Still the Fairest of Them All

So last night I experienced a real treat. My friend Carly and I decided to go see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the big screen. Yes, that's right, Walt Disney's 1937 masterpiece that launched the animation movement into the next dimension of awareness and respect. What had been relegated to short cartoons for the kiddies shown before the actual feature film finally came of age in 1937. Walt Disney had this crazy idea, a belief that people would come and sit through an entire feature length film that was animated.

Critics at the time scoffed at the idea, some referring to the film as "Disney's Folly" predicting it's failure. No one had ever attempted anything on this scale before. Would it succeed? Would it find an audience? Was Walt Disney but a flash-in-the-pan? Sitting at the El Capitan Theatre (pictured above) in downtown Hollywood, California, I reflected before the film began about how growing up this was the first film I ever saw in theaters. I was born in 1985 and right before I turned 3 my parents took me to the Alabama theatre to see the 1987 50th Anniversary screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I don't remember it (in fact, the first film I actually remember seeing in theaters was The Little Mermaid in 1989 when I was 4), but my parents told me that the wicked witch frightened me so much that when she turned into an old hag I crawled under the seat and cried. I somehow made it through the whole film though, and they tell me that whenever the dwarfs were on the screen I was bouncing and smiling in my seat. In the scene where the dwarfs sneak upstairs, conscious that someone is in their house, but unaware that it's Snow White, I reportedly said out loud multiple times, "They're SNEE-king mommy! They're SNEE-king!" Fitting that for my first movie I would go see the one that started it all...

Growing up in the 80's of course, Disney is a part of your childhood. You grow up in a world surrounded by his famous characters and most everyone I knew growing up went through the childhood right-of-passage of visiting Disneyworld or Disneyland at least once in their life. You just sort of take Disney for granted. But reflect for a moment on what it must have been like in 1937 to watch Snow White in it's original theatrical run... before Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, etc would follow, before Disneyland would be built, before television and The Wonderful World of Disney would be beamed into people's living rooms... through the hindsight of history of course we know what Disney became, but I wonder how many people in that original release, Walt himself included, could ever dream of what Disney would come to be and represent to millions of children (and adults) around the world.

It's exciting to think about and try to put your mind in that 1937 atmosphere and watch the film... WWII hadn't reached America yet, there was no television, not even Gone With the Wind had been made yet (try and wrap your mind around THAT one). What a magical experience this must have been. Even watching the film restored the other night, I couldn't help but marvel at how well it's held up after more than 70 years. The humor, the music, the characters... all timeless and just as charming and endearing as when they first made their way into the hearts of audiences everywhere way back when.

Now, with a film school education firmly beneath me, I was able to sit back and enjoy the film on even more levels, taking in the small technical details... the ripple effects when Snow White looks down into the wishing well, the use of the multi-plane camera to create depth in many of the shots, the richly colored cells, the simple hand-drawn magic of the characters, and the facial expressions and personalities given to each of the dwarfs and the forrest creatures just to name a few. All that timeless melding of color, motion, and music to tell a timeless story. To see the labor of love displayed on screen, from the matte painting backgrounds to the rich and full cell animation of the central characters, this film continues to inspire and blow me away ever time I see it and think about how much of a landmark in cinema history it is. I found myself laughing anew at the antics of Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, and Sneezy; once again remembering the terror of the sequence where Snow White gets lost in the woods and every tree morphs into an evil face. After 20 years, I still find myself singing along to the music and smiling throughout the film. If you live near Hollywood, it's still screening daily at the El Capitan theater for one more week on the big screen, ending on October 1st. I strongly encourage you to take your friends and family and relive the magic again. At my screening, all ages were present, from a very elderly couple on a date together (they were cutest couple of old folks ever too!) to little children experiencing the film for the first time.

In a few weeks, they will be releasing Snow White on Blu-Ray for the first time (October 6), as well as on DVD for the 2nd time since it's original platinum edition release in 2001. This after numerous theatrical re-issues, televised screenings, and VHS releases as well. I gotta hand it to Walt and his talented team of animators... watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tonight I had to think to myself, it's been over 70 years, and she's still the fairest of them all. ;-)

The Return

So yeah... it's been like... um... 4 months since my last update. That's gonna change... right now. Read on faithful readers, Ben is back and blogging again! :-)

Every Grain of Sand...

Well if any of you follow my blog regularly, (I think maybe there's like... ummm... one person other than me who qualifies), you've probably noticed a lack of posting as of lately.  Here's what this means:  I'm lazy.  It doesn't mean I'm busy.  Sadly, I would very much like to be busy, but thanks to the great tranquility of our current economy (sarcasm intended) I've been more or less unemployed and hard hit for money as of the last few months.  On top of that, remember when Paul wrote in the New Testament (as opposed to all of his Old Testament writings I suppose - had to catch that before some of you wise guys did) about having a "thorn in his flesh?"  Yeah?  Well I got one of those... it's called a 1995 Nissan Maxima that has officially been taken into the mechanic for the "last time" about 4 times now over the course of the last 3 months... each time I take it in, I get hit with anywhere from $340 to $1260 in repair costs.  Suffice it to say, Los Angeles eats cars alive with the horrible roads and constant driving everywhere, so yeah, Murphy's Law has been after me for the last few months in regards to my automobile.  For those of you unacquainted with Murphy's Law... well... how should I explain it?... good for you.  Ignorance is bliss.  

So where does this leave me? Well as of today I've applied to a few job posting on craigslist and finally got my car out of the shop for the 4th time.  What I hope this means is that we're about to see a change... and no, I'm in no way referencing or referring to Barrack Obama with that remark.  I'm hoping that starting soon, things will begin to work together for my good.  And here's the catch: I know they will.  How do I know that?  Because a few nights back I read through Ephesians... for those folks who stumbled upon this blog and are scratching their heads, it's in the Bible.  Allow me to explain a little more.  When you read through Ephesians, a few things "oughta' slap you upside the head" as my granddad would say.  First, the precious promises of God.  These aren't earthly promises folks.  They don't get changed, altered, skewered, or come with strings attached.  These are promises made to those whom God loves, to those He has called according to His rich mercy and love.  I'm not always sure of a lot, but one thing I am sure of is this: God loves me.  There's no better explanation for the fact that I'm still breathing.  I know He certainly doesn't have to love me... He doesn't have to love any of us.  But for whatever reason that is beyond my comprehension, God chose me before the foundations of the earth were laid as someone He would love, and I can take that to the bank.  

Reading through Ephesians 2 might be the best remedy ever devised for feeling frustrated and anxious.  It really hammers home a few things: 1) It's not about me... I didn't do anything to earn or gain this favor and love... in fact, I ran from it as an enemy of God.  2) It's all about Him... His grace... His mercy... His love... poured out on undeserving sinners like you and me.  3) There was a terrible cost... his grace doesn't exist apart from his justice... someone had to pay.  That someone was the one person who shouldn't ever have had to, his perfect son, Christ Jesus.  4) It's through these two things: the sheer grace of God and the ultimate costly sacrifice of Christ, that we are in fact reconciled to God... brought into His favor... more than that, we're actually made heirs and family members, adopted into His family! Read Romans 5 if you really want a kick in the head!

So yeah... I'm starting to ramble a little now, and I'm not trying to preach, that's not my area of strength by any means.  I only know that ever since reading through Ephesians, my mind has been consumed with the love of Christ and the power of the gospel, and not as tied up by my current situation out here of not having a job, a perfect car, etc.  Has my situation out here changed?  On the outside, not at all.  But in my soul, I've been reawakened to the beauty of the gospel and God's love for me, and also been rudely awakened to the fact that I need to do a much better job of repenting and confessing and being a good deal more thankful than I am now for what I have been given.  As my understanding of my sin increases, my understanding of God's love, mercy, grace, and righteousness also grows.  Charles Spurgeon once said "If your sin is small, then your Savior will be small also.  But if your sin is great, then your Savior must be great."  Well I know my Savior is great... Ephesians (and the rest of the Bible) screams this with every verse... so what's that tell me about my sin?  Uh yeah... time to hit my knees folks.  I've no more got it together than any of you reading this.  

So yeah... I'm not gonna lie, things aren't exactly fluffy little bunny rabbits and fields of golden daffodils right now, but you know what?  Who said they should be?  If they were, I probably would be living in ignorance right now more than ever.  All this to say, sometimes God uses dark brush strokes to paint his masterpiece, and we can't be scared to face those dark times.  This is still the same God who can silence the wind and waves with a simple command, and as rough as it may get sometimes, He has promised to never let us go... to close, I'd like to call up two songs.  For one, I'm reminded of the children's song I used to sing growing up, "He's Got The Whole World in His Hands"... man, how often do we "grow up" and leave behind our child-like faith when in fact we had the truth and understanding right there in front of us? Seriously... He's got the whole world in his hands folks.  It wasn't like He dropped it when the stocks fell.  It still answers to Him and Him alone, as He is the sole Creator with power of his creation.  It's got the scars of sin, sure, but it's still a beautiful world in many ways... Just because it's dark doesn't mean we should give up.  As long as we're here, we're called to grow.  Yes, this world is not our home, but we're still ambassadors here for the time being, temporarily being used to grow and impact the kingdom of God, and it's time we learned to act as such.  

The other song I'd like to reference I'll simply close with here... the source may not be what you'd expect, but then again, if God could use a talking donkey, then don't be so quick to throw this guy out.  You've probably heard of him... he goes by the name Bob Dylan.  Check out his lyrics to "Every Grain of Sand" below and you may be surprised...  I for one think he hit the nail right on the head here:

In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need

When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed

There's a dyin' voice within me reaching out somewhere, 

Toiling in the danger and the morals of despair.

I don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake

Like Cain, I now behold the chain of events that I must break.

In the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand

In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.

Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear,

Like criminals, they have choked the breathe of conscience and good cheer.

The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way

To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay.

As I gaze into the doorway of temptations angry flame

And every time I pass that way I always hear my name.

Then onward on my journey I have come to understand

That every hair is numbered just like every grain of sand.

I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night

In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of wintry light,

In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space,

In the broken mirror  of innocence in each forgotten face.

I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea

Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me.

I am hanging in the balance of a perfect finished plan

Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand...

Satisfied

All my life long I had panted

For a drink from some cool spring

That I hoped would quench the burning

Of the thirst I felt within

Hallelujah He has found me

The one my soul so long has craved

Jesus satisfies all my longings

Through His blood I now am saved

Feeding on the filth around me

Till my strength was almost gone

Long my soul for something better

Only still to hunger on

Poor I was and sought for riches

Something that would satisfy

But the dust I gathered 'round me

Only mocked my soul's sad cry

Well of water ever springing

Bread of life so rich and free

Untold wealth that never faileth

My Redeemer is to me

It's Been A Long Silence....

For those of you wondering if I feel off a cliff or met my end to one of LA's street gangs, rest assured, I am alive and well... and busy.  Sort of.  While I may not always be working for money, I'm always in some way or another too busy to update my blog.  But don't worry, it's all about to change... check back often!  There will be lots of new posts soon, I promise!

Oscar Predictions

Anyone who knows me well knows that for me, the biggest night in television isn't the Superbowl.  Matter of fact, I pretty much hate the Super Bowl.  No, for me, it's Academy Awards, which of course are lovingly called "The Oscars" by most folks.  This year I've been living near Hollywood, and the buzz around this town come awards season is even more magnificent than it was back home or at college on the East Coast.  I love trying to predict the Academy Awards as well, so now with roughly 12 hours to go before the statues are handed out, I'm gonna post my final thoughts and predictions on most all of the categories.  I'm not even sure if you'll read this before the Awards actually do happen, but here goes: 

Best Picture

What the critics are saying: Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

I've only seen this film in theaters 7 times, so I may be biased, haha, but I'll be darned if there's a better film out there (that also got nominated for Best Picture).  If it had to go up against The Dark Knight or even Wall-E there might be some competition, but I don't see Benjamin Button, The Reader, Milk, or Frost/Nixon putting up much of a fight here.  Expect the "little film that could" to finally get it's due, I'm calling Slumdog by a landslide.  In the event that I'm wrong... Hmm... my second favorite of this bunch is actually Frost/Nixon, but I think if there's a film that could upset Slumdog, it would be Milk due to the political nature of the film and the awards.  And by the way, if that happens, I will be severely upset for some time, because I HATED Milk. 

Best Director

What the critics are saying: Danny Boyle

What I'm saying: Danny Boyle

By winning the DGA he's a safe lock in my opinion based on what little I know of the way the votes are cast.  Plus, he's got the best film of the year (Slumdog Millionaire), and while there are exceptions to every rule, more times than not the film that goes all the way goes hand-in-hand with best director too.  Kinda wish poor Christopher Nolan had been given a chance here... Dark Knight was awesome, and had much better directing than Milk and The Reader for sure...  

Best Actor

What the critics are saying: split between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke

What I'm saying: Frank Langella

This is easily one of the closest calls in this category that we've ever seen... Call me crazy, but I have a hunch that Frank will get his due for his portrayal of a very unpopular president in Frost/Nixon.  I know the tables are stacked against me as Mickey won the Golden Globe for The Wrestler and Sean won the SAG award for Milk, but everyone thought I was crazy last year as well when I said I thought Marion Cotillard would win Best Actress too.  We'll see... I'm personally unmoved by Sean's performance, but I could easily see any of the three (Frank, Mickey, Sean) taking this one home.  All of this is a real shame for Richard Jenkins, who gave a great performance in The Visitor.  Oh well, it's nice to be nominated, right?

Best Actress

What the critics are saying: Kate Winslet

What I'm saying: Meryl Streep

I'll probably be wrong on this one, but quite simply put, I haven't seen The Reader (and I won't either, I've not heard good things from the majority of my friends whose opinions I trust).  Whenever Meryl is nominated, it's a safe bet to vote for her, and of the performances I've seen, she's the strongest for her role in Doubt.  I did like Changeling a lot, but I'm afraid this won't be Angelina's year. 

Best Supporting Actor

What the critics are saying: Heath Ledger

What I'm saying: Heath Ledger

Do I even need to explain this one?  He's the closest thing to a sure bet you're ever going to get at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.  If he doesn't win, the world may very well be ending... 

Best Supporting Actress

What the critics are saying: Penelope Cruz

What I'm saying: Viola Davis

A lot has been said about how hard this category is to predict.  That being said, I'm not going to say Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and instead say that I thought Viola Davis gave the best one scene performance of any move this year in Doubt.  Will it be enough to get her the Oscar?  We'll see... she may always split votes with co-star Amy Adams and there's always the notorious Marisa Tomei upset for The Wrestler (in my book though, just prancing around in the nude as she does for 90% of her role doesn't equal acting, so she doesn't even deserve the nomination)

Screenplay - Original

What the critics are saying: Milk

What I'm saying: Wall-E

Screenplay - Adapted

What the critics are saying: Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Feature

What the critics are saying: Wall-E

What I'm saying: Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film

What the critics are saying: Waltz With Bashir

What I'm saying: My heart still says Israel's Waltz With Bashir is probably gonna walk away with this one, but be on the lookout for a little film called Departures from Japan... I'm just saying, it could happen... Also, France has The Class to potentially spoil things

Best Documentary

What the critics are saying: Man on Wire

What I'm saying: Man on Wire

Best Art Direction

What the critics are saying: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

What I'm saying: The Dark Knight

Best Cinematography

What the critics are saying: Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Costume Design

What the critics are saying: The Duchess

What I'm saying: The Duchess

Best Film Editing

What the critics are saying: Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Make-Up

What the critics are saying: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

What I'm saying: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (because I really want to one day tell someone they should watch "the Oscar winning film Hellboy 2: The Golden Army." Haha)

Best Original Score

What the critics are saying: Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song

What the critics are saying: "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire

What I'm saying: "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing

What the critics are saying: The Dark Knight

What I'm saying: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Editing

What the critics are saying: Wall-E

What I'm saying: Wall-E

Best Visual Effects

What the critics are saying: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

What I'm saying: Iron Man or The Dark Knight

Best Documentary Short Subject

What the critics are saying: Smile Pinki

What I'm saying: I haven't seen any of these, so I have no clue

Best Live Action Short Subject

What the critics are saying: New Boy

What I'm saying: The Pig or Auf Der Strecke (On The Line)

Best Animated Short Subject

What the critics are saying: Presto

What I'm saying: Man, these were all excellent... I kinda lean towards La Maison en Petits Cubes, but also could easily see Lavatory - Lovestory and This Way Up taking it home. 

A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben vs. The Walt Disney Concert Hall

So I finally got the chance last week to visit the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  For the uninformed, it's the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and also one of the most uniquely designed buildings in LA.  Envisioned by renowned architect Frank Gehry, the WDCH has been used in countless films and commercials (among them: Get Smart, Iron Man, Fracture, and the upcoming Robert Downey Jr./Jamie Foxx film The Soloist) and is a prominent land-mark here in Los Angeles.  It's no secret that I'm in no way a student of classical music, but I do appreciate it, and along with ballet, opera, art museums, and other such "high-brow" artistic endeavors, I seek to learn more about it, and so for the longest time since moving here I've wanted to attend a concert inside the Hall.  I only live a mile from this magnificent building, and after months of deliberation, I finally found myself presented with a free ticket to see a concert there.  This wasn't just any concert either.  Oh no.  This was Jazz vocalist Patti Austin singing the Gershwin songbook, and she would be flanked by a big jazz band, including a small string section and also the essential jazz quartet set of piano, upright bass, and percussion.  All in all, it was everything I could ask for.  

The interior of the WDCH is every bit as elaborate and imaginative as the exterior, and the main hall itself is a pleasing array of wood carved seating areas and a massive pipe organ that practically defies geometry the way it protrudes from the wall.  The acoustics are amazing, the seats are relatively comfortable (a little more leg room would have been nice) and all in all, it's an experience that every person who lives in LA or comes to visit for any amount of time should have at least once.  The concert was awesome, albeit Patti couldn't resist making some obligatory political comments about how her new black president was gonna protect her from racist white folks like me and how the whole nation is going to hell thanks to Bush and his economy.  Stick to the Gershwin Patti, that's what we're paying you for and what we came to see.  I don't give two cents about you (or any other celebrities) political views.  The best part of the evening (in my opinion) was when Patti was still back stage and the band opened with new version of the ever popular "Rhapsody in Blue".  Magnificent.  Music truly transcends all barriers... 

Anyway, yeah, I'm gonna put a few pics with this post so you can see the beautiful concert hall as I saw it, and hopefully on your next visit here I can take you to hear the LA Philharmonic.  Enjoy!