<:~ Rhapsidiom: January 2007 ~:>

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

A Little Tracy Orbison

You have to endure to more than half-way through for the real treat. Or just skip.

Go here for a clearer image.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

How to Promote a Movie in Utah?

Get Larry Miller to offer a free screening and get President Hinkley, President Monson, and half the Twelve to attend it! From the Salt Lake Tribune:

It isn't often that LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley gets to go to the movies, but there he was Thursday night, taking his reserved seat with an unobstructed view of the big screen.

The hushed crowd at the Gateway Theaters in Salt Lake City rose to their feet as the 96-year-old Mormon leader walked slowly in, but he laughed and said, "Sit down." He didn't seem to have grabbed the free popcorn and Coke products provided in the lobby, although many others did.

Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson, his counselor in the church's governing First Presidency, about half of the 12 apostles, their families, friends, filmmakers, entertainers and community leaders, filled the large theater for a free screening of "Amazing Grace."

Read the article. Visit the website. Watch the trailer. You'll learn about the purpose of the film, and how the abolitionist hymn came to be.

I must confess that I've always wanted an excuse to put a Scottish bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace in a film. Well, this is certainly it. The trailer gives chills (forgiving that cheesy intro rendition) when it goes Scot.

[Origin credits for story given where origin credits are due: my father via email.]

Old Brigham Young

As a follow up to Thursday's post about an insidious Brigham Young portrayal, and as reprieve from ominous news, I happened to watch that recently released-to-DVD Fox film, titled none other than Brigham Young (1940). This is that wonderful film that broke a world record for attendance at a premiere, as indicated in a Meridian Magazine article:

Before the film was released nationwide, it premiered in Salt Lake City on August 23rd, 1940 at seven different theaters, in what is still the largest movie premiere audience ever, even in Hollywood. More than 214,000 people lined Salt Lake City’s Main Street for the parade honoring Mr. Zanuck and the movie's stars before the premiere. Utah’s governor Herbert Maw declared it "Brigham Young Day." A specially prepared pull-out section was printed for all Salt Lake City newspapers. Stores were closed and special excursion trains were run into Salt Lake City by Union Pacific Railroad for the event. That evening, following the parade, a gala dinner at the Lion House followed hosted by President Heber J. Grant.

While the movie is fairly inaccurate at many points, yet it is constitutionally integral, whole overall, and, for me, quite a moving picture (no pun intended). It sympathizes well with Brigham Young and the whole movement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

There are numerous curiosities with regards to this film (see Meridian's article for several), including Vincent Price's high regard and fascination with the character he plays (Joseph Smith), and Dean Jagger's later conversion to the Church in 1972. (Jagger plays Brigham Young in the film.) Listening to a commentary on the DVD by James D'Arc, curator of the motion picture archives in the Harold B. Lee Library Special Collections at Brigham Young University, he points out something I thought was particularly interesting:

Jagger's resemblance to the real Brigham Young was remarkable, according to eighty-year-old Mormon official George Piper, hired by the studio as a technical adviser. Piper, who was a young man when Brigham Young died in 1877, said, "besides resembling him in appearance, there's also a striking similarity to voice. I was only seventeen when Brigham Young died, but I had known him well. Mr. Jagger even has some of Brigham's mannerisms, and his walk."

So this was a nice upper. My favorite lines from the film? Aside from Porter Rockwell's politically incorrect arithmetic on polygamy, wherein he says, "Women are easy to convert!" (i.e., 1 man x 20 or 30 wives = 100s in posterity), I rather enjoyed a simple exchange between Brigham Young and the fictional non-Mormon character Zina Webb.

Zina: "I'm a Christian."

Brigham: "So am I."

Therein lies the whole elegance of the film.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Looking Forward to 2007

It looks like anti-Mormon propaganda is about to get a salacious revamp with this Spring's release of September Dawn. (Actually this particular movie has been reported on before, here, here, and here.) If anyone doesn't think there is something particularly chilling in the filmmakers' intent, just consider the following from the press release:

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, as it is known, occurred on September 11, 1857, and was the first known act of religious terrorism on U.S. soil...[Director Christopher] Cain [(Young Guns)] says he was drawn to the project because "it so closely resembles the religious fanaticism the world is seeing today. People were killed in the name of God 150 years ago and they're still being killed in the name of God."

Oh, sheesh. 9/11 conspiracy theorists and anti-Mormon propagandists, here we come? Even better, for full effect, visit the website and, if you can stomach it, watch the trailer:

I am the voice of God, and anyone who doesn't like it will be hewn down. [Brigham Young.]

Now, I am not taken easily to scare tactics—or conspiracy theories. (This certainly seems to fall under that category.) I already said/blogged my piece/peace (most likely) when I rambled on about the attempts of certain narrow-minded Evangelists to delegitimize Mormons as Christians, due to the prominence of a potential Mitt Romney bid for Presidency. But this film takes a more heinous approach at something broader, or at least it clips a bigger swing.

I've had this growing theory about Westerns of late, which I keep intending to blog about, but have not yet found the energy. Still, note that mass-style murders so commonly celebrated in nearly anything within the Western genre suddenly becomes something utterly heinous—and Mormons are the victims of the propaganda. Yet homosexuality in another prominent recent Western is almost reverenced. Note also the absence of any mention of extermination orders, or other well-documented cases of violence against Mormons. I'm sure there is even more here than meets the eye.

The biggest irony? I actually think it will present us with a great opportunity to clear the air—not necessarily about what actually happened in those mountains and meadows, though that is of import. Rather, when those who err decide to take a more monumental approach, truth can appear starker for those who will listen. THE MORMONS have their work cut out for them.

This makes They Call Me Trinity's inaccurate representation of the Mormons almost appear affable, a movie that I was already quite fond of. From the mouth of the main Mormon... uh... prophet? in the film, Tobias (Dan Sturkie):

In the words of Qohelet, son of David, King of Jerusalem, (your hat please,) there's a time to be born and a time to die, to love and to hate. There's a time to...brothers! It says here there's a time to fight and a time to win! To win brothers!

Thus ensues one of the best Mormon fight sequences ever set to film.

In any case, what's the catch phrase of the day, with regards to Cain and his work?

Am I my brother's keeper?

Fortunately, there is other wonderful, monumental material, waiting in the side wings. And of course, there's also this. Also, further reading. And if anyone wants to know about a real September dawn, such ia a fine example (posted by Dawn, nonetheless).

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

A Little On The Road News

From Sundance (scroll down to see content):

On the Road with Judas...Now, this is the kind of film that the Sundance Film Festival was designed to support; not just independent but impudently so, and uncompromising enough to send some journalists at the press screening scurrying for the door. Granted, it is a film with rough edges, but it is also a first feature and it has a certain charm. The cast is terrific, particularly the always-wonderful Corrigan and Ruell (who might be the movie's good luck charm, given his Sundance success with Napoleon Dynamite)...

In other news:

Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles, has added two directors to its roster: Adam Cameron, formerly half of the directing team Joe Public; and Aaron Ruell. The latter was formerly handled by Über Content, Los Angeles.

Monday, January 22, 2007

LDS Cinema Academia Unplugged

Mahonri Stewart, over at A Motley Vision, has typed up a pretty decent overview of some academic forums at the LDS Film Festival this past weekend.

Of note is a decent historical account of the history of LDS Cinema, broken up into five phases.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Brigham Young

Next on the Netflix list.

I can't wait to see Vincent Price.

Friday, January 19, 2007

From a Press Release

I found a link to the following press release in my email in-box:

PBS Documentary on the Church to Air This Spring
16 January 2007

PASADENA, California — Two PBS programs, American Experience and Frontline, have joined together to release a four-hour documentary on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney has spent the last three years interviewing hundreds of people for the film. The documentary will look at the origins of the Church as well as its role in contemporary society.

While the Church is the subject — not the producer — of the film, filmmakers were given access to all levels of Church leadership in the hope that the film will capture the essence of the Church and its members.

The Deseret Morning News interviewed Helen Whitney this past weekend about the documentary, which will air 30 April and 1 May [2007].

(The full article can be found over here.)

Now, if I am getting correct information (via a BYU radio soundbyte), Whitney is not Mormon. Which makes her agenda all the more appealing. Looking at her dossier, such a documentary appears to be of the finest public broadcasting caliber. And somehow, she seems trustworthy. (Apparently the Church thought the same thing, as they were "absolutely cooperative.")

I can't wait. Also interesting:

Helen has just completed research for a projected 6 hour series for PBS entitled: The Future of Faith.

Incidentally, here is a very curious coincidence. In doing research on this documentary, I came across another Helen Whitney -- Helen Mar Kimball Whitney -- not to be confused with the documentary filmmaker. This earlier Whitney was Mormon, and came out of Nauvoo. But the thing of interest, it appears this Whitney had a similar agenda. Consider the following statement from her autobiography:

...Until within a few years, the world knew nothing of our true history. Falsehoods were manufactured and sent out to serve the purposes of our enemies, and apostates have been their willing tools. The bitter prejudices felt by the outside world makes it almost an impossibility for them to believe or become acquainted with our faith and principles...

I can truly say that I feel an interest in the welfare of all, and if some of the incidents of my life could impress the minds of others as they have my own, I would feel amply repaid for writing them. There seems to be a great curiosity in the minds of strangers about the "Mormon" women, and I am willing, nay, anxious, that they should know the true history of the faithful women of Mormondom. In the brief sketches which have been given from time to time, the trials and sufferings of the Latter-day Saints have scarcely been touched upon.

Granted, it is a common pursuit of many a Mormon to "disabuse the public mind." Still, I found this a compelling coincidence.

In other news: Eckhart to receive award.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Here are a couple articles from the Deseret News about the upcoming LDS Film Festival: one and two.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Some Sundance, Some Slamdance, Some Just Like to Dance

There are a few films in the upcoming festival hoopla worth noting.

At Sundance this year:

On the Road With Judas. "Based on a real novel, written by a writer, played by an actor, about the real characters and the actors playing those characters in this story." In the manner of Stranger Than Fiction, Adaptation, and The Truman Show? In any case, it might be fun to see idiosyncratic Aaron Ruell (lest we need reminding, Kip) in a different role, "a New York businessman who is also secretly a computer thief." Hmm, interesting?
The Go-Getter. (Also here.) "Left with an aching instinctual itch to explore America after a traumatic loss, a curious teenager named Mercer suddenly steals a car in Oregon and develops a life-altering telephonic connection with the forgiving and mysterious girl he took it from..." Admittedly, I don't know much about this film, but that sounds very interesting—you know—the whole Western-mythos-fantasy thing. My interest in the film was piqued by a recently-made acquaintance from church who worked on the film. Plus, there's my whole unabated crush on Zooey Deschanel...
Manufactured Landscapes. "Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, focuses on the work of photographer Edward Burtynsky and his portraits of the transformation of landscapes due to industry and manufacturing." My artistic sister met Burtynski through a mutual friend of theirs, Daniel Everett: "Daniel introduced me, and he's incredibly nice, mild, and well-spoken." I don't know the whole story (I need to find out more), but I remember a fascinating conversation with my sister about all this over the holidays. I was under the impression that Everett worked on the film, but that is not made clear at imdb.com. Just the same, I can only imagine how interesting this documentary will be, based on my sister's praise. (I assume this is a sample of Everett's work, since he and my sister, I believe, know each other through BYU's art program.)

At Slamdance:

American Fork. This one obviously hits home for some of us: "In a supermarket in the armpit of the Mountain West..." I've blogged on this one before, over here, and over here. It's true, though, I did feel that way, what growing up in Orem, UT. So I'm very curious how this one will play out. But I gotta say, I'm busy being distracted by other things... going to the Slamdance site... THAT'S FREAKIN' MARY LYNN RAJSKUB, none other than my other mad crush... you know... Chloe from 24?! (Only the best intensely dramatic show on television, about or driven by plots that pertain to patriotism, rogue federal agents and/or terrorism.) How did I not notice this before? I mean, I realized there were other actors of some renown. Well, there are plenty of things I could say about this film, but I just have to end it where I did...

(Notice this was the only film under this Slamdance heading. That's STELLAR.)

Then of course, there's the home-fried LDS Film Festival lineup, with a whole slew of interesting expectations—including awaited previews of Tim Skousen's The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang and Ryan Little's The Outlaw Trail. And who knows what other lovely surprises might crop up? (Think *amazing* soundtrack.)

p.s. Do you think it's any coincidence that Zooey rhymes with Chloe? Pshaw, me neitha'.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Lineup

See the new Fox Faith Movies lineup over here.

I have to admit, the trailer for Thr3e, actually seems interesting enough. Not so certain about The Last Sin Eater, let alone the weird title. Almost looks like a bad Mormon film, ha.

Crazy Horses

An introspective look.

Man could those Mormons move. If you want more, it can be found.

(This message was brought to you by the letter G.)

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Clear Addendum

That is, addendum to this and this and this.

The Institute for Advanced Personhood.

Apparently some advanced people are crazy about this stuff.

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