Your Michigan .com - Everything Michigan - Blogs http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php Your Michigan .com - Everything about State of Michigan - Information - Resources - More! en Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:27:46 GMT vBulletin 1440 http://YourMichigan.com/redbar/misc/rss.jpg Your Michigan .com - Everything Michigan - Blogs http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php Project Jason Campaign for the Missing and Unidentified (Part 2) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=25 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:43:29 GMT
Quote:
This is a sample letter you may use to send to your state senator to ask for sponsorship of the model legislation:

Dear Senator _________,

It has come to my attention that there is a very real and growing problem here in the state of ____________.

Each year, families in __________ struggle with the agony of having to report a missing loved one. Far too often missing persons investigations grow cold, leaving many to cope with this loss. Historically, the law enforcement community's ability to locate and ensure a safe return of those missing has been hampered by an inability to share resources and information when conducting investigations and identifying remains.

In collaboration with experts representing State and local law enforcement, policymakers, forensic scientists, medical examiners and coroners, and crime victims, the U.S. Department of Justice has developed model State legislation. This model legislation seeks to address the national problems of missing persons and the identification of human remains.

For cases involving missing persons, law enforcement's ability to locate and ensure a safe return must be improved. Law enforcement must be granted additional tools to identify high-risk missing persons cases and promptly disseminate critical information to other law enforcement agencies and the public. This model legislation provides framework for improving law enforcement's response.

It suggests ways States can improve the collection of critical information about missing persons, prioritize high-risk missing persons cases, and ensure prompt dissemination of critical information to other law enforcement agencies and the public that can improve the likelihood of a safe return. At the same time, this model legislation suggests an approach for collecting information during the missing persons reporting process that can later be used to help identify human remains.

The model legislation will also ensure that information that could help identify human remains is promptly collected and reported to national databases. Specifically, the model legislation suggests a mechanism for improving death scene investigations, centralizing within the State the reporting of unidentified remains, ensuring the delivery of human remains to an entity that can conduct an appropriate examination, ensuring the timely reporting of identifying information to national databases, and maximizing available resources that can reduce the cost of identifications.

There are an estimated 40,000-50,000 unidentified deceased persons in the US. Many of these persons may be reported missing, but without the model legislation in place as law, this number will continue to grow. This leaves families of the missing without answers, sometimes for years, and unfortunately, sometimes forever.

With more than 100,000+ missing persons cases open in the US, it is clear that we must place more importance upon actions taken that will decrease this number. We are, after all, not talking about numbers, but about human beings. These missing persons are loved and missed by their families. We need to take swift and firm action to put into place laws which will give these families hope and increase the number who come back home.

As my state representative, I ask you to strongly consider sponsoring this bill in the next legislative session. Thank you.

Sincerely,

XXXX XXXXX
Address/Email


Link to text of model legislation:

http://www.projectjason.org/downloads/ModelLegislationFinal.pdf

So, the question now remains:

Are you willing to take action to help the families you read about here and the countless thousands of other families who live in the "not knowing"? What if it was your son, daughter, mother, father, brother, or sister?

What if you were me and you did not know if your own son was a body lying in a morgue somewhere? What if you were me and you wondered if you would ever see your child again?

I am but one voice for the missing, crying out not just for myself and my son, but for all of those who are not among us, and are close to our hearts.

While it may seem an insurmountable task to get the model legislation passed in all 50 states, that doesn't matter to me. If we do not try, then we will never succeed. If we do try, then we have a chance.

There is always hope.
Another quote from Kelly

Quote:
Someone posted this on a blog the other day, but I fear the way it was presented comes across as a letter writing campaign. It's much more than that, as I am sure you know. The persons involved must be willing to go beyond writing a letter. We have a private forum for volunteers and a process to go through to ensure success. For more information please contact campaignforthemissing@projectjason.org


Rest in Peace Tawni

foot note:

Kelly Jolkowski created a non profit organization to help other families with the resources they need. Filing a missing report is not the first step. For more information please visit www.projectjason.org ]]> Mary http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=25 Project Jason Campaign for the Missing and Unidentified (Part 1) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=24 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:40:41 GMT Before reading on, do me a favor and count to 120.












120 seconds = two minutes. In those two minutes, three children have gone missing. In other words, every 40 seconds, a child goes missing. And it's not just children abducted by strangers. It also includes children kidnapped by their non-custodial parent, and runaway children.

Did you sigh, hesitate, or cringe when you read "runaway children?" Do you believe runaway children shouldn't be included or posted as amber alerts? Most people do, including law enforcement, so, don't feel bad.

What's wrong with this is, law enforcement sometimes are too quick to label a child due to their age, past history, family history, who the childs friends are, and even mental capacity. And when that happens, a missing report doesn't get filed. Mom and/or Dad, or Legal Guardian are sent home feeling hopeless. Then the worry sets in. The worry of not knowing where their child is. Is she/he hungry? Are they warm enough? How will they survive without their medication?And so many other worries.

I'm not sayig ALL law enforcement agencies are guilty of ignoring runaway children. However, there are a lot out there that do.

On January 22, 1999, a mother went to the police station (in Phoenix, AZ), to report that her 17 year old daughter had gone missing. Because the daughter had run away the previous September, the police refused to file a missing report. They sent her home.

On Wednesday, August 20, 2008, a man went online to research unidentified bodies. He was looking for his sister. The 17 year old that had gone missing in 1999. And this wasn't his first time looking for her. He googled her stats (at the time she had gone missing), and the jewerly she was wearing. The very first link he clicked displayed a photo of a gal that strongly resembled his sister. It was a morgue photo.

Twenty four hours later, after emails, phone calls, dental comparision, jewerly identification, the unidentified gal had a name, Tawni Lee Mazzone.

While it's great the gal was finally identified, it's sad that it took 9 years and two days short of seven months for it to happen! You see, on January 26, 1999, Tawni was pushed out of a car that was traveling 75 mph on a Phoenix highway. She was in a coma for 24 hours, then passed away. She died five days AFTER her Mother had tried to report her missing! So for 9 years and almost seven months, Tawni laid in the morgue waiting to be identified!

What makes matters worse is, Tawni isn't the only one. There's thousands of unidenfied bodies here in the United States. Thousands! Babies, children, teenagers, and adults. All ages. All races. All sizes.

Tawni's story hits real close to home for me, and hundreds of other volunteers. For two years I looked at her mogue photo's every single day. I had it on my myspace page, along with all her stats, when and where she was found. (I've since replaced the photo with what she looked like when she was alive).

For two years many young girls were compared to Tawni's morgue photo. And when there were times we were certain we found a match, we submitted the information to the Maricopa Coroners Office. However, the dna didn't match each time. We never would have been able to come up with a match for Tawni's missing report was never filed.

Too bad back in 99 there wasn't the federal law that all missing child cases must be accepted. That should not happen today. Laws have changed somewhat since. Unfortunately, because unidentified bodies are not often properly processed AND missing person cases of ALL ages do not have all their data entered into the appropriate databases, we are faced with the crisis of 40,000+ unidentified bodies.

We can do something about this. Write to your congresspersons, state representative, governors, and law enforcement agencies.

The following is a copy and paste from another forum I'm on. It was written by Kelly Jolkowski, mother of a missing son (since June 13, 2001), Jason.

Quote:
Campaign for the missing and unidentified

What do I need to do?

The campaign seeks persons in each state who are willing to write to their own district's elected official to ask for sponsorship. This is more than a letter writing campaign. Please read all of the information presented before making your committment.

These are the basic steps involved:

1) If you are interested in helping make a difference in the lives of thousands of missing persons and their families, send an email to campaignforthemissing@projectjason.org Give us your name and the state in which you live.

2) Look up the name and contact information for your state senator. This is the official who works with state law rather than federal. You may look up your representative here http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm

3) Send either via email or US mail the prepared letter you will find at the end of this posting to that representative. You are asking them to sponsor this bill and to present it to the senate.

4) If you get a negative response, write to other senators until sponsorship is obtained. (My hope is that there will be more than one volunteer in each state, so that no one is working on it alone.)

The following is a simplified version of how the process flows in Nebraska. This may vary slightly state to state. The senator's aides in your state will be very willing to explain the process to you.

When a senator agrees to sponsor the bill, they will need to have their legislative aides research to ensure that nothing in the model will supersede current state law. If there are sections of the model already in place, those sections can be removed. A determination of fiscal (financial) impact may be prepared by the aides or other state employees.

Important Note about Fiscal Impact:

It is imperative that you submit the letter from the DNA Lab in TX (CHI) to your senator(s) and make sure they understand that CHI will bear the burden of the cost of DNA processing. A link to this letter is on the Pertinent Files thread. If you do not make this clear, your state will include DNA processing in their fiscal impact statement and potentially end up killing the bill for lack of funding to pay for DNA processing. CHI does it for free and is a government sanctioned lab.

When we find multiple senators to sponsor the bill in a single state, we can inform them who the original sponsor is, so that their offices can work together to research before the model goes to the writers. Any changes made are then presented to the campaign helpers in each state for approval. We will also help with this. Be sure to get sponsorship from persons in both the house and the senate.

The model and additions/corrections/deletions is forwarded to the state's bill writers. Each state has certain language/formats that bills are written in. After the bill is written, another check should take place to ensure there are no errors.

The bill is now scheduled to be introduced to the legislature. It is assigned a number. After presentation, the bill is forwarded to a committee. After that point, a public hearing is scheduled.

At the hearing, interested citizens are invited to testify before the committee members. In NE, you can speak for up to 5 minutes. There may be persons or groups present who are testifying against the bill. The committee can opt to ask the citizens who testify questions about the bill. If you volunteer to assist with the campaign, you are not required to testify. We will be able to assist in locating families of the missing and representatives of organizations who are willing to do this.

After the hearing, the committee can "kill" the bill, take no action, or pass it out of committee to be debated upon by all of the senators at a later date.

Once passed out of the committee, the bill is debated twice, and if passed, will go to the governor. He/She can either sign it or veto it. (This may very slightly by state.)

Assuming success, you now have a law! (The law does not take effect upon signing.)

There are two additions I wish to see in this bill.

The additions I wish to add include: (Project Jason Amendments)

The law enforcement agency, upon acceptance of a missing persons report, shall inform the reporting citizen of one of two resources, based upon the age of the missing person. If the missing person is age 17 or under, contact information for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shall be given. If the missing person is age 18 or older, contact information for the National Center for Missing Adults shall be given.

I cannot begin to tell you how often this does not occur, leaving families not knowing where to turn to receive much needed assistance. Utilizing LE is only one piece of the puzzle. Families need the resources, support, and awareness these agencies provide.

In respect to missing persons who are deceased and then identified:

Agencies handling the remains of a missing person who is now deceased must notify the LE agency handling the missing person's case. Documented efforts must be made to locate family members of the deceased person to inform them of the death and location of the remains of their family member.
continued on next page Project Jason Campaign for the Missing and Unidentified ]]> Mary http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=24 Normal, Illinois ordinances http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=23 Thu, 08 May 2008 21:22:40 GMT
From Normal, Illinois
SEC. 22.13-1 – SHORT TITLE. This Division of the Municipal Code shall be known, cited and referred to as the Sexually Oriented Entertainment Business Ordinance of the Town of Normal, Illinois and at times referred to as "this Ordinance" in this Division. As used herein “city” means Town of Normal.
SEC. 22.13-2 – PURPOSE AND INTENT. It is the purpose of this Ordinance to address the negative impacts associated with sexually oriented entertainment businesses, as identified in the legislative findings made and cited in SEC. 22.13-3 of this Ordinance to reduce or prevent neighborhood blight; to protect and preserve the quality of the City's neighborhoods and commercial districts; to protect the City's retail trade; to maintain property values; to protect and preserve the quality of life in the City; to reduce the incidence of unlawful activity and to promote the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the citizens of the City. The provisions of this Ordinance have neither the purpose nor the effect of imposing a limitation or restriction on the content of any communicative materials, including sexually oriented materials for adults. Similarly, it is not the intent nor effect of this Ordinance to restrict or deny access by adults to sexually oriented materials protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or to deny access by the distributors and exhibitors of sexually oriented entertainment for adults to their intended market. Neither is it the intent nor effect of this Ordinance to condone or legitimize the distribution of obscene material.
SEC. 22.13-3 - FINDINGS. The President and Board of Trustees make the following legislative findings:
A. The Courts of Illinois as well as the United States Supreme Court have recognized the City's authority to adopt rules and regulations over the operation of sexually oriented entertainment business establishments; and


B. The City has a substantial governmental interest in protecting the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens and all persons within the City and of propounding standards to mitigate the possibility of infection by contagious sexually transmitted diseases; and


C. There is convincing documented evidence, including statistics and studies performed in a substantial number of communities in the State of Illinois and in the United States concerning the serious objectionable characteristics and secondary effects of sexually oriented entertainment businesses located in other jurisdictions. The City Council finds that these studies are relevant to the problems addressed by the City in enacting ordinances to regulate the adverse secondary side effects of sexually oriented entertainment business establishments; and


D. The City Council finds that there is substantial evidence that an increase in crime tends to accompany, concentrate around, and be aggravated by sexually oriented entertainment businesses, including but not limited to an increase in the crimes related to prostitution, sale and possession of controlled substances and violence against persons and property. These studies from other jurisdictions establish convincing evidence that sexually oriented entertainment business establishments, if not regulated pursuant to the location and operational requirements set forth in the ordinances of the City Code, can result in an increase in criminal activities and other adverse secondary effects with a deleterious impact on adjacent commercial and residential properties; and


E. The City Council finds that enclosed or dimly lit areas within sexually oriented entertainment businesses greatly increases the potential for unlawful conduct, such as prostitution, sales of controlled substances, and lewd and lascivious conduct, and further finds that all indoor and enclosed public areas should be open to view by management and visible to all other public areas in the sexually oriented entertainment business establishment. Adequate lighting, and direct management supervision of such areas are necessary in order to reduce the opportunity for and incidents of illegal conduct and facilitate routine inspection by public safety personnel; and


F. The City Council, in adopting this Ordinance, is aware of and takes legislative notice of well-established legal principles related to the regulation of sexually oriented entertainment businesses and does not intend to suppress or infringe upon any expressive activities protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, but instead intends to enact reasonable regulations that address the adverse secondary effects of sexually oriented entertainment businesses; and


G. The City Council finds that location and zoning regulations alone are insufficient to adequately protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the City, and thereby finds that it is in the public interest to establish certain requirements with respect to the ownership and operation of sexually oriented entertainment businesses; and


H. The City Council finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that close contact between performers and patrons, and the direct solicitation of and the direct giving of gratuities in sexually oriented business entertainment establishments facilitates the opportunity for specified criminal acts, including, but not limited to: solicitations for sexual acts, transfer of controlled substances, and lewd and lascivious conduct, and further finds that the enforcement of such laws prohibiting such specified criminal acts requires a disproportionate level of public safety resources; and


I. The City Council finds the following, based upon its understanding of the documents and judicial decisions in the public record:


1. Evidence supports a finding that some dancers and entertainers, and other persons who publicly perform specified sexual activities or publicly display specified anatomical parts, as defined herein, in sexually oriented entertainment businesses (collectively referred to as “performers”) have been found to engage in specified sexual activities with patrons of such sexually oriented entertainment businesses on the site of sexually oriented entertainment businesses;


2. Evidence demonstrates that performers employed by sexually oriented entertainment businesses have been found to offer and provide private shows to patrons who, for a price, are permitted to observe and participate with the performers in live entertainment exhibiting specified sexual activities or displaying specified anatomical parts, as defined herein;


3. Evidence supports a finding that performers at sexually oriented entertainment businesses have been found to engage in acts of prostitution with patrons of the sexually oriented entertainment businesses;

As a result of the above, and in view of the increase in incidents of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Hepatitis B, which are both sexually transmitted diseases (STD), the City has a substantial interest in adopting regulations that will reduce, to the greatest extent possible, the possibility for the occurrence of ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=23 Testing http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=22 Thu, 08 May 2008 17:48:52 GMT Test blog to assure it's in working order now. (keeping fingers crossed!) ]]> Mary http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=22 The Great Train Robbery (1903) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=21 Thu, 08 May 2008 15:43:38 GMT There are several challenges of selecting a list of top films from the last 120 years. Finding a balance of great filmmaking and historic filmmaking is one.
An even greater challenge comes when choosing films from the early years. 90% of all the films made before 1920 no longer exist in any form (imagine 9 of 10 of all the movies you have seen gone). Of the remainder, several are incomplete. Estimates range from about 400 to 600 that exist in complete enough fashion to be considered a movie. In other words, groundbreaking cinema from the earliest 33 years is scattered.
“The Great Train Robbery” is an easy pick for my list of great films. As the Director's Guild puts it, “The Great Train Robbery was such a phenomenon that all over the country empty stores were converted into theaters to show it.”
Although this movie is small (under 12 minutes) by standards that would exist within a decade, it introduced the basics of the Western and established an effective style for the genre. Good and bad, locked in combat, where right and wrong are clearly delineated.
The Edison Manufacturing Company hired Edwin S. Porter, a projectionist and mechanic. Eventually he was allowed to direct as well as run the camera.
In 1903 he made “Life of an American Fireman”, a film in which we see the same scene twice. The same year Porter directed and performed in “The Great Train Robbery” as well as 15 other productions. Here, though he selected a storytelling style used by George Méliès five years earlier in “A Journey to the Moon”. Chronologically showing the story gave he provided clear context for the scenes. Only occasionally does the viewer get a “meanwhile, back at the ranch” feel. But no scene is repeated.
Here also the camera isn’t passive, seemingly stuck by chance in one place. Instead, it represents the viewer’s eye and sits directly in front of the action. Many of the scenes are almost symmetrical.
Méliès, who also had a habit of starring in his own movies had sets and scenes plotted before filming. Porter undertook to do the same; realizing movies could be like plays without the restrictions of the stage.
Other innovations include the use of color, a technique that wouldn’t take hold for almost 50 years. The use is especially effective in the scenes with the little girl who finds the stations attendant, the dance hall sequence, and at the very end.
You will notice no sound and a lack of credits. This was because, even this early on, the production companies realized if you credit actors you would have to pay them more. The same was true for writers, directors, and the crew.
The first panel that appears in the film has only three bits of information; the title of the film, the year it was copywritten, and the name of the Edison Company.
As a result, the names of the people involved in this film are largely lost to history. There exist a few interesting names identified later by contemporaries and records kept by the company.
Alfred C. Abadie appears as the sheriff. It was his only film role. He primarily worked as a cinematographer for over fifty travelogues and historic events, all within two years.
Gilbert Anderson developed the nickname Bronco Billy after a character he would create and play in 142 films over nine years. He became a successful stage producer. From 1906 to 1923 he was credited with directing another 240 movies (that’s an average of 15/year) outside of the “Bronco Billy” series.
Probably the most famous actor said to have appeared in here was the original character actor Tom London, though he did not. Credited in more movies than any other, mostly westerns, according to the Guinness records people he sometimes listed under the name Len Clapham. Unfortunately, he would have been 14 and living in Kentucky at the time of this movie.
This Edison production, though a Western, was filmed on and near the Delaware & Lackawanna Railroad in New Jersey, in late 1903, not far from Edison’s lab in Menlo Park lab. Getting permission to film on an active rail line in 1903 would take the kind of pull few outside Edison’s company would have.
Porter thought about his audience and their response. He makes use of a technique that only someone at the early time of film would understand fully. Until recently the audience’s only experiences with moving images were living things. Scene 14 played on this. The notes to the theater owners showing the film said, “…the scene can be used either to begin the subject or to end it, as the operator may choose”. When at the end of the movie audiences were confronted by a full frame of the bandit leader aiming a gun and firing at them they screamed and ducked behind their chairs. This was usually followed by laughter and the occasional patron asking for their money back.
This resulted in the first “Sixth Sense” surprise which the audience would keep secret so their friends could have the same experience.
As a result,as the director guild says it “…was such a phenomenon that all over the country empty stores were converted into theaters to show it.” No longer a curiosity, this was a blockbuster.
Happily, the Library of Congress has copies of many of the remaining films from before 1920. Since most are in the public domain I can give you a link to this film and you can watch it, in it’s entirety without any piracy concerns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc7wWOmEGGY&feature=related
Also, there is an ongoing effort to remaster the deteriorating films from before 1950 so we don’t lose anymore. The National Film Preservation Foundation, under the auspices of the L.O.C., accepts support for this purpose here... http://www.filmpreservation.org/sm_index.html
Enjoy.
Got an opinion about this film? Have one you want to review? Feel free to reply to this post!
EMUJeff ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=21 Black Hawk Down (2001) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=20 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:26:44 GMT War veterans will tell you that no film can properly show the confusion and chaos of battle. This partly is due to the utter arbitrary and singularly horrifying nature of it. It can also be attributed to the single direction of the camera and the fact that films miss the random nature of loss. Truly, it would be better to write the film up to the battle scene, put everyone’s name in a hat, and draw. But that would only disrupt the story and anger the audience.
As a result most war film consists of tightly wound and often predictable stories with certain character types regurgitated from one tale to another. When things are intense and disorienting they are so only for a while, then we are brought away from the carnage to talk or laugh.
“Black Hawk Down” is one of only a handful films who can sustain the relentless action and terror of the moment while advancing the story in a comprehensible manner for the viewer. Here clichés are the major casualty to anyone looking for “true tales of glory and patriotism”. In the moment of battle we find uncertainty, in the face of great odds we find fear, in death we find few if any words, and where there is gore we find incessant pain. Here we approach some sense of the folly of battle Jedi Knights or Superheroes might instill in us. There are no bullets that bounce harmlessly off our spandex.
The vision of this true story brought to screen is the result of action master Ridley Scott (“Blade Runner”, “Aliens”) and a team of special people whose craft seemed honed for this moment. Mark Bowden carefully crafted a book from which truth could be derived. Ken Nolan scripted a screenplay that could carry the weight. Property Master Graeme Purdy and Prop guy Philip Sharpe obtained as much real goods as possible, including Black Hawks and Little Birds used in the actual theatre of operations. Casting, headed by Bonnie Timmermann (“Quiz Show”, “Dave”, “Glengarry Glen Ross”) found pilots who flew in that squad during the battle on October 3rd and 4th, 1993. Special makeup effects artists Rob Mayor and Alan Hedgcock joined with Simon Rose the prosthetics makeup artist to fashion agonizingly violent looking wounds. Hans Zimmer comes along to provide the thoughtful score and redeem the emotion we spend the better part of 90 minutes collecting.
Added to the fray were so sound crew members Michael Minkler, common collaborator Myron Nettinga, Chris Munro (“The Mummy”) and film editor Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) all who won Oscars for their work on this film. Minkler’s resume reads like a history of quality sound in complex film. From his first film “Midnight Cowboy” he set the tone (pun intended) for all that would follow; “The Shootist”, “Star Wars” (1977), “The China Syndrome”, “Time After Time”, “The Abyss” “Driving Miss Daisy”, “Chicago”, “Dreamgirls” and so many since.
Several breakout performances were notched here, mostly for their believability amongst unbelievable disarray. Part of this realism comes from the bruising training the cast underwent in preparation for filming.
Minnesota native Josh Hartnett became more than a pretty face and should garner many quality roles in the future. Evermann, the character he occupies, displays the drilling a soldier relies upon. At the same time Hartnett allows the audience to glimpse the creeping uneasiness with which he takes his first battle command.
Scotsman Ewan McGregor, who displayed his action chops in “Star Wars: Episode 1” and would later show expert comic timing in “Down With Love”, slides nicely into this ensemble role as an American Ranger coffee guru named Grimes. It is possible he could have passed this role up for “bigger things” but his work here is appreciated.
Speaking of the actors in this film would be folly if we did not mention Tom Sizemore whose relatability quotient is above the top line on the chart as McKnight. The soldier has experience which most around him lack. He sees the need, when the tide turns, to realize it and relentlessly push to find an out that will lead to the fewest casualties. This Detroit native channels some of the same war torn sharpness of his slightly grittier role in “Saving Private Ryan”, which holds a special place above all films in the genre.
Along with fellow “Pearl Harbor” colleagues Timmermann, Hartnett, and Sizemore, are Ewen Bremmer (who worked with McGregor in “Trainspotting”), emotive William Fichtner (“Contact”) and I am sure others. Both Bremmer and Fichtner provide a notable screen presence. This is remarkable considering the fact all the actors are trying to be noticed above the booming battle while wearing nearly identical outfits. This is not an actors dream, to be sure.
As a side note, Fichtner always reminds me of one of the brothers from the TV series “Wings”.
The second time you watch this film, if you do, look for bit parts from Jeremy Piven, Enrique Murciano, & Orlando Bloom.
Well in view in this film and well known in Australia as a comedian, Eric Bana’s Hoot also provides one of the few comic moments while getting in line for chow. He also sums up the message I received from this movie, one that influences my vision of every war I have seen since.
“When I go home people'll ask me, ‘Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?’ You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is.”
EMUJeff ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=20 The Big Sleep (1946) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=19 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:11:44 GMT Beginning with an experienced crew tends to make any journey smooth. “The Big Sleep” is a convoluted story from a precise and exacting novel by Raymond Chandler. A single viewing exposes the complexities of bringing this work to the screen. Fortunately for Director Howard Hawks he was working with much of the staff from his 1944 triumph “To Have and Have Not”. This talented group included deft editor of celluloid Christian Nyby, and makeup artist Perc Westmore of the famed Westmore clan. Having made groundbreaking comedies (“Bringing Up Baby” and “His Girl Friday”), Hawks turned his talents and crew over to the film noir style that had served Bogart so well in “The Maltese Falcon”.
The Raymond Chandler novel gave the screenwriters a lot to squeeze into a script that had to be less than two hours. Fortunately, William Faulkner, the only Nobel Literature Prize winner to screenplay another Nobel Laureate (Hemingway) in the aforementioned “To Have and Have Not” signed up to help do the adaptation. Along to tag team this colossal work were Jules Furthman and his future “Rio Bravo” co-writer Leigh Brackett, here in only her second effort.
The result is a crisp script largely faithful to the novel, but not lacking in wordplay and resonant characters.
The strong female characters that dominate the screen were less common as the era of the decency code had been introduced. From Lauren Bacall’s Vivian to the Acme Bookstore owner played by Dorothy Malone sharp, smart women are the rule. Author Chandler was so taken by the translation to screen of Carmen Sternwood’s strength and Martha Vickers’s breakout performance that once Hawks heard of it he decided to leave much of Vickers’ screen time on the cutting room floor. It would not be too fine a point to say the title could well have been “Marlowe and the Women” since even the male evildoers pale in the deviousness and exactness of their female counterparts.
Bogart’s ability to command attention while on screen with this group of statuesque and formidable ladies, all as tall as or slightly taller than him, speaks boldly of his abilities as a screen presence. Truly one of the reasons he was hired in earlier films as a heavy was to accommodate other undersized giants like James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. Several scenes poke fun at this fact including one where Carmen says, “You’re not very tall are you?” and Marlowe replies, “Well, I, uh, I try to be.”
Between 1941 and 1946 Bogart played three iconic rolls in “The Maltese Falcon”, “Casablanca”, and “The Big Sleep”. His trademark lisp came from an accident of an unsubstantiated nature, strikingly similar to the stories about Harrison Ford’s scar.But who else could have brought such distinctive interpretations to Sam Spade, Rick Blaine, and Phillip Marlowe while finishing eleven other films including “High Sierra” and “To Have and Have Not”?
Also master at his craft, Bogart’s Marlowe shows himself to be a sympathizer with the everyman, the everyman he would be if he could be brave enough. The writer’s do us a favor by using Marlowe’s moments with Norris, the Butler and even the female taxi-drover, to illuminate the human and humorous side of noir. By placing the lines in the mouths of these fine actors, the words are not just frippery played for comedy. They do double duty by revealing the backstories of their speakers like a Bruce Springsteen ballad.
Credited with over 250 rolls in his 57 years of film and television, Regis Toomey (“Guys and Dolls”, “His Girl Friday”) brings his easy style and distinctive voice to the roll of Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls from the DA’s office. In a change from many earlier and later films in the noir genre Toomey’s Ohls actually respects and cooperates with Marlowe. He knows “Phil”, as no one else familiarly calls him, is a straight shooter. When the time comes just past midway through the film to lay out the pending murder cases, both of which Marlowe has been implicated in, Ohls vouches for his pal and obtains the grudging cooperation of the police. (Note to under 40’s: Yes, there is another Regis.)
John Ridgely (“Arsenic and Old Lace”) contributes his workhorse skills to Eddie Mars, a man with lots of money who has a habit of tripping over more of it. Ridgely like others mentioned here, were the workhorse character actors who racked up a voluminous quantity of film work (more than 170 parts) over a respectable period (20 years). Normally relegated to small bits as a reporter, photographer, henchman or police officer, Ridgely wears his tuxedo like a man proud of the wealth he now commands and unashamed if a bit cagey has to how he obtained it all.
Up until now I have avoided the vexed issue of the plot of this film. Let’s just start by admitting it took me three sittings to feel I had a reasonable handle of what happened. To summarize without too many spoilers, Private Detective Phillip Marlowe is hired by General Sternwood, to find his daughter Carmen. Sean Reagan, who quickly becomes the center of much intrigue and the point of connection for blackmail, racketeering, and at least two homicides, somehow never appears. There was no actor hired to play him.
Numerous viewings, especially for anyone not familiar with the classic noir style, will continually reveal the whys and wherefores of the mysteries this story contains. But on first viewing enjoy atmosphere. The rich sounds of Max Steiner mark the epitome of noir scoring. The use of tones and textures as well as knickknacks strewn about lays the bare the character’s standard of living and view of the world. Shadow and light, while more seriously considered in “Citizen Kane”, are brought into good use here as well.
This is also a great opportunity to understand that the noir style is not, as the films of Tarantino might claim, about gory blood spattered individuals with cute dialogue obscure cultural references, but about the inner souls revealed through trial and tight insightful, if occasionally somewhat humorous dialogue.
Mostly, though, a first viewing should become a study in romance, as Marlowe, a loner who knows why his relationships don’t work out, develops mixed feelings about his client's youngest, and possibly deadliest, daughter. Hawk’s ignores the chaos this pairing with Bacall did to Bogart’s marriage and just lets the silver screen marinate in the byproduct.
Hawk’s often is quoted as saying, “I never made a message picture, and I hope I never do.”
Partly because of that, the number of genres he excelled in, and how he allowed his actors to carry the films Hawks never received an Academy Award for any single effort. For this same reason, many modern day film makers see only the clichés his films represent not understanding that he contributed to their creation by making the standard in each thematic style. He is, for me, the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky of cinema whose work is not as numerous, but who triumphs in one category then moves on.
Finally, in 1975 Hawks was honored as “A master American filmmaker whose creative efforts hold a distinguished place in world cinema” for his body of work. Honor him soon by viewing or reviewing at least one of his classics.
EMUJeff
Have any comments on this or any of my reviews? Want to post some of your own? Comment here or PM me. ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=19 A Beautiful Mind (2001) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=18 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:34:23 GMT The easy perspective from which to film this movie would be from outside John Nash's head. But that would only have made this another "heartwarming biopic" fit only for consumption on the Lifetime Television Network.
The harder, more creative view is through the eyes of John Nash. With a completely recognizable start, Akiva Goldsman and Ron Howard wind a seemingly straight path down what is actually a twisty rollercoaster of a road from John Nash's early college days through increasingly fantastic events. Only by seeing most of this movie through John's eyes do we begin to understand the complexity of deciding what is real and what isn't. It can leave us doubting out own experience and memory. Even in a second showing the sly introduction of unreality in realistic forms lends credibility to the fight John eventually struggles to win. But unlike "Mr. Holland's Opus" or so many of its ilk, the film portrays a vivid time and place that and doesn't just focus on the "isn't this an admirable, uplifting, inspiring story" aspects. Instead we examine in uncomfortable images the state of mental health care at the time. We hear the banter of genius as its finest moments. We see the operating mind thrown full force against threats both perceived and real. Props go to Russell Crowe who plays both against his macho typecasting and the conventional saccharin sweet guy with a significant issue. The amount of screen time Crowe has while embodying his troubled character make his intensity and occasionally lighter touch critical to its success. There aren't many actors who would so bravely challenge the audience by showing the dark side of this type of personality disorder without a glaring, contrived slapstick humor to back it up. To the credit of the maker there are humorous moments in the film, none seem to be done strictly to toy with the viewer and most, like the garbage man scene, help illustrate how hard it must be to separate reality while delusion from inside the schizophrenic mind. Often misrepresented to the public as a multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia presents itself in audio or visual hallucinations, disorganized thought, and/or delusions. These distinctions are clearly made in the film and do a service to the general community as a result.
A trio of fine performances bring to life what is real to John. Ed Harris (Howard's "Apollo 13", "The Abyss", "The Hours") brings his usual solid presentation to his roll as the lonely Agent Parcher. The intensity he brings helps to keep the viewer less aware of the details that ultimately lead to his demise. Paul Bettany ("Wimbledon") gives his roll as Charles a two sided sword which, in one instance will aid Nash and in another moment will cause him harm. This fine English actor reminds us of the worst reason to have a roomy in college.
Worthy of a nomination for capturing the best of early Christina Ricci, Vivien Cardone ("Everwood"), at the time of the filming 7 or 8, calls out to our hearts in the alternately mean and needy Marcee, Charlie's niece. Amongst Nash's real allies we find Jennifer Connelly as Nash's dutiful student and then loving wife Alicia. The exacting and precise depiction she brings made her a reasoned choice for the Academy Award in a tough year. Coming off a performance in Ed Harris' "Pollock" and light years from "Seven Minutes In Heaven", Connelly shows her chops are as sharper than most of her contemporary counterparts.
Christopher Plummer provides the expected beats to the part of Dr. Rosen, who tries to help John Nash with the technology of the day. Probably the hardest 90 seconds of this film are the result of his character's misguided trust in a treatment that has been much refined from what is shown. Camaraderie is played for contrast as the four horsemen of Nash's peers show their compassion and understanding after initially seeing Nash as just a brilliant goof. Competition gives way as reality sets in. Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, and Jason Gray-Stanford bring boyishness along for the ride as the quartet of Sol, Hansen, Bender, and Ainsley. There is genuineness and depth to what might otherwise have been four characters in search of a reason to be. Goldberg, having shared a dozen episodes of "The $treet" with Connolly, interestingly breaks out of his mindless frat character to portray a student then teacher who is anything but. Josh Lucas, who later worked with Connolly in "Hulk" and Harris in "Empire Falls", pushes Nash into competition wherever possible in an attempt to make himself seem closer to Nash's level. Anthony Rapp uncharacteristically brings his Broadway depth to this film as Bender, the one who seemingly buys most into John's reality enough to try to protect his secret project form Alicia. Lastly, Jason Gray-Stanford ("Monk", much Anime voice work) teams again with his "Mystery, Alaska" costar Crowe to play the pipe smoking tenor in the quartet of voices more fascinated by Nash's mind than able to understand it. It was good to see Judd Hirsch get a dramatic roll with which he did what he could with the available amount given him. James Horner's fine work scoring this project leads some to conclude he is predictable. They say this score sounds like Horner. They would be right. Horner sound is as unique to him as is John Williams or Enio Morricone. Because he brings what is needed to the scene his work goes unappreciated. Had someone lesser composer done this score many of the scenes might have gone from elegant to hackneyed. He is a Ron Howard stalwart having worked on the scores for "Cocoon" and "Apollo 13". His line of work ranges to films both big and small from "Field of Dreams", to "Glory", through "The Name of the Rose", into "Aliens", wrapping around "Braveheart", and meeting greatest mass reception with "Titanic".
Costumer Rita Ryack uses enough wool to revive the industry as she deftly handles dressing the mostly male cast. Dan Hanley and Mike Hill through their editing once again serve Howard and the film crew well. As much as this film reaches into some pretty dark places at times, the care with which it is handled and the innovative way we get to identify with John Nash is a testament to the love this director and his people work the material. Some people criticize this film for a predictable ending or for ignoring the reality that Nash had several lovers of both sexes and numerous wives. Truly the point would be lost in a series of smaller roles for many women coming in and out of his life while not adding to the understanding of the character, to my mind. Regardless, "A Beautiful Mind" remains a bountiful, heartbreaking, exhilarating ride and I'd pay a bundle to see it again for the first time.

EMUJeff
I'd love to read your opinion on this or any other film. Feel free to post here or start your own film blog on this site. Happy viewing! ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=18 All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=17 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:00:31 GMT Don't go to sleep on me...black and white makes sense for a film of this kind.
It is often said that "All Quiet on the Western Front" is the first great war, or as the case may be, anti-war film in the era of sound. Just a scant seven years from commercially available synchronized sound film, this movie breaks all the rules of the day and shows what pre-code freedoms could produce. Taken from the Remarque novel of the same name, before us are both the honors and horrors of any war shown in as impolite a way as was possible. A German veteran of World War I, then termed "The Great War", E.M. Remarque left as little on the battlefield as he could to place in our minds what happens inside the trenches.
Looking at it now, many people feel the movie clichéd; and for good reason. Most of the common themes in the hundreds of war films since have used the ideas presented here. But if you seek the genetic code that gives these standard well-worn ideas to much of modern day action movies one can look at this ancestor and see the purpose behind the cliché’s.Firstly, this movie boldly looks not just at the "glory" of the battlefield, but at the fervor under which wars are always started. The classroom scene where destiny confired on the students by the Professor who is well taken with the tidal wave of nationalistic sentiment. With an assurance these men-boys, not young enough to vote, decide to join the grand escapade to help their country reach her destiny. This film also uses the battlefield to tell two stories. One, the grand sweep of battle in long dolly shots with scores of actors recreating scenes that were lived out in real life just over a decade before. Secondly, it tells the closer intimate stories of the people underneath the uniforms and how they respond to what war is. We see the despair, hunger, and moment-to-moment grinding fear. Director Lewis Milestone was 35 when he won his second academy award for “All Quiet”. He would go on to direct and produce for the next 34 years including 1931’s first version of “The Front Page”, “Of Mice and Men”, and “Ocean’s Eleven”. He gave all to this project and the result is a classic masterpiece of early cinema. He was the hand double in this film in the final scene for Lew Ayres. Scene production had already stopped when this was added at the end, a different ending than the novel. That technique would also become a staple of adaptations from book to film right through today. It seems the two words "Faithful Adaptation" shall seldom occur together.
We are treated on one of the finest moments in early talkies as Lew Ayres (Advise and Consent, Dr. Kildare) character Paul Baumer returns to his hometown after his experiences to see a complete lack of understanding as to what the war really is like. His expressions upon seeing his teacher admonishing another group of students to join and fight move without the usual melodramatic over-the-topness early talkies took from the silent era. It is obvious that Baumer is torn and we see why it is so hard for those who fight to express themselves to people who have no real reference point. This was Lew Ayres fourth role in film and being new to it with little silent screen experience made him the perfect choice to bring both wide-eyed youth and war weary weight to it. Maxwell Anderson, George Abbott and Del Andrews did the adaptation for which they received an academy award nomination. Anderson went on to produce several plays for television that would then go on to be films. Abbott lived to be 107 and would go on to write on the plays “Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees”. Mr. Andrews went on to direct 40 films and ended his career with multiple Westerns that helped define the early tempo for the genre.
Other notable performances are brought by Ben Alexander (Dragnet series 1) as an early unfortunate Kemmerich whose boots provide one of the continuities for the film. His hospital scene brings forth the idea that in war survival is the only thing and a pair of boots can matter as much to a warrior as his fallen comrade. Having been in film for 15 years by then, Alexander falls back on silent screen experience to play it to its melancholy limit. Louis Wolheim who plays Kat died of stomach cancer on February of 1931 after completing four more films.Arnold Lucy, who portrayed the Professor, was already 65 at the time of filming. Lucy went on to make 20 more films and live another 15 years. He deftly provides the oomph needed to rile the youth to action.Other actors to look for are Slim Sommerville, a director and Keystone Cop, John Wray, a leading actor of his day and Zazu Pitts, who along with Sommerville made some of the most unique comedies in that genre to the time.
Also, don't look for it in the credits, but
George Cukor (“My Fair Lady”, “The Philadelphia Story”, and television’s landmark “Love Among the Ruins”) was the uncredited dialogue director on this film.
In the final analysis, however, it a debt of gratitude we owe to the adapters of the novel. They began the process of showing war for what it is and not what it is often reported to be. It also opened a door we often keep shut. The furor and elan that occur in the people of this nation occur in many nations. Their unfortunate experience is no different than ours. To put a human face on what was termed, by needs of war, an inhuman enemy gives us the opportunity to see war for what it is and not what we like to think it is.
EMUJeff
Thoughts or ideas on any of these reviews is welcome. Post here or send me a PM. Look forward to hearing from you!
 ]]> EMUJeff http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=17 Apollo 13 (1995) http://YourMichigan.com/blog.php?b=16 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:54:01 GMT
In failure there is greater success than a smooth journey could provide. This is true not only for the astronauts of Apollo 13 but also for film director, Ron Howard.


Through years of mixed material he has honed his craft from early basic action based films, through comedies ("Nightshift", "Splash"), into comedies with commentary ("Parenthood"), then well crafted dramas ("Backdraft"). In the process we have been treated to textbook examples of clear, creative filmmaking culminating more recently in "A Beautiful Mind".


But back in 1995 (a strange phrase for a child of the 60's) Director Howard treated his "Apollo 13" audience to a tour-de-force of real-life, historic human drama to which anyone who grew up in the 60's will have a visceral response. He managed to balance the technical side of the event with the personal story and the action that a film like this usually allows to pass for suspense.


Out of respect for his audience he doesn't take the easy way out with wires that are CGI'd out of the frame. Instead he, his crew and three gutsy professional actors took the old fashioned route of problem solving in the pre-Matrix era. Filming over 500 parabolic trips in a plane termed "the vomit comet" in 30 second bits.


Ron then turned this footage over to his reliable team of fellow Oklahoman Mike Hill and Dan Hanley to join these half minute clips together so seamlessly no one could tell they weren't one continuous three camera take on an anti-gravity sound stage in Hollywood. For their effort they were rightly rewarded with an Oscar.


Though CGI can be seen in some of the outside shots of the launch, wherever people populate the screen we avoid the impersonal techniques of the technology ultimately that resulted from that which sent these men on a great journey.