5 posts tagged “movies”

I took Maria to see Wall-E on Saturday.  I loved it, though I found the subject matter a wee bit sophisticated for the youngsters. A little over an hour into the movie, when Wall-E is drifting out in space, Maria wanted to leave.  She gets very stressed out and scared when she senses that a character is in peril.  She has yet to figure out that Disney is never going to let the beloved robot protagonist burst into flames, but that's beside the point.  For her first movie theater experience, Maria did pretty well. 

I'm Loaded with Subtext

After the movie, we walked over to the adjacent parking lot where our local mall (that's not actually a mall anymore), was celebrating it's 50th anniversary and the grand opening of the new Target store.  When we arrived, Batman greeted us, but Maria was too scared to even make eye contact. There were food booths and juggling acts, ballroom dance demonstrations and miniature golf.  We stopped to watch some hippy magician pull an egg out of his ear and then Dora arrived on the scene.  That is, some poor person who had to wear a 50 pound Dora head in 85 degree heat. 

So Scary!

Maria saw Dora and went nuts as did all of the other preschool age girls!  "Dora!" she screamed and ran up to greet her cartoon idol.  So, how in the hell does a child get scared over a robot drifting in space or some guy in a Batman costume, but squeals with delight at the sight of a giant, fuzzy, pseudo-educational creature with hair apparently made out of floor mats?

I just don't get it.   

Last weekend, I re-watched Wim Wenders' 1991 film, "Until the End of the World," set in an imagined world of 1999.  When I first saw this film back in 1991, a mobile phone was a luxury and e-mail was new and exciting. 

So, it is very interesting to go back and view this movie today, given the rapid advances in technology since 1991.  The film raises deep questions about the effects of technology:  Mainly, should there be limits for technological development?  The characters in the film use techology to look into their own psyche and record their dreams. It becomes an obsession and it drives them insane. The aborigines in the movie understand that those lines shouldn't be crossed, it's sacred and not for us to see. The way to be free from this obsession is through words or through spirit.

Once more I was both encouraged, challenged and moved by this movie.  And it left me asking "Where are we now?" Wenders challenges us to think about where we are headed, to be aware and not let technology rule us, but let it be an instrument for building relationships and connections. I want this to be true, but at times I feel that we're already at a place where we've crossed certain lines that shouldn't have been crossed.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the soundtrack, for it is truly wonderful.

They don't make 'em like they used to.

First, there was Lloyd Cole, then there was Lloyd Dobler.  And now, one of my favorite groups, Camera Obscura, has created this charming homage to the former.

This video makes me want to shop, dance and cut my bangs.

I love this movie from beginning to end, so it was hard to narrow this down to one clip.  My mood today dictates that I highlight this charming scene: