Four and a Half Minutes That Changed Film History

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil has an opening scene that changed the way films were shot. Welles used precise timing, mind-boggling coordination, and a crane, to film an amazing four and a half minute tracking shot to open his 1958 film.

The shot starts on a bomb being placed in the trunk of a car. The camera follows the car into the street. As the camera moves back we pickup Charlton Heston walking with his date. Though we’re concentrating on Heston, the bomb is still in our minds. The sheer length of the take heightens the tension for the payoff at the end. On its first release Universal placed the opening credits over the shot, which severely retracted from its power and suspense. In a re-release Welles original version of the scene was re-instated.

Literally changing an aspect of film making, the use of tracking shots have sometimes been used to try to one-up it, Psycho, for example. The opening shot of Robert Altman's The Player is a loving homage to the Welles shot. The opening of Joss Whedon's wonderful film Serenity begins with a five minute tracking shot that introduces us to the ship and the crew. Technically it's two tracking shots, spliced in the middle with some CGI, but I'll cut him some slack. (Whedon also did a great 6 minute tracking shot in an early episode of Angel, though I don't remember which one.)

My favorite tracking shot has to be in Children of Men*, but you can't beat Orson Welles for sheer genius and innovation. Mental Floss has a good list of others you can check out.

YouTube - Touch of Evil Part 01 of 11

You can watch the rest of the movie here.

*This clip is R rated and contains spoilers. If you haven't seen it, go rent it now! It's one of the best films this decade.

Anne Frank: The Only Existing Film Images

The Anne Frank House, in Amsterdam, has released this short 20-second video snippet from the life of Anne Frank. The video was shot in 1941, a year before Frank and her family went into hiding.

Video Link

The girl next door is getting married. From her window, Anne looks down as the wedding couple emerges. She looks back at someone in the room, and we see her smile. Maybe her mother asks her if the bride looks pretty. The mundane conversations of an ordinary life.

Looking, for just a moment, at that happy girl, my heart fills. And then, my heart jumps, I know what's coming for Anne.

But, on that bright day, with a couple beginning a new life, Anne must have thought that life was grand, the world outside was full of love and happiness and hope, and it was good to be alive.

Just Wanted To Say…

I hope it made you smile.
Link

My Favorite Coffee House - The Lazy Daze in Historic Irvington

Via: The Irvingtonian

Girls For Obama

This is great and fun and moving. Take a look.

Remembering A Friend

MBT-M1A1_Abrams_tank by MATEUS_27:24&2 5's CC License

I had a dream last night. To begin with, I couldn't get to sleep, I've been grinding my teeth lately worrying myself about various things. I finally feel asleep and dreamt this.

I was on a road trip from KY back to Indiana. Along the Interstate, there was a soldier in full pack, hitching a ride. We stopped and it was my old friend Rob. He piled in, now in civvies and we talked and laughed and reminisced then when we came to a rest stop, he announced that this was his stop. Next I was looking out the back of the car window, he was standing, now back in uniform, waving and smiling. I woke up, sweating. I padded into the kitchen, poured a glass of whisky and sat in the moon-lit silence of my living room, remembering, smiling and fighting back tears.

Robert (Rob) Stucker was born and raised in my hometown of Waldron, IN. He was the little brother of my best friend, Allen and my adopted little brother. He was a practical joker, misanthrope, State Wrestling champ, and just someone you loved being around. His enthusiasm for life was infectious. On Saturdays, we would all play outside and hang-out, if their father Russ was home from his truck-driving job, we would encourage him to tell stories about WWII and Korea. Then in the afternoon, our local PBS station aired Dr. Who. It didn't matter if there were three, four or five 20 min. episodes, they would show them all back-to-back. We were in Nerdvana. Just following Dr. Who (unless it was a long one) Rob would make us switch to Rat Patrol. He loved it. He would say, that's what he wanted to do. "What?" we'd ask, "Drive around the desert in a tank?" Yup!

Not many people get to do what they love, Rob had that chance. He went to Purdue, enrolling in ROTC and graduated as a second LT in the Marines. He loved it! He was frustrated at first, because many of his first assignments were on board Air Craft Carriers and he hated it. Structured boredom he called it. Then came Operation Desert Storm and guess where he ended up? Yup!

Rob was in charge of a Tank brigade. He and his men were positioned in the vast desert just outside Kuwait. The I Marine Expeditionary Force and coalition forces began the ground assault on Iraqi defenses in the final chapter. Rob, his men, the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions all stormed into the teeth of Iraqi defenses while heavily armored allied forces attacked the Iraqi defenses from behind. Several times ending up in fire-fights and being gassed by a noxious combination the Military still aren't sure of. Twenty-Four US Marines would die in that assault. After things were over, he received two medals, a commendation and a promotion. Rob left the Marines, though he stayed in the Reserves. He married a wonderful woman, had two boys and worked in an auto factory in North Central Indiana.

Like so many in that War (ANY war) he suffered after. He lost his family and his way; he was living alone and he was suffering. Silently.

Then there seemed to be hope. He was talking again to his ex, Angie and they had plans to attend a Marine Dance together. That night, he never showed up to pick her up. She repeatedly called, with no answer. With a mixture of anger and worry, still in her formal gown, she drove to his place; where she found him dead. Sitting in a chair, wearing his Marine Dress Blues, he'd shot himself in the head with his Father's WWII service revolver.

I realized that my sub-conscious remembered what I had forgotten. This month is the 10th Anniversary of his death and I miss him terribly. I just want to urge any who read this, if you know someone, suffering in silence, VET or not, reach out to them. They may push you away, but at least try. Just try.

Semper Fi my friend.

an appreciation of sydney pollack

I wanted to post something about fellow Hoosier and adopted New Yorker, Sydney Pollack. He wasn't a gifted actor or director but he had taste and integrity.

His charm overcame the small defects of his acting; by saying he wasn't gifted I'm by no means saying he wasn't good. He was a terrific actor and director. I think his greatest strength lay in his taste. He knew what made a good movie, he seemed to always have the pulse of the Zeitgeist. With a few exceptions, he succeeded with every movie he directed or produced.

His wonderful performance and Nicole Kidman in her see-thru skivvies are the only good memories I have of "Eyes Wide Shut".

I could go on and on about the man, but I'm sure it's been done elsewhere. I just really enjoyed his work and was deeply saddened and surprised when he died. Movies truly won't be the same. RIP.

Three Days of the Condor (1975) movie trailer - Directed by Sydney Pollack.

Technorati Tags: sydney pollack,apreciation,hoosier,three days of the condor