Episode 4: My Podcast with Andre

Episode 4 has been posted! In this show, Mike and I talk about the 1981 film My Dinner with Andre which stars Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory. If you haven't seen this film, or you saw it years ago, I think we'd both urge you to watch it now. The film drips with wonderful bits of philosophy and is a multi-level experience that reveals itself slowly with each subsequent viewing. We hope our conversation convinces you to give it a shot. Let us know what you think.

-Marty

Inception

This weekend I saw Christopher Nolan's new film Inception. I was lucky enough to see at an IMAX theater which probably added to the overall power of what was already a VERY powerful film. My friends Leif and KMO sat on either side of me, with all three of us silent through the entire 148 minutes. The only sounds I made were frequent utterances of "wow". There is not much to say about the film that wouldn't spoil the brilliant way that the plot is revealed. Suffice it to say that if you're interested in the movie, avoid as many reviews as you can. My only exposure had been through the trailers and the astounding review score that is mounting on IMDB.
As far as, non-spoiler information goes, the performances are consistent and excellent. The effects shots are seamless and fantastic. I left the theater, once again, in awe of Christopher Nolan. He has yet to disappoint ( The Prestige was good but not great to me ) and consistently proves that he is a filmmaker to watch and an artist with a unique and important vision.
The themes in the film of dream-worlds, and the deliberate altering of what goes on within them, was very interesting in light of my own experiences with lucid dreaming. If you have never had a lucid dream, I urge you to read about them and the various recommended techniques for cultivating that skill. The feeling, when you are in the dream-world, and you decide that you want a thing to be, and summoning it physically into existence...that is a feeling that is hard to beat, and hard to imagine if you've never done it.
One thing we did speak of after the movie is the question of who we would recommend this movie to. It is challenging in a way that I don't think the typical film-goer would appreciate. It doesn't guide you into its world or its ideas. When the film starts, it is up to the audience to piece together the world, the characters, and the ideas. The script does this all brilliantly, but I wonder just how large of an audience the film will attract. I will be impressed if a sizable mass of humanity appreciates the film.
Would I recommend "Inception" to my grandmother? no...but to those three people reading this? I totally would urge you to see it, and see it soon, before some sucker spoils it for you.
-Marty

Shadows on a Distant Wall

Yahoo linked me yesterday to a story on the New York Times website about a scientist who has challenged the traditional idea of gravity. In the article I found the following quote:

"Black holes, in effect, are holograms — like the 3-D images you see on bank cards. All the information about what has been lost inside them is encoded on their surfaces. Physicists have been wondering ever since how this “holographic principle” — that we are all maybe just shadows on a distant wall — applies to the universe and where it came from."

You can read the article at this link.

Just thinking of black holes makes me want to watch the old disney movie. Oh, and a word of caution...if you search for images on google using the phrase "black hole" make sure you have safe search on!
-Marty

Larry Cohen's Bone, if you know what I mean

Today I watched Larry Cohen's 1972 film Bone. Yaphet Kotto is the eponymous character who quickly throws into turmoil the seemingly idyllic lives of a couple in Beverly Hills California, played by Andrew Duggan and Joyce Van Patten. This might be my favorite Larry Cohen film of all time, and that is really saying something. The performances were all solid, especially Kotto and Van Patten. The way the plot is revealed and teased out over the course of the very speedy 95 minute run-time is totally impressive. The characters are so complex and interesting. The dialogue isn't necessarily "realistic" but it's amazing in the way that the best Tarantino dialogue is. A lot is said about race, about class, and about power, both directly and indirectly though camera angles, and the nuanced performances of the actors. I am eager to rewatch the movie now that I have the bigger picture of the plot in my mind. Much like how The Sixth Sense is a vastly different experience the second time around, I feel confident that Bone will reveal even greater depth on subsequent viewings. Consider it VERY highly recommended.
-Marty

Episode 3.5 - The Rowdy Poddy Pipercast

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with KMO of the C-Realm Podcast and Doug Lain of the Diet Soap Podcast recently about the 1988 John Carpenter film They Live. This special edition of the Flickers From the Cave podcast focuses on this one film and its allegorical presentation of an earth where humans are kept ignorant of their alien overlords and it takes a badass pair of raybans to reveal the truth.
-Marty

Episode 3 - Into the Wayback Machine

Episode 3 is ready to be heard, or endured perhaps. Mike and I are joined by our good friends Jeannine and Steve as we look back into our distant past to recount the moments that made us into the sad excuses for human beings that we are today. There is much laughter, much nostalgia and lots of personal asides. I urge everyone to read more about one of our favorties, Mommie-D the Queen of All Media. Please keep the feedback coming in, we love to hear from you.
-Marty