Tag Archive for 'movie recommendations'

Friday Night Lights: Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose

afshawn published on December 19, 2010 in art, celebrity and zeitgeist. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

I know it’s December and everyone is excited to snuggle up and watch their favorite holiday movie (Elf!), but how about an amazing sports movie instead? I love sports movies almost as much as I love sports itself. These movies roll all the ups and downs and drama of a full season in just 2 hours. Without fail, every sports movies I’ve seen has made me cry, laugh, and yell in frustration – no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Sports movies do it all and that’s why I love them. I have a lot of favorites and I tried to come up with a top 10 or top 5 list, but it was just too hard. It’s way too difficult to order them all. That being said, there’s one sports movie that easily takes the number one spot – Friday Night Lights.

The movie Friday Night Lights is based off a book which is based on a true story and has spawned a TV show as well. That’s a mouthful. The book is a non-fiction story that follows the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas. For those of you who don’t know, high school football is absolutely huge in Texas and Odessa is no different. Sports Illustrated named Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream as the 4th greatest sports book ever written, so you know it’s a good story.

The movie starts with preseason practice and new coach Gary Gaines and other star players being interviewed by local media. You meet the main characters – quarterback Mike Winchell, fullback Don Billingsley, running back James “Boobie” Miles, safety Brian Chavez, among others. You start to see just how important football is in this community and to these players. For some of these players, football scholarships are there only way out of their little town. The coach carries an extreme amount of pressure as well – if he doesn’t get the team to the playoffs, he’ll lose his job. Coach Gaines captures this feeling perfectly by stating, “Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders.” Talk about pressure.

During the first game of the season, an unthinkable event happens that shakes up the future of the team and the coach. The team must learn how to overcome their personal struggles in order to create success for each other and their town on the playing field.

It’s an emotional movie, made even more emotional with Explosions in the Sky’s beautiful instrumental tracks in the background. The movie doesn’t lack inspirational moments, either. At halftime of a very important game, Coach Gary Gaines gives one of the best speeches I have heard. Ever. It is extremely moving and brings tears to my eyes practically every time I watch the movie. Fun story: one time, I watched the movie for at least the 8th time with my roommate who had never seen it before. While watching the movie, our other roommate came home and heard me gasping and cheering and asked, “Afshawn, I thought you’ve seen this movie before?” That’s how good it is, folks.

(note: this video contains some spoilers)

I can’t even properly explain how much I love this movie and how great it is. The characters feel real and make you empathize with their various plights. You ache for Coach Gaines when the town attacks him after a loss, you want to console Billingsley and tell him everything will be okay when his father gets on his case, and you want to do everything in your power to make Winchell smile. I’m no expert on cinematography but I can tell you this movie is extremely well made.

Please take 118 minutes out of your day to watch this movie – I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. If you find yourself aching for more FNL after you watch, then don’t worry! There are 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights the TV show. The TV show changes some things up – the characters, the school, and the town (you know, minor stuff! ha), but the essence of the movie is still there. Peter Berg, the director of the film, is the executive producer of the show so the elements that make the movie so good remain in the show. I have to give a shout out to my friend Henderson for making me watch the show. I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t want to ruin the movie, but after watching the first episode (it’s all available online via Netflix instant streaming), I proceeded to watch the entire first season in one week (which happened to overlap with finals, whoops!). I just could not stop. The TV show is just as addicting as the movie.

If you’ve seen FNL or decide to watch it, share your thoughts in the replies. Or, if you think there’s a, ahem, better sports movie, do tell! I’m always looking for new movies to watch!

Happy watching! And remember: be perfect.

Afshawn

Carla’s Journal (5/23/09)- Fantastic Films: The Song of Sparrows & Food, Inc.!

carla published on May 23, 2009 in art, celebrity, food, superforest journal and zeitgeist. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

movies

Dearest SuperForest,

When it comes to movies, there are two genres that hold a special place in my heart; documentaries and foreign films. Granted, I enjoy all types of films, but for some reason, I feel like I tend to get more out of foreign and documentary films. Generally speaking, I usually leave the theatre with a head full of ideas, hope, and inspiration. With that in mind, I write to you today with two movie recommendations (coincidentally, one of each of those genres)! One of a film I saw last night, another of a film I’m excited to go watch (which probably doesn’t make it much of a recommendation…so I’ll call it a prediction of awesomeness).

Last night, I ventured over to San Diego’s charming Ken Cinema, a 1 screen theatre built in 1946 and is a local favorite for watching foreign and independent films. On this particular evening, their screening of Majid Majidi’s The Song of Sparrows is what attracted me to the Ken. I’ve followed the work of Majidi for several years now and to say I’m a fan is a severe understatement. His films such as Children of Heaven and Color of Paradise are stories that, put simply, touched my soul. The striking images of those films and the beautiful cinematography will forever be emblazoned in my brain. His films have made me cry and laugh like no others. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see his latest release.

movie1

A synopsis of the film (as presented on the theatre’s website):

The new film by Majid Majidi (The Color of Paradise, Children of Heaven) tells the gently humorous story of ordinary guy Karim (Reza Naji, winner Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival) as he struggles to support his family. He loses his well-paid job at an ostrich farm when a particularly ornery bird escapes and cannot be recaptured. Driving his moped in to Tehran to try to fix his deaf daughter’s hearing aid, Karim accidentally finds himself embarking on a profitable new career when a harried businessman jumps on and demands a ride. But exposure to heavy traffic and big city values starts to corrupt Karim’s once generous and honest nature, much to the concern of his family, who want the old Karim back. Majidi’s lyrical storytelling shines in this simple but affecting tale. Grammy-nominated composer and musician Hossein Alizadeh, a master tar and setar player, provides the haunting score.

The trailer (click to watch):
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I came into the theatre with high expectations, and let me tell you, The Song of Sparrows did not disappoint. Once again, as in most of Majidi’s films, I found myself captivated by the endearing tale of a man whose personal struggles turn to spiritual triumph. Karim journeys into the city in search of a hearing aid but temptation and greed lead him astray. He becomes consumed by an urge for money and material possessions. Later on, it isn’t until an accident forces Karim to realize that his personal pursuits for wealth were misguided. As described by npr’s movie review, The Song of Sparrows is a parable of urban corruption and pastoral rehabilitation. The message is subtle, yet beautiful in its simplicity and if you are anywhere near a select theatre that will be screening this film, I highly recommend you go watch this. It’s a story that will stick with you for a long time. It’s a story that highlights how the most important things in life, are the simple things we may sometimes neglect.

Song of Sparrows

The official website for this film can be found here! Be sure to check out the release schedule, there are still several chances for some of you lucky SuperForesters (living near Berkeley, San Francisco, DC, Fairfax, and Cleveland) to go check it out! For the rest of you, I’ll be sure to give an update whenever it’s available to rent or purchase.

On to the documentary film! I watched this trailer before The Song of Sparrows began (again, click to watch):
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Whoa! This looks like it’s going to be a good one. I obviously don’t know much about it apart from what they said on the trailer but it looks very eye opening and left me curious to learn more. Which lead me to its website. Click here to learn more about the documentary, the issues, and how to get involved!

It will be opening in NYC, LA, and SF June 12th and after that will be released elsewhere. Until then, we’ll keep you updated!

So there you have it, a movie I highly recommend (and can’t stop gushing about), and a movie that looks pretty awesome and can’t wait to see. Hope you are having a beautiful weekend!

Cheers,
C

2 Incredible SuperForesty Movies: Slumdog Millionaire & Kung Fu Panda

jackson published on December 8, 2008 in art, celebrity and zeitgeist. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

There are two movies that you must see for the good feeling they put into your skeleton. One is most definitely only for adults (Slumdog) and the other can be joyfully viewed by the whole family, (Panda.) Both are excellent in the extreme.

Slumdog Millionaire is in theaters now. It tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai, who achieves greatness in the name of love. It is also an incredible travel guide to India.

Kung Fu Panda is an animated film about a lazy panda realizing his destiny by embracing what he truly loves.

Both of these films are about operating from a place of love, and realizing that all that you need to succeed is probably right in front of your face. And each one uses its central premise to very elegantly reveal certain truths about the human condition.

Slumdog uses the device of having our hero win on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” but only to illustrate how a life well and richly lived can be its own reward.

Panda uses the love of Kung Fu by the hero Po to illustrate that when we stop making excuses, what we are capable of can be astounding.

Brilliant and touching films both. See them if you can.
I could not recommend either enough.

Much love,

Jackson