This week’s pick has the distinction of being the one and only film ever written by Theodore Geisel. “Who the heck is Theodore Geisel,” you may ask. Well, dear reader, Theodore Geisel is none other than the beloved author, Dr. Seuss.
Yes. Long before Ron Howard ever made How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss wrote The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. It’s a very strange film about a little boy who dreams that his piano teacher is kidnapping children and forcing them to play a huge piano. All of this takes place in a Seuss-like nightmare world. Did I mention that this movie is weird?
When it opened in 1953, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T was a huge failure. So much so, that Geisel doesn’t even mention the whole fiasco (as he later called it) in his autobiography. At the Hollywood premier, people started walking out after 15 minutes. Since then, it’s gained a bit of a cult following. It’s a trippy movie, well worth checking out. It kind of reminds me of The Peanut Butter Solution, another weird movie about kidnapping kids that scared the crap out of me when I was young.
5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T., The (1953)
A young boy dreams that his piano teacher is a super-villain out to rule the world.
Cast: Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Hans Conried, Tommy Rettig Dir: Roy Rowland C-89 mins, TV-PG
Number 89 on the AFI Top 100 is M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece, The Sixth Sense.
Let’s have a show of hands of those who either a) Had the ending ruined for them or b) Ruined the ending for someone else. I fall in the B category. But in my defense, my mom said she’d NEVER see the film. 
8-year-old Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. A reluctant channel, Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. Confused by his paranormal powers, Cole is too young to understand his purpose and too afraid to tell anyone aout his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the ominous truth about Cole’s supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something harrowing–and unexplainable.
Recently, Josh and I hosted a movie night where we watched The Sixth Sense and we had a very nice evening. After the film, we had an hour long discussion about different aspects of the film. Here are some of the highlights:
- Even though the scares and jumps may not play as scary after several repeat viewings, it has become evident that the film isn’t really meant to be that. It’s more of a drama. And highly successful at that.
- The music doesn’t play like a scary movie but more like a drama backing up the first point.
- The theme of the film is communication and it is explored in the 3 main storylines – a) Dr. Crowe’s relationship to his wife, b) Cole’s relationship to his mother, and c) Cole’s experiences with the ghosts.
M. Night Shyamalan used to be one of my favorite directors. This film along with Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village are still some of my favorite films. But his recent work has been lacking. I hope The Last Airbender marks his return to greatness.
What is your favorite Shyamalan film? Do you have any faith in The Last Airbender?
This week’s pick is a film that I really hated to miss at the TCM Classic Film Fest. A Star Is Born (1954) was the opening night film and the only film that our media credentials didn’t give us access to.
This Judy Garland classic is a remake of a 1937 film staring Janet Gaynor and Frederick March. I actually prefer the original, but the Garland version is really good as well. In it, Garland plays a young actress who falls in love with a huge star (played by the always wonderful James Mason) just as she is discovered and his fame is beginning to subside. It’s a great behind the scenes look at Hollywood of the 1950s.
Judy Garland delivers the performance of her career in this film. She was nominated for Best Actress, but ultimately didn’t win. It’s a heartbreaking look at fame and all the negatives that come with it, especially when you consider Ms. Garland’s own struggles due to fame.
With some great musical numbers and a ton of fantastic Hollywood locations, I heartily recommend you checking out A Star Is Born (1954). If you can’t catch it on TCM, a newly restored version has just been released on DVD
Star Is Born, A (1954) – Saturday, June 19 at 8:00pm EST
A falling star marries the newcomer he’s helping reach the top.
Cast: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford Dir: George Cukor C-176 mins, TV-PG
I’ve been having some amazing adventures since I moved to Los Angeles over a year ago. Not all of them have been directly film related but they have been opportunities I wouldn’t have had in Atlanta.
Last week, I had the opportunity to cover a major media event at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. They were unveiling their new night time water show, World of Color. I scored my invite through my work over at www.InsidetheMagic.net and because of the work we do here at DawsBrothers.com.
On top of the premiere of World of Color, the event consisted of a Red Carpet, a pre-show with a really impressive talking Mickey Mouse, and an after party.
The Red Carpet was actually blue – I’m assuming because World of Color is a water show. Click here to see pictures from the carpet. You’ll see stars like Vanessa Hudgens, Jason Segel, John Stamos, Geena Davis, and Terri Hatcher. Plus, there are some really neat puppets.
The talking Mickey Mouse at the pre-show was amazing. Disney had been testing this technology through private interactions with guests at Disneyland for a few months. This was the first public use of the technology. Check out this video:
After the pre-show, we saw World of Color and you can read my review of the show here.
The show finished and Ricky Brigante (from Inside The Magic) and I headed back to the Grand Californian Hotel to start capturing our footage. Then we headed over to an area of Disney California Adventure called Paradise Pier. That portion of the park had been completely emptied of guests and they threw a private party for all of us media and all of the celebrities.
And it was the best party I’ve ever been to. There was free catered food, free churos, free drinks, free games, and most of the attractions in that area were running (and with no wait.) There was a cover band doing mostly Black-eyed Peas and Fergie songs and the music wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t think. It was perfect. Even Mickey Mouse was there taking pictures with everyone.
At one point I found myself standing with The Bachelor on my left and John Stamos on my right. It was surreal. John Lassiter was also on hand with his family.
The party ended and I headed home glowing from such a magical evening.
The next morning I went back to Disneyland to see a press event called “What’s Next?” During the show, they unveiled new changes to the Disneyland Resort and the Disney Cruise Line. To check out those updates, click here.
The coolest part of the “What’s Next?” event was the fact that Jodi Benson, who was the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, performed live on stage. You can see that video here:
Needless to say, I highly recommend blogging because it opens up some really cool doors.
I’m so thankful I decided to move to Los Angeles. These opportunities are some that I treasure. It’s all about finding joy in the journey.
What are some of life’s little blessings that you’ve gotten to experience along your journey?
As I said in yesterday’s post, last night I went to the World Premiere of Disney’s World of Color, the new water show at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. If you didn’t follow me on Twitter last night while I was at the press event, check out this site. Myself and my friend, Ricky Brigante from www.InsidetheMagic.net were there covering the event.
We covered the Red Carpet and the After Party where we saw stars like John Stamos, Wayne Brady, and Terri Hatcher. That will be it’s own blog post – it is definitely an interesting chapter in my Adventure out in California. Today, I’ll focus on the show itself.
Some might ask, what does a new water show at the Disneyland Resort have to do with this blog about film and filmmaking? Well, the answer is – World of Color is on the cutting edge of storytelling. Disney has re-imagined the way a film is shown and experienced. Combining music, fire effects, and video projected onto a HUGE screen of misting water, this show is truly in a class of its own.
World of Color at Disney’s California Adventure is 25 minutes long and I could have stood there for much longer than that. I was taking pictures during the show but about a third of the way through, the sounds and sights I was experiencing took my breath away and I just had to stop and take it all in. My mind was officially blown.
Everything in the show is top notch. I loved the selections from the various Disney films from Wall-e and Toy Story to The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. They even included scenes from classics like Fantasia. And I love the emotional journey it takes you on as you relive these great scenes. I can’t even explain how new and different this show is or how BIG the show is. The water screens fill your periphery and you become consumed by it.
The most jaw dropping sequence to me was the Toy Story 2 sequence: the laser Zurg was phenomenal. And because they use multiple layers of water screens, it feels like the images are 3D. Sometimes, I couldn’t even see the water so certain elements looked to be floating in thin air.
Only one thing about the whole experience made me raise my eyebrow. The viewing area for the show isn’t perpendicular to the show. It was at an angle so everyone had to look slightly right. I found that strange but it didn’t take away from the experience.
I would recommend getting there extremely early to get a good spot. I’m sure it will get full several hours in advance. Also, you will get wet, even if you are far away. Maybe it was just particularly windy but I was farther back from the water and still got sprayed. But, it’s only a mist. You’ll live. Once you see just how high and wide the water can spray, you’ll understand.
On a side note – I’m doing a terrible job describing this show! Just like the Matrix, one cannot be told what World of Color is – you must be experience it for yourself.
Check out the video that Ricky and I recorded. If you plan on seeing the show anytime in the near future, please don’t ruin it for yourself. But if you can’t resist – enjoy!
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to Disney.com and book your trip to the Disneyland Resort RIGHT NOW! (And no, Disney isn’t paying me to say any of this.) World of Color really is one of those things you should make a special trip to see. I would. It is breathtaking.
Come back soon to read my account (and see pictures) of the Red Carpet and After Party at the World Premiere of World of Color.
Tonight I will be going to a press event at the Disneyland Resort debuting a new nighttime water show called “World of Color.”
I received an official press release from Disney and included a blurb from it below here -
“Lights, water, music, fire and animation will come together like never before on June 11 when “World of Color” makes its dazzling debut at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The show is choreographed with revolutionary technology that creates a playful, nighttime spectacular and a new way for guests to experience Disney stories – from the charming to the adventurous.”
Check out this video to get a taste of the show:
When I went to Vegas for the first time back in April, I caught the water show outside The Bellagio and was blown away. But this show seems to take all that is great about The Bellagio fountain and amp it up with color, film projections, and fire effects. The video and pictures that I’ve seen make me think this show will make my head explode.
On a side note, the title for “World of Color” is inspired by one of Walt’s original TV shows called “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.” The theme song was written by Richard and Robert Sherman. You may recall that Josh and I recently met Richard Sherman at a ceremony honoring he and his brother.
I’ll be tweeting the event as I talk to Imagineers and other notable people on the Red Carpet and at the After Party. Be sure to follow me – @jeremiahdaws. Who knows what celebrities I might bump into?
Also, check back here on Friday. I’ll post my review of the show and you won’t want to miss out on that. I’ll also be partnering with Ricky Brigante from www.InsideTheMagic.net to provide video and pictures of the event.
There is a trick to writing villains. Many first time screenwriters make the mistake of having their antagonist enjoy doing evil. Sure there are times when those bad guys can be fun, but mostly they just come off as one dimensional and boring.
The trick to writing villains is to write them as if they were the good guy. No one goes through life wanting to do evil. Even when someone is doing evil, they themselves don’t think that they are. Their behavior makes perfect sense to them.
This scene from The Third Man is a shining example of this. Orson Welles plays a despicable man who is selling bad penicillin on the black market resulting in the death of children. The writer delved into the character and figured out how a man like that would rationalize it. By the end of the scene you see how warped his thinking has become, but also completely understand how he thinks he’s doing nothing wrong. He is the hero in his own mind.
The Third Man is a great film that you should definitely add to your Netflix queue if you haven’t seen it.
Rebel without a Crew
If you aren’t familiar with Robert Rodriguez, he’s a writer/director/producer from Texas. His most notable films are Desperado, the Spy Kids franchise, Sin City, and Planet Terror. He’s not my favorite director by any means but I LOVE his commentary tracks and all the special features he includes on his DVDs because he puts a lot of thought into teaching you his techniques. He even calls some of the features his 10-Minute Film School.
The full title of his book is Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
Rodriguez is a maverick and he inspired me to be a maverick. In the introduction to the book, Rodriguez talks about writing El Mariachi:
“I… wrote the first Mariachi in three weeks. It’s amazing how quickly ideas come to you for a script when you know you’re going to be actually making the movie in a few months, not just writing for writing sake.”
He just decided to make the film. That’s how it happened with us and Dangerous Calling. We set a production start date and then got to writing the script. I LOVE deadlines. They make you more creative.
If you haven’t read his book or seen his 10-Minute Film School videos, go check them out. You’ll love them. He gives especially good advice on how to do action cheaply. He is very creative.
What are your favorite Rodriguez films – and what have you learned from him?
This week’s TCM pick is a film that I’m not particularly fond of, but since it was directed by the recently departed Dennis Hopper, I figured it was a good time to give him and his film their due respect. Easy Rider is long, rambling, drug-fueled film without much of a story. All things that made it a huge success in 1969.
Famous for its portrayal of real drug use, to say Easy Rider was counterculture is an understatement. For better or worse, its success ushered in a new era of Hollywood films that dealt with difficult subject matter and had content that would have been unthinkable just 10 years earlier. For that reason it’s essential viewing if you’re looking to understand the films of the 70s. Easy Rider does have a fantastic soundtrack and some fine performances by Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, and a young Jack Nicholson.
Easy Rider (1969) Wednesday, June 9 at 12:30am EST
A cross-country trip to sell drugs puts two hippie bikers on a collision course with small-town prejudices.
Cast: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Antonio Mendoza, Phil Spector Dir: Dennis Hopper C-96 mins, TV-MA
Josh and I periodically like to host a movie night at one of our apartments and invite other educated film people. Afterwards, we’ll discuss the film. It makes for an enjoyable night, plus it’s a great way to further increase our film knowledge and refine our craft.
Sometimes we’ll watch a new release and other times we will watch older films. I feel it is imortant to get a fresh take on a film that you might have seen many times. Everyone has a slightly different viewpoint and hearing them can cause you to discover new insights. I want to be able to suck every last drop of juice out of rich films such as Jaws, Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, etc… and sometimes the only way to do that is to get someone else’s take.
And don’t forget about the other end of the spectrum. It is important to watch BAD films as well – though I would do this less frequently. Josh and I like to watch at least one crappy film a month. One can learn what NOT to do. But, just like the FBI studies REAL money in order to spot counterfeit money, I find it more important to study great films more than bad films.
Have you considered hosting a movie night? It’s much more fun and much less effort than a book club, in my humble opinion. What movies would you screen?
