"The Deer Hunter" on blu-ray ~ This is this, it ain't something else, this is this

There are films like 'J. Edgar' and 'The American' which are tediously long. Then there are films like "The Deer Hunter" which are purposely paced slow. There is a big difference between a director that knows what to do with a 3 hour long film…and a director that is just wasting time because he didn't understand what to do with it.

I exchanged a defective "Rebecca" blu-ray for a "The Deer Hunter" (1978) blu-ray. I figured that was right.

I started the blu-ray I had bought of Michael Cimmino's "The Deer Hunter" and a chill went down my spine from the opening note of the overly simplistic film score and the huge title cards, almost designed for those with poor eyesight, as they slowly take their time to get to an opening shot of a working man's factory filled with fire, obviously a precursor to the horrors soon to come of the 'Vietnam War'.

There are 4 film requirements, if you're a man who loves film, "Citizen Kane", "Taxi Driver", "The Godfather", and "The Deer Hunter" and the 2nd greatest of these is . . . "The Deer Hunter" . . . strangely two out of the four have Robert De Niro in them.

It is slowly paced, designed to allow you to suck every nuance and moment from the film as purely and poetically as possible, like an opera about war and friendship. The film craft is impeccable. And the blu-ray is down right a perfect transfer event for 1978 film stock.

The sound in the first half of the film is loud and very realistic. Conversations blend into the background and everything is on a rather grand scale at least in terms of wide shots and sound composition.

Starting the film out much like the Godfather with a wedding solidifying the comrodery of the characters but unlike the Godfather, where each character is given a little moment to shine, the characters in "The Deer Hunter" are all in each moment together, as a unit of long-time friends, comfortable in their company, playing pranks and sharing blissfully ignorant smiles…as the film progresses through and then after the VIetnam War… they will split apart through the tragedy of war that will define them as real men as only a true tragedy can define a man.

This film won Christopher Walken a very deserving Oscar* and yes Mr. "He shoved this watch up his ass". . . Walken…deserved this Oscar ~ he plays no moment for laughs in this film but as a complete honest human-being whose sanity is stripped apart from him.

Robert Di Niro's cool calculated emotions and very human since of self, comrodery and humanity, not to mention his rather fun beard remind me of my Dad's demeanor. That and my Dad taught me how to hunt. This film is not about 'Deer Hunting' it's about surviving a major tragedy with your friends and seeing how far you can bend and how far you'll break underneath a true tragedy.

The film opens with a Wedding which the after-party of feels like a wedding in real-time, it's far too long, but the slow pace of it sets up every one of the characters. Although it's hard not to get swept up in the energy of the dancing and the way it is cut.

The Wedding-After-Party's monotonous dancing is soon broken up by a riveting scene where the boys try to talk to a Green Baret about his experiences 'over their' to which it's clear that the boys have no idea what is in store for them. To which the man takes shot after shot of whisky with his eyes glassed over and says 'fuck it' knowing . . . those kids have no idea what they're in for.

Afterwards the men go hunting with some of the most beautiful outdoor cinematography since "Deliverance" with fog just curling up around the mountains and that ever so graceful animal, a 'deer', being stalked by the camera til it's swiftly shot. This will also not prepare them for Vietnam.

And then Vietnam…to which I won't even stain this review to describing those scenes or basically the famous POW scene where they're forced at gunpoint to play Russian Roulette with each other. That one scene in a 3 hour long film has been talked about enough. And even spoofed in Peter Jackson's X-Rated puppet film "Meet the Feebles". There are other scenes surrounding that scene which are in my opinion equally powerful and worth note but I will spare you me describing them.

The post Vietnam scenes are the ones that truly rip me apart emotionally because I've never seen a film deal with post-traumatic stress in such an unflashy and unflatteringly unattractive way…as it happens in real life…a slow burn.

The post war scenes mimic the previous scenes in a uniquely chilling way which took the film from being obviously a Best Picture to a Timeless Epic that deserves to dwarf films like "Lawrence of Arabia" in the shelves of film history. Yes I legitimately think "The Deer Hunter" is probably one of the 5 best films ever made. It's length and seemingly free sprit in the way it's paced and edited with seemingly 'unimportant scenes' (which truly just give weight to the real set pieces of the film) allow it to linger in your mind longer than any other film I've known into a true emotional catharsis if you're the type of person that isn't disturbed by length or slower pacing.

If Vietnam was hell…coming home wasn't much of an improvement.

This film is a cathartic slowly-paced onslaught of filmic beauty that if I had the length of a novel to describe it couldn't possibly be done in words.

You just need to sit down and watch it and let it wash over you in one full sitting.

. . . .

If you've never seen this film, you have no right to call yourself a true understander and lover of film.

Also was this film sponsored by Rolling Rock? No seriously "Have a Rolling Rock, it is the best around" is a line in the the movie and there are full framed shots with Rolling Rock in them. *.*

""The Deer Hunter" . . . is this, it ain't something else, it's this."

Theme by John Williams

Special Makeup Effects by Dick Smith

Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond

Directed by Michael Cimino

3 Hours 4mins

. . .

Acoustics

Top 10 artists who can control an auditorium with just a guitar voice and nothing else...for those of you who don't know. I'm deeply passionate about music...and everything...but mostly music.

*Some of these songs have other instrumental embellishments but never need them, I just like these tracks. And in the words of my friend Briant...'if you can't play live, you ain't shit'.

10. Neil Young (Say what you want my 'Alabama' friends but it's almost undisputed Neil's talent to write a simple and powerful song and transcend a moment when he sings it.)

9. Simon and Garfunkel ('The Graduate' is one of my favorite films, Bridge Over Troubled Water's is one of the best albums ever made and SImon and Garfunkel were modern day mistrals, they wrote songs that were stories but stories with a universal meaning…and the only reason they're as low as they are on my list is because of how quiet they sing. I mean even James Taylor will belt it out now and again.)

8. Tegan Quin and Sara Quin (This is my list I don't care if Neil and Simon and Garfunkel are legends. I can listen to Tegan Quin's haunting sweet voice for hours and it puts me in a different place. I thought they were cute because of the novelty that they were twins not because of the novelty that they were both lesbians. They both write in uniquely different styles that clash gorgeously in the most simple songs with a vitality, peppiness, and sexuality that an older writer couldn't have.) (I realize the Thermin and concert doesn't prove my theory but those are great videos - minus the chipmunk singing)

7. Ben Harper (Passion, he pours his heart into ever song he writes, soulful, gospel inspired, honest, human. He's not afraid to let his voice be shattered if he feels it.) (sexual healing for pot, seriously) (I'm not gay but he's seriously a sexy man)

6. Ben Gibbard (The lead of 'Death Cab for Cutie' writes the most poignantly simple songs with so much vague specificity that makes almost every song he writes instantly relatable.)

5. John Butler (Talent---John writes from his heart, but a lot of the songs are like pop songs with just enough complexity in the lyrics to quell any critic, however…his ability to pluck a string better than almost any man on the planet is what makes John Butler a gem among music.) (One of the greatest guitar instrumental's in the history of music) (That's 12 strings by the way)

4. Tracy Chapman - (A haunting jaded voice and a passionate heart bigger than the sun, what can be said about Tracy that isn't already felt strait to your bones) (The famous one) (The best one)

3. James Taylor (If you've never been in love before you may not be able to relate to the poetry that James writes. His guitar may be strung from his own trampled heart strings…but as removed as his love songs are they never come across as from the heart of a jaded man.) (I couldn't resist - Fucking hate country, fucking love this fucking song...I'm a passionate man, pardon my curses)

2. Richie Havens (In my opinion the most talented African American folk artist in the history of music. He captured Woodstock and generations with his song "Freedom" that you'd of thought would have been rehearsed and prepped but he just made it up, Johnny on the spot, or Richie on the spot, and captures the festival.) (Still sounds amazing at about 70 he's probably my favorite single artist (next to Bowie) I admire the most)

1. Bob Dylan (This James Dean styled Court Jester captured the imaginations of 4 generations so far and after a stroke, and singing nonsense in a voice that's barely understandable can make an audience skip 3 heart beats in a single word. Bob is by far one of the best there has ever been.)

*Bonus video*

Personal Quote

Being hyper-deal oriented and having a decently solid memory while also being hyper active is sometimes a curse but mostly a blessing I wouldn't trade. Life moves fast it's the only thing that allows me to keep up with the pace without getting washed underneath the tide

Broken Hearts Never Mend.

Broken hearts never mend.

I've met so many guys and girls too afraid to ask out 'that person' for 'this, that, or the other' or 'because they know it won't work out...and the thing I've learned in life is truly...nothing ever does...just sit back and enjoy the fucking ride. Cause that's all life is...just a ride. And it's all dependent on weather or not you've got a good seat. So find your happiness in the world and ride it the fuck out.

Reflections

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Thoughts.

'If you have something deep in your heart you should find a way to share it . . . maybe you should make a film about your past' - A pharaphased peace from a private message.

If you've read my past couple of posts or read my blog you probably realize that I have deep personal thoughts all the time. A kin to nightmares sometimes.

I now feel apart of the industry I've spent 12 years trying to get in. I got my very first gig back in 1999 . . . . <- my first gig. I'm somewhere in the background. (Grip/PA/ and all around crew member) I think I learned more on that 3 day shoot that my mom used to drive me to than 13 months of film school at Full Sail. Though without film school I wouldn't have met as many wonderful friends who are helping me perform some miracles soon.

When I was 17-20 my life felt like it was collapsing on me. And it seems I've survived that. Some men wish they were hercules but I'd rather be Atlas, because I think I know how he feels.

Currently I'm working for one of the biggest shows on television and despite the day to day annoyances that invariably are apart of working in any level of media I know that it's a blessing being there. No more gorilla suits on the side of the road, no more suicidal phone calls from friends for hours, no more loaning money, no more sleepless nights (unless my neighbor argues with his wife at midnight again) *.*, no more crying alone underneath a bed, no more working with gang bangers and drug deals (okay this is kind of a joke, I did but at a legitimate job (Greyhound track) and they were a nice crew most of them fresh out of jail and legitimately trying to reform and be good guys and almost all of them I'd still consider good friends if they'd recognize me.) But I've past it. Onto the next level. I still struggle to pay my bills . . . . but I've found a balance.

I know I'm expecting great joy in my life soon. Something I've been working on for a long time but my family taught me that sometimes when you're expecting greatness in your future you need to reflect on not so greatness in your past and respect that . . . . you're there . . . . you've made it . . . . you've survived it . . . . you've past it . . . . and you're not budging your life for any mother fucker. Things are coming. Changes. I think I can be so melodramatic because I know how much 1 less smile and 1 word differently can affect another person. 'I love you' and 'fuck off' can affect people for the rest of their lives if it hits at the right time. But that's life . . . and life goes on. Music makes me smile and so does sharing my thoughts.

I started this movie last night by Ken Russell called 'The Devils' about religious corruption something that I kind of understand being raised in the bible belt at a school that required bible as a course (not kidding).

People think when I speak my mind that I'm speaking it too much, that I'm thinking too much, that people really don't care or want to know and the thing that gets to me the most . . . is how many people's blogs, facebook posts, jokes, thoughts and things they let out of their mouths are simply mindless unintelligent small talk with no rhyme heart or reason but just to remind people that they're there and they have an opinion on stuff and things...which despite that is almost useless anyways. Conversations sometimes feel like the lyrics to a bad pop song as much as I long for meaning and heart, I'd be guilty if I said I didn't love bad pop songs. If I had one word to describe myself it'd be misunderstood. My twin brother has known me for 25 years and he doesn't get me most of the time. It's taken a lot of work for us to get each other...so why am I always so surprised when someone else from my regular life 'just doesn't get me' . . . . well what are you gonna do.

Dream

I had the strangest dream last night. It was so vivid. I was out a a condo with my family who were swimming, smiling, and hanging around the pool ready to get a group photo. Most of the dream my brother and I were just driving to find the condo, having vague directions, found my friends and family swimming and it felt real. Then while driving back through the condo parking lot to find a spot I saw a guy I work with here in California at the pool and waved at him and then as we parked, I thought that's odd, what's a California native doing, oh, it's a dream. It's strange that the human mind has a virtual reality simulator. Also a balder member of my friends had more hair, that clued me in it was probably a dream.

'Dreams seem real when we're in them don't they, it's only when we wake up we found something was wrong' - maybe that's what was strange. When I woke up and recalled my dream it seemed so . . . normal.

My brother says "What Dreams May Come" is one of the best written books he's ever read (though not his favorite) I just started reading it. (When I'm done either Battle Royal or American Psycho or perhaps more Matheson) but after reading the first few pages I can see the way it floats.