I have to say, even though Glee is somehow targeted to a mass audience (in the US at least) and is a little trendy (which I normally hate), I do like how it’s making me appreciate plays and real musicals (*cough high school * musical* not a musical*) through the songs they feature on the show. Kurt and Rachel’s duet of “Defying Gravity” has made me wanna see Wicked the musical (if only I had the money to go to New York right now), I spent half the evening searching for youtube videos of the musical.

I had a blockmate/friend once voiced his opinion about stage plays when we we’re required to watch a certain play by the TA. He asked, “what ‘s the point of stage plays when film has been there for so long?”. For a person who himself has been part of a theater group, I actually found it hard to answer this but I remembered what my directors, Sir Bok Pioqid and Ron Capinding taught us during my two years in Teatro Baguntao.

Theater is able to evoke emotions, reactions and experiences from its audiences. Yes, film can do the same but there is a difference between the emotions that a live theater production creates from a filmed production, the fact that is live means you’ll never really get the same experience, the same show twice.

Even more than simply evocation is the real-time interaction that happens between a stage actor and his audience. I think theater is a participatory type of media because of this interaction. You just don’t sit there watching and receiving information in a theater you yourself when you react to the scenario communicate with the actors of the production. This two-way communication I feel, is what enriches the experience of live theater and something that differentiates it completely from film

OK excuse my trying-to-sound-academic-and-failing tone

Okuribito おくりびと Departures

Okuribito tells the story of a relatively young cello player who’s orchestra runs into financial problems and decides to sell his cello to move to the countryside to find work. He ends up becoming an encoffiner (sort of a buddhist mortician, but not just for buddhist, he prepares the make up and dresses the dead for the afterlife).

Its an interesting film which won the Academy Awards for best foreign film last year. I really suggest this film to anyone taking up any basic japanese culture course as it gives you some insight into the japanese culture and death rituals as well as the stigma between the workers in (is this the right term) death industry. The movie also has a fantastic musical score which I can probably compare to any Final Fantasy video game.

I was actually assigned to watch this film for my Theology 131 class though I think missed the day they had a discussion on this. I may not exactly understand the theological connection to Theology: Love Sex and marriage but it is a great film which makes you see the different situations of those left behind by the dead. I really liked certain scenes such as the opening scene with the dead transexual and the dead grandmother who’s grand daughter wanted her to be buried in the socks she loved so much.

If you have time to look for this film I highly suggest it.