FADE IN:

A man, early 20’s, is walking on snow-covered ground. Light snow is trickling from the dark twilight-gray skies above.

Her (Whispered Voice Over):

Tell me about your dream.

Him (Whispered Voice Over):

Which one?

Her (Whispered Voice Over):

The one you said you always had when you were little, you never told me about it.

The man keeps slowly treading through the snow. He is walking towards a tree. The shore behind it, cold gray waves crashing. The tree, slightly covered in snow, branches out in full life with the leaves in vibrant sage and unidentifiable red fruit perching out from the branches.

Him (Whispered V.O.):

I was in this beach surrounded in a valley. I didn’t know how I got there all I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. It must have been in the middle of winter. The sand blanketed with pristinely untouched white snow. The skies were gray, getting darker farther into the horizon. The waves crashing ashore with the same color as the skies above, a cold gray. I was walking toward the beach and I saw this one tree. A large maple tree, the trunk was twisted in perfect spiral upward, it was the strangest thing I have ever seen. The tree was filled with life in this dead landscape, snow covered the tree, but I could see the leaves greener than any green I have ever seen before. Red fruit was bearing from the branches, I couldn’t tell what type, but I knew I wanted to taste it. The ironic thing, is that I felt as though I belong there, as if I was meant to be there. I kept walking towards the tree, snow swaying down from the skies and softly landing on me.

Her (Whispered V.O.):

And then what happened?

Him (Whispered V.O.):

I woke up.

Her (Whispered V.O.):

Did you ever reach the tree?

Him (Whispered V.O.):

No, I never did. I’ve always wanted to, but I would wake up every time.

FADE OUT.

Downton Abbey (Suite) - John Lunn

In a sea of dreadful sitcoms, trashy reality shows, and tired crime procedurals one television series sticks out as the beacon of hope. It’s not an epic science-fiction show wrapped in mystery nor an explosive actioner involving nuclear bombs, no this is a soap opera about British royalty and their servants. The one defining factor is that where it lacks in fantastical intrigue and action it makes up for by being brilliantly written. Downton Abbey is elegantly layered and every character is brought to life by the most excellent writing I’ve experienced in a while. This is a soap opera written by a great poet. It’s rare to see poetry on television but this is the masterpiece of dramatic television we have all been waiting for.

“Every mountain is unclimbable until someone climbs it; so every ship is unsinkable until it sinks.”

A Beautiful Mine (Retro Remix) - Jim Jacobsen

Have you ever stopped for a moment looked at all the people around you, strangers that you didn’t know anything about but you suddenly realize that they all have a life story as complicated as yours? Have you ever wondered if you share some connection with the people you walk pass by every day, if they somehow through an unknown chain of events have affected your life? Well, watching Mad Men is like peering into the lives of the people who have affected yours in a more potent way than you might think.

“What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.”

Bride of Deluxe - Cliff Martinez

The Calm and the Collected : Drive Review

Substance over style has been the norm for avant-garde filmmaking since I can remember, but what if the style is the substance? That is the case with Ryan Gosling recent foray into art-house cinema. Drive is all style embedded into a straightforward revenge tale reminiscent of the gritty 70’s films of Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. You are catapulted into the mind of Ryan Gosling’s character, a calm and collected individual who is a stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night. He is a man determined to finish whatever he starts. He sets all the terms. He sees no challenges or obstacles, he keeps moving forward no matter what and all he leaves is the dust that trails behind him. Drive is not your normal action thriller, it’s slow and choked with tension. Every beat of the film pumps the tension even higher all the way until the very final scene. The music is a perfect emotional thrill ride with an electronic-infused score and 80’s-style soundtrack. The cinematography is a work of art, I could see this film without sound and it would still be a beautiful experience. Ryan Gosling delivers a performance that couldn’t be played by any other actor, he conveys the mystery of the character perfectly, you can’t really ever tell what he is actually thinking which drives the tension even further. And the biggest surprise here is Albert Brooks, who usually plays comedic characters (including Nemo’s father in Finding Nemo), delivers an excellent and even frightening performance. Drive is art-house meets action. Don’t watch it expecting The Fast and the Furious because it is far from that, this film is about the nuances and quite moments. I was thrilled, shocked, and awed. This film is a slow burn and I loved every second of it.

“I drive.”

Consuelo Leaving - Belle and Sebastian

Originally Belle and Sebastian composed this album for a score of an independent film by the same name. However, the film ended up using only six minutes of the score due to various production problems. That was a big travesty because listening to this song specifically you can tell it is meant for cinematic magic. These two minutes and a half of Consuelo Leaving tell a story deeper and more emotional than any film, lyrics, or writing can. That story is unique to each listener, because instrumental music is completely subjective. The story is written as the music plays on. In your mind’s eye and in your heart you experience something that only belongs to you.

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” -Leopold Stokowski

Low of Solipsism - Yoshihisa Hirano and Hideki Taniuchi

There is a series that I was absolutely consumed by two years ago, my eyes were glued to the screen and I never felt so engaged by a work of fiction in my life before. That series is Death Note, an anime series from Japan based on the internationally renowned manga (which is the term for Japanese graphic novel). Now if you hear Japanese anime and think of Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z, this show is definitely not like that whatsoever. You can say this is the Watchmen of anime, one that is completely serious in tone with an intricate storyline and adult themes. The story is about a young man by the name of Light Yagami who stumbles upon a supernatural book titled “Death Note” dropped on Earth by a god of death. The Death Note grants its user the ability to kill anyone whose name they know by writing the name in the notebook. Light decides to use the book on a righteous path to cleanse all the evil in the world and to rule a world free from malice. Light’s actions garner worldwide attention and a detective by the name of L seeks to stop him. The most intriguing part about this series is that it brings into question our morality. Is it right to kill for the greater good? What would you do with such power? Most films, books, and etc have anti-heroes, which are heroes that do bad things for a good cause, but this is the first work of fiction I have encountered that has a anti-villain, a villain who does good things for a malevolent cause. Overall this is a fascinating series that everyone who loves a story that will engage you and take you on a journey unlike anything before should definitely watch it. Not to mention the music is absolutely mind-bending. Go watch this series right now, it’s on netflix so there is no excuse.

“In the end there is no greater motivation than revenge”

This trailer is one minute and thirty-eight seconds of pure ecstasy. Even after three years since I first saw this trailer for 500 Days of Summer I’m still in love with it. I’ve noticed that a worthy and engaging trailer like this is hard to come by. Unlike most crap Hollywood trailers that vie for spoiling the movie by telling you exactly what the movie is about by showing all the best scenes, this trailer works on evoking the feeling of the film instead. Once you watch it you are already in the character’s head, you feel that rush of excitement as with the beginning of every summer romance when your head is in the clouds. This trailer is one the best I have ever seen, it always manages to make me feel alive.

End Titles (Independence Day) - David Arnold & Nicholas Dodd

I have no idea how many times I have watched Independence Day, I lost count. To this day, from when I first watched it when I was a little kid in Puerto Rico and the power went out during the showing to when I got it on DVD and I watched it over and over on my sub-par thirteen inch TV, I will never get tired of this film. It’s just an amazing ride from beginning to end, a true summer blockbuster by every definition. Aliens, explosions, Jeff Goldblum, the complete destruction of the world, and of course the charismatic Will Smith. Who can ask for more? You can bash it for being another Hollywood extravaganza with all brawn and no brain, but you can’t deny that this film was a complete spectacle unlike any other. To be honest, no other film since has re-created the magic of Independence Day, that perfect combination of laughs, thrills, and awe-inspiring storytelling. This pushed my imagination to the limits and as an aspiring filmmaker I strive to make a film as epic as this one.

“We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”