Ready for Some Adventure? How about Kon Tiki?

Next Sunday, February 9th, we're all in for a real treat and some great adventure. We'll be viewing Kon Tiki, the 2013 foreign language film Oscar nominee. See you at 3:00 at the Digiplex in Oceanside.
Here are John Anderson's questions for the film.

1. Why does the film invoke so many biopic conventions?

2.  What is the underlying psychological motivation of the voyagers?

3.  What role does movie making play in Heyerdahl's journey of self transformation?

4.  What are the merits and problems associated with Heyerdahl's thesis?

Ponder them as you view Kon Tiki and be ready for a discussion after the film.

 

 More about Fruitvale Station

Oscar Grant's mom, stars of the film Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer

I don't know about you, but I always think about a film afterwards and want to look things up on Google. I'm always curious about the film several days later. I wondered why Octavia Spencer had a producer credit on the film. Here's what she said:

"When the film lost key funding for its shoestring budget of less than $1 million, Octavia took on an executive-producer role and started raising money.

"I shamelessly started calling my friends I knew had deep pockets, friends in which twenty-five grand wouldn't hurt. And I kicked in some of my own money," says Spencer. "I didn't want any of Ryan's vision to be sacrificed."

Spencer also tapped her Hollywood pals to appear in the movie, including Ahna O'Reilly, and Kevin Durand and One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray, who were chosen to play the cops most directly involved in the shooting. The 6-foot-5 Durand had to be brought in "on my insistence," says the relentless Spencer. He didn't want to be known as the guy responsible for Grant's death, even on film.

"I told him that was why we needed him. We needed someone to bring the humanity to that officer."

In Memoriam

We lost two of our most gifted actors this week - Maximillian Schell who played so many roles but will best be remembered as the defense attorney in Judgement at Nuremberg. He won the best actor Oscar for that performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, another Oscar winner died this week. I'll never forget him as Truman Capote. He was just such a great actor. He'll truly be missed.

See you on the 9th.