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Science Fiction Double Feature

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Feminist Writers Festival 2016

This was exactly what I needed. 

Last Friday I was lucky enough to attend the first ever Feminist Writers Festival networking day which ran as a part of the annual Melbourne Writers Festival. During the day I attended seven of the fourteen talks -- all featuring a diverse number of industry professionals who identify with feminist ideals. 

With both speakers and attendees alike, it was a pleasure to be in the company of so many like-minded people, all willing to discuss and question a range issues without judgement or prejudice. 

And although I wish I could have found someone to give me advice on entering the heavily gate-kept industry of media criticism, I do feel assured that my views are shared and that I will be backed up if ever I get lost in the sea of trolls that is the internet.

Thank you to all of the amazing feminists who chose to share their experiences on Friday, and every feminist who has forged the path that we now travel along.

I can’t wait to share my own.

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Write, write, write. Right?

Okay, so I haven’t written in a while. Or blogged for that matter. Since Game of Thrones season 6 came to a staggering close, I haven’t written any new articles/reviews for flickerthoughts.com, although I have thought about it. 

Since last Thursday I have been planning a large-scale article that contemplates the reasons why we won’t be getting a second Ghostbusters and why the (pre-teen) male gaze was so prominent in Suicide Squad. I have written up lists, maps and found quotes... but I just can’t bring myself to write it. 

I want to say that my reasoning for not writing the article is for fear of backlash from trolls or DC fanboys (same difference), but I can really only blame myself. Or my own fear. I am always terribly fearful about not doing things the perfect way. Even now as I am writing this I am so conscious of how things will be read, whilst being so hyperaware of maintaining a genuine voice that is in-tune with the brand of FlickerThoughts. It’s all a bit much.

So, I’m going to blog. And not just because my tutor told me to. Because if I don’t write, I will become congested, and worse, I will not be a writer (duh).

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When your cat catches you creepin'

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He does it all the time. For fun.

  Source

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Several machines were being designed to get the actors covered in dirt however Charlize Theron decided it would be easier to just show up five minutes early to each shoot and roll around in the dirt on set. Other cast members followed her example. (x)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

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God I loved this book/film

Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl.   Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them.

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Another favourite film.

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The winners. What'd I say? 

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Me the day of the Oscars... TODAY

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The 87th Annual Academy Awards: My predictions

IHere we go. Today’s my favourite game of bingo and you’re all invited. Here’s the key: winners / *dark horses* 

BEST PICTURE American Sniper Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) *Boyhood* The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma *The Theory of Everything* Whiplash

BEST ACTOR  Bradley Cooper - American Sniper Steve Carell - Foxcatcher Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game *Michael Keaton - Birdman* Eddie Redmaybe - The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS  Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything Julianne Moore - Still Alice Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl *Reese Witherspoon - Wild*

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Robert Duvall - The Judge Ethan Hawke - Boyhood *Edward Norton - Birdman* Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Patricia Arquette - Boyhood  Laura Dern - Wild Keira Knightly - The Imitation Game *Emma Stone - Birdman* Meryl Streep - Into the Woods

ANIMATED FEATURE Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls *How to Train Your Dragon 2* Song of the Sea The Tale of Princess Kaguya

BEST DIRECTING Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman *Richard Linklater - Boyhood* Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

BEST FOREIGN PICTURE *Ida* Leviathan Tangerines Timbuktu Wild Tales

CINEMATOGRAPHY Birdman *The Grand Budapest Hotel* Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken

EDITING American Sniper *Boyhood* The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Whiplash

PRODUCTION DESIGN The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game *Interstellar* Mr. Turner The Theory of Everything

COSTUME DESIGN The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice *Into the Woods* Maleficent Mr. Turner

HAIR & MAKEUP Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel *Guardians of the Galaxy*

VISUAL EFFECTS Captain America: Winter Soldier Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy *Interstellar* X-Men: Days of Future Past

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY American Sniper The Imitation Game Inherent Vice *The Theory of Everything* Whiplash

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY *Birdman* Boyhood Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Nightcrawler ORIGINAL SCORE The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Mr. Turner *The Theory of Everything*

ORIGINAL SONG *”Everything is Awesome” - Lego Movie* "Glory" - Selma ”Grateful” - Beyond the Lights "I’m not gonna miss you" - Glen Campbell…I’ll be me "Lost Stars" - Begin Again

Lots of excitement!

Ella

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The Grand Budapest Hotel: Perfection

Here's the plot:

In the 1930s, the Grand Budapest Hotel is a popular European ski resort, presided over by concierge Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes). Zero (Tony Revolori), a junior lobby boy, becomes Gustave's friend and protege. Gustave prides himself on providing first-class service to the hotel's guests, including satisfying the sexual needs of the many elderly women who stay there. When one of Gustave's lovers dies mysteriously, Gustave finds himself the recipient of a priceless painting and the chief suspect in her murder.

This review is going to be scandalously short. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is written and directed by my personal all-time favourite director, Wes Anderson. It is his greatest cinematic accomplishment so far, as it weaves a brilliant story directing incredible actors in a visually stunning and original world. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is beautifully written. It is a story within a story within a story told by multiple narrators, and therefore through the eyes of multiple characters. Characters that are each engaging, dynamic and completely likeable (even the evil ones). The dialogue is funny and poignant, driving us through this surreal world that I, personally would like to live in. 

With this film comes a threshold of brilliant actors and performances. Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Lèa Seydeux, Jude Law, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray (obviously), Jason Schwartzman (obviously), Owen Wilson (obviously) and the list goes on. They are each complicated and interesting and I would watch a movie about any one of their characters. 

This world, the world of the Grand Budapest, is so wonderful. It fits perfectly in the world that Wes Anderson has crafted with each of his films. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is perfect, therefore I will say no more, as I wish for you all to see it. Now. 

In terms of the Academy Awards tomorrow, I don't think that The Grand Budapest Hotel will win best picture, although it is definitely by far my favourite film from the list. It will win, however, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction and possibly Best Original Score. And hopefully more.

I can't wait to see Wes accept his Oscar, and to see what he comes up with next.

Ella

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Last bur most certainly not least, The Grand Budapest Hotel

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Birdman: Holy hell this is filmmaking.

Plot:

Former cinema superhero Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is mounting an ambitious Broadway production that he hopes will breathe new life into his stagnant career. It's risky, but he hopes that his creative gamble will prove that he's a real artist and not just a washed-up movie star. As opening night approaches, a castmate is injured, forcing Riggan to hire an actor (Edward Norton) who is guaranteed to shake things up. Meanwhile, Riggan must deal with his girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough), daughter (Emma Stone) and ex-wife (Amy Ryan).

Birdman is a powerhouse of amazing actors. Michael Keaton, Ed Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis just to name a few. And Alejandro G. Iñárritu directs them to perfection with a script that any actor would remove a limb for.

I saw this film twice. First as an avid cinema-goer, fully submerging myself into the world or Birdman, and second with a goal. To attempt to deconstruct this highly complicated, visually astounding film. And I think I worked it out. Birdman is a construct of a series of pushes and breaks, all experienced by the central character Riggan Thomson. When we are introduced to Riggan, he is aptly using his mentally-acquired telekinesis and conversing with his daughter Sam. The camera follows him through this process whilst the drum soundtrack joins him. This is pre-break Riggan. 

After about a few pushes (coming in the form mostly of Mike Shiner, budgeting, a pregnancy scare and more crazy actors), Riggan has his first break when his ex-wife Sylvia arrives, reminding him of the real world, including his troubled daughter Sam and highlighting the fact that he is spending all of his money to acquire some sort of validation from his audience, stating "you confuse love for admiration". Riggan is forced to see himself from the perspective of someone who is not trying to feed his ego, simply trying to make him see himself with sanity.

The pushes after this first break come heavier and more frequently. Riggan sees acclaimed New York Times reviewer Tabitha Dickinson and watches as she is talked up by his co-star. He then has an encounter with his daughter who gives him another slap in the face in the form of the truth, which he is struggling to ignore "And let's face it, Dad, it's not for the sake of art. It's because you want to feel relevant again." Whoa. -- I've got to interject and say that Emma Stone is fucking brilliant. -- After this encounter, Riggan seems removed, and we have the chance to see the crazy of actors. It's all rather dizzying.

And break two comes as the sun rises the next day. Riggan reads the article in The Times. The drums thunder and after the hilarious (floor) fight between Riggan and Mike, Birdman's voice is back ("You were a movie star/You look like a turkey with leukaemia") and Riggan wants to cancel the preview, but is delivered gratification by Jake at the opportunity to perform for a full house and "Martin Scor-sees". One thing to note at this point in the film is that every 'actor' character in this film is never their true selves. They are 'acting' outside of the theatre, gaging reactions from people, and they need everyone else to be acting, too. They're insane.

The final preview is on and Riggan experiences one of his final pushes, seeing Mike and Sam together. He goes for a smoke and is locked out. In his underwear. As he walks through Times Square people yell "Birdman" like echoes in his own subconscious. After this ordeal, Sam meet Riggan in his dressing room and we see an ingenuity in his eyes as he admits that "[He] was a shitty father". This scene was the last chance Riggan had to save himself. It's fleeting and it's gone. He's gone.

Back at the bar, Riggan confronts Ms. Dickinson about her article and profession. He almost begs for his life in this scene. But she curtly replies "I'm going to destroy your play". And with those words, with that last push, Riggan Thomson is broken. 

From this point, Birdman becomes a completely different film. Surrealism creeps in and we experience Riggan's break alongside him. It's truly beautiful. It's opening night and Sylvia visits during the intermission. Riggan is finally calm. Completely removed, but completely himself. Honest. And it's too late. And then BANG. 

I won't say what BANG means in case you haven't seen the film, but everything that has happened is beautifully tied up by this BANG. We come to the realisation that not only the play is the performance, but so is life. With our obsession with celebrity and social media it's all one big performance and one big audience. 

And Riggan gets his perfect ending in super-realism, with a great big "Fuck you" from Birdman. He is what he wanted to be and his work is done. 

Holy hell this movie was good. And I didn't even mention that it was edited so the film played out in one singular shot. I could literally write about Birdman forever. It's spectacular.

As for the Academy Awards, this is my pick for Best Picture. It's by far the best film in the running for this award. I think it will also pick up the awards for editing and sound. But we shall see!

Ella