Movies About Making Movies (#atozchallenge)

Cover of Fellini's Roma

The films that I'll be listing in my April postings will not necessarily be films that I'd call my favorite films, but they will be favorites in the genres I'll be naming.   The A to Z genres are very specific micro genres as opposed to the broader genres like action, romance, or comedy.

       If we love movies, it stands to reason that we probably like movies about how the movies are made.  From early film history filmmakers have made movies about their process.  For one thing it's probably cost effective since they can often use preexisting sets and the studio lots themselves.  And it's an idea that sells.  Audiences like to peek behind the curtain.

       There are so many films that I could list here, but here are some of my favorites:

Singing in the Rain (1952)--  Silent movies make the transition to talkies.  Some old stars can't make the grade while new stars are born.  One of the greatest of all film musicals.

8 1/2 (1963) -- A film director encounters crisis in his life and on the set as he tries to make a science fiction film.  This film is a semi-autobiographical look at the film's maker Federico Fellini.  The theme examines the complexities of the creative struggle.  This should be required viewing for all writers, aspiring or already published.  It is in Italian with subtitles, but if you write I assume you can also read.

Fellini's Roma (1972)-- This is one of my top ten all time favorite films.  In this wildly surrealistic pseudo-documentary, Federico Fellini leads his film crew as they make a movie about the history of Rome and how the city intertwines with his own life history.  A lot of interesting social commentary with fascinating cinematic imagery.

Day of the Locust (1975)-- Based on the novel by Nathaniel West, the story follows Hollywood wannabes and victims of life into the insanity of the film industry during the years of the Great Depression. Strange and seriously disturbing, the film borders on greatness and is a very good film about Hollywood.

Living in Oblivion (1995)--  Steve Buscemi stars as a serious minded director trying to make a great independent film with a small budget and an incompetent staff and cast.  Buscemi does a fine acting turn here in a film with hilarious scenes mixed with serious drama.  It's a very entertaining film. 

Hearts of Darkness (1991) -- This is a documentary about the making of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.   This doc shows the travails that had to be overcome in making the theatrical release.  A great look at real film making that's nearly as good as the actual movie itself.   This is a must for any hard-core Apocalypse Now fan.

Burden of Dreams (1982) -- Another making-of film that in some ways rivals the film it's about.  This documentary follows the creation of Werner Herzog's epic film Fitzcaraldo.   This was one crazy film about a true life crazy idea that encountered some amazing obstacles.  The obsessive Herzog was intent on filming this story and managed despite the odds against him to produce a great film.  A very interesting documentary about getting a movie made.

        Seen any of these?    What films about movie making do you think I should have added here?   Do you enjoy documentaries?   Why or why not?

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One Thing Leads to Another

Donald Duck as he first appeared in The Wise Little Hen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

          A few days ago I was visiting a blog post by Chuck at Apocalypse Now--an innovative, wacky, and often twisted blog (Happy Birthday Chuck)--and I followed a link that he'd left in the post to an earlier post that he'd done that had a topic that intrigued me.

        Anyway, I went to that earlier post and left a comment there.  Chuck seemed somewhat surprised and pleased that I had actually gone to the link, read the post, and left a comment.  In a later response Chuck said, "...thanks for going back to square one to read and leave a comment. You inspired an upcoming post by doing that."


          So as I considered this, I was inspired to write a post related to this topic of comments.   As some of my regular readers may recall, I am fascinated and entertained by comments and the ensuing dialog that sometimes springs from them.  In fact, if some of you wonder why I don't visit more blog posts, it's often because I am wrapped up in ongoing conversations on my blogs or other blogs.  Don't every apologize for leaving me a long comment--I love 'em, especially when they lead to a discussion.


          In any case, this concept of ongoing blog comment discussions made me think of a rather lengthy interchange prompted by my most recent post at A Faraway View--a blog that doesn't usually receive too many comments, but the ones that are left are often quite involved and interesting.  


           One massive exchange on this most recent post occurred amongst myself, Stephen T McCarthy, and Faraway Eyes.   I mean this exchange was epic in proportion and will probably be resulting in an additional guest post or two or more.  I had a great time exchanging thoughts with these two ever-fascinating bloggers.  Hopefully I'll have Stephen's guest post on site this Thursday.


          Another blogger who invariably has been leaving comments at my dream blog is the ever contemplative Jay Paoloni, Actor.  He also has been occasionally posting on the topic of dreams, as well as other topics such as Donald Duck's disposition.   Whatever he writes about he does so with eloquence and sometimes a dash of tongue in cheek.  It's a thoughtful blog for those of you who enjoy a moment to ponder now and then.


          I want to also thank all of my other regulars who comment on that site as well as those who manage to pop in every now and then.   I try to keep things interesting at A Faraway View. 


          Thinking of guest posts, I hope that all of you will visit Wrote By Rote for the guest visit by Christine M Grote.  If you're not yet familiar with Christine, be sure to visit her extraordinary blog Christine M Grote which is filled with well told stories, reflections on life, and samples of her remarkable photography. In her guest spot she tells about her acclaimed book Dancing In Heaven.


           I guess I should stop here because as soon as I think of one thing to write about another thing pops into my head.  If you let me I could be here writing all day if I knew somebody was reading it.  Instead, maybe you can check out a few of the above links, leave some comments, and start your own ongoing blog conversations.  Or maybe this post will inspire a post of your own.


            Do you ever get involved in ongoing comment discussions?   Do you like it when readers leave lengthy comments?    Have you ever been surprised by a comment left on an older post that you've written?  Are you familiar with any of the above mentioned blogs and bloggers?


                

Related articles

• Beat that Bloggers' Block!

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• Why we write our stories: Guest visit from Christine M. Grote

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• It Probably Wasn't About You: To My Blogging Friends

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• The Art of Writing Blog Comments

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• Day 12: Encourage Conversation

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• Web Presence

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• Celebrating Blogging and 10 Reasons I Just Do It

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Books Made Into Movies Blogfest

Click here for list of participants

          Today I'm joining in on the Novel Films Blogfest which is brought to us by Madeleine at Scribble and Edit.  This is one of those types of blog events that I have a difficult time resisting.  Unfortunately my memory is often bad on things like these so my list will be short.  But no matter, I'm here for the fun of it and hope you enjoy it as well.

Here's the gist:

There's a lot of novels, comics and plays that have been made into films and TV dramas,BUT how many of them have you BOTH seen the film/TV drama and read the original book, play or comic story?
 Here's your chance to list the ones you have
To join in the fun:

• Leave a COMMENT below to let us know what you think

• Sign up
 to the linky

• On Monday 1st- Wednesday 3rd August 
POST UP your list of novels, comics and plays that you have BOTH read and seen the film/ TV adaptations

• Then check out the other blog entries on the linkey between 1st - 3rd August and leave comment.

          Since I'm so bad remembering movies and books my list will be relatively small--I'm sure some readers will welcome that.  I'm breaking this down into my favorites, a disappointment, and one that I disliked.  I'll include a couple of notes about each, but no in depth reviews or anything like that.

Here's the list:

David Cronenberg's Crash (1996) based on the novel Crash by J.G. Ballard (1973) --I read an intriguing review of this book in a literary magazine when the book was first released.  I was in college at the time.  Though I looked for this book over the years, I was never able to find a copy.   When I saw that the movie version was being released I was blown away.  Saw it, loved it.  Then I finally found the book version in a rereleased compilation of  three J. G. Ballard works.   The book version lived up to the review and the film did the book justice.

Deliverance (1972) based on the James Dickey novel Deliverance (1970)  --- I saw the film first and then immediately found the book copy and relived the film.    The film was spot on in recreating the novel.  It didn't hurt that James Dickey also wrote the screenplay.  The author even has a small role in the film.

Irwin Allen's The Poseidon Adventure (1972) based on Paul Gallico's The Poseidon Adventure (1969)-- I liked this film so much that  a few years later when I ran across the book version I immediately purchased it.  I had read other books by Gallico and enjoyed his writing.  I thought the film did a pretty good job of capturing the essential adventure of the book although there were some changes.

No Country for Old Men (2007)  based on the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men (2005) is one of the best book to film adaptations I've seen.  Watching the movie is like reading the book or vice versa.

Heart of Darkness (1902) is the Joseph Conrad novella upon which one of my favorite films, Apocalypse Now (1979) was based.  The film deviates a great deal from the source material, but stays relatively true to the spirit and theme of Conrad's story.  

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922) is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that inspired  the 2008 film of the same name.   I loved this short story and I really enjoyed the film even though the two of them are different in many ways.

disappointments:

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) is a novel by Tom Robbins that I enjoyed immensely.  I was very excited to hear that a film was going to be made based on this book.  The film of the same name was released in 1993 and I was hugely disappointed because it was bad--it was really, really bad.   The best part was a soundtrack by k.d. lang.

Hated this one:

I really disliked Robert James Waller's  1992 best-selling novel Bridges of Madison County.  Clint Eastwood's flim version (1995) is very true to the book, therefore I really disliked this film as well.  I'm a fan of Clint Eastwood and see all of his films, but didn't like this film at all.  Then someone convinced me that I should read the book because it was very good.  They loaned it to me and it was a very quick read.  Still, between book and film I invested way too much time in this treacly trash.  

                 Are any of these your favorites?   Which ones do you think I got wrong?    Is anyone else looking forward to the upcoming film version of J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island?


              The blogfest goes for three days so you still have time to join in.   More information and the linky list can be found HERE.  


               Be sure to come back on Wednesday when my special guest will be Shannon Lawrence from The Warrior Muse. 




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F is for Favorites

       Today is Francis Ford Coppola's birthday.  And what's that got to do with the cost of fromage in France?, you may say-- besides his name having two Fs in it.   Coppola's Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite films and today I'm talking about favorites.

         Apocalypse Now is one of those films people either really like or strongly dislike. It partly relates to one of my favorite films of childhood--Wizard of Oz--which to this day remains a favorite.  The way I see it Apocalypse Now is a kind of Wizard of Oz for adults, with an assortment of characters on a strange journey to find some eccentric man who rules from his secluded place.  In one film the quest is for "home" and in the other the answer is "horror". 

          One of my favorite film directors is Federico Fellini.  Some of his films that I am especially fond of are La Strada, Roma, and Ginger and Fred.  I reviewed the latter film back in December. La Strada, or The Road, is a 1954 film starring Anthony Quinn.  Fellini Roma is a surrealistic bio-travel fantasy that looks at the city of Rome.

           There is a common theme in all of these films that makes me very partial to them. They all have to do in some way with journeys.  The story of the journey is a common one throughout the history of fiction.  In part the concept of journey represents the journey we face in life from birth to death.  Then there is the adventure of surprise and discovery of what is going to happen next.  The arrival is just the end of the story that we see in the film, but we are enthralled by what is involved in getting to the destination.

            Films like these are particularly appealing to me because I have a gypsy soul.  I love traveling.  I have spent much of my life doing things that have involved travel and I'm always ready for a new adventure.  From the comfort of my couch I can embark on an odyssey that brings me to places that are strange and that take me to the heart of my dreams, nightmares, and fantasies.  It is the exhilaration of getting to a destination where I can bask in memories and meditations.

            Such is the journey we are on in the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.  This is our blog adventure and already we have been surprised by the many different approaches that can be taken to Z destination. There are many routes that we are taking and each offers a fascinating look at what blogging is all about.  It should not be the arduous trek of Captain Willard in search of Colonel Kurtz and his visions of horror, but it should be closer to the fun and magic of Dorothy and friends on their way to see the wizard.

            That is not to say that all of the blogs are frivolous fun.  Some are very serious and require a lot of thought.   Others dazzle, while some are like a relaxing friendly visit with the neighbors.  There are blogs that instruct us and there are those that entertain us.  They all have something special to add to the mix.

           If you ask me to name my favorite movies, I have already named a few of them.  Want to know my favorite music or books?   I can't come up with just one answer, but I can give you list.  And if you want to know which are my favorite blogs, you might as well be asking which of my kids are my favorite.  They all are because they are all part of my family. Every blog in this challenge is part of our blog family and you all have something unique and meaningful to offer and I thank you for that.

           Our blog journey has just begun and the enthusiasm is high.  Try to keep a steady pace and focus ahead.  Enjoy the scenery--keep checking those other blogs and making the comments so you can support each other.  Just don't run out of fuel.  This is not a contest or a job, but it is your own personal challenge. We are all rooting for you finish the journey to the end.

Special note:
You can now comment on the Box o' Whine site -- at last!  This site was having problems accepting comments and now the problem has been fixed.