It's a Wonderful Life - Part 1

Yesterday, Anyes of Far away in the Sunshine asked about what our favorite black and white movies are. My favorite among the very few black and white movies that I've watched so far is "It's a Wonderful Life" starting James Stewart.

I like how it captures the human traditions and spirit surrounding the Christmas holiday and I also enjoyed how the main character was given a glimpse of what the world around him would be like if he did not exist.

The experience helped him realize how much of an impact he had in the lives of other people. The amount of impact, in his case, was huge so it improved his mood, perspective on his circumstances and changed his bout of self-pity.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is a pretty uplifting film and I guess this is to be expected from a holiday movie.

Stay tuned for another look at a general concept of "It's a Wonderful Life" from a different perspective, to be posted later this week.

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Black and White movies...why not?

This guest post is from Anyes of Far away in the Sunshine who is a fellow WordCount Blogathon participant. You can also read my guest post on her blog.

The attraction I still have for Black and White movies started early on, while I was watching the late Friday nights flicks every week in my living room. Those magic moments marked the beginning of my love affair with the whole genre. As everyone was asleep and the whole house had fallen into a quiet slumber, a different atmosphere could be felt all around. I order to better my English, I remember watching mostly American B&W movies, in VO (original Version) with French subtitles.

They were showing me a world, I had never dreamed of. I was about 14 years old at the time and my impressionable mind absorbed all of those wonderful images. This foreign language was music to my ears, those landscapes I had never seen made me curious and eager to know more. The actors and actresses were all surrounded with the glow of my teenage admiration.

A movie like Suspicion, where the handsome Cary Grant made me wonder if he was as bad as his co star Joan Fontaine suspected was the kind I really enjoyed. Alfred Hitchcock's quiet understated movies were always so full of suspense. This particular capacity of his to take an ordinary situation and turn it into a frightful scenario, was simply irresistible to me. Looking past the fancy decor and the well chosen words of the dialog, I could see a whole different window into a world I wanted to be part of.

Another one of my all time favourite is Bringing Up Baby this time with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.  Every scene of this classic movie, was an excuse for a comic repartee from either actors or some physical comedy that left me crying out of laughter. I really enjoyed watching the interaction between the two actors and having a big adolescent crush on Cary Grant made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

Having fairly young children, I have made a point to try and share my love for those old fashioned movies signs of different times. I feel very lucky that both my children still come and sit with me when one of my old favourite is showing on TCM, and get to spend a bit of time into a different world, one I used to cherish in my younger years.

What is your favourite Black and white movie?

A 'Camp Casserole' Movie Review and Trailer

“Camp Casserole” is a behind-the-scenes documentary by Anthony Pedone that chronicles the making of “The Casserole Club,” which is a movie that one of the VISIONFEST directors calls Steve Balderson’s “best work to date.”

Forget about what you saw on those featurettes that filmmakers add to the special features section of their DVDs. “Camp Casserole” is nothing like that stuff and based on this alone, movie lovers and filmmakers alike should be thankful.

The opening credit sequence is so attention grabbing, viewers may start to wonder if they are either high on some type of drug or in a really tripped out dream. Nothing is off limits in this movie, which includes spontaneous marriage proposals, random sketch comedy skits on the set, breastfeeding, commentary on how Steve Balderson is a force to be reckoned with and thoughts on the state of the film industry by veteran Caltech professor, Eric Sherman and a glimpse into what independent filmmaking at it's best looks like.

The cast and crew become roommates while making "The Casserole Club" in Palm Springs, creating that summer camp experience combined with a little film production workshop....maybe, but without all of the drama, poison ivy, egos and mosquito bites. Leave your entourage, VIP cards and Hollywood baggage at the door because it's all about a group effort in this movie. Imagine attending a summer camp sprinkled with drinks, comedy, lots of love and a wild family reunion....this is what you get in “Camp Casserole.”

The filmmaking scenes appear to be casual with a laid back feeling on set and good rapport between Balderson and his cast and crew. One moment they are playing golf and the next, Balderson is getting some exterior shots of Kevin Richardson (yes, the former Backstreet Boys member) for the movie. Later, actress Starina Johnson is screaming in the mountains and the documentary reveals what the deal is behind this moment. Here is a hint: If that's not guerrilla filmmaking, then somebody tell me what is.

Balderson may be the only young filmmaker in the country right now who can actually get work done in such a relaxed atmosphere. Maybe Joe Swanberg (Hanna Takes the Stairs) would be the only other director to match this in terms of a casual production set, but Balderson is someone with a clear plan of action. His vision, talent and discipline is reflected in the amount of respect that “The Casserole Club” cast has for him, so much that they deliver on the performances necessary to make the story come to life. The quality results are not accident because Balderson chooses actors carefully during the casting process.

Some of the scenes in “Camp Casserole” remind me of old black and white home movies from the 50s or 60s that capture family vacations but not like any tapes from “Capturing the Friedmans”.....it’s more like the “The Wonder Years” TV show or something of the sort.....happy and fun!

The soundtrack in this documentary is also groovy as scenes change from candid interviews about the movie characters or inspiration for the story to still photographs and then to production set coverage that show how fun movie making can be without the need for makeup/hair trailers and several hundred people on site. Developing and maintaining a high level of comradery is among the biggest lessons that independent filmmakers can learn from watching “Camp Casserole.”

The documentary is a valuable companion to “The Casserole Club” and could be more entertaining than many making-of movies that were previously released for other Hollywood and independent films.

“Camp Casserole” is scheduled to be released June 1, 2011. You Can Request a Download or Streaming Copy of this movie HERE.

Watch the Trailer:

The premiere screening of “Casserole Club” is set to take place between June 22 and June 26, 2011 in New York during VISIONFEST 11: The Other Festival (VF11).

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