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Ed-from-HI
Educational background (and profession) in Financial-Analysis/Accountancy.
Avocation: enjoy Creative-writing, reading History, and most-especially listening to all-types of Music (e.g. full-spectrum of Classical, Jazz, folk, rock, popular, et al)
Movies of deepest interest: historically-relevant Cinema, particularly relating to European-history, WWII/Holocaust, Japanese-Culture-history (including Studio Ghibli anime) and Sci-Fi/Speculative-Fiction future-scenarios.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Amadeus (1984)
Amadeus = brilliant Music plus poignant performances create a priceless Cinematic Gem!
40 years on, Amadeus most certainly remains the Best movie ever produced about a famous Music composer.... and represents one of the most artistic and entertaining films ever made, period! I recently re-watched this and was positively amazed at how fantasticly the movie holds-up on almost every level. You do not need to be a Classical Music fan to get completely mesmerized by 'Amadeus' but after watching, you will most likely be hopelessly compelled to download and listen to tons of Mozart's irresistibly timeless works which is a good thing!
On the surface, Milos Forman's superlative Oscar winning film from 1984 (based on the renowned theatrical Play by Peter Shaffer) presents Mozart as a fun-loving, child-like, super-Genius, for whom composing immaculate melodies and exhilarating rhythms seemed to effortlessly flow from second-nature (or in Mozart's case more like first nature!).
Throughout most of this film, Mozart appears to be riding a natural 'high' fascinated by his own ease of facility to make irresistibly beautiful Music, with equal adeptness at practical jokes causing boisterous hilarity in the process (particularly when Salieri is in the room!)
Of course this film, and original play take some liberties with the intriguing historical subject matter, but to mostly good effect! Making the film surprisingly vibrant and endlessly entertaining while still fully conveying the miraculous phenomenon that was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, more akin to a Rock superstar as opposed to a 'serious' meticulous & deeply-pondering Classical Composer (but in historical reality Mozart was obviously a combination of both spending many hours honing and perfecting his prodigious abilities)
Below the surface, there is much more going on than meets the eye (or more appropriately the ears) thanks largely to Salieri's inquisitive musings and astute reflections observing the coming of Amadeus.
F. Murray Abraham really shines brightly and poignantly as Salieri, constantly attempting to glean deeper meaning (mostly from a devoutly religious perspective) questioning why the almighty G_D would ever bestow such enormous creative Gifts within the frivolously childlike being of Mozart, while at the same time denying the unwaveringly faithful Salieri the keys to access & unlock equally ingenious & beloved Music that could have been directly harnessed and utilized to promote G_D's full glory (from Salieri's tormented perspective of course!)
The key to F. Murray Abraham's brilliantly insightful performance is that Salieri comes across not as a villain but much more as a perplexed & bit self-centered individual full of human frailty, regret and petty jealousy who sincerely yearns for genuine artistic glory but realizes that he could never harness the profound Gifts that Mozart effortlessly possesses.
Tom Hulce also gives an amazing performance as Wolfgang Amadeus who innocently revels in his own 'miraculous strangeness' easily producing musical works that seemingly flow prolifically from his subconscious, providing immense Joy to the multitude of listeners.
Amadeus himself seems ecstatically fascinated by his creative facility but never bothers to ponder or worry about 'why' or how his miraculous ability is so effortlessly & prodigiously harnessed.
It is near finale that the tone of this film amazingly transforms toward serious rumination as Amadeus faces much too early mortality, appearing to fully realize at that belated moment that his compositions can engender profound expression reaching much deeper degrees directly transcending the realms of Life and death. The final sequence with Mozart at death's door focusing all his remaining creative energies composing the Requiem K626, with Salieri assisting, is emotionally overwhelming and unbearably poignant..... in terms of both the authentically Great timeless Music Score and incredible thespian performances! A must see (and must hear) cinematic priceless Gem if there ever was one!
The Yakuza (1974)
A genuine Cinematic 'Lost Treasure' introspectively highlighting obligation & selflessness
From the mid1970s a somewhat forgotten 'Lost Treasure' that has always been one of my All-time favorite films starring Takakura Ken, Robert Mitchum and Kishi Keiko (based on an original Story by Leonard Schrader, screenplay by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne, directed by Sidney Pollack) titled "The Yakuza."
The name of this film might give the wrong impression of being a simple grade B violent crime/action movie but nothing could be further from the truth as this film represents an A+ Production in terms of top-notch acting, intriguing Story/dialog, and artistic direction. Taking a deep dive into the hallmarks of Japanese culture: obligation, loyalty, and selflessness.
The title derives from the fact that Takakura Ken's character 'Tanaka' was a high-ranking Yakuza in a past Life but has since resigned to a hopefully more 'peaceful' retirement as a kendo instructor in Kyoto but is forced to temporarily re-enter the dark underworld to help an American long-lost friend 'Kilmer' resolve some unsavory entanglements.
This Story really hinges on unique personal relationships, Robert Mitchum's character 'Kilmer' who was stationed in Japan just after the end of WWII fell deeply in Love with Tanaka's sister 'Eiko' portrayed by sublimely beautiful Kishi Keiko. Unfortunately, Kilmer had to abruptly leave Eiko and depart Japan soon after the return of 'Tanaka' who was a Japanese soldier bitterly returning after Japan's humiliating and devastating defeat in WWII. Upon initial return, Tanaka had to deal with conflicted feelings of extreme resentment versus genuine gratitude toward Kilmer who represented both a former enemy but at the same time someone who had shown tremendous compassion toward Eiko, perhaps even saving her Life, in the horribly destructive aftermath of War.
Almost 30 years later, Kilmer returns to Japan on a mission to extricate the kidnapped daughter of an American associate 'Tanner' whose black-market dealings with current day Yakuza ran astray. When Kilmer returns to Japan, he expresses renewed affection toward Eiko but also tremendous regret for what could have (or perhaps should have) been....... but a secret revealed later in this film made it impossible for them to ever be together.
This movie is immensely absorbing because the relationships between Kilmer, Eiko, and Tanaka are handled with depth and insight, constantly shedding authentic light on the deeply conflicting perspectives of Japanese and Americans nearly 3 decades after the end of WWII (circa mid-1970s when this movie was produced) and by film's end Robert Mitchum's character Kilmer is so profoundly moved by the shared experience, he becomes a literal 'blood brother' to Tanaka (and vice-versa) as both are compelled to commit selfless acts based on deep-seated obligations from the past.
A most interesting resolution because even though this movie contains realistic and even savage graphic violence towards the end (including extremely intense katana/sword fighting as Tanaka & Kilmer take on rival Tono's violent Yakuza gang) the final resolution scenes between Tanaka and Kilmer ascend to near spiritual quality as the two have genuinely 'bonded' after literally staring-down death during shared acts of self-sacrifice with Eiko as ultimate linchpin connecting all three of their Lives eternally, reflecting a one of a kind movie from the golden-age of realistic & introspective 1970s cinema!
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
"Godzilla X Kong" - Hyper adrenaline Rush Duo rampages again!
It is really interesting how Gojira can effortlessly traverse two distinct cinematic realms..... reflecting the emotionally-resonant realistically-tragic gravitas of 'Gojira Minus One' contrasted against the hyper-energized, fiercely-heroic 'guardian of nature' persona of 'Godzilla X Kong' where Big G takes on all Challengers with Mega-berserker attitude, ecstatically jumping head-first into every brutal fight without slightest hesitation!
The new 'Godzilla X Kong' is by no means a perfect film and it is probably unfair to directly compare to the nearly pristine artistic achievement of Minus One. However GxK most definitely exhibits ample doses of roller-coaster level adrenaline rushes throughout and the many spectacular Titan battles come extremely fast & furious. In fact the one criticism I have is that this film seems to jam-pack a bit too much accelerated-action into its relatively short runtime..... I really wish more time was spent revealing the intriguing backstory of Ice Dragon 'Shimo' to flesh out the Mythology of how Shimo might actually be one of the original Titans and an authentic ancient ancestor to Gojira himself! The bright side is that King Kong and 'baby kong' had more screen time allowing their genuine 'bonding' to develop. I also really liked Jia's side-story rediscovering her hollow-Earth heritage and revealing her direct connection to Peace-Loving mystical Mothra!
Overall I thought GxK was most certainly a worthwhile watch and I did appreciate Gojira travelling back to his late Showa Era roots as the ferocious unbeatable guardian of Earth pitted against any and all threats to humankind..... since it was late Showa Gojira that I eagerly awaited to watch as a small kid whenever those camp-Classic movies appeared on TV reruns ("Destroy All Monsters" was a perennial favorite).
It will also be interesting to see where Legendary Pictures/ and Adam Wingard choose to direct the Monsterverse toward the future.... it feels like Godzilla needs an All-Toho Team-up adventure next time bringing back rough & tumble buddy Anguirus and some of the other Japan All-Stars possibly against the Heisei Era villains Biollante or Destroyah. In any case, I think Godzilla X Kong provides more than enough hyper creative-energy bursting with ample excitement, and adrenaline-rush entertainment value to justify many more Monsterverse outings in the future!
Shôgun (2024)
SHOGUN is completely Captivating, deeply Profound and even enlightening.
I waited until watching episode 4 to write a review and now I am most certain that the new 'Shogun' series is a deeply profound, completely captivating, meticulously authentic version of James Clavell's groundbreaking novel. The character portrayals of Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), Mariko (Anna Sawai), and Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) are intricately complex and multi-dimensional. It is genuinely fascinating to watch the actors simply interact and converse within a room. I found myself re-watching specific conversations 3 or 4 times over to extract every nuance since much vital information is communicated thru subtle physical gestures and facial expressions, and usually not thru words alone, which has the effect of pulling the viewer deeply into this 16th Century Japanese environment since full concentration and attention to detail is most definitely required at all times while viewing! I can't remember the last time I have watched a series so intensively, and waited in such anticipation for each subsequent episode..... feeling as if being allowed to enter this mesmerizing 16th Century Japanese World for roughly 70 minutes each week!
Much credit for this exceptionally well researched, well crafted, authentic Shogun series must go to writer-producer team Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks and a lot of the meticulous authenticity can also be attributed to Hiroyuki Sanada who has been a movie Star in both Japan and America for many years and has a wealth of experience starring in pivotal cinematic Samurai epics, he is also a producer and obviously has incredible knowledge of the subject matter presented here! Sanada's portrayal of Lord Toranaga as an exceedingly shrewd, astute, and masterful tactician seems spot-on.
Anna Sawai also gives an amazing performance as Mariko, embodying the profound inner conflict due to her loyalty to Toranaga versus Mariko's sincere wish to be a devout Christian = this is a fascinating aspect creating much internal struggle which Sawai expertly expresses in very subtle but effective ways. An interesting note is that Anna Sawai mentioned in interviews that she thoroughly researched the life of 'Hosokawa Garasha' who lived an actual Life very similar to Mariko's in that same 16th Century Era of Japanese history and was a fascinating and complex person in real life.
Cosmo Jarvis also gives an excellent portrayal of 'Blackthorne" (who also had a real life counterpart in William Adams). Jarvis appears to be an expert 'method' actor and imbues Blackthorne with an extreme degree of disheveled bewilderment but also a keen pragmatic mind that adapts to situations very quickly and is able to appease and gain a littlle of Toranaga's trust early on by imparting key bits of information regarding the covert plans of the Portuguese.
All in all I am really enjoying this new version of Shogun = all performances are beyond excellent and the overall presentation is often deeply profound and even elightening while still being amazingly entertaining! 10 Stars +
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
'Godzilla Minus One' is an Apex Cinematic Behemoth showcasing profound Artistry & spectacular Entertainment value.
WOW, Godzilla/Gojira has truly reached Stratospheric Cinematic heights (both aesthetically and creatively) in this spectacular new film 'Godzilla Minus One' proving that original Japanese Studio TOHO best understands how to immerse a 'Gojira' film in deep historical relevance & profound insight, injecting a full-measure of 'gravitas' to the process!
In this new film, Godzilla once again embodies the terrifying manifestation of unrelenting nuclear-charged havoc & destruction.... eerily reminiscent of Real World historical events that actually enshrouded Japan at the tail end of WWII.... e.g. Dual Atomic bomb conflagration plus intensive fire bombings that completely levelled Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki (taking many hundreds of thousands of civilian Lives, as a 1945 reality).
From a Cinematic standpoint, 'Minus One' creates emotionally-resonant drama by way of extremely gifted actors Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe who are both amazingly adept at transmitting the intense (nearly unbearable) depth of sorrow, regret, and bereavement, feelings that were commonplace among surviving Japanese citizens in aftermath of devastating war..... requiring extraordinary effort & inner-strength to simply survive one single Day to the next. Writer-Director Takashi Yamazaki deserves much credit for the courage to re-visit such a profoundly painful time in Japanese (and World) history.
But now on to the one and only King-Kaiju Godzilla! The 'Minus One' Gojira is aesthetically majestic, cinematically spectacular and utterly terrifying, fully-manifested as Vengeful 'Oni' demon-god (replete with fearsome visage similar to the furious masks worn by ancient Samurai warriors entering death-duels thru Eternity).... of course Gojira's 'resonant Roar' never fails to communicate tremendous pain, authentic pathos (plus unadulterated rage) demonstrating an indomitable Will & relentless Spirit.... engendering undeniable feeling that Godzilla is an intelligent ancient Apex behemoth who inhabited the Earth millions of years before the emergence of mankind.... a mighty but forlorn prehistoric creature horribly-mutated and severly-injured by Man's reckless atomic testing endlessly honing weapons of mass-destruction.
It is astonishing that a Dai-Kaiju 'giant-monster' fantasy/horror film could also be so serious, thought provoking and profoundly artistic (but of course Ishiro Honda's original 1954 Gojira film did originally establish this amazingly high-standard & superlative precedent).
In totality, Takashi Yamazaki's beyond brilliant 'Godzilla Minus One' is a modern masterpiece full of genuine emotional resonance, fantastically thrilling visuals, plus unexpected (but appreciated) dose of significant historical relevance. It is even more astounding that production costs were less than 10% (at around $15 million, a mere fraction) of standard Hollywood Big budget Fantasy/Science fiction films.......making 'Minus One' a small cinematic miracle generating Huge artistry and creative vision + Apex behemoth-sized entertainment value!
Note: the showcasing of genius 1954 original Music composer Akira Ifukube's 'Godzilla March' at key points made Gojira's appearances all the more breathtaking & spectacular!
Orchestra of Exiles (2012)
Music can be a sacred Healer and repairer of Souls, and in the case of Bronislaw Huberman a literal Life-saver as well.
When watching this film 'Orchestra of Exiles' I couldn't help but think about a quote I once read (attributed to Plato) paraphrased: "Music, rhythm & harmony gain entrance into the deepest part of our Souls ........."
Josh Aronson's important and relevant documentary "Orchestra of Exiles" is the powerfully true-Story of Bronislaw Huberman the violin-prodigy (and a musical-superstar of his day circa 1920s/1930s/1940s) who was so devoted to the art of Music and to Saving/ preserving the Lives of his fellow musicians (i.e. Those perilously-trapped in Hitler's grasp, mercilessly-persecuted for the sole crime of having Jewish ancestry), that he ultimately transformed himself into a master Statesman, humanitarian, fundraiser and visionary/dreamer = in order to create/ establish (really from scratch) the esteemed organization and artists' Sanctuary now known as the Israel Philharmonic under the superlative batons of brilliant co-founder William Steinberg and famous anti-fascist Conductor Arturo Toscanini.
But in the early 1930's it was truly 'only a distant Dream' and possible means of escape + refuge for the imperiled European musicians and their precious family members whose future prospects and very Lives were dishearteningly tenuous and dangerously uncertain. It was also for Huberman, a means of preserving what he considered the Best and most humane spirit of longstanding 'Classical Music Tradition' engendered/ fostered within Europe for Centuries and he was now attempting to transport some of that sacred 'humanity' to the burgeoning Mid-East Jewish sanctuary far from Nazi persecution.
This film is part documentary, part 're-enactment' = both profoundly insightful & inspiring, enhanced by interviews with current Music superstars that were deeply touched by Huberman's indomitable Spirit: Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Zubin Mehta, Joshua Bell (to name a few!)
There are also informative Extras such as Leon Botstein explaining why many Jews in early 1930's Germany thought 'Hitlerism' was just a 'passing-phase' and did not immediately take action to leave/escape until it was tragically much too late (but Bronislaw Huberman seemed to uncannily 'see' the merciless historical fates inexorably approaching = and his decisive & courageous actions saved nearly 1,000 of his fellow musicians along with their precious family members.
Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars: Part Four (1975)
Tom Baker/ Elisabeth Sladen early Doctor Who episode 'Pyramids of Mars' might have been the Best Ever! (but only authentic Time-Lords know for certain).
It's fascinating how 'Dr. Who' has become arguably one of the overall finest science fiction television series of both the 20th + 21st Centuries (going toe-to-toe with the immortal Star Trek) mainly due to Doctor Who's exceedingly imaginative Story-telling + Witty dialog and highly-charismatic thespian performances. Amazingly, Doctor WHO is soon to celebrate its 60th Anniversary during 2023!
But before I ever saw a single Doctor Who episode for myself - when I was a kid in Hawaii in the Late-1970's and early 1980's, I distinctly remember reading from afar (in the fantastic science fiction media magazine called 'Starlog') about this Great show from Britain called 'Dr. Who' starring a disheveled but eccentrically charismatic master thespian named Tom Baker.
Starlog did a number of articles on 'Dr Who' featuring photo-stills of the many colorfully oddball and intriguing aliens like 'Zygons' 'Daleks' Cybermen' 'Sontarans,' and 'Sea Devils' et al.
Unfortunately, our Local Public-Broadcasting station here in Hawaii, USA sadly never aired 'Dr. Who' during the Tom Baker years (thru 1981) although they did thankfully show reruns of 'Monty Python'!
I finally got to see these Classic Doctor WHO episodes sometime in the late1990s and forward (thru a combination of VHS then later DVD). Tom Baker's 'Doctor Who' was eccentrically Witty and endearingly 'Other-Worldly' embodying the perfect 'benevolent absent-minded Alien persona' reflecting a unique characterization-cross between Sherlock Holmes + Albert Einstein + David Bowie especially when he was Ziggy Stardust (plus more than a bit of the zany and irreverent Monty Python style atmospherics & attitude thrown in for good measure!) Also featuring the dynamically-charismatic, exceedingly charming + intelligently-intrepid Elisabeth Sladen as 'Sarah Jane Smith' = Tom Baker's first human companion who made these early outings extra-enthralling and irresistibly captivating!
Most of the early Tom Baker/Sarah Jane episodes represented superlative science-fiction stories including the "Ark in Space" ,"Terror of the Zygons" (featuring the 'Loch-Ness' monster as looney instrument of alien invasion!), "Genesis of the Daleks" (showcasing ultra frightening Davros = deranged creator of those incessantly exterminating Daleks), "The Brain of Morbius" (futuristic-Frankenstein insectoid monster constructed from bits & pieces) these episodes are all-authentically timeless-Classics = more intriguing than many theatrical science fiction Movies of the era circa mid1970s and are amazingly thought-provoking and ingeniously effective entertainments especially considering their very low BBC budget-constraints and technical special-effects Limitations of the middle 1970s .
The episode I found most fascinating was "Pyramids of Mars" I think because it perfectly blends Gothic horror with intelligent science fiction reflecting richly layered storytelling that touches on a number of intriguing hyper-imaginative aspects of extra-terrestrial machinations impacting ancient-mythology, replete with Egyptian sarcophagus + powerful amorphous Alien beings posing as Demi-gods + robotic-Mummy storm-troopers as instruments of domination. Controlled by the powerfully Evil Osirin 'Sutekh' who had been imprisoned by his 'good' brother 'Horus' five millennia ago.
Sutekh possesses a terrifying destructive omniscience akin to Thanos himself (and even has an eerily similar Death fetish/worship).
An intensely horrific tale ensues as our good Doctor finds himself momentarily under the spell of Sutekh's manipulative hypnotic mental prowess.
I don't want to give away any more of this fascinating hyper-imaginative Story, suffice to say that there is a Big Cosmic throwdown between Sutekh and Tom Baker at finale that requires our good Doctor to harness the full-extent of his 'Wit & brains + significant degree of genuine Heart' to match Sutekh's nearly insurmountable Cosmic challenge with the fate of humanity tenuously in the balance......an Epic struggle that only a First-Rate 'Time-Lord' would even stand a chance at overcoming!
Good stuff indeed! Of course there are equally Great Dr. WHO episodes in the more modern David Tennant and Matt Smith Eras including absolutely amazing fellow-travelers Rose Tyler and Amy Pond....... but there is still something authentically special and endearingly unique about the earlier Tom Baker/Elisabeth Sladen adventures which seem to nearly burst with hyper-Creativity and eccentric Charisma, miraculously generating astonishing levels of fantastic entertainment even with miniscule production budgets and the very limited FX technology of their Time & Space!
Keeping Score (2004)
Essential documentary in the Long winding Road to understanding composer Gustav Mahler and his Works, with MTT as exceptional Guide!
I would never claim to understand the bulk of Gustav Mahler's Works, or Life = there is way too much Complexity & high degree of achievement there, with incredible density and extraordinary quality of creative output, during his relatively short Life of only 50 years (brief by our modern standards).
Mahler seems like the Ultimate 'Overachiever' becoming the Top Conductor of his Day (in both Symphonic Music and especially Opera) meticulously memorizing hundreds of Classic Scores, then tirelessly 'working' himself, and his Orchestras to perform way above normal expectations, and beyond any traditional Limits extracting and generating mind-blowingly unprecedented concert performances, mainly to the waiting ears of hyper-critical Viennese audiences from over 100 Years ago.
Thru his incredibly complex & original Symphonic Works in which he literally tried to encapsulate our entire 'Living World,' ..... Mahler also expressed uncanny sensitivity & prescience creating music that seemed to predict the forthcoming tumultuous societal upheavals and destructive epochs of WW1 and WW2 (and even the holocaust).
Michael Tilson Thomas (aka MTT) definitely has both the artistic credibility and depth of experience conducting superlative Orchestras to Lead, educate, and inspire the viewer (and listener) toward a better understanding of Mahler's somewhat daunting & potentially intimidating Compositions (& tumultuous Life and times) especially since MTT has conducted and recorded the 'full cycle' of Mahler's Works to significant acclaim, with the San Francisco Symphony!
In this Mahler documentary, MTT seems to take special care to have the viewer 'enter into' Mahler's actual 'surroundings' and give us a taste of what it might have been like to grow-up and develop in his culturally cosmopolitan environment, near the heart of the Austro-Hungarian empire, in the Late 19th Century (with all the diverse musical 'influences' Mahler would have been exposed to there!)
MTT then roughly traces Mahler's professional life/ achievements, progressing thru the larger and better Opera Houses throughout Europe and beginning to make a name for himself as an exceptional conductor, then on to his initial forays into composing original Works of his own.
Onward to the significantly impactful courtship and marriage to the somewhat eternally unattainable 'Alma' who was an exceptionally gifted creative artist in her own right and the 'inspiration' to some of Mahler's finest compositions.
MTT takes us on a visit to Mahler's Summer cabin 'composer's cottage' in rural Austria (imbued with a contradictory combination of both the magically inspiring versus desperately forlorn/ heartbreaking overtones).
Later in life Mahler concentrated on Larger-scale compositions, with brief but significant time conducting in America then returning to Europe to encounter all-too-soon convergence with Death.......
This MTT 'Keeping Score' is most certainly Essential viewing for any Mahler fan, or anyone simply fascinated by Music composition and its historical development - Mahler representing a kind of creative Music culmination, just prior to its impending 'deconstruction' thru the exceedingly avant garde subsequent Works by Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Webern, Alban Berg et al
Huge gratitude to MTT and this invaluable Keeping Score documentary series = a very worthy successor to those Legendary Leonard Bernstein educational 'talks' and musical expositions, like the Great 'Unanswered Question' DVD series!
Note: I was very much intimidated and even a bit wary listening to Mahler's compositions at first, because they can be both tumultuous & Gigantic in scope with seeming intention to capture & project extreme emotional range and incredible density of orchestration (ie: overflowing to the brims and rafters, until almost ready to burst!). I am still intimidated by a number of them (like the 6th, 8th, and 3rd) I think a good place to start is with the more melodic and accesible (and bit more cohesive) Symphonies 5th, 7th, and 1st, the 9th is more difficult to fully comprehend but very rewarding if you make the effort to try!
Fantasia (1940)
FANTASIA = Astounding Sonic Portraits providing the best early introduction to Classical Music enhaced with superlative animated Creative artistry.
FANTASIA provides one of the absolute Best early introductions to Classical Music. It had an indelible impact when my Dad first took me to see it in Cinema re-issue (in the 1970's), I was probably about 5 years old upon first viewing but it definitely began an appreciation of Music that has lasted a Lifetime.
The first piece is probably the most Intriguing = J. S. Bach's 'Toccata & Fugue' for Full-Orchestra (arranged and Conducted by the Great Leopold Stokowski who always used only his hands to conduct, no baton needed.)
Bach's Work is indescribably intriguing and eternally enigmatic. As much as Beethoven is revered as probably the single greatest composer (deservedly so) it is quite possible that J. S. Bach possessed an even more 'profound' direct-connection to Music itself (since some of his works can seem exceedingly abstract and almost other-worldly). 'Toccata & Fugue' certainly has the effect of 'transporting' the Listener to an intangible realm much different from our material one (perhaps a deep inner-World) and the description of 'captivating' would be gross understatement.
Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' (for a kid first listening to this at 5 years = the Dinosaur Music!) There is a well known story about this piece causing a wild Riot, upon its first Ballet performance, in Paris, France circa1913, under original title "Le Sacre du printemps" because this modernist composition seemed so 'Raw' and even savage (of course, our modern ears may have become more accustomed but to early 20th Century ears it caused terrible commotion and unease). Stravinsky's Work definitely evokes the powerful sense of the 'primordial' and was the perfect milieu for Dinosaurs to 'dance' to (although with very forlorn ending).
On to Beethoven's astonishing 6th Symphony 'Pastoral' = if a more beautiful Work, evoking the sense of eternal Growth & Renewal, exists elsewhere, I have yet to hear it. A sublime masterpiece, differentiated from both Beethoven's 5th and 3rd Symphonies (that are full of propulsive-assertiveness). The 'Pastoral' in contrast seems to imagine a more perfected existence, our Earth as it could and should be, an idealized realm fostering authentic harmony & unbroken continuity (in both the literal & figurative sense).
The other two Works, that had significant impact = Mussorgsky's foreboding 'Night on Bald Mountain' magically transitioning/transforming into Schubert's Immortal 'Ave Maria'
This combined segment seems genuinely inspired, since these two pieces are great enough to stand on their own, but the transitioning from one to the other (i.e. Moving from utter darkness to transcendent Light) engenders deep emotional impact crossing-over to the authentically spiritual.
If you haven't seen Fantasia in awhile it might be time to allow yourself to be genuinely inspired again by the wonders of these astounding 'Sonic Portraits' of absolute highest quality & Creativity.
Bee Season (2005)
"Bee Season" Imperfect but compelling Film = ruminating on Repairing a severly 'fractured/ damaged' World (and human family)
'Bee Season' (based on a book by Myla Goldberg, screenplay by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, directed by the duo of Scott McGehee and David Siegel). I re-watched this film on DVD recently, I know it did not perform well at the box office nearly 20 years ago and received mixed reviews at the time. Cinematically 'Bee Season' is most certainly a challenging film filled with worthy ambitions presenting a complex richly-layered story containing genuine philosophical insights but 'Bee Season' can also be exceedingly enigmatic and even a bit disjointed at times (but still rewarding overall).
I couldn't help but be fascinated by the main concept presented in this film/Story, that you rarely ever see in Hollywood movies = the Jewish/Rabbinic (also ancient Kabbalist) concept of Tikkun olam which can be taken to mean "healing & repairing the world" i.e. Humanity's shared responsibility to transform our severly 'fractured/ damaged' World (by locating and repairing those innumerable broken-shards to re-generate and reform a harmoniuos continuity). And how this concept impacts the lives of the Naumann family (i.e. A family-unit that seems to be in the throes of fracturing/dismantling severly during much of this film).
The twin centerpieces of the film being daughter Eliza (portrayed by Flora Cross) who appears to have an uncanny-brilliance with regards to winning 'spelling-Bees' (a 'gift' that is significantly enhanced thru special Kabbalist-training by Rabbinic-professor and father Saul/Richard Gere) + mother Miriam/Juliette Binoche (whose very sanity appears to unravel before our eyes, as her World seems to literally break/shatter into those proverbial million-pieces/innumerable-shards).
I believe that if we are to pinpoint the ultimate moral to this film/story, it is that within each of us, there exists the significant power to 'heal' = most of us don't even realize that we have such gifts but in searching deep enough, you have a chance of locating it and then making the 'choice' to select healing over simple self-serving personal gain.
But I agree that the viewer might not necessarily be able to draw that clear a conclusion directly from this film = the movie itself did not sufficiently draw together its dramatic/thematic 'broken-shards' but again, how many Hollywood films even bring such concepts to light and contemplation? Slightly unsatisfying but very compelling nonetheless!
Interstellar (2014)
'Interstellar' Christopher Nolan's spectacular film positing whether Human-Ingenuity (& Space-Travel) will Un-lock the Secrets to Save us All.
After seeing the extraordinary new film 'Oppenheimer' I felt the urge to re-watch Christopher Nolan's earlier, fantastically compelling Cinematic experience 'Interstellar' (circa2014) which also delves into humanity's insatiable need to achieve deeper levels of scientific understanding, realizing that each layer of knowledge revealed can raise even more perplexing questions leading to further pathways of discovery.
"Interstellar" contains a meticulously intricate Story structure, in which fragmentary clues & puzzle-pieces are presented early on, which may or may not be intrinsically linked to a potential pathway toward greater comprehension, much later-on in the film (with elements still remaining beyond the scope of human-comprehension even at finale = in keeping with the spirit of Kubrick's mysteriously-visionary & thought-provoking "2001:Space Odyssey")
There are heady topics touched-upon, like humankind facing inevitable extinction (unless we have the ingenuity to find alternate 'pathways' to survival) due to mysterious but devastating environmental disasters that have essentially made our Earth very inhospitable to all living things (i.e. Massive crop-failings/ inability to grow Life-sustaining food, other atmospheric calamities that make the very air hazardous to breathe for long periods of time).
Due to shortage of food and basic needs, the most important profession has become good old 'farming' and most other 'non-essential' fields of study like astronomy/astrophysics (especially anything related to the high-cost/ low yield venue of space-travel) have practically been outlawed (the official history books are not even allowed to admit that the USA ever landed on the moon = it was all just a hoax to bankrupt the Soviet Union)
This lays the groundwork for an interesting premise, since it turns out the best potential space-pilot/ astronaut ('Cooper' played by Matthew McConaughey) is now a dust-bowl farmer, spending his days keeping the 'combines running on time'. But he has a brilliant daughter named 'Murph' who is still fascinated by the now subversive pastime of contemplating the stars (and more importantly how to actually get there!) She shares many of the intellectual interests of her former NASA engineer/test-pilot father Cooper and even gets thrown out of school for arguing that the US did actually visit the moon (like father, like daughter). All this is fine and good as simply a hobby, since in their near-future 'NASA' no longer exists as Space-exploration has become an exorbitant Luxury (and most PhDs now exclusively study agronomy, focusing all brainpower on how to 'grow things' faster all-eyes now firmly cast downward, since casting them Upward would be deemed a futile-waste of time)
As it turns out, Cooper's superlative aeronautical-engineering intuition & knowledge combined with his uncanny piloting skills make him the perfect (perhaps only) candidate to Lead a species-saving (i.e. The Human race) plan A&B to potentially populate hospitable planets far 'out-there'. There is much more to this Story, and many bumps along the galaxy-spanning 'pathways' but Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' does an impressive job of making the scientific concepts believable. The strong intellectual & emotional-intuitive bond between Cooper and his hyper-perceptive daughter Murph will also remain pivotal (and Jessica Chastain gives a fantastic performance as older-version 'Murph).
The part I appreciated most, was that this story re-Presents (in a serious and believable-way) the concept of Large-scale Space-Travel as an essential adventure that Humans must undertake in the long-run, as the only way to adequately facilitate our collective human-brain's inexorable need to truly 'understand' i.e. Unlock a genuine 'cosmic-awareness' and continue a crucially-conscious exploration far beyond our own solar-system and as Christopher Nolan's amazing film "Interstellar" also postulates, our own future existence could completely depend on it!
Interesting note: Caltech Physicist and Nobel laureate Kip Thorne was a close advisor to Christopher Nolan on this film, ensuring that all the science was realistically conceivable.
Shin Kamen Raidâ (2023)
Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider retains 'Eternal Coolness' factor updated with relevant present-Day artificial-intelligence scenario.
I really enjoyed watching Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider (and Thanks to AMAZON for bringing this to American viewers so soon after the Japanese premiere this past Spring, 2023). Anno's version retains All the Ultra-Cool images & styling of the original Kamen Rider (originally broadcast in Japan in Spring 1971 - fortunately in Hawaii, KIKU TV actually broadcast the full 52 episode run of Kamen Rider V-3 in the mid 1970's so Hawaii kids got to experience the fantastic excitement + awesome intensity of the early Kamen Rider series firsthand, and there was later a great DVD set issued in the early 2000's).
I have tried to intermittently keep up with (more like only sample) some of the numerous ensuing Rider series over the years thru DVD (and now there is a Toei Tokusatsu channel available) but my fondest childhood memories harken back to V3 and also to the original Kamen Rider, X-Rider, Rider Stronger, and the original Kamen Rider Black all of which I have seen most of based on a combination of Japanese import DVDs and Amazon/SHOUT Factory streaming in recent years.
Another Essential-enhancement inherent to the earlier Kamen Rider series from the 1970's was the fantastically creative, exciting and intensely-propulsive Music composed by the Legendary Shunsuke Kikuchi (thankfully some of his original compositions are used as background 'fight' Music in Shin Kamen Rider which greatly adds to authenticity).
Now on to the actual Movie Shin Kamen Rider...... I feel Hideaki Anno did a great job of updating the Kamen Rider Legend with an exceedingly interesting & relevant artificial-intelligence scenario providing a good background story showing that the original intention of the 'SHOCKER' creator was to fulfill the wishes, hopes & dreams of humanity and bring ultimate 'Happiness' but unfortunately the independently growing and rapidly progressing AI misinterprets humanity's ultimate happiness as equating to 'death & subjugation' (best laid Plans), in addition the introduction of the perpetual 'data-observer-recorder' by the name of 'K' represents an intriguing side character/humanoid appendage to the master AI, and 'K' sees and hears All but does not intervene or even shed a tear (I suspect 'K' is an admiring homage to the ingenious Tokusatu and brilliant manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori who of course created the Eternal Heroes: Kamen Rider, Jinzo-Ningen Kikaida, Himitsu Sentai Go-Ranger, Inazuman, and from 1973 'Robotto Keiji K' the Robotic Detective that resembled Kikaida to a large-degree but was usually always dressed in an impeccable business-suit just like 'K' in Shin Kamen Rider).
I really appreciate that for Shin Kamen Rider, Hideaki Anno retained the 'Eternal Coolness' factor always associated with the early Rider shows - i.e. Preserving the image of the 'fearless' biker with serious attitude always ready, willing, and able to relentlessly battle (and usually win) against the most hideous and merciless Kaizo-Ningen (i.e. Cybernetically Enhanced or 'augmented' human) adversaries - the best Kamen Rider fights/deadly-duels always retain the one-on-one intensity of those legendary Samurai-master showdowns from the best 'chanbara' sword-slashing or Yakuza films (or perhaps even the most exciting Bruce Lee martial arts films)..... and Hedeaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider retains all the intensive fighting-ferocity and explosiveness of the Classic Tokusatsu and Chanbara showdowns (with some added CGI to demonstrate just how amazingly high and devastatingly-powerful a human-sized Grasshopper can actually jump and kick!)
I would say I immensely enjoyed the first 2/3'd of Shin Kamen Rider, the fight with Spider-Aug was explosive and thoroughly entertaining (especially when Spider-Aug showcased his extra arms at the ready), and Hiromi/Wasp-Aug embodied a fantastically charismatic presence = eccentrically quirky even bordering on being quite cute/kawaii but decidedly-deadly when necessary especially with the katana (but Hiromi/Wasp-Aug's undeniable-charisma made viewers actually understand why many would more than willingly join her hive) and it was actually profoundly sad to see her perish so unexpectedly. And the fight between Riders One & Two was spectacularly awesome as would be expected.
If the movie ended 2/3'd of the way thru I would have ranked this a 9 or perhaps even perfect 10.... but alas, the final 1/3 felt like a bit of anti-Climax. I am not sure if I missed some nuance in dialog (and perhaps I need to re-watch the final Story-arc over-again) but it felt like a bit of a 'downer'.... again it might be my own misinterpretation because I do certainly realize that in Japanese culture the notion of 'Self-sacrifice' is often considered a reflection of absolute highest moral virtue and always granted much reverence especially in narrative Drama.
In any event the bright-side is that 'Prana' Life-force appears relatively eternal so Takeshi Hongo, Ruriko Midorikawa (and perhaps even kawaii Hiromi/Wasp-Aug) will return again ..... since their original prana 'Soul' forms are in essence eternally 'alive' and therefore, might actually re-materialize in a potential sequel! Request to Toei and Hideaki Anno: please let there be a sequel or two, or three in the near future and I will wait in anticipation to see all the fantastically-intriguing Rider characters in eternal battle against a multitude of fearsome Kaizo-Ningen human-insect cybernetic augmentations, bring it on again and again!
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2010)
Riveting Documentary focusing on America's most Intriguing & Enigmatic scientific Mind.
If you saw Christopher Nolan's superlative new movie 'Oppenheimer' and wanted to discover additional details filling-in the historical backstory of Oppenheimer's Life & Times, David Grubin's insightful Documentary, first broadcast as part of the PBS 'American Experience' series, reflects more than a bit of luminosity on the personal & political challenges encountered by one of the most otherworldly-brilliant...... but perplexingly-enigmatic & intensely complicated scientists in history = J. Robert Oppenheimer who shepherded cutting-edge quantum physics knowledge directly toward our American shores (to Caltech and Berkeley) brought directly from the intellectual centers of 1920s Europe (e.g. Gottingen University studying under Max Born).... then organized & keenly guided all scientific aspects of the Manhattan Project thru completion in 1945.
David Grubin's superb documentary represents a valuable companion piece to the fantastic biography "American Prometheus" (by Kai Bird, and Martin J. Sherwin). This documentary also brings Oppenheimer to uncanny 'Life' via actor David Strathairn's* incredibly realistic portrayal, during the re-enactment sequences from security clearance hearings circa, spring 1954.
Oppenheimer's story is crucially important not only due to the technologically unprecedented scientific achievements (harnessing Atomic energy, ending any possible continuation of WWII ).....
but also because it raises numerous moral dilemmas faced by humanity, especially people like Oppenheimer who had been blessed (or cursed) with the fateful knowledge of unlocking Earth-shattering forces.... Grubin's documentary painfully illustrates how even Oppenheimer's prodigiously brilliant mind was unable to reconcile or resolve the insurmountable obstacles lining the pathway toward convincing government Leaders to adequately control and wisely harness nuclear energy's full Peace-time potential (of course, there was no way to coax the atomic 'genie' back into the bottle after 1945). Unfortunately these profound moral dilemmas and potentially devastating nuclear threats still loom dishearteningly Large in our geopolitical present Day, making Oppenheimer's Story and lingering worries critically relevant with many lessons still to be learned.
*interesting note: David Strathairn already portrayed Oppenheimer much earlier, in the excellent historical TV movie (originally broadcast on CBS, in 1989), called 'Day One' a great docudrama primarily about the 'Manhattan Project' which also provides great background information and prominently features Oppenheimer, General Groves, Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard, Einstein, President Truman and many more = a fine television film but very hard to find a copy these days, thankfully Amazon stll has the DVD available... and also quite fortunately David Grubin's American Experience Documentary: 'The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer' is readily available on both Streaming and DVD!
Oppenheimer (2023)
Oppenheimer is a uniquely intriguing and infinitely compelling Cinematic Experience.
'Oppenheimer' is a uniquely intriguing cinematic experience. It feels strangely-miraculous the way Christopher Nolan was able to take-on such complicated and even controversial subject matter and transform it into an intensely absorbing narrative intricately spiced with spectacularly imaginative visuals. Based on the over 700 page award winning biography 'American Prometheus' by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (which I have read multiple times-over, since it's 2005 publication). The story of how J. Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project to create the first atomic bombs (before the Axis powers could ever figure it out), later valiantly attempting to limit the probabilities of world-wide Earth-shattering nuclear holocaust.... eventually having his intimate family-life and professional reputation severely disrupted and indelibly injured by the torrent of irrational McCarthyist paranoia sweeping the early 1950's - makes for fascinating material indeed but also an extremely daunting endeavor to capture coherently & compellingly on film due to the sheer complexity of subject matter along with the perplexingly enigmatic nature of the man along with the cruelly-chaotic circumstances of his times. It most definitely feels like only a Top-tier exceedingly gifted writer/Director like Christopher Nolan possessed the artistic vision and innovative resourcefulness to truly bring 'Oppenheimer' to cinematic 'Life' (another critical-factor being Christopher Nolan's inspired choices for matching the very finest actors to their 'perfect' spot-on roles).
Cillian Murphy especially projects the otherworldly-luminous intelligence of Oppenheimer and perhaps even more importantly transmits the disquieting feeling that 'Oppie' actually possessed the uncanny awareness (which eventually became disillusioning burden) that he was carrying the weight of the entire World on his shoulders trying to control unremitting nuclear proliferation - not always knowing how to effectively navigate the dark-matter realm of political persuasion. The key to Cillian's emotionally resonant performance is that he evokes tremendous poignancy, communicating agonizing internal-conflict and deep reflection even in the many moments when there is little to no dialog (often thru facial expression alone). Robert Downey Jr. Provides a masterclass thru his complex portrayal of Oppenheimer chief adversary Lewis Strauss - making Strauss a character harboring layers of resentment well-concealed, and it takes practically the entire movie before the audience becomes fully-aware of the manipulative nature of Struss's master-plan to bring Oppenheimer down a few notches.... things ironically come full circle for Strauss which brings a small bit of 'closure' towards finale but Downey Jr.'s performance is so subtle and multi-layered making the Strauss character always fascinating and extremely watchable every time he appears on screen.
Emily Blunt is also extremely watchable as Kitty Oppenheimer, J. Robert's formerly 'radical' wife who was a tragic and tormented (and often alcoholic) figure in real life..... but Emily Blunt's portrayal goes a long-way toward 'humanizing' Kitty often showing how fiercely protective she was of J. Robert when the walls were closing in on him. I actually wish there were many more scenes with Kitty because it feels like she often gets 'short-shrift' in the many Oppenheimer biographies I have read, but Emily Blunt's intriguing and humane performance seems to shed new light on the authentic character of Kitty which is refreshing.
Matt Damon is sufficiently 'commanding' as General Leslie Groves, the scenes between Groves and Oppenheimer are some of the best in the entire film. The real General Groves was quite a visionary (and somewhat of an authentic genius himself) for choosing Oppenheimer to lead the Manhattan Project in the first place (Groves intuitively understood that only Oppenheimer could effectively cultivate maximum cooperation & optimal creativity from all the eccentric scientific prodigies involved) Groves also fiercely stood by Oppenheimer thru the entire WWII years and it was really the Groves/Oppenheimer professional partnership that guaranteed America would be the first to Unlock and unleash atomic power - Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy authentically transmit this pragmatic professional bond perfectly!
Another standout performance is Florence Pugh as un-reformed radical Jean Tatlock who might have been Oppenheimer's truest love but was also an extremely emotionally-fragile Soul who inadvertently brought indelible torment to J. Robert's life (and his relationship with Jean was probably one of the critical detrimental factors in the loss of Security-Clearance due to Jean's lingering radical history and Oppenheimer's lingering love for her). Finally Benny Safdie's portrayal of erratically-brilliant but self-serving Edward Teller (one of Hungary's ultra-brilliant 'Martians of Science' along with top Martian Jon Von Neumann of course) as another essential antagonist (alongside Strauss) although Teller's redeeming quality was that he was a certified 'genius' in terms of innovative scientific creativity, but he also played a crucial role in adding the final nail to Oppenheimer's 'loss of clearance' coffin, but it definitely feels like Oppenheimer and Teller did (at least in the beginning) harbor a mutual respect for each other's scientific 'gifts' which is exhibited on-screen so Safdie/Teller's film presence is always compelling.
Overall, I agree that Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' is a major Cinematic achievement that ensures him a place in the Top-tier of All-time finest movie Director's (alongside Kubrick et al) not only from a creatively artistic standpoint but from his sheer force-of-will and persistence to even get an immensely challenging project like 'Oppenheimer' financed, off the ground and on to those IMAX 65mm screens for all movie fans (and other imaginative dreamers) to See!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Cosmic Marvel Science-fiction at it's very Best most Fantastic & intriguing!
WOW = Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is most certainly one of the very best Marvel movies ever produced (and that is saying a lot considering how impressive those recent Avengers and Black Panther films have been) but G of G volume 3 amazingly provides even more entertainment value and enjoyment containing all the expected irreverent humor & camaraderie + ultra-Cosmic action as before but with an extra-added dose of pathos and poignancy (inherent to Rocket Raccoon's intriguing origin Story) enhanced by a First-Rate Science fiction scenario featuring the 'High-Evolutionary' and Adam Warlock ( back in the Day when I seriously collected Marvel Comics many years ago, I always eagerly sought out any issues with appearances by Adam Warlock since he was one of Marvel's most profound, complex & conflicted characters.... and the High-Evolutionary comic stories never failed to fascinate).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 perfectly blends all elements above and allows each Team member's uniquely eccentric strength (and humorously endearing misfit shortcomings) to be utilized to the fullest extent and perfectly incorporated into the overall proceedings. I was really surprised by how emotionally resonant Rocket Raccoon's origin Story is....... the scenes of Rocket 'bonding' and finding genuine compassion from the other intelligent, mutated-misfit, accelerated feral-creatures/ products of the High-Evolutionary's brutal experimentation, was so heartfelt and moving at times it was hard to believe these were CGI and not real breathing-living beings with actual Souls..... the voice and motion-capture actors should be nominated for Academy awards since their expressed emotions appeared so genuine!
To balance the poignancy of Rocket's story the other Guardians especially Mantis, Nebula, Drax the Destroyer and Groot have a lot of characteristically idiosyncratic moments that are hilarious and help maintain the balance of 'light & dark' between the intervals of Fantastic action sequences. Another important note is that G of G Vol. 3 has some of the most Creative Starship designs and futuristic (and even psychedelic) technological concepts... some of the most impressive I have ever seen! To Top it all off the side-story of Quill/Star-Lord trying to emotionally re-connect with Gamora keeps the audience guessing all the way thru.... and the progression of that scenario although not what might be expected is still satisfying, nonetheless.
Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is highly-recommended, if I had one minor reservation it would be that I wish Adam Warlock could have embodied more of the complexity and profound depth of characterization from the original comics (especially the version augmented by Jim Starlin in the mid to late 1970's) but I am most certain Adam Warlock will appear in some future Marvel scenario since he has almost infinite story potential! I kind of hope the High-evolutionary will also return in some future form..... since these characters (along with the Silver Surfer) + the Guardians of the Galaxy (of course) really exemplify Cosmic Marvel Science-Fiction at it's very Best and most intriguing!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Wakanda Forever takes characters on personal Journeys of Perseverance.... with depth & Poignancy.
Before seeing Wakanda Forever, it seemed like an impossible task to match the success of the first Black Panther film from 2018....... how could anyone adequately fill Chadwick Boseman's shoes or ever revitalize and re-energize the Black Panther legend? Some viewers probably went into theaters this time with some skepticism but Ryan Coogler (director and co-writer) generated a small miracle going in different, unexpected directions. The acting Team including Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o all brought genuinely heartfelt performances containing extra dimensions of poignancy that took the audience to emotionally resonant realms rarely seen in Marvel films (or any big-budget action movies for that matter). I was really surprised by the intensity of authentic emotions throughout... each character was forced to overcome nearly insurmountable grief and adversity in order to step-up and transform thru shear perseverance to fulfil a unique personal journey.
And the addition of 'Namor' Tenoch Huerta as primary adversary seemed like a genuine stroke of genius! Namor (aka Sub-Mariner) of the original comics (one of Marvel's very first created characters in 1939) was always rebellious, short-tempered, arrogant.... but also a masterful tactician creating 'expedient' tenuous alliances sometimes with heroes (like the Fantastic Four) but also villains like Doctor Doom, always believing that Land-dwellers could never be trusted and would eventually bring calamity & destruction to his underwater Utopia. The original Marvel comics featuring Sub-Mariner were always interesting but 'Wakanda Forever' again seemed to bring added dimensions to Namor with even more complex motivations and a point-of -view that audiences could at least partially sympathize with (Namor's origin scene harkening back to 1500's when conquistadors bring disease & destruction, ravaging a peaceful Mayan village, was brief but indelibly chilling). The Best and most interesting adversaries in films & stories are never pure mindless 'villains' but those who have a complex moral code that traverses the spectrum of good & evil and are unpredictable in dispensing mercy and retribution.
Overall, I really liked Wakanda Forever but it was not what I was expecting.... the vibe is much different than the original Black Panther (and other heroic endeavors) with scenes that run the gamut of meditative, intense, heartfelt, conflicted, reflective & revealing but always with an undercurrent of poignancy.... ensuring that Wakanda's Legend is certainly secure and deserves to live on thru the far-future.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Wingard's 'Godzilla vs. Kong' = kinetically Hyper-charged + aesthetically brilliant!
WOW! I got to see 'Godzilla vs. Kong' in a theater (after covid-19 vaccination) and was absolutely mesmerized and filled with an authentic adrenaline-rush upon viewing, making me feel like a 10 year old kid again akin to seeing the 'Empire Strikes Back' for the first time on the Big screen! Gojira vs. Kong represents an enthralling cinematic 'Gift' to long time Kaiju-film fans perfectly conceptualizing what we all waited to witness, wildly exceeding expectations in terms of fully realized smack-downs that are kinetically hyper-charged + aesthetically brilliant! Director Adam Wingard created the perfect Dai-kaiju super-match(s) here engendering Godzilla with the ferociously unrelenting fighting-Spirit we always anticipated while amazingly injecting Kong with majestic Charisma, and even a high-degree of 'relatability' thru his non-verbal interactions with 'Jia' (who definitely steals the show on the human end of things).
I know some viewers will say this is still just a simplistic giant monster smash-up but it most definitely feels like Adam Wingard has given long-time kaiju fans a priceless gift miraculously breathing genuine 'Life' into both Titanic icons Godzilla/Gojira and King Kong, appearing (much more than ever before) realistic, naturalistic + terrifyingly charismatic earning them the right to Rule the Earth! (while hopefully peacefully co-existing with us puny humans in the meantime). Anyway, proclaiming 'Godzilla vs. Kong' a non-stop thrill ride all the way is a definite understatement! Hopefully, the immense success of G v K injects the cinematic 'Monster-verse' with enough juice to co-exist (alongside the 'Marvel-verse') for many decades more! (Go Toho* +Legendary)
Note*: I was really pulling for G v K to be a Big box-office hit ensuring many more Dai-kaiju adventures to come! Toho's "Shin Gojira" from 2016 was also a fantastically artistic & original film done on a much smaller budget that everyone should still see!
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
Humorous & Profound (and irrepressibly Musical) with Snoopy as Star of Thanksgiving proceedings!
Interesting that 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' is no longer broadcast on Network TV beginning this year 2020 - although it is of course available for streaming and was surprisingly shown last week on PBS! This has always been my favorite 'Thanksgiving' special since I was a little tyke - I believe this was first broadcast in November 1973.
Similar in some respects to the fantastically entertaining but also quite profound 'Charlie Brown Christmas' uniquely brilliant creator Charles M. Schulz did his authentic-magic again (with help from director Bill Melendez and extra special assist from genius Music composer and jazzman Vince Guaraldi !!)
The animation and dialog seem so simplistic (even minimalist) yet Charlie Brown and his compatriots (especially Snoopy & Woodstock) are imbued with abundant humor, dry-wit, and even authentic pathos, and Linus always willingly provides scholarly musings placing these celebrations in their proper historical perspective (as he especially did in the Christmas special), although in this one it is actually Marcie that brings-out the true meaning of 'Thanksgiving' to the fore (mediating the brief rift between Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty).
Although the entire Thanksgiving festivities here are humorous, entertaining, and even emotionally-resonant throughout the 1/2 hour the real magic happens every time Snoopy is on screen! I will never fully comprehend how creator Charles Schulz (and the television animators) were able to imbue the simplistically-drawn Snoopy to posses such depth of personality, irrepressible manic energy, and uncanny 'awareness'* yet still containing a feral canine spirit deep within (Charles Schulz must have been buddies with an amazing dog like this in real life to be able to capture that spirit so perfectly!)
And that incredible Music by Vince Guaraldi is timelessly-Classic & ultra-melodic (I love that 'Thanksgiving' theme that opens and closes this show!) Vince Guaraldi had a background as a Jazz artist so he really knew how to bring 'improvisational energy' to the proceedings adding kinetic 'Life' to Charles Schulz's indelible creations!
*note: Chef Snoopy's boundless resourcefulness preparing a 'quick-fix' Thanksgiving feast comprised of: popcorn, jelly-beans, toast, pretzel-sticks and what appears to be either a parfait or ice-cream sundae seems like brilliant improvisational cuisine preparation in this time of covid-19 (although Snoopy did covertly cook a full turkey dinner complete with pumpkin pie within his doghouse at end of which even Woodstock did surprisingly partake).
Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard (2012)
Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard = important Documentary showcasing poignant memories of devastating events.
"Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard" written/directed by Bryan Reichhardt and produced by Shizumi Shigeto Manale" is a fascinating and exceedingly important documentary-film casting considerable Light and 'memory' on one of the significant tragedies of history: the detonation of atomic weapons over Hiroshima (and Nagasaki a few days later), but unlike other documentaries that focus mainly on the horrific-destruction of the twin bombings (and aftermath) 'Pictures from Hiroshima Schoolyard' presents a unique perspective, with the heart of this documentary focusing on the drawings-illustrations created by 48 Japanese schoolchildren who were residents of Hiroshima in 1947 two-years after the end of WWII (some of whom were direct witnesses to the atomic-detonation).
The film shows many of the children's original drawings (that have been restored), and actually catches-up with a number of them 63 years later (circa2010 when interviews were originally filmed) with interviews and recollections about that tragic day August 6, 1945 and specific memories about creating the drawings two-years after in 1947.
The other fascinating (and unique) aspect of this particular documentary is that is also tells the story of how these 48 children's illustrations came into being in the first-place = in an act of authentic compassion Arthur Powell Davies minister of All Souls Unitarian Church* in Washington DC organized a large shipment of school supplies for the children and survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. The documentary also emphasizes that this simple gift of school-supplies from America was immensely treasured and deeply appreciated by the citizens of Hiroshima especially because during the first 4 to 5 years immediately after the War Hiroshima received almost no official financial-assistance from the Japanese government (partly because the government didn't even know if it was safe for people to res-settle due to lingering radio-activity, but a number of families took the chance to resettle/reclaim their properties nonetheless even before it was deemed 'safe').
The 48 drawings by the Hiroshima school-children created in 1947 were meant to be a gift sent back to the Unitarian Church in Washington, DC to express their genuine gratitude (an to demonstrate how well they were using the school-supplies). An interesting aspect of these 48-drawings was that most of the illustrations applied vibrant colors and seemed to depict a distinct sense of optimism for a better future (which must have seemed ironic at the time, but in hindsight is actually quite inspiring.)
Overall, I was very surprised by this documentary, because even though the actual atomic-bombings were absolutely devastating and horrific in nature, this film also demonstrates the transcendent-power of compassion and the fact that genuine gifts of humanity are never forgotten (and often come full-circle.)
Note*: another fascinating bit of history = the Washington, DC location of All Souls First Unitarian Church was founded in 1821, and one of the founders was John Quincy Adams (who went on to become sixth President of the United States in 1825)
42 (2013)
'42' Film highlighting Jackie Robinson's Heroic Quest for racial equality and Baseball Stardom!
The film '42' (originally released circa2013) is an important and impactful Film telling the harrowing (and ultimately triumphant) Story of the authentic American Hero = Jackie Robinson and his courageous efforts to break the 'color-barrier' in baseball in 1947.
In many ways Jackie Robinson's struggle for equality on the baseball-field i.e. the right to be measured and rewarded solely on the basis of his talent-intelligence-determination and not hindered by arbitrary notions of 'race' ultimately thrust Robinson onto the front-lines of the burgeoning Civil-rights movement and the fight for equality gaining momentum just after WWII, as black-soldiers successfully serving their country rightfully expected that the American-values of pluralistic democracy applied towards emancipating Europe from fascism would be equally valued right here at home (Robinson himself graduated from Officer-candidate school becoming a second-lieutenant - although a run-in with a military bus-driver harboring segregationist views cut his officer-career a bit short - though Robinson ultimately received 'honorable-discharge')
The film-version '42' written & directed by Brian Helgeland feels very authentic and provides the viewer with a window into the immediate post-WWII American time-period. It is obvious that writer/director Helgeland has great respect & appreciation for Jackie Robinson = being both astounding-athlete and courageous-vanguard and 'barrier-breaker'
Actor Chadwick Boseman is a perfect choice for the role expressing the drive-determination-intelligence and uncanny 'equanimity' that allowed Robinson to weather the violent storms swirling all around (i.e. those not ready to judge people on their abilities and 'content-of-character) - It is interesting how cool, calm, collected the real Jackie Robinson always appeared in old news-reels, or even in later interviews - and Chadwick Boseman seems to evoke that 'inner-spirit' of Robinson throughout the film.
Nicole Beharie is also fantastic as Rachel Robinson = Jackie's wife who is portrayed as intensely-intelligent and 'rock-solid' in terms of lending vital moral (and morale) support to Jackie whenever he needed it most - it's also interesting to note that in real-life, Rachel became an RN and even a professor at Yale Nursing-School.
Harrison Ford takes a surprise turn (but a very good one) as 'Branch Rickey' who was a powerful baseball-Executive and General Manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the watershed year of 1947. Ford portrays Dickey as a man with a genuinely 'good' moral-center who feels it unjust to exclude talented black players from the Majors - but also a good-business man who sees great potential to vastly expand the popularity (and ticket-sales) of baseball games by including the very Best players (regardless of race)
I greatly enjoyed this film '42' and I wish I had seen it earlier at time of theatrical-release on the big-screen, but it's most definitely worth watching (or re-watching) at any time of Year = very uplifting and even enlightening, created by filmmakers and actors that obviously care very deeply about the subject matter involved (e.g. Jackie Robinson + racial-equality + essential Baseball history!)
Come See the Paradise (1990)
Essential WWII history focusing on (hard to fathom) internment of loyal Japanese-Americans.
This is another Cinematic lost-treasure and important film dealing with essential WWII history, that unfortunately seemed underappreciated at the time of release, not a box office success in 1990 and perhaps a not very well-remembered film circa2020. It's titled "Come See the Paradise" focusing on the unjust & unwarranted internment of Japanese Americans during the darkest-days of WWII = a topic which has rarely been covered in Hollywood films (I do remember a great TV movie titled "Farewell to Manzanar" starring Nobu McCarthy based on the book, but don't believe a DVD is available).
In any event, it is nearly impossible to reconcile the fact that our own democratic American government did in fact send tens-of-thousands of loyal Japanese-Americans to concentration camps, forced to leave behind all their material possessions, quickly selling their homes and businesses for pennies on the dollar = with no idea what the future had in store, or whether they would ever be embraced as fully-free citizens again?
The great irony being that many of the sons of Japanese-American families sent to the camps volunteered to serve and became the most decorated WWII Heroes (taking the highest percentage of casualties serving in the '100th Battalion' and the '442nd' exhibiting incredible valor & Courage against the Axis in Europe).
This particular film "Come See the Paradise" stars the incredibly charismatic & talented Tamlyn Tomita (who of course also starred in 'Karate Kid II' and 'Joy Luck Club' but deserved to have a much more prominent major-career in feature films), as Lily Kawamura the Japanese-American theater owner's daughter who meets, falls in Love with and eventually marries (initially against her parents wishes) Jack McGurn (played by Dennis Quaid). Needless to say that Lily and Jack's romance is frowned upon (as 'mixed' marriages were not common in the Late 1930's/early 1940's). It also happens to be the case that Jack is a bit of a left-wing 'rabble rouser' who was suspected of facilitating a combustible-firestorm in a non-union NY theater (there was definitely abundant 'unrest' in those Depression-era 1930's)
After moving to Seattle and eloping, Lily and Jack are blessed with a daughter named 'Mini' but their temporary 'paradise' is not meant to last, as Lily and Mini are soon rounded-up (along with the other Japanese-Americans) and sent to the largest of the interment camps, the infamous Manzanar. Jack is away and is unable to directly help (and is shortly drafted).
The interesting dynamic in this particular story is that Jack desperately wants to be 'accepted' by the Kawamura family, and is even willing to risk going on extended AWOL status to stay with Lily and her family (within the camp) - but please watch the movie to see what happens!
This is an exceptional film with authentic acting performances: Tamlyn Tomita and Dennis Quaid portray characters that you vitally care about, the director is the renowned Alan Parker (who also did 'Mississippi Burning' 'Evita' and 'Midnight Express') and this WWII subject matter is essential viewing.
The Chosen (1981)
Lost Cinematic Treasure from nearly 40 Years ago bringing Chaim Potok's deeply-insightful novel 'The Chosen' to the screeen.
Director Jeremy Kagan's film-version of "The Chosen" theatrically first released nearly 40 Years ago in the early 1980's presents an emotionally-resonant and worthy cinematic interpretation of Chaim Potok's renowned and deeply-insightful novel from 1967. Kagan's film was obviously made on a very 'modest' budget..... and is probably not as well-remembered today as it most definitely deserves to be.
"The Chosen" is fascinating in both film and Book form, contrasting the Lives (i.e. hopes, dreams, aspirations) of two Jewish teenagers coming-of-age during, and slightly after WWII, both extremely bright but originating from contrasting traditions and diverse cultural-backgrounds.
'Reuven' oriented toward modernist-assimilation as the son of Professor David Malter a respected writer & intellectual very supportive of the burgeoning State of Israel, leading up to 1948 Independence..... but with a secular-leaning and 'forward-looking' perspective (during the immediate post-WWII era.)
Contrasting against the Life and outlook of Hasidic 'Danny' who is blessed with steel-trap eidetic-memory and astronomical IQ but also more than a bit intellectually stifled by the fact that he is expected to follow in the hallowed but obligatory footsteps of his father Rebbe Saunders (a genuinely powerful spiritual-leader that his community totally depends upon for guidance.)
Director Jeremy Kagan does a superlative job guiding his stellar-cast: Barry Miller is down-to-Earth and totally 'relatable' as 'Reuven Malter' bright, inquisitive, funny..... simply aspiring to be a successful participant in the 'American-Dream' leaving those 'old-World' hang-ups behind (until faced with more serious ramifications of WWII/ Holocaust later in the film).
Robby Benson seems surprisingly authentic as 'Danny Saunders' other-worldly and infinitely inquisitive (secretly reading bundles of books by Freud and other cutting-edge influential thinkers of that time, initially without the inkling of his father Rebbe Saunders)..... building a deep-trusting friendship with 'Reuven' while simultaneously being exposed to modernity until Rebbe Saunders becomes aware and intervenes.
Rod Steiger is authoritative and intimidatingly believable as the intense, spiritually-focused (taciturn yet deeply-compassionate) 'Rebbe Saunders' who acknowledges son 'Danny's intellectual-gifts and aspirations but also expects him to always be a genuinely 'good' person of unwavering integrity and honor (especially in the eyes of G_d)..... no matter what future pathway he chooses....
Maximillian Schell is also convincing as Professor David Malter wholeheartedly believing that modernity and 'progress' hold the keys to future prosperity (and ultimate long-term survival) particularly in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust but at the same time Professor Malter does poignantly express to son 'Rueven' his great respect & admiration for those devout and unwavering spiritual leaders like Rebbe Saunders who through their uncompromising belief and sheer force-of-will kept Jewish identity alive for over 3 millennia, defying all odds.
Dreams with Sharp Teeth (2008)
Great overview of Life & Work of imaginative speculative fiction writer Harlan Ellison including his acerbic Wit and Chaotic wisdom.
This is a truly fascinating and entertaining DVD documentary focusing on writer Harlan Ellison (originally produced/directed by Erik Nelson in 2008 a couple years after Harlan Ellison had won the 'Grand Master' Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America). Ellison unfortunately recently passed a couple years ago (circa 2018.) Erik Nelson's documentary gives great insight into the iconic speculative fiction rebel-writer who (as many have said before) was one of the unique few who could raise the act of belligerence to the rarefied heights of performance art in his prolific fiction writing, cogent essays on movies, TV and other cultural trends, and of course scorching interviews and talent locating writing-workshops.
In this documentary, many other successfully imaginative 'creators' like Neil Gaiman, Ronald D. Moore, Peter David, Dan Simmons, Josh Olson and especially Robin Williams (Ellison's close friend for many years) attest to how much Ellison made an indelible impression = his quick-wit and incendiary writing style influencing & amazing many (Richard Thompson founder of Fairport Convention provides a fantastically inventive Musical Score!)
For those not familiar with Harlan Ellison's classic speculative fiction book compilations/anthologies, award winning short-stories and novellas and numerous cogently critical essays, you might have at least been aware that he had written the teleplay for what many consider to be the single finest episode of Classic Star Trek, from the first season titled: 'City on the Edge of Forever' (voted as Best, in many SF fan polls), or you might have seen his name listed as a 'story consultant/advisor' on the series 'Babylon 5' or 1985 revitalized 'Twilight Zone'
For a time Ellison was certainly one of the most brilliant & imaginative writers associated with the Science Fiction (his preferred term 'Speculative Fiction') New Wave, from about the mid-late sixties onward (also including Robert Silverberg, Michael Moorcock and J. G. Ballard from England, Ursula K. Le Guin and others).
Ellison's inherent rebelliousness, and constant striving for 'integrity' with regards to preserving an artist/ author's original vision, put him at odds with Hollywood producers (even though he had great early success there with the aforementioned Star Trek, and many other highly acclaimed episodes of other futuristic/ speculative series, especially the exceptionally fine, and incredibly original (for their time) Outer Limits Episodes: 'Demon with a Glass Hand' and 'Soldier'. I was either too young, or not even born when these Classic series were first-run (but have seen them subsequently in re-runs, or on DVD and was amazed at both the high quality of script writing, and even more so by the sheer imaginative power behind them! Ellison came back to Hollywood (briefly) in the mid-1980's to re-launch the 'Twilight Zone' (the show of course, originally created by Rod Serling.) Ellison created/ wrote the new 1980's version parameters/ guidelines, i.e. show 'bible' and was integral to its successful (at least initially) re-launch, and even wrote a number of the best first-season episodes (but alas, another controversy and battle with Network censors over writer's original story 'integrity' caused him to resign, mid-way and the show lost some of its kinetic energy and momentum after that although it did hang on another season and a little more in syndication).
The mid-1970s film, 'A Boy and His Dog' (about after-effects of devastating Nuclear War), was also based on an award winning Ellison story, another controversial but immensely interesting film hampered a bit by an ultra-low budget - a follow-up for main characters Vic & Blood has also been done in 'Graphic novel' form.
But the bulk of Harlan Ellison's genius was exhibited thru his brilliant & masterful book writing (mostly his imaginative & insightful short stories, that have won numerous prestigious awards), and also by way of his ground-breaking work as an editor of the watershed speculative story anthologies (that broke much new ground, at the time): 'Dangerous Visions; and 'Again, Dangerous Visions' and perpetually 'in the works' D-Visions 3 that was never released in Ellison's lifetime. He also produced very fine critique/commentary on popular culture, Movies, and Television. But, most unfortunately, for many years, much of the evidence of his certified 'genius' was out-of-print.
Thankfully, over the last 10 years or so much has become available again. The two Dangerous Visions collections are worth the price just for Ellison's cogent and thoroughly entertaining (and often insightful) essays introducing each of the selected stories describing the eccentric & imaginative authors who created them.
Ellison's, original story collections like "Deathbird Stories' 'Shatterday' 'Angry Candy' 'Slippage' are also must reads.
If you are currently unfamiliar with Ellison's Works, watch this fantastic DVD first = it will be a good initial guide to Harlan Ellison's Best output and his inimitably irascible yet exceedingly entertaining personality appreciated especially by hyper-imaginative speculative fiction fans while he briefly inhabited our pale blue Earth.
Brainstorm (1983)
"Brainstorm" = an imaginatively-original and highly ambitious Cinematic Vision (circa1983) created by the ingenious Douglas Trumbull !
"Brainstorm" a highly ambitious and imaginative work Directed by the ingenious Douglas Trumbull who is the special-effects trail-blazer responsible for much of the visual/ technological 'magic' behind Kubrick's "2001" Spielberg's "CE3k" even Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" (and the first 'Star Trek' movie). And Trumbull also previously directed a legitimate Speculative-Fiction 'classic' in "Silent Running" the ecological morality-play starring Bruce Dern (and those three charismatically automated thespians that were role model/ progenitors to R2D2: Huey, Dewey and Louie!)
In any event, "Brainstorm" was Trumbull's second foray into the challenging (but potentially highly-rewarding) arena of Hollywood film directing. And it was also sadly the final film appearance of the exceedingly talented and beautifully intelligent Natalie Wood (her mysterious drowning occurred towards the end of filming in 1981 - but still jeopardized completion and release of this film = Trumbull valiantly pressed-on to full-completion and eventual theatrical release in 1983.)
For its time (i.e. early 1980's) "Brainstorm" obviously would have legitimately been viewed as 'cutting-edge' = the cognitive 'recording & playback' of actual human memories and experiences, that can be saved and transferred to other individuals (who then can fully experience your saved memories, and vice-versa, to be re-experienced again first-hand!)
Now looking back on this concept from the vantage-point of 2019, the idea of extremely realistic 'Virtual' experiences in which the separation between 'reality' and artificial-technologically 'created' Worlds grows quite narrow and perhaps eventually even indistinguishable to human perceptions?!
But "Brainstorm" does take concept one-step further, in that the cognitive 'recordings' not only contain the visual memories but also the strong (and potentially hazardous) emotional imprinting as well. This actually creates intensely moving moments within the film, and becomes a major catalyst for meaningful change in the relationship between married (but slightly emotionally distant) research couple Karen & Michael Brace (moving, multi-layered performances by aforementioned Natalie Wood and Christopher Walken).
In addition, the film also touches on visions of the afterlife (stemming from a cognitive recording of an actual death), and there is also the undercurrent of research scientists constantly needing to resist the pressure (and sometimes even temptation) to convert genuine technological-breakthroughs into potential weapons-of-warfare & espionage.
"Brainstorm" might have lost just a bit of its novelty-factor in our 21st Century, with 'virtual' worlds and experiences seemingly within reach. But again, the added strengths of this film (beyond the creative special-effects) are the deeply moving performances of Natalie Wood, Christopher Walken and Louise Fletcher.
I really wish Douglas Trumbull continued to express his uniquely-imaginative Cinematic Visions (Trumbull most certainly had/ has the imaginative-brilliance and technical acumen to bring those visions to full cinematic Life if he wished to do so!) Douglass Trumbull could have/ and should have been another trailblazing director like James Cameron e.g. creator of 'Avatar' 'the Abyss' 'Terminator' (but his struggles with the Studio-system concerning full-financing and difficulties in getting a general theatrical release for "Brainstorm" apparently cooled his future desires to make Big-budget Hollywood films, most unfortunately.)
American Masters: Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note (1998)
Leonard Bernstein = a Creatively-Energetic Major 'force' communicating the Joys of making-Music!
Leonard Bernstein was an immeasurably-positive American Musical 'force' during the 20th Century (also in many ways fulfilling the role of 'musical-ambassador' introducing the works of important American-composers to the rest of the globe) = this superlative documentary written & directed by Susan Lacy subtitled: "Reaching for the Note" presents a solid overview of Leonard Bernstein's Life & numerous achievements, and was included as part of PBS' 'American-Masters' series.
Susan Lacy's documentary does a good job of communicating to the viewer just how significant Leonard Bernstein's achievements were as Conductor, Composer and especially Educator-popularizer of Music, particularly to America of the post-WWII period. Bernstein was the first completely American born and trained Classical-conductor to gain International acclaim & recognition, eventually building deep-professional-ties with the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic and of course having a Long-tenure as head of the New York Philharmonic.
Susan Lacy's documentary clearly shows that Leonard Bernstein possessed an uncanny tireless-energy and boundless-enthusiasm for the process of creating Music itself whether in the form of conducting, composing, performing or in any way 'communicating' the joys of simply 'making-music'
Leonard Bernstein of course composed enduring Music for the Broadway Stage ('West Side Story,' 'On the Town' 'Mass') along with a number of serious Classical Works created for the Concert Hall (such as the Symphonies: 'Jeremiah' 'Age of Anxiety' 'Kaddish' and the operatic 'Candide') and even the great 'On the Waterfront' film Score - but with all the immense successes, this documentary also gives the viewer the distinct impression that Bernstein did not ever find complete satisfaction in his body of compositional work - and was still searching throughout his entire Lifetime for that authentically great 'serious' work that could be placed equally alongside those of the immortal masters like Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler, Stravinsky et al.
For those like me who were born after most of Bernstein's immensely-popular prime-time television programs espousing early musical education were originally broadcast (e.g. those highly regarded, award winning 'Young Peoples' Concerts' broadcast mainly from the mid-1950's thru very early-1970s*), this documentary also makes clear how intensely-passionate Leonard Bernstein was about sharing a basic understanding of Music = thus opening the door to the infinite potential joys and wonderment inherent!
note*: I wasn't yet born when most of these 'Young-Peoples' Concerts' were first broadcast (until the very last few - in the early seventies) but have viewed a number of them since by way of DVD compilations the more in-depth 'Unanswered Question' series of DVDs is a fascinating set geared towards college audiences and much beyond.