THE YEAR IN PICTURES

I love going to the movies because i dont know what i´m going to see. I dont know how the director will open the movie or how it will finish. I dont know how the characters will develop in front of me or how the musical score is gonna fill the gaps of the scenes. 

Iam masterfully attracted to this media. I dont know why i just wanna eat popcorn and watch moving pictures by a light. I love the experience that i am one before the movie and one after the movie. I am left with many ANSWERS and many many questions. 

I can only compare it to  reading  "the little prince" OR SHAKESPEARE, every time IT is different. We all change every day with every experience. I love going to the movies and buying my ticket , hearing the crowd loving the movie or hating it. I love how we all get surprised or scared. How we all become this active audience. ONE WITH THE FILM. 

How ONE story is told by so many people, we imagine together , WE share this vision. MOVIES are so subjective. Every one has its favorites or least favorites. But not two people can agree on a list. 


Going to the movies reminds us of our humanity. Of the way we treat others, the way we have overcome so much in our lifetime. And how we continue to grow and challenge ourselves every day.

i love how movies evolve and how smood a single change of frame, a change of music can affect the storytelling. Movies are decisions, and nowadays with the blu ray extras, we can get a wider explanation of the process of filmmaking. 

Movies can afect us, can change us, can make us laugh, can make us see another point of view, can make us THINK.
Movies are made to be seen BIG. On a BIG SCREEN.

How a single scene is planned then performed. The background, the lights, the framing , the actors, the script, the voices, the music, it all comes together as one single entity.

that is why...

I love going to the movies.
and i love writing about them. 

For all the posts written and for more to come...
Thank you! 
Happy 2015

THE UNKNOWN SPIELBERG

"Before the Director there must be a WRITER"

-Steven Spielberg

A passionate, creative boy from ARIZONA whose imagination was set loose, became the man who changed movie storytelling forever. 

His stories have become the memories of us all.

AMBLIN, is the name of his production company name

and was his first movie, made with 10 thousand dollars shot in 10 days.

• Directed in 1967 an episode of ROD SERLING´S NIGHT GALLERY.

One of Spielberg´s dreams has always been to Direct a BOND movie.

• Thats why the music of Close Encounters is on the BOND movie " MOONRAKER".
• Thats why Sean Connery who played BOND is Indiana Jones dad in "the Last Crusade".

• Thats why the music from James Bond is on "The GOONIES".

"Arguably but for me ....One of the greatest movies ever made in the history of cinema is THE GODFATHER, Nobody Scorcese, Lucas or me, no one could´ve made it the way FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA did."

-Steven Spielberg

• Charlton Heston wanted the part of police chief Martin Brody in JAWS but Spielberg felt there shouldn´t be a BIGGER STAR than the SHARK!

• In 1987, as China began opening to Western capital investment, Spielberg shot the first American film in Shanghai since the 1930s, an adaptation of J. G. Ballard's autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun.

• When he couldn´t resolve the problems with the mechanical shark, he solved it as Hitchcock would, he used several cinematic devices such as: musical suspense, CUTTING two frames off the shark scenes and using the audience as voyeur.

• Scorsese directed an Amazing Stories episode for Spielberg, Spielberg produced Cape Fear for Scorsese.

• Spielberg's contribution to Taxi Driver  by editing the final scene. 

• He snuck into the set of the 1966 Hitchcock movie "TORN CURTAIN" to see the master of suspense in action. He was thrown off set by the Alfred Hitchcock himself.
• He has one of the original Rosebud sleds from Citizen Kane (1941)

• Steven Spielberg directed the first regular episode of COLUMBO on TELEVISION.

"What calls to me is not wether or not a movie is gonna make a Cazillion dollars ..... is if there is a deep urge in the center of myself that only that film will release and then exorcise"

-Steven Spielberg

"E.T. was about my own search for the parent in me in 1982, the most personal thing i´ve ever done "

-Steven Spielberg

Spielberg. Love him or hate him, you've got to respect his skill. In terms of style and sensibility, whenever you want to say MOVIE DIRECTOR you say SPIELBERG. No one is like him, i´ve seeen most of his films some i like some i really hate (Specially the last INDIANA JONES )But Spielbergs goal in this earth was fulffiled the moment he became a house hold name. Not only because his movies are very succesful. But like most of us he is critizised by the risks he takes. 

His influence on me, on modern films and on many filmmakers to come can be sensed. In a scene, with an actor, with an editing cut or a musical cue or just by a ray of light entering a room.

Each one of us has seen at least one of his films and you have to respect the monumental impact of ONE of the world's greatest film directors.

"Steven allows you to be involved as much as possible. He is the most visual person I've ever met. His visual technique is such that whatever you do, he can find a way to put in on film that gives it it's best chance of being seen. He puts the same kinda framework around it. And instantaneously."

-Harrison Ford

HORROR MOVIES

Psycho, Dawn of the Dead, The Exorcist,  The Shining, Misery, CUJO, Poltergeist, SAW, Rosemary´s baby,  DRACULA, Frankenstein, The wolfman, 28 days later, Serpent and the Rainbow, JAWS, RINGU,  Carrie,  i love horror films.

This is my TOP TEN HORROR MOVIES

and the reasons why...

10)The Howling (1981)

To me this is the definitive Were Wolf Movie, By far it is my favorite concept AND THE ENDING of the film is PRICELESS.

9)The Others (2001)

 The ghost concept is mistreated and misses the plot. In this one from SPANISH director Alejandro Amenábari think WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME , story, mood, cast, special effects and the final twist makes it a MUST to watch .

8)The Bride of Frankenstein  (1935)

From the opening shot to the final scene,  it is amazing!! The ambient, the tone, the german expressionism in it. 

IT IS A WORK OF ART. 

It is my favorite CLASSIC MONSTER FILM FROM UNIVERSAL in so many levels. Making FAMOUS the phrase "we belong dead!!!" 

7)THE EVIL DEAD (1981)

It is a horror-comedy but Sam Raimi´s The evil dead is a cult classic and Bruce Cambell as ASH WILLIAMS, is the perfect ANTI HERO. 

THE STAR OF LOW BUDGET.  With hits such as ARMY OF DARKNESS and Bubba Ho-Tep!

6) CHILD´S PLAY (1988)

When serial Killer Charles Lee Ray enters a TOY STORE, the legend of Chucky began. Being taught in voodoo ways to transport his soul to dolls. A very scary movie not so much the sequels it spawned. But the original is to this day very scary.

7)THEY LIVE (1988)

I love movies that begin in a particular way and then the director surprises you by a twist, so unexpected it changes everything! I think this is John CARPENTER´s best film. Because of its TWILIGHT ZONE ( Rod Serling) narrative. 

5)  HALLOWEEN (2007) 

There is no denying the original John Carpenter Slasher classic is a masterpiece and gave birth to a genre. 

But this one STANDS BY ITS OWN. 

NO JAMIE LEE CURTIS or synthethizer music. 

Rob Zombie gives us the chance to take a pick into Myers abusive childhood and how it developed into PURE EVIL. 

4) FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

I grew up watching all the Friday the 13th franchise. My favorite movie monster was always Jason Vorhees. By wearing a hockey mask and being speechless he  became our generation´s Frankenstein monster, he can be on Crystal lake , fighting FREDDY KRUGER or in SPACE or even taking Manhattan. 

A True  Movie Monster ICON of our times, not because any one can play him, but because he is a costume bigger than life.

3)EVENT HORIZON(1997)

A true lost treasure, i saw this one in León, Guanajuato with my brother and my sister. It was a good idea seeing it early and not at night, because it HAS really frightening imagery and a story worth of legend.

2) Jacob´s Ladder(1990)

When an exvietnam veteran looses his son...he looses his mind. In this movie there is no right, wrong , up , down, reality or dream. I had two weeks of very frightning NIGHTMARES after seeing it. 

1) THE ENTITY (1982)

I recall watching on tv "THE ENTITY" and being really scared. Even turning the lights on! It´s a movie with Barbara Hershey plays CARLA MORAN ,  a single mother who suddenly begins to be haunted and raped by an invisible presence at night , but no one believes her. 

She has cuts, bite marks and bruises.

 It was really scary and left images in my mind to this day i´m horrified by its plot and ending.

Even more because it is based on real life events.

CONTEXT , CHARACTER AND TEXTURE

"Every story has to find a way to be told...the best way"

-ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU

Born in Pittsburgh, the youngest of seven brothers, Michael Keaton is one of Hollywood´s brightest actors. Mixing  crazy antics and an explosion of funny rants. It seems he is not acting but improvising all his dialogue.  Keaton has a unique relationship actor/ director they become one as they bring life the whole movie. Funny, twisted AND Dark those are the three things we can expect from KEATON because they explain Keaton´s whole career. 

You don´t know if he is serious or NOT.

Michael Keaton can play it all and has no worries of being himself. Where other actors walk , he runs , he makes the sprint to give you 150% of what you are expecting. Knowing when to be funny, serious or mentally deranged. 

Now in 2014 , Director Alejandro González Iñárritu  wants to tell a tale... of a ONCE huge star, seeking for that spark of success AGAIN. Who better than Michael Keaton to portray a fallen superhero. 

Known for taking his films to an urban REALITY,  Iñárritu has a true sensibility to make films different. He loves to encapsulate feelings in frames. You can almost smell the movie.

"THE SAD, BLUE MORNINGS....." that is what i call Iñárritu´s way of FILMMAKING.

Trust, Love and  SELF DESTRUCTION are his main topics. He makes us a part of the film by bringing us closer to the characters. The camera right to their faces and into the mind.

CONTEXT: The point of view of the street, the camera as an uninvited witness, the musical score is KEY to the emotions.

CHARACTER: faces, troubles, smiles, solution, improvisation, fear and admiration.

TEXTURE: kissing, fighting, huging, eating , kicking and the normal family dinamics.

Iñarritu wishes his directing would pass unseen. Because to him story comes first. In every Iñarritu movie he must have a KITCHEN that is crucial to his story telling 

"Where does life become real?,  but in the kitchen."

His filmography is short, but it has developed into a visual style, very recognizable. Almost as ARCHITECTURE. The movie ALWAYS feels PERSONAL as if it was a memory. Iñárritu´s reality is not far from ours.

We can expect a lot from KEATON and IÑARRITU. 

They both have earned respect and critical acclaim. They have taken the craft of acting and Directing, to a whole new level. 

The arc of the character Keaton starts developing  and Iñárritu´s way to capture it (from THE FIRST SCENE) is what will give THE MOVIE the title of TIMELESS. 

They both like the challenge to explore the limitless posibilities of   storytelling.

I can´t wait to see BIRDMAN.

" This movie, made me remember (Birdman)

this is the thing i want to do "

-Michael Keaton

This is Rumor Control...and here are the facts

"as you´re making a movie and the audience knows you have control of everyhting, of  every single thing and the audience knows you can show them everything...... so the question is ....what don´t you do? Not ...what do you do?"

-David Fincher

If i met David Fincher, i would probably ask him , 

who will be the narrator of your next movie??

I really enjoy his movies, the way each one stands on its own. His abbility to make COMPLEX characters, living WORKS OF ART , the fictional he makes it possible  and actors grow and glow on the big SCREEN. Many directors are also writers, editors or visual poets. 

To me David Fincher is more than all that put together Fincher always  waits for...The right story to tell.

His movies are raw, very straight forward and mind benders. Coming from music videos he is no stranger to stress, special effects and having a field Making deadlines and having to work with STARS such as MADONNA. He made the jump to movies by continuing the work of Ridley Scott and James Cameron, in one of the most loved sagas in movie history. The ALIEN franchise. 

In Alien 3, While in outer space Ellen Ripley had the  choice of ending her life by killing an alien species. Fincher had the same to do with a NO SCRIPT film he never even finish editing.To me... He made a masterpiece out of a mess.

Then with SE7EN the everyday routine of an almost retired cop takes a slow motion turn when a serial killer obsessed with giving humanity a  seven deadly sin lesson.

Fincher made not only one of the most memorable films in the last 30 years he also give birth to a whole new  genre in detective darkness TV spin offs! (CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CRIMINAL MINDS and NCIS) to name a few.

The GAME has the best movie ending in movie history.

It´s clever and has a brilliant Michael Douglas in it. Not as the ALL MIGHTY, ALL POWERFUL MAN but as the Doubtful and Fearfull human WE ALL ARE, when confronted by the silent narrator of the story...THE UNKNOWN.

 In FIGHT CLUB Tyler Durden narrated "you are not... your god damn cakis!!" being this workfreak catalog consuming furniture lover its not such a surprise he has another side 

even the main character Edward Norton is called NARRATOR?

PANIC ROOM is a movie told by a house. Every room is a character and people are like mice running from each other. 

The story of an unknown serial killer in san francisco in the 70´s is told by his own letters sent to a newspaper...makes the mystery of the ZODIAC even bigger! Fincher pushes the technical boundries by making a really scary movie SHOT ON video, not film and edited in Final Cut.

"It's about power and greed and loyalty and jealousy and betrayal and ambition and class and power..."  A movie based in two lawsuits against FACEBOOKdoesnt sound too much  fun, but what if you made both law suits questionnaires the narrator in  the Mark Zuckerberg inspired The SOCIAL NETWORK which deals with how social media has made the world a smaller place and one social network to be our NEW SOCIAL CONNECTION .

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo´s main character is (as portrayed in the opening credit sequence) by  THE DARKNESS INSIDE EVERY CHARACTER that is the narrator from the first scene, all because the disappearence of Harriett.

The Courious Case of Benjamin Button is told by the CAMERA and Brad Pitt´s voice , both tell the singular story of a man born old and who died young...."some people"

Within the realm of realism and the NO BOUNDRIES in technology that FINCHER makes use to. His main goal has not change. He wants to tell a story.

 i REALLY want to see GONE GIRL

Because i want to see how Fincher tells it. 

How his characters evolve before my eyes. 

How he makes me doubt the plot. 

Where does he take me.

Fincher makes the impossible possible, where there is no meaning and only puzzles, darkness and human despair...he spreads a clear vision, LIGHTS THE WAY of the roads ahead by having one NO SIMPLE RULE... SLOWLY AND FOCUSED.  Fincher is more than a DIRECTOR he is a MASTER STORY TELLER OF human  RELATIONSHIPS.

"my job ...is to create for you an enviroment where you are on the inside looking out. YOU never have to be ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN"

 -David Fincher