The Crash Reel

I've been stoked to watch The Crash Reel since I read about it in Outdoor magazine last year which had a great article about how common TBIs are and how these athletes aren't covered by insurance. Some folks move in with their families for recovery and some folks never leave. Everyone should see this documentary.

While preparing for the 2010 Olympics and poised to beat rival Shaun White, Kevin Pearce suffers a massive head injury. With the help of his fantastic family, Kevin attempts to retrain his fragile brain and   rebuild his dramatically altered post-TBI life. His family is just amazing. The movie isn't just about Kevin. One of the highlights of the film is when his brother David shares his frustration of having to live with Down syndrome. David is very frank with Kevin at the family meeting concerning Kevin returning to snowboarding. 

One of the most disturbing scenes to watch is when Kevin and his mom visit Trevor Rhoda, who is currently into TBI #2. I did a little surfing to find out his history. It turns out some of his relatives clearly had no clue how fragile the TBI brain becomes. It's mind blowing. He was literally back out doing what he did pre-TBI in less than a year post-TBI. His initial recovery was so quick, his family/friends must've thought it was green light for all actively. We learn with Kevin that the post-TBI brain cannot sustain any sort of jarring let alone another injury. The doctor also shows Kevin the scars in his brain tissue.

It is heart wrenching watching Rory Bushfield talk about Sarah Burke. Sarah died in January, 2012 due to an accident in the same half pipe in Park City. I've looked at a few videos of the two of them together in interviews; they are so happy and clearly they are the each other's soul mate. 

This is the best film - not just best documentary - I've seen since Medora. Warning: You won't care much for Shaun White after watching this. His exclusive for-me-only Red Bull half-pipe was always a problem for me, but when you see what he does when Kevin starts winning competitions, it will really turn you off of the Flying Tomato.

Addendum: I could not get this film out of my head, so I watched it again. Honestly, I could pop it again and watch it a third time; it's that good. Something else that's been bugging me - Shaun White's performance in the Sochi Olympics. You know he must've planned on pulling out some kick ass tricks. I would like to think that the popularity and reality of this film is gnawing at him. He admits to about 9 concussions in the film. I think he's attached himself to "what if" and can't shake it off. 

Giants and Toys

I just adore late 50's early '60's Japanese movies. Giants & Toys  is one of those timeless gems worth taking out of the box for a polish.  Struggling lower management staff @ World candy manufacturing company needs a fresh face to launch the very competitive, cut-throat, caramel line.

Complete with rotten teeth, their small village discovery Kyoko becomes a media sensation. 

This film is a blast! I love the peek inside Japanese life in 1958. The tongue in cheek political machinations and the win or die candy wars will have you laughing out loud. 

Beauty is Embarrassing

Beauty is Embarrassing is a documentary based on the life/career of artist Wayne White. Wayne was not only one of the set and puppet designers for Pee Wee's Playhouse and won three Emmys for his work, he was also the voice for many characters. He won a Billboard award for best Art Direction for Peter Gabriel's "Big Time" video and later designed the sets for the award winning Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight, Tonight" video.



His wife is writer and artist Mimi Pond; I cannot imagine the dinner conversations. Their two kids are artists too. Wayne had it all and walked away but could not be happier. This is the story of working your way to top and realizing it wasn't quite what you wanted. If you are interested in art in anyway, you must see this. Even if you aren't, you will laugh out loud as Wayne explains how he came up with his ideas and how he had no clue what the heck he was doing.



He spends his days taking thrift store art and painting clever/witty phrases on them.  Warning: if you watch this documentary you are going to want to move down the road from Wayne and his neighbors.

The Snorkel

Watched The Snorkel last night. This is one of those adorable Hammer Film Studios suspense films that I just love to see!  Filmed in lovely black and white in the French Riviera spot of Villa della Pergola and in and around Alassio.

We start with a murder. Candy's step father Paul has killed her mother in what he fancies is a pretty clever way. No one believes her. Candy witnessed Paul drowning her father and no one believed her then. 

Interesting characters and beautiful sets keeps things rolling along. This is quite suspenseful as you wonder if clever Paul will ever be caught. Ahh….. You'll have to watch to find out.

Inside Llewyn Daivs

I've been chomping at the bit to see Inside Llewyn Davis. I'd seen the trailer or trailers several times. I'd read a few reviews and I'd read about the real life person the film is loosely based on - Dave Van Ronk (who, btw, sounds like really interesting and talented person). The times they are a changing.

It's February 1961 (my birth date-ish) in Greenwich Village and folk singers grow on trees. Bobby D hasn't hit the scene yet, but that is blowing in the wind (can't help it). The film follows a week of Llewyn's life or lack there of as he floats from couch to couch and cat to cat. Llewyn has a problem; he's quite talented, his partner committed suicide and he doesn't really like people. The only things Llewyn seems to care about are animals and making a quick  buck.

The amazing cinematography work of Bruno Delbonnel (he paints with the camera) makes the film look like it was actually shot in New York in 1961. The oh so narrow hallways and gritty alleyways gives you a sense of what it must've been like to live in cheaper digs. There's also the sense of movement with the numerous subway shots of the passing station numbers and the mind numbing trip to Chicago on the pre-interstate two-lane highway. This is the sort of film I like; there's no plot twist, no awakening moment, no happy ending. Bravo!

The Holy Mountain

I watched The Holy Mountain by Alexandro Jordorowsky curtesy of NetFlix DVD this past weekend. I was worried that visually it would be dated and just kind of drag along. THM is a very clever visual feast. It's pretty clear this was big budget movie with a very creative director at the helm. I must say I really couldn't have predicted any of it. It's three, count 'em, three stories in one. 

The movie starts with the thief, moves to the story of each of the 7 mortals who aspire to greater glory and lastly, the trip to Holy Mountain. 

You can tell it's the 70's but, Alexandro was clearly ahead of his time. I couldn't take my eyes off of the shoes/boots in the flick. Alexandro must've employed a heck of a cobbler. The ending shows that at the end of the day, the director was aware he was after all, only making a movie. 

Haute Cuisine

I had planned on watching something else from NetFlix, but accidentally clicked on Haute Cuisine - so be it! Catherine Frot plays chef Hortense Laborie who spent 2 years cooking for the President of France in the late '90s. In real life, the chef's name is Daniele Delpeuch - the actress is on the left above and the real life chef is on the left. I am not sure why they chose not to use her real name.  Yes, this was beautifully filmed. You'll want to go to Antarctica after you see the shore line scenes. I loved the peek into the professional French kitchens and all the talk about food preparations. It was refreshing that they demonstrated that these dishes are not easy to make and require a lot of practice. I think reality cooking shows would have us thinking you just roll out eatable masterpieces all willy-nilly. Something else that I thought was interesting was the Hortense character wasn't without blame; she did over step her boundaries and she did step on toes in an impolite sort of way.

When the moved ended I felt like something was missing - we never really got to know Hortense. She went to Antarctica to cook because she was mad? How did she hurt her leg? Did she ever date? Who was taking care of her farm? Did she think she could take train rides to buy cepe and no one would ask? I found a very interesting article on Daniele Delpeuch that answers several of those questions. Dang, now I want to eat something with truffle in it.