by Rick | Oct 16, 2008 | Journal
Ok, I have a thing for love songs. I love how people express themselves. There are some amazing songs, but this one by Bruce Springsteen is great. I thought Springsteen was overrated but this and Philadelphia. Great songs. The video fits perfectly. Yes, the song featured in Jerry McGuire.
Secret Garden – Bruce Springstein
She’ll let you in her house
If you come knockin’ late at night
She’ll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She’ll let you deep inside
But there’s a secret garden she hides
She’ll let you in her car
To go drivin’ round
She’ll let you into the parts of herself
That’ll bring you down
She’ll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden, don’t think twice
You’ve gone a million miles
How far’d you get
To that place where you can’t remember
And you can’t forget
She’ll lead you down a path
There’ll be tenderness in the air
She’ll let you come just far enough
So you know shes really there
She’ll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She’s got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away
by Rick | Feb 24, 2008 | Journal
It’s not often I watch a movie and smile to be honest. I’ve seen so many movies it takes a very good one to move me at all. Having an interest in movie effects, I often find myself distracted by the effects work. Animated movies in particular, tho a lot of fun, often lack any real depth, the emotion is skin deep. And that’s coming from someone who loves animation. They’re fluff movies, you enjoy and forget. Luckily Pixar has raised the bar with each new movie they release. The storylines have depth – but the animation, although brilliant, has still left me missing the depth and detail of live action. It’s still brilliant fluff.
With ‘Ratatouille’ however, Pixar has taken animation to a level that is beautiful, emotive and stunning. Animation is the tool, not the show. Yes the opening sequence I was wondering what renderer they used and how they got the rich colours and soft beautiful depth to the scenes. I wondered at the amazing rigs they must have created to animate the fluid fast paced rats, the water, the light. I smiled right through the movie at the incredible level of creativity and imagination.
But there is more to Ratatouille than the visual excellence and execution. There is a multi-dimensional story handled with finesse. The facial animation is rich and detailed. The caricatures are great and that has been the strength of animation. But Ratatouille almost made me wish there was less exageration, that it was almost a distraction from the excellent acting. On a simple level, Ratatouille is an uplifting feel good movie that leaves you smiling and nostalgic. I laughed. I never laugh.
On a technical and creative level, Ratatouille is a landmark piece that breaks out of the ‘animated movie’ tag and uses the medium to tell a great story. It’s the first time I would consider the story has transcended the medium. Brilliant, well done Pixar.
by Rick | May 29, 2007 | Journal
The 3yr old is always asking questions and learning at the moment. In the last few days he’s made me laugh.
Playing I Spy during dinner the other day I said I spy with my little eye something beginning with.. B and looked at him. He looked around, looked at himself and said.. ‘Byjamas’.
At church as the guest speaker walked to the front of the congregation, he asked loudly ‘Is that God??’
And tonight reading him the alphabet I pointed to a fairy and said ‘What begins with F … Fffff….’. ‘F#CK!’ he says.
Ya gotta adore him.
