When you talk about movies that feature great landscapes, you have to include Interstellar and the scene where Matthew McConaughey and his kids chase a drone through a cornfield. The cornfield was real, Nolan actually planted corn to create it. The cinematography, in this scene and throughout the entire film, is amazing. When I saw this scene in the theater, it took my breath away.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
As a photographer, I love movie that feature shots of beautiful landscape. Here are four of my favorites!
4 Shots Of 4 Beautiful Landscapes
The Quiet Man (1952, Dir by John Ford)
Barry Lyndon (1975, Dir by Stanley Kubrick)
Days of Heaven (1978, Dir by Terrence Malick)
Nomadland (2020, dir by Chloe Zhao)
You know you’re in Texas when people barely notice that there’s a tornado touching the ground. The artist is Sam Cherry.
Rocking with Anthrax!
This song is off of Anthrax’s sixth studio album, Sound of White Noise and it was one of their bigger hits from the John Bush era. No less than James Hetfield referred to this as being a “perfect song.” The video mixes surreal imagery with clips of the band playing.
If the man with the mirror looks familiar, that’s because he’s played by Frank Silva, who was also Killer Bob on Twin Peaks. This was Silva’s only role outside of Twin Peaks.
Director Paul Elledge was a photographer who also directed videos for Ministry.
Enjoy!
Painting by Dave Walker
Films I Watched:
I’ve always liked this cover version of the classic Britney Spears song. Plus, I actually got to see these guys perform in London a few years ago!
Here is today’s song of the day.
Andy Griffith’s “What It Was, Was Football” is a classic, comic monologue about a naive country preacher who stumbles upon a football game and tries to make sense of something he’s never seen before. Needless to say, it’s hilarious, and it highlights just what a great comedian Griffith is. In honor of what would have been Andy Griffith’s 99th birthday, I gave it a listen, and now I share it with you. Enjoy!
Just when I thought I was through with Clint Eastwood, they pull me back in!
Actually, Clint Eastwood may have directed Invictus but that’s not why I’m writing about it today. I’m writing about it because today is Morgan Freeman’s 88th birthday. Everyone knows Morgan Freeman, of course, He’s the man with the amazing voice. If you ever want to hear someone narrate your life, you want that narrator to Morgan Freeman. Freeman is also one of our greatest actors and, for my money, Invictus is his best and more important performance.
Morgan Freeman plays the role of Nelson Mandela in Invictus. Taking place in 1994 and 1995, Invictus centers around the early days of the former political prisoner’s presidency of South Africa and how he used the 1995 Rugy World Cup to bring the tension-filled country together. While Afrikaner Francois Pinneaur (Matt Damon) unexpectedly leads South Africa to the finals of the World Cup, Mandela tries to guide South Africa into the post-Apartheid era.
Playing a role like Nelson Mandela would have to intimidate even the most confident of actors but Freeman gives a warm, humorous, and believable performance of a man who became a living icon. Freeman captures both Mandela’s humanity and his canny political instincts and he never allow the performance to become a caricature. Freeman projects the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of refusing to be broken or defeated, despite the best efforts of both the Apartheid regime and the activists who think that, as president, Mandela is too much of a moderate and too quick to forgive. Freeman (and Matt Damon) give performances that help the film get over a few spots where it falls into the typical clichés of the sports genre. Invictus is a good tribute to both Mandela and the way competition can bring people together.
One final note: Invictus was filmed on location in South Africa. When Matt Damon’s character is shown the cell were Mandela spent 27 years of his life, Eastwood shows us the actual cell and it’s a reminder of the strength of Mandela that he not only survived but that he went on to lead his country.
Andy Griffith would have been 99 years old today. This man has brought so much joy into my life over the years, and that joy has primarily come from his performance as Sheriff Andy Taylor on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW (1960-1968). There are 249 episodes of the classic TV series, and I have watched every single one of them many times. I love Andy’s relationship with his deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), and their adventures lead to so many laughs, but the shows that touch me the most emotionally involve his relationship with his son, Opie (Ron Howard). There are several episodes throughout the series where Andy will put his trust in Opie even when he’s unsure if it’s the right thing to do. One of those episodes is the first episode of season 3, entitled “Mr. McBeevee.” It’s one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, and it illustrates the special relationship between a dad and his son.
Enjoy, my friends.
I simply can’t resist the opportunity to explore an abandoned house. Check out this backyard!
A few weeks after I took these pictures, the city sent down a landscaping crew who mowed the grass and tossed out all of the tables and the chairs that had been left in the backyard. It made me sad watching them do it. I don’t know who once lived in that house or why they left their gate open but I’ve always wondered if they ever came back looking for their plastic chairs. Watching it all get tossed in a dumpster felt like the end of an era.
Previous Moments:
Through the Shattered Lens