KGB Productions

I went to the movies Sunday to see Martin Scorsese's movie Hugo.  To say that I liked the film would be an understatement.  In Hugo Scorsese uses his love for cinema to tell a tale of a young boy and old man who have lost something and how they re-discover it again together. George Melies is a favorite filmmaker of mine.  I remember seeing some of his films as a small child, and they always struck me as fantastic.  The craft that Melies uses in his films is extraordinary, and I was always frustrated that documentaries of early cinema didn't contain more of George Melies.  Here Scorsese does this in a fictional film, while at the same time giving us the history of George Melies, and his films. I just hope that when the DVD comes out that maybe it would be accompanied with a documentary of George Melies and his work.  Maye even some of his films could be included.  It would be so worth it. The following video was from Sunday Morning on CBS, and it ...

Here's something I found interesting.  I like Canon's support, and have never had a problem with any of their products.    Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera from B&H Photo Video on Vimeo .

Das Fraulein is a Swiss production about Slavic émigrés living in Zurich.  It is a simple and yet touching potrait of  immigrants living in a culture not their own. The film concentrates on three women.  Mirjana Karanovic is Ruza, a Slavic émigré in her fifties, who years ago transplanted herself from her native Serbia to Zurich Switzerland over 30 years ago.  She runs a canteen in the city and she trusts no one.  She lives a life of loneliness, and isolation.   She and her Croatian associate, Mila (Ljubica Jovic) are confronted with the arrival of Ana (Marija Skaricic), a much younger Bosnian drifter, who enchants Ruza with her fresh spontaneity and zest for life.  It is between these three women that the movie focuses on.  The film is about barriers breaking down, and how through the interaction of others we change. Writer/director Andrea Staka's Das Fräulein paints an exceptionally sensitive, multi layered, and richly textured por...

I was interested in seeing the latest Mission Impossiable because I had heard that they filmed certain sequences in IMAX, and I wanted to see the results.  I've seen several films in IMAX and have always come away from the experience at just how clear the images are.  The filmmaker Brad Bird makes good use of the process, and the film really looks great. I've been a big critic with studios making or re-making films in 3D.  It feels very gimmicky, and there still are those stupid glasses.  My little one hates them, and doesn't like watching a 3d film with them.  Avatar was amazing, but in the hands of a filmmaker like Jim Cameron there is no doubt that he uses the technology to his advantage, and to the films advantage. The IMAX experience is similar but I have always come away from an IMAX experience that seemed breath taking.  The imagery, and the sound is fantastic.   The story is simple.  This is not just another missio...

I know, I know.  Long time, but I'm back and the first movie I review is a kids film.  Having children of my own they have grown up with Alvin, Theodore and Simon, so when this film hit the theaters you know I had to go. This is the third.  Yes the third film in the series of the chipmunk movies.  Each one is cute and interesting, but they are defiantly geared to the children.  In this film Dave and the boys along with the chipettes go on cruise.   Yes you remember them from the second movie don't you?  Anyhow the chipmunks get shipwrecked on an island after disobeying Dave ( Jason Lee ).  Dave and Uncle Ian ( David Cross ) also get shipwrecked on an island, and need to find the chipmunks.  That is of course if this is the same island as where the chipmunks are, and if you're thinking it isn't then I have a bridge to sell to you in Brooklyn. The movie is a bit of slapstick, and moral lesson for the kids.  Sure we laugh when ...

I had a chance to go to the CCW conference this week again, and update myself and talk to others about content & communication.  I find the conference interesting and I learn a lot by talking to vendors, and other technicians and artists who are in the field of communication.  Many provide content to the web, and that content is spilling over to other traditional media such as cable, and network.  One of the seminars was titled: " So What Comes After File-Based Work Flows?  The Next Generation ".   I found it interesting what others are doing, and how they are doing it.  Media is getting faster and that ability to become immediate is changing the landscape of how people consume different types of media.  Maybe it's just the way human beings are.  We think that knowing something immediately will give us an edge or help us. What I was excited about is that the web has knocked down barriers between countries, people, and ...

The Exorcist was a film that showed me that horror could be filled with terror, and the unexpected.  I saw this film at a relatively late age.  I was way too young when it first came out, but I had heard stories about the film.  Whether these stories were true it didn't really matter.  It fed the myth of the film in my mind, and when I finally saw it I was amazed at the artistry of the film.  From the direction to the cinematography the film "The Exorcist" is a film that deserves mention here.  Based on the William Peter Blatty's 1971 best-selling theological-horror novel of the same name the movie remains pretty faithful to the book. Having seen the film later in life I did become obsessed about the cinematography of the film.  Owen Roizman was the cinematographer, and from the first shot to the last shot the film is a masterpiece in cinmatography.  I'm not going to say much more about the film because it's all been said before.  T...

I saw Evil Dead where it was meant to be seen. A drive-in. I had heard about this film from some of my classmate’s back in high school, and I read everything I could put my hands on about the film. Fangoria magazine was my pipeline to the fantastic, and for a teenager with an over active imagination, and a thirst for all things movies Fangoria was the magazine to read. That and " Cinemagic " magazine. A magazine devoted to filmmaking. The stories about how "Evil Dead" was made fascinated me. A bunch of guys going out into the country with some film equipment and their cast and crew and making a film. What they came back with was a film that hit a nerve with audiences, and it became a success. Sam Rami and his gang made cinematic low budget history when they made their film "the Evil Dead". A film with very few characters, and a simple plot. My film professor was right in a way. If you want to make an interesting film take some buddies and film some ...

If I had to name one film that blew my mind when I was a teenage it would have to be "Dawn of the Dead".  George Romero's " Dawn of the Dead " is a film that is on so many levels it boggles the mind.  A horror film, a satire on society, a statement on consumerism, and a sequel.  That's what "Dawn..." is and in lesser hands it would not have been effective, but because the filmmaker is George Romero this film hits the audience on all levels.  I was about 14 years old when this film came out, and it was one of the hardest films to see for me back then.  Released without a rating it only played in several theaters, and if you were not accompanied with an adult you didn't get in.  I saw it in Germany while visiting my aunt, and in Europe it was called "Zombie 2".  Argento had made a film called " Zombie " previously and called his cut of Dawn "Zombie 2".  Little did I know that there were two versions of this film.  ...

I would have to say that the one film that makes this month memorable is" Halloween ".  Not the re-make of course, but the original from John Carpenter , and Debra Hill .  It stars Jamie Lee Curtis , and Donald Pleasence , and it was originally called "The Babysitter Murders".  The movie was done on a low budget, and looks fantastic for it's budget range.  I'm always amazed at the camera work in the film, and how great the cinematography looks.  Dean Cundy is the man behind the cinematography and the look of the film.  Along with the art direction the film really feels like it was shot in October even though it was not.  The film was shot with a Panaglide, and Carpenter makes good use of it here.  The camera floats through each scene, and it gives us the audience this lurking sense of dread.  Where will Michael Myers (the killer) come from next?  Carpenter always has you guessing. I'm a strong believer of atmosphere in a movie, and H...

Okay it's that time in the year. The weather gets cooler, the leaves begin falling from the tree, and we all begin to dress up in silly little costumes. It's Halloween soon, and the countdown has begun. So why not celebrate the month of October with my very own countdown. A countdown of the best horror movies. Based on me. I'm sure opinions will vary widely, but I figured I give it a shot, and see just how many I can write about here. First up is a movie called " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ". The original one that is. Not the remake or the prequel that they made not too long ago. I'm not a big fan of those, and remakes in general. I understand them from a studio's perspective since there is another younger audience out there who may want to see it, and when there's money to be made you can bank that a studio is going to make a remake. After all it's easy money, and the word franchise is a golden ticket for the studios. But this review is abo...

Okay it's been awhile, and someday I'll get to writing about it, but for now this caught my eye. I hope the filmmaker gets to do this.  I really enjoyed his web series " Westside ". Check it out. * PS: He did. Check it out on Netflix

It's summertime and the movie blockbusters are lining up at your local theaters.  To say that Captain America was a film I've been waiting for is an understatement.  In my youth their was Captain America (cappie for short), then spiderman , the Fantastic Four , Iron Man , and the Hulk .  I was a Marvel child (sorry DC).  I would devour all comic books as soon as I got them.  So when Captain America was announced about two years ago I began counting the days.  Even got my big boy to want to go see it since he loved Iron man. So can you predict where this review will go?  I was not disappointed seeing Cappie and I thought Joe Johnston  direction was well done.  A origin film is hard to do.  There is a lot of back story to cover, and sometimes it's hard to get it all in and be faithful to the comic.  Captain America has no problem there.  Johnston  does extremely well to cover the true origin of Captain America, and stays...

What can I say with two boys who are fans it was my duty to take them and get lost in the inexplicable plot that are the Transformers.   A movie based on a toy, which is based on an old animated series too.  I have to confess I was not a fan of Transformers when it was on Saturday morning cartoons , but through my boys I've learned to love the series.  The animated series did show some intelligence, and did have some interesting stories to tell.  Transformers: Dark of the Moon is an all out assault of imagery of robots battling, and for what small boy does this not make sense?  The series is about a blood feud between the Decepticons and the Autobots.  One loves freedom, and liberty, and the other is into tyranny and destruction.  It's as simple as that, and what director Michael Bay does is provide us with over two hours of mayhem and chaos.  The New York Times said it best in it's review " Mr Bays lax notions of coherence and plausi...

Okay first off I have to thank Steven Spielberg , and JJ Abrams for a trip down memory lane.  Super-8 brings back a time when things were a bit simpler, and life was a bit slower.  Now that I've dispensed with the nostalgia I have to say I really liked the film.  The ending seemed a bit corny to me, and yet it worked.  After all Super-8 is simply a B-movie picture that we all once watched on Saturday nights at the local drive-in.  Joe Dante did this in a film called " Matinee " way back in 1993.  What Spielberg and Abrams does in Super-8 is ratchet the action up a bit more then what Dante did.  Super-8 feels like a long lost Spielberg film when he started out.  It's a bit like " ET ", " Close Encounters of the third kind ", and " the Goonies " all rolled up in one.  Yet Spielberg is only the producer.  Super-8 was written and directed by JJ Abrams, and I have to confess I really liked the story, and best yet I loved the char...

Everyone talks about Columbo , and it's true Falks character as Columbo was perfect.  But he left a lot of great performances on film.  His accomplice or partner in crime was the director/actor John Cassavetes .  Below is a clip from a movie called " Nicky & Mickey ", which starred Cassavetes.  The movie was directed by Elaine May .  The scene alone shows both actors talents.  Mr. Falk thanks for the memories.

This was done several years ago when we were pushing the video equipment to the brink.  It was a team effort, and it was pretty successful.  All I can say is that rendering can be a bear.  If your an editor you know what I mean.

> The above video are highlights from one of the first shows I did in the series called "Bridging the Generations".  It was made for the humanities department where I used to work, and these assignments were always interesting to do.  The people I've met through these types of programs have been inspirational, and informative for me.  I learned a lot technically with these videos, and each one got better and better.  I just hope in a world of budget cuts, and dropped programs that these types of programs can continue.  The more we know about our past the better our future will be.   If you are interested in aquiring copies of the programs for your school or organization please go to the Lenape District TV , and order from there.

Blanc de Blanc is a small film with heart.  Originally made on a bet that the director could make a film in 2 weeks.  The film is quite professional for its limitations, and it works.  The story is bare bones, yet the plot is somewhat engaging.  A young women  meets a mysterious man, and they start a relationship.  It's as simple as that, and thats the films charm. How  Lucas McNelly (director) presents his film is at times slow and plotting, but it is the actors that make this a fascinating film.  Both Rachel Shaw and Jason Kirsch are brilliant in their performances.  Watching these actors is what riveted me to the film.  The film is shot beautifully by David Eger , and the music by Jerome Wincek is effective and does set the tone of the film. What I felt was weak was the stories structure.  There is a lot of dialogue that seems to be used as padding for the film.  I felt that a lot of the scenes could have been cut....

This is really interesting, and should be seen by others, so hence it's here.  Hope it inspires, and that you learn something.