, but by the actual people who work for the Disney company.  I learned this while visiting the Disney Interactive pavilion where I got to play a demo of the upcoming Duck Tales Remastered video game.  When I spoke with the guy hosting the demo, I learned that he had actually worked on the game himself as a programmer.  He told me about how he grew up with the game as a kid, and how he came to work on the remake as an adult.  This experience showed me the special treat that the convention has to offer, where you not only get to experience all of the new products from the Disney company, but you also get to speak directly to the actual people who make it happen.  It’s a special experience that I recommend to everyone.  The next convention is in 2015, and I hope that it continues to grow and become even more of a special event in the years to come.
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Film Exhibit Reviews

Stanley Kubrick at the LACMA – Film and Art Museum Report

 

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Stanley Kubrick was an enormously popular filmmaker not just among his peers and among film buffs, but also within the art community at large.  The body of work that he has developed over the years has transcended all forms of art and collected all together, it is quite a sight to see on display. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has always spotlighted the art of film within its galleries in the past.  Given that it’s in the “entertainment capital of the world,” I would be shocked if they hadn’t.  But I’m sure that few have been as impressive and as eye-catching as this recent exhibition on the filmography of Stanley Kubrick.  Kubrick made only 13 films in his whole career, which doesn’t sound like much, but each one of those films is considered a classic and they are touchstones for both the film history and cultural history over the last 50 years.  LACMA has put together an impressive collection of artwork, props, costumes and personal documents from each of Kubrick’s movies and has given everyone who visits a great visual history of both the man and his work.
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Upon entering the gallery, you are greeted appropriately enough by a movie screen displaying selected scenes from Kubrick’s films.  The next room opens up with a large display of film posters at it’s center.  Some of the posters are pretty unique and ones I’ve never seen before, while others I’m sure can be seen hanging on the wall in any film buff’s home.  Across the floor, there is an impressive collection of the camera lenses that Kubrick used on all of his films, including the Todd-AO lenses used on 2001: A Space Odessey (1968) and the extremely large, light sensitive lens used on Barry Lyndon (1975).  The first room also showcases the early works of Kubrick, including Paths of Glory (1957), Spartacus (1960), and Lolita (1962).  There is also a display of Kubrick’s collection of photos, taken during his early years as a photographer for Look magazine.  It’s a lot to display in the first room, and I wish that there had been more emphasis on certain films, particularly with Spartacus and Dr. Strangelove (1963).  I did however find the photography section fascinating, mainly because it shows how Kubrick trained his eye early on in photography, which would have a huge influence in the years ahead.
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The next room highlights Kubrick’s most renowned film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.  This section was the largest in the gallery, and definitely the most popular as well.  On display are original costumes, as well as set pieces like the bright red lounge chairs found on the orbiting space station.  You’ll also find elements used in the making of the special effects in the film, such as the miniature model of the spaceship and the “Star Child” itself.  There’s a collection of research materials found throughout, which gives you a good idea just how well thought out and researched the whole film was.  The displays are impressive, and this is where the exhibition really demonstrates why film art has it’s place within an art museum.  Everything on display demonstrates the work that goes into creating a striking visual image, and each can stand on its own as a work of world-class art.  This is the first room in the gallery that focuses on a singular film, but it’s not the last, as the gallery devotes the rest of it’s space to the later years of Kubrick’s career.
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The next section showcases Barry Lyndon, which was a unique film in itself.  The most interesting thing about the movie is that Kubrick used space-age technology to tell a very old-fashioned period piece.  What he did was use very high tech cameras, with the same lenses used by NASA on the Hubble Telescope, to shoot interiors with no artificial light.  It was a technique never done before on film, and it made Barry Lyndon one of the most intentionally artistic films in Kubrick’s career.  It’s good to see that Barry Lyndon is given a lot of attention in this gallery, given how groundbreaking it was in terms of how it was shot.  On display here is the actual “A” camera itself, along with a collection of costumes used in the film.
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The next two rooms cover two of Kubrick’s darker films, A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980).  These rooms are not quite as detailed as the 2001 room, but do feature some great pieces within.  Primarily, there are a lot of the props from the films displayed here.  You’ll find the mannequins from the Kerouva Milk Bar and the cane used by Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, as well as the typewriter and fire ax props from The Shining.  Also on display are some original costumes, including the dresses worn by the two girls in the hallway from The Shining.  Both rooms also do a nice job of matching the color schemes of the two films, with Orange obviously dominating the first room, and stark white walls and blood red carpet dominating the room after it.  Given that these are two of my favorite Kubrick movies, this was obviously one of my favorite sections of the gallery.  They may not have been given the same amount of space as 2001, but it’s still a great display nonetheless.
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Kubrick’s last films, Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999) are given less attention, with only a few props and documents available.  The remainder of the gallery covers the research that went into a project that Kubrick never got to make.  It was a film named The Aryan Papers, which would have been Kubrick’s attempt at a Holocaust film.  Kubrick poured a lot of time and effort into researching the story, but he ultimately abandoned it mainly because Schindler’s List (1993) was about to be released by Kubrick’s friend Steven Spielberg, and because he believed that it was too depressing a subject matter for him to get right.  This section as well as other sections devoted to abandoned projects by Kubrick, like Napoleon and A.I. Artificial Intelligence, give a fascinating look into what might have been.  The Napoleon project in particular looks like it could have been a very impressive epic, and some of the location research into authentic French palaces gives a nice sense of the kind of scale Kubrick was going for.  It also helps to underline the overall theme of the gallery, which is to show the evolution of an artist from one project to another.
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Overall, this was a worthwhile exhibit to visit and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of both art and film.  Residents in Los Angeles should hurry though, since the exhibition ends on June 30th, meaning this is the final week to see it.  Admission to the gallery is $20 for adults and it includes admission to all other galleries at LACMA, which has a very impressive collection of both classic and contemporary art.  The Kubrick exhibit was definitely the highlight of my trip, given how much a fan I am of film in general.  As a writer, I especially liked the fact that every section of the gallery included Kubrick’s personal copies of the scripts for each pertaining film.  You get to look over the notes he written on certain scenes, which gives a glimpse into seeing the artist cultivating new ideas on the fly.  There’s so much I could go on about, but it’s better to see it for yourself if you can.  Kubrick is a filmmaker worthy of a place within an art gallery and LACMA should be proud of the show they put on in honor of this visionary man.
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