- Reflection on Leslie/Ackerman Films -

The car ride in Leslie's film differs from my own car rides because I am often driving alone, for me a car ride can be very peaceful with rolling down the sun roof and listening to music, I use it as a time for reflection and a way to organize my thoughts or just let go for the time being. In relation to the film I understand the drivers position because of my own experience from carpooling to school with a friend. My friend is a morning person and more often than not he will just continue to talk and talk. The driver and I have some of the same actions of just sitting there with our eyes peeled on the road. Another way the film is similar to my own experiences with driving is I too am often driving in the inner city and downtown area where the noises are very loud and distinct but often times are just absorbed and you forget they are there similar to the end of the film where it becomes something close to white noise. I can also relate with the awareness you must have as a driver when downtown because because you never know what can happen whether it's a car making a wrong turn or a pedestrian running across the street.

As for Ackerman's film I have never really rode the subway except for when I was little and I barely remember it but I think I was in Washington D.C. on vacation. When watching the film as the subway was being shown I was thinking to myself when is this going to cut to another scene but as time went on I started to appreciate it because it did seem as if there was real beauty involved with the everyday people and life moving in and out as well as the different subways making their rounds. In relation to my own life it reminds me of when I was going to highschool and I used to always take the bus everywhere no matter where I was going. At first I hated it and everyone used to say to me man that must suck taking the bus everywhere. But as time went on I enjoyed it and started to appreciate it, I actually felt I was living more and becoming more a part of the world through my everyday life. I would either put on my headphones, fall asleep, or just sit there and observe the everyday life the bus had in it from the different types of people from business men to bums and the different scenes I would encounter and beleive me there were a lot. With the subway although we didn't really hear any particular discussions there was still life and the sounds of the subway were what I enjoyed.

This blog, especially the subway part, reminded me of a Woody Allen interview I saw where he said a lot of the ideas for his movies come from just observing people in their everyday lives whether it is at a park or any public place. This relates to our course and our studies because this is proof you can take something from anything even if it is just a little idea you get from a stranger, who knows what dividends it will pay and how it may benefit you in your future.