Review: George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Part 2

Of course, no documentary on George Harrison would be complete without addressing his well-publicized, lifelong quest for spirituality and Scorsese devotes ample time to this topic. The film touches on George’s involvement with Indian mysticism, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Hare Krishna group, and his lifelong practice of meditation through the use of mantras. Particularly intriguing are Olivia Harrison’s recollections of how her husband spent a great deal of his life preparing for the moment of his death. She recounts how her husband was adamant about being prepared for the moment when his spirit would leave his body and how his near death encounter during a 1999 home invasion almost wasted a lifetime of spiritual preparation.

Although Olivia’s brave intervention saved her husband’s life during that night, son Dhani Harrison remarks in the film how the trauma of that night may have been the catalyst for the recurrence of his father’s cancer. Still, when speaking of her husband’s final moments, Olivia Harrison seems at peace and almost joyous when expressing that George’s wish of being prepared for his death was fulfilled. She recalls that when Harrison finally did submit to death, it was almost as if he “lit up the room.”



In my humble opinion, the mark of any good art is its ability to move people or influence them on some level. Aside from being an enjoyable and informative documentary, Living in the Material World was significant to me in that it was able to change my decades-old perception and understanding of George Harrison, the man. Throughout my life as a Beatle fan, I came to assign a label to each of the Beatles, which in my view, encapsulated the roles they played in the band and in life on a grander scale. John was the rebel, Paul the conformist, and Ringo the good natured guy who seemed to have it all fall in his lap but knew how to handle it. George always seemed to me a malcontent, a man who was less controversial than John, less consumed about maintaining his public image than Paul, yet generally less able to enjoy life than Ringo. From a distance, George appeared to be a reluctant lottery winner, unable to appreciate the many gifts that had been bestowed upon him. He struck me as having an undercurrent of bitterness or dissatisfaction with the world or perhaps, the manner in which people conducted themselves in the world. This bitterness would at times creep into his music and is evident in his masterpiece While My Guitar Gently Weeps, as well as later compositions such as Cockamamie Business, and the Traveling Wilbury’s Handle With Care.

Yet through Living in the Material World, Martin Scorsese allowed me to relate to George Harrison more intimately than I ever had in the past. The film enabled me to peek behind the curtain to see a simple man, who was not necessarily unappreciative of his artistic gifts, great fame, and fortune, but simply less interested in the glory than he was in the music itself and in attaining a higher plain of spirituality. Perhaps the bitterness was the result of being dragged kicking and screaming into the spotlight, chased through the streets by screaming girls and ravenous press, and having every morsel of privacy snatched away at such a young age. Perhaps George could never adapt to the carnivorous and sycophantic nature of the music business. As the novelty of celebrity and fame wore off, it seems that his tolerance for the seedy side of celebrity status waned to the point of resentment. Once he had attained all the wealth, success, fame, and adulation that one can on Earth, George Harrison began to seek fulfillment at a higher level. Perhaps he was not a malcontent at all. Perhaps he realized at an early age, what most of us never do. There is more to life than living in the material world.

 

Review: George Harrison: Living in the Material World: Part 1

Being a lifelong fan of both the Beatles and the films of Martin Scorsese, I was intrigued to learn that Scorsese had recently directed a documentary about the life of George Harrison. This new doc is entitled George Harrison: Living in the Material World and this past October it was released in theaters (limited), on Blu-Ray and DVD, and was also broadcast as a film in two parts on HBO. I recently had a chance to watch the film in two separate viewings, which given its length of nearly four hours, will be necessary for many people.

The project was envisioned by George Harrison’s widow Olivia, who is credited as a producer, and she could not have but placed it in better creative hands. Scorsese and his editor David Tedeschi, have woven together a patchwork quilt of public and private photos, videos, and concert footage, along with interview segments with some of George’s closest friends and family, and intriguing journal excerpts to provide an intimate, yet respectful glance into the life of a private man whose talent and circumstances thrust him into a very public life.

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Having spent my whole life as an avid Beatle fan, I have probably been exposed to nearly all of the Fab Four media that has been officially released or bootlegged over the last three-plus decades, most of it several times over. In light of this, I was truly impressed with Scorsese’s ability to recount George Harrison’s Beatle days without treading on very familiar ground during the first part of the film. So little of the content had been seen or heard before that the film was fresh and intriguing even for the Beatle fans that may have grown weary of the same photos, clips, and sound-bites that have been re-packaged and re-sold year after year. Particularly interesting were recited letters written by George to his parents in his early days with the Beatles. These glimpses into his private life reveal that even then, on the cusp of superstardom, a teenage Harrison was mature beyond his years and viewed life through a simple prism.

Scorsese delves into George Harrison “the person” in a way that few Beatles-related works have done in the past. As a member of the Beatles and a successful solo artist, George was indeed loved by millions from a distance. Yet in this documentary, Scorsese drives home the sense that George was a man truly and dearly loved by those who came to know him well. Interviews with lifelong friends Eric Clapton and Ravi Shankar, early Beatle era cohorts Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voormann, Monty Python collaborators Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, Traveling Wilbury’s band member Tom Petty, and of course, Beatle band mates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, paint a portrait of a man who was a devoted friend and truly had a profoundly positive effect on those who loved him. Extensive interviews with Harrison’s widow Olivia and short segments with his son Dhani delicately examine the private side and home life of the legendary musician.

Please check back for Part 2 of the review of George Harrison: Living in the Material World...

Star Wars Trivia: Round Two

Round Two of Star Wars Trivia!

1.   What is the name of Luke’s friend from Tatooine who pilots one of the X-Wings during the attack on the Death Star?

2.   What was the original last name of Luke’s character in early drafts of the script for Star Wars?

3.   After purchasing the droids from the Jawas, Uncle Owen tells Luke to take them back to the garage and clean them up before dinner. Luke responds with a whiny complaint that he was planning to go where to pick up some power converters? 

4.   Who was Artoo and Threepio’s master prior to their capture by the Jawas?

5.   What does Uncle Owen say about Obi Wan Kenobi when Luke talks about him at the dinner table?

6.   Upon arriving at Mos Eisley, Luke and Ben Kenobi are stopped at a stormtrooper checkpoint and asked, “How long have you had these droids?” What is Luke’s response?

7.   Finish the line: “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You’re my                                                     .”

8.   Upon what creatures do Sandpeople ride on Tatooine?

9.   On what part of Tatooine is Luke attacked by the Sandpeople?

10.   What real life creatures were outfitted as Bantha’s for the filming of Star Wars?

11.   What is the first line of dialogue spoken by Obi Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy?

12.   What injury does C-3PO suffer during the attack by the Sandpeople?

13.   Why do Sandpeople always ride single file?

14.   According to Ben Kenobi, the Force can have a strong influence on who?

15.   Who released a disco version of the Star Wars Title Theme in 1977?

16.   How does the Death Star capture the Millennium Falcon?

17.   What bay was the Millennium Falcon kept in while on the Death Star?

18.   When Luke and Han are disguised as stormtoopers and attempt to access the detention area using Chewbacca as a prisoner, from which cell block do they say he is being transferred?

19.   What is significant about the number of this cell block?

20.   What are the first words Princess Leia says to Luke?

Answers:

1.   Biggs Darklighter

2.   Starkiller

3.   Tosche Station

4.   Captain Antilles

5.   “That wizard’s just a crazy old man.”

6.   About three or four seasons

7.   “only hope.”

8.    Banthas

9.   The Jundland Wastes

10.   Elephants

11.   “Hello there.”

12   His left arm is dislocated from his torso

13.   To hide their numbers

14.   The weak-minded

15.   Meco

16.   With a tractor beam

17.   327

18.   Cell Block 1138

19.   George Lucas’ first film was THX 1138

20.   “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?’

Star Wars Trivia: Round One

This is the first installment of Star Wars trivia on darthmaz314. This first round will focus on the first released film of the saga...Star Wars. All answers below so you will have to scroll down. No cheating or we'll know. The force is strong with us.

1.   What was the name of the blockade runner ship that is captured by Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer at the opening of Star 
Wars?

2.   Who speaks the first line of dialog in Star Wars?

3.   What is that line of dialog?

4.   What is the name of the reptilian creatures upon which Sandtroopers ride patrol in the desert of Tatooine?

5.   Who raised Luke Skywalker on Tatooine?

6.   In which bay was the Millennium Falcon docked while at Mos Eisley Spaceport?

7.   What was the name of the Rodian bounty hunter that confronted Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina?

8.   How fast did Han Solo claim that the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run?

9.   Finish the Obi Wan Kenobi quote: “Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more retched hive of                                             and                                   . We must be cautious."

10.   What price does Han Solo demand for transporting Luke, Obi Wan, C-3PO, and R2D2 to Alderaan?

11.   How much does Obi Wan offer in response to this demand?

12.   Uncle Owen was a farmer. What kind of farm did he own?

13.   Aunt Beru asks Luke to tell Uncle Owen that if he buys a translator droid to be sure it speaks what language?

14.   What color milk does Aunt Beru serve in the family dinner scene in Star Wars?

15.   The exterior structure that served as the Lars homestead on Tatooine was not a set, but actually a real building. What was the function of that building?

16.   Where were the desert exteriors for Tatooine filmed?

17.  On what level and detention block was Princess Leia being held on the Death Star?

18.   When Princess Leia is threatened by Grand Moff Tarkin with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan, which planet does she name as the location of the hidden Rebel base?

19.   What are the last words spoken by Obi Wan Kenobi while he was alive?

20.   What was Luke’s call sign during the attack on the Death Star?

21.   The Rebel base was on a moon orbiting what planet?

Answers:

1.   Tantive IV

2.   C-3PO

3.   “Did you hear that?”

4. Dewbacks

5.   His Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru

6.   Docking Bay 94

7.   Greedo

8.   In less than 12 parsecs. This answer can be confusing since a parsec is a measure of distance, not speed.

9.   Scum and villainy

10.   Ten thousand, all in advance.

11.   Seventeen thousand. Two thousand up front, plus fifteen 
upon arrival at Alderaan.

12.   A moisture farm

13.   Bocce (I wonder if she meant to ask if it could PLAY bocce. After all, it was lonely on Tatooine for a moisture farmer’s wife.)

14.   Blue

15.   It was a hotel

16. Tunisia, Africa

17.   Level 5, Detention Block AA23

18.   “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”      

19.   Red Five



20.   Yavin

21.   Dantooine

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Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel, Both Inside and Out: Part 2

Spaceship Earth is an original Epcot attraction, which although updated through the years, has remained essentially the same in concept and staging as it was on the park’s opening day in 1982. The attraction was co-designed by science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, author of the novel Fahrenheit 451. The term “Spaceship Earth” Was originally coined by futurist Buckminster Fuller, who devised the structural mathematics of the geodesic dome and was at one time, the president of Mensa.




The attraction inside the massive spherical structure of Spaceship Earth is a slow moving “dark ride” during which visitors travel in “Time Machine” vehicles on a track that spirals its way up to the top of the sphere and then eventually back down for rider disembarkation. The attraction traces the history of communication on Earth from its crudest form, when out of necessity, prehistoric man used simple communication to coordinate hunting parties, to an idealized glimpse into the future where technology has been harnessed to enhance and enrich the everyday lives of humanity. The “Time Machine” vehicles utilize the OmniMover ride
conveyance system which transports riders through the spherical structure past a series of scenes that use Disney’s patented Audio Animatronic figures, elaborate sets, and various audio, visual, and even olfactory special effects to tell the story of human communication through the ages. Riders are guided on their journey through time by the narration of English actress Judi Dench.                                      


Some of the more notable scenes depicting the early development of communication involve recreations of an ancient Greek theatre performance, Venetian merchants trading goods...

Arab scholars studying texts...

a Christian monk who has fallen asleep while transcribing a Bible text...

 

 and Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
 

Later scenes depict the invention of the printing press and the introduction of television into the American household.

Another pivotal scene depicts the advent of the personal computer and includes a recreation set in a California garage, where a young man, believed to be Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, can be seen tinkering around with what would become one of the most impactful communication inventions of the last hundred years; the personal computer.

 Always a favorite of mine is a transition scene meant to signal the fall of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages. This scene consists of dark lighting, the rubble of Roman columns, an effervescence of steam and the infusion of a pungent odor,

meant to further underscore the destruction of Rome's grand empire. Rider opinions vary as to what this odor calls to mind, but to me it smells exactly like smoked mozzarella!

As the Time Machine vehicles reach the upper section of Spaceship Earth’s structure, riders can gaze upward to a star field projected onto to the upper dome, which is reminiscent of an old planetarium show. The vehicles then rotate backward as the riders begin a slow (but steep!) descent back down to the lower section of the dome for unloading. As they descend back to sea level, riders can look into the future as they take part in an interactive experience via the display screens mounted in each Time Machine vehicle.

Riders are asked a series of scenario and preference questions, which they respond to by using the display’s touch screen capability. Those responses are used to create a futuristic animated vignette, which features characters complete with the superimposed faces of each rider. The rider photos are captured at the start of the attraction during the ascent into the upper part of the sphere’s structure. These

interactive animated vignettes, a component of the last Spaceship Earth update, provide a truly unique and whimsical conclusion to the attraction. This infusion of “Disney-esque” whimsy engages younger riders perhaps more than any other aspect of the show and helps make Spaceship Earth an attraction appropriate for all ages.

 

If you have not already read it, check out Part I of this post by clicking on the link below....

Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel Inside and Out