The REM of Cinema

My apologies to those who arrived here earlier today, looking for a Monday Movie Meme post. Look no further -- it’s here. Late, of course but still here and inspired by the fact that I had a weird dream last night. I won’t go into details because they might serve as a nice future guest post for Arlee Bird’s A Faraway View blog. So, the theme for this week’s meme is: REM Sleep.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring scenes that include weird dreams. Basically, the dream should either not make any sense to the viewer, or character for that matter, or it should just be so strange that you can tell this is some stuff that only happens in the movies. Here is my selection (yes, just one...that’s all I have today) for this week’s REM Sleep topic.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

Just when you thought that sleepless nights were taxing on your mental and emotional health, such conditions would mean the difference between life and death in this movie. Kristen, Alice and friends would probably kill to be able to develop a bad case of insomnia since Freddy threatens to murder them in their sleep.

The gym scene where Alice’s friend Debbie is working out continues to be one of the most memorable scenes from this movie. Not necessarily because she turns into an insect but it’s the only scene in this movie had me paying more attention to the soundtrack. Gotta love Sinéad O'Connor’s “I Want Your Hands On Me” song!

What’s the last film YOU watched that features strange dreams?

Post-Screening Audience Response at Doc ‘I’m Fine, Thanks’ Premiere #indiefilm

The Midwest premiere of Grant Peelle and Adam Baker’s documentary “I’m Fine, Thanks” opens tonight in Wilminton, Ohio at the Murphy Theater. It is one of a few select screenings that brings the most backed documentary in crowd funding platform Kickstarter’s history in front of audiences who are treated to an early view of what battling complacency looks like. I had the pleasure of attending the New York premiere of “I’m Fine, Thanks,” in July and spoke with several audience members who shared their thoughts on this movie with me, following the screening that day.

Producer Adam Baker and I at the NY Premiere of "I'm Fine, Thanks"

“I really liked it -- not knowing what to expect, I was really blown away. I'm ultimately very proud to have any part of it and more than ever, I feel like OMG, this is so much bigger than I ever knew, sitting at home trying to coordinate it. It's huge, so I just hope people see it.

Chris actually watches documentaries and I never watch them unless he makes me, so for me to not only watch one but also help make one is totally crazy on its own but I think it's pretty awesome that it was a documentary that I actually liked watching. I have more appreciation for the genre.” – Joan Otto, member of the Crank Tank Studios team and editor at Man vs. Debt, from Pennsylvania

“I thought it was tremendous. I was really impressed -- to put that quality of production together in only a few months. He made a real film! -- A real documentary in months! Those guys, with tremendous help from their *coordinating producers* -- He has every right to be proud of what he accomplished; not only the fact that he got out there and tried to do it but also made a hell of a film.”  – Chris Otto, journalist from Pennsylvania who blogs at Papergreat and favors the 1978 documentary “Gates of Heaven” by Errol Morris

“Honestly, I would have liked to have seen more about the people who were in the movie and less about the people who made the movie. I think it was a good first effort -- I know it was their first time making a film and they did it really quickly, so you're going to have some things there that might be different if you've taken a little more time to do it but for the sake of time-crunch, they did a pretty decent job.

Next time they decide to make a film, I would like to see more story development -- more of a story arc and less of the people who are making it.”  – Amber J. Adams from New York via Tennessee who writes about finding happiness on your own terms at The Fab Life Project

“I loved the movie because I associated with the story line of not only the documentarians but also a lot of the people in the film whom I've also got to know and befriended through the world of blogging.

I myself was in a dead-end job at age 23, depressed, confused and aimless; I took that leap that they talk about in the film to quit my job and started going in a direction where I didn't really know what I was doing but found fulfillment and passion in that lifestyle than the one that was expected of me.” - Dave Ursillo a New York based author and speaker who writes about alternative leadership, leading in your everyday life and applying personal leadership to your business, goals and dreams. 

"I thought it was absolutely wonderful! I heard about it because I read a lot of the blogs of people who are in and or associated with the movie. I myself am still working in a corporate job but kinda dealing with a lot of the things that the people that they (Grant Peelle and Adam Baker) spoke to are dealing with -- just feeling like it's not really a good fit permanently and just trying to figure out what I want for myself, so the movie absolutely spoke to that." - Shannon Beahan

"I think it was very moving. It basically speaks for the rest of us; that is the reason why we are here. We're so afraid inside, to be the first -- we need to feel that somebody else did something that we want to do before we go ahead and try something crazy like that because deep inside, we all really want to -- we're all just too scared." - Jane Lee-Thai

“I’m Fine, Thanks” directed by Grant Peelle and produced by Adam Baker is playing tonight at 7p.m. so if you have family and friends who live in Ohio, be sure to pass this information along to them! For more information on the who, what, when and where this screening is taking place, visit the “I’m Fine, Thanks” team on Facebook or Eventbrite.

For those of you who are waiting for my review, it will be posted soon. In the meantime, can you describe what, if anything, bugs you about complacency? Or, do you think it’s just fine to be that way?

What’s Your Story? - A Monday Movie Meme Sequel

Today, we have a special guest topic for the Monday Movie Meme. It comes courtesy of Marta Szemik, who is a frequent reader of my writings over at the A to Z blog.

Marta’s chosen topic is “books made into movies,” which reminds me of the week that Dale at Smurfin’ the Web had us discussing films that feature books in them. So, I’m recycling the Smurfdok’s title for this week’s Monday Movie Meme theme: What’s Your Story 2?

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movie adaptations of books. The movie does not have to feature books in it but does have to be based on a book. Here are my selections for this week’s What’s Your Story 2 theme.

Watch Out
Steve Balderson’s film about a guy who is obsessed with himself has got to be one of the most bizarre movies I’ve watched in a long time. It contains an interesting mix of comedy, horror, drama and porn. Balderson does the material justice and Matt Riddlehover gives an engaging performance in this movie. It’s based on a novel written by Joseph Suglia.

Desert Flower
Backed by National Geographic, this drama film is the adaptation of an autobiography of the same name. It tells the account of fashion model named Waris Dirie, who escaped from Somalia after being circumcised as a young girl. I haven’t watched the film but I do have the book.

American Splendor
Comic books count as a “book,” right? Although I never had much interest in watching this movie about the comic book author Harvey Pekar, it stands out as a print-to-screen adaptation worth mentioning because, well, I like the cover art!

A Scanner Darkly
I feel like I might as well have watched this film, after all of the magazine interviews and online features that I read about it and director Richard Linklater. The Sci-Fi flick is based on Philip K. Dick’s novel about an undercover cop who gets way in over his head while trying to save the world from a dangerous drug. Yep, you guessed it -- I haven’t read the book either, but I DO adore the cover art and conceptual art in this movie!

What movie adaptations can YOU think of?