The Culture Diaries: Sidney Lumet, Sea of Love, Ryan's Daughter - April 1st, 2021

I'm nearing the end of a bio on film director Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) by Maura Spiegel.  I'm really learning a lot about this phenomenal director.  He can be described as an "Actor's Director," definitely.  This skill with working with actors was cultivated by his childhood experience as an actor in Broadway plays and briefly on the screen.  He directed some of the finest films of his era:  Twelve Angry Men, Serpico, and Network to name a few.  The bio is called Sidney Lumet: A Life and I highly recommend it.

I watched an Al Pacino vehicle last night called Sea of Love (1989).  Fairly mediocre and forgettable, but I really liked the repartee and comedic asides involving cop buddies Pacino and John Goodman's character. The film starts off really well, but soon takes a turn into a formulaic, standard whodunit.  

I also watched David Lean's epic Ryan's Daughter (1970) today, a 3 hour and 15 minute tale of a teacher's wife who has an affair with an officer in 1916 Northern Ireland.  There are some breathtaking shots of the beautiful landscape and while there were some memorable moments, it doesn't really stand up to some of Lean's better material such as Lawrence of Arabia or Brief Encounter.  The latter film's Trevor Howard turns up in Ryan's Daughter in a late-career performance as a priest.  The performances are good, but the character development isn't really substantial to the point where you don't really get heavily invested in the characters.

I did an hour of power yoga this morning.  As someone who has a desire to maximize my concentration on, absorption in, and enjoyment of movies, I found that exercise such as this will do a lot to promote these areas of the viewing experience.  I need to make this a habit!  I feel so much more content and present.  

The Culture Diaries: Insights into Note-Taking - March 31st, 2021

I made a discovery these past couple days that has really made a difference in my film watching:  taking notes during a film.  I first tried this out a couple nights ago while watching an Al Pacino movie called Sea of Love (1989) and I noticed that it really made a difference in my comprehension and enjoyment. 

I took notes on plot details and various observations I made throughout the screening.  This really helped in paying attention to the details of the story and made me hyper-aware and more mindful of everything that was happening on screen.  

I applied this once again to my screening today of Odd Man Out (1947) and the same results were found.  More understanding, better insights, an overall more-observant viewing experience.  This is not surprising given that memories tend to fade of little details and it is definitely helpful in writing a review afterwards when you have these notes in your hand.  

Pauline Kael, as I read in her biography, was also a user of notes during screenings.  This is probably why she is known as one of the most eloquent, focussed movie critics in her time.  Note-taking really heightens your overall awareness of everything going on in the film, but it also allows you to notate insights that may arise as the result of what you are watching. 

This could be a real breakthrough for me and it can apply to other areas of life as well.  Taking notes on everything from things you read to general life insights would be amazingly beneficial.  I look forward to continuing to employ this strategy going forward.  

Mindfully Watching

As an avid movie-watcher and occasional reviewer, I find it frustrating at times just how difficult it can be to fully absorb and concentrate on a movie or television show from beginning to end.  My mind frequently gets caught up in passing thoughts that disrupt my comprehension of and concentration on a given film or show.  This is especially prevalent with more complex, dialogue-laden films that require your undivided attention.  

In our hyper-connected world there is also an abundance of distractions.  Having your phone dinging away or the noises of people in other rooms taxes your level of concentration.  As someone who places great value on understanding the history, theory and instances of films, I have done my best to find ways to alleviate this problem of thwarted attention in movie-watching.  

One way to help you concentrate is to put your phone way, in another room perhaps.  This eliminates the need to pull your phone out during a film to look up something associated with it or even something not even pertaining to what you’re currently doing.  This will increase your focus and attention considerably. 

I like to make it my mission when watching films to limit my movement.  Even checking your watch to see how much progress you’ve made on what you’re watching can divide your attention.  In fact, you may want to take your watch off or not check it at all.  Try to invest completely in resisting to look away from the screen and hold your gaze on it through the entire film’s duration.  Not only will your concentration increase, but I have found that my enjoyment of the film increases considerably as well.  

One thing I have experimented with in watching films is to sit in a meditative, lotus position while watching, maybe on a meditation cushion.  By doing this, you will be forced to pour your whole being into what you’re watching, a very effective technique for comprehension, enjoyment, and absorption.  

One of the aims of meditation, if you could call it that, is to be fully present in the now.  By applying this aim to film-watching, one can drastically improve the quality of the watching experience.  

In Praise of The Queen's Gambit

A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of screening a Netflix series you may have heard of called The Queen’s Gambit.  It was a great experience to see this series.  I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I believe it is one of the best series I have ever seen.

It stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Elizabeth (Beth), a chess grandmaster.  It traces her early orphan childhood, tells us how she came into the game and leads us through her young adult life up to and including her rise to the top of the chess world.  All the while, Beth battles her own inner demons and struggles with chemical dependencies of various sorts.  The story takes place from the 1950’s up through the 60’s and it is a masterful coming-of-age drama.

Taylor-Joy is fantastic in the lead and there are other great supporting cast members such as Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel, the custodian at Girls Home who teaches Beth the fundamentals of the game, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as a challenging competitor, mentor and friend to Beth.

There are many exciting sequences that turn the game of chess into a riveting, action-packed spectacle.  The period detail, as well, brings a lot of enjoyment to the viewing experience.

At the core of the series is Beth’s battle with drug and alcohol dependence.  Early in her orphanage days, she is given a daily regimen of drugs to help her sleep and lull her into a controllable state.  This sets the stage for a personal struggle with chemicals that will overtake her life.  Substances, for Beth, become a crutch, a way in which she can get into a state of focus in which she is better able to analyze the chessboard and all its potential moves and strategies.  I’m sure many people can relate to this predicament.  Whether it is someone who drinks a bit of alcohol to become more “social”, someone who does a line of coke to stay up and do more work, or an individual who must smoke a joint to enhance life, there are no doubt countless viewers who can relate to the idea of a “mother’s little helper” to get them through their dying day.  The real triumph of The Queen’s Gambit is in it’s depiction of a young woman who is able to forsake these crutches in the heat of the moment and find a way to plumb her own inner resources to find success.  This is the inspiring aspect of the series and offers a glimmer of hope for anyone who has had trouble facing up to bare-naked reality.  

There are moments of pure joy and kinetic excitement, musical montages that are so compelling that they push the series beyond the ordinary in to the realm of cultural phenomenon.  I especially liked the sequence in a later episode set to Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas”.  

The Queen’s Gambit is the Beatles of mini-series in that it combines artistic clout with popularity.  The Beatles were arguably both the best band musically and artistically,  and also the most popular band of their time, a rare combination.  The Queen’s Gambit, in its millions of views, influence, success, and creative power are similar to the Beatles in its reach, intelligence and artistry.  I’ll say it again:  it is one of the greatest series ever made and it is the best thing on Netflix right now.  

A Powerful Method for Tracking Your Habits

A few months ago, I downloaded an app called “Way of Life” - a habit tracker.  This app allows you to track any number of habits you wish by entering them in your daily to-do list and checking them off one by one as you accomplish them each day.  You can track good and bad habits.  

What I have found from tracking my habits through the Way of Life app is that when I track good habits, I feel more compelled to do them.  There is a real sense of accomplishment you get when you check off each habit every day, and they start to build up into a long chain.  This sense of accomplishment I think, is the driver to the desire to repeat the habits.  By tracking them through this app, you get a visual representation of your ongoing accomplishments.  Also, you don’t want to break the chain, once it starts to build up.  

Some of the habits I’ve been tracking are meditating, walking, reading, and, since I’m a film scholar, watching a good movie.  I find that I’m eager to tackle these kinds of habits each day and try to get them out of the way quickly.  Hence, my sense of accomplishment.  

The key to the tracking of habits is to make them relatively simple and easy to accomplish, but at the same time, positive and growth-oriented.  This act of habit-tracking has been instrumental in my current existence of being at home as a result of a pandemic lay-off at my job.  It has given me a sense of direction and daily goal-focus.  

The free version of the Way of Life app allows you to track a total of three habits.  With a small one time fee, you can track an unlimited number.  I’m not sure why tracking my habits has made them so much more important; it is not an actual law or demand that I must do each of them.  But somehow, it sets up an internal mechanism that compels you to return to it over and over again.  Perhaps not everyone can benefit from this, but I have found tremendous value from this app.  What is measured gets repeated.   

Combining Movie-Watching and Meditation

One thing that I’ve struggled with for a long time is my attention span.  My mind wanders a lot and I frequently lose concentration on things like reading and movie-watching.  I have trouble being in the present moment with mindfulness.  This is problematic for me because I place a lot of value on film studies and the absorption of a movie’s story-line and dialogue.  

Meditation is one way of combatting a short-attention span and loss of presence in the current moment.  Being present and mindful is the essence of a meditation practice.  I have been practicing meditation consistently for about four years now and have gotten tremendous value out of it.  I frequently use the technique of focusing on my breath or just trying to remain present.  I wondered if the practice of meditation could be combined with movie-watching for a more concentrated, mindful viewing experience.  I put this question to the test with a little experiment.  It should be noted that this is usually more appropriate for home movie-viewing as opposed to the theatre.  

Somewhat frustrated by my frequent mind-wandering during movies, I tried placing my meditation cushion in front of the television screen so I could sit upright in a lotus, cross-legged position for the course of the entire movie.  The results were great:  I was able to hold my attention for most of the movie’s running time and absorb a lot more information, story-line, and dialogue.  I sat there and tried to remain perfectly still throughout the whole process, bringing my full attention to all the events as they unfolded on screen.   It was very effective.   

There may be problems in this practice with discomfort.  My one leg frequently falls asleep when I remain motionless in this position for a long time.  I also find it hard to keep my back straight, but this is important to being more alert and concentrated.  The discomfort, with practice and time, will start to dissipate and you will get used to holding this position, as you would with normal meditation.  

I found that my enjoyment of films was also compounded.  By being fully mindful and absorbing so much, you get to appreciate films more and more.  This is especially relevant to films made in Hollywood’s Golden Age or art films, where dialogue is a lot more pronounced and there is less emphasis on action.  

So, if you’re like me and struggle holding your attention while watching movies, you might consider bringing the practice of meditation into your viewing experience.  You will absorb more information, comprehend complex plots, and more fully enjoy the movie.  

The Greatest Modern Rock Band

The Black Angels, from Austin, Texas, are probably my favourite modern rock band.  Their music has been described as a mixture of throw-back, psychedelic rock and the buzzing wall-of-sound that characterizes shoegazer rock music.  To date, they have released five studio albums and a number of EPs, all in my opinion of excellent quality.

The music of the Black Angels came into my life at a time of extreme turbulence and angst for me in the year 2006.  One of my favourite rock bands at the time, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, released a year-end list of their favourite albums of that year on their website.  Included in that list was “Passover”, the debut album from a band called the Black Angels.  With that title in mind (possibly scrawled on paper), I went to a local record store and was able to find a copy of the album in CD format.  With such track titles as “The Prodigal Sun” and “Sniper at the Gates of Heaven”, I was immediately intrigued and drawn into this dark world.  I would be transfixed upon listening and continuously played the album for a long time after that.

Dealing with themes such as insanity, warfare, and paranoia, the music and lyrical content seemed to gel with my troubled mindset at the time.  The music itself embodied everything I had come to appreciate about rock music from my earliest experiences of listening:  1960s psychedelic rock, bluesy, catchy guitar riffs, and melodic hooks that were extremely pleasing to the ear.

My favourite track on Passover is “Black Grease”.  Its opening guitar riff is intensely rhythmic with the ability to induce a shamanic trance.  It recalls the guitar chops of Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.  The lyrical content of this song is craftily deceptive, trading the words “give” and “kill” to surprising variation of intent and tone.  The “grease” in the title perhaps reflects the greasy distortion of the incessant, driving guitar riff.  

Passover had a profound effect on my psyche and personal growth at the time.  It is one of the most jarring, electrifying, and shocking rock albums I have ever heard.

The band would go on to release four more studio albums up to the time of this writing.  Their most recent, Death Song, is every bit as powerful as their initial release.  The band is no stranger to consistency.  

I have seen the band several times live and their shows are spectacular and exciting.  As a person who can be introverted and paranoid at times, their music has always spoken to me in a profound way.  The fact that the band is relatively unknown is a crime.  Not only are they intense and heavy musically, but they combine that intensity and heaviness with a keen knowledge of song-craft and the ability to come up with extremely catchy melodies.

If you’re looking for a refreshment from the bland, cookie-cutter nature of current commercial music, dive into the musical career of the Black Angels and be prepared to go on a journey that shatters the boundaries of the light and dark side of your soul.  Warning:  it may change you forever.