The Book Thief: Death be Afraid

I unexpectedly fell in love during my rush to watch all the new movies before Oscar night. The movie was The Book Thief, which I expected to be good - but depressing - yet I came out of it feeling like I'd found a gem. I fell in love with the characters, the cast, and the story, but mostly with the lyricism of the narration. I will buy this one on DVD - a rare act these days - but I want an old-school physical copy to live on my shelf, among my other favorites: Out of Africa, A River Runs Through It, Ordinary People, and about 25 more which, I just realized, are mostly book adaptations.  

I never thought about having a movie "type," but there it is...it turns out I love movies adapted from books when the movie really uses choice quotes and artfully conveys the beauty of the words. There are a lot that don't make it. I hope that the author, Markus Zusak, and the screenplay adaptor Michael Petroni, know that they've succeeded together in this challenge, despite the few Oscar nominations (which says more about the tastes of the Academy than about the quality of this film) and some snarky reviews on RogerEbert.com. 

I also love movies with metaphysical themes, so there is also a match there to some degree. The Book Thief is based on the international bestselling novel of the same name, about a girl brought from Russia by her mother to be fostered by a German couple.  The author chooses Death himself to narrate the story, but turns the concept of death upside down, making it ruthless yet curious, bewildered, and somewhat afraid of humans, especially brave ones like Liesel, our heroine. Through her life's challenges during WWII and beyond, Liesel learns to embrace the beauty and power of words as a way to survive, soothe, heal and ultimately, live well into old age before Death can meet her.

I haven't yet received my copy of the book (yes, I also buy "real books", not downloads) but I can't wait to look up one of the voiceovers toward the end that beautifully captured Liesel's perspective and writing. It paints a vivid and apropos picture of the sweet musical father and harsh mother who'd adopted her, and goes something like this (in my mind, anyway):

"On a street called Heaven, there was a man with the heart of an accordion, and a woman cloaked in thunder...." 

A few other favorites: 

"Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain.” 

"It's always been the same. The excitement and rush to war. I met so many young men over the years who have thought they were running at their enemy, when the truth was, they were running to me." -Narrator/Death

“If only she could be so oblivious again, to feel such love without knowing it, mistaking it for laughter. ” 

1. "I am haunted by humans."

   (Death, the last line of the novel, p. 550)

The Book Thief released this week on DVD and Blue Ray.  See clips, reviews, and enter to win a free copy of the DVD from the talented young blogger Kimmy West on her excellent Page to Premiere blog!   

Oh, and for those of you who did find this subject matter just too bleak for words, you will find sympathy and hilarity in this "reading" by Mark on his blog Mark Reads, which starts out Part 10,

The Book Thief

 featuring

 what the f*+k

Watch the official trailer:

On Film: The Fruit Hunters

Growing interest in Conscious and/or Transformational Entertainment has laid the groundwork for the Environment-specific Film Festivals that are popping up around the country, and one of the best is the Portland Ecofilm Festival at The Hollywood Theatre.  

Their next screening is THE FRUIT HUNTERS on May 9th, starring actor and community activist Bill Pullman, in a sumptuous film by director Yung Chang’s exploration of nature’s sweetest bounty. It's described as a cinematic odyssey through nature and commerce that spans prehistory to the present, the filmmakers propose that it will change not only the way we look at what we eat, but how we view our relationship with the natural world.  The thrill of the chase experienced by these characters is absolutely endearing, and they certainly made me feel better about paying $3 for an organic mango at the market.

Catch it 5/9 at 7:30 pm if you're in the area, and stay for the discussion afterward with Jim Gilbert (One Green World), Katy Koelker (Portland Fruit Tree Project), and Harriet Fasenfest (Culinate blogger).

Click for info and advance tickets or watch the trailer.

L.A. Premiere Announcement: THE BLUE JEWEL

This week, the beautiful award-winning documentary The Blue Jewel will premiere on Thursday Jan 10, 2013 at the Laemmle's MusicHall Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA, with other local screenings to follow.  Preview it now, and learn more about the film and ticketing in the story below...

Below, enjoy a Note from the Producer, who will attend the Premiere for a Q&A, along with Pepper Lewis:

THE BLUE JEWEL – A documentary movie about Planetary Healers 

by Oliver Hauck

We all live at a time of great change and transformation, be it regarding our global climate, our economical and financial thinking, break-ups in our sentimental relationships or in our daily work life.

Structures which have held so far seem to be crumbling, and we begin to question them. As a result, a lot has lost its balance.

The film „The Blue Jewel“ proposes new solutions to restore this balance. This equilibrium is so important to be able to live in peace, which is what each and every one of us wishes in the end. In peace with oneself, in peace within one’s relationship, with other people and, last but not least, in peace with our Earth, the planet we are sharing – simply because there is no second Earth, no third one, just this one we need to find a way to share

How might our world look if human beings were to realize that they are one with the Earth? We human beings are made of the same materials as a volcano or a raincloud, and the pulse of the Earth is one with the heartbeats of mankind. We must understand that we human beings are also conscious, intelligent beings with free will, who can take responsibility for ourselves and our planet at any moment.

Imagine if human beings were to discover this unique feature within themselves, and to understand how important each one of us is to create a peaceful and loving World together.

Tickets

ENTERTAINING KIDS: 3 FUN IDEAS FOR A SMART SUMMER

Keeping kids entertained this summer can go far beyond camp, the beach or the playground. It's also about teaching them to make positive choices, with entertainment that will gently expand your children’s understanding of the world and develop good character in a truly memorable way. Young children are especially precocious and require all the skills of parenting to help them not just with normal fun activities, but by “edu-taining” them as well.

Start fresh this summer, scheduling an event each month to balance healthy activity with passive entertainment, building upon our top choices. For instance, you might hold a Sing Along Show & Dance with WO! for the younger ones, or, introduce the book club concept by reading the book “The Borrowers” before watching the “Arrietty” film adaptation on DVD. And, of course, Brave further fuels the archery trend that started with The Hunger Games, so the older kids might enjoy a local family archery class; they are offered for free in L.A.'s Balboa Park on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Read on for more about our top 3 choices to entertain and edutain your children of various ages in the summer of 2012:

WO!
That their names sound similar is pure coincidence, but Bobby Susser may well be the Dr. Seuss of children's songs. Bobby has just released his 25th album WO! and it's a sure to keep your children singing throughout the summer. With 12 songs, Bobby's new album demonstrates that "Any time of day, there is always a song to sing."

Award-winning Bobby Susser, a songwriter, record producer and singer has given us children's songs that are fun and easy-to-learn for children Pre-K and up, while also enjoyable to parents and grandparents! The songs -- especially The Wo Wo Song, Smiling Face, and Oooh Good Morning – gently introduce the foundations of rock ‘n’ roll, and will keep your children laughing, singing, dancing and, above, all, having fun. The Bobby Susser collection of albums teach children about exercise, good health habits, animals and changing seasons. They explain concepts about world peace, feelings and why we are “better together.” But, more than that, they also try to instill in children values about home and family, brotherhood, patriotism, respect and confidence. Find links to buy WO! and eleven other top kids albums on Bobby Susser's site, while also exploring lyrics and activities for parents and teachers. Access the lyrics and activities to produce your own family talent show, gently building your child's confidence.(www.BobbySusser.com)


The Secret World of Arrietty
Children love to watch DVDs over and over, and The Secret World of Arrietty is a sweet film for older children that is a step above the cookie-cutter storylines and visuals often released for children. A Japanese-animated fantasy film, this movie is based on English author Mary Norton’s novel “The Borrowers,” which (in 2007) was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years. The directorial debut of animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, he is the youngest director of a Studio Ghibli film. Now available on DVD, the movie was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the USA in early 2012. The film, which grossed more than $145 million worldwide, has been praised by critics as “a gentle and entrancing tale” (Steve Rose of The Guardian), and “likely a perennial favorite among children” (Christoph Mark of The Daily Yomiuri). Parents will likely recognize the U.S.-dub version’s voices by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and David Hendrie among others.


Brave
This heavily-promoted 3-D animated movie produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures, promises to be a summer highlight, due for airing in June 2012. It is a fantasy-adventure film set in Scotland and is the first fairy tale by Pixar. It tells the story of a skilled archer, Merida, who asks a witch for help but is cursed instead. To lift the curse, she must learn what true bravery means. It is like to appeal to both boys and girls much like Tangled, with a balance of adventure and youthful romance. The movie is scheduled to make its European debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. At that time, Disney Interactive Studios will release a video game based on the film for Play Station 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS, offering additional summer entertainment options for older children.