Category Archives: classic

Osage Dancer Maria Tallchief America’s First Major Prima Ballerina

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Tallchief was proud of her Osage heritage.
Tallchief was proud of her Osage heritage. | Source

Native American Ballet Dancer

Maria Tallchief broke barriers as the first Native American woman (Osage) in ballet. She broke down ethnic barriers as one of the first Americans to flourish in her field. The New York Times called her one of America’s most brilliant ballerinas of the 20th century.

Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina

Maria Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina

In her book, “Maria Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina,” she also explained how the Osage headrights affected her father. She said it felt as if her father owned property everywhere in Fairfax—the pool hall and local movie theater. Her family lived in a 10-room brick house on a hill overlooking the Osage reservation. They spent the summer in Colorado Springs because of the sweltering heat in Oklahoma. Tallchief also wrote in her book about the Osage Reign of Terror, “villainous white” who married Osage women and killed them to inherit their headrights.

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Born During the Osage Reign of Terror

On January 24, 1925, Maria Tallchief was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, on the Osage Indian Reservation, during the Osage Reign of Terror described in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese, and in the book of the same name by David Grann.

The true story Killers of the Flower Moon recounts the murder of over twenty Osage Indians from 1921 to 1926 because of their oil mineral rights. The tribal law made each member wealthy by granting them headrights, a share of the mineral trust. Because the government deemed the Osage unfit to manage their wealth, it appointed guardians to supervise their headrights.

Tallchief’s grandfather, Peter Bigheart, helped negotiate the agreement that founded the reservation and maintained the tribe’s mineral rights. When the Osage Indians discovered oil on the reservation, they became the wealthiest Native American tribe in the USA.

Maria’s father, an Osage Indian, Alexander Joseph Tall Chief, was a wealthy real estate executive. Her mother, Ruth Mary Porter Tall Chief, was of Scottish and Irish descent. Marie Tallchief wrote in her autobiography that her father never worked “a day in his life” because of the headrights.

Tallchief Early Years

Tallchief spent her childhood in Los Angeles, California, honing her ballet skills through years of training. Her mother had her start formal ballet lessons in Fairfax, Oklahoma, before she was four.

At eight, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. The purpose was to establish advanced ballet training for Maria and her sister, Marjorie. Their mother wanted them to work in Hollywood musicals.

Wore Ballet Flats Most of Her Life

Ballet Career Started on the Osage Reservation

Maria’s mother encouraged her and her sister, Marjorie, to take ballet and piano lessons during their toddler years. They performed at Osage civic organizations.

Moved to California

At age eight, Marie’s family moved to Beverly Hills, California, where she continued to study ballet and piano. Marie studied under prominent Russian ballerinas, Madame Nijinska and Anna Pavlova, by age twelve.

Because Tallchief was a Native American, members of the ballet community were skeptical. However, choreographer George Balanchine recognized her talent. He nurtured her into a prima ballerina.

Marie and Marjorie became professional ballet dancers and leading figures in America. In their retirement years, they founded Lyric Opera’s Ballet School in 1974, teaching the Balanchine method. Tallchief’s ballerina career took her around the world, resulting in a professional and personal relationship with George Balanchine.

Tallchief Moved to New York City

At 17, Marie moved to New York City to establish herself in a major ballet company. Here, she made her official name, Marie Tallchief.

For the next five years, she danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and met her first husband, choreographer George Balanchine. He co-founded the New York City Ballet in 1946, and Marie became its first prima ballerina.

Tallchief's early career in the 1940s included dancing with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Tallchief’s early career in the 1940s included dancing with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. | Source

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon

Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Ernest Burkhard in an unlikely love story, and Lily Gladstone portrays Mollie Kyle. Oil transformed the Osage Nation into one of the wealthiest populations in the world at the start of the 20th century. I found the film informative, with an authentic Scorsese flair. There is a scene in which Robert De Niro’s character, William K. Hale, stands with a group of ballerinas and their teacher. I am sure it’s paying homage to Maria Tallchief’s legacy. Today, it’s a legacy celebrated on the reservation with statues of Tallchief.

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Tallchief Discusses Balanchine

Balanchine Ballet Technique Influences

Tallchief’s passion for ballet and Balanchine’s challenging choreography made the art form more popular. But some argue that Tallchief, as the Firebird in Stravinsky’s The Firebird, in the first year brought accolades to the New York Ballet. Playing the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker catapulted the Christmas ballet from obscurity to popularity in America.

Balanchine elevated Tallchief’s career as a prima ballerina, soloing her in his first ballet with the Russe de Monte Carlo called Song of Norway and as Alexandra Danilova’s understudy. Balanchine repeatedly cast Tallchief in significant roles in classical ballet. Eventually, she became the second lead when Ballet Imperial opened.

Balanchine and Tallchief grew fond of each other, and he told The Washington Post she was his “crucial artistic inspiration.” Their working relationship crossed into a personal relationship, and they married in 1946.

During their professional career, Balanchine influenced Tallchief’s ballet style by encouraging her to start over with the fundamentals of the craft. She lost weight and elongated her neck and legs as she learned to hold her chest high. Danilova taught Tallchief extensively, transforming her into a featured soloist.

Tallchief created the role of Coquette and Night Shadow and was the first ballerina to perform it. The most challenging role in the ballet was another milestone in her illustrious career.

Her career blossomed with a stint with the Paris Opera Ballet, becoming the first American to perform with the company. The French audiences loved her.

Tallchief revolutionized ballet under the guidance of George Balanchine.
Tallchief revolutionized ballet under the guidance of George Balanchine. | Source

New York City Ballet

Returning to New York in 1948, Balanchine co-founded the New York City Ballet, giving Tallchief the first prima ballerina role. During this time, Balanchine revolutionized ballet, creating dances that demanded athleticism, aggressive dancing and speed. Tallchief complied with all his choreography. To the point, the New York Times critic wrote she did everything except spin on her head.

Tallchief’s popularity and talent helped boost the fledgling ballet company, dancing eight times a week. She received critical success, and the audience praised her dancing as the Sugarplum Fairy in the annual Christmas classic, The Nutcracker.

Other dancing roles under Balanchine’s choreography included Swan Queen in Swan Lake and Eurydice in Orpheus. Tallchief created different lead roles in Jones Breach, Prodigal Son and A La Francaix. She also danced in Balanchine ballets with no storyline, interpreting music with theatrical elements. Balanchine was masterful at creating images or expressing and provoking emotion. Tallchief’s fiery dancing and athletic performances solidified Balanchine’s era as the most prominent choreographer.

Tallchief’s Marriages

Balanchine and Tallchief’s marriage was annulled in 1952. Shortly after, Tallchief married Elmourza Natirboff, a pilot. They divorced two years later, and she married Henry D. (Buzz) Paschen Jr in 1955. They had a daughter, Elise Maria Paschen, an award-winning poet. They remained married until he died in 2004.

Tallchief’s Illustrious Career

Tallchief continued establishing firsts, such as the American Ballet Theatre’s first guest dancer and prima ballerina. She was also the first American to dance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia. She was Rudolf Nureyev’s chosen partner for his American television debut.

Her Oklahoma people honored her with an array of statues and an official day of recognition. The National Women’s Hall of Fame inducted her, and she received a National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress. She also received a Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime achievements.

In 2012, Tallchief broke her hip and passed away on April 11, 2013, because of complications from her injury.

References

Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood

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Who is Dirty Harry?

With crime escalating and the economy on a hellish rollercoaster dive, it is a perfect time to view the 1970s tough-cop action thriller Dirty Harry.

The script, by the married team Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink (based on her unpublished story), Dean Riesner, and John Milius (unaccredited), is a lesson in a tight, fast-paced story.

The .44 Magnum he carries guides a story’s worth of sharp dialogue that launched a movie legend.

Eastwood states the memorable tough-cop line while holding a .44 Magnum, “Make my Day.” He repeats the famous line at the end of the movie. He baits the punk to gamble with his streetwise Russian Roulette.

Who is Clint Eastwood?

Don Siegel’s stylish, almost surreal, at times direction and editing set the pace for Clint Eastwood’s incredible performance as Harry Callahan, a middle-aged, individualist, unconventional cop who throws away the rulebook but gets the short end of the stick.

The screenwriters give Callahan some of the most memorable lines and witty comments in film history, thus establishing the territory for how far a script can go to create the antihero of all jerks while keeping the audience on his side.

The unsolved Zodiac murder case in San Francisco is eerily contemporary today. The opening scene of a public tribute to San Francisco police officers killed in the line of duty fades to the muzzle-barrel end of a high-powered rifle of a serial sniper, a baby-faced hippie killer, on a rooftop with a telescopic lens aimed at a young woman in a yellow, one-piece swimsuit. She swims her lap, he pulls the trigger, the bullet hits her, and she sinks below the surface as the water turns red.

Who is Harry Callahan?

Enter Harry Callahan, the lone wolf investigating the crime scene by himself. He finds the used shell of the shot and a ransom note pinned to a TV antenna. The first few words he says throughout the film are direct responses: “Jesus.”

The handwritten note from the deranged sniper calling himself Scorpio says he will enjoy killing one person every day until he receives one hundred thousand dollars. It will be his pleasure to shoot a Catholic priest or a nigger. I can’t help but remind us of the sniper killings in the D.C. area.

Favorite Dirty Harry Quote

Those surveyed said their favorite Dirty Harry quote is “You’ve got to ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?! The next favorite quote is  “Go Ahead, Make My Day.”

Dialogue Makes the Movie

Spiteful and rude, Callahan was summoned to the Mayor’s office. After the Mayor inquires what he has done about the Scorpio case so far, Callahan complains, waiting, “Oh well, for the past three-quarters of an hour, I’ve been sitting on my ass in your outer office, waiting for you.”

Most Unforgettable Movie Cop Scene

Up next is probably one of the most unforgettable cop scenes in film history, which is often mistaken for the film’s opening scene.

Callahan drives up in his navy blue sedan on a San Francisco street and parks illegally at the red curb in front of an adult bookstore. He walks to a local Burger Den restaurant to order his jumbo hot dog. Callahan casually asks the cook about a tan Ford across the street in front of the bank, with the usual lack of excitement. He suspects a bank robbery and asks the cook to phone the police department and report a two-eleven in progress. Callahan says, “Now, just wait until the cavalry arrives.” he hears the bank’s alarm system and a gunshot after one bite of his hot dog and says, “Oh, Sh-t!”

Cliint Eastwood shows how to point a gun at the camera.
Clint Eastwood shows how to point a gun at the camera.

“I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.”— Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry Quotes

Callahan’s calm and collected strides outside pull out his monstrous, long-barreled, heavyweight Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum. He single-handedly stops the heist by shooting the fleeing bank robbers. Still chewing his hot dog, Dirty Harry fires his sixth shot at the last fleeing robber. He looks down at his pant leg, which indicates blood seeped through from a leg wound. Dirty Harry walks over to the bank entrance. He threatens the wounded robber, who is reaching for his shotgun on the sidewalk.

Aiming the .44 Magnum, Callahan says his memorable tough-cop line baits the criminal to try and use the shotgun- gamble on luck with his streetwise version of Russian Roulette.

The dialogue contributes to the fast-paced movie, while the audience sees Callahan as a tough, unscrupulous cop. In the film review for the New York Times, critic Roger Greenspun describes Callahan as: “Dirty is Harry’s given epithet, and he carries it proudly enough. But he is a knight in shining armor whose dirtiness is mostly rubbed off from the scummy world he keeps trying to wipe clean.”

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

Clint Eastwood is not only a fine actor but also an award-winning director and jazz musician. Each project he works on has a social message important to our society.

Like Dirty Harry, Eastwood communicates the need to help the underdogs and support this generation’s heroes.

All Pixar Movies You Haven’t Seen Yet

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Pixar Shorts for the Family

Pixar movies are stories with emotion, adventure, heroes, relationships, energy, and humor. Disney and Pixar collaborate on producing animated family movies. But sometimes, Pixar shorts get overlooked as family movies by moviegoers. If you have ever seen a Pixar short, you know that much talent and creative craftsmanship went into making the film.

Pixar’s first short, The Adventures of Andre and Wall B., released in 1984, is a classic for any Pixar fan. The story involves two characters: a pesky bee and a character named Andre wearing a hat. The story first aired on the Disney Channel. Pixar co-founder John Lasseter developed the animation. He wanted to create something extraordinary for his son. The film encouraged the industry to pursue computer-generated movies. Today, Hollywood supports high-quality animated films.

“Luxo Jr.”

The next Pixar short, Luxo Jr., is the first film officially produced by Pixar, marking the studio’s official establishment.

The two-and-a-half-minute short film introduces Pixar’s icon, the hopping desk lamp. Luxo Jr. chases a small ball while Luxo, a large lamp, reacts to Luxo Jr.’s escapade of chasing and balancing on the ball.

Future Computer Animators

As the story goes, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter departed from Industrial. Light and Magic computer division to finish a short film for SIGGRAPH, an annual computer technology exhibition attended by thousands of industry professionals.

The future computer animators worked day and night. Their dedication proved fruitful despite the impossibility that Luxo Jr. failed as a finished film for SIGGRAPH.

As the audience watched the movie at the computer technology exhibition, they rose and applauded before the short ended. Animated films became a whole new fabric of the movie industry.

“Red’s Dream”

Red’s Dream is the following short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. It was released in 1987 and is the only brief that is not attached to one of the studio’s family feature films.

In the audio commentary, Lasseter talks about how Ed Catmull thought the Pixar staff could make a film using the Pixar Image Computer and the rendering software Chapreyes. Lasseter and the other team began developing a tale about a circus clown outshining his very own unicycle.

Animators Eben Ostby and William Reeves worked on their unique ideas. Ostby’s idea was to animate the bicycle, and Reeves developed a rainy night in a city. Finally, Lasseter and the two artists pooled their creative ideas, resulting in Red’s Dream.

“Pixar Shorts Volume One, Two, and Three”

The animation studio offers a DVD called Pixar Shorts Volume One. Each short is a work of art in its own right, and it’s definitely fun to watch with the whole family. Some of the movies mentioned in this article are available on DVD. Pixar released two more Volumes that are just as delightful.

“Toy Story”

Toy Story is Pixar’s signature movie. Woody and Buzz Lightyear go on adventures with Andy’s motley crew of toys.

Andy gave his toys away because he had grown up, and they belonged to Bonnie. She is as delightful and cute as a button.

Pixar proves that a studio can produce quality sequels without dulling our imagination or running out of quality material with four Toy Story movies.

“Incredibles”

Follow the career of Brad Bird, and you will see a brilliant filmmaker at work. He wrote and directed the Incredibles and Incredibles 2: Raising Son. His association with Pixar is longstanding and proves that Lasseter can hire top talent.

The storyline is innovative and unique. It is against the law for any superhero to practice their abilities. We follow a treacherous villain who devises a scheme to kill or trap superheroes from allying to protect society.

We have a family of superheroes, each with a specific superhero trait. The cleverness of Bird’s creativity lies in taking real-life situations and weaving them into the movie.

Incredibles 2 has the wife and mother going off to work while the father stays home caring for his infant son and angsty teenage daughter. With his grade-school son, he tries in vain to help him with Common Core math.

A typical family situation, plus his kids’ superpowers, makes the relationship more dynamic. Jack-Jack, his infant son, spontaneously goes invisible and turns into a ball of fire.

“Finding Nemo”

Andrew Stanton is another Pixar genius who brought us two box-office hits: Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, featuring the voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres.

The movie follows an overprotective father, Marlin, a clownfish, whose son, Nemo, is captured from the Great Barrier Reef. He befriends another fish, Dory, a regal blue tang fish with short-term memory loss. Together, they search for his son and encounter all sorts of marine life when they arrive at Sydney Harbour. They save Nemo from an aquarium in a dentist’s office. The journey teaches Marlin to let his son take care of himself and live a little by taking risks. Just like many of Pixar’s movies, Finding Nemo won an Oscar for the best-animated feature film.

I remember Stanton talking about capturing the look and feel of the ocean water as a CGI image. Not yet mastered it until this movie came out.

A sequel followed, called Finding Dory, with an all-star cast of voices. Ellen DeGeneres returned to voice Dory, who is searching for her mother and father and contends with her short-term memory loss.

“Cars”

Based on a screenplay by Dan Fogelman and co-written and directed by John Lasseter, Cars is Pixar’s final independent movie before Disney purchased the studio in the Spring of 2006.

Taking the audience by surprise with a world of talking cars and anthropomorphic vehicles, the movie voice stars included Owen Wilson and Paul Newman. Lighting McQueen learns humility while falling in love with someone other than himself. Two more Car movies followed with spin-offs about talking airplanes.

The soundtrack for the first movie is the favorite Pixar soundtrack.

The 22 songs feature musical artists and Randy Newman. “Route 66” is the catchy tune you hear throughout the movie.

Are Pixar Movies Disney?

With all these successful Pixar movies, we mustn’t forget their connection to Disney. Disney distributed their movies before buying the studio in 2006. Press releases announcing the next Pixar movie are not uncommon, and film enthusiasts speculate on each announcement’s storyline. The movies are innocuous and family-friendly. Their success will continue as long as they don’t change their storytelling formula.

References

  • Pixar Animation Studios
    Pixar Animation Studios (Pixar) is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. Pixar is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.

Harry Potter Obsession

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J. K. Rowling’s Books

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you have most likely read all of J.K. Rowling’s books. If you are not a reader, then you watch the Warner Bros. movies. They grabbed your attention, and you couldn’t get away. The obsession with the Harry Potter stories is worldwide, whether it’s the books or just the movies, or both. The story is one that the whole family can experience together, and I highly recommend it. When your family decides to watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, snuggle up because it’s time to share a much darker and deeper Harry Potter movie than the earlier ones.

Moviegoers’ first reaction to Half-Blood Prince is how much those kids have grown up. They look so much older, and the story grows with them and gets darker. The actors surpassed their adolescence, and the characters have mastered their wizard training. If you have read the book, you are aware of the movie’s overall plot and outcome.

Sure. The story is darker, and Harry Potter learns more about Voldemort’s dark secrets and how to overpower the evil wizard once and for all. One main character in the story will perish, which is a pivotal point in Rowling’s series and may be hard to bear.

Harry Potter Books or Movies?

Those surveyed indicated that 50% had read the books before seeing the Harry Potter movies. The other 50% split between seeing the films and then deciding to read the books, and never reading the books at all.

Yates Directs Harry Potter Movies

David Yates directs the movie, and he is by far the best director of the franchise, as evidenced by his return to finish the last three installments after directing Order of the Phoenix.

Yates’s experience as a British television director keeps the story above the special effects. Yates told IMDB, “I like to create an atmosphere where actors feel safe enough to take risks. I certainly don’t believe in being a macho bully. I’m not interested in frightening good work out of people. It’s bollocks,” he continues. “In an ideal world, I’d bounce between big projects and no-budget TV dramas with fantastic scripts. Many Hollywood films tend to be bloated, bombastic, and loud. At the same time, I do like the infrastructure of making a blockbuster; it’s like having a big train set.”

Young Tom Riddle

In Half-Blood Prince, we discover detailed information about the young Tom Riddle, the boy. He eventually grows up to be Lord Voldemort, played brilliantly by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, the nephew of Ralph Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes plays Voldemort, which makes the casting quite a family affair.

Another new cast member of the franchise is Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, the new potions teacher, a plot-driven character in the Harry Potter story. Broadbent’s resume is extensive and probably one of the most favored character actors in the U.K. and the U.S.

Rowling’s Final Scene

So, sit down with your family and enjoy the sixth installment of the Harry Potter films. At the end of the movie, Harry reflects with Ron and Hermione on the difference between him and Voldemort. It’s a meaningful line and poignant, which is why we read Rowling’s series and flock to see Harry Potter movies.

“Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Mobile Game”

Even though we read the books, watch the movies, and see spin-offs like Fantastic Beasts, a Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Mobile Game offers a chance to play a game set in the franchise. The mobile game is just another way to enjoy Harry Potter.

Play the video promoting the new game, and you will see some reactions to the game from real Harry Potter talent, like one of the Phelps brothers. The game launch at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando was exciting and eventful for those who attended.

It is one of the first games where players experience being a character they choose and a Hogwarts student.

Future of Harry Potter

With spin-offs from Harry Potter stories, the new television series, the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the theme parks, and mobile games, you walk into a Barnes & Noble bookstore and see Harry Potter fandom from the original story, Fantastic Beasts. Anything is possible with such a fantasy story.

Rowling’s work inspires people to dream and to be part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or to write their own fantasy books where families and friends bond, sharing a fanciful reality.

Successful Film Directors Explain How to Direct

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Film Director Basics

Directors are the individuals who “translate” the script from the written page into a film.

A conventional director supervises hundreds of people at a time, from scriptwriters to costume and set designers.

Directors are responsible for all technical and artistic aspects of the film.

They conduct auditions, supervise rehearsals and approve location, scenery, costumes, choreography, and music. In short, they direct the entire cast and crew during shooting.

They frequently have several assistant directors helping them handle extras, equipment transport, and arrangements for food and accommodations.

The director’s job is not an entry-level position. Usually, individuals start in another phase of filmmaking and then take advantage of the opportunities and then advance to directing jobs.

Get Directing Experience With Music Videos

Music videos provide experience for budding directors. Directors who started directing music videos include David Fincher, Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Michael Bay, and Marc Webb.

Successful directors are involved in all three phases of production, from beginning to end.

Some directors assume multiple roles, such as director-producer or writer-producer-director.

Whatever other roles they take on, as directors, they must know how to hire the right people, fire the wrong ones, and manage people so the crew works as a dedicated team.

Kazan Speaks About Being a Director

In the autumn of 1973, Elia Kazan, director of such classic films as Gentleman’s Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire, and On the Waterfront, was honored by a two-week retrospective of his films at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut. After the program, Mr. Kazan gave this timeless talk to students. It is what he said about the role of a director.

“What kind of person must a film director train himself to be? What qualities does he need?” he asked. Here are a few: A construction gang foreman, who knows his physical problems and their solutions and is ready, therefore, to insist on these solutions…A hypnotist who works with the unconscious to achieve his ends. A poet, a poet of the camera, able both to capture the decisive moment of Cartier-Bresson (Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French humanist photographer known as the master of candid photography, an early user of 35 mm film) or to wait all day like Paul Strand for a single shot, which he makes with a bulky camera fixed on a tripod. An outfielder, for his legs — the director stands much of the day, dares not get tired, so he has strong legs. Think back and remember how the old-time directors dramatized themselves — by puttees, right?”

Patience is a Virtue

Kazan continues with his talk, “He also needs to be cunning of a trader in Baghdad bazaar — the firmness of an animal trainer — obvious tigers! A great host — At a sign from him, fine food and heartwarming drink appear. The kindness of an old-fashioned mother who forgives all, the authority and sternness of her husband, the father, who forgives nothing, expects obedience without question, brooks no nonsense — these alternatively. The elusiveness of a jewel thief – no explanation — takes my word for this one. The blarney of a PR man, especially useful when the director is out in a strange and hostile location as I have many times been. A very thick skin — a very sensitive soul – simultaneously — the patience, the persistence, the fortitude of a saint, the appreciation of pain, a taste for self-sacrifice, everything for the cause — cheeriness, jokes, playfulness, alternating with sternness, unwavering firmness. Pure doggedness — an unwavering refusal to take less than he thinks right out of a scene, a performer, a co-worker, a member of his staff, himself.”

Film Director Salary

According to the Directors Guild of America, the salary of a film director varies depending on the director’s talent and box-office success. Directors shooting a high-budget movie at $11 million or more earn a minimum $19,143. Working a week on a short film or documentary, directors earn $13,672.

If a movie production takes longer than a week, directors shooting high-budget productions earn $4,786 a day. In short films or documentaries, directors make $3,418 a day. Directors working in the industry earn, on average, an annual wage of $111,320.

Directors successful at the box office earn anywhere from $1 million to $75 million per movie.

Drives the Production

Being a director is a huge responsibility because the crew, cast, producers, and audience count on you to deliver a piece of professional art.

A director beats his heart and soul throughout the production from pre-production, production, and post-production. He is the drive that makes the film a believable and understandable story. He is the drive that makes the film a credible and coherent narrative.

So, if you are thinking of becoming a director, you need an open heart. You need to care about people in general. Then, you know you can care about your crew and actors. Otherwise, reconsider your desire or quest because a director is a people person and a technical whiz-bang.

Good luck with your career, and let me know about your successes.

17 Documentaries Expand Your Thought Process

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What is a Documentary?

Nick Fraser is a British documentary producer. He devoted 17 years at the BBC to creating and running the international documentary series Storyville, which showcased documentaries from around the world. He said, “The best documentaries are independent. They don’t exist to serve interests, philanthropic or otherwise.”

I agree with Frazer because most documentaries I’ve seen today are slanted to suit a particular vested-interest group connected to the filmmaker, who twists the facts.

The following documentaries may not be factual, but I found their production value high because they got me thinking and expanding my intellect.

1. “Pavarotti: Genius Is Forever”

Oscar-winner Ron Howard takes viewers on a journey through the life and times of Luciano Pavarotti, the opera singer who brought opera to millions worldwide. The trailer explores Pavarotti’s legend and voice. Wherever the man went, and he sang and made history. Howard’s movie is intimate with interviews and sacred footage.

2. “Kusama: Infinity”

The movie is a visual introduction to one of the world’s most talented artists. Heather Lenz takes us on an extraordinary, truthful, emotional journey with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s six-decade career. She left Japan, arrived in New York City, and developed her artistic signature. She persevered and has created artwork ranging from painting and sculpture to installation art.

3. “Love, Gilda”

Director Lisa D’Apolito spins a sad story based on Gilda’s journals, recordings, and scrapbooks. Despite D’Apolito’s demoralizing content, Love, Gilda captured my attention from the very beginning.

The documentary shows Gilda growing up and becoming an Emmy winner. I found that worth watching. The younger versions of the original Saturday Night Live cast sparked my interest because Bill Murray was as handsome as Chevy Chase. Gilda’s talent shone through.

4. “Jay Myself”

Jay Maisel lived in “The Bank” for 48 years. The renowned photographer reluctantly moved from the 35,000-square-foot building in New York City. But the documentary is about his life and shows many photos taken by Maisel, a gifted photographer. Photographers or artists should find this movie fascinating.

5. “Rebound”

The documentary Rebound follows the lives of three wheelchair basketball players. They undergo hardships and never give up. They are gifted athletes who mainstream sports have yet to recognize.

6. “The Landing”

The Landing is a parody of documentaries because they are no longer about capturing the truth. They are propaganda similar to Hitler’s Triumph of the Will.

It’s a fake documentary about one of the Apollo missions going wrong, and NASA covered it up.

The Landing received awards as Best Director 2017 Boston Sci-Film Festival – Best Thriller 2017 Burbank International Film Festival, and Best Feature 2017 Escape Velocity, Washington, D.C.

7. “I Am Big Bird”

The documentary is a treasure of clips and anecdotes about the Muppets creator and super-talented Jim Henson. Openly, a great friend of Caroll Spinney’s, seeing Henson is touching. The documentary shares footage and memories of working with Henson. A poignant scene unfolds in an overcrowded cathedral at Henson’s funeral, where Big Bird sings “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”

8. “Science Fair”

Award-winning documentary directors Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster present Science Fair. The documentary won the audience award at Sundance and SXSW 2018.

The movie trailer is fun to watch because I understand why Science Fairs are worthwhile experiences for intelligent kids.

9. “Perfect”

Directed by Jeremie Battaglia, Perfect is an award-winning documentary. The movie focuses on the Canadian synchronized swimming team.

The story goes beyond the beauty and shows the challenging journey to secure the qualifying spot as the team for the Rio Olympics 2016. The movie won the Best Documentary at the Winter Film Awards.

10. “Pick of the Litter”

My family lived near the guide dog training facility in San Rafael when I was just a toddler. My mother told me I loved the guide dogs. They put a smile on my face, and I wanted to see them all the time.

With that, Pick of the Litter received several accolades for being a documentary that tells the truth or offers an insight into what it takes for a cute, cuddly puppy to become a guide dog for the blind.

Dana Nachman and Don Hardy directed the movie that follows a litter of puppies from birth, as they begin their journey and develop into guide dogs for the blind.

Nachman wrote the screenplay, covering two years of the dogs’ training, culminating in their most rewarding responsibility: protecting their blind masters from harm.

Watching the documentary trailer gives you a good idea of what these dogs go through. Not every dog becomes a guide dog. However, you will cheer for them as they try their best. We can only wish they develop into the pick of the litter.

11. “Whitney”

The poster for the documentary Whitney says “all the answers,” but I disagree. Whitney Houston’s talent leaped no bounds yet, like a Shakespeare tragedy. Her life was a roller coaster ride.

Watch the movie trailer, and you will see poignant moments that are almost too hard to watch. If only Houston made better decisions. Her voice, music, and talent would still be with us today.

12. Fahrenheit 11/9

I worked with Michael Moore on Bowling for Columbine. He and his crew came to my hometown and designated me the driver, craft services (he loves chocolate), and all-around production assistant. I can honestly say he is a nice guy. He is a professional who knows his vision and gets it. With that, I had no idea I was working on an Academy Award movie.

Fahrenheit 11/9 is another documentary by Michael Moore, and I recommend you study his style to see how he conveys his message. That is what he does with all his documentaries. He gets his message across by making his movie provocative, thought-provoking, and funny. It focuses on the 2016 United States presidential election. He takes a stab at the subsequent presidency of Donald Trump.

13. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

Mr. Fred Rogers told kids they were special, unlike anyone else in the whole world, each unique. I remember when my daughter watched his show, and he played a video about how crayons are made. We both learned something new.

I highly recommend you watch this documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Directed by Morgan Neville, who won an Oscar for the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, it follows Rogers’s life and work. The movie explained how he is known as America’s cherished neighbor.

The documentary follows a man who wore zip-up cardigans and lived in the land of make-believe. In watching this movie, I discovered something unique about him. Sure, he played a big part in educational TV and was an ultimate genius. He influenced so many lives that there is more about the man worth finding out.

I watched the trailer, and tears formed in my eyes. Mr.Rogers was such an inspiration to the world.

14. “Maria by Callas”

If you are a lover of opera or a fan, you will enjoy this documentary about the life of Maria Callas. She led a life read in headlines. The media played along with her tumultuous life, reporting the conflicts and scandals that plagued her life.

She dominated the opera scene as the world’s greatest opera singer ever to live. Regardless, her career failed to last a long time, with an early death by a heart attack. Posthumously, her story scandalized the newspapers with conflict over her trust.

15. “Amazing Grace”

Waiting 40 years for the technology to advance enough to sync the music with the footage, Amazing Grace finally arrived in the movie theaters and is now available on disc or streaming. Directed by the late Sydney Pollack and finished by Alan Elliot, Aretha Franklin sings with the New Bethel Baptist Church choir, recording her live “Amazing Grace” album in 1972.

Watch the trailer and get a glimpse of a young Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones.

16. “Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins”

The documentary tells the story of a woman who evolved with the times over the decades she spent as a journalist. She not only changed physically but also spiritually. She had the passion and a definite purpose in life that took its toll. Even though her message resonates with me, we need to vote and hold firmly to what we consider substantially important. Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins is a movie you want to see to understand the history and a mortal woman’s ability to tell the truth and shame the devil.

17. “Roadrunner”

Morgan Neville brings us Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, a documentary about Chef, provocateur, adventurer and writer. Neville also brought us Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and other worthy documentaries.

Neville creates an intimate portrait of a man who became a cultural icon. His extensive research includes interviews and an unflinching look at Bourdain’s thunderous presence and his indelible influence on the world.

Documentary Best

The list of documentaries stands considerably varied by subject and genre. I hope you get a chance to watch one or more of them. All in all, I am impressed with the documentarians. These movies are not for the light-hearted or for those who strictly want entertainment. They expand your mind and show you a world you’ve most likely never seen until now.

5 Popular Movie Cocktails, Including Recipes

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Hollywood entertained the idea of drinking alcoholic drinks during prohibition.
Hollywood entertained the idea of drinking alcoholic drinks during prohibition. | Source

Cocktails in Film

Celebrating special times is what we care about the most. When something comes up faster than we care to acknowledge, movies or books like Water for Elephants capture yesteryear spirits and today.

The movies overflow with retro radiance and fascination. In Water for Elephants, Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon bring us back to the days of speakeasies and unforbidden love.

Enthralled like an interloper, you witness the scene where August and Marlena invite Jacob for an evening of cocktails and elegance. The undercurrents portray the movie sequence as relatively private and intimate because of the prohibition. The scene captures the essence of the glamour of the 1930s and the spirit of sharing a moment of entertainment.

Other Hollywood films have captured the same ambiance of the prohibition era. You might be familiar with them as well. Let’s explore the glamour of cocktails in prohibition-era films like Some Like It Hot, The Untouchables, and The Roaring Twenties, with drinks including the Deauville, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, and Hurricane.

“Why the hell shouldn’t I run away with the circus?”— Sara Gruen

Whiskey Sour

One of my favorite scenes in The Roaring Twenties is when naïve Eddie (James Cagney) orders milk at a speakeasy. A counterpart would have ordered the classic Whiskey Sour. The Whiskey Sour has been around since the late 1800s and remains popular even today. If you’re so inclined, you can add a dash of egg white to the mix to turn it into a Boston Sour.

· 45ml Bourbon whiskey

· 30ml fresh lemon juice

· 15ml Gomme syrup

· Orange slice (garnish)

· Maraschino cherry (garnish)

Pour whiskey, lemon juice, and Gomme syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake well, and then strain into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice, and serve on the rocks.

“I think you’re a pretty decent guy. I like to talk to decent guys. They’re hard to find.”— Panama Smith in “The Roaring Twenties”

Manhattan

In one of my favorite Billy Wilder films, Some Like It Hot, Marilyn Monroe’s character, Sugar Cane, makes Manhattans in a hot water bottle. She’s so natural in the scene. I can’t help but believe it. Luckily, we have cocktail shakers and swizzle sticks, so we don’t need the hot water bottle.

· 50ml whiskey

· 20ml sweet red vermouth

· Dash Angostura bitters

· Maraschino cherry (garnish)

Stir whiskey, vermouth, and bitters over ice and then pour strained into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Some Like It Hot

“It’s the story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.”— Sugar in “Some Like Hot”

The Deauville

There are no movies set in Deauville. Created in New Orleans in the 1930s, The Deauville is a classic brandy sour with a colorful fruit bouquet served straight up.

· 25ml brandy

· 25ml applejack or Calvados

· 25ml triple sec

· 25ml fresh lemon juice

Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

What Would You Like to Drink?

Gin Fizz

Brian De Palma captured the prohibition era and the mafia’s heyday brilliantly as we watch Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and some of his cohorts in The Untouchables. I am sure the mob might have thrown back a Gin Fizz or two. The best known of all the “Fizz” type cocktails, this still-popular creation has been a hit since the 20th century.

· 50ml gin

· Juice of half a lemon

· 10ml Gomme syrup

· Soda water

Pour gin, lemon juice, and Gomme syrup over ice and shake—strain into a highball glass and top with soda water. Serve on the rocks.

“People are gonna drink – you know that I know that, we all know that, and all I do is act on that. And all this talk of bootlegging – what is bootlegging? On a boat, it’s bootlegging. On Lake Shore Drive, it’s hospitality. I’m a businessman!”— Alphonse Capone, “The Untouchables”

Hurricane

No movie refers to the Hurricane, which is a New Orleans staple. The Hurricane originated as a way to dispose of unsold rum in the 1930s and 1940s. Eventually, the cocktail became popular with sailors and remains a bestseller in the French Quarter today.

· 15ml dark rum

· 15ml white rum

· Passion fruit syrup

· Lime juice

Shake the ingredients with ice, then pour into a cocktail or tulip-shaped glass. Serve on the rocks.

“In the spring of 1988, I returned to New Orleans, and as soon as I smelled the air, I knew I was home. It was rich, almost sweet, like the scent of jasmine and roses around our old courtyard. I walked the streets, savoring that long lost perfume.”— Anne Rice, “Interview with the Vampire”

Cocktail Party

For any special occasion, you might want to contemplate throwing a Prohibition Party. If not for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you might want to consider New Year’s Eve. You can throw one at any time of the year.

You have the recipes, and all you have to do is get the ingredients and shake or stir them into cocktails.

Caped Crusader Batman Cartoons

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Why Cartoons Are Good for You

Growing up in a family with a single mom and two siblings allowed me to be glued to the television every Saturday morning and watch cartoons.

The cartoons helped me forget all the troubles and hardships we endured. It allowed me to escape and think about how I could make the world a better place for my family if only I, too, could be a superhero.

The superhero cartoons were the best at inspiring me because they encapsulated the idea of confronting and solving your problems. To this day, I follow that concept. I get a kick out of tackling issues and throwing them in jail as I head back to my office. In this day and age, I sometimes have to be a superhero.

“In the midst of the vagaries of life, they provide us a trip to the land of goodness and fairies, of imaginations and possibilities.

A childhood that wasn’t spent watching cartoons or reading comic strips, no wonder, seems too dull to imagine.”— Sanhita Baruah

Cartoons to Watch

I don’t know when cartoons became popular. They appeared on the television each Saturday morning. They were my favorite because I was mesmerized by Bugs Bunny, The Road Runner, Batman, Daffy the Duck, and Superman.

Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings gave my mother time to herself. They entertained all three of us — me, my brother, and my sister — while my mother cherished her Saturday ritual of pampering herself and preparing for the week ahead. She worked hard and deserved all the luxury she could muster in those invigorating morning rituals.

Not that my home was dysfunctional. I wanted my mother to be happy because she worked extremely hard, raising three kids on her own. I think most of the time, she was smiling, but she had so much to do for us. She was my superhero.

Batman for Kids

The history of cartoons teaches kids that they can watch comic book characters come to life on television or on a device. Stories like the Dark Knight ally with Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Wildcat, Deadman, Bronze Tiger, and Atom, and have them take on many evildoers, showing them how to solve problems.

Kids watch the annoying hoodlums running as mad and crazy scientists. They see the no good, off the wall, intergalactic crooks, from world power, crazed dictators to skidding teenagers. They learn that taking responsibility for others means helping them confront their problems.

“Grown-ups’ could learn a lesson from watching cartoons.”— James Jean-Pierre

Treasures

I was satisfied watching cartoons every Saturday. If I felt unsatisfied, I kept watching until Bugs Bunny or the Road Runner saved me. Based on my childhood memories of watching morning cartoons, I checked out these “old” treasures through Warner Bros. archives, such as Looney Tunes. I can still get my hands on another set of Saturday morning cartoons at Amazon Prime.

A cartoon hero is the only way to capture the good old days of cartoons. The darker ones are more of escapism with a lesson in how not to behave than the silly Bugs Bunny and goofy Road Runner.

Mel Blanc is a hero because of what he could do with his voice for all the Looney Tunes, “the Warner Brothers cartoons, to be the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig.”— Nicolas Cage

Cartoons Versus Comics

Perhaps, you were one of the millions of kids watching cartoons of the 60s and remember the Saturday mornings with Batman, superheroes, or Looney Tunes.

You need to share them with your kids. Not only are they pure entertainment, but they are also much safer to watch than some of today’s television programs.

You set an example of telling your friends that your kids watch old cartoons. Hooking up with the superheroes on Saturday mornings, watching the popular and well-liked comics, is not just a pastime — it is a passion and escapism.

Cartoons YouTube

Watching episode after episode of each series, I know you will laugh yourself silly, but make sure you share them with your kids. You might even discover some cartoons you haven’t seen before, like Batman: The Animated Series, Volume One.

YouTube offers tons of these cartoons, so grab your device, put on your headphones, and start the entertainment.

Batman in Action

Amazon Prime

What makes it easy for parents and kids is that Amazon Prime offers endless chances to view good, old cartoons. If you are a Prime member, they are available at no charge, except for your Prime membership. They are not very long, so your kids are not wasting their whole Saturday morning, like I did, watching the classics.

Be warned. The cartoons are addictive because there are so many stories available, and they’re so much fun to watch. They are not as cheesy nor as suspenseful as the movies with the same characters. The characters are dark with a foreboding soundtrack. The hilarious cartoons are more entertaining than the film because they feature slapstick humor suitable for kids.

Director John Frankenheimer

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John Frankenheimer relaxing between camera setups on the set of the Turner Film Production "Andersonville."
John Frankenheimer relaxing between camera setups on the set of the Turner Film Production “Andersonville.” | Source

Frankenheimer Came to Northern California

A friend of mine, Kevin, got a job working with one of the industry’s most talented directors: the late John Frankenheimer (Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Grand Prix, Wallace, and Ronin).

Frankenheimer came to Northern California to do location work for one of his last films, HBO’s Path to War, starring one of the Baldwin boys – Alec. I highly recommend this movie.

Donald Sutherland also stars in the cable movie. According to IMDb, the Path of War is based on a true story set in the mid-1960s: President Johnson and his foreign policy team debate whether to withdraw from or escalate the war in Vietnam.

Gary Sinise Tribute to Frankenheimer

Frankenheimer passed away in 2002 after a stroke. Gary Sinise, who worked with him on three movies, wrote a tribute to Frankenheimer for Entertainment Weekly. Here is an excerpt of that tribute. “He was drawn to dramatic material and found a lot of drama in biographical subjects. His television movies in the ’90s were based on real events or real people, like…the biopic George Wallace,” which was the first of three projects I did with him. The television movies would bring him four Emmys for his direction.”

The movie industry expects people to introduce themselves, network or show their work.
The movie industry expects people to introduce themselves, network or show their work.

“He had an enormous amount of energy, and at 72 was reemerging as one of the great filmmakers of all time, somebody whose work was as powerful later in his career as it was in the beginning,” praised Sinise.

Catch the movie on Amazon or Netflix.
Catch the movie on Amazon or Netflix.

Getting Noticed in Hollywood

Please consider how my friend networked with someone who can help his career. You are about to learn something about networking in the film business. My friend, Kevin, was inventive enough to network and pitch a local independent film, Ashes, to Kristi, who, in turn, would give it to her dad to view. Kevin was thinking on his feet and taking advantage of a business relationship he had formed while on a film set.

Some may think it was a bit of a bold move, and you would never approach a celebrity like that and be so forward. Why not? The worst that can happen is that the personality would say “no.” Or, you would get kicked off the set, but I doubt that would happen unless you were rude and obnoxious. People in the movie industry expect and accept others approaching them, networking, or showing their work.

The best thing that could happen is that Frankenheimer likes Kevin’s movie and helps him with its distribution, or finds an agent to help distribute the film. It’s not bad that he approached the daughter of a well-known director and producer.

However, nothing came of his contact with Kristi when he gave her a DVD of his movie.

Kevin made his move, and he felt good about his efforts. Later, when he pitches it to another distributor, he can mention that Frankenheimer’s daughter is interested in the movie. It’s called “name-dropping.” It also tells the distribution representative that Kevin hustles and works to get his film known to others in the industry.

Directed by Frankenheimer

“The movie Path to War was filmed at the California State Capitol on Monday. Long Day–7:30 AM until 11:45 PM! “It was an exciting day as I had the chance to work and speak with the director John Frankenheimer and his daughter, Kristi,” explains Kevin. “I was very impressed with Frankenheimer – he demands a lot from his crew, and he definitely doesn’t tolerate wasted time …but when you’re responsible for a 17 million dollar budget project, the pressure is certainly on you to get the job done.”

Frankenheimer stopped the filming long enough to personally thank all of the Sacramento cast and compliment them on their work, “which I found very refreshing, especially from someone of his stature,” adds Kevin.

Working with such a prestigious director was an honor.
Working with such a prestigious director was an honor. | Source

Follow up Contact Number

“I had the opportunity to speak with his daughter, Kristi, for a few minutes between set-ups, and Kristi accepted a copy of the local independent film Ashes that she promised to give to her father. She also provided me with the production office number in LA, so I could stay in touch and follow up on his impressions of the film.”

Another smart move by Kevin was to have a follow-up number for Kristi to use later after her dad viewed his movie.

Spielberg With Crichton: “Jurassic Park” and “ER”

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Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton made a great creative team.
Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton made a great creative team. | Source

Friendship With Benefits

Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton developed motion pictures and television programs, notably the Jurassic Park franchise and the long-running ER series. The two men, who were dear friends working together, are a fascinating story of success.

Dinosaurs from “Jurassic Park”

An acquaintance, a high school teacher, told me about a time he showed his students the movie Jurassic Park. At the end of the film, some of his students thought dinosaurs were still alive on our planet. Not that the students were stupid. The movie was realistic enough to make the dinosaurs appear real in their minds’ eyes.

The movie’s detailed and realistic images of various dinosaurs, along with its story, acting, and sound, created a realistic world based on Crichton’s bestselling novel.

The original movie focuses on a devastating effort to produce and clone dinosaurs for an innovative theme park.

The franchise began in 1990 when Spielberg grabbed the rights to the unpublished book. Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment purchased the rights to the novel.

After four sequels, the franchise flourished, with the first two based on Crichton’s books, and it spawned tons of video games, comic books, and theme parks.

The franchise resurrected Richard Attenborough’s career and bolstered the careers of Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Lauren Dern, Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Jurassic Park’s motion picture franchise includes a water excursion at Universal Studios theme parks.

The franchise movies alone have grossed close to $ 5 billion worldwide.

Crichton and Spielberg Winning Team

The success of the Jurassic Park franchise indicates that Crichton and Spielberg made a winning team. They invested their good fortune in an American medical television series that proved just as fruitful as the dinosaur movies.

Under the umbrella of Amblin Television, Crichton and Spielberg’s team created the medical drama ER. The show lasted 15 years and won several prestigious awards, bringing together famed talents that I will mention later in the article.

If anything, ER is a lesson in producing an award-winning television show and practically keeping it on the air for years. I am sure students of film and television classrooms study this series in its entirety. They identify and highlight the factors that contributed to the show’s high ratings and large worldwide audience.

Endless drama in an Emergency Room kept viewers glued to the TV.
Endless drama in an Emergency Room kept viewers glued to the TV.

Emmy Award Winners

The show won multiple Emmy Awards, with 124 nominations and 22 wins, reflecting the caliber of work that stood behind and in front of the camera, launching the stellar careers of George Clooney, along with Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, and Maria Bello.

“ER”

Although I never watched the series as a whole, but as clips from different shows, I tend to shy away from medical shows. ER taps into the intimate workings of an urban training hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its vigilant emergency room.

Every week, fans glued themselves to the television and watched quirky and unique medical professionals save lives in a place where nothing is taken for granted or guaranteed. The emergency room doors open, and another distraught person or persons gets placed in their hands, life or death, within an hour’s worth of television programming.

Endless Series

Even though I didn’t watch the series, I watched the Collector’s Edition DVD of the 15th and final season, an all-time favorite of multiple emergency room drama shows.

The series lasted as long as it did because of the talented writers, as evidenced by the final season, particularly in the show’s ending. The arc ties into the earlier seasons, including Noah Wyle’s professional choices and personal life.

Now, Wyle is starring in HBO’s Emmy-winning The Pitt, very similar to ER, but set over one day in an emergency room in Pittsburgh.

Curtain Call

The final season is a curtain call for all the show’s lead characters. They returned one way or another, including those who died on the show.

One point of view about the medical drama is the large cast of major actors who left due to injury, death, firing, or disappearance. Like most long-running shows, I understand that cast members go in hopes of bigger and better careers.

The final season includes movie stars Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. The main arc centers on Catherine Banfield, the ER’s medical director, played by Basset, and her husband, Russell Banfield, played by Vance. Both are intense and effectively support their respective sides of the issue.

The series ends well, and that is what matters to the fans. The finale is rewarding to those who faithfully followed the multiple storylines.

George Clooney

I am sure you’ll appreciate watching the episodes, knowing that you can watch them again and again since you own the DVD. The cast changing through the years might throw you off, but it is graced with guest appearances from Clooney and other original cast members.

If you still need an emergency room fix on television, there are similar shows that follow ER’s formula, which validates the series even more, such as Grey’s Anatomy, a long-running show as well.