Discovering Beasts

I'm the kind of person who always has lists. I have lists of albums that I want to hear, books I want to read, and movies that I want to see. Due to the length of said lists, it sometimes takes years before I'm able to cross an item off. That was the case with Beasts of the Southern Wild. It is a movie that I've wanted to see since it came out, but it never showed in the area, or if it did, it disappeared from the theater before I could see it. And then it never showed up on any of the streaming services, but I always kept looking. Finally, I came across it at the library and checked it out (and renewed it once, because even when it was in my possession, it took two weeks to find the time to watch it).

Now, it should be said that even though this is a movie that has been high on my list for seven years, I knew very little about it. However, in that time, my mind had orchestrated images and ideas about it based on the limited images I'd seen and descriptions I'd read. In my mind, I was expecting something along the lines of The City of Lost Children and maybe Tideland. In other words, something more fantasy based. And while there are elements in the film that remind me of the above movies, this is a very different film.

The movie follows a young child named Hushpuppy during a few days in her life living in a fictional version of the swamp islands of Louisiana. Hushpuppy is preparing herself for the end of the world, when the polar ice caps will melt and unleash fearsome beasts trapped in the ice that will come to eat her and all the eclectic residents of "The Bathtub."

The truly exceptional aspect of this film, and the reason I believe it was so celebrated when it came out, is how it is able to capture the way a child sees and understands the world. It reminded me of the way I understood the world at the time, the way a matter-of-fact comment (especially from an adult) could blend with the very active imagination that was just as much of a reality as reality was. It also depicts a way of life that is nearly forgotten and nearly invisible in mainstream society and makes you remember that this is a big world and people live differently throughout, but what unites us is our humanity, our love for each other, our struggles to survive and live and enjoy life. 

There is beauty. There is sadness. There is weakness and there is strength. A movie like this is worth the wait.

May the Forth Be With You...

Three years ago, I was very disappointed that my daughter had been born two days too soon. I'd been holding out hope that she would be born on the 4th, which is Star Wars day. She would be certain to grow up a jedi had she been. Or at least, the force would be strong with her. 

I spent most of my imaginary time living in the Star Wars universe as a child. It was the first imaginary world that consumed my thoughts. It dominated my play and the stories grew within my mind. I'm still very intrigued by the Star Wars world and still spend time thinking about it, but my love of Star Wars truly stems from the impact it made on my childhood imagination. 

Stories are more than stories. Stories are what guide our thoughts, take our thinking in new directions, and shape our hopes and aspirations. Though I will never be a jedi, and never travel at hyper-speed, thanks to a universe that exists in movies, television, books, and toys, I feel like I have already been and done those things. So on this day, may the force be with you...always.

Star Wars: Rogue One

With the extra day off, I was finally able to get to the movies to see Star Wars: Rogue One. I'd planned to see it just before Christmas, but other obligations prevented me from making it. So when an opportunity presented itself last night, I jumped on it. 

Going into the theater, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was fairly certain that I would enjoy it. I've been a huge Star Wars fan since childhood. I have a rather large figure collection to this day. I enjoyed the prequels. I loved Clone Wars. I'm even a fan of the Ewok Adventure movies, the Ewok cartoon, and Droids. so there was no way that I wasn't going to enjoy it. The question was, would I appreciate it beyond the simple fact that it was an addition to the Star Wars universe, which is kind of how I felt about The Force Awakens. 

I have to admit that I like the fact that Rogue One doesn't fit directly into the trilogies. I like that it fills in a gap. It's like how they made three-part episodes of the Clone Wars, telling a short story that applies to the entire galaxy. It doesn't necessarily add story, it enriches story. This did a fantastic job of that. And they did a fantastic job of weaving it in with A New Hope. There is certainly the chance to do the same for period between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi...maybe on Cloud City? 

It was also nice to get away from the traditional Star Wars narrative. The dialogue broke from the typical stiffness of some of the other films. The story was darker (and far more violent). This was a delight, and a movie that can be watched again without feeling the need to watch seven other parts before or after.

Watership Down and Everlasting Memories

In the wake of so many celebrity deaths over the past few days, one important passing that may go unnoticed is that of Richard Adams, author of Watership Down. Originally published in 1972, this is one of those books that was never meant to be a children's book, but has eventually become a classic of the genre like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye. It is a book that I read in seventh grade. It is a book that changed my life in many ways.

The book was not my first encounter with the rabbits of Watership Down. The summer between Kindergarten and First Grade, I attended the summer rec program at my elementary school. One day, most likely due to inclement weather, all of the children were in a large room filled with toys. A movie was also put on for those wanting to watch. (It was on Laser Disc) At the beginning of the film, maybe five children were watching. By half way through, every child was watching this brutal and enthralling cartoon, including me, until the aides decided to turn it off. For years, those images stayed with me as I always wondered what that movie was.

Flash forward seven years later in seventh grade English. We were given the assignment to read a book and told that we were going to have to give a class report on it. Though I was a good reader, I never enjoyed reading. My teacher (whose name I cannot recall) gave me her copy of Watership Down and told me she thought I would enjoy it, recommending it for my report. It took about 20 pages for me to realize it was indeed the book on which that haunting movie was based. It took less than 20 pages for it to change the course of my life.

This was the first book that I ever read where the story played out in my head in a visual way. I could see everything as I read it and it was the awakening as to what reading could be. I never looked back and became an avid reader from that moment on. I owe so much to that story and to its late author. His passing has not gone unnoticed by me.

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

I don't know how it happens, but every year Christmas seems to come faster and faster. As a child, I remember how the years were measured from Christmas to Christmas (sometimes from First Day of School to First Day of School). It seemed like an eternity. Even the weeks leading up to Christmas felt like their own mini-eternity of baked cookies, decorating, watching holiday cartoons and waiting, waiting, waiting. 

Though my love of Christmas has never waned, this is the first year in quite a few where I find myself nostalgic for that eternity of the past. The cold weather and early snow has certainly played a part in that, but I also think it has to do with the fact that this is my daughter's second Christmas, and the first one where she's been active in some of those events that I loved as a child. I think one of the great things about having children a little later in life is that you are far enough away from childhood that you can really enjoy the experiences of childhood vicariously through watching the joy on your child's face. I know that after next weekend, I'm going to be looking forward to next year's holiday and once again, the Christmas to Christmas measurement will exist for me.

Stir Crazy...after all these years

Gene Wilder was a constant figure during my childhood. He starred in so many of the movies that I watched over and over again. There was a period of a few years as a young schoolboy when asked what my favorite movie was, I'd answer...(now I know what you're thinking, I know that you think you know what I'm going to say...but, you're wrong, it wasn't Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)....Silver Streak. My brother and I watched that movie so many times, along with Stir Crazy, another great pairing with Richard Pryor. 

Of course, I also loved Willy Wonka and Young Frankenstein and The Little Prince and Gene Wilder was always the focus of my attention in all of the movies he was in. He was one of my first favorite actors. Last night, he passed away, but he will always live on in the legendary roles he left behind. One day, I will share his best with my daughter and hopefully she will find the same joy in Gene's performances that I did. 

The Neverending Story

As a young child, The Neverending Story was one of those films that sparked my imagination and formed my creative aesthetic. Along with The Last Unicorn, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and The Ewok Adventure, this film began my love of fantasy and the images from it have been cemented in my mind ever since. 

Last year, I finally read the book by Michael Ende on which the movie is based and ever since, I'd been meaning to re-watch the movie that I hadn't seen since childhood. I finally got around to doing that the other day. The strange thing is how familiar the movie still felt, as if I'd just watched it a few months ago instead of thirty years ago. That's a result of the multiple viewings. 

The thing about 80's premium cable channels was that they showed the same movies over and over again for months. So when there was one I liked,  I tended to watch it over and over again. This was one I'd watched countless times. The fact that I, and probably every boy my age, had a childhood crush on the Child Empress was responsible for a few of those viewings, I'm sure. Also, anything with animatronics in the 80's was cutting edge and captured children's imaginations like nothing else, except of course its cousin, animation. 

Watching this again as an adult, it brought back a lot of childhood memories, but not exactly the same excitement, unlike something like Star Wars does. There is something so incredibly PG about it that it's hard to love as an adult. The acting is also overdone, with Atreyu screaming every one of his lines. It's no wonder that Michael Ende HATED this film, but I don't think that's really fair. It's still a movie that I think would capture the imagination of a child. Now that I have a child, I'm going to be very interested in how she views these movies when she's old enough.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

A few weeks ago, I circled the night of the 23rd as the day I was planning on seeing the new Star Wars movie. This goes back to years of tradition where I'd take my younger siblings to the movies on Christmas Eve so that my mom and dad could wrap gifts. I wanted to honor that old tradition, even if plans called for it to happen one day earlier. And there was no better film to do that with than one that takes place in a story that I spent so much of my childhood living. When I say that, it's not just the movies that I'm talking about. My room was frequently set up in the midst of ongoing epic battles that would play out for days between the Rebels and the Empire, and I often credit those battles as my first experiences with story construction.

Back to the present, in a galaxy far, far away, watching a story that took place a long time ago. I'd managed to avoid any and all spoilers, so I went into the movie knowing nothing except what the previews had hinted at. And though I must admit that it took about ten minutes or so before the movie completely pulled me in, I will say that it certainly did pull me in. I thought the new characters were excellent, and far better formed on screen than the new characters in Episodes I-III. The appearance of old characters, especially Han Solo, brought the film to another level, one that is sure to please every fan of the old films. Though there was some cheesy dialogue, every line was still better than anything uttered by Hayden Christensen. 

It is not surprising that fans of the original movie see this as the best film since. That's because this film draws a LOT of parallels with the first. In many ways, this is a retelling of the first film but with a new generation of characters, with new agendas and new histories. The trajectory of the story is essentially identical, as is the pacing and unfolding of events. I keep going back and forth on whether I think this is very clever, or very lazy. If it is simply a set up for the next two movies which will expand the mythology and story, taking it in completely different directions, than it could be clever. After all, there were lots of hints at things that might happen next, or history that is yet to be revealed. However, if it was simply used as a method to trick viewers into watching a reboot without using that dreaded word, than I'm a going to be pissed.

All in all, I loved this movie! I loved the way it got rid of the CGI virus that has infected every movie for the last dozen years and gave things weight and substance again. I love that it had characters with heart and ones that were well-acted. I loved the combination of humor and action, which felt very much in the tradition of the franchise. I loved the concepts and the sets, the surprises and mysteries. I loved pretty much everything about it, and now I can't wait for the next one. 

Eternal Oz

With the new animated Oz film releasing this past weekend, it seemed time to pay tribute to one of the truly under appreciated films of my childhood, 1985's Return to Oz. This is a film that I still watch periodically and it holds up incredibly well. The striking thing about it is that the movie is extremely dark. In the recent Entertainment Weekly they had an article about how it inspired nightmares in an entire generation, but when I saw it as a child, rather than being afraid, I was fascinated by the darkness.

It has a completely opposite mood than the original film, which is relevant from the very beginning where we find Dorothy in a Kansas mental hospital undergoing shock therapy in an attempt to rid her of lingering "fantasies" concerning Oz. Nobody believes her tales of the adventure she lived through and the adults try to cure her of what they consider a wild imagination. It's a powerful and realistic portrayal of imagination being treated as a disease and a child's determination to hold onto what she knows to be the truth.

When she finally returns to Oz, Dorothy finds a much-changed land. The place she knew has fallen on dark times. The Emerald City lies in ruins, overrun by evil gangs of Wheelers and populated by headless inhabitants who have been turned to stone. In a way it reflects the contemporary feeling of the time that cities were dangerous places on the decline. 

The best part of the movie is Dorothy, played by an actual child, the mesmerizing Fairuza Balk. Through it all, she faces adversity with the a frustrated determination reminiscent of Alice in the Wonderland books. It's one of the benchmark movies in the development of my imagination, as is the original. And while it may be blamed for terrorizing a generation of children, for me it remains one of those formative films that stuck with me. As the new movie gets panned by critics, may I recommend a different journey to Oz and suggest that you give this film a try. As a bonus, you don't have to go to the theater, and as we all know, there is no place like home when it comes to escaping into imagined lands.

Here Muppet, Here Boy!

One thing that defines people of my generation is muppets. As children, we didn't realize that previous generations didn't grow up with this unique breed of puppet, and we probably take for granted that children today are probably less familiar with them. But for a glorious period in history, our lives with filled with Jim Henson's creations and I've been thinking a lot about their brilliance recently. Last weekend, my mom had put the family dog to sleep, who was very much muppetish. Though I never shared home with Pepper, I did spend a lot of time with her over the years. She was a great dog and in honor of her, I thought I'd share a list of my favorite muppet pups.

Barkley from Sesame Street: Never having a staring role in the show, I still always gravitated to this fluffy moppet when I was little. He has that great bouncy stroll and I love have you'd see him out and about on the streets of New York and nobody seemed freaked out by this beast. He also knew Snuffy, my favorite character, which gave him points in my book. Plus, he's been to the Great Wall of China. What a dog!

Ralph from The Muppets: The quintessential muppet dog, Ralph was always the cool one. I used to love watching him wail on the piano in the opening sequence of the Muppet Show. He's a dog with class and style, and though he never had the one-liners, he's a consistent comedian. 

Sprocket from Fraggle Rock: The most "doggish" of all the muppet pups, Sprocket was one of the many subtle strokes of genius on a show full of genius. He's one of those classic characters that knows more than the other characters, being fully aware of the Fraggles when his owner never caught on.

 

Wicket of the Ewoks: Okay, not technically a dog, but sort of. I know people seem to despise the ewoks, feeling they were a ploy to appeal to children, but I was a child, and they did appeal to me. I loved Wicket in all his roles, from Return to the Jedi to the two Ewok Adventure movies.

Picture That! Picture Book of the Week!

Allow me to share a big dose of fun for this week's Picture Book selection. This week has been one of those weeks when I've felt the need for some reassuring good reads. There are some books that make me remember why I got into the children's book racket, books that bring to life the magical world that we once saw as children and have to struggle to maintain as we get older, knowing the payoff is worth the effort. Here's one of those books that take me there and for that, I'm grateful.

What do you do with a Kangaroo? by Mercer Mayer

(Four Winds Press, 1975)

What do you do with a Kangaroo

who jumps in your window, sits on your bed, and says.

"I never sleep on wrinkled sheets,

so change them now and make them smooth,

and fluff up the pillows if you please."

So the young narrator asks her readers on the first page of this delightfully silly book. Then page after page, another preposterous critter after another disrupts the little girl's day with ridiculous demands.

An Opossum uses her toothbrush, a llama wears her favorite jeans, a tiger steals her tricycle and a thirsty camel drinks her bath water. What is a spirited little girl to do? You throw him out, that's what you do. This is her answer to every problem. Only at night, when she finds all of the creatures in her bed and she's much too exhausted to throw them all out, there's only one thing to do. Let them stay.

Mercer Mayer's brilliant illustrations are packed visual jokes that bring this character and story to life. I also love how it portrays a child's stubborn, imaginative spirit in a way that isn't critical or stylized. The girl just is as she is and eventually comes around on her own. Kids will delight in her attitude and the absurd situations the book presents, while also eagerly anticipating the repeated refrain. A wonderful read-aloud that is also good to read to yourself with grin that grows wider at every turn of the page.

How the Giraffe Got His Spots

On this Story Time Tuesday, I share with you a story I wrote way back in second grade. Last year, I did a school visit at my elementary school and my amazing second grade teacher presented me with this surprise which she had held onto for all of those years. As far as I'm aware, the earliest surviving story I ever wrote.

The Giraffe

There was a giraffe that everyone laughed at because he didn't have spots and a long neck. Then he went to the jungle. Then he felt a hand and WAMO he was gone. And when he came out he had brown spots and a long neck. The man said, "All you needed was a fire."

Besides the obvious masterpiece that this is, I found the WAMO bit especially interesting. It's a device I still use often in writing chapter books. Both Pirate School and CatKid are filled with CRASHes and BLAMs. It's funny how our sense of storytelling develops at such an early age. I read this to the kids during the visit. They reacted with slightly less enthiusiam than when my reading of CatKid.

Treeless Mountain

I have a problem when it comes to horribly depressing Asian movies about childhood--my problem is that I keep watching them. Last spring, I wrote about a Japanese movie entitled Nobody Knows about a group of children abandoned by their mother. (You can read that post here). It reminded me of another Japanese movie entitled Grave of the Fireflies. Both of these movies were films that left me weeping. I always find myself attracted to these incredibly depressing movies because there is a comfort and beauty in the sadness they bring.

Last weekend I got another dose of this as I watched a Korean movie called Treeless Mountain. It's the story of two young sisters whose mother leaves them in the care of an aunt who is less than kind as she searches for their deadbeat father.

The film focuses on the older of the two girls, who is just old enough to start understanding what is happening to her world. What makes the movie so powerful is the absolute way in which it captures a child's confusing emotions. It's so painful to watch her come to terms with her mother's absence. From her frustration with her younger sibling, her bouts of loneliness mixed with playfulness, to her heartbreaking disappointments; it feels so very real. The film's brilliance lies in its ability to capture childhood in all of its emotional turmoil.

Like most modern drama from Asia, the film moves at a very slow pace and values slice of life scenes rather than big plot pushes. It's one of the things that really attracts me to these movies as it's the way that I personally like to tell stories in my novels. There's something about this way of storytelling that makes you feel closer to the main characters. This closeness is what causes such a strong emotional reaction in the audience.

When people ask how I can watch such depressing movies, my answer is simple. Sometimes I don't want my entertainment to come in pleasing little packages. Sometimes, I prefer to watch a movie that makes me uncomfortable and forces me to actually feel a real emotion, even if those emotions are sadness and empathy as in the case of Treeless Mountain.

Smells Like School

(Me: first day 1st grade; altered)

The Wednesday after Labor Day was always the first day of school in the town where I grew up, so even though it's been years since I've sat in a classroom, the air felt damp with a chalky smell when I woke up this morning. Something about the first days of elementary school always felt oddly magical to me, but magical in the fairy tale sort of way where anything, good or evil, was possible in the world. (I was strangely introspective child.) There was something about the world that looked and smelled differently on those days.

It seemed to me back then that colors changed overnight as I slept. Gone was the glossy glow of summer, replaced by the matte finish of autumn. The air grew thinner with the far off threat of winter. And like the weather, you were a different person than you had been the day before because now you had a new identity that came with a new class and new teacher and new grade. The first day of school was the measuring day of your life's calendar and the tone of the next year was going to be set in the next several hours. It's a weighty thing for a child and needless to say, left me most often with a stomachache.

In a way, starting to explore the story of a new novel is similar. It's like entering the woods and not knowing what lurks around each corner. Some trees may hide friends. Others hide wolves and witches. It's up to you, the writer, to shed light into the underbrush and make the place exactly how you want it to be. Elementary school and childhood for me was kind of the same way. Imagination is so powerful at that age, you can make the world whatever you want it to be...at least within your own mind.

So it's back to school for me today in a sense. It feels like as good a day as any to make some of the difficult choices that must be made early on in writing a novel. These are the kind of pivotal choices that define the type of book it's going to be. Let's hope I make the right ones and that this is going to be a good year.