Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, BEST ONE YET!

November 20, 2014 § Leave a comment

“You can torture us, bomb us, and burn our district down, but fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us!”

Can our beloved friend and family-oriented warrior princess, Miss Katniss Everdeen overthrow the Capitol, in this third deep, dark, and powerful installment based on the novels by Suzanne Collins, ‘Mockingjay’: Part 1?

War on! Game off! The games are finished forever, however, the threat of oppression, and the fight to survive is not. The stakes are just as high as Katniss leads Panem through a full fledged war similar to the current wars in Gaza and Syria.

The film begins with an emotionally agitated Katniss crunched up in a dark corner crying and whispering to herself. When she is approached, she yells, “Don’t touch me!” She awakens in a world that is unfamiliar and foreign to her, a world that she didn’t even know existed:

Enter the dark underground District, District 13!

Finnick, who lay in a hospital bed attached to IV drips, proclaims that he wants to go back for his beloved Annie, as she has been taken, while Peeta is being held and controlled by President Snow in The Capitol. Katniss takes the elevator down to meet with Beetee (played by Jeffrey Wright), who is now confined to a wheelchair, Plutarch Heavensbee (the late/great Philip Seymour Hoffman) and President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore). She demands to know if Peeta is still alive, questioning “You left Peeta to die?” Plutarch is convinced that Katniss is still the face of the revolution.

Peeta states that “killing is not the answer and he is calling for a ceasefire,” while the people of Panem and District 13 are in an uproar declaring him a traitor.

Katniss finally agrees to be the public role of the ‘Mockingjay’ but only under her terms. As she takes on the role, she appears in “propos” or propaganda videos that District 13 uses to communicate with and inspire rebels across Panem. Katniss’ every move is followed by the media savvy rebels; Cressida (Natalie Dormer from Game of Thrones), Messalla, Castor and Pollux-Squad 451.

Some of the scenes are very grim, like the scene when Gale (who is now a dedicated soldier in the rebellion, and who still has feelings for Katniss) leads her to a demolished District 12 graveyard full of skulls, a room of patients lying on cots being treated by nurses, massive explosions, falling towers, and war planes targeting hospitals.

No one character (with the exception of Katniss), has an exceptionally large role in the film.

Highlights: The powerful musical score by James Newton Howard that directly follows Katniss singing the “Hanging Tree” song, which is again played in the end credits, Lorde’s new song “Yellow Flicker Beat” also played in the end credits, the scene where Katniss is having a difficult time making a propaganda video, while Plutarch is screaming at her, her ‘Hanging Tree’ song, and, of course, her rant, ‘Fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us!’

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“The Imitiation Game”

November 17, 2014 § Leave a comment

The 92nd Street Y’s signature movie series, ‘Reel Pieces’ held a screening of the Oscar Contender, “The Imitation Game’ based on the biography of Alan Turing: The Enigma, written by Andrew Hodges. The screening was followed by a Q & A with the ‘Sherlock’ heartthrob, Benedict Cumberbatch. Yes, SHERLOCK was LIVE and IN person this past Sunday evening at the Kaufmann Concert Hall located at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue!

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Photo credit: Michael Priest Photography

Young and adult women alike, began screaming as if a Beatle was performing live circa 1964, as Benedict Cumberbatch walked on to the stage.

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By now, you have probably heard about the plot of the film, directed by Norwegian film director, Morten Tyldum, who most recently directed, ‘Headhunters.’

WWII era. Cambridge. Troubled genius. Based on the true story of a real man. The entire cast: British. Classic filmmaking. The beginning of the film is the end of the film.

Sound familiar?

What sets ‘The Imitation Game’ and ‘Theory of Everything’ apart?

For one, Alan Turing, is a bit more arrogant and narcissistic, more like his beloved character, Sherlock, than Stephen Hawking. Coincidentally, however, Benedict Cumberbatch also played Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC version, ‘Hawking.’ ‘Stephen is an extrovert, and a theorist with a high standing in the scientific world.’

The lead character, Alan Turing, was a British mathematician, who assisted his team to crack Nazi Germany’s Enigma code that helped the Allies win World War II. Sadly, he went unrecognized, and was criminally prosecuted for ‘homosexual indecency.’

The film begins in 1951 where Alan is seen cleaning up a broken bottle which had white powder in it. Two detectives are there with him and are suspicious, believing that he is hiding something. Turn back to 1939 where Alan is on a job interview for the position as a cryptographer, when he almost loses the assignment because he doesn’t speak German. Add a female mathematician, Joan Clarke, who takes an interest in Alan. Turn back even further to his youth, and see the pivotal relationship between him and his childhood classmate, Christopher. Christopher is also the name he named the code-breaking machine that deciphered messages encoded by German machines, which was crucial in helping break the code that helped change the course of WWII, saving 14 million lives.

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Benedict Cumberbatch on Alan Turing:

“There was no footage of Alan to go from. I tried to humanize him as he was unable to make connections with people, easily. He closed himself off from the feelings of the world. God was beyond his belief. He did matter. They destroyed him, and Alan is the only person who can forgive.”

British Justice Secretary Chris Grayling on Alan Turing:

“Dr. Turing deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science,” “A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man.”

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

‘Banksy Does New York’ at DOC NYC!

November 15, 2014 § Leave a comment

However, it is also premiering this Monday, Nov. 17 on HBO,
at 9pm EST.

‘Banksy Does New York’ chronicles the month-long residence that the pseudonymous British street artist, political activist, painter and film director, from Bristol, England, known as ‘Banksy’ (Exit Through the Gift Shop), displayed throughout the city of New York last October, 2013.

For those who don’t know Banksy, no one has ever seen him before. His fans want to be the first to find his work, the police want to catch him in the act, and the collectors want to display his work in galleries. So, last October s/he and his team, Pest Control, and Holly Cushing announced that the graffiti street artist would display one piece of art somewhere within the five boroughs, one a day for the entire month of October, 2013.

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One piece of art work per day in an undisclosed place around New York, he eluded to where they might be via social media, which sent his followers on a scavenger hunt frenzy, as they hoped to be the first to arrive, meanwhile, filmmakers filmed or requested footage from others, often times, bringing out the best, and sometimes the worst in people.

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Act fast, catch him if you can, because, many times, the works were painted over a few hours later, since his canvas was private property. He not only spray painted during the 30 day stint, but also showed video clips, displayed a skeleton sitting in a bumper car, a Sphinx made from rocks, and gimmicks, ie. having a salesman sell his work at a kiosk near the Metropolitan Museum for only $60.00, making only $420.00 for the day, meanwhile unsuspecting customers found out later that the art they purchased was worth $250,000 each. He held auctions with one of his works raising $615,000 for the Housing Works, and, of course, there was the occasional entrepreneur or con artist covering his works with a cardboard box and asking spectators for $5.00 to snap a photo of it.

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Day 1: LES: Allen Street, 4 hours later, it was painted over.

Day 2: Chelsea: 25th Street and 10th Ave

Day 3: Chelsea: 24th and 6th Ave

Bushwick, Brooklyn, St. Mark’s Place, Lower East Side, Ludlow, ‘Crazy Horse’ painting depicting the 2 journalists and 4 Iraqi civilians killed in the Iraq War, East NY, Brooklyn, 5 Pointz Queens, 45-46 Davis Street, 69th/38 St in Astoria, Jay and Staple Street in Tribeca, Cook Street near Graham Avenue in Bushwick, 7th and Cooper Square in the East Village, West 51st Street/12th Avenue, Elizabeth and Houston, 24th and 10th Avenue Chelsea, Staten Island, 79th and Broadway in UWS, South Bronx, 456 East 153rd Street, Flushing Queens, Willet’s Point, 127th and 35th Ave, the Sphinx made out of a pile of rocks, 157 East 23rd Street, Sunset Park Brooklyn, Greenpoint Ave and Noble Street, Coney Island 2812 Stillwell Avenue, Gramercy Park, East 162nd and Jerome, and LIC, 35th Street in LIC, Queens near the LI Expressway.

His message: ‘Save Five Points.’
Unfortunately, however, it is too late to be saved.

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One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“Interstellar” on IMAX!

November 8, 2014 § Leave a comment

Although a science fiction story, it is not too hard to imagine with our advances in technology.

The planet Earth is experiencing extreme climate change and is on the brink of extinction, experienced astronauts enter the cosmos searching for a new home for humans to live on at the end of the galaxy, family members left on Earth are at a loss not knowing if the spacecraft will ever return or if they were abandoned, distant planets are explored, and time is not what it seems.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/interstellar-2014

Must see on IMAX!!!

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“National Gallery”-Frederick Wiseman

October 24, 2014 § Leave a comment

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“The National Gallery,” London’s esteemed art museum in Trafalgar Square, was founded in 1824, and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Open everyday from 10am to 6pm, it is located where all roads in London lead, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, United Kingdom.

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This 180 minute Wiseman documentary demonstrates a taste of what it is like to work behind the scenes at the world famous museum observing Dr. Nicolas Penny, the Gallery’s Director since 2008, hard at work in staff meetings regarding the day to day operations, budget costs, and the future of the museum, curators dissecting Old Testament Biblical scenes within the paintings to visitors, restorers, and the in-depth restoration process, art students sketching nude models, light meters, how they change the exhibition halls, activists stringing ‘Save the Arctic’ banners from the roof high above Trafalgar Square, and ballet dancers dancing with two paintings as their backdrop. Strangely enough, you don’t actually see portraits until the end, when they are displayed for approximately four seconds each.

“The length of time that a painting has to tell a story is very short. It is as long as the light strikes the painting keeping the viewer intrigued, while a movie has time to set up a plot, and one may be immersed in a book for 6 months or more of their life.”

Artists displayed in the film: German painter, Hans Holbein, when the National Gallery hosted Leonardo Da Vinci’s, “La Dama con l’Ermellino,” J.M.W. Turner, Rembrandt, Titian’s “Metamorphosis,” Caravaggio, Vermeer, Velazquez, Pissarro, and Rubens.

Don’t let the film’s length scare you away. Allot time, eat first, and go!

“National Gallery” will have a two-week engagement, November 5 – 18, at Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street (W. of 6th Avenue), with screenings daily at 12:30, 4:15, and 7:50.

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

Lyme Disease- “Under Our Skin Part 2: ‘Emergence'”

October 21, 2014 § Leave a comment

“Under Our Skin” and “Under Our Skin Part 2” are now available on DVD for those interested in learning more about Lyme Disease.

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Lyme disease, named after the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut, is not only native to the Northeastern United States. In fact, the disease has been reported in ALL US states (except Montana), as well as, in Scandanavia (Norway), Europe (Spain, France, Austria, and Germany), Canada, and Australia.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control says that 300,000 Americans contract Lyme disease each year, which is TEN times more than previously admitted by health officials. This is also higher than HIV and breast cancer combined.

Ask anyone who has Lyme Disease, and they will tell you that it is a very complicated, complex, and often chronic disease that is easy to catch and difficult to diagnose and treat. First of all, diagnostic test results are often false positive. Secondly, long term antibiotics often don’t eradicate it. It may often be misdiagnosed as early ALS, Parkinson’s, Encephalitis, Lupus, Lymphoma, or MS, and many times doctor’s believe the patient’s are malingering or fabricating. Some patient’s have had unnecessary surgeries and organs removed. It is not uncommon to find that infectious disease specialists don’t know how to treat it. The incubation period from infection to the onset of symptoms is usually one to two weeks, but can be much shorter (days), or much longer (months to years). And, there is still controversy as to whether or not it can be transmitted via sexual contact or during pregnancy.

Things to consider if you suspect you or someone you know has been bitten by a tick, and is experiencing Lyme’s symptoms, ie. red bull’s eye skin rash, fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, joint pain, and headache:

You can not wait. Be seen by an Infectious Disease specialist as soon as possible. It will only get worse. If you aren’t feeling well, seek assistance as soon as possible.

There is a MD, PHD based out of Seattle, WA, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, who had Lyme’s himself, and understands naturopathic remedies as well.

http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/BioData/Dr-Dietrich-Klinghardt.html

In Germany, at the Inus Medical Center, there is a Lymphocyte Transformation Test that is 95% accurate at telling you what your levels are and what other bacterias you many also be carrying. Then the MD has a better understanding of what needs to be prescribed.

There are many strains of Lyme – Burgdorferi, Garinii, and Afzelii. This is important to know because each strain of Lyme tends to cause different problems in the body. Burgdorferi is known more for vascular and rheumatoid issues. Garinii causes cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure, and Afzelii impacts the central nervous system. Dr. Straube at the Inus Medical Center frequently sees patients with multiple strains of Lyme, including a mixture of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Afzelii, Garinii, Bavariensis, Spielmanii and Miyamotoi that is often misdiagnosed as lymphoma.

Climate change is one reason for this hybridization.
Previously Borrelias were confined to certain temperature ranges and habitats, but now with global warming, more bugs are found in more habitats, creating more complex forms of illness.

Apheresis treatment is NOT a cure, and consent needs to be obtained, but it removes the toxic protein that the Lyme can cause. The suggested amount is 2-4 treatments Tuesday and Thursday for one to two weeks (2 hours each treatment). Evidentally, it removes heavy metals and toxins from the blood like a filter.

The disease NEVER completely goes away, the trick is to keep
the immune system strong enough to keep the Lyme’s in a cage like a prisoner.

YOU TUBE: LYME NATION, Lymenation.net, and watch the documentaries, “Under Our Skin” Parts 1 and 2.

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“The Theory of Everything” -The story of Stephen and Jane Hawking

October 19, 2014 § Leave a comment

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“The Theory of Everything,” by British director, producer, James Marsh, known for Man on Wire (2008), Project Nim (2011) and Shadow Dancer (2012), had it’s World Premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September, 2014, and will premiere in New York City, tomorrow night.

Opening scene: Modern day, Stephen Hawking, born January 8, 1942, is driving his motorized wheelchair in circles on an oriental rug in a collegiate room.

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The film depicts a college aged Stephen studying astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, with it’s main focus on his meeting a nice British girl named Jane, who was also a Cambridge student, studying Medieval poetry. Stephen, was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in his early 20’s, and was initially given only 2 years left to live. Thinking that his education, career, romance, and life would soon end, Stephen Hawking, beat the odds, and went on to advance in all areas. Jane, who wanted to stay with him for as long as he had left, married Stephen. The two were an unlikely pair, however, as the religious churchgoing, Jane, believed the universe was created by God, while Stephen, as we know, is a science based cosmologist, known for his studies that the origin and evolution of the universe are explained by a joining of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, which discusses how space and time should be considered together and in relation to each other. As time was a subject that touched him personally, the astrophysicist, wrote his PhD thesis on it and it’s relation to when the universe began and when it will end. His best selling book, “A Brief History of Time,” has sold over 10 million copies in 20 years.

Eddie Redmayne who starred in “My Week with Marilyn” and who portrays Stephen Hawking, has recently been nominated for BAFTA’s Rising Star award for his continued body of work.

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Felicity Jones, a recent British Independent Film award nominee for best actress for her performance in Ralph Fiennes’ “The Invisible Woman,” is stunning as Jane Hawking.

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http://1worldcinema.com
One World Cinema

Force Majeure-Winner of Cannes Jury Prize-Un Certain Regard

October 16, 2014 § Leave a comment

Official Swedish Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film

Written and directed by Ruben Östlund.

The film was a word-of-mouth sensation at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard, and was a favorite at the recent Toronto Film Festival, where it received its North American premiere.

FORCE MAJEURE

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In Swedish with English subtitles.

“I’m a failure of my own instincts!”-Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke)

A Swedish family of four is on a ski vacation in the French Alps.
It is snowing, a ski resort photographer takes their photos at the top of the mountain, and captures them at their happiest. They enjoyed their first day of skiing and are getting ready for bed. There is a certain methodology to their movements.

It is not until they are at lunch the following day when they hear something that sounds like a fire cracker. They look up and see an avalanche rolling down the hill towards the restaurant. The first instincts of the children are to run in the opposite direction, while, Tomas gazes at the snow, thinking there is nothing to worry about. When he realizes that the avalanche is gaining momentum, he leaves his wife and two kids at the table and runs in the opposite direction without them. The avalanche does stop, and no one gets hurt. Tomas returns to the table, the snowy air clears, and they continue eating lunch in silence.

The kids are despondent, the wife is irritable, and the husband is just happy everyone is okay. But everything is not okay. His wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) is upset that he left them behind, and she wants to go skiing alone the following day.

Can Tomas restore his families trust and faith in his ability to provide and protect for them?

Will the avalanche tear their relationship apart?

Opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, October 24, 2014 with a national rollout to follow.

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“Time Out of Mind”

October 6, 2014 § Leave a comment

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“This is the proudest I’ve ever been of any project I’ve ever done.”-Richard Gere

“This film offers perspective and compassion.”-Oren Moverman

“I want people to watch this film, and get human.”-Ben Vereen

“This is a story of a story that never gets told.”-Jena Malone

Filmed entirely in NYC, with the camera lenses far out of sight, many passerby’s were led to believe that Richard Gere and Ben Vereen were, in fact, just two anonymous homeless men. Ben Vereen shared, “No one recognized us. They didn’t want to see us.”

“Time Out of Mind” is a fictional drama that allows the viewer to gain insight into a population that is so often ignored, without it actually being a documentary about the homeless. Richard Gere plays, George, a fairly high functioning homeless man, who in the first scene, we find sleeping in a bathtub, squatting in a dilapidated apartment building. He is kicked out by a construction worker when he comes in to do repairs.

“Do you have any money, because my wallet got stolen.”-George

From bench to bench, bar to bar, hospital Emergency Department to hospital Emergency Department, George, who stated, until recently, that he had been living with his lady friend named, Sheila, is unwanted everywhere he turns. Begging for change, asking for money to buy Metro Cards, riding the subways, listening to people cough and watching fights break out in the shelter systems, drinking hard alcohol to stay warm, eating at unsanitary food pantries, searching through garbage cans, seeking out churches, getting aggravated by social workers who “want what is best for him without getting to know who he really is first,” bonding with other homeless friends, and attempting to rekindle an estranged relationship with his daughter, eventually you discover what led George into the situation he is in.

3.5/5 stars

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com

“Wild”

October 3, 2014 § Leave a comment

“Wild,” based on the book and life of author, Cheryl Strayed, appropriately screened in the picturesque, mountainous surroundings at the Telluride Film Festival on Saturday, August 30th. The film helmed by “Dallas Buyers Club” director, Jean-Marc Vallée, stars Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern, and as Jean-Marc shared, “tells the story through Cheryl’s point of view”.

I thought I was the only one who was crying my eyes out the entire time, however, when I spoke with others at the end, I was relieved to hear that they were emotional as well. Don’t let this scare you.

I wouldn’t demean the film and say that it is a female version of “Into the Wild”. “Wild” is for anyone, who at any point in their lives, needed to change gears, leave their daily routine behind, and soul search for answers to something tragic that may have occurred.

Recently divorced and not working, Cheryl, decided to backpack 1,100 miles alone on the Pacific Crest Trail. During this time, she quickly learns the ropes in survival, hiking, and camping, all the while, reflecting back on her childhood, her relationship with her ailing mother, and the events that led up to her recent divorce from her husband.

Opening scene: Her big toe nail is black, bloody and falling off, one of her hiking shoes accidentally falls down the cliff and knowing that she cannot retrieve it, she throws the other one over the cliff, as well, SCREAMING IN DESPAIR.

Jump back to her preparing for the trip, phone calls to her ex, and a slovenly local landscaper, who came to her aide when she first started off on the trail and tried to talk her out of the unknown and dangers that might lurk ahead. Cheryl knew that she had to keep moving forward, that she had to do this for herself, that she had to face her demons with solitude, and prove that she was brave and capable.

Although her life reached some very dark places, her experience is relatable on a natural and human level. Reflecting back and journaling along the way, the trail is unpredictable in terms of the weather, the people, nature, animals, and events.

The music in the film was source music and not scored. They were careful not to use music while she was on the trail unless she was humming or singing.

Bring tissues.

One World Cinema
http://1worldcinema.com