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ratingtheframe · 3 years

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Lights, camera, lockdown! All the films I watched at home this November.

Last month, the UK went on a one month down lockdown, causing cinemas to shut and new releases to be put on hold.

In fact, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was the only multi million dollar film to be released this year. It’s painful to think that Dune was supposed to be released almost two weeks from now and that we have to wait several months to see the sci fi film hit screens. Despite the post poned releases and closing of cinema chains, there are still some great films I hadn’t seen and used last month as an opportunity to look into them. Even though I didn’t see as much as I did in October, the quality of the films I managed to see this month is high.

His House (2020) as seen on Netflix

Starting off reasonably well with this horror brought to you by Netflix that centers the life around two immigrants and a spirit haunting the new lives they’re trying to build in the UK. It’s certainly a new perspective that I haven’t seen in horror and definitely isn’t a film for the fainted hearted for some of the scenes in this are genuinely terrifying. The overall message was thought provoking and poignant as it sort of spoke for those who’ve lost their lives attempting to seek asylum and those whoa are still struggling to find a new home.

His House is available to watch on Netflix. Score: 9/10

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) as seen on Netflix

Definitely one of the most surprisingly good films I watched this month, Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is a classic Netflix horror from Poland. The film follows a group of Polish teenagers addicted to social media who are sent to a camp to curb their addiction. However, when on a hike through the woods, one of the teens goes missing and without a phone to call for help, the kids are forced to face two grotesque monsters feeding upon humans. From start to finish, this film was highly entertaining and had a good structure to it. There were no gimmicks or cliches and it’s definitely a film I’d recommend to just about anyone.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is available to watch on Netflix.

Score: 10/10

The Ring (2002) as seen on BBC iPlayer

Gore Verbinski’s (A Cure for Wellness, Pirates of the Caribbean) infamous horror is a cult classic and must watch for scary movie fans. Usually horror films can be too gimmicky and borderline cringey without an ounce of substance to them. However, The Ring is surprisingly good in that it possesses a deep narrative with three dimensional characters, good acting and wonderful direction. When a journalist’s (Naomi Watts) niece dies in unknown circumstances, she embarks on a journey to discover a horrifying tape that if watched, kills you in a week’s time. The box office sales for this film speaks for itself seeing as the film made nearly $130 million when it was released back in 2002. The Ring is certainly not for the faint hearted, so if horror isn’t your thing, I’d advise you stay well away from it.

Score: 9/10

Misery (1990) as seen on Netflix

Stephen King’s Misery is turned into an unsettling thriller starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. Author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) ends up getting caught in a snow storm, that seems his car veer off the road, leaving him in a critical state. However, a seemingly caring and selfless woman, Annie (Kathy Bates) takes him in, using her work as a nurse to care for him. It turns out that Annie is a super fan of Paul’s work and the care she has for him soon turns nasty and sadistic, leaving Paul in a panicked state for he is in the middle of nowhere with a practical psychopath. I wouldn’t say Misery is one of best adaptations of King’s novels. There are better pieces of work by Stephen King that have been made into movies such as IT, The Green Mile and 1922. The pace was quite slow and the fact that it took place in only one settling detracted from the progression of the film. However, it’s entertaining, well cast and had a decent story to it.

Score: 7/10

Drive (2011) as seen on Amazon Prime

Drive is 1000% one of the best films I’ve seen this year, in my entire life in fact. It’s incredibly bold, ambitious, vivid, subtle and heart wrenching at moments. A stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) is torn between the world of crime he partakes in and the love he has for a young woman (Carey Mulligan) that lives in the apartment next door to his. The subtlety and sensitivity that both Gosling and Mulligan brought to this film was so pure and authentic to their characters, whilst bringing an underlying sadness to the entirety of the film. By the end of the film you want to cry but aren’t sure why and these sorts of films are rare to find. The sound track and SFX in this are unreal, again adding to the confirmation that this film is one of a kind.

Score: 12/10

Time (2020) as seen on Amazon Prime

I was delighted to see Amazon Prime had put this straight onto their service seeing as I’d missed out on Time during the London Film Festival two months ago. This is one of the most moving and deep pieces of work I’ve seen this year. Time is a documentary filmed over 20 years that details the life of a woman trying to seek justice for her husband who was put in prison for life for armed robbery. Not only is she fighting for her husband, but also her four sons, two of which weren’t even born when their father was put away in jail. Fox Rich lives in Louisiana, one of America’s toughest states when it comes to the criminal justice system. Sentences are of some of the highest in the entire country and are especially harsher to people of colour. Fox and her husband took the fatal and desperate decision to rob a bank in a bid to support their business and family. This drastic choice took Fox’s husband away from his family and for 2 decades, Fox spent time trying to get her husband out of jail. The thing that moved me the most about this documentary was her sons; four beautiful, smart and driven men who grew up without a father. It made me wonder how proud Fox must be of her kids and to see her fight for her husband and remain loyal to him is enough love to last two lifetimes.

Time is available to watch on Amazon Prime now.

Score: 10/10

The Departed (2006) as seen on DVD

Throughout this two and a half hour film I was wondering how they had managed to get Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg to do a film together. And the answer is that this epic and high profile movie was directed by the infamous Martin Scorsese. It’s a mystery why I hadn’t seen this film sooner, seeing as it was a huge hit during its release making a staggering $291 million worldwide during its release. This is definitely DiCaprio’s best film (next to Revolutionary Road and The Revenant) and his performance was incredibly punchy and strong throughout. Everyone in this film was top class and the dialogue fitted well with each character with a natural story progression throughout. A top notch, Hollywood, must watch film.

Score: 10/10

Murder by Numbers (2002) as seen on Amazon Prime

One of Ryan Gosling’s earliest films follows two high school students committing a sadistic murder simply to see just how it feels. Detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) is put on the case to solve the murder and quickly pieces the case together, leading her to Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt) two students at the same high school. I wouldn’t say this film was bad, however the ending played a big part in the overall quality of the film. It had a good pace and characters, however the ending definitely let down the film for it was rushed and unaligned to the rest of the film. Ryan Gosling’s performance at the tender age of 22 was pretty decent and definitely stated to everyone else his ability as an actor for years to come.

Score: 7/10

All Good Things (2010) as seen on Amazon Prime

As you can tell by now, I went on a Ryan Gosling whip this month. All Good Things is the true story of David Marks (Ryan Gosling), whose wife Katie (Kirsten Dunst) disappears and still to this day, has never been found. Marks was the prime suspect in the disappearance case but was never found guilty and lives a free man. Even though the story was interesting and the performances good, the fact this is a Weinstein Company Film made it hard to watch, especially with the totally unnecessary nudity and sex scenes that put Kirsten Dunst at its forefront. The film lacked a clear resolution and was left completely open ended like the case of Katie Marks, which is understandable, however not when it comes to making a good film.

Score: 6/10

Borat (2006) as seen on Amazon Prime

After finding the second Borat film to be highly entertaining, I decided to watch the first one and was certainly not left disappointed. The first Borat film introduces us to Kazakstan reporter Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his first visit to America, whilst taking in all the americanisms to report back to his own country. Soon his pursuit turns to Pamela Anderson whose doing a book signing across in California. The comedy has many jaw dropping moments and sees Cohen above and beyond the boundaries of comedy to bring the character of Borat to life.

Score: 10/10

Boy Erased (2018) as seen on Sky Cinema

If there’s one film worth watching on this list, it’d be Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased. This film is the product of a real understanding of film language and the ability to make a beautiful and heart felt story. Edgerton is a well known actor, but has taken time to go behind the camera as well as in front of it in this Golden Globe nominated picture starring the likes of Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan and Joe Alwyn. Like HELLO if that cast isn’t making you immediately turn off this site right now to find Boy Erased, then I don’t know what will. The film based on a true story follows Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) and his time spent at a gay conversion centre with fellow homosexuals Gary (Troye Sivan) and Jon (Xavier Dolan). Jared’s father (Russell Crowe) is a pastor he and his wife (Nicole Kidman) take their religion rather seriously, which is why Jared has been forced to seek help for his sexuality. It’s a hard concept to swallow, especially in this day and age when most parents, religious or not, are starting to become more acceptable of their children’s sexuality. This film exposes the reality beyond that and how some parents feel their child is damaged by something completely normal and feel the need to seek help for it. Boy Erased is made with sensitivity and beautiful acting from an a class cast. All round, it’s a perfect film.

Score: 11/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) as seen on Amazon Prime

I was a little confused starting this film to see it in Swedish, as I thought I was watching the David Fincher film of the same title. However, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was original a book and the first adapation of it for film was directed by Niels Arden Oplev, two years before Fincher made his version, starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. However, the fact that this version was in Swedish didn’t detract from the thrilling story spun onto screen. The three hour movie follows a journalist whose been hired to solve the mystery of a missing girl who is part of a high profile family. A young female hacker who once hacked the journalist and practically ruined his career, joins him along the way and the pair of them uncover a long string of untold secrets that see blood being split amongst numerous women. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve ever seen and a must watch if you enjoyed Fincher’s version.

Score: 10/10

Still Alice (2014) as seen on DVD

A highly anticipated film on my part, Still Alice is an arresting and moving film about a mother struggling with on set Alzheimers. Julianne Moore scooped up a Best Actress Award at the Academy Awards in 2015, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for her performance as Dr Alice Howland and her battle with Alzheimers at the age of 50. Kristen Stewart plays her daughter and Alec Baldwin her husband and their performances are equal to Julianne Moore’s. Overall, this was a touching piece that had soooo much depth to it and yet carried a satisfying simplicity throughout it.

Score: 10/10

Enemy (2013) as seen on DVD

I heard about Enemy’s synopsis via a YouTube video and was throughly excited to watch it on hearing it was directed by Denis Villeneuve, a master director when it comes to thrillers and sci fi films. Even though Enemy was difficult to fully interpret, I still enjoyed the story and performance Jake Gyllenhaal brought to the table as a man who meets another man that looks exactly like him. There’s some pure mind fuckery that plays throughout the film as you’re left questioning who is this other man or if there are even two men at all. If anything, it’s an exploration of a man having a double life, wrapped up in some sinister secrets and tied between two women. All of Denis Villeneuve’s work is exceptional and Enemy is no different. A must watch for thriller lovers.

Score: 10/10

A Star is Born (2018) as seen on DVD

Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born certainly wins the award for making me cry the most this month. The last version I saw of this film starred Judy Garland and James Mason and was centred around a musical actress and the rocky relationship she had with her actor husband. That 1954 version possessed a lot of brilliance and it was easy to compare it to the more modern version starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Who would’ve thought these two could be such an authentic on screen couple? The songs, the lyrics and the acting that these two brought to this picture was on another level, it was incredible from start to finish. Obviously the fact that this film had been done 4 times before honed the quality of the film, however Bradley Cooper’s direction and ability to bring out the best in Lady Gaga definitely makes this version of A Star is Born the best one yet. This directorial debut was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Lady Gaga was handed the award for Best Music for a motion picture. Warning: you will cry whilst watching this or at least afterwards.

Score: 12/10

Sorry to Bother You (2018) as seen on Netflix

Netflix certainly came through this month when it put Boots Riley’s fanatical dark comedy Sorry to Bother You on its streaming service. It’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever seen before and the innuendo and hidden messages within this film make it something that you can watch several times and never get bored of. Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) gets a job as a telemarketer who gets promoted to a “power caller” and through pride and greed, ends up abandoning his ideologies and friends completely. The film speaks for the gentrification of Oakland, California and capitalistic society we live in today. There are many hidden messages amongst the film that at first are hard to decipher, but soon you realise these messages are as clear as day within our own society. Lakeith Stanfield stars alongside Tessa Thompson, Steve Yeun and Armie Hammer, not a cast you’d usually put together but one that certainly worked. Sorry to Bother You is highly entertaining and will definitely make you laugh out loud at points and have you questioning your laughter right after.

Score: 10/10

The Florida Project (2017) as seen on DVD

I’m starting to think that films made between 2017 and 2018 are some of the best ever made and the Florida Project falls into that. I heard about this film through one of my favourite actors and was glad for the recommendation as this film is one of the best I’ve seen all year. The colours and character dynamics are strong and vivid throughout, as we follow the lives of people living on an apartment complex whilst speaking for the child poverty that plagues American society today. Willem Dafoe, who plays the complex’s handy man and security guard, even earned himself a Best Supporting Actor Award at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Score: 10/10

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2014) as seen on DVD

Usually I’d pass on a Charlie Kaufman film, seeing as they make no sense, however I felt that it was time I delved into this cult classic starring Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood. It’s a really well made film with a clear and distinct message to it that’s represented in some phenomenal filmmaking techniques. The plot line of this film follows a man trying to erase a past lover and his memories of her get wiped away physically before your eyes on screen. This film is certainly a conversation starter and one I’d recommend to just about anyone.

Score: 9/10

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) as seen on DVD

Wes Anderson’s wonderful mind is depicted in this endearing narrative about two children running away from home. This has to one of Wes Anderson’s most iconic films and next to The Grand Budapest Hotel, it’s definitely one of the films you think of when you think of Anderson’s work. His work is known for having well rounded stories, beautiful shots and A List casts, with Moonrise Kingdom being no expection as Anderson manages to squeeze Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Kietel and a young Lucas Hedges into this film. If you’ve seen any of Wes Anderson’s work and not Moonrise Kingdom, get on it now. No, seriously, now.

Score: 10/10

Jarhead (2005) as seen on DVD

Sam Mendes’ war film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx translates the lives of US soldiers in Iraq onto screen and the brain washing their government has done to boost the importance of the US military and the service soldiers are doing to their country. Jake Gyllenhaal’s execution in this film is a reflection of his ability as a great actor. He always has this patient and gritty approach to his work that makes him addicting to watch on screen. There’s an entire video on YouTube about Jake Gyllenhaal’s eyes and the way they communicate his emotions on screen. This is certainly present in Jarhead, as the anger, frustration, disappointment and despair is held within Jake Gyllenhaal’s eyes throughout. Jarhead was originally a memoir written by a US solider named Anthony Swofford. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the open ended resolution to the film and the stagnant progression of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. He literally didn’t achieve anything, which I suppose is the point of the film and how the honour that soldiers who went to Iraq were supposed to feel, is more of a fantasy than a reality.

Score: 9/10

Silence (2016) as seen on BBC iPlayer

This film was truly summit else and a refreshing turn on genre from highly acclaimed filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. Silence certainly proved that he has the ability to be more sensitive with his films and can tells stories outside his usual New York mobster type movies. The film tracks the journey of two Portuguese missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) in the 17th Century who go to Japan looking for one of their mentors (Liam Neeson). However in this era, Christians faced persecution in Japan and were practically slaughtered for not following the country’s religion of Buddhism. The priests’ journey is perilous and heart rendering as they are forced to abandon their own religion in order to save their own lives and the lives of others. Despite the film being just over 160 minutes, it’s an inspiring story and one that is told in a tactful way. To believe this is a film is quite hard, as the accuracy of it makes it closer to reality than just a film itself.

Score: 8/10

Lynn + Lucy (2019) as seen on BBC iPlayer

This film recently came out in UK cinemas and was put onto BBC iPlayer due to lockdown. I found it to be interesting and enjoyed the new perspective it gave to quite a simple story. Lynn and Lucy have been friends for almost their entire lives, and when Lucy’s baby boy dies in unexplained circumstances, it drives a wedge between her relationship with Lynn, as people in their neighbourhood accuse her of being a child murderer. Eventually, Lynn stats to believe the rumours herself, leaving her best friend behind and favouring the opinions of those who hardly know her. A great debut and British film, Lynn + Lucy is profound story of friendship.

Score: 8/10

Revolutionary Road (2008) as seen on Netflix

Revolutionary Road has a metric score of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, which I find quite offensive as the film nearly falls into the “thanks but no thanks” category of films. Directed by Sam Mendes and starring Kate Winslet alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, I don’t see what’s not to like. I only clocked halfway through the film why DiCaprio had been cast with Kate Winslet (Titanic, duh) and it made their on screen chemistry more prominent for me. I always say this about EVERY SINGLE Leonardo DiCaprio film I watch, but his performance in this was unreeeaaal. His character went somewhere intense and never returned, making the hardship on screen 10 times more powerful. There’s a scene where him and Winslet’s character are in a full blown argument and DiCaprio’s rage was on another level. Incredibly authentic and honest, Revolutionary Road showcases a wonderful example of when two masterful actors come together to make something great.

Score: 10/10

Hillbilly Elegy (2020) as seen on Netflix

Hillbilly Elegy recently got torn to shreds by critics as it was released on Netflix the other week, and I half agree with what most are saying about it, but also feel there’s unnecessary criticisms about this film. The film is based on a memoir of a Yale Law student, J.D Vance (Gabriel Basso) who comes from rough beginnings and ends up building the life he so desired from a young age. His mother (Amy Adams) is a destructive drug addict who’s moods change frequently so that she’s constantly at war with her own mother (Glenn Close) and two children (Haley Bennett and Gabriel Basso). The story follows J.D’s return to his home town to claim his mother from a hospital after she over dosed on heroin. The only problem is, he has an interview with a law firm from Washington the following morning and has to choose between taking care of his mother and landing his dream job. Sounds pretty intriguing, right? And it truly is. The film is laced with conflict and great performances from everyone, however critics have blasted this film with hate, saying that it doesn’t ring true to the entire American experience of living in poverty, without healthcare and enough money to bring food to the table. The fact that J.D made it to Harvard and now works for a successful enterprise somehow detracts from his struggle as a child, which I think is complete BS. I think this film should be taken for more face value than as a political story. It’s a straight talking, rags to riches tale that proves with hard work and dedication, you can transform your struggles into success. One critic had the audacity to say that “Selling out your origins is a kind of white trash cosplay because you were lucky enough to get out”. The irony of this is that the critic herself is white and it suggests had JD been a person of colour, it’d made a better film, which isn’t the kind of world where I want to live in when stories of people of colour are used as poverty porn rather than something to enjoy or learn from. My only criticism of this film would be the pace of conflict within the film and how things went from 0-100 waaay too quickly. This can happen in real life, but on screen it tends to look sloppy and rushed.

Score: 9/10

And that’s it! A rather short list for this month, but as the year draws to a close, I’m just really excited for the new films hopefully hitting screens next year. Seen you soon!

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stainedglassgardens · 3 years

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Watched in February 2021

Beyond the Black Rainbow

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris

Student (Студент)

Beginning (Დასაწყისი)

Miss Juneteenth

The Collector (Koleksiyoncu)

You're Sleeping Nicole (Tu dors Nicole)

Another Year (Еще один год)

Lessons of Darkness (Lektionen in Finsternis)

Space Sweepers (승리호)

Synchronic

Dead Pigs (海上浮城)

Basket Case

Pariah

John Wick: Chapter 2

Frankenhooker

The Dark Crystal

Palm Springs

The Village

I could take them or leave them

Student (Студент, Darezhan Omirbayev, 2012): This film from Kazakhstan was supposed to be an adaptation of Crime and Punishment, which I have not read, and maybe that is why I didn't quite get it

Miss Juneteenth (Channing Godfrey Peoples, 2020): I was a little disappointed by this, like the film itself is very good but I feel like I've seen a dozen exactly like this one

Space Sweepers (승리호, Jo Sung-hee, 2021): This could have been a good-enough action sci-fi moment but the plot was messy and the characters not particularly endearing

Pariah (Dee Rees, 2011): I should have watched this sooner... I built it up in my head and ended up expecting something better than it was. Still a great lesbian coming-of-age story, just maybe not for me

Fun times

Basket Case and Frankenhooker (Frank Henenlotter, 1982 and 1990): These were both on Mubi so I thought why not?! They're very silly, very enjoyable. Frankenhooker did make me uneasy with its depiction of sex work though, so I preferred Basket Case

John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chad Stahelski, 2017): Very silly! Loved it

The Dark Crystal (Frank Oz & Jim Henson, 1982): Not sure what I can say about this. It was good? The animation was impressive, especially for 1982. And yes, I had a good time

Palm Springs (Max Barbakow, 2020): I'm a slut for time travel and when I saw Andy Samberg was in this I jumped in! I wasn't disappointed. It's a perfect sci-fi comedy

The Village (M. Night Shyamalan, 2004): I didn't think this was particularly great but it made for a pleasant hour or two

Really enjoyed

Beyond the Black Rainbow (Panos Cosmatos, 2010): The first film from the director of Mandy is aesthetically perfect

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (Terence Dixon, 1970): In this short documentary James Baldwin finds himself in conflict with white British filmmakers. He is, as usual, wonderful

The Collector (Koleksiyoncu, Pelin Esmer, 2002): This is a documentary about the director's fascinating uncle who hoards many things in his small Istanbul flat. Highly recommended

You're Sleeping Nicole (Tu dors Nicole, Stéphane Lafleur, 2014): A coming-of-age story that is sometimes sad, sometimes very funny, and has the right vibe for a long summer

Lessons of Darkness (Lektionen in Finsternis, Werner Herzog, 1992): A documentary with barely any commentary, just images of the aftermath of the Gulf War

Synchronic (Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson, 2019): Maybe I was a bit disappointed by this follow-up to Resolution and The Endless? It's very good, but I expected something amazing

Dead Pigs (海上浮城, Cathy Yan, 2018): I watched this because I was intrigued, having seen Birds of Prey, and I'm pleased to say that Cathy Yan's debut is infinitely better. Had a great time watching this

Favourites of the month

Beginning (Დასაწყისი, Dea Kulumbegashvili, 2020): Not sure what I can say about this film to do it justice. It's very sad, very masteful. Hard to believe it is the director's first feature

Another Year (Еще один год, Oksana Bychkova, 2014): This month's film that made me cry! Films never do but this one had Take This Waltz vibes and it was unbelievably sad. Of course I loved it

In February I also rewatched Upstream Color (loved it a little less this time), Boy and Heavenly Creatures (still love them just as much). I also took pains to spend more time reading and less time watching stuff. I'm happy to watch 15-20 films a month so I'll try and keep going like that in March!

#films #watched in 2021

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discovisiondreams · 3 years

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Top 15 First Watches of 2020

I’ve never been good at staying current on pop culture, and that became especially pronounced in 2020. A year where most of the anticipated theatrical releases were pushed to VOD (and the price nearly tripled) meant that a lot of flicks I was excited for got added to the end of the “Maybe Someday” watchlist.

But in this strange year, I did manage to watch 245 movies- and 195 of those were first-time watches. Some were new, only available on the (virtual) festival circuit. Some were Criterion mainstays, films I’m horrified to admit I hadn’t seen before. But this year, when movies cemented themself as my biggest joy, I began to really track what I watched- including a “top 5 first watches of the month” roundup for every month. These top 5s weren’t ranked, and weren’t even based on technical ability, strength of dialogue, or critical acclaim. They were just the 5 I loved the best.

So without further ado, here are my top 15 of the year- one selected from the top 5 of each month, with some bonus entries thrown in as well. As a general rule, I only included features on this list- I was fortunate enough to catch shorts that streamed at Chattanooga Film Fest, Celebration of Fantastic Fest, and more, but to add them to the running would have made writing this listicle absolutely impossible.

HONORABLE Honorable Mention: The Holiday. Inspired by the fine folks at Super Yaki, I finally watched this Nancy Meyers classic. Why is it two and a half hours long?! Why is that two and a half hours so significantly lacking in Jack Black?! The scenes that Black is in, though, really shine. This one is going to be a Christmas mainstay in the Disco household (and not just because I spent money on the DVD).

15: The Love Witch (Honorable Mention, April). This one came highly recommended to me by friends of all sorts, and like most of my 2020 first watches, I’m deeply embarrassed that it took me this long to get to it. Upon finally watching it, on a rainy Sunday, I described the movie in general (and the color palette, specifically) as “sumptuous,” which is one of the most complimentary visual descriptors I can bestow upon a movie. The plot felt a little convoluted at times, but I still found The Love Witch incredibly enjoyable and am hoping to explore more of writer-director Anna Biller’s filmography in 2021.

14: The Guest (Honorable Mention, October). The Guest is one of the few movies I watched multiple times this year- and the only one I watched twice in one week. From the sultry industrial soundtrack selections to the numerous visual nods to Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The guest was Extremely My Shit. The casting here is truly tremendous- especially Maika Monroe, who was similarly brilliant in It Follows. Also of note: Lance Reddick, one of my current favourite character actors.

13: The Fast and The Furious (Honorable Mention, May). 2 Fast 2 Furious (and its bespoke theme song, Act A Fool, by Ludacris) came out when I was in the 6th grade. Do you remember the music and movies that entered the world when you were in 6th grade? Do you have an inexplicable zealous love for them? 2F2F was the only film in the Fast Cinematic Universe I had seen for a long, long time. Then I saw Fate of the Furious. Then I bought the series box set, as a joke?? And then, slowly but then also all at once, I genuinely started to love this franchise. Some of them are truly ridiculous. Some of them are genuinely bad. But the first one? The Fast and The Furious (2001)? Timeless. Point Break updated and adapted for the early-aughts, The Fast and the Furious walked so The Italian Job (2003) could run. Without The Fast and The Furious, Paul Walker would just be “the guy from Tammy and The T-Rex” to millions of casual cinemagoers. The cultural impact of The Fast and The Furious simply cannot be denied!!

12: Come to Daddy (Top 5, July). Honestly, this is the exact flavor of bonkers bullshit I’ve grown to expect from Elijah Wood, and that is not an indictment. Wood’s genuine love for genre film is evident here, in what can only be described as an uncomfortable film of family, reunion, and redemption. The tense and abrasive first half gives way to a surprisingly relieving wave of violence and exposition in this critically-acclaimed flick.

11: The Stylist (Top 5, September). The feature-length debut of writer-director Jill Gevargizian, based off her short of the same name, is female-led horror that pays homage to genre mainstays like Maniac and Psycho while still being decidedly singular. Not only shot in Kansas City, but set in Kansas City, The Stylist made my midwestern heart happy. This is one that I really, really would have loved to see in a crowded theater auditorium, were this year a different one.

10: In The Mouth of Madness (Top 5, March). Despite being the beginning of pandemic awareness, March was a slow month for me, movie-wise (even though it’s not like I had anything else going on??). But I finally made time for this Carpenter classic, and I’m so happy I did. I’ve long been fascinated by stories about stories, and the people who find themselves trapped within those stories, and this one is truly, in the most basic sense of the word, horrifying. Sam Neill proves that he belongs in horror here, making his role in Event Horizon seem like a natural fit. Also a highlight: noted character actor David Warner, best known (to me) as “Billy Zane’s bodyguard guy in Titanic,” who never ever fails to be unsettling.

9: Profondo Rosso (Top 5, April). Before this year, my only Argento exposure was Suspiria (which is phenomenal), but Deep Red goes off the deep end in all the best ways. The score (by frequent Argento collaborators Goblin) is truly groovy. The number of twists and turns the plot takes is kind of mind-boggling, but also delightful. Daria Nicolodi (RIP) is at the top of her acting game here. This quickly became one of my beloved background movies- if I opened Shudder and Profondo Rosso was playing on one of their live-streaming channels, it stayed on while I was cleaning or cooking or paying bills. Profondo Rosso is a must-watch for those hoping to get into giallo.

8: Crimson Peak (Top 5, November). This one was definitely not what I was expecting, but it was GORGEOUS. I loved the world immediately (a Del Toro trademark, to be honest). As a longtime Pacific Rim stan, it made my heart happy to see Charlie Hunnam and Burn Gorman reunited under Guillermo Del Toro’s vision.

7: Palm Springs (Top 5, August). I am not typically a time-travel movie enthusiast- but I am a sucker for witty repartee and Andy Samberg. This one made me ugly-cry, which I should probably be a bit more ashamed to admit. August had a lot of really great first watches, but the Hulu exclusive takes the cake due to its novel premise, some truly heart-wrenching reveals, and the amazing casting (is there anything JK Simmons cant do?).

6: Scare Package (Top 5, May). Is there any format I love more than the horror anthology? While there have been so many over the years (Creepshow, All the Creatures Were Stirring), Scare Package might be my favourite of them all. A variety of fun and inventive stories combined with a genre-lovers dream of an overarching narrative make this one a must-see- in fact, it was the whole reason I bought a pass to this year’s online version of Chattanooga Film Fest. There’s a cameo here that absolutely knocked my socks off (and continued to do so even on repeat viewings). While the scares here are honestly minimal, Scare Package is a great love letter to the genre at large.

5: Do The Right Thing (Top 5, June). Yes, it took me until 2020 to watch Do The Right Thing for the first time. The palpable tension, the interwoven stories of Bed-Stuy’s residents, all seem timeless. Giancarlo Esposito is, as always, a joy to watch.

4: Knives Out (Top 5, February). “It’s a Rian Johnson whodunnit, duh,” states the SuperYaki! T-shirt famously worn by Jamie Lee Curtis, star of Knives Out (2019). This one has received worlds of critical acclaim, I truly do not know what I could even hope to add to the conversation. I want more old-school murder mystery cinema.

3: The VelociPastor (Top 5, January). It should be testimonial enough that The VelociPastor beat out Miss Americana, Netflix’s Taylor Swift documentary, as the top pick for January- but in case it isn’t, let me end 2020 the way I began it; by evangelizing the HECK out of this movie. Written and directed by up-and-coming triple-threat (Director/songwriter/prolific cat-photo-poster) Brendan Steere, The VelociPastor is a true love letter to genre cinema, complete with a big wink to the criminally underloved Miami Connection. Alyssa Kempinski shines as Carol, a doctor/lawyer/hooker with a heart of gold. The VelociPastor premiered in 2019 but gained tons of attention in 2020 (thanks in part to YouTube sensation Cody Ko)- attention that it truly deserves. A sequel is rumored to be in the works, but mark my words, anything to come from the imagination of Brendan Steere will be worth a watch.

2: Dinner in America (Top 5, October). I genuinely feel sorry for the other movies I watched in October (there were a lot) (they were all SO GOOD). Dinner in America, which I caught during the Nightstream hybrid festival, was not at all what I was expecting. While the other features were all very solidly genre flicks, this was…. A comedy? A modern love story?? I’mn honestly still not exactly sure, but I do know I loved every second of it. I laughed. I cried. I threw my hands up in the air exuberantly (in front of my laptop, looking like a true fool). I did not shut up about this movie online for weeks. I told anyone and everyone that Kyle Gallner is the most underrated actor of my generation and I still believe it! Dinner in America, the story of a punk band frontman who unwittingly takes refuge from the police in the home of his biggest fan, was an unexpectedly heartwarming tale of family, young love, and arson. Watch it as soon as you can.

1: Promising Young Woman (Top 5, December). This last-minute debut from Emerald Fennell, originally scheduled to hit theaters in April of this year, finally made its way to the big screen on Christmas Day, and became the 2020 entry on my annual “Christmas Day Trip to the Theater” list.* Carey Mulligan is an icon and deserves all of the awards for this. The soundtrack is sublime. The casting choices are truly incredible. While I have no doubt that the general themes of the movie will be polarizing, I absolutely loved this one- I sat in my car in the theater parking lot for a WHILE, considering just buying a ticket for the next showtime- that’s how badly I felt like I needed to see it again immediately. I look forward to writing its inevitable Criterion essay.

*Nobody else in rural iowa was interested in seeing this movie at noon on Christmas Day. I’m shocked.

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theastrophilearchitect · 3 years

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March TBR/W.

Every book, audiobook, tv show and movie I want to consume in March 2021.

-Hence ‘TBR/W’ - to-be-read/watched.

I’m not usually a fan of pre-planning my media for the month - I plan out all my media obsessively, but doing it by month seems a little too much like setting deadlines for my taste, and I’m sure I’ll somehow manage to turn watching tv into a chore. Regardless, it’s worth a shot, so this is going to be a rough guide - I’m going to pick four of each category, one per week, because I’d rather underestimate and surpass than overestimate and have to defer things to the next month. So let’s go.

Books

1. Skyward and 2. Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

Skyward is set in a future where the human race is on the verge of extinction, trapped on a planet constantly attacked by alien warriors. Spensa, a teenage girl stuck on the planet, wants to be a pilot, but it seems far-off. Then, she finds the wreckage of a ship that appears to have a soul, and she must figure out how to repair it, and persuade it to help her navigate flight school.

In truth, I mainly want to read this because of how highly it’s been praised by Hailey in Bookland on YouTube. I actually tried reading Sanderson’s Mistborn series a couple years ago, and just didn’t click with it. I love fantasy, but I can pretty confidently say epic fantasy just isn’t for me. However, Sanderson’s work is adored by many, and Skyward and its sequel Starsight appeal so much more to me, and I can’t wait to get to them.

3. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

This is Maas’s first technically-adult book; Throne of Glass is young adult, ACOTAR being classed either as young or new adult. I’ve been a fan of Maas for a long time, and, though I enjoy her books less now than I have in the past due to how seriously they tend to take themselves, I’d still love to read this one. Where her previous series were both fantasies, this sits somewhere between that and a sci-fi, but I can’t say as-of-yet what I think, because I haven’t read it yet.

Bryce Quinlan finds herself investigating her friends’ deaths in an attempt to avenge them after they were taken from her by a demon. Hunt Athalar is a Fallen angel, enslaved by Archangels, forced to assassinate their enemies, when he’s offered a deal to assist Bryce in exchange for his freedom.

4. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I listened to this as an audiobook in 2019 as part of BookTuber Book Roast’s Magical Readathon, and didn’t hugely get along with it in truth. The audiobook was excellent as an audiobook, but the story Ian’s I just didn’t really vibe. I think I just want to like this book, so I think it’s worth a reread to see if my opinion changes.

This follows Citra and Rowan, a reluctant pair of apprentice Scythes - in a utopian future where humanity has the means to live forever, it is the job of the Scythes to control the population by essentially reaping the souls of those they choose to die. Neither Citra or Rowan want it, but I don’t remember enough about this book to say any more.

Audiobooks

1. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

This is the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and you either already know what this series is about, or you’ve been living under a rock for the last thirteen years. I read this book for the first time nearly seven years ago, and it’s stuck with me. It sent me into a phase of only reading dystopian books (The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken was part of this, and was the series that really got me into reading), but this was the main one that stuck with me.

It contains a powerful message about capitalism and discrimination, and this is the second time I’ve listened to the audiobooks, though the god-only-knows-what time I’ve read the series. I listened to The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in February, which automatically puts this on my to-listen for March.

2. Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman

This is a novella bind-up set in the Shadowhunters world, that I would imagine has quite a bit to do with the Shadow Market, an aspect of the Downworld introduced in The Dark Artifices, which I finished in January.

In truth, I’m mainly planning to listen to this audiobook because it’s the only Shadowhunters novella bind-up with an audiobook, and I’d just rather read additions to the main Shadowhunters series in this format rather than physically.

3. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

This is a Hunger Games prequel that was released early last year, and I just wasn’t going to read it. I heard several reviews, the general consensus of which was basically that it’s not as good as the trilogy and is somewhat unnecessary, but, in truth, my curiosity’s got the better of me, especially since I started listening to the trilogy’s audiobooks again.

This prequel follows Coriolanus Snow as a mentor in the Games before he became President of Panem and the wonderful villain of the original trilogy.

4. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

I mentioned this in my physical TBR post a couple weeks ago, but have decided to listen to the audiobook instead. A few weeks ago, I’d started to run out of audiobooks I wanted to listen to, and didn’t want to read anything on my regular TBR in this format, including this book. But, I went through a load of audiobook recommendations, and this was one of them, so it joined my to-listen.

I’m not hugely into contemporary books, but I’ve wanted to get more into the genre for a while, and this was the first one to join my TBR.

This novel follows Eliza Mirk, your typical high school outcast, who publishes a hugely popular web comic under the pseudonym LadyConstellation. Then Wallace Warland, the biggest fanfic writer of her comic transfers to her school and begins to draw her out of her shell.

TV Shows

Before I go into my list, I’d like to mention that I am currently watching WandaVision and am definitely planning to watch Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, but both come out on a weekly basis, so aren’t being included on this list. Also, I’ve been watching way too much YouTube recently, so I’m not sure I’ll get through all of these this month, especially since I’m watching the Arrowverse shows, which have such long seasons.

1. Love, Victor Season 1

This Love, Simon spin-off follows a character named Victor at Creekwood (I think that’s the name?) High School. I saw Love, Simon twice in cinemas when it was released, and, miraculously, it made me cry. I love that movie.

This series was released last year on Hulu, which is only available in the US, but as of February 23rd, it’s one of the shows that came to Disney+ as part of Star.

2. The Flash Season 1

As mentioned, I’ve started watching the DC Arrowverse shows. I watch tv shows through alternating seasons - as in, I watch season 1 of show A, then season 1 of show B, then 2 of A, etc., then when I finish one, I start watching show C - but I’m treating the Arrowverse as one show (even though it isn’t) so it’s not the only thing I’m watching. So this is technically Arrowverse S3, preceded by Arrow S1+2 (though I haven’t actually started S2 as of writing this because of how much YouTube I’ve been watching, so I’ll be finishing that first).

I genuinely don’t know that much about most DC superheroes, Flash included, but I’m going into this having been assured it takes itself less goddamn seriously than Arrow. It’s my sister’s favourite Arrowverse show, and I can’t wait.

3. Dare Me Season 1

I added this Netflix show to my watchlist when it came out, and my basic understanding is that it focuses on the cheerleaders at a high school, and begins when a new coach arrives. It focuses on the psychological damage behind competitive cheerleading, and I’m not convinced I’m going to love it, but I think it’s worth a shot.

4. Arrow Season 3

I’m so confused by this poster. This is specifically the season 3 poster, and I’m so confused, but I’m sure it’ll make more sense when I watch the season.

I explained the weird way I’m watching Arrowverse (named as such because Arrow was the first show in it) already, but Arrow follows Oliver Queen, the son of one of the billionaires of Starling City upon his return after being stuck for five years on an island when a cruise ship carrying him and his father sunk. His father left him with a list of names of the people ‘corrupting’ the city, and Oliver takes it upon himself to assume a vigilante identity and take them down.

Movies

I’m not a huge movie-watcher, but I end up compiling so many to watch that, to ensure I get round to them, I watch a movie every time I finish a tv show season. I’m also currently re-watching the MCU movies in chronological order.

1. Instant Family

This is just something that came onto Netflix recently and I thought might be entertaining, and so it joined my list.

This follows a couple who decide to adopt a teenager, only to find out she has two more siblings.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

This is just a continuation of my MCU re-watch - I love this movie. I love Guardians of the Galaxy, full stop (on another note, I just generally don’t understand why British people call it a full stop and Americans call it a period. Neither name makes particular sense).

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron

And here we have another continuation of my MCU rewatch. I honestly think this is my favourite Avengers movie, because the whole teams actually together, and Wanda, Scarlet Witch, is introduced - I love her. I really didn’t like Vision until WandaVision came out, though.

4. Behind The Try: A Try Guys Documentary

Not technically a movie, but still. (Are documentaries movies? I tend to think of them as separate categories, but I guess they’re both movies. Hm.) I’ve been watching the Try Guys for years, which means I need to convince my sister to give me her Google password so I don’t have to pay for this.

I’m probably not going to stick to this list, and even if I do, I’m either going to also consume things not on it, or just not finish it. But, you’ll have to wait for my March wrap-up to find out.

#tbr #book #books #reading #reader #bookblr #marchtbr #tv shows #movies #review #films #movie #tv show #writerblr #march tbr

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pbandjesse · 4 years

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I had a bit of a panic about work this afternoon. Alexi emailed us that they were almost ready to open back up and needed a bunch of paperwork and I was like. Okay chill. Except it wasnt chill!! There were forms and they needed like. So much information. And paperwork from others?? And transcripts?? From my highschool?? Excuse me?? So I sent some panicked emails.

But I think most of it will be fine? Mom sent me scans of my diplomas. I just had to pull out my masters degree. Which is ugly as sin and does not look like a diploma but what are you gonna do. And I have a phone meeting with Alexi tomorrow to try to sort everything else out.

But man it was stressful. I feel a little overwhelmed. I like being home, but it has been hard to be like chill, because I feel so much guilt. But also I know I needed the break. But also now I might be going back to work but I dont know when? So that makes me stressed. But it seems like thats just the way things are at this camp, we gotta just be ready and try our best?

The rest of the day was alright. I slept better last night. But I still felt kind of bad and off when I woke up. I took a dayquil and that helped shake off the feelings. James was getting home from his ride as I was getting dressed. He made us breakfast and we hung out for a little while. But soon we were off.

We went out to the county to go to a thrift store that wasnt savers. We went to a goodwill and a 2nd Ave. We had alright luck. We were specifically looking for shoes for him. And while we didnt find sneakers he did find some really nice restaurant shoes and some hiking type shoes. So he did good. I got a fleece that turned out to be super ugly on me and will now just be used for fabric. And I got a sports bra and some awesome snow pants. They arent like actually snow pants but they are like that wind breaker material on the outside and fuzzy on the inside. They are great and I like them a lot.

But being out was a little weird. James did a little better not projecting uncomfortability, but I knew he wasnt happy with all the people. So I didnt have as nice or as calm of a time when he was near, and I had to tell him to stop following me and to go look for his own things when we were at the first store. Also the toy aisle there was a nightmare because a sound toy was going off but wouldnt turn off?? Very scary.

The 2nd ave was a little more busy. And was farther in the county and had more people not wearing masks properly. Like this one guy had the skinniest mask that was just covering his nose?? Like what? And no one was really giving people space. Like I get having to go past someone but being 4 deep in a tight aisle isnt it. I may go back out there because they had so much stuff, but being there when it was busy wasnt super fun.

I am a little sad because there was an LL bean jacket I would have liked to try on but James was ready and I was feeling weird. So I will just be a little sad.

I signed up for their rewards program. And we headed out. We decided to get burger king for lunch and there was a long line. And James messed up and drove past the screen and then he didnt get something I wanted and I was just not happy with him. And he was upset because someone honked at him. But I think I was just tired and hungry and a little upset because of the emotions I was getting from James being uncomfortable out in the world. It was just a lot all at once.

But we are mature and a good couple and we talked about it when we got home. We had lunch and put things away. I went through the camping stuff to try to pack it a little better, a little tighter. I also pushed it all into the living room. So now the studio feels a lot more open. Maybe next week Ill reorganize the space. Well see.

James left for work and I decided to watch a documentary that was so sad. Its on youtube, its called My Brother Jordan and I highly recommend it. But prepare to cry.

I went to get up after that and I fell?? And I cut my elbow on the zipper of one of the duffle bags!! And I was upset and mad at myself. I went and played animal crossing and moved things around. And then I got the email from Alexi and had my panic about the forms.

But I spent about an hour filling them out best I could. But its a lot. I am hoping that its actually not as big a deal and it will all just be easy peasy but trying to get things from other people makes me so anxious.

Once I was done with those though I felt a little better. I made ramen. And I have been hanging out with sweetP and texting with Jess for a while. I am going to go wash my face and try to start winding down for sleep.

James has off tomorrow and we are going to get some stuff from his parents and then probably pack the car?? Im not sure about that. James told me we could check into our campsite on friday at 1 but I checked the website and its actually 3pm. So Im not sure exactly what the plan is. I kind of hope we still leave around noon and we can like. Enjoy some of the nature before we set up the camp site. But I dont exactly know the rules. So I guess well see what happens.

I hope you all have a good night tonight. Be safe and take care of eachother.

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watusichris · 4 years

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Leon Russell Au Naturel

When Les Blank’s A Poem is a Naked Person, his long-suppressed feature about Leon Russell, was finally exhumed some years back, I wrote about the film for the Night Flight web site. The story has since been scoured from the web. The film is airing Monday on TCM at the ungodly hour of 7:15 a.m. PT, as part of its Labor Day music movie marathon, so I decided to dig up my old piece and re-post it to supply some back story. It’s quite a picture, but it is not for the impatient or the squeamish. ********** Virtually unseen for more than 40 years, A Poem is a Naked Person, Les Blank’s portrait of Leon Russell, receives a formal Los Angeles premiere on July 8 with a screening at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel; a week of showings at Cinefamily, under the auspices of Allison and Tiffany Anders’ Don’t Knock the Rock Festival, commences on July 10. The reason for the picture’s long suppression is simple: Russell and his Shelter Records partner Denny Cordell commissioned Blank to make a promotional movie, and he gave them an art film, and not a flattering one at that. Therein lies a very interesting rub.

Some slightly convoluted back story is necessary. By 1972, when Blank was hired to create his portrait of the musician, guitarist-keyboardist-songwriter Russell had risen to a position of commercial eminence after years as one of L.A.’s top studio guns. Graduating from work in the house band of the weekly TV rock showcase Shindig! and record dates with such diverse clients as Phil Spector, the Byrds, and Herb Alpert, the Tulsa-born musician moved into the spotlight as musical director for Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett’s stomping R&B- and gospel-infused group and Joe Cocker’s huge, circus-like Mad Dogs & Englishmen unit.

Dubbed “The Master of Time and Space,” Russell began a fruitful label partnership with British producer Cordell with the inauguration of Shelter in 1970, a year before a high-profile appearance in the house band at George Harrison’s Concert For Bangla Desh. He bumped into the U.S. top 20 with his second solo album in 1971, but the 1972 LP Carney soared to No. 2 and spawned the No. 11 single “Tight Rope,” which was animated by Russell’s rolling keyboard work and rough yet affecting singing. The three-LP concert collection Leon Live would reach the top 10 and cement his position as a solo star in 1973.

Russell and Cordell doubtlessly envisioned a conventional feature surveying the musician’s stage show and sessions for a forthcoming country album when, on the recommendation of the American Film Institute, they commissioned Blank. By then active in Northern California for a dozen years, the director had made his rep with earthy short features about a pair of Texas musicians, bluesman Lightnin’ Hopkins (The Blues According to Lightnin’ Hopkins, 1968) and songster Mance Lipscomb (A Well Spent Life, 1971).

For nearly two years, Blank and his collaborator Maureen Gosling set up shop at Russell’s home and studio complex on a lake outside Tulsa, where they filmed the performer at work and play, and also cut their footage of Louisiana zydeco musicians Clifton Chenier and Boisec Ardoin into the pungent short films Hot Pepper and Dry Wood. The filmmakers humped their gear to gigs in Anaheim, New Orleans, and Austin, and to studio rehearsals at Bradley’s Barn in Nashville for the album Hank Wilson’s Back, the sincere and soulful 1973 country project that bewildered his core fans, essentially marking the end of Russell’s tenure as a top-flight rock attraction.

After an abortive attempt to screen A Poem is a Naked Person at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival – the print wasn’t ready – Russell and Cordell basically put the feature on semi-permanent ice, allowing it to be screened only by permission, with Blank in attendance. It remained an elusive commodity until the director’s death in 2013. At the urging of Blank’s son Harrod, Russell reconsidered the matter of its availability; a screening at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival prefaced a national theatrical release, and a DVD from the Criterion Collection, distributor Janus Films’ home video line, is anticipated.

Russell has long been mum about his reasons for keeping the picture out of circulation; queried in recent interviews, he has glibly replied, “I don’t know,” or “I don’t remember.” But it seems obvious that the producers’ intentions and the filmmakers’ execution were widely divergent. If Russell and Cordell thought they were going to get a puffy documentary that would push their product, they were sorely disappointed.

A Poem is a Naked Person bears a striking resemblance, in style if not entirely in content, to a pair of quite radical contemporaneous films. The most obvious analog is Cocksucker Blues, Swiss-born photographer and indie filmmaker Robert Frank’s notorious backstage look at the Rolling Stones’ 1972 U.S. tour; a jumpy saturnalia of sexual escapades, heroin abuse, and hotel-room boredom, with occasional concert footage, it scandalized the band, who have enforced restrictions similar to those imposed on Blank’s movie upon its exhibition. Photographer William Eggleston’s long-gestating Stranded in Canton, which features pianist Jim Dickinson and musician/bank robber Jerry McGill among its cast of Memphis and New Orleans weirdoes and eccentrics, was shot on portable video equipment ca. 1973 and finally cut into something resembling finished form by Bluff City writer-documentarian Robert Gordon in 2005. It’s an incandescent rebel depiction of life on the distant fringes of art and music.

Frank’s and Eggleston’s highly personalized, jaggedly edited, impressionistic features, brimming with often appalling extra-musical incident, don’t fit the description of what we’ve come to call “music documentaries,” and neither do Blank’s pictures. The best-known films the director made before his encounter with Russell, though they boast musicians (Hopkins and Lipscomb) as their central figures, likewise operate well beyond the parameters of conventional music docs. Though there is a good deal of music-making and ass-shaking in them, they are at heart about the communities in which the music was made, with their indigenous landscapes, customs, cuisines, and spiritual concerns. An observer of folklife at heart, Blank was an unlikely, even incongruous, candidate to make a movie about a rock star – essentially, an industrial film for music consumers.

Like the subjects of Blank’s earlier films, Russell is witnessed at home a good deal, and the director slathers his film with super-saturated images of local color shot in and around the musician’s Oklahoma base – a pow-wow of the Tulsa Indian Club, a tractor pull, a holiday parade, a literal wild-goose chase, the implosion demolition of Tulsa’s ancient (and perfectly named) Bliss Hotel. But Russell – prematurely gray, long-haired and bearded, always bearing a glazed, slightly stoned mien -- appears before us as a man without a country, almost an alien, dislocated from his roots, ferried to his far-flung gigs in long limousines as black as hearses.

As a protagonist, Russell most resembles the central figure in a later Blank production, 1982’s Burden of Dreams. That unsettling feature follows the chaotic production of German director Werner Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. The reckless and megalomaniacal filmmaker is seen slowly coming apart as, cut off entirely from civilization, he single-mindedly pursues his quixotic and extremely hazardous project, which entails the climactic hauling of a 20-ton boat up a steep incline; by the film’s end, Herzog appears as mad as the lunatic hero of his saga, who longs to build an opera house for Enrico Caruso in the middle of the jungle. Though Russell is never depicted in extremis, as Herzog is, Blank implies that, unlike the Southern musicians the director depicts so affectionately and respectfully, the Oklahoman is like Herzog also a man who has drifted too far from his native shore.

Music plainly is what brings Russell alive; it is at the heart of A Poem is a Naked Person, and it is often splendid, a saving grace. There are lovely cameos by George Jones (playing “Take Me” solo in Russell’s home studio) and Willie Nelson (essaying “Good Hearted Woman” at a gig in Austin, and accompanying fiddler “Sweet” Mary Egan on “Orange Blossom Special”). Several truncated yet forceful performances by Russell’s road band – augmented by a gospel-styled quartet, Blackgrass, led by Rev. Patrick Henderson – are on view. In one simple yet eloquent sequence, Russell’s deeply felt cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” plays under footage of clouds drifting across the face of the moon, as they do in Williams’ lyrics; it’s obvious, but nonetheless affecting.

One of the bleaker streaks in the film can be found in some of the sequences shot during the sessions for Hank Wilson’s Back in Nashville. These scenes are not totally bereft of a certain joy: Russell takes obvious delight in the expertise of his A-Team accompanists. One delicious scene finds him in an awed duet with Charlie McCoy, a secret hero of Bob Dylan’s Nashville-based albums from Blonde On Blonde to Self Portrait; the bespectacled McCoy looks like an accountant on his way to a tee time, and he plays and sings his ass off. But some of the other Music City studio gunslingers’ envy of and contempt for their contractor – like themselves a session guy, but one who has hit the jackpot – is scarcely concealed. Hotshot pianist David Briggs – whose obscene rendition of the Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” was expurgated in later prints of the film at Russell’s insistence – says at one juncture, in a blatant dig at his session boss, “I’m the guy they call when you can’t do your own fucking piano work.”

There is also an ugly confrontation in the Nashville studio with folk singer-songwriter Eric Andersen, who was apparently barred from entering the facility for his own session by Russell’s security staff. Russell belittles and insults Andersen with an arrogant rocker’s noblesse oblige, drily telling him, “You write some very beautiful goddamn songs,” which prompts the reply, “You’re jiving.” For his part, Andersen voices skepticism about the legitimacy of Russell’s onstage thunder: “I couldn’t tell if you’re a revivalist man, trying to put something over, where it was coming from.” You find yourself asking if Blank may not harbor the same doubt.

Blank ladles further darkness, grotesquerie, and bile over the proceedings throughout. Using non-linear, densely layering techniques pioneered in the ‘60s by French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard – whose ironic quote, “The day of the director is dead,” is seen on the film’s concluding title card, below Blank’s credit – the filmmaker atomizes the action, or comments on it, using a vocabulary of startling jump cuts, head-spinning juxtapositions, and dialog rendered as on-screen legends (“GET THOSE GOD DAMN CAMERAS OFF US”).

Thus, in one extraordinary sequence, footage of a wasted concertgoer being ejected from one of Russell’s gigs is intercut with shocking shots of a boa constrictor killing and devouring a baby chick. (The snake is the “pet” of artist Jim Franklin, who is seen elsewhere adorning the bottom of Russell’s swimming pool, after coolly collecting scorpions off its walls.) In another scene, a snippet of fiddler Johnny Gimble improvising a lively solo in the studio is abruptly interrupted by the screaming freakout of a bare-chested young man on a very bad acid trip in an unidentified hotel room.

Blank seems to imply that for all the tambourine shaking and Chautauqua-tent fervor of his sound, Russell makes music that only mimes the spiritual core of its sources. Nowhere is this more apparent than in a ragged jump cut from minister-musician Henderson playing at a Pentecostal church service to his group Blackgrass rocking the praise at one of Russell’s shows. The first performance, Blank suggests, is about true religion of the most devout order – the real thing, as it were -- while the second is no more than entertainment.

In the end, Blank says without a flinch, this music is about the dollars. At one point he trains his camera on a teenage hitchhiker outside one of Russell’s shows; with a guitar slung on his back and a cardboard sign reading, “Oklahoma City” in his hand, the deluded kid says, “I wanna make it in Hollywood like Leon does – make a million dollars playin’ gee-tah.” The most damning exchange in the entire picture comes when an acquaintance poses a question to Russell after his performance at a friend’s wedding. Russell repeats the question – “If I didn’t get paid for singing, wouldn’t I sing?” – and leaves it hanging in the air, unanswered.

One can easily understand why Russell and Cordell were mortified, even horrified, by Blank’s film and sat on it for four decades. A Poem is a Naked Person used the language of cinema to subvert the film’s intended purpose as a self-glorifying sales tool. Instead, it ended up being a probing and dialectical work that used Russell’s music much as Godard himself employed the Rolling Stones’ music (far less effectively or coherently) in his Sympathy For the Devil. As it often has over the course of time, great art – and Blank’s movie definitely qualifies as such – operates at cross-purposes to a patron’s wishes.

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carolinesbookworld · 4 years

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tagged by @kabeswaters and @swellwriting <3

on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now? 0

describe yourself in a hashtag? very similar to @fortisfiliae #stressedanddepressed

if you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be? Harrison Osterfield

if your life was a musical, what would the marquee say? prepare for disaster

what’s one thing people don’t know about you? um...idk my boyfriend knows basically everything about me sooooooo

what’s your wake up ritual? wake up, turn off alarm (bc with this at-home learning stuff i’ve been waking up like literally 1 min before my alarm goes off???), text good morning to my bf, snapchat, discord bc moonlit fam talks allll night, tumblr, get out of bed, wash face, get dressed, coffee and breakfast it’s very specific

what’s your go to bed ritual? wash glasses and face bc my skin is soo oily by the end of the day so you best believe my glasses be needing washing everyday, shower, say goodnight to fam, text bf for like 15 mins or until he says goodnight, turn alarm on, plug in phone, go to sleep

what’s your favorite time of day? morning but specifically from 7:30 until 9

your go to for having a good laugh? FRIENDS as in the show

dream country to visit? Australia bc my dad once got to hold a baby koala there and i wanna do that so bad

what’s the biggest surprise you’ve ever had? so my family moved before my sophomore year so me and my bff started trying to surprise each other whenever one of us came to visit and the weekend of my birthday, she skypes me as she’s walking around what i thought was her house and then i start hearing an echo and next thing i know she’s standing in the doorway of my room and that was pretty much the best surprise ever

heels or flats/sneakers? sneakers converse

vintage or new? new but i love vintage aesthetic i just couldn’t live with it

who do you want to write your obituary? karli @swellwriting bc she is my brain twin and i would be mocking her horrible grammar and spelling from my grave and we would both get a good laugh about it in the afterlife

style icon? the mom i babysit for haha she’s like one of my best friends tho which sounds really weird but it’s true

what are three things you cannot live without? books, dogs, days that are exactly 65 degrees

what’s one ingredient you put in everything? um idk chocolate??

what 3 people living or dead would you want to make dinner for? Sarah J. Maas, Eddie Redmayne, my boyfriend bc i haven’t had dinner with him for 47 days

what’s your biggest fear in life? losing the people i love...and spiders

window or aisle seat? window bc aisle makes me anxious that i’m in people’s way

what’s your current tv obsession? the cw’s nancy drew it’s so good please go watch it

favorite app? instagram, discord, or tumblr, depends on my mood

secret talent? um idk i can draw very realistic portraits of people when i take the time to

most adventurous thing you’ve ever done in your life? okay so technically this wasn’t me who did it but i was part of the adventure. when me and my boyfriend were just “friends” ie. liked each other and knew we liked each other but were too scared to admit it. anyway, we had this elaborate plan to shave our youth group leader’s head if we were able to bring in a certain amount of food for the food drive during vbs week. so yeah we spent like three days planning the whole thing out and then decided to go price shopping at walmart with all of our younger siblings bc we needed supervision or something lol to see how many individual things of food we could buy with $20 each we ended up just getting like 20 huge boxes of ramen and then his sister ended up throwing up so we took her home and then went back to church where my car was parked but instead of turning to get to church my boyfriend decides to go straight through the stop light (it was green okay) and spontaneously drive up into the foothills. well we get to the top of the foothills and we’re at the lake and we all get out to look at the city and my boyfriend claims that we need to document this moment so he takes a selfie with all of us and we somehow ended up right next to each other in it and i only found this out like three months ago (this happened back in june) that he only took the picture because he wanted one of us together in case we didn’t start dating lol so sweet and yeah, that was a very long story but i needed context instead of just saying “yeah we drove up a mountain”

how would you define yourself in three words? loyal, anxious, passionate

favorite piece of clothing you own? this dark coral dress that makes my eyes and hair look really pretty

a must have clothing item that everyone should have? a hoodie

a superpower you would want? i want to be able to project my thoughts into someone else’s mind bc i’m so bad at explaining stuff sometimes especially when it comes to how i feel

what’s inspiring you in life right now? ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, highly recommend

best piece of advice you’ve received? opening up to more than one person is important because if you lose that person then you’ve lost all your support

best advice you’d give your teenage self? the friends who have stuck around this long are the ones you want to hang onto and the ones that you need are the ones you don’t always see

a book everyone should read? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

what would you like to be remembered for? being a crazy dog mama

how do you define beauty? confidence in yourself and not caring what others think about you

what do you love most about your body? my metabolism

best way to take a rest/decompress? open a window to feel the breeze and listen to Islands by Hey Ocean! which is so calming to me

favorite place to view art? nature or tumblr

if your life was a song, what would the title be? we’re going with a fob/p!atd theme here and calling it “depression screwed me over so i screwed it back and ended up worse off”

if you could master one instrument, what would it be? piano

if you had a tattoo, where would it be? probably on my forearm or by my left hip

dolphins or koalas? koalas did i mention that i want to hold a baby koala

what’s an animal that represents you? great dane puppy ie. very excitable but will also take a four hour nap when tired

best gift you’ve ever received? my best friend made this photo collage for me when i moved that is hanging in my room and it has a bunch of pictures of me and her over the years and i just love it

best gift you’ve given? for christmas i gave my boyfriend a hammock and the bookshelf addition of clue, two things he had no idea i would remember him mentioning and his face was priceless. also i made my mom a cake for her birthday this year and she was so happy and said it made her feel very special <3

what’s your favorite board game? clue or ticket to ride (specifically nordic countries)

what’s your favorite color? currently a pale turquoise

least favorite color? any shade of light brown

diamond or pearls? diamonds

drugstore makeup or designer? drugstore bc i don’t wear makeup enough to validate buying designer, also i don’t really care

pilates or yoga? yoga

coffee or tea? coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee cof-

what’s the weirdest word in the english language? palindrome is wild because it means a word spelled the same way forwards and backwards but it itself is not one such word

dark chocolate or milk chocolate? milk

stairs or elevators? stairs

summer or winter? summer but like, only june

you are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat? panera mac n cheese

a dessert you don’t like? red velvet cake which btw is not red-colored chocolate cake as many would have you believe

a skill you’re working on mastering? writing

best thing to happen to you today? i got to put all of my new plants in my windowsill and i named one of them (its name is albert in case you were wondering)

worst thing to happen to you today? idk today’s been pretty good as far as quarantine goes

best compliment you’ve ever received? my boyfriend calls me beautiful all the time and he always reminds me that that is describing looks and personality

favorite smell? coffee or my boyfriend’s sweatshirt for the week after i steal it

hugs or kisses? can i choose both?? depends on my mood mostly but i guess hugs if i just had to pick one

if you made a documentary, would it be about? literally anything relating to the mcu

last piece of content you consumed that made you cry? a court of wings and ruin by sjm

lipstick or lipgloss? lipstick

sweet or savory? sweet

girl crush? literally any female in the teen wolf cast

how do you know you’re in love? hahahaha haha what's love

a song you can listen to on repeat? we fall apart by we as human or uma thurman by fob

if you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? idk my boyfriend probably, this is something we have discussed in depth

what are you most excited for/about this time in your life? for life to go back to normal

tagging @finnofamerica @woakiees @beskarjedi @outerlacy @swanimagines hahahahaha have funnnnn this took me an hour to answer

#about me #tag game

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jtsodergren · 4 years

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The Best of 2019

2019, what an exceptional year for movies! A great way to close out the shittiest decade! Here are the 50 best films I saw this year... click on the title to go to the IMDB page, and I’ll try to post a link to where you can see many of them. Also for the first time this year, I’m including MOM WARNINGS! My mom reads this list and sometimes actually watches these movies... so to save her some grief, sadness, or general concern for my psyche, there will be a NOT FOR MOMS!! warning where applicable... here we go!

50. STAR WARS - EPISODE IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (Amazon)

People really hated this movie... I actually really liked it! Aside from the horses running around on the outside of spaceships (which makes no fucking sense... didn’t Leia get all space frozen exactly one movie ago??), it was a satisfying conclusion to a franchise I guess I don’t really care about as much as other people, so I was into it!

49. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (Amazon)

Quickly becoming one of the more well produced action franchises of all time. Probably two too many machine gun shootouts in this one for me (I get a little exhausted with gun violence), but the hand-to-hand stuff is brilliant and bloody and badass! Not to mention the deepening of the mythology and Halle Berry and her dogs. It’s a fun time, a welcome addition to the series, and I can’t wait for number 4.

48. QUEEN & SLIM (Amazon)

Billed as the black BONNIE AND CLYDE and from first time feature director Melina Matsoukas, this atmospheric tragedy is gorgeous to look at, delivers a pair of standout lead performances, and proves to have one of the more stressful final 30min of any of the films I saw this year, even if you know the inevitable conclusion is just around the corner.

47. UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (Amazon PRIME)

A wild Los Angeles noir story from the director of IT FOLLOWS. Plays like if David Lynch directed THE BIG LEBOWSKI, a weird, screwball whodunit. It’s a little long, and there are so many loose ends that seem to be thrown in just to fuck with the protagonist (and the audience), but it’s a really fun time and you’ll want to stay to the end to see it all play out. LA looks gorgeous too.

46. KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE (Netflix)

Truly inspiring. Really shows how if you put your mind to something, believe in yourself and that you can make a difference, you can accomplish anything. Regardless of your political leanings, or how you feel about AOC personally, this is well worth your time and it has a great message for young people, especially those young women of color who might not think they can achieve great levels of success. It made me cry the happy tears.

45. LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (Amazon)

Best known for it’s remarkable 59min-3D final take, this hallucinatory journey through memory and dreams is mind-blowing and breathtaking. Hard not to leave this one feeling like you’ve been put though some kind of experiment that you don’t fully understand, but you’ll want to experience again. Highly recommended if you have access to 3D, or simply have some killer edibles and want to be thrown for a loop.

44. CLIMAX (Amazon PRIME)

NOT FOR MOMS!!

Speaking of being under the influence, holy shit is this film nuts! From Gaspar Noe, who if you’re aware of his work, you kind of already know what you’re in store for here. It’s been described as “FAME directed by the Marquis de Sade”... incredible dance sequences and audacious camerawork that slowly but surely devolves into hell. It’s a blast!

43. HAIL SATAN? (Hulu)

A fresh and funny documentary about a group of smartass Satanists exposing the hypocrisy amongst bible-thumping Christians who’d rather stomp their feet and be the loudest in the room than listen to anyone else’s perspective. Frustrating and entertaining in equal parts, this compulsively watchable film makes you want to scream at these Jesus freaks as much as you want to laugh along with the antics of these harmless, intelligent and organized troublemakers. An excellent time well spent.

42. FIRST LOVE (Amazon)

(Probably) NOT FOR MOMS!!

Director Takashi Miike’s yakuza action-comedy is the most accessible of his films I’ve seen (he’s now made more than 100 movies, which is insane), but that doesn’t mean it’s not a gonzo wild time at the movies. The violence is here in full force, but unlike AUDITION or ICHI THE KILLER, you don’t need a barf bag close by to enjoy it. It’s often hilarious and moves at a breakneck speed. Super fun!

41. THE DEAD DON’T DIE (Amazon PRIME)

Jim Jarmusch’s star-studded, droll zombie-comedy came and went from theaters without much fanfare, but provided me with plenty of laughs. It’s also the second of 3 Adam Driver vehicles to be on this year’s list. Bill Murray and Driver lead the way along with plenty familiar faces in cameos throughout (including the RZA in one of my favorite scene’s of the year). Classic Jarmusch... a meditation on death and mortality in his vintage style.

40. EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE (Netflix)

Dude, Aaron Paul is a legit GREAT actor. Picks up right where the show left off, and I was on the edge of my seat and filled with anxiety just like I was during the best moments of the now classic series. It was good to hang out with my old friends again.

39. DOCTOR SLEEP (Amazon)

A box office flop due to poor promotion and a title people weren’t familiar with, this sequel to THE SHINING is based on the Stephen King book of the same name, which I read, and I can’t recommend it more. Great suspense, and fantastic performances from both Ewan McGregor and (especially) Rebecca Ferguson. It’s a dark and scary film that is a fun trip back to the Overlook Hotel... provided you wish to return there...

38. THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Amazon PRIME)

About 90min into this beautifully shot film I was ready to lock it in as a possible Top 5 contender. Then the bottom fell out for me the last quarter of the movie and lost my confidence. No bother, it’s still wonderful enough to find a spot on the list and carry my recommendation. Young men and women watching their city change before their eyes, and wondering what the concept of “home” really means is a real challenge facing many people here in the Bay Area. This film does a fantastic job conveying that, for most of the film anyway.

37. THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (Amazon)

A bonafide crown-pleaser of a movie, and another example of the true talent Shia LeBeouf has and is capable of (more on him later). A young man with Down Syndrome escapes his assisted-living facility to track down his wrestling idol the Saltwater Redneck with the help of an outlaw and a social worker. Sweet, funny, and heartfelt... a feel good surprise.

36. A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (Amazon)

I didn’t cry nearly as much as I did during the excellent documentary WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR from last year, but if you’re a Mr. Rogers fan, you’ll still shed a few during this heartwarming film. Tom Hanks does his thing, and even though this movie is guilty of borrowing a little too much from the previous doc, it’s still a great showcase for the truly selfless and beautiful force of nature that Fred Rogers was. Bring tissues anyway.

35. CARMINE STREET GUITARS (In Theaters Now)

A love letter to both New York City and the art, joy, and love that goes into honing and maintaining one’s craft. Meanwhile the looming doom of gentrification hovers over the proceedings, never letting you get fully enrapt in the sweetness that these artists (and their many famous customers) exude when talking about and playing their one-of-a-kind works of art. A stunning and lovely piece for musicians and talentless fans of music alike.

34. HOLIDAY (Amazon)

NOT FOR MOMS!!

A tough, cold film with nary a character to actively root for... until after about an hour of icy behavior comes (no pun intended) a scene so shocking in its graphic and disturbing nature, people left the theater without staying for the final resolution. First time director Isabella Eklof pulls off the bold and audacious maneuver, all while making it seem like she doesn’t care whether you like her characters (or her film) at all. It’s a very fine balancing act, executed to perfection. But be warned... it’s rough.

33. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Disney+)

What can I say? You saw it. It’s good. A bunch of Supermans fly around and blow shit up. A satisfying end (until the next 20 films).

32. MIDSOMMAR (Amazon Prime)

NOT FOR MOMS!!

A disturbing slow burn of a gothic horror film. Characters do hallucinogens while ritualistic religious murders and tribal mating practices threaten to ruin everyones existence. Florence Pugh is phenomenal (more from her in a minute) in a very trying roll. Doesn’t pack quite the punch of the director’s last film, HEREDITARY, but it’s still well worth the watch. But yeah, it’s disturbing.

31. APOLLO 11 (Hulu)

A fascinating look at the first moon landing from rarely seen archival footage and audio. Seeing it on the IMAX screen was intense and exhilarating, unlike narrative pictures like the severely overrated FIRST MAN. This isn’t my favorite documentary of the year, but it is an absolute lock to win the Academy Award for Best Doc of 2019. It’s a must see, a must experience.

30. HIGH LIFE (Amazon PRIME)

NOT FOR MOMS!!

French auteur Claire Denis’ bizarre, erotic sci-fi mindfuck about isolation and humanity is not for everyone, but is a brilliant take on the genre, and is yet another showcase for Robert Pattinson, who is quietly becoming one of my favorite working actors. Juliette Binoche also is on fire here and has what one critic calls “the single greatest one-person sex scene in the history of cinema.” So it has that going for it.

29. TRIPLE FRONTIER (Netflix)

A fully loaded heist film with no real bad guy, but instead a group of recognizable badasses in a Netflix-released action thrill ride. There’s absolutely no reason this should’ve worked, or even been half as good as it is, but boy is it good! Compulsively watchable, and rewatchable. If this were on Showtime as much as DEN OF THIEVES is I’d have seen it 30 times by now. It’s one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.

28. 1917 (Amazon)

An unbelievable visual achievement from cinematographer Roger Deakins and director Sam Mendes. The story isn’t the greatest war story ever told (are there great war stories?), but it’s shot to look like one continuous long take, sustained for 2hrs. It’s really an unbelievable feat, but doesn’t come off as gimmicky or distracting. It’s intense, beautifully staged, and sad. A big screen spectacle.

27. TOY STORY 4 (Amazon)

Woody and the gang are back, and the films continue to keep the dust from collecting. It’s still so much fun to hang out with this group of misfit toys. There was talk that after the incredible TOY STORY 3 this was just a money grab and was labeled unnecessary, but I found it to be a sweet, charming, and nostalgic trip I was glad I took.

26. HONEYLAND (Hulu)

My pick for documentary of the year comes from the mountains of Macedonia, where a woman named Hatidze lives with her dying mother making a living cultivating honey. When a family of shitheads moves into a shanty next door, what seems like a fix for her lonely existence becomes catastrophic as they disregard her teachings and threaten her livelihood. I was an emotional wreck throughout the experience and it goes without saying it’s a must-see. Gorgeous and heartbreaking.

25. LITTLE WOMEN (Amazon)

I have never read the book, nor seen any of the film adaptations, so I went in blind to this lovely film. Director Greta Gerwig follows up the phenomenal LADYBIRD with this Altman-esque rendition of the widely beloved literary classic. I found it exceptional in its execution and performances, including the previously mentioned Florence Pugh, who is a knockout. A wonderful addition to the ever-growing stable of Christmas films I look to enjoy during future Decembers.

24. GREENER GRASS (Hulu)

It’s as if Tim & Eric made BLUE VELVET. Bizarre, outrageous, gross, and a guaranteed future midnight movie favorite. My sides hurt. A satire skewering upper-middle class suburban soccer moms and dads alike. Babies are given away. A boy turns into a dog. Everyone has braces. There’s a creep on the loose. It’s wild and flat-out hilarious literally from start to finish. Almost too many jokes to keep up with. Watch it! Bring weed.

23. RELAXER (Amazon)

NOT FOR MOMS!!

Speaking of gross, this film is disgusting, but in a good way. A satire about lazy consumerism and self-destruction. It’s a short hang, thankfully, but if you can stomach it to the end (remember, it’s nasty) you’ll be rewarded with not only a hilarious dark comedy, but also an unexpected haymaker of sadness you didn’t see coming. It’s a pretty impressive feat, and an overall success. But, yeah, it’s fucking gross.

22. AD ASTRA (Amazon)

APOCALYPSE NOW in space starring Brad Pitt. If you need more information than that, I don’t really know what else to do for you.

21. SLUT IN A GOOD WAY (Amazon PRIME)

(Probably) NOT FOR MOMS!!

A black-and-white raunchy French arthouse teen comedy that gives a middle finger to the double standard set by the equally raunchy teen-boys-will-be-boys genre. It’s so much fun, and honest, and the actors are such natural talents you forget the subject matter is at times shocking (only because of said double standard) and just go with it. I think it’s just wonderful. Seek it out!

20. US (HBO)

Jordan Peele’s excellent follow-up to GET OUT. Doppelganger home invasion terror with a killer twist. To describe more would be to risk giving something away. I’ll just say that Lupita Nyong’o is my pick to win her second Oscar, this time as Best Actress, here in a dual role. She’s incredible. If you haven’t seen it, try to go in blind, you’ll be rewarded.

19. THE FAREWELL (Amazon PRIME)

A heartfelt homecoming film about family, culture, and how the things we don’t say can be just as strong of a show of love as the things we do say. It’s sweet, tender, and bursting with personal flare and emotions from director Lulu Wang. Awkwafina also curbs her more manic and loud tendencies as a performer for more quiet, thoughtful, and somber choices. She’s phenomenal.

18. KNIVES OUT (Amazon)

A clever ensemble whodunit that’s just as funny and smart as it is mysterious. Everyone across the board delivers as the assorted motley crew. The film rewards repeat viewings and Daniel Craig knocks it out of the park, stealing every scene he’s in, reminding us all what a fantastic actor he can be when he’s not sipping the Vespers.

17. BOOKSMART (Hulu)

The female SUPERBAD is the elevator pitch, but this coming-of-age gem is really unlike any other example in the genre. They’re privileged, uber-smart, and have never partied. Yet they have the same neuroses as any other teen scared to death of what to do next or how to be normal. It’s also fucking hilarious. You wanna hang out with these girls and at the same time bury your head under the covers because you feel their pure terror/embarrassment. It’s a blast.

16. THE MUSTANG (Amazon)

Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, one of the finest actor’s working today, this understated and emotional drama about rehabilitation and redemption floored me upon first viewing. It is a gorgeous film. You’ve probably seen stories similar to this before, but rarely is one told with such compelling conviction. A borderline masterpiece.

15. HONEY BOY (Amazon PRIME)

Remember a few years back we had the McConaissance, where everything Matthew McConaughey did was solid gold after years of middling bullshit? I’m calling it right now: Shia LaBeouf is about to have the same thing. He wrote the script and plays a version of his own father in a brutal version of his own fucked up childhood as an up-and-coming child actor. It’s heartbreaking and absolutely riveting. I’m hoping he gets an Oscar nod, but regardless I implore you to seek this film out, he’s incredible.

14. MONOS (Hulu)

(Probably) NOT FOR MOMS!!

A bizarre, bewildering, chaotic, and unsettling film. Some of the most beautiful photography I saw on the big screen this year, yet some of the most surreal and disturbing imagery as well. It’s a militarized, Latin American LORD OF THE FLIES with commentary on tribal behavior and violence. It can be a tough sit, but boy is it beautiful.

13. DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (Netflix)

What a wonderful, welcome surprise! Eddie Murphy in an awards caliber performance as Rudy Ray Moore, the multi-hyphenate performer who created the alter ego Dolemite, spawning a film franchise and many legendary comedy albums. It’s obviously hilarious, and a great behind-the-scenes biopic, but also shockingly sweet and heartfelt, even between all the cuss words. I even teared up a couple times. The 3rd best thing Netflix released this year (more on that in a minute).

12. JOKER (Amazon)

You already saw this.

11. THE IRISHMAN (Netflix)

It’s far too long. It could’ve done with being cut as a three part miniseries or special. There’s about 45min worth of scenes that are quintessential DVD bonus features (I’m looking at you Action Bronson), but goddamn if it’s not Scorsese doing his Scorsese thing. It’s a gangster film, but it’s also a meditation on aging and death. Pesci is incredible and Pacino steals the show. Sure, the de-aging thing is distracting, the curb stomping scene is embarrassing. But still, I mean... IT’S MARTIN SCORSESE!

10. PAIN AND GLORY (Amazon)

Pedro Almodovar’s most personal work to date, a tale about making art and the loneliness of love. If you are unfamiliar with his work, this is a great jumping off point. His movies can be challenging and dark, but this film has such joy and hope amongst the heartache. The final reveal, while not earth shattering on paper, is nonetheless so moving it left the screening I attended without a dry eye in the place. It is his best film yet.

9. THE LIGHTHOUSE (Amazon)

From the director of THE WITCH comes another type of gothic horror, this time with the legendary Willem Dafoe and the (already mentioned) brilliant Robert Pattinson marooned on a lighthouse rock alone to drive each other completely insane. It’s hallucinatory, violent, disorienting, and flat-out brilliant. If it weren’t for another guy we’ll get to in a minute, Dafoe would be a lock for Best Supporting Actor here. It’s a slightly challenging film, with the period style mariner dialogue, but it’s just as funny as it is terrifying.

8. JOJO RABBIT (Amazon)

A beautiful, touching, funny, crowd-pleasing comedy about a little Nazi whose imaginary friend is Hitler. Yep, your read that correctly. There are about a million reasons this should absolutely not work. Yet, it’s one of the best theater going experiences I had this year. A must see... ESPECIALLY with Mom!

7. MARRIAGE STORY (Netflix)

The best written and acted film of the year, and the third Adam Driver vehicle to appear here. Sad but honest. Touching but brutal. It’s awkward and a bit of a bummer, but there’s such great work being done here, in front of and behind the camera. Noah Baumbach is a force of nature, and has yet to make a film I was even iffy about. He’s the real deal and this might be his masterpiece.

6. WAVES (Amazon)

Speaking of auteurs, Trey Edward Shults is now 3/3 on features after the brilliant KRISHA and IT COMES AT NIGHT. Here he follows a middle-class black family, led by a domineering father, through a tragic moment in all of their lives. The first half deals with the son’s story, then abruptly switches to the daughter’s life post said event. It shouldn’t work, yet somehow manages to be one of the most emotionally affecting pieces of art I saw this year. The camera never stops moving, constantly swirling and whirling and you can’t help to be sucked up into it. It’s a beautiful tragedy.

5. LONG SHOT (HBO)

The biggest and most pleasant surprise of the year. An opposites-attract rom-com with more brains, bite, social commentary, and laughs than it has any right to have. Easily the most fun you’ll have with (almost) the whole family... there’s a lot of cum jokes. But don’t let the vulgarity dissuade you! It’s a total riot with just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the saltiness. I love love love this movie.

4. THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE (Hulu)

What starts as a strange, dark comedy morphs into a FIGHT CLUB-esque thriller with allusions to disturbingly toxic masculinity and an offbeat take on what it takes to “be a man.” It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and expertly made, while really having something to say, and it says it in a way I’ve never really seen before. It’s not surprising this didn’t get more attention, the characters are truly difficult to relate to, let alone root for, but as far as originality goes, you’d be hard pressed to find anything this year much better than this.

3. UNCUT GEMS (Amazon)

(Probably) NOT FOR MOMS!!

The cinematic equivalent of being locked in the brain of a lunatic having a cocaine-fueled anxiety attack. If that sounds like fun (AND IT IS!!!) then this is the film for you! Oh, and Adam Sandler is going to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. For real. It’s a chaotic, stress-filled masterpiece.

2. ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD (Amazon)

My favorite filmmaker’s 2nd best film. A personal story about the love of film during the late 60s, a time of dirty hippies and Charles Manson, as well as the passing of the torch from old Hollywood to the “golden age” of cinema. It’s a fairytale of sorts, with Tarantino’s trademark flare for spontaneous violence and mining multiple genres to make his most mature work since PULP FICTION. I’ve been rewarded with new takeaways upon each subsequent viewing, and my love and appreciation for it only grows and grows. Brad Pitt is a lock for Best Supporting Actor, he’s magnificent. It was always going to be my #1 with a bullet no matter what, because it’s just that great...

1. PARASITE (Amazon)

...but then Bong Joon-ho, the master of new Korean cinema unleashed PARASITE. Not only is it the best film of 2019, it’s one of the best films I have ever seen. Like EVER ever. He is in such astonishing control of his craft it’s hard not to sit back and marvel and the sheer skill on display. You can be laughing one moment and then recoiling in horror during the same breath. He’s using multiple genre tropes, incredible set design, pitch perfect acting/writing, and such exquisite planning you can’t possibly know what’s in store for you from one scene to the next. It is an absolute masterpiece and if it doesn’t sweep every category it’s nominated for at this year’s Oscars, it’ll be a travesty. If you have even a passing interest in film as an art form, the power it can wield, and the messages it can convey, you owe it to yourself to see this film. It’s perfect.

Well, there it is. Thanks for reading any part of this. Now go see PARASITE. I love you.

#movies #top50 #2019 #movies of 2019

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emritcheson · 5 years

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It’s Okay to Love The Muppets as an Adult

I was introduced to Jim Henson’s Muppets the way a lot of kids were in the nineties: through Sesame Street. But I was also familiar with the Muppets proper (Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Rowlf...basically anybody who wasn’t a Sesame Street regular) through some VHS tapes my parents bought me. I loved them both with all my heart, but let me tell you: despite the fact that Kermit made numerous appearances on Sesame Street, it took me an embarrassingly long while to figure out that these characters all stemmed from the same source.

Yes, the structural similarities and the fact that both franchises are mainly composed of, you know...puppets are very obvious. But to me, there was always a distinct tonal line between Sesame Street and the Muppets. Sesame Street was silly, yes, but the Muppets were wackier, more random, and weren’t afraid to layer on the sarcasm. Sesame Street was a fresh glass of milk, while the Muppets were a gently aged cheese with just a bit of funkiness that made trying something like bleu cheese sound easier, but then you went back to the other cheese because bleu cheese is actually kind of gross.

You can tell I’ve been watching too much Bon Appétit when I start using food metaphors.

Now, I was familiar with the Muppets in general thanks to those VHS tapes, but I was only vaguely familiar with specific projects they did over the years. Like, I knew they more or less “got their start” on The Muppet Show, but I couldn’t tell you a thing about it. It wasn’t until late high school, maybe even early college that I started actively seeking out any footage of the show I could find. It was funny, and right up my alley kind of funny, too. A mouth-watering blend of slapstick, wordplay, plain old nonsense, and just a sprinkling of deadpan cynicism. Not to mention the musical segments and the casual, down to Earth interactions with the human guest stars. It’s since become my favorite way to enjoy the Muppets...much to the chagrin of my parents.

There have been countless times when my dad has walked in on my watching The Muppet Show, rolled his eyes, and made some comment to the effect of “How old are you?” or “When are you going to stop watching kids’ shows?” I was confused and defensive, because as far as I could see, there wasn’t anything decisively kiddish about The Muppet Show. It was appropriate for a younger audience, yes, but it wasn’t treating the audience like children, nor was it completely devoid of individual jokes targeted at adults.

For example, Raquel Welch in a low-cut dressing gown serenading and tickling Fozzie Bear, with this dialogue exchange:

Fozzie: Oh, Raquel, you are terrific. Raquel: On the contrary, Fozzie. You’re the one that’s terrific. Fozzie: Me? Raquel: Uh huh. You know, just being here kinda close to you, I’ve noticed that you’re really very charming. Fozzie: Charming? Raquel: Mm hm. And even witty. Fozzie: And even witty! Raquel: In fact, I think you’re very sexy. Fozzie: Say again? Raquel: I think you’re sensational.

Like, that’s definitely something you’d never see on Sesame Street.

There are dozens of other examples, but for most people the Sesame Street influence is so strong that they don’t even bother to look. They just shrug and say, “Well, it’s puppets. It’s got to be a kid thing, right?”

Wrong, sir.

Jim Henson never wanted to pigeonhole his Muppets into exclusively children’s entertainment. Even before Sesame Street was a thing, he wanted to create a show that all ages could enjoy. Children, adults, teenagers, and everyone in between. He wanted to push the boundaries of puppeteering as an art form. And yes, I hear you cry, nine times out of ten author’s intent doesn’t mean diddly squat in comparison to the actual product, but Henson actually talked the talk and walked the walk.

I also agree that there have definitely been individual Muppet productions that are geared for a younger audience, such as Muppet Babies. But this is not the case for the entire franchise. ABC made a reboot show simply titled The Muppets back in 2015, and although pretty much everyone has cold feelings about its execution as a whole, it definitely took a more mature tone with some of its humor.

Yet, the original Muppet Show did not cater specifically to either side of the age spectrum. It was just good, clean fun. And just because the characters are made of felt and nobody’s losing pints of blood, swearing like sailors, or having sex all over the place doesn’t mean it’s not for adults.

There’s a great bit where German actress Elke Sommer sings “Animal Crackers in My Soup” three different ways, and it beautifully explains this balance. Go watch it. It’s a blast.

This is also the time to mention that this entire article was directly inspired by Defunctland’s new Jim Henson documentary series, specifically episode 2, “The Curse of Sesame Street.” Even if you’re only a casual Henson fan, I highly recommend it. It’s high quality and incredibly insightful.

#the muppets #jim henson #the muppet show #sesame street #kermit the frog #original article

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wellesleyunderground · 5 years

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WU Reviews: Best of 2018

2018 is finally at an end! For many, this has been a rough year, but the world kept turning and there were still incredible books, movies, TV shows, etc. to indulge in. Below is a compilation of what our Wellesley siblings enjoyed this year - the Best of 2018 that can entertain you as we head into 2019. Happy New Year!

Title: How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Type: Book

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10

Why? This essay collection is phenomenal. It is a must read for all aspiring writers, but much like Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, Chee's essays give great advice for writing AND for life. Also, his essay about 9/11 made me cry. It's SO GOOD.

Title: Good and Mad

Type: Book

Recommended by: Wendy Wellesley ‘22

Why? Inspiring account of the power of mobilization towards a cause.

Title: Bob’s Burgers

Type: TV

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10

Why? Now in its 9th season, I swear Bob's Burgers has only gotten better and funnier. I love watching this show because it just makes me HAPPY, which often during 2018 I sometimes really needed. The characters make me laugh, the puns are incredible, and I always feel better after watching an episode.

Title: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

Type: Book

Recommended by: Alexandra Stark ‘10 (and massively seconded by Shloka Ananthanarayanan ‘08!)

Why? Jasmine is a Wellesley alum! But more importantly this book is a lovely, realistic (ish--it's still romance after all) portrayal of an inter-racial relationship with consent and all of that good stuff.

Title: The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

Type: Book

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10

Why?

I read The Friend this fall on a tip from, well, a friend, and I am obsessed. Nunez writes about loving literature and working as a writer and how to deal with grief/death and what it means to be a good friend, all through a moving and engaging story about a woman who inherits her friend's dog after he dies suddenly. Read it! The National Book Award doesn't lie!

Title: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Type: Book

Recommended by: Shelly Anand ‘08

Why? It’s such a critical topic in our society, the mass incarceration of black men , but it discusses this terrible phenomenon from such a personal perspective, the inner workings of a relationship and marriage. Its beautifully written, deeply moving, and you find yourself rooting for multiple characters that are at times in conflict with one another. It’s a must read for 2018!

Title: GLOW

Type: TV

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10 (and again, seconded by Shloka Ananthanarayanan ‘08!)

Why? Oh my god GLOW IS INCREDIBLE. 80s fashion and glitter and queer love stories and so many strong badass women and an awesome soundtrack. Just watch it. The second season came out in June and made me have so many feelings. I loved it.

Title: Widows

Type: Movie

Recommended by: Cleo ‘09 (and by Shloka Ananthanarayanan ‘08!)

Why? Steve McQueen's 2018 heist drama (based on a 1983 British series) stars an all-star cast including Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell and Daniel Kaluuya. The story centers on female heroines dealing with the aftermath of their spouses' poor choices while simultaneously trying to survive and adjust to their new solo 'normals.' A key twist toward the end keeps the viewer on their toes without being gimmicky and the ending was highly satisfying. TW for violence.

Title: How To Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery

Type: Book

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10

Why? This is a magical book. If you felt disenchanted with how your fellow humans acted in 2018, do what Sy Montgomery did and turn to animals. She writes about thirteen non-human creatures that changed her life in some way and the life lessons she learned from them. It's so good!!! My 85 year old grandfather also loved it!

Title: How to Invent Everything by Ryan North

Type: Book

Recommended by: Laura Staffaroni ‘10

Why? A great mirror universe survivalist book--instead of teaching you how to survive in a dystopic future, post-civilization collapse, you get to learn how to survive in the distant past, pre-civilization! Hilarious and informative.

Title: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Type: Movie

Recommended by: E.B. Bartels ‘10 (and Shloka Ananthanarayanan ‘08, AGAIN)

Why? I wept through this entire Mr. Rogers documentary. It's incredible.

#wu review #book recommendations #movie recommendations #tv recommendations

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ontarioyoga · 3 years

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Is Baby Yoga Harmful

New Post has been published on https://www.ontarioyoga.net/is-baby-yoga-harmful/

Is Baby Yoga Harmful

Yoga Can Be A Source Of Knee Pain Or The Ideal Therapy Here’s A Primer On Keeping The Joint Healthy On And Off The Mat

August 28, 2007

The chorus of pops emanating from Kyle Ray’s knee was his first clue that his body wasn’t happy in . It was the end of a relaxing yoga class in Louisville, Kentucky, and the teacher had instructed everyone to assume a seated position for some chanting. Sure, Ray’s knees had acted up on occasion, but he’d gotten himself into Lotus before and was confident he could do it again. He slowly nestled his left ankle into the crook of his hip. Then, grabbing his right calf, he used his arm strength to muscle the top leg into position.

“The noise was awful,” says Ray, 31. A second later, a quick, sharp pain shot through his knee. He gingerly unfolded his legs. After class, it was all he could do to hobble home and place an ice pack on the swelling joint. It took six months for him to be able to walk without pain. Although his knee pain did subside, Ray still frets about the stability of his knees and generally avoids knee-taxing postures like .

A Viral Video Shows A Russian Fitness Instructor Swinging A Newborn To Give Her A Workout How Dangerous Is That

Many new moms turn to yoga to get themselves and their children in shape. But a Russian fitness teacher living in Egypt is trying to push the trend beyond prenatal yoga and mommy-and-me classes. The instructor, Lena Fokina, made a “baby yoga” video that went viral this week showing her swinging a 2-week-old baby by her tiny limbs, even flipping the infant over her head. Is this an innovation that will help parents raise stronger babies, or simply child abuse?

This is a form of abuse: This video clip is absolutely “horrifying,” says Linda Marsicano at . This “so-called Baby Yoga” looks certain to “dislocate a limb or two!” Fortunately, it seems highly unlikely that “swinging newborns” will catch on in the U.S. — “to me it looks like child abuse.”“Baby Yoga: You have to see this horrifying video! Plus Mommy & Me yoga classes”

It is not as scary as it looks: Lena Fokina “isn’t actually hurting the baby,” says Sasha Brown-Worsham in , just swinging her “with highly controlled, almost circus-like motions.” This is just a “slightly amped-up version” of workouts many moms do with their newborns.” I wouldn’t try it, but Fokina’s a pro, and she’s doing this to help the child, not hurt her.“Chill out! Baby Yoga with Lena Fokina looks fun”

In Assessing Product Information I Rely On Scientific Sources And The Expertise Of A Medical Doctor

To begin with, I have been researching consumer product ingredients since 2012. I dove into this subject because I was looking for non-toxic products for my newly born son. Do you know what I discovered? First, that manufacturers’ claims often do not mean much. And second, that as consumers we should take responsibility for raising our own awareness regarding product materials and ingredients.

So, using three university degrees and my bank analyst experience, I started doing research. The scientific sources I use are comprised of reports from Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel, the European Chemicals Agency, PubMed publications, the Scientific Committees on Consumer Safety, and so on. I also use the EWG Skin Deep database, despite its flaws. Plus, functional medicine doctor Myrto Ashe, MD, MPH, IFMCP reviews medicine-related information in my posts.

As a result of my commitment to reading ingredients, large consumer goods companies seek my professional counsel on their products. And to find out what documentary they interviewed me for, visit my page.

Baby Yoga Can Give You Better Rest Increased Flexibility And A Happy Baby

After nine long months, you’re delighted to have a sweet baby to cuddle and love. But a new baby means a new schedule, and you may find yourself with less time to focus on your health. It’s important to find an exercise regimen that is gentle enough for your body but is also challenging and exciting.

Whether you’re new to yoga or were a committed participant before you had your child, baby yoga is an excellent way to get you on a structured postnatal wellness path. “We recommend baby yoga for anyone who is looking for a healthy, playful bonding activity to do with a new baby,” says Lauren Chaitoff, co-owner of New York City children’s yoga studio Yogi Beans and contributor to .

Check out these nine reasons to do baby-centric yoga that will have you and baby feeling great in no time!

It’s a Great Bonding Experience With Your BabyMom and baby programs focus on both of you. “We modify traditional yoga poses so that moms can practice yoga while holding and rocking their babies,” states Laura DeNino, baby yoga instructor at the Yoga House of Charleston. The result is time dedicated to bonding.

You’ll Be Able to Ease Back Into YogaUnlike high-level adult yoga classes, child yoga acknowledges the changes that a new mom’s body has been through. You’ll work with your recovering and changing body instead of against it.

So grab that yoga mat and find a baby yoga class near you. Your body and your baby will thank you!

Care directory

Itsy Bitsy Yoga For Babies With A Parent/caregiverages: Newborn To Pre

Itsy Bitsy Yoga is a calming and nurturing yoga practice filled with ways to enhance bonding and make babies happier and more comfortable in their bodies. This class contains dozens of unique yoga postures designed specifically to soothe and support the development of a baby’s body. During the BABY Itsy Bitsy Yoga class, babies are mostly lying on their tummies, backs or in a parent’s arms. For parents and caregivers, this class provides a special time to bond with and learn about your baby’s emerging personality. Most of the yoga we do in Itsy Bitsy Yoga is for the child, but you will learn breathing and relaxation techniques and possibly practice some yoga yourself.

With or without yoga experience, Sweet Pea Yoga will teach poses and techniques from the Itsy Bitsy Yoga® program that:

Promotes parent-child bonding in a relaxed environment.

Improves your baby’s digestion and helps her sleep longer and better.

Calms a fussy or crying baby almost immediately using IBY Magic Poses™.

Helps you to understand your child’s developmental patterns.

Encourages your child to develop a healthy body, a confident self-awareness, and a happy spirit.

Fosters nurturing moments in and outside of class with special IBY Rhymes.

Benefits of Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for BABIES may include:

Better and longer sleep.

I Recommend A Cork Yoga Mat Instead Of A Polyvinyl Chloride Yoga Mat

Other popular mats nowadays are TPE yoga mats and eco-friendly yoga mats. I have tried them and described my experience in my Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats: Safe or Toxic? post. You will also learn what TPE material is.

So, after trying several yoga mats, I ended up with a sustainable cork yoga mat by . What I like about this biodegradable non-toxic yoga mat is that it is thick, not bulky, and not slippery. In fact, it has rubber backing against sliding. I also like the unique design of this non-PVC yoga mat, which contributes to my general feeling of ease. Read my review of the Scoria yoga mat to learn more about it.

Baby Yoga: 10 Reasons You & Your Newborn Should Consider Practicing

Doing Yoga with your baby has a lot of health benefits, and there are many reasons why you should give it a try.

Yoga: the great mind, body, and spirit connective activity. Despite yoga being very popular, many are unaware that those invaluable connections can be explored outside of one’s inner self. In fact, mothers who practice yoga with their newborns can experience an entirely new type of connection among a variety of other great and positive benefits.

RELATED: 15 Moms Who Should’ve NEVER Worn Yoga Pants

In addition to getting comfortable in one’s new mom role, moms are often trying to get comfortable in their new mom’s body and get adjusted to their new mom hours. There is a pretty good chance yoga can help with all of that. Read on for more ways to get that mom and baby on.

Rumor: Video Shows A Woman Wanted By The Fbi For Torturing A Baby

Video shows a woman wanted by the FBI for torturing a baby.

REAL VIDEO; INACCURATE DESCRIPTION

Although what’s depicted in this video is real and strikes most viewers as highly disturbing and dangerous, it isn’t a unique circumstance nor is it illegal, and the woman shown in the video isn’t “torturing a baby for fun” nor is she wanted by the FBI or other U.S. law enforcement agencies.

What’s shown in this video is the controversial back in January 2011. The video embedded at the head of this page is more of the same, showing another instance of an infant’s being put through a “dynamic gymnastics” routine.

As CBS News reported of the original video in 2011:

If you haven’t seen it yet, the video, which comes out of Russia, shows a woman tossing, twisting and spinning a baby in midair. She never lets go of the child’s arm, but the images of a child being tossed around like that are pretty jarring to an American eye.

The baby yoga guru is Lena Fokina, a 50-year-old Russian who lives in Egypt teaching yoga, free-diving and “dynastic gymnastics” .

Fokina said baby yoga helps children have more mobility, freedom and independence and has been practiced in Russia for three decades. “They are early readers, singers, talkers, swimmers. You haven’t seen anything like it anywhere!”

The blog also wrote of that video:

In Russia, parents pay to bring their children to Lena Fokina and have her put them through “baby yoga” routines:

And, although it is legal, it is highly controversial.

Is Tpe Material The Answer For Producing Sustainable Yoga Mats No

A while ago, I got a ThinkSport yoga mat as a present from a family member. Since another non-toxic blogger had researched the product and gave it the thumbs-up, I relaxed. Obviously, there was nothing else for me to do but to practice yoga. Then, while holding my pose, I took a deep breath on the mat. It smelled of toxic chemicals.

It Is Crucial To Use Credible Sources In Evaluating Pvc Yoga Mats

For starters, I have been in the product safety research business since 2012. Both my MBA degree and financial analyst experience have been of great help in the field of research. Nowadays, due to my expertise in this area, manufacturers and online retailers hire me as their product research and development consultant. I was also in a documentary that you can learn more about on my page.

Using credible sources is crucial in evaluating product information, so I do not rely on marketing claims. Instead, I read Cosmetic Ingredient Reports and PubMed publications. Additionally, I go to the European Chemicals Agency and the Scientific Committees on Consumer Safety databases, to name a few. The EWG is a useful tool, too, but you must learn to use the Skin Deep Database the right way.

Several years ago, when I did my first research on PVC yoga mats, I concluded that I should avoid PVC products. I was definitely glad that I did not own a polyvinyl chloride yoga mat. However, when I revisited the subject, I discovered articles by the chemical industry extolling the virtues of PVC. After reading them, it is easy to conclude that PVC is one of the best materials created by humankind. From every angle – environmental, production, safety, application – they described vinyl as an ideal material for every area of our lives. But to formulate my opinion about product safety, I look at independent sources to get a well-rounded view.

The Life Cycle Of Pvc Yoga Mats Produces Dangerous Byproducts

According to the European Chemicals Agency, vinyl chloride – the main ingredient in PVC – is a human carcinogen. Thus, the first report of liver cancer induced by vinyl chloride was in 1974 . Since then, new research has demonstrated the carcinogenicity of VC to other organs and at lower concentrations. I have no scientific evidence that one can get cancer from regular yoga sessions on a polyvinyl chloride yoga mat.

Additionally, one of the concerns with PVC is the generation of carcinogenic dioxins, byproducts of the manufacturing and disposal processes. Thus, the EWG rates 10 out of 10 due to high cancer concerns.

Because PVC is not biodegradable, the only way to get rid of it is to burn it. When burning, chlorine produces dioxins that end up in soil, fish, animals, water, air, and, ultimately, in humans. Dioxins are persistent . As a result, they may cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, and interfere with hormones.

Therefore, US Environmental Protection Agency regards dioxins as highly toxic persistent organic pollutants. And the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants emphasizes the importance of limiting the processes that produce dioxins.

I think those are good reasons to avoid PVC yoga mats. Clearly, we cannot get rid of all plastics, but let us do what we can by making informed decisions. So, what yoga mat do I use?

In My Opinion The Best Exercise Mat Is Scoria Cork Yoga Mat

After having no luck with ThinkSport and Jade Harmony, I was excited to try one of ’s sustainable yoga mats.

This biodegradable non-toxic yoga mat is made of cork and has a natural rubber backing against sliding. Also, it comes in two thicknesses , is not bulky, and is not slippery. It does have some smell, but it is minimal, and it rolls well.

I really like this yoga mat! It is comfortable, has a unique design, and makes me feel good.

You can learn more about it by reading my review of Scoria yoga mats. So far, it has been the best workout mat I have used. You can purchase it on the Scoria website. It is a Canadian company, but they ship to the USA without any taxes and duties.

Yoga More Dangerous Than Previously Thought Scientists Say

Yoga is more dangerous than previously thought and causes as many injuries as other sports, a study has found.

The 5,000 year-old Indian discipline is said to boost physical and mental wellbeing, and celebrity fans include Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen – as well as David and Victoria Beckham.

However, in a recent study yoga caused musculoskeletal pain – mostly in the arms – in more than one in ten participants.

The scientists behind the research, which was published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, also found that the practice worsened over a fifth of existing injuries.

Professor Evangelos Pappas, of Sydney University, the study’s lead researcher said: “Yoga may be a bit more dangerous than previously thought.

“Our study found the incidence of pain caused by yoga is more than 10 percent per year – which is comparable to the rate of all sports injuries combined among the physically active population.

“However people consider it to be a very safe activity. This injury rate is up to 10 times higher than has previously been reported.”

International Yoga Day 2017, in pictures

His team assessed more than 350 people who attended yoga classes at two studios in New York.

Yoga is an increasingly popular complementary or alternative therapy for musculoskeletal disorders, with millions of people practising worldwide.

At a glance | What’s in a yoga class?16 photographs that prove we’ve reached peak yogaAbout | A-list yoga crazes

Baby Gymnastics: Russia’s ‘potentially Dangerous’ Therapy

Oleg Tyutin is a psychotherapist, but for the past 20 years he has been practising a different kind of medicine.

He trains young mums like Victoria Kurzina to do the kind of exercises with their babies that would spark an outcry in the West.

Mr Tyutin holds Victoria’s baby by the legs, so that little Pavel is dangling upside down – and swings him gently from side to side like a pendulum.

Then, like the game of cup and ball, he swings the baby up towards him and catches him in his chest.

Pavel is just 17 days old.

The Russians call this dynamic baby gymnastics.

The practice is legal in Russia and widespread. There are believed to be hundreds of practitioners across the country.

Oleg maintains it gives babies a head start in life.

“When they’re born, babies are very tense,” Oleg explains.

“They’re frightened by the wide, open space around them. This procedure helps a baby adapt to their new surroundings. It makes infants more open, more sociable, more relaxed. It also helps them develop more quickly.”

After lesson one, Victoria doesn’t feel confident enough to have a go herself.

“It’s a bit frightening really,” Victoria admits. “A specialist – well, his hands are confident, he has all the experience, he knows what to do. But I’m still at the learning stage.”

Lubricants In Plastics Reduce Friction During Processing

Apparently, there are external lubricants and internal lubricants. While the former reduces friction between the PVC and the processing equipment, the latter work on the PVC granules . It looks like there is no way for PVC yoga mats to work around these either.

“With PVC, typical external lubricants are stearic acid and its calcium, lead, cadmium, and barium salts, myristic acid, hydrocarbons such as paraffin wax, and low molecular weight polythene and certain esters such as ethyl palmitate… Amongst internal lubricants used for PVC are amine waxes, montan wax ester derivatives, glyceryl esters such as glyceryl monostearate, and long-chain esters such as cetyl palmitate.”

Among these, my concern lies with lead and cadmium salts for the reasons I stated in the heavy metal section.

Plasticizers Make A Polyvinyl Chloride Yoga Mat Flexible

First of all, a plasticizer makes plastic flexible, resilient, and easier to handle. Therefore, a plasticizer is crucial in PVC yoga mats.

While the most common plasticizers are phthalates, many products boast that they are “phthalate-free.” This is because phthalates have a bad reputation as endocrine disruptors .

So, is a phthalate-free polyvinyl chloride yoga mat safe?

Well, I encourage you to always ask what the manufacturer uses instead of phthalates. For example, other plasticizers are adipates, glutarates, sebacates, phosphates, polymerics, trimellitates, and epoxy compounds. The good news is that none of these seems to be as toxic as phthalates. However, they may have limited safety data, meaning that they do not know enough about their safety yet. And most of the time manufacturers do not tell us what they use instead of phthalates. So “phthalate-free” may sound good, but it may not mean safer.

Trying To Foam Roll A Muscle That Hasnt Been Warmed Up

Timing with foam rolling is important because if you spend too much time in a single area, there is an increased risk of bruising or injury. The risk is especially high when this is done on what’s called a cold muscle. This is essentially a muscle that hasn’t been properly warmed up before doing physical activity.

Foam rolling a muscle that has not been warmed up is preferable to static or dynamic stretching, however. Foam rolling is actually the first recommended step in warming up to exercise.

The risk associated with foam rolling too hard is similar to the risks associated with massage-bruising. If you experience this after rolling, ice can be used to comfort the area, however, any sort of swelling, loss of function, range of motion, or strength indicates that you should see a doctor immediately.

When you begin rolling a cold muscle, you should always start with softer pressure in order to avoid further damage or inflammation. When you move the roller too aggressively over a cold muscle, you run the risk of damaging muscle tissue which could make muscle aches even worse. Instead, keep the roller still, and maneuver your body gently in order to give your body the time to generate heat and further warm-up, which leads to the loosening of tense points.

Is Baby Yoga A Good Activity For You And Your Child

Categories Kids and family

To put it simply, yes, baby yoga is bound to be helpful to both you and your child on different levels.

For them, it’s more on the physical spectrum that aids in their development, while for you it’s finding the time to relax and decompress as well as help your body deal with postpartum stress, be it physical or mental.

Baby yoga at its core is nothing exceptionally complicated. Yoga poses range from the simple “tummy time” and baby massages we’re all used to doing with our kids, all the way to special yoga poses that include both mommy and baby.

The general idea behind it is to help kids who are facing difficulties in development due to the modernization of baby gear, as they too have started to suffer from becoming “lazier.”

Focusing On Certain Areas Of Your Body For Too Long

It goes without saying, but some areas of the body might have more pressure than others. With that being said, you don’t want to overdo it on any one spot by staying focused on it for too long. The recommended time to roll any one area would be 30 seconds to one minute.

30 seconds should be spent holding the muscle over the roller all while applying consistent pressure. 30 seconds can then be spent exploring dynamic pressure on the area. Dynamic pressure means that the foam roller is moved, as opposed to applying static pressure by just holding it in place.

It’s a good idea, to begin with, static pressure and then move to dynamic pressure. A great way to conduct this is by keeping the roller in a single place as you twist from side to side, moving your body across the roller and up and down the length of the muscle that you’re focusing on.

What Is Tpe It Is A Mix Of Undisclosed Ingredients

In the meantime, thermoplastic elastomers . Do these sound like proper materials for eco-friendly yoga mats?

According to the British Plastics Federation, there are seven main TPE groups available commercially. For example, one of the most common and least expensive ones is Styrenic Block Copolymers. To clarify, these are based on two-phase block copolymers with hard and soft segments. Thus, the styrene end blocks provide thermoplastic properties, and the butadiene mid-blocks provide elastomeric properties. Considering its properties and areas of application, I venture a guess that some so-called sustainable yoga mats are made with this kind of TPE.

If we look at the individual chemical polymers, this is what we will see.

First, they produce styrene in industrial quantities from ethylbenzene and use it to make plastics and rubber. The International Agency for Research on Cancer .

Second, butadiene is a chemical that they produce from petroleum and use to make synthetic rubber. The Department of Health and Human Services, IARC, and EPA classify it as a human carcinogen .

Based on this, I am skeptical about TPE. If a manufacturer describes their yoga mat as made of TPE material without specifying the ingredients, I interpret it as lack of transparency. In short, TPE is a blend of undisclosed synthetic materials that have not been proven safe.

Are TPE eco-friendly yoga mats biodegradable? No.

You would expect sustainable yoga mats to be biodegradable, right?

Heat Stabilizers Prevent Pvc Decomposition By Heat

To begin, stabilizers in plastics prevent environmental effects of heat or UV light and mechanical degradation during processing and use. The available heat stabilizers for PVC are organotin compounds, antimony, organochlorines, lead compounds, and cadmium .

First, the organotin compounds in PVC are mainly mono-butyltin . This evaluates their toxic effects on in vitro human cells. All three had a negative impact on human cells. DBT and TBT revealed the most toxic effects even at low concentrations.

Second, antimony enhances the flame-retardant effect of chlorine in PVC. In 1990, the state of California added antimony oxide to the list of carcinogenic chemicals , antimony may damage fertility or the unborn child. Also, it may cause cancer, harm breastfed children, and damage organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.

Third, organochlorines are synthetic pollutants to humans. Thus, many organochlorines are linked to endocrine disruption or cancer in experimental assays . Like antimony, organochlorines enhance the flame retardancy characteristics and the impact strength characteristics in PVC.

Heavy metals in PVC yoga mats

These substances in your polyvinyl chloride yoga mat can enter your body through skin contact and inhalation. In addition, they may contaminate your body via ingestion of the dust containing heavy metals.

And cadmium is linked to reduced mineral density in bones, preterm labor, kidney disease and damage has classified it as “carcinogenic to humans.”

Baby Yoga Promotes Healthy Development And Bonding

As a parent, your main priority is to keep your child happy and healthy. But you may need a chance to relax, too. Baby yoga is a healthy, engaging way for caregivers to bond with their newborns, tune into their cues and de-stress. Babies are “natural yogis;” you may have noticed your infant doing yoga poses already.

“Baby yoga is all about bonding with your infant through stretches, lots of tummy time and high-energy activities to help with the baby’s developmental path,” says Patti Ideran, OTR/L, CEIM, a pediatric occupational therapist at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, who is also a certified educator of infant massage and a certified instructor of baby and toddler yoga. “I really look at this class as preventive medicine.”

It is well understood that yoga is a great way for adults to de-stress, but babies also benefit from participating.

The Problems Kids Face That Baby Yoga Helps Solve

The so-aptly dubbed “container babies” who end up spending more time in strollers, car seats, baby swings, and similar are the ones who suffer from the laziness problem the most, in the same manner that we adults do nowadays.

They start being a lot less active, which leads to their metabolism slowing down, in turn ending up making colic a more frequent occurrence from the digestion problems that come alongside it.

There’s also the problem of this inactivity causing delays in the baby’s developmental cycle, as well as issues caused by abnormal head shapes due to constantly having it rest somewhere.

All of these get properly sorted out through the application of baby yoga exercises; this way your little one then gets to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga For Babies

Is yoga safe for babies and tots?According to pediatricians and nurses, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Itsy Bitsy Yoga® is safe, gentle and very effective when done with proper instruction. The parent is responsible for carrying out all of the baby’s yoga movements until the baby can walk. In the more active Tots Yoga program , parents are there to support and assist their toddler into yoga poses whenever necessary. Parents can also enjoy the time practicing yoga poses, while letting their child imitate and explore yoga on her own two feet.

How do I know which class is right for me–Baby or Tots Itsy Bitsy Yoga? If your baby is not yet crawling class so you won’t need to switch levels mid-session.

What if my baby cries during class?Crying is one of the ways babies express themselves and vocalize their needs. Just take a breath, center yourself, and attend to your baby’s needs. A wonderful benefit of the Itsy Bitsy Yoga program is that you will learn a number of the exclusive IBY “Magic Poses” which can literally calm crying in seconds when practiced with the right intensity.

What if my baby is hungry during class?We encourage you to attend to your baby’s needs at any time during the class. This is an environment supportive to both breastfeeding and bottle feeding parents. Out of respect to the potential allergies of other parents or children, we request that you not bring solid foods into the classroom.

Baby Yoga Video Is Real And Real Scary But Safe

January 20, 2011 / 12:06 PM / CBS News

Yes, the yoga baby video is real and really terrifying, at least to watch. But is it safe for baby?

Some speculated the baby wasn’t even real, but Nathan Thornburgh, a former Time magazine editor who blogs at , says he tracked both baby and baby swinger down for a chat.

The baby yoga guru, writes Thornburgh, is Lena Fokina, a 50-year-old Russian who lives in Egypt teaching yoga, free-diving and “dynastic gymnastics” . The baby, he says, lives a few hours outside of Kiev, Ukraine, was only two weeks old when the video was shot, and is doing just fine two years later.

In fact, Fokina said baby yoga helps children have more mobility, freedom and independence and has been practiced in Russia for three decades. “They are early readers, singers, talkers, swimmers. You haven’t seen anything like it anywhere!!” she told Thornburgh.

Baby Yoga Woman Is Back With New Video: Unsafe

March 2, 2012 / 4:46 PM / CBS News

In 2011, Lena Fokina shocked the world when a video of her twirling and slinging his two week old baby from side to side went viral. She’s back again, swinging a new infant in a new video by Barcroft TV.

Last year, Fokina told the Dadwagon blog that the dynamic gymnastics practice — which was dubbed baby yoga — gave children a boost in life. Other Russian parents echoed her sentiments, saying their children walked and swam earlier.

Still, many viewers were outraged, prompting YouTube to take the original video down because it was in violation of their policy of “shocking and disgusting content.”

Baby yoga video is real and real scary, but safe?

Barcroft TV’s new video, uploaded March 1, 2012, catches up with the 51-year-old yoga guru as she teaches parents in Dahab, Egypt the art of baby yoga. She’s still dangling the infants by one arm or leg, while the children wail in glee or sheer terror, depending on who you believe.

Reasons Why Baby Tossing Is Good For Your Baby

Baby tossing spans the globe, from harrowing rooftop rituals in India to gymnastics training in Russia to baby Yoga studios in California and New York. Don’t be afraid to take your babies and toss them around, horseplay and otherwise push your limits with what you feel is a responsible level of baby tossing for your baby.

WARNING: THIS POST IS AGAINST EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER LEARNED!

While we don’t advocate stressing babies or doing anything that endangers babies, many new parents have no idea that there are major health benefits to tossing and turning babies. We’re told repeatedly not to shake or toss babies, so we thought we’d look around and see what people are doing to thumb their noses at doctors’ advice.5 facts that baby tossing is good for your baby:

Doctors say horseplay with kids is good!Some are going on the record to say that it’s about time we accept the good in horseplay and start baby tossing. The Art of Roughhousing includes the the testimony of doctors who say “rough-and-tumble play can nurture close connections, solve behavior problems, boost confidence, and more.”

Dynamic gymnastics in Russia makes babies happyIt’s hard to deny the sheer joy and pleasure in this next video. “Gymnastics with Jaromir” demonstrates a tradition in Russia that some advocates say help train many of the best Olympians the world has ever seen.

Parents Should Beware Of Shaken Baby Syndrome

The supposed benefits of the so called are certainly doubtful, and the possible dangers are far more evident. Experts have long warned that inflicting unnatural and very vigorous movements on young babies can in fact be very dangerous and can be classified as child abuse.

We know that Shaken Baby Syndrome is a condition that can be caused by intentional shaking of a baby. It can cause internal bleeding of the brain and/or the retina, swelling of the brain, visual impairment, motor impairment and even cognitive impairment to varying degrees.

The type of injury to a baby from shaking is quite distinct from injury that occurs due to falls, trauma or impact, and will typically have no outer signs of the injury but the kind of damage that can occur can be fairly extreme and could even be permanent.

The Benefits You Get From Attending Kids Yoga

As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s not just your little one who reaps the benefits of yoga, you will too.

Whether you’re a new parent or not, chances are that you are going to be struggling with postpartum stress and potential postpartum depression.

Taking baby yoga classes will help you deal with these in a warm, friendly, and accepting environment filled with like-minded individuals.

Whether it’s the other new moms who came here for the same reason as you or the certified yogi who’s there to teach you, it’s a place where you can get in touch with serenity and let your troubles melt away – at least temporarily.

A place where nobody is going to mind if your baby has an accident mid-session or starts feeling uncomfortable or crying for any reason. In fact, they’re more likely to help you out than anything.

Plus, it lets you expand your social circle and share advice with all of these other new mothers and the yoga teacher.

Your active little yogi may even foster some new friendships with the other kids. Anything is possible, as long as the kids yoga class is kept nice and interactive.

Now, I haven’t personally attended any of these baby yoga classes yet, but have managed do delve deep enough into it that I’d definitely give it a shot if hubby and I ever intend on expanding to baby #3.

That said, a couple of my mom friends who introduced the concept of child yoga to me in the first place described the experience they had for their first time at the yoga studio:

Is It Safe To Do Bikram Yoga During Pregnancy

Bikram yoga or hot yoga is fast gaining popularity all over the world. This type of yoga takes place in heated rooms with high humidity. Bikram yoga has many health benefits that are attracting more and more people. A better heart, improved physical fitness, reduced stress- all are pros of doing hot yoga.

However, there is a debate on whether bikram yoga is safe for pregnant women. Some people believe that the high heat and humidity required for this yoga can prove harmful fir the fetus. It can also harm the mother. This type of yoga is quite rigorous and might physically harm the mother and the baby. Pregnancy is a crucial phase in every woman’s life. It is important to know all about the benefits and risks of doing bikram yoga during pregnancy.

How Many Times A Week Should You Do Hot Yoga

As often as possible, the more you practice the more you will see progress and results. For good results regularly practice 3 times per week. For life-changing results, 4 or more times per week. Professional/amateur athletes cross train with Bikram Yoga 1-2 weekly.

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Baby Yoga What Is It And Why Should We Care

We explore the ins and outs of sharing a mat with your mini.

Melanie Dimmitt

When presented with the notion of yoga for babies, I scrutinized it as I would a designer diaper bag. A lovely idea, in theory, but do I really it? Amid the plethora of mommy-and-me offerings – music classes, French lessons, sign-language… even Salsa dancing – why choose yoga? Babies are naturally bendy, are they not? It isn’t called a ‘happy baby’ for nothing. However, on closer inspection, there’s more to baby yoga than child’s play .

First things first. What is it, exactly?

Baby yoga tends to mean one of two things – an adult yoga class that you bring baby along to, or yoga that is actually for your baby. In a parent-focused class, bub takes the role of spectator-slash-adorable-prop.

“The babies lie on a blanket in front of the parents’ yoga mat,” explains Neelu Shruti, of Love Child yoga studio in New York. “Throughout class, which includes upper body stretches and glute strengthening, we will include baby in poses such as ‘push-up kiss baby’, or hold baby while doing squats, lunges or abdominal exercises.”

Love Child studio’s Baby & Me Yoga class incorporates restorative poses and sequences well suited to new parents – so long as they’re okay with the occasional flow interruption and not-so-silent Savasana.

But there are, according to Neelu, ample reasons to abandon your landslide of laundry for a class such as this.

We’re listening.

Now… will a yoga mat fit in my new designer diaper bag?

Limit Babys Activities To No More Than 15

Most yoga classes are between 45 minutes to an hour. That’s fine for mamas, but that length of time is too much for babies. While a baby is more than welcome to have some tummy time or sit and babble happily away while you perform additional, restorative or strength-building poses, your baby should only be actively doing yoga for 15 or 20 minutes. Anything more than that can overtax his/her already busy and developing body.

The Yoga Instructor Should Be Certified

Certifications and credentials are always a good thing to verify when trusting your well-being – and your baby’s – to someone else’s expertise. However, yoga certification should be an essential “prerequisite” before enrolling in a class.

First and foremost, the instructor should be trained and experienced in teaching parent-and-baby classes, understanding which postures and holds are safe, and which aren’t, to keep your baby safe. Your safety is also a priority. Your connective tissue is still very elastic from the hormonal changes that took place to accommodate pregnancy, labor and delivery. Postnatal classes should support that, keeping you safe from stretches or postures that could lead to potential strain or injury.

If you find out your baby isn’t as into the classes as you are and you opt to take a yoga class on your own, make sure to inform the instructor you are XX weeks postpartum as s/he will probably amend certain poses for you until you’re body is further along in its recovery.

Is Any Yoga Harmful For Corona Patients

Health Sciences

Coronavirus affects the respiratory system causing damage to it. The virus targets our lungs and restricts its capacity, thereby, causing breathlessness. Yoga like Pranayama – an easy and rhythmic breathing exercise can help in improving the breathing and our psychological well-being. It helps in strengthening the entire respiratory system along with our immune system. A person’s maximum speed or breathing out air and low blood oxygen levels can be remarkably improved with the aid of yoga exercise. Blood oxygen levels are an important marker in determining the severity of the infection in patients.

According to a research study conducted by the Harvard Medical School, practicing yoga can modulate our stress response system. Yoga can have soothing effects and help to flush our negative thinking that can be linked with anxiety and depression .

Yoga just not gives us the physical strength to defend against Coronavirus, but also provides us with emotional stability and mental balance to negotiate through this tough period of crisis.

Benefits Of Postpartum Yoga For Mothers

It helps ease new parent jitters. Get started by attending a class taught by a trained instructor — it’s a safe and structured way to engage with your baby.

It’s a little TLC for your body. Any kind of yoga gives you an opportunity to nourish and care for your body through focused stretches and mindful breathing exercises, which is especially important after carrying a baby for nine months and then giving birth!

It stretches and strengthens the muscles that need the most TLC. The gentle movements and mindful breathing that are integral to yoga boost abdominal strength and activate the pelvic floor muscles, which aids recovery from giving birth, while classic poses — from upward facing dog to cobra — help open up the shoulders and chest you rely on for all of the rocking and cradling you do in the first few months with your baby.

It helps you meet new moms. After baby is born, you might not have as much time for socializing. But it’s reassuring to talk to other mothers who are going through the same experiences as you are. Yoga class provides a safe and nurturing environment for new parents to discuss worries and concerns. You’re not alone!

It helps you and your new baby bond. Yoga is a healthy, playful activity you can enjoy together.

Ten Reasons Yoga Might Be Bad For You

Ten reasons yoga might be bad for you isn’t a list of reasons not to do yoga. It is intended to encourage people to do yoga consciously, with a specific eye on what their body needs in the moment, but also, possibly more importantly, what the body needs to age well. I often say in classes that I teach that what your body can get away with in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s might come back to haunt you in your 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

While I love yoga for the workout it provides, it should be more about building a vessel that accepts and cultivates the breath in pursuit of a long healthy life. From my perspective you need to approach your practice as a means to change, rather than reinforce, long held conditioned patterns. Certainly, exercising is better than not exercising – and very important for everybody – if you are doing it incorrectly it will not be good for you.

1. Forward Head Posture And Headstand

2. A Tucked Pelvis And Tadasana

It is essential to our pelvises.

3. Having Excessively Loose Joints

4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome And Downward Dog

If you are doing downward dog with heel of the palm flat on the floor, rather than creating a tunnel for clear passage of the median nerve to travel through to the hand, you can actually make the problem worse. shares an affective technique for creating space in the carpal tunnel.

5. Weak Core Muscles And Wheel

6. The Shoulders And Chaturanga

8. Opening the Chest and Breathing Abdominally

A Polyvinyl Chloride Mat Is Not A Non

To lay the foundation, let us look at the essence of PVC.

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly called PVC or vinyl, belongs to the group of chloropolymers. They produce chloropolymers from alkenes by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms with chlorine. Polyvinyl chloride is the third largest-selling commodity thermoplastic after polyethylene and polypropylene. Imagine that more than 40 million tons of PVC are produced worldwide every year .

Further, the raw materials for PVC come from salt and petroleum. First, they produce chlorine by electrolysis of saltwater. Then, they combine chlorine with ethylene obtained from petroleum to form vinyl chloride monomer . Next, they polymerize VCM molecules to form PVC resin. Finally, they compound PVC resin into PVC compound. During this process, they combine PVC with additives which determine the properties of the products, e.g., color, clarity, and flexibility.

All PVC materials use functional additives which include heat stabilizers and lubricants. Additionally, they use plasticizers to make your polyvinyl chloride yoga mat flexible . Potentially, PVC yoga mats have all these additives, so let us talk about them.

Applying The Wrong Amount Of Pressure

Foam rolling should only be used when applying the correct amount of pressure, not too much or too little, or it may not be able to repair the damaged muscle tissue correctly.

Beginning at a medium speed may be the most effective at relieving tension, without causing too much strain on the muscle. That being said, it may take a while for the muscle that you are focusing on to relax. This will also change depending on the area of the body you are focusing on, because some muscles have trigger points, or may get tighter than others.

Different muscles will have varying degrees of tension, so it’s important to listen to what your body needs, and apply pressure accordingly. It can be difficult to tell the correct amount of pressure, however, it shouldn’t feel comfortable to do, especially with certain trigger points.

However, if you’re feeling no discomfort, you may not be applying enough pressure. Excruciating pain is not good either and communicates that you must lessen the pressure. Also important is not going too fast over certain sections, because this could lead to a lack of enough pressure.

Is Rubber Better Than Tpe It Depends

After my disappointment with ThinkSport yoga mats, my research led me to Jade eco-friendly yoga mats. When I received the mat, it had a smell, too, but not as strong as the ThinkSport mat. Despite its excellent properties – non-slippery and thick – I did not like it because it still smelled after several weeks.

According to the website, all Jade’s sustainable yoga mats are “made with natural rubber and contain no PVC or other synthetic rubbers.” However, the description also says that the mats contain both natural and man-made components, and the precise components are proprietary. In my correspondence with the company, Jade revealed to me that “these other ingredients are necessary to give our mats their properties .”

Additionally, Jade states that their yoga mats contain no heavy metals, ozone-depleting substances, PVC, TPE, phthalates, and formaldehyde.

It sounds good, but what bothers me is that there is no proof of any of those claims. I requested third party reports from Jade that would confirm the statements above. When I get them, I will update this post.

Flexible Muscles Vs Flexible Joints

To properly assess this safety issue, a distinction needs to be made: flexibility in joints is a different matter than flexibility in muscles.

Joints are where one bone connects with another bone. Joints are held together by ligaments. They are further stabilized by muscles and tendons. As Dr. James Garrick, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and Director of the Sports Medicine Center at Saint Francis Hospital in San Francisco, states in his book, Peak Condition:

Ligaments have some elasticity. They can stretch a bit, but if they stretch over about 10 percent of their length, then they are like Saran Wrap — you stretch it too far and it stays that way. It won’t go back.

The job of ligaments is to help hold a joint in alignment, yet still allow for normal range of motion. If a ligament is over-stretched, then it is unable to stabilize the joint as well as it did before. The joint becomes more vulnerable to injury unless adequate muscle strength is developed to compensate for the extra looseness.

If the ligaments are stretched sufficiently — either from a sudden impact — the joint will be injured. There will then be inflammation and pain in the joint, for inflammation is the body’s mechanism for stabilizing the compromised joint.

Therefore, in yoga or any other activity, care should be taken never to stretch the ligaments. Dr. Garrick states in another of his books, Be Your Own Personal Trainer

What Do We Wear And Take To A Class

Parents and babies should both wear loose, comfortable clothes that are easy to move around in. Jogging bottoms, loose t-shirts or vest tops are ideal.

For babies, I would recommend a sleepsuit with a short-sleeved vest underneath. Sleepsuits are comfortable and easy to whip off when needed.

During the baby massage you will have to take off the sleepsuit, hence the need for a vest. Some babies don’t mind being only in a nappy, whereas others hate it. Both of mine did when I took them to massage classes!

Most classes will tell you what to bring when you book a place, but a towel and/or a yoga mat will most likely be necessary. Some classes will provide the mat depending on where you go.

Many classes take place in a village hall or similar, where the floor can be cold and hard, so a mat is essential. Having somewhere warm and soft to lie your baby down is vital. Babies won’t relax if they’re not comfortable.

I’d also recommend bringing some water. It looks like gentle exercise and it can be taken slowly. However if you’re a newbie or trying to get in shape again, it’s going to take you a little while to get back into things!

Exploring The Benefits Of Baby Yoga Beate ChungCertified Yoga Instructor

Beate has taught yoga as a certified instructor in the US for over 7 years then she moved to Taiwan in 2010 to open her first yoga studio.

Baby yoga doesn’t seem to be as familiar a term as yoga itself, but more and more parents are seeing the benefits of yoga as a form of exercise that can help them bond with their little one while promoting the development of their babies’ gross and fine motor skills. This practice comes with many physiological benefits. It also improves social interactions among new parents and their babies. Let’s have a look at the benefits of Baby Yoga!

Is It Safe To Do Yoga With My Baby

There are so many reasons why doing yoga with your baby is a fantastic idea. In addition to getting you out of the house and into the world of mamas who are on the same journey as you, taking a Mommy-and-Me type yoga class is a sweet way to bond with your baby outside the confines of the normal daily routine.

Additionally, yoga is a safe, healthy way to speed up your postpartum recovery. It strengthens core and pelvic muscles, and rebuilds strength, flexibility, and balance in your post-pregnancy body.

That said, safety is always always the top priority for you and your baby. Check in with your OB before signing up for a class. Most physicians recommend postpartum moms wait at least six to eight weeks before getting back into an exercise routine, and you may need to wait longer than that depending on your labor and postpartum recovery process.

Yoga safe and fun to do with your baby as long as you adhere to the following conditions:

Getting To The Root Of The Problem

First of all, the number of people practicing yoga has increased, which explains some of the increase in the number of injuries. It does not explain the situation entirely, however, because not only do there seem to be more injuries than increased numbers of participation can explain, but also there is a wider variety of types of injuries, especially for the knees and lower back, as reported in the above article. So what else has changed in the last ten years?

For one thing, there has been a great increase in the popularity of heat-based and power types of yoga, which tend to be fast-paced and to foster a certain degree of competitiveness. There are also a lot more yoga teachers with little or no formal training stepping up to meet the demand for these classes. More and more yoga students in power and hot yoga classes are getting injured more readily as they push the limits of their bodies with little, if any, regard to safety.

Lorraine Kreahling stated that some physical therapists question the value of excessive joint flexibility, saying that it can lead to inflammation and pain. Some asanas that require extreme bending of the knees such as squats and sitting backwards on folded knees were particularly cited by a sports medicine doctor as examples of postures that are most likely to cause tears in knee cartilage. This naturally raises the question of the safety of Vajrasana and similar asanas.

Ways To Protect Your Knees In Yoga

1. Avoid Hyperextending: When joints are overly mobile and flex too far back, they’re hyperextended. In the knees, hyperextension often occurs in poses in which the legs are straightened, such as Trikonasana , putting an unhealthy tension on the ligaments. If you’re prone to hyperextension, keep a slight bend in the knees during standing poses and keep your weight evenly distributed among the four corners of your feet. In seated forward bends, place a rolled-up sticky mat or towel under the knee of the extended leg or legs.

2. Start With Your Feet: Proper alignment through the feet is the key to building strength evenly in the ligaments on both sides of the knee; when all the ligaments are equally strong, the kneecap glides effortlessly up and down and the cartilage doesn’t get worn down. Separate your toes and press actively through the four corners of your feet in every pose, even inversions. If your feet are out of alignment, your knees are going to suffer.

3. Keep Your Knees in Line: When moving into deep knee bends, such as Virabhadrasana II , first align your bent knee over your ankle, then draw your kneecap in line with your second toe. Maintain awareness in your back foot, pressing down evenly, while lifting up from the arch of your front foot. “If you let the arch drop, the knee falls inside the big toe, and you’re set up to suffer a number of different kinds of overuse and acute knee injuries,” says Angela Smith, a professor of orthopedic surgery.

For Your Baby Stretch Sense Sleep

Babies are extremely limber and this dexterity can help them perform basic yoga poses with ease. Obviously, the stretches are guided by an instructor or the parents. Yoga can help the baby sleep in more regular intervals, and the stretching and posing foster the baby’s gross and fine motor development. The practice has also been found to be effective in promoting better digestion, preventing constipation and relieving colic in infants.

For Yourself Touch Attach Connect

Aside from the physiological benefits, baby yoga fosters deeper emotional attachments between the parent and the baby. Throughout the exercises, the parent holds and touches the baby and the sedation of touch helps strengthen paternal or maternal bonds. The sensation of touch also promotes circulation, which gives both the parent and infant feelings of calm and relaxation. Parents who enroll in baby yoga classes are also given the opportunity to socialize with other mothers and fathers and discuss “new parents’ stuff”. The classes are also great places for babies to interact with other infants for the first time.

You Asked: Can Hot Yoga Be Harmful

Does Yoga change your body?

Although practicing hot yoga is safe for most people, it can cause some people to overstretch, and suffer from dehydration. In extreme cases, it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. To practice hot yoga safely, drink plenty of water, ease yourself into classes, and leave the room if the heat becomes too much.

Can Being Too Flexible Be Harmful

In When Does Flexible Start to Mean, Lorraine Kreahling asks, Does too much stretching cause injuries?

Ten to twenty years ago, when I was teaching yoga in San Francisco, one rarely heard of people being injured from practicing yoga.

During this time I worked both as a chiropractic assistant and in sports medicine research. To the extent that we saw yoga injuries at all, it was usually something that would be caused by going into or out of an inversion inappropriately. But even that was rare.

Recently, however, I’ve heard that the sports medicine clinic where I worked now treats yoga injuries more regularly than it did ten years ago. What has changed since then?

Yoga During Your First Trimester

Whether you have never practiced yoga a day in your life, or you are a dedicated daily yogi, this post is for you! You both have something wonderful in common. You’re newly pregnant and creating a beautiful life inside of your miraculous being. Yoga is a great exercise during pregnancy as it relieves stress, aches and pains, connects you to your baby inside, and allows you to discover a new strength and power from within. Check out our post about the benefits of prenatal yoga .

Before practicing any type of exercise, it is always important to consult with your doctor to ensure that it is safe for both you and your growing baby. There are many things to consider before starting or continuing your yoga practice during the first trimester. How do you feel? What is your goal with the practice? Is this your first pregnancy? How is your pregnancy going in the eyes of your doctor? You and your doctor know your body and your situation best so it is important to take a little bit of time to evaluate what kind of yoga and how much is best for you during this vulnerably delicate time. If it is deemed safe, yoga is a great exercise to pick up if you have never practiced a day in your life during your pregnancy. It is also something that experienced and dedicated yogis should continue to practice throughout their pregnancy, especially if yoga alleviates stress and anxiety in your day to day life.

Here are some general guidelines to practicing safe yoga during your first trimester.

Foam Rolling In The Wrong Areas

While most muscles aren’t an issue, there are some specific areas you should steer clear from. One of the biggest mistakes is to roll your IT band, which in actuality cannot be loosened. If you have a tight IT band individuals should focus on rolling quadriceps, glutes, and around the knee instead.

After this, you can focus on strengthening and physical therapy designed to strengthen your glutes and further take pressure off the IT band. This will decrease the likelihood of IT band syndrome occurring.

What Should I Do After Hot Yoga

How to refuel after a hot yoga class…

You’ve just had an amazing hot yoga class and you sweat more than you thought was possible. …

Try to avoid drinking coffee, caffeinated tea or alcohol after a hot class. …

Ultimately, listen to your body and get it the proper nutrition it needs. …

Here is some more great advice on what to do post yoga practice:

16.04.2013

When Should We Start Baby Yoga

You can start baby yoga as soon as you like. It really depends on when you feel ready, especially if you’re a mum who has just given birth.

Ideally wait until your six week check-up so your GP can give you the all clear for exercising. This is important if you’ve had a C-section, or have had any postnatal complications.

Dads can take their babies whenever they like – there’s no reason to wait. It can really help dads and their babies to bond, particularly if mum is breastfeeding.

Understanding Range Of Motion

So then we must ask, if a joint has a less-than-optimal range of motion, should we do anything to increase the range of motion? This is often referred to as stretching or opening up a joint. If the range of motion is restricted due to weak and/or tight muscles and tendons, then the answer is “yes”: we do want to increase the range of motion. If the range is limited due to the body’s structure , then, the answer is “no.”

Most of us never become so flexible as to feel that our bony structure is limiting us in our ability to go deeper into a posture. Back in my dancing days, I heard that in the not-so-distant past, the U.S.S.R. used to x-ray young, hopeful, ballerina girls’ hip joints to see if they had the maximum structural capability for 180 degree turnout. It sounds as though it was a terrible system, but I have to wonder if their ballerinas had fewer injuries caused by forced turnouts — and less need for hip replacements later in life — than their non-x-ray-selected counterparts in other countries.

Muscle is elastic and is meant to be flexible as well as strong. If flexibility is not maintained, the muscles will once again shorten. They have the ability to go back and forth from being short Tendons are the endpoints of the muscles where they attach to bones.

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