I feel like Charlie today. He taught on-line English during the pandemic, while today I do a shallow bellyflop into Science, Technology, Taxonomy and Gastronomy. All for the similar end result of passing along sometimes trivial and sometimes tremendous, information that hopefully might resonate a chord inside your head, heart or soul, and preferably all three. In todays 'cast we open with THE WHALE, playing at 4:30 and 7 today thru Thursday, by taking a historical glance back at the evolution of the AR, aspect ratio. This is relevant because the Director of THE WHALE, Darren Aronofsky, chose to use the flat Academy Ratio of 4-3 (actually 1.33-1 in a 1.85 container) to present his film instead of the industry standard 16.9 - 1, or scope. You will have to take a listen to today's 'cast to find out why. Here is the week's showtimes:
TUE: (OCAP) THE WHALE at 4:30 and 7
WED, THURS: 4:30 and 7
FRI: EO at 5, THE WHALE at 6:45
SAT and SUN: EO at 3, THE WHALE at 4:45 and 7
MON - THU: EO at 5 and THE WHALE at 6;45
After the cram course on AR's we talk about using this format as a means to the end of taking a stage play to the big screen as an adaption. A film shot in a single indoor location is simply wasting space with 16.9, because we don't need to see any further extensions of Charlie's living room, with kitchen and front door always present. Aronofsky, along with his DP and Cinematographer, bring us into the room as his lens constantly maneuvers thru a series of dolly shots tracking the action, dialogue, in order to put us in the best possible viewing location. It is a treat to behold! And Brenden Fraser rises to the occasion as only a Cornish Institute of the Arts grad can. This despite him spending 95% of his time confined to his chair on wheels or the couch. You will have to come and see exactly what the boatload of praise both he, Aronofsky, and the entire ensemble cast are landing in their Pequod sized boxy boat.
Then from Science and Technology we move slightly down the hall to the Taxonomy and Culinary Arts Department where we introduce you to the star of Friday's premiere, EO. EO is a donkey. A Jack. Male. Not a Jenny, female, as we watched in The Banshees. Additionally, we know that a Mule is the offspring of a Jack and a female horse, a Mare and a Hinny is a hybrid of a female Donkey, a Jenny and a male horse, a Stallion. Got that? Because there's more. Burro is Espanol for Mule. Correspondingly then, a Burrito in this usage is not something you order at Miguelito's Cantina but a small Donkey. Because pack Mules are so good a hauling gear, supplies, water and whatever else needs to be moved from point A to point B, it makes perfect sense then, as they are fully loaded, so should a corn or flour tortilla be packed with yummy things to eat, si? Miguel even honors a wide-eyed Burrito next door by giving a place of honor hanging on a wall behind the bar. EO is the sound of the Donkey looking at us and the world.
And that is what Writer and Director Jerzy Skolimowski does with this formidable challenge. If you had a 15-million-dollar production budget to make a movie seen through the eyes of a sentient Donkey, how would you do it? Winnie the Pooh, Eeore and AA Milne have all been here and done that anthropomorphically, so the Polish master chose another artistic look at the challenge. I eagerly look forward to watching his award-winning effort. And I hope you do too.
Lastly today, we are offering a double feature this coming Friday, 1.20. Visit us for the 6:45 screening of THE WHALE and then stick around for the 9:00 free World Premiere of Island filmmaker Andrew Taylor's latest work, a fifteen-minute short, entitled Steak. Hope to see you here!
Kevin
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