As you may have gathered, I like seeing how movies are made. And hearing what actors have to say about their experiences in films.
And some actors just seem really awesome. For example, I didn't choose Hugh Jackman as my favorite actor until I'd seen him tell a lot of stories. And also heard what other people said about him - he's supposed to be a really great guy. I couldn't pick a favorite actor until I'd seen what he was like outside of his characters. And I do love many of his characters and movies.
Some actors are just like that. I enjoy watching them, and hearing their stories. Alfred Molina was one example. He tells great stories and seems like a cool person. Which is curious, because most of his characters are not people that I would want to be around.
And I got to meet Anika Noni Rose. I've really only seen her in one movie, and it was a movie that I didn't get too attached to. I only talked to her for about a minute, but I immediately liked her. By the time I spoke to her, she had been talking to strangers all freaking day. And yet she was so nice. I loved her story-telling during the panel she was on too.
And on the flip side, there are actors that have done characters I love, but when I see them on bonus features and stuff, I just don't particularly want to watch them. They seem unappealing, somehow? And I'm not talking about famous people that have been busted for doing awful stuff. He didn't even say anything that weird (for example, one singer I like has a way of speaking about women that kinda objectifies them, but not out-right). It's just something in their attitude makes me not connect to them as much. I'm thinking of one actor in particular who has actually done multiple characters I love, but when I see him doing interviews, I just don't get very interested in them. I won't say his name though, because I feel bad.
And oddly enough, for some of my top favorite characters I haven't seen enough from their actors to decide how I feel about them. Then again, sometimes it's hard to pin people down. Probably especially with actors, who get overwhelming attention, and also have to change a lot of masks.
My dad bought a DVD of a bunch of old Goofy shorts. We've been slowly watching through them.
They've added introductions onto some of them where they try to explain things that are no longer acceptable in... polite society. But the way they do it is pretty backhanded?
For example, saying that the portrayal of "red Indians" is okay, because it's actually a portrayal of movies at the time. Why does that make it okay?
And then they were explaining the history of a cartoon that was released during WWII. He said that Americans were fighting the "good fight," which apparently made it ok to use some... frowned upon words. It doesn't matter what side you're on - poor taste is poor taste.
Or saying "these depictions might seem stereotypical" but they weren't meant to be mean-spirited. Maybe they weren't trying to be mean, but it can still do damage (But at least in this cartoon, they made fun of gringos just as much).
You don't get to justify wrong things that were done in the past. At least apologize and say that it was wrong thing to do.
My aunt can't stand some audio books, if the reader sucks.
I understand. I've heard some really awful narrators. I can handle the bland ones. but some are just extremely obnoxious. And some randomly use bad accents. Or wrong accents.
I just listened to a nonfiction book, and the narrator kept mispronouncing the names of places and plants. And she didn't even have the excuse of the names being from other countries. It was all California plants and places! I just wanted to shout at her. You'd think that such a technical book would actually bother to tell the narrator how to pronounce things.
Someone actually must have said something to her. Because part way through the book, she started pronouncing the tule plant correctly ("too-lee," not "tool").
E.T. is one of those movies that I own, but rarely watch. In fact, it's been a few years since I last saw it.
Dad doesn't like it. He thinks E.T. is too ugly. I told him that if E.T. were cute, it would be a different movie. Kids don't mind if things aren't traditionally cute - they can still love them.
E.T. was designed to look like mud, because his people tend plants. Well, that's a rather blunt reasoning. But I've probably done the same sort of thing.
That being said, the little girl that plays Gertie said very enthusiastically, "He is the cutest alien I have ever met!" (Spielberg later asked her what other aliens she'd met).
It always was painful to watch Gertie's reaction when they try to shock E.T.'s heart. Her reaction was just so heartbreaking. And it turns out that emotion was very real. She didn't know that machine was meant to revive him. One of the behind-the-scenes videos shows her sobbing her little heart out as she's hugging someone. And he's trying not to cry also!
Even the lady that played the Mom admitted that E.T. kind of felt like part of their family.
(Gertie is always blowing everyone's secrets during the movie!)
Most films are shot out of order, for a number of reasons (for example, if they have access to a certain location). But Spielberg didn't do that with E.T. He wanted the kids to have some continuity to follow, so the film was mostly shot in order.
It was lost on me until a few years ago that the government people are actually trying to help E.T. Granted, we don't know what they plan to do with him. But they do everything they can to keep him alive. The main guy, known only as Keys, doesn't even try to stop E.T. from leaving at the end. He's there with everyone else, watching as the ship takes him home.
We never hear why E.T. got so sick. Something about earth's climate? Or because the kids fed him so much junk food?
It was during one of the Star Wars commentaries that they talked about E.T.'s voice actor (She does a voice in Star Wars too). Apparently one of the filmmakers was in a store and heard a woman with a most unusual voice. He asked her if she wanted to provide the voice for an alien. And she said yes. Apparently she wasn't even credited as playing E.T.'s voice. Nor was she included in any of the film anniversary reunions. Why?
As usual, watching the bonus features for E.T. makes me like it even more!
Apparently this was the first movie they ever played while a live orchestra provided the soundtrack. Hey, I went to one of those! (I've actually performed in a couple of those! Though not professionally).
Jane Goodall has been one of the strongest voices for our planet. I'm so lucky I got to attend one of her lectures.
But I think my favorite moment was when I was teaching a summer camp. We walked past a mural of Jane Goodall. A little girl turned to me and asked, "Is Jane Goodall 'Mother Nature?'"
That, more than anything else, seems to define everything she has done.
Than you for everything, Jane!
