Visual Arts Archives - Page 4 of 5

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume One:

March 5, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

By Leo Milmet, Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

Many films each year fly under the radar of most audiences. Also, even more great films get less popular as time goes on. This eventually adds up to quite a few films that many people love, but that even more people never get to see.

Here are a few of my favorite films from each decade of film’s popularity that seem to have been forgotten or overlooked by the newest generation of film buffs. The two recent films I included (In Bruges and Silence) are films that are incredible but don’t seem to have been given their due by the masses, despite heavy critical acclaim.

Lesser-known films you should put on your viewing list include . . .

Safety Last! (dir. Harold Lloyd, 1923): A great silent comedy that is most impressive in that its influential humor and great story hold up remarkably well.

M (dir. Fritz Lang, 1931): One of the original film-noirs. A brilliant German crime film about a child murderer whose disturbing crimes lead him to be chased not only by the police, but by the Mafia as well. The film was incredibly progressive and daring for its time, and is just as bold and innovative today as it must have been in 1931.

Shadow of a Doubt (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1943): As paranoid as Rear Window, as suspenseful as Psycho. Hitchcock’s favorite film of his own, and for good reason.

Paths of Glory (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1957): An emotionally stunning war film concerning the lack of warmth in a cold, inhumane system. Includes one of the greatest final scenes of all time.

Night of the Living Dead (dir. George A. Romero, 1968): The original zombie film. A dark and bleak low-budget horror classic.

The Last Picture Show (dir. Peter Bogdanovich, 1971): The best ensemble film about small-town life.

Rain Man (dir. Barry Levinson, 1988): A sensitive and subtle road-trip dramedy of brotherly bonding featuring two of the best performances of the 1980s. A popular film in its time (it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but a film one rarely hears about today.

Ed Wood (dir. Tim Burton, 1994): A fittingly strange film about the misfits of ‘50s Hollywood and the fantastically terrible films they produced. Martin Landau’s portrayal of Bela Lugosi hits and exceeds the mark of true excellence. For cult film lovers like me, this one’s an absolute treat, and one of my favorite films of all time.

In Bruges (dir. Martin McDonagh, 2008): A great character-based dark comedy that creates pure hilarity out of very disturbing content and doesn’t miss a beat. The first feature film of Martin McDonagh, whose amazing filmmaking is now earning him serious Oscar buzz for his new film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Silence (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2016): A powerful, emotionally draining masterpiece about the strength and will of faith and of the human spirit.

Editor: Brennan Nick

OSCARS 2018: PREDICTIONS, PICKS, etc.

March 3, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Leo Milmet, Resident Film Critic and Academy Awards Guru

Yay! That one weekend where everyone suddenly becomes a huge film buff like me is almost upon us! The Oscars are coming up this weekend!

Here is my list of predictions, wishes, and personal picks.

The following list will be divided into the Oscar nomination categories. I will write “Will Win,” “Should Win,” and “My Picks” next to the contenders:

*“Will Win” = the film/person that is likely to win the award;

*“Should Win” = who deserves to win;

*“My Picks” = my personal picks for that category.

BEST PICTURE:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: The Big Sick

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Will Win: Gary Oldman–The Darkest Hour

Should Win: Gary Oldman–Darkest Hour

My Pick: Gary Oldman

BEST ACTRESS:

Will Win: Frances McDormand–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Saoirse Ronan–Lady Bird

My Pick: Saoirse Ronan

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Will Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Will Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

Should Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

My Pick: Allison Janney

BEST DIRECTOR:

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro–The Shape of Water

Should Win: Greta Gerwig–Lady Bird

My Pick: Martin McDonagh–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

Will Win: Coco

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Will Win: Faces Places

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: The Big Sick–Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

My Pick: The Big Sick

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name–James Ivory

Should Win: The Disaster Artist–Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

My Pick: My Friend Dahmer – Marc Meyers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Will Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

My Pick: Baby Driver–Courtney Hoffman

BEST FILM EDITING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

Should Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

My Pick: Baby Driver

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

Will Win: A Fantastic Woman

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Will Win: Edith + Eddie

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

Will Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

Should Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

My Pick: Darkest Hour

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Alexandre Desplat

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Jonny Greenwood

My Pick: Darkest Hour–Dario Marianelli

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set

Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeffrey A. Melvin

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration:

Alessandra Querzola

My Pick: The Shape of Water

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd

Nefzer

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049

SOUND EDITING:

Will Win: Dunkirk–Alex Gibson, Richard King

Should Win: Baby Driver–Julian Slater

My Pick: Baby Driver

SOUND MIXING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

Should Win: Baby Driver – Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagi

My Pick: Baby Driver

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

Will Win: DeKalb Elementary

Should Win: DeKalb Elementary

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:

Will Win: Lou

Should Win: Lou

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Will Win: “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman–Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Editor: Renée Vazquez

“Ava” Film Review: Shelby Goes to the Palm Springs International Film Festival

January 24, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Shelby Armor

I recently volunteered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. As a reward, I got a film voucher to go see one movie. A bunch of friends and I went to see a French film called Ava. It had previously won an award at the “Festival de Cannes.” The Palm Springs International Film Festival also gave it the “Best Director” award this year. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. We went into the movie knowing absolutely nothing about it. The only thing we knew about the movie was that it was of a girl who was slowly going blind and was desperate to explore life before she lost her vision.

The reality was slightly more complicated. This girl of 13 is indeed slowly going blind, but she’s dealing with nightmares and suicidal thoughts as a result. The movie starts by following a black dog belonging to a Spanish gypsy named Juan (Juan Cano). The girl, Ava (Noée Abita), sees how the boy is mistreating the dog and proceeds to steal the dog, whom she names Lupo. Along with all of this, she has a strained, love-hate relationship with her mother (Laure Calamy). The relationship grows even more strained when her mother gets a new boyfriend.

The movie is beautifully symbolic, making use of different objects and people throughout the film to represent the coming-of-age of Ava. At the beginning of the film, she is infatuated with the dog, Lupo, wanting to get him away from this bad man. But, as she begins maturing as a person, she becomes less and less interested in the dog, and more infatuated with Juan, his owner. Lupo also serves as a coping mechanism for her incoming blindness. She repeatedly uses him as a guide dog so she can rely on her other senses.

The movie itself is chock-full of symbols. And, if you’re not really paying attention, they can often fly by. There are times where I had to sit back and comprehend the literal and symbolic meaning of various scenes, as other scenes seemed somewhat random if you weren’t paying attention to what was going on inside Ava’s head. To get a better look of what was going on inside her head, there is a nightmare sequence, going through her deepest fears of the future. There are images of her baby sister without eyes, a giant eye moving around in her mouth, her mother and boyfriend (whom she dislikes), and the police shooting her baby sister. Each and every one of these flashing scenes makes her wake up in a cold sweat. However, only one thing has started to take the nightmares away.

As she becomes closer and closer with Juan, she forgets all about her fading vision. She starts focusing more on their relationship and less on what might happen when her vision fails her. The end of the movie is a freeze frame of her smiling at Juan, utterly content with life. This seems to indicate that the nightmares and suicidal thoughts are coming to an end now that she is with Juan.

But, there are problems with the movie as well. The first half of the movie is beautifully written and filled out. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, and the score is really captivating and quite elegant. By the second half, the tempo is starting to fade. The pace can seem somewhat rushed in comparison to the rest of the movie. To others who had watched the movie with me, this really bothered them. I didn’t really mind the sudden change of pace. It made sense to me that the change of pace was accompanied with the presence of Juan. But that might be part of the appeal of the movie to me; the entire film is subjective.

The film itself is made almost entirely of symbols and can be quite hard to follow if you aren’t really the type for these kinds of films. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes a provoking piece of cinema. If a film that really makes you think about the impact of each scene is thrilling to you, then this might be the film for you to see.

(Warning — there is mature content in the movie)

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Sing Street Hits the High Notes

January 18, 2018 by szachik@pvs.org 7 Comments

Review by Movie Enthusiast Leo Milmet

Grade: A+

Sing Street helped me discover even more about what exactly I love about film as an art form and why I have such an incredible passion for film. Sing Street is one of the truly great films of the 2000s. Why? For me, it’s the potent feeling it gives me every time I watch it.

Now, trust me, no one is more cynical about the modern American film industry than I am. In my humble opinion, most films nowadays are a joke. Most big-budget films are often well-crafted, yes, but to what purpose? Money? An Oscar? Most films, in general, are well-intentioned and perhaps even well-created but forgettable. They are created for selfish commercial reasons, not truly as art. Sing Street is a completely different story. Sing Street is so quietly bold as to take countless risks without even letting you know it’s taking them. Yes, Sing Street includes some cliches for this type of film in general, but the entire idea of a film about a very musical young man in high school being bullied by boys (and men) who don’t understand the meaning of art or creativity–who “have the power to destroy, but not to create” as the protagonist Conor puts it in one scene–is so boldly original that (and I rarely say this about clichés) I simply don’t care.

The film is set in Dublin, Ireland, in the 80s. In the opening scene, Conor is strumming his guitar in his room, with the audio of his arguing parents in the background. They call him out and say they’re transferring him from his posh school to a Jesuit school. Cut to an all boys’ high school–it’s pretty much totally uncivilized. Boys are screaming, fighting, laughing. All play, nothing is sacred, nothing is serious. They behave like toddlers. The rest of the film, despite mostly being an amazing romance story with great music, is truly about the introduction of a limited amount of art into a community full of teenage (and adult) ignorance. Ultimately, this changes so much without really changing much at all. It’s perfectly realistic. That’s why I love this film. It dares to be both optimistic and cynical, staying realistic throughout. All of this is partly due to the beautiful music and the brilliant cinematography. The music acts as the emotional heartbeat of the film, while the gray look of the film (contrasting with a few brilliant, deliberately oversaturated dream scenes) seems to ground the film in reality. However, this is not to take away from the incredibly smart writing in this film. After just a handful of scenes, we have already fallen in love with maybe four-five different characters, and while not every member of Sing Street (the band, not the movie) gets enough to do, every major character in this film is on par with those characters we love from the true classics of the coming-of-age genre. Sing Street is not a musical that uses its music as a crutch. The great music is another necessary element of the brilliant story, which is, at its heart, definitely the finest coming-of-age story this side of Boyhood. The film is perfectly paced and incredibly well-structured. There’s never a scene that feels rushed, nor is there a scene that drags. Some subplots could be cut without changing much, but they are more than engaging enough to not only keep our attention but to enrich the film itself. This is quite an achievement. In my humble opinion, John Carney, the film’s director, shows as much expertise in this one film as anyone has in one film in the past three years.

However, there are a few small negatives: some characters seem totally underdeveloped and are only there to flesh out the band; some scenes in the film are a tiny bit repetitive and/or very slightly contradictory; and, if this bothers you, an ending scene leaves loose ends and involves lapses in logic. However, the ending is open to interpretation in many ways, so it doesn’t bother me. I was swept up in the emotion of the moment and didn’t realize any of this until I had seen the film five times. However, none of these total nitpicks takes away from what a masterfully-created, beautiful film this is. Sure, it’s not for everyone (looking at you, lovers of only spectacle and/or mindless entertainment), but for those of you who like to experience art that is unique and interesting, this beautiful work of art deserves, at least, the meager attention of one viewing.

Editor: Charles Schnell (who agrees with just about everything Leo says of this film)

Come See The Crucible!

November 30, 2017 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Public Service Announcement created by Brennan Nick and Charles Schnell

The Crucible opens tomorrow! There are shows scheduled for December 1, 2, 3, 8, and 9! On the 3rd is the afternoon matinee at 2 p.m. The rest of the shows will start at 7:30 p.m., with the house opening at 7 p.m. General seats cost $15 a piece, while priority reserved seats are $20 each.

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. Salem at the time is a distant corner of the world on the fringes of both civilization and the dark wilderness where the Bible is the law and the citizens believe unquestionably in its teachings. A teenage girl begins accusing others of being conquered by the Devil and committing themselves to witchcraft, and the village becomes consumed by fear and religious zeal.

Arthur Miller lived in a similar time of fear–a fear of communism which pervaded in the early 50’s and was known as McCarthyism. Miller wrote this play to provide a parallel world to the one he and his peers were living through. Today, the play is considered by many scholars to be one of the great pieces of American literature.

This production is directed by Ken Sarkis, Kim Phillips, and Craig Gahnz. The Blog Staff are very excited to see it (or act in it), and we hope to see you there, too!

Edited by Peter Kadel and Claire Jenkins

Celtic Knot

November 8, 2017 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Graphic by Harlow Berny

By Harlow Berny

Here are 6 Celtic knot facts, because why knot?

The Irish Celts were the people who perfected the art of the Celtic knot, but it is thought that the knots may have originated from Romans, and possibly have roots in Byzantine Constantinople.*
True Celtic knots have absolutely no loose ends and are completely one line.
Certain Celtic knots can have different meanings and purposes.
The basic understanding is that they symbolize how life is an unending cycle.
According to Irish tattoo artists, it’s mainly white Americans that get a Celtic knot tattoo.
It’s more culturally relevant for a white person to get a Celtic knot tattoo than a “tribal” or “native inspired” tattoo.**

Editor: Shelby Armor

*Disclaimer: This does not represent the beliefs of all members of thebirdonfire.org or PVS.

**Disclaimer: This line comes from the perspective of a Native American.

Sources: http://www.gaelicmatters.com/celtic-knot-symbols.html and http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/11/25/366584255/the-american-origins-of-the-not-so-traditional-celtic-knot-tattoo

Oh, the Places We Do Go!

March 16, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

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Mr. Griffin explains the construction and design of Disney Concert Hall’s architecture.

Zach Jenkins (l-r), Bryan Johnson, Henry Huang, Mac Spears, Mr. Griffin, and Asher Mai polished off their French Dipped Sandwiches, replete with hot mustard and pickled eggs.

On our half day, Friday, March 4, Mr. Griffin led a team of PVS cultural enthusiasts to Los Angeles. After a brief side excursion to a Chinese bakery (led by a hungry Bryan Johnson), we started with an early dinner at L.A.’s iconic Philippe’s, where the French Dipped Sandwich originated back in 1918. Then, Mr. Griffin scheduled us into The Broad, L.A.’s New Contemporary Art Museum–the big white building downtown sporting the innovative honeycomb “veil-and-vault” architecture. The night finished breathtakingly at Disney Concert Hall with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Mahler’s Third Symphony. Time could have stopped for us right there, right then. Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed said Dudamel “excelled in revealing the power of Mahler,” leading the L.A. Phil to play “with gut-wrenching strength.” Word is, Mr. Griffin and Ms. Zachik are creating a Culture Club next year adding more expeditions for the culturally adventurous.

PVS students scrambled over the Disney Concert Hall winding architecture, taking in the L.A. skyline.

David Kocen beside the oversized Table and Chairs installment at The Broad.

Jeff Koons Balloon Dog at The Broad

There’s Been an Awakening–Have You Felt It?

January 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Chloe Sweeney

If you have not seen the film, turn back before it’s too late! This is not the post you are looking for. SPOILER ALERT!!!

The release of the new Star Wars film has had the entire world buzzing. Weeks before it came out commercials were released, action figures were advertised, and speculation as to the film’s plot were circulating. Even before its release The Force Awakens racked up over $100 million in pre-ticket sales. But, did this film live up to its hype?
Film critics really enjoyed it, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 93 out of 100. Metacritic gave The Force Awakens an 81 out of 100 and IMDb rated it an 8.5 out of 10. The audience review was generally very positive with only a very few people leaving disappointed. Mr. Buck, a science teacher at Palm Valley School and Star Wars enthusiast, said this about the film:
“I never thought I would say this, but I miss George Lucas. The Star Wars prequels had many flaws in their execution, but Lucas is an imaginative and creative storyteller. The Force Awakens was a beautifully directed, mediocre story. J.J. Abrams played it safe and retold Episode 4 instead of creating something new. Although I’d rather have more Star Wars than less, this movie was nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
I am far from a hardcore Star Wars fan, but I do really love the movies. Prior to the release of the seventh film, my family and I had a Star Wars marathon where we re-watched all six episodes. It was so cool getting to hear my dad’s stories about his reaction to certain plot twists when he first saw the films in theaters. It is amazing that a movie franchise has made such a profound impact on so many people spanning multiple generations.
When we went to see The Force Awakens I was ecstatic. My memory was refreshed from the older episodes, and I couldn’t wait to see how the new film would turn out. Personally, my expectations were far exceeded. I absolutely loved the return of old characters and all the nostalgic throwbacks. The lightsaber fights packed more of a punch, and I loved BB-8. I agree that the plot was not as innovative as it could have been, but I was able to overlook that. I believe that if J.J. Abrams and Disney had significantly switched up the plot everyone would complain that they lost the elements that make Star Wars the Star Wars we have known and loved for almost 40 years.
The movie did leave many unanswered questions: who is Supreme Leader Snoke? Is Rey a Skywalker? Is she Luke’s daughter? How does Rey become attuned with The Force? Why does Luke’s lightsaber choose her? Will Kylo Ren redeem himself? Of course, there are countless other questions. It is incredibly unfortunate that the world will have to wait until December 15th, 2017, to see these questions answered in Episode VIII.

–Edited by Trey Lucatero

Bewildering Beads: Handcrafts by Lettie

November 11, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Ashley Zhou, our resident art expert, is taking a look at some of the incredible handcrafts created by Lettie Sun. Lettie, a senior here at Palm Valley, uses beads and fishing wire to create adorable figurines and other products.–Editor Chloe Sweeney

–by Ashley Zhou

Handcraft popularity has risen rapidly in recent years. These days more and more artists are making exquisite handmade crafts and selling them.

Lettie Sun is currently making her own beautiful crafts, and, remarkably, she is creating her own business. From translucent beads sent from China, Lettie makes keychains, ornaments, accessories, pencil boxes, decorative lights, phone-chains, tissue boxes, and artificial flowers. Lettie does all this while studying for several AP classes and applying to colleges. Making a single beaded craft requires several hours of intense concentration, but she believes the effort is worth the smile on her customers’ faces. Lettie’s ideas are inspired by Chinese handcrafts and also similar crafts found on sites like Etsy (which she uses to help estimate the value of her products). Etsy is a popular website for all handcraft lovers and artists around the world. The site provides a stage for people to share their interests and sell their unique products. Lettie’s products are available today at Lulu’s in Old Town La Quinta.

Please contact Lettie Sun if you are interested in purchasing any of her creations. The holidays are coming. They make wonderful gifts and decoration.

The Interview: Jade Edition

October 22, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Ashley Zhou

Ashley Zhou, our Arts Correspondent, sat down with one of PVS’s most respected artists, Jade Yoon. Says AP Art Teacher Ms. Raphael McGrew of her pupil, “Jade is a very talented artist, always finding herself through her art. Jade is a very prolific creator. Painting, drawing or molding a new piece of art daily. She’s not afraid to experiment with different mediums and styles. Her daily mood is reflected in her images created, which makes interesting, inviting and random art.”

Today I am going to interview an artist in our school. She always impresses everyone with her amazing works and professional drawing technics. She is quite modest, but her works are not. She is Jade Yoon. Let’s find out about her art career.

The theme of this piece is children in the holocaust. It is very depressing and gloomy. She approaches this art by using mostly dark and plain colors–white, black, grey. Oil painting and water color make the painting more realistic and complete. Understanding this piece, we have a broader vision of her style–not only technics but also expressions

Ashley: So, Jade, when did you find yourself interested in art?
Jade:Well, I actually started drawing or doodling when I was 3. Then I considered being an artist when I was in elementary school, but I kind of gave up in middle school. It’s hard to be successful as an artist. Then I came to Palm Valley, and, you know, we have actual art classes. I picked up my drawing again and realized this is what I like and what I should do.
A: It’s very nice to hear that you stick with it. So, are your parents also interested in art?
J: My mom is not a professional artist but she really enjoys drawing. So, I guess she influences me in some way.
A: What kind of art are you best at?
J: I like all kinds of arts. I paint lots of oil paintings now because my skills are improving.
A: Will you consider art as a career in the future also?
J: I am definitely going to art schools and will major in art in college. I kinda want to work in somewhere like Universal Studios or Disneyland. I am also interested in computer graphics like digital arts.
A: That’s very nice. So who is your favorite artist?
J: My favorite artist is Modigliani. He is an Italian painter. I really like his style.

A: Very nice to talk to you! Do you have any suggestions for students who enjoy art and are interested in improving?
J: I think you just need to practice a lot and keep drawing all the time.
A: Thank you Jade. Nice talking to you.

This painting is a portrait of Jade’s friend, Karey. Jade uses red, black and white for this one. The colors complement each other. This piece looks very soothing because it reveals the figure’s personality. The girl in the portrait is what she is in reality.

Jade has many other amazing works, and we are not introducing them all today. Her artworks represent her ways of thinking. As a person who loves art, I really enjoy looking at her paintings and getting to know her efforts put into those works. It’s nice to talk to Jade, and I hope everyone gets to know a little bit more about this artist.