Wednesday, March 14, 2012

π

π is director Darren Aronofsky's first feature film.  Along with co-writer and star of the film, Sean Gullette, Aronofsky begins a path of obsession and compulsion.  The search is for perfection.  As in "Black Swan," Aronofsky's characters are driven mad by the pursuit to be more than the sum of their parts.  Unlike "Requiem for A Dream," his next film after π, where the characters are fighting forces within themselves, Pi's main character Max, is fighting against the forces of the corporate world and the forces of the religious world.  Max (Sean Gullette), is obsessed with finding a pattern to the stock market. His goal is neither wealth or fame, but an understanding of the universe through numbers. Obsessive compulsive, and on the verge of a psychotic breakdown, Max's search perfection takes him places not only in his mind, but also in his life where he never wanted to go. This gift of his, to see the world as numerical sets of data, is also a curse. Max's curse hounds him all through the film as he eventually realizes that his hunt for perfection has brought him to the very source of perfection -- the name of God.

94143243431512659321054872390486828512913474876027
67195923460238582958304725016523252592969257276553
64363462727184012012643147546329450127847264841075
62234789626728592858295347502772262646456217613984
829519475412398501 


Like π (Pi) is irrational number, meaning it never ends, and will never repeat.  Like the nature of God, who is never ending and never beginning, it is always there.



Monday, March 12, 2012

On The Road

I  read Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" several times in my life. The first time was in High School, when I needed to write an essay on a book of my choice.  The first time I read it, I can't say I was "amazed." I was too young with no real experience behind me to evaluate such a phenomenal novel against.  A few years later I saw  "Heart Beat," a film released in 1980 before I graduated. Once again my interest peaked and I pulled my copy out and read it again.  This time with some life experience I could read it in a new light. This time I could "see" more of what Dean and Sal a bit more from their perspective.  
Later in the early 90's after settling down and having time to reflect after the last 10 years of insanity that I called my life, and the amount of miles I put on myself and my poor 86 Charger (200,000 miles in just over 4 years) I could see what Jack Kerouac envisioned.  This year (2012) sometime, MK2 Productions is releasing "On The Road." No date is scheduled, however, I just saw the trailer, which stars Sam Riley as Sal Paradise whom in the book is told from his point of view.Dean Moriarty, the main character, is played by Garrett Hedlund ("TRON: Legacy"). Kirsten Stewart ("Twilight" series, "The Runaways") plays the ditzy Marylou, Dean's first wife. 



Also listed in the cast are Kirsten Dunst,Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Alice Braga, and 
Steve Buscemi.  Also coming out this December is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby."  So if 2012 isn't remembered for the apocalypse, then perhaps the audience will rember 2012 as  the year that the great literary giants Fitzgerald, and Kerouac, had their novels come again to the big screen and a new generation will take inspiration from Jay and Dean.


Movie Data

Genre: Adventure, Drama
Year: 2012
Staring: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Alice Braga, Elisabeth Moss
Director: Walter Salles
Producer(s): Roman Coppola, Charles Gillibert, Nathanaël Karmitz, Rebecca Yeldham
Writer: Jose Rivera, Jack Kerouac (novel)
Rating: R
Running Time: 124 minutes
Release Date: 5/23/2012

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Lone Ranger

Due out at the end of May 2013 (if the world as we know still exists) is "The Lone Ranger."  A remake of a remake of a famous TV series and before that it was a radio show back in the 1930s,  When I was a kid, the Lone Ranger was played by Clayton Moore. In 1981 Klinton Spilsbury played the title character in the movie "The Legend of the Lone Ranger."  Armie Hammer ("The Social Network") plays the Texas Ranger who along with six other Rangers were ambushed by the Butch Cavendish gang.  Not sure if this is going to happen in this version. Oh yes, that pirate looking Native American is none other than Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, "The Rum Diary").  Looking forward to hear Armie shout "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!"

Related

The Lone Ranger - Trailer (previous)

Movie Data

Genre:  Action, Adventure, Western
Year:  2013
Staring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Gore Verbinski
Producer(s): Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski
Writer: Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 149 minutes
Release Date: 7/23/2013