The Robin Hoods

Went to see Robin Hood for the second time this weekend, have found that there is so much more understanding when a movie is no longer new, it is a trait my family thinks is rather odd- though they seem to listen to music over and over again- in their opinion, movies should be viewed only once. To me, it seems that not watching  a movie more then once, is sadly not appreciating the hard work and artistry that went in to making that movie. In fact, my desire Not to see a movie again is a pretty good indication that it must not of been a very good movie.
Robin Hood, in my opinion could of been better, it felt choppy- there were many subplots that I wished were set up better and played out more. For one, the Lost Boys of the Green Woods- what the movie opened setting up, really could of added a much more rich texture to the movie. Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, both good actors did the best they could, but there just wasn't a lot there for them, and a few scenes, while  I was watching them I really wonder why they were even in the movie, instead of the scenes building character I wished were. Example- why did they kill the king in a battle scene and set up for the bad guy to pursue him, when the king was already dead. Also same bad guy went looking for Robin in the beginning of the movie and really didn't try very hard to find him, until the very end.

On to the other Robin Hoods-

Working in the studio, I sometimes watch/listen to the BBC television series Robin Hood ( 2006) pretty  entertaining but sometimes a little bit far fetched- ( courtesy of Netflix's instant downloads)

Then there is Kevin Cosnter's Prince of Thieves, also right now on Netflix's instant download,  a movie that was not received well in 1991-but I think did better in slowly building up character then the new Robin Hood, I hate seeing Russell Crowe not have enought material to work with!

Sean Connery made a cameo appearence as King Richard in the very end of Prince of Thieves, but he also had played his own Robin Hood to Audrey Hepburn's Maid Marian...

                                                 

although movie goers of 1976 had a hard time seeing James Bond in tights, which brings us to another Robin Hood that I personnal abhor, but the mere mention of it makes my friends giggle, Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

My personal musing is more alined with  Disney's Robin Hood...(1973)

                                                           
it could be it is etched in my brain because of continuous playing of it through the preschool era of my children. But from my childhood Robin Hood will always be...

Errol Flynn, with Olivia DeHavilland as his Maid Marian and Basil Rathbone, the ullitmate bad guy.

Although I enjoy all of these Robin Hood Tales- I wouldn't label any of them the Epic Robin Hood story- it still needs to be made!

Bike Movies

Since I spent my whole weekend working the 12 Hour of Mesa Verde bike race, I thought I would do a posting to all the great bike movies....and I can't remember many...going way way back-

There was Breaking Away in 1979 starring a very young and very tough Dennis Quaid and friends stuck in a small town in Indiana with not much to do but swim in the limestone quarry, get drunk and think about the futures they do not have, while one of the friends tries to get into the competative bike racing circuit and speak Italian. Okay, the illustrator in me is coming out...why is there no bike on the movie poster for a movie about bike racing?

American Flyers, with a much more telling illustration poster, came out 1985 starring Kevin Costner as a serious bike racer with a not so serious little brother and the whole family has a big problem. Most of the film centers on a big race, across much of the west, with some cool scenery.

Okay- I actually Googled for other movies in the main stream about biking, couldn't find any and can not think of one movie that centers on mountain biking let alone road biking.....hummmmmm, think I know what story I should be working on next! Can anybody else think of good biking movies?

Westerns...a reflection of their time

The Western is a movie genre with a set time period, say the 1800's and slightly into the 1900's, when people looked like this...

Or this...

But Western movies more reflect the time they are made like Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston in Big Country (1958).

Tall, quiet, well groomed, with clean faces and slicked back hair, wide tailored pants and dude ranch, yoked, snapped cowboy shirts, until sex and the 60's came along and taste changed to...

Big Valley (1965), the popular TV show staring Barbara Stanwyck , Lee Majors and a very young Linda Evens, pin up girl for a 60's blonde bombshell...
Of course the male heart throbs of the 60's - had their turn in the Western as well, it became common fair for the aging John Wayne to have a hunkish somewhat of a rebel side kick- complete with the slicked back hair, chip on his shoulder and of course the tight tight pants, my it must of been hard to get on a horse.

in fact you could catch Jim West's pants ripping, in TV's Wild Wild West, if you looked real close in the fight scenes. Please don't judge me, I was young.
Then on came the 70's and who would be the consummate Western persona of that decade other then Clint Eastwood and such movies as High Plains Drifter (1973).

I tried to watch that last night, it is truly a Western on acid. Not making a judgment on Eastwood, who directed as well, it just has the flavor of the era...very weird. In fact according to IMDB, Eastwood wrote John Wayne after the movie's release wanting to work with him and was surprised by the Dukes very condemming  response- here on imdb.com
I really don't like the Westerns of the 70's- Cowboys too scruffy, women too slutty, too long of shots setting the mood, not enough dialogue, music is just weird.
I take that back, one of my favorites is the Frisco Kid (1979)

I liked Gene Wilder with all his crazy, cury hair and antics in the Frisco Kid (1979) but then he is a Rabi from Poland, Harrison Ford is the cowboy, actually outlaw, and the representative late 70's hunk, as I remember being twelve at the time. Think Ford's haircut is the same that it was in Star Wars, filmed two years sooner, hummm?

Can't think of a Western from the 80's?

Of course Eastwood came back to the Western in Unforgiven (1992) , again directing and his Western World is a little bit more accurate I think. No slicked hair, no over the top scruffy/slutty-ness.

And of course there is from my era, the best Westerns...

Legends of the Fall (1994),

Dances with Wolves(1990) - do not like that movie poster, I don't think it reflects the flavor of the movie.

Last of the Mohicans (1992), ok pre 1800's story.

And believe it or not, Kevin Costner's not so well received The Postman (1997) is really a Western...of the times.

I am waiting to see what flavor the Western will take on in the new milenium. Wasn't too impressed with 310 to Yuma (2007)...

It looked good, had Russell Crowe in it for peet sakes, but it broke the first rule of story writing, once you create your universe you are bound and dicated by the contraints of that univers. Read my disappointment in a previous post on my other blog Moonflower Musing.

Even though they are not popular at the moment and fading farther and farther in to some sort of  "mythology" the Western will always be one of my favorit genres. Here is hoping there are people in Hollywood who still love them and want to make them to be a reflection of the times they are made.

(Wikipedia source of most  movie poster, most movies available at Netflix and more info at imdb.com)

Might be crap, but at least " It Is Finished"...

It is a weird sensation when a story, or even a  artwork is finished. As its creator, you realize there is nothing more you can put to it or change, it is complete.
It might be a masterpiece worth of an Academy Award or to be hung in the Getty, or it might be a pathetic attempt at something that will fade into oblivion, but hey....at least it is done!
When I illustrate, the birthing process is short, a month or two at the most, but writing- let's just say the light at the end of the tunnel was a little bit farther away.
Last night I finished a second draft of my screenplay I have been working on for...first draft was dated 2002 and submitted it electronically to the Nicholl Fellowhip, along with I think 5,000 and some other hopefuls.

But the great odds don't matter right now, because IT IS FINISHED!! I cannot think of one way to change it anymore and what is so exciting is to move on to another story, am deciding between about three that have resided in my head far too long and shouldn't take eight years to be born- whether they will be  masterpieces or.... just crap, who can say!

Mammoth- why some things shouldn't be outsourced...

I have no problem with outsourcing if it makes sense, like....radio stations-so you are listening to an obnoxious DJ in Seattle on Sunday afternoons so that most DJs are home with their families, great.
There are many other things that should never be outsourced-like IT help with computer- because if I can't even understand the tech on the other side of the phone with such a heavy accent from someplace, probably, India- I just get cranky and am not a good ambassador for my country- I swear those guys over use the "American" phrases like "No problem" from index cards taped to their monitors.
But getting to the movie Mammoth, something that should never be outsourced is "Motherhood." The movie explores the twisted convoluted relationship of a computer game programmer, his wife, a surgeon and their nanny from the Philippians.
The gamer is waiting in Thailand for a 43 million dollar contract to ready to be signed, at home in New York, his surgeon wife is trying to save a boy at her hospital stab by his mother, at her home, her nanny is taking care of her daughter and back in the Philippians, the nanny's two boys are miserable and being taken care of by their grandmother.
To top it off the gamer in Thailand tries to help a hooker- in a big brother sort of way- and she also is a mother who is outsourcing the care of her baby daughter to someone else, singing lullabies to her probably 7 month old daughter on a cell phone.
Won't give the ending away, but lets just say that no "ah haa" moment comes at the end when the characters realize the ridiculousness of their arrangement- like "hey 45 million is enough, maybe I could get a home office and be home when our daughter comes home from school." Or I will only save the world-go to the hospital 3 days a week and devoted the other 4 to my kid.
I have experienced it all- raised by a single mother, a latch key kid, I worked as a nanny through most of college to really good parents that did know how to balance work and kids, worked for a unbelievable selfish couple for not even 3 month- couldn't stand it longer. Taught preschool for years and saw mom's making minimum wage be better parents then rich, really don't have to put my four year old in preschool all day parents- who are the last to pick up their kids who have been there since 8 because they have to go to Pilates first.
Here is my advice-
If you have babies- raise them yourself-no one will give them what they so greatly need more than their "real" mother-
If you can stay home until they are 5 and in school- do it- at all costs
If you can't- stay home until they are three at all cost and limit the time they are away from you or their dad do it at all cost.
Sell blood if you need to-to stay home with your baby- or in your husband's care, grandparents care.
Try job sharing, working at home, give up a car, a nicer home, new clothes, whatever you can until they are old enough to be away from you-
Their little brains are developing, at a rapid rate- their perception of life and love- what is a few years of tight living to have the privilege of raising your own babies.
When they get to the pre-K age- they can handle preschool- but not 8-5 five days a week- Children gain a sense of place and it would be nice if that place was their own home.
Today- Dad's carry the responsibility- they also have to get creative with their jobs- take their turn- it shouldn't all fall on the mom-
You reap what you sow- to you really want someone else other then you- sowing the most precious investment you have on this earth?

...Singing Cowboys

    

I guess "Singing Cowboys" were my first introduction to TV/ Movies, sprawled out on my grandparent's living room floor watching the likes of "Rawhide" where Clint Eastwood sang I think or maybe it was watching him in reruns of "Paint Your Wagon" where I know he sang. Of course there was Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. John Wayne never sang, thank goodness- but think I have seen all of his Westerns and my grandpa loved popcorn, actually my whole family loves popcorn- so Sunday evening were devoted to eating popcorn as we watched shows like "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom".

                                                                                  Then there was Saturday mornings, where others were still sleeping or my mother working and I would indulge in all the TV shows- Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wild Wild West- I thought James West was a real "hunk" at the age of 10.

My mother loved musicals so evening were spent watching Roger and Hammerstein's works such as "Sound of Music" and "Oklahoma". We never missed the yearly showing of "Gone with the Wind" when we were only allowed to ask questions during the commercials-do you remember those days.

Of course having an older brother who could beat me up, I also was well schooled in all the shows boys like- Star Trek and all the James Bond movies.

My mom also introduced me to the likes of Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Gregory Peck, but I discovered Cary Grant all on my own.