Month: April 2017

Loss Of Innocence In Movies (Cross Talk Ep. 22)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

 

It’s been theorized before that all youth are supposed to grow out of adolescent thoughts and enter into the realm of adulthood between eighteen to twenty one years of age, depending where you live in the world.

I’m not sure how true that is.

And because all great art imitates life in a broad range of expressions, film is no stranger to the concept of coming of age themes. Or to put it in a more mature way, the period of which a child’s life is altered so that they are more aware of the world around them – evil, disease, pain, death, and the seemingly random nature of the world.

Sometimes a coming of age happens after adolescence though.

That’s where the tie-in to my birthday month series of April posts happens. Because my birthday is so strongly tuned into the changeable schedule of the Easter holiday, I would say that this even had even more of an impact on me growing up then Christmas, and all it’s trappings, ever did.

While finding out that Santa wasn’t real was tough in my primary school year(s), what was more difficult to beat was the ensuing destruction of myths that followed – like The Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, etc.

That house of cards was delicate, but in one full swoop it tumbled.

Yes, innocence was lost for me in that way, though I am willing to bet that we all experience our own awakenings. Some of us go through this stuff in out teenage years, and others much later on in life.

It can be heart-wrenching, beautiful, painful, and even hilarious to have this happen, but it’s necessary in life to progress forward.

 

Bye Bye Baby Goodbye

 

This is why this week’s episode of Cross Talk is a further exploration into how innocence is lost in different films. Chris and I believe that a loss of innocence is necessary to become adults, but not all awakenings are healthy either. This is where our guest Mike Dadural comes in. He’s cross-section pick the topic is going to effect you…

And that’s okay.

The first episode of a series exploring the role film takes in tackling themes which often transcend a particular genre, this was a fun one for us.

The energy on this one was off the charts creative cuties, and I’m glad that Chris and I had time to bring Mike in. Maybe he’ll become a cast regular!

That mentioned – what did you think of the episode? Did you enjoy the deep-dive discussions on three specific films?Would you have suggested something different? We want you to join in on the conversation and let us know what you thought!

Please comment, subscribe, and share this video with friends. As always, be excellent to one another!

Tim!

Meet the Family (Easter)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I’ve written about Easter traditions before AND even included some perspective as it relates to the history of the arts… but today I decided to write about Easter as an influencer on life. My life in particular.  Because I was born in the spring and Easter is a movable holiday, sometimes it falls before my birthday, sometimes it falls after, and very rarely it happens on my actual birthday (read: two times) and I suspect won’t happen again in my lifetime.

This is because according to Catholic traditions, Easter follows the first full moon of the vernal equinox. A pattern unbroken.

Certain events are like that though. Even though they don’t happen on the same day of the week each year, they happen on the same calendar month or in some fashion which guides their timing on a yearly basis.

Secondhand Firsts

But not this weekend.

This Easter season I’m visiting my girlfriends family for the first time. Yay! I’m supposed to meet a lot of the family all at once, cousins, aunts and uncles, and close family friends. But not her immediate family.

You see dear readers, my girlfriend is a planner with a system for introducing partners to her family. She does this because she has a young son and doesn’t want to create too many waves for him in her personal life. Now, as for meeting the whole family. My girlfriend had an unconventional childhood, because for most of her childhood, her parents didn’t raise her. Shock. Gasp. Well at least not ever at the same time, and it was not them alone that did it.

Mysticque was also predominantly raised by her aunt for quite a few years. And so her aunt has served as a surrogate mother along with her aunt’s three children who affectionately become her younger brother and two younger sisters.

No big deal right? I’ve meet parents before, and I’m a fairly charming, clean cut guy who likes to bring flowers, give a big greeting, and make a great first impression. In fact, I think it’s because I’m so secure in my own identity that I can assure the men in the room of my good intentions, plus I dress sharply and get to know the family, which goes over well with the female family members.

But I’m nervous, because I love her. I want to get along with them and make sure she gets the approval, because I know in my heart of hearts I’m going to be with her. And that’s the first time I’ve written that down, and shared it with world.

Whew.

timotheories Summarized

I think this is a good time to meet her family. Because Easter is supposed to represent a time of Christ’s rebirth, the time of my own birth, and a time to begin again. Cause you know sins are forgiven if we accept Jesus as our Saviour. I’ll just say for now that I’m glad that I met Mysticque Moore. I love her, and no it’s not theoretical – she’s the muse of my life.

Tim!

Make Your Own Damn Popcorn (Life Satisfaction)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Sometimes it’s important to ask the hard questions, evaluate your life, and how you feel about the direction its headed, considering options along the way. For instance, the following questions are almost always on our collective minds. How can we be satisfied in life? How do we feel content? How do we be happy with what we have?

Not because it’s an impossible task, but because life “seems” to throw obstacles in our way constantly, people don’t understand us or are actively trying to prevent us from succeeding, relationships are built on false ideas, dreams misunderstood.

This is yet another post inspired by the Postconsumers.com considerations of the OECD index. And yet, this one feels like its at the core of series.

So today, I’m going to attempt to answer these questions, knowing full well that you’re creative professionals, and you’re already chasing happiness. Hopefully that’s the right idea to have!

How To Be

The first question to the theme of life satisfaction is surrounded by possibility. Can we be satisfied in life? Is that a realistic goal to even have?

Well, I’d like to think so. We all have things that bring temporary joy to our lives, meeting up with good friends that make us laugh can be a great example of this. Whenever you’re down, you need to think about something that makes you calm down and begin to smile. I hear that baby and animal videos can work wonders.

And you might say, well timotheories, that’s just not me. In fact, baby and animal videos MAKE me angry.

And to that I say, you can absolutely choose to be angry and frustrated or you can choose to be consumed by anger. It’s not an easy habit to break though, so you need to find relaxation techniques to replace your anger with, like meditation, affirmations, and reflecting on the things you are grateful for already.

Another item which is ever so important is expectation. You cannot life your life the same way as other people have, do or tell you they plan to. You are a unique individual with a one-of-a-kind set of experiences, that means that life will not play out for you the same way as anyone else. Granted, you do have access to many of the same tools as others, and you are limited to some basic principles of life, ie breathing, sleeping, eating, having a physical body, and making a living.

But maybe you need to pare it down and live more simply?

The World Happiness Report

Have you ever read The World Happiness Report before dear readers? Well I have, briefly. Essentially its a way to measure happiness based on the country you live in, and it was developed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a few years ago. The idea being that if countries can measure the happiness of their populace, it might help guide their policies in a more constructive direction.

According to the 2017 report, Norway is the happiest country in the world, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland. Rounding out the top ten are Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden.

The principles of freedom, generosity, and trust are what drive these countries to remain at the top of the one hundred and fifty plus sized list. I mention it because I think those concepts are key in happiness at an individual level.

Let me elaborate.

How To Feel

Contentment is important in having trust and generosity for sure, and I would also argue that freedom affords that state of mind as well.

Happiness is really about feeling good about your own life. Enjoying what you have, avoiding negative thoughts about what you don’t, holding your personal relationships to a standard of happiness that makes sense for you, and never comparing your life to others.

I’m going to share another really cool article with you that explains it well. Life satisfaction is about your life, so if you are satisfied, then you are in a state of satisfaction. Past, present, and future included.

So what are the things needed to achieve present happiness? Well I summarized the theory for simplicity:

  1. Friends. Have a circle of close friends, it’ll boost your happiness a lot.
  2. A Life Story. Meaning comes from explanation, and telling stories about our lives accomplishes just that.
  3. Goals. A consistent and evolving list of achieved goals is better than one big dream.
  4. Immaterial Living. The more material(s) you chase, the less satisfied you are.
  5. Keep Growing. Letting your mind stay open as you age pays off.

theories Summarized

I really do believe that you should keep growing as you age. I make a habit of reading at least one book a month, listen to a new album every week, and watch movies that I care about while avoiding activities that don’t inspire me to follow my passions as an artist. Even my closest friends share interests with me and enjoy that the story I am writing includes them.

timotheories is about community for artists, and I live my life that way, you should too. One last final theory, I make popcorn because I enjoy the taste, it has almost no calories, and it can be made around a campfire, right along the stories being told. Make your own stories, and make your own popcorn while you live your life.

Tim!

 

Return of the Prequel (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Let me tell you a story from when I was a young lad. A story that always reminds me of the past, but not because it is of my own past, but because it is a story of another history, one of long ago and far away.

I first really and truly watched Star Wars when I was eleven years old. At Christmas time, no less. But I was actually exposed to it in would be one of many common experiences of my childhood. My dad was in the living room on a weekend evening  and I strolled in to find him just in the midst of a Star Wars marathon. I sat down and was enthralled immediately.

An odd kid looking to escape from the doldrums of youth. I had found one of my many happy places. Then again, as I mentioned, the next Christmas I found a box set of Star Wars under the tree with my name on it.

Thus began a lifetime of fandom.

 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed
Director: Gareth Edwards
released on blu-ray April 4, 2017
********* 9/10

IMDB: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%, Audience Score 88%
The Guardian: ****/*****

Gareth Edwards is a fairly young director. At age 41 he has directed only three major films. The first was Monsters, an independently made science fiction feature, followed up by the 2014 Godzilla remake, and now, the first of the Star Wars anthology films – Rogue One.

Rogue One is the original Star Wars fan film. It hits all the major heartstrings, while providing enough visual interest to feel different than the the original trilogy – a future that has already happened.

Now, I’m going to do my best not to retell the whole plot of Rogue One, because I think that this story deserves to be seen first rather then read. But I will give you a brief overview out of consideration for what this movie does.

Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelson) has hidden his family away from the Empire. One day Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) arrives to get assistance in completing the Death Star. In the process Galen’s wife Lyra is killed, Galen is captured, while daughter Jyn escapes and is taken to safety by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).

Jump forward fifteen years, and Empire cargo pilot Bodhi (Riz Ahmed) has defected, and smuggled a message from Galen to Saw… One that will set forward the next three films in the main Star Wars story. During this story we see adult Jyn (Felicity Jones) meet fellow rebels Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), and Jedha temple monks Chirrut Imwe () and Baze Malbus ().

Cassian is on a mission to kill Galen, and prevent the Death Star from being completed, while Jyn wants to get Bodhi to the Alliance to prove her fathers worth. Because of this conflict Krennic does everything he can to tie up loose ends, destroying cities, killing members of the Empire and Rebel Alliance alike, even gaining the attention of Lord Vader.

In one of the most epic wartime sequences ever, we witness The Battle of Scarif, where the Alliance fights to gain essential intel on the Death Star. There are heavy losses on both sides, but in the end the Rebels gain a victory and set up the beginning of A New Hope – mere moments later.

 

This is a movie for the fans, made by someone who is a fan of the Star Wars mythology. With direct tie-ins to Episodes I, II, II, IV, and the animated series Rebels, Rogue One is Star Wars. Which probably seems vague, but what I mean is that it is so clearly miming the 1977 Star Wars film, before it became Episode IV, that it can’t help but make us happy. Because it looks new but retains that retro future aesthetic we’ve come to love.

Pros: The fast pacing and limited interactions we get with each character only further demonstrate the impact of war on life, appearing at once fully, and then suddenly gone. It expands upon the universe in a very satisfactory way.

Cons: After the bleakness and the hard won battle are over, you have to wonder if you really experienced anything new at all. Plus where is the charm? Also, I didn’t like Vaders red eyes, like at all.

Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes

Points of Interest: The Rebel base at Yavin IV features the same kinds of cardboard cutout ships that the original movie did back in 1977. The is the first Star Wars movie to not mention the name of Skywalker in it.

Rogue One is a mad dash to the finish action-adventure film, and one where we know how it all ends. But it’s in the journey that we get to enjoy new characters like Chirrut and Baze, and witness Saw Gerrara as he fits into the mix, as a sort of de-powered Darth Vader.

theories Summarized

In light of my recent Cross Talk episode wherein we discussed movie Easter eggs, I would like to point out that this film is absolutely riddled with them – and some cameos too! Now to be clear, that doesn’t mean that I want to spoil the rest of my review by pointing them all out, but yes, R2-D2 and C-3PO do make a very brief appearance.

Is Rogue One perfect? No, but I can gladly admit that it holds true to canon, is entertaining, and if you are a fan, like the vast majority of the world is at this point, you’ll enjoy it too.

Tim!

Take A Polka Doted Waltz Through The Cuban Country, With Some Rock and Jazz, Man (The Mavericks, Brand New Day review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I think some of my favourite things about listening to music are when you can stumble across something you like but can’t believe that you didn’t already know about it. Or to put it another way, when you reconnect with music that you forgot you were a fan of.

 

The Mavericks – Brand New Day
released March 31, 2017
******* 8/10

The Mavericks have been making offbeat country music for just over 20 years, and that’s taking into account the break they took between 2005-2011! Known for their eclectic sound that combines latin and rockabilly influences. I first heard about them back in the 1990s, when I was still voluntold to listen to the country station in my parents house. Remember Here Comes the Rain and All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down? This is sound of The Mavericks that I still remember sitting in my parents faux wood panel station wagon.

But that doesn’t mean the ninth outing for these guys is out of sync with this generation.

There are high standards in place here.

The opening track Rolling Along reminds me of Ukrainian mountain music and features its share of accordion harmonies. A callback to their early work and very peppy to boot, also it’s about drugs. Just in case that wasn’t obvious. Quickly changing pace for the title track, The Mavericks present us with a more somber tone on Brand New Day, its upbeat though, and features some excellent caterwauling from Miami born Raul Malo. Then we get to hear some horns on Easy as It Seems, which is surprisingly easy going with its message of musical sambas from the 50s.

Then again, that sound does continue through on the next song I Think of You, and later with Ride With Me and closing track For the Ages, but the mixing in of early pop, jazz and true bread and butter are what they are known for. It’s comforting to see a group caring the torch along, without dragging it on the floor.

Staying true to their sound has always been important for The Mavericks, and I think that’s why they choose time and time again to stay independent, nobody messes with the production. They have fun with their music and it comes through – listen to Goodnight Waltz and tell me you don’t think of lounge singers, spaghetti, and cocktails. But with a country twang to it.

This music does not fit into any particular genre. I chose country as the prefacing statement because that’s where I heard it first in my youth, but this music reminds me of so many different things at any given moment, that they are eclectic is the really the best way to put it.

It never reaches a point where I’m listening and re-listening to the lyrics or pausing to reflect on ideas within, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile.

Mavericks indeed.

 

theories Summarized

Do you want to take a trip through Americana, post-war and pre-war? Well this is your ticket and I wish you well on your journey, I think there is something of a history lesson and a demonstration that it all comes full circle when we listen to music.

An unorthodox or independent-minded person. The definition of a maverick. These gentlemen fit the bill, and that’s my theory for why they have staying power, not because there is something brand new here, but because they are inclusive and adventurous.

Tim!