While I do not condone talking in a movie theater, I will listen to someone talk over my movie...on a commentary.
I am going to take this opportunity to try and make you see why commentaries are so wonderful. I am a (capital F) Fan of movie commentaries. I will pay more for a deluxe or special edition of a movie if it comes with a commentary. Forget deleted scenes or outtakes, the real thrill is sitting down and hearing exactly what the director and/or actors were thinking while filming a scene. Also included in many commentaries are bits of trivia and moments of humor that can make you laugh more than the actual movie.
Maybe you have never listened to a commentary and have no opinion, or maybe you are like my friend Gretchen who finds the talking during the movie annoying, but either way, I consider it my personal duty to sway your opinion towards commentary. With this in mind, I have compiled a short list of my favorite movie commentaries. It is my hope that you will watch one or more of these movies with the commentary on, and by so doing, find yourself to be a Fan of the commentary as well.
She's The Man - Leading actors and the director tease each other with the easy familiarity of friends...you know they all got along while filming, and Andy Fickman throws in all sorts of interesting tidbits.
Twilight - Robert Pattinson's self-deprecating humor steals the commentary from his costar and the director. It is possible I like this movie more with the commentary than without.
Ocean's Eleven - Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are a power team, nuff said.
Anchorman - Will Ferrell does a commentary of his best movie ever, and he's freaking Will Ferrell, how could it not be funny?
Juno - In this case, less funny, more introspection on the movie, but still very interesting. Commentators are Diablo Cody (writer) and Jason Reitman (Director)
Connie and Carla - Nia Vardolos, writer and star, offers a glimpse into her inspiration for the movie, and you get to learn about all the drag queens' real lives.
A Walk To Remember - Any commentary with Adam Shankman is good, but I really like this one, because Mandy Moore and Shane West can be both poignant and amusing.
Pirates of the Caribbean - Any time you can listen to Johnny Depp talk for over two hours is time well spent.
Love Actually - With this movie, pretty much any way you watch it, its good. You could put on mute. But why, when you can listen to Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and more discuss the movie with insight and genuine affection for their work.
I encourage you to take a chance on a commentary...and do let me know how it goes!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Trouble With School Is, They Always Try and Teach The Wrong Lessons
It's not that I have anything against the idea of school. I love learning, and I have had teachers in my life that made me want to go to class. My main problem is that 75% of what I learned in school is useless in the real world. Certainly there are applications of math and science in the real world. And there is certainly some proof behind that old "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" phrase you always hear. But, in general, schools do not prepare you for life after graduation. Home Economics, which many schools do offer as an elective, is not nearly enough. They try to cram everything into one class. I think it would be more appropriate to separate the subjects and teach a class on each issue.
With this in mind I have prepared a sampling of classes I wish had been offered in my high school.
Finance: Where you learn to balance a check book and budget to live within your means, and they should certainly teach you about the danger of credit cards. Students should also learn how to do their own taxes. Even if you don't end up doing your own taxes later in life, knowing how the government figures out what you owe them is important.
Cooking: Baking cookies will not cut it. Everyone should know how to make at least five dinners. Healthy meals that aren't expensive or difficult to prepare. My generation lives on frozen pre-prepared meals and fast food. Its not healthy and its not economical. (I actually didn't need a class like this, as my mother is a throwback from the olden days and taught me not only how to cook, but how to can vegetables and make jam, but I have many friends who can't make anything more difficult than mac & cheese)
Speech: It's true that many schools do offer a class like this, but it is not always mandatory. it is important to know how to speak before a group of people. You never know when this situation might pop up, but I can guarantee you that it does.
Health: I don't just mean a teacher who tells you to eat right, and exercise. I think students need to learn about the health care system in America. Insurance need to be explained. Also included should be a comprehensive Sex Ed. Most schools teach either abstinence, or they offer a short session on birth control options. Both of these are bad. Students should know and understand all of the effects of sex, on their physical well being and their mental and emotional levels as well. If they choose to have sex anyway they need to be clear that no birth control is 100% at preventing pregnancy, or STDs. And they need to be familiar with all the options.
Employment: <--(So not an accurate name for what is to follow, but its all I've got.) Students need to understand how to create a resume and cover letter. They also need practical experience on how to conduct themselves in an interview. Additionally, students should be made aware of the reality of the work force at that particular time. They need to understand that just because they want to be on Broadway, doesn't mean they should major in theatre. (I'm not saying you shouldn't follow your dreams, but I do think people should be practical when picking a major...you are shelling out a ton of cash for this degree...are you going to be able to use it?)
Reading: Trying to cram reading into English classes is a major problem in America. English should be about proper sentence structure, how to write a good paper, research techniques, etc. Reading should be about learning to expand your horizons by trying new authors and genres. Students need to understand that there is no easier way to expand your mind than to read. Reading increases vocabulary, can help with understanding social situations, and can increase your base of factual knowledge. In addition, reading anything, even a romance novel or magazine article, exercises your brain and keeps it younger.
What do you think? Am I completely crazy, or would you also have appreciated knowing some of these things before you graduated and stepped out into the "real" world?
With this in mind I have prepared a sampling of classes I wish had been offered in my high school.
Finance: Where you learn to balance a check book and budget to live within your means, and they should certainly teach you about the danger of credit cards. Students should also learn how to do their own taxes. Even if you don't end up doing your own taxes later in life, knowing how the government figures out what you owe them is important.
Cooking: Baking cookies will not cut it. Everyone should know how to make at least five dinners. Healthy meals that aren't expensive or difficult to prepare. My generation lives on frozen pre-prepared meals and fast food. Its not healthy and its not economical. (I actually didn't need a class like this, as my mother is a throwback from the olden days and taught me not only how to cook, but how to can vegetables and make jam, but I have many friends who can't make anything more difficult than mac & cheese)
Speech: It's true that many schools do offer a class like this, but it is not always mandatory. it is important to know how to speak before a group of people. You never know when this situation might pop up, but I can guarantee you that it does.
Health: I don't just mean a teacher who tells you to eat right, and exercise. I think students need to learn about the health care system in America. Insurance need to be explained. Also included should be a comprehensive Sex Ed. Most schools teach either abstinence, or they offer a short session on birth control options. Both of these are bad. Students should know and understand all of the effects of sex, on their physical well being and their mental and emotional levels as well. If they choose to have sex anyway they need to be clear that no birth control is 100% at preventing pregnancy, or STDs. And they need to be familiar with all the options.
Employment: <--(So not an accurate name for what is to follow, but its all I've got.) Students need to understand how to create a resume and cover letter. They also need practical experience on how to conduct themselves in an interview. Additionally, students should be made aware of the reality of the work force at that particular time. They need to understand that just because they want to be on Broadway, doesn't mean they should major in theatre. (I'm not saying you shouldn't follow your dreams, but I do think people should be practical when picking a major...you are shelling out a ton of cash for this degree...are you going to be able to use it?)
Reading: Trying to cram reading into English classes is a major problem in America. English should be about proper sentence structure, how to write a good paper, research techniques, etc. Reading should be about learning to expand your horizons by trying new authors and genres. Students need to understand that there is no easier way to expand your mind than to read. Reading increases vocabulary, can help with understanding social situations, and can increase your base of factual knowledge. In addition, reading anything, even a romance novel or magazine article, exercises your brain and keeps it younger.
What do you think? Am I completely crazy, or would you also have appreciated knowing some of these things before you graduated and stepped out into the "real" world?
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