Jason's Pick:

Children of Men

I'm a sucker for Easter eggs in film.  

One of my favorite examples appears in the 2006 dystopian thriller, Children of Men.

During a scene at the Ministry of Art, a compound that houses rescued works of art like Michelangelo's David, Picasso's Guernica, and a chunk of pub wall tagged with a rad Banksy piece, Kissing Coppers, savvy viewers might spot a giant pig outside the window, floating in the air over industrial-sized smokestacks, and detect it as an homage to the cover art of Pink Floyd's 1977 album, Animals. 

Alfonso Cuarón, the celebrated director of this film and others such as Y tu mamá también, Gravity, and Roma, likely included this as a nod to the similar themes shared by the album and his film, those of societal decay and general dissatisfaction with the human condition.

This is when I knew that Cuarón was a creative genius working on many levels. 

Other noteworthy scenes like the "how-the-heck-did-they-film-that" car ambush scene and the infamous "one-shot" scene, which puts us right inside the action with Clive Owen, scrambling amid flying bullets and general chaos, have been the subject of countless YouTube deep-dives. But, for me, the most emotionally intense scene is the "cease-fire." I won't spoil the film here, but suffice it to say that the scene ultimately adds a sense of hope to an otherwise bleak vision of humanity's future. And hope is one thing we as a society will be sorely in need of in the coming years.

Cuarón is known for his innovative filming techniques. Book a session at the 970West Studio today to hone your own filmmaking skills!

Denise's Pick:

American Ocelot

With all the beautiful weather this month, sitting still long enough to read, watch, write, or create anything new feels like trying to wrestle a Halloween costume onto a big, sassy alleycat – a seemingly impossible feat! Yet somehow I've managed … in 20-minute increments … sprinkled into random evenings … over the course of several weeks … to catch … little snapshots … of a fantastic new documentary, American Ocelot.

Given that these magnificent spotted felines rarely cross paths with humans, my brief and stuttered glimpses of ocelot footage this month is an apt parallel to real life ocelot/human encounters.

Half a century ago, ocelots were hunted to near-extinction for their skins. They are now a protected species but are endangered in the United States, vulnerable worldwide, and ocelot populations are still hanging on by their claws. If they aren't being struck by vehicles, ocelots are starving from loss of hunting habitats, or being poisoned by their food (they prey on rats and other often-baited rodents.)

Ocelot health is in our hands. We know what's harming them (it's us!), so both the problem and the antidote are in our control, and will be affected by our choices. Healthy ocelots are nature's best army against invasive animal species that wreak havoc on critical ecosystems. Environmental degradation poisons everything. We are all part of this big, beautiful, biodiversity puzzle, and our health rests in the ocelot's paws too.

On the bright side, recent studies suggest that watching cat videos is great for mental health. This activity can release dopamine, increase energy, and stimulate positive thoughts. So if you aren't too busy enjoying the outdoors (or making your own film with one of 970West Studio's GoPros or Film Kits), then you should definitely check out American Ocelot at Mesa County Libraries. It's good for your health, dog!