Mood: down
Topic: Entertainment
So I was tired of thinking about corruption...
- - - -- - - -
just a joke. But seriously, I had my head tuned
into the telly today, eager to find something, actually anything different
away from my standard fare and don't ask what that is norm.
But ahhh..the TV grid
had answered my prayers I reasoned...lo and behold-Ebert and Roeper!
I had gone to see the film '8 Below'
( a re-telling of one Koreyoshi Kuraharas 1983 film classic "Nankyoku monogatari" i.e. 'Antartica') starring good lookin
car racer California tanned surfer boy Paul Walker
in his dog team leader role over the weekend.
Also starring Canadian de lovely Wendy Crewson although I dont think she gets devoted a lot of screen time.
As well as this girl, starring in her first feature film role.
-- -
As it was filmed about a 6 hour drive from here, in a small town called Smithers, which is even closer than Hollywood North, the early evening show I planned to attend was SOLD OUT, so I opted for the later show.
Anyway, if you ever find your soul hankering for that good old fashioned Disney-sque sappy syrupy good stuff..
'8 Below' really delivers.
But whereas Roger Ebert recommended the film, his counterpart begged to differ, sorely giving it a thumbs down.
Its not just that these two film reviewers often disagree. I can appreciate that.
But heres a fellow here who also took the time to render his complaint online about Roepers pickiness with films made for children. Maybe he takes his job too seriously and lets the critic in himself speak to
his performance duties and he forgets to let his self get carried and swept away in that wonderful
world of imagination kids need and crave.
His tone in criticism of '8 Below' was to the tune that he did not like the makers painting character attributes on the dogs in the film which I found just amazing considering what a film would look like with just dumb old boring dogs yapping and yelping.
Being themselves-lol.
But more seriously, I think to love the film you have to first love dogs otherwise its a non-starter. And to love dogs, you have to understand them like, say, the way someone like Stanley Cohen does.
I was one of the last to leave the theatre, sometimes I enjoy watching the credits roll, sometimes to just imagine the effort , toil and manpower it took to make it, to check for locations the film was shot, to see who sang what song, or just to enjoy the parting soundtrack...
when '8 Below' ends, the makers choose to leave the viewer with the feeling that rather than just a
crumpled up ticket in your pocket, they are glad to be able to give you something else to take home. Even if "just a feeling." They give you the feeling that this is more than just a film...they give you a
gentle reminder that this is a story inspired by actual events. Maybe thats something Roeper forgot to consider. Perhaps, and I know my IDLE speculation runs too far wide and yonder, Roeper is still looking for his missing childhood his self.
I'll leave you with that with plenty of room to wonder.
'8 Below' IMHO is film with rich character development and I don't mean the one dimensional humans portrayed ..although they do give it a try with a script
that suffers from real depth(have to remember who your real audience is)...theres not much room for them to run with it...the sheer wonder of the intelligence of mans best friend is the real reason to see this film and is worth the price of admission many times over.
Treat your self. Take your kids. But don't wait for DVD. See it now.
More good reasons to see it located here.
And Disney donated the kennels used in the film to these guys.Good show.
post-script: Someone has suggested here that a dog used in the film was shot and killed. Hard to believe if true.
- - -