Thursday, October 27, 2011

Like Crazy...opening on Friday in NYC

I don't know if I've written about this film but....if you are a hopeful/hopeless romantic this is the movie to go see...Like Crazy is simply amazing.  I saw this movie at an early screening last month and it left me buzzing days after. Go to their official site: http://www.likecrazy.com/ 

What gets me excited about this type of movie is that the writers (Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones) didn't write a standard screenplay.  They wrote a treatment. They moved through a real collabrative effort with the actors to get the scenes they depicted.  With only an objective in mind, the actors really got a chance to shine in this beautiful film, directed by Drake Doremous.  Anton Yelchin as Jacob and Felicity Jones as Anna were able to bring a vulnerability to the piece that breaks your heart wide open.  God, when was the last time a movie did that? 

This tiny trailer barely does the movie justice.  The emotional content is so raw, it made my teeth hurt.  You've gotta check it out.  L~










All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

It's been a while...

Morning,
It’s been awhile since I last wrote on my blog. Since I’m no longer complaining on this site, let’s just say that I’ve been going through a difficult time of late. The creative process is at a stand still. My pages have been curling up on my writing desk at home. Between you and me, I think my cat Pandora is using the stack as a place to lie on and rub her chin against it.

Recently, I had a reading and I opted to read an excerpt of the first chapter of this novel. It went over really well and I thought that positive feedback would give me the necessary push to get me going again. *crooked mouth * Not quite. There is just a lull in the creative process for me.

Right now, there seems to be three disparate pieces to this stories and I don’t quite know how they fit together and quite frankly, if they fit together. The other problem is that my main character and her nemesis sound too similar. So I have to revise to create very distinct personalities...how? Not really sure how to proceed. I keep circling the story in my mind, trying to figure it out.

Yesterday, I finally printed out all the pages that I have. I was skimming through some of it and there are pages that I don’t even remember writing. It was a strange feeling to feel so far away from the story.

My objective for the next few days is to reacquaint myself with the overall arc of the novel. Drill through the first three chapters with necessary edits in order for the logic to follow through. That’s all I’m doing. If that kick starts me to keep going then that’s gravy.

If I get stuck and/or frustrated, I am going to go to the gym for a swim. I’ve had a free-week pass to a local gym for a couple of months and I have yet to use it. Anyway, swimming is my backup plan. Just to move and get me out of my head. I blew out my knee (dislocated my patella) a couple of months ago and have been trying to sort that out as well. Swimming is one of the few things that make sense. The prospect of anything else makes my knees tremble (and not in delight).

I will post an update in the next couple of days. Peace, L~

There are a few things I want to share...so stay tuned. 


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Another Earth

After my rant the other day about Siffy (Syfy) canceling yet another decent sci-fi show, I went out and caught this amazing intimate, indie, Sci-Fi film called Another Earth.  This movie blew me away!! Directed and co-written by Mark Cahill, it’s a smart, moving movie for an intelligent audience. I had goose bumps from the impact of the final scene.  I won’t spoil it for anyone, it’s a must-see. Brit Marling (co-writer, co-producer and lead) plays Rhoda Williams and her quiet, nuanced performance is painfully beautiful.  William Mapother plays the part of John Burroughs, a once successful composer who’s impacted by a tragic accident. Both actors are compelling to watch as broken human beings trying to regain back their lives by connecting with one another. There were several scenes were I was gripped by the raw-ness of exposed human emotions.  I sat in the theater with hand over mouth when the big revelation was slowly uncovered.  And the soundtrack is sublime.  
If you are looking for alien wars with shoot-em up with lasers then this is NOT the movie to see.  But if you are looking for a film that takes a look at the nature of our world and our humanity then this is a must-see! This film is unique and had restored my faith in the ability for quality movies to come out.  I really hope it finds an audience because this kind of work is extraordinary!!      

Check out their website:  http://www.foxsearchlight.com/anotherearth/   

Or their trailer (see below):



All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2011 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.