Video Reactions

The Cathedral
I have watched “The Cathedral” in a couple other classes, so I don’t really have much of a response. I think the work is good, but don’t really understand the storyline. Is it just meant to be a ‘look what I can do’ movie or does everything that happens actually play into a storyline? It’s got to be a ‘look what I can do’ movie, because they spend way too much ‘camera time’ on things that are excessive. That kind of thing bothers me, mainly because I feel like it’s false advertisement. According to the little bit of research I did, the movie is supposedly based on a Jacek Dukaj’s novel. Maybe if I read the book, I could better understand the storyline of “The Cathedral.” I also found this:

Synopsis: Story of a pilgrim who comes to a Cathedral on the border of the known world. He wants to kind answers. He finds calmness.

I don’t think the movie conveys that at all. Really, the guy’s calm? You turned him into a tree! How is that calm? You mean, he is stuck and has to live the rest of his life as a tree. Maybe he submits to his reality, but ‘finds calmness’? Come on now.

art:21
It’s a PBS production, so automatically I have to love it. I’m a green, vegetarian, NPR-listenin’, PBS-watchin’ kind of guy. I am thankful that my TV picks up 4 PBS channels. Without PBS, I don’t know if I would turn my TV on. Anyway, that was mainly a response to a comment in class and no so much the show.

In regard to art:21, I am always a little conflicted with the styles of art that would be highlighted in shows like art:21. I believe a lot of modern art/ contemporary art/ art in the 21st century is something that any of us can do; and that’s where the dichotomy comes in. I hate going to museums and seeing some of the modern art displayed there. I’m like, “really, this is art? My baby niece did something better than this last week.” Just the same, I love seeing that kind of stuff because it allows me to believe my work could be displayed in that same museum. On one hand I want art to be seen as something that only a few, very talented people can do. On the other hand, I want people to understand that art is everywhere, in everything that we do. I guess this is personal to me because I am such an art junky; I love everything artistic. I want to constantly be surrounded my creative people. I would love everyone to understand themselves as artists. However, art would certainly lose its allure if everyone felt like there work was better than everyone else’s. Like the guy on art:21 with the musical instrument stuff, that’s something that everyone could do. Just make up some directions, and follow them; whereas it’s different with photographers. I can be at the same spot, at the same time, with the same equipment as an Ansel Adams; but I will never be able to capture the same feel in my picture. I could go on forever, but I digress.

Robot Chicken
I feel similarly about Robot Chicken as I do art:21. It’s not top of the line quality, but it’s certainly creative and different. There is the same dichotomy though. I like that it looks like something some folks in our program put together as a final project, but should it be on DVD or television?