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July 12, 2007
Karen Goes Hollywood
“Point with your index finger.”
“Where?”
“Up.”
“Why?”
“I've got a great shot.”
“Like this?”
“No, move your finger to the right, to the left, up a little, down a little. Oh, oh, that's so perfect, Karen! So exciting! Just like the Jewish Louise Brooks. Hold, hold! ”
Snick!
“That's a wrap.”
“One of the the most important elements in film language, and the one that's most frequently forgotten by lame-o film directors is scale.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Your finger; the Hollywood sign; wait, you'll see.”
”For a writer, you're so non-verbal.”
“Citizen Kane plays with scale all the time. Spielberg, at his best, understands scale and plays wonderful tricks with out-of-kilter proportions. Silent film stars Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton were brilliant with sight gags like this, you'd have ten or twelve in a film.”
Anywhoo!
Somehow—and it's a mystery, like the Big Bang—Karen has managed to lure me out of my office and we spend the day investigating Black holes, Red dwarfs, White dwarfs, Dark matter and a host of other cosmic riddles at the newly renovated Griffith Observatory here in Los Angeles where I snap this photo of Karen and the famous Hollywood sign.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at July 12, 2007 12:05 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
She's not just pointing to the Hollywood sign, but balancing it too. You should have told Karen to put up her pinky -- "balancing Hollywood on a baby finger!"
Posted by: Pearl at July 12, 2007 02:49 PM
What a lovely local landmark.
I mean Karen. The sign is nice, too.
Posted by: Albert at July 12, 2007 04:02 PM
Peter Jackson used scale technique to achieve a number of effects in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Posted by: ralphie at July 12, 2007 04:08 PM
Pearl:
How true; Karen balances Hollywood and yiddishkeit very nicely, all on one little finger.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 12, 2007 08:09 PM
Albert:
Aw shucks, you made the Mrs. blush. Thanks so much.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 12, 2007 08:11 PM
Ralphie:
Absolutely, director Peter Jackson viscerally understands filmic scale and image. Thanks so much for reminding me.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 12, 2007 08:17 PM
I have been meaning to get back to the Observatory. I haven't been there since they finished remodeling it.
Posted by: Jack at July 13, 2007 08:00 AM
Been a long time since I was at Griffith.
It's nice to see occasional photos of the lady you have been in love with since you were ten years old.
Posted by: Kent at July 13, 2007 08:38 AM
When did you and Karen beat up Sal Mineo? Always a fund thing to do at the Griffith.
Posted by: Jake at July 13, 2007 09:56 AM
Jack:
Amazing remodel. The details of the space-age construction are in a 30 minute film in the Leonard Nemoy theatre. A must-see.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 13, 2007 10:09 AM
Kent:
We like to share.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 13, 2007 10:12 AM
Jake:
Some may not realize that you are referencing a scene at the Griffith Observatory from the classic movie: "Rebel Without a Cause," starring James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 13, 2007 10:16 AM
I'm surprised -- or am I ? -- that nobody noticed Karen is holding her Seraphic Press baseball cap.
I guess the observatory is a perfect place to wear and advertise the publishing company -- it's "out of this world"!
Have a good Shabbos.
Posted by: Pearl at July 13, 2007 11:26 AM
Pearl:
Karen just pointed out the Seraphic baseball cap to me last night. No wonder I'm not in advertising. Good Shabbos to you too.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 13, 2007 01:14 PM
You need to take Karen to the Getty Center, too, if only because it is a lovely spot to photograph Karen with various LA landmarks and/or interesting buildings in the background.
The art is somewhat mixed at the moment, but I am sure that in another hundred years that endowment will have built a wonderful collection.
Posted by: Michael Jennings at July 13, 2007 04:36 PM
Michael:
That's our next stop. And then The Gene Autry Museum's exhibition on six-shooters. Yippee!
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 13, 2007 05:22 PM
nice picture
shavuah tov
Posted by: Ari Kinsberg at July 15, 2007 12:10 AM
I should send you the photos I took of the Hollywood sign when I was there.....
you can also crush people's heads between your finger and thumb....
Posted by: Yehudit at July 15, 2007 01:41 AM
Forced perspective in the movies....
Posted by: Yehudit at July 15, 2007 01:43 AM
Ari:
Shavua Tov. Great model, can't go wrong tripping the shutter.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 15, 2007 09:42 AM
Yehudit:
You should send me your photos. And thanks for the links. Interesting material.
I forgot to mention one of my favorite shots in movies that just goes ga-ga with scale: The opening shot of "Patton."
Just breathtaking.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 15, 2007 09:46 AM
Pardon me for the intrusion. I have been trying to find Karen Goldwasser, and her mother Sandra Goldwasser. My name is Kim Augelli. I was very close to Karen and her mom some years ago when we lived in Jacksonville, NC. I moved away in 1998 and over time we lost touch. If this is the Karen Goldwasser I am looking for in the picture in this blog...pointing her finger at the Hollywood sign....please forward my contact information. PLEASE, have Karen or her mom, Sanday, contact me. Please tell them that my son Jake would like to talk with them. He remembers when they used to babysit. Eric says Hi.
Kim Augelli
337 West Main Street
Cheshire, CT 06410
203-439-9108
kaugelli@cox.net
THANK YOU!!! Kim Augelli
Posted by: Kim Augelli at November 27, 2007 05:09 PM