51 Birch Street's Recent Activity

list 51 Birch Street's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around 51 Birch Street on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg 51 Birch Street's Recent Activity - Spout http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 Film:51 Birch Street http://www.spout.com/films/51_Birch_Street/270118/default.aspx

Title: 51 Birch Street
Year: 2005
Director: Amy Seplin, Doug Block
Plot: Documentary filmmaker Doug Block had every reason to believe his parent’s 54-year marriage was a good one. So he isn’t prepared when, just a few months after his mothers’ unexpected death, his 83-year old father, Mike, phones to announce that he’s moving to Florida to live with “Kitty”, his secretary from 40 years before. Always close to his mother and equally distant from his father, he’s stunned and suspicious. When Mike and Kitty marry and sell the longtime family home, Doug returns to suburban Long Island with camera in hand for one last visit. And there, among the lifetime of memories being packed away forever, he discovers 3 large boxes filled with his moms’ daily diaries going back 35 years. Realizing he has only a few short weeks before the movers come and his dad will be gone for good, the veteran documentarian sticks around, determined to investigate the mystery of his parents’ marriage. Through increasingly candid conversations with family members and friends, and constantly surprising diary revelations, Doug finally comes to peace with two parents who are far more complex and troubled than he ever imagined. Both unexpectedly funny and heartbreaking, 51 Birch Street is the first-person account of Block’s unpredictable journey through a whirlwind of dramatic life-changing events: the death of his mother, the uncovering of decades of family secrets, and the ensuing reconciliation with his father. What begins as his own intimate, autobiographical story, soon evolves into a broader meditation on the universal themes of love, marriage, fidelity and the mystery of family. 51 Birch Street spans 60 years and 3 generations, and weaves together hundreds of faded snapshots, 8mm home movies and two decades of verité footage. The result is a timeless tale of what can happen when our most fundamental assumptions about family are suddenly called into question.

Audience Q&A with Doug Block, dir.
Paul moderates an audience Q&A session with Doug Block, director of 51 Birch Street. (9/28/06, Spout event)

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Sidewalk discussion with a couple film professors
Kristin and Dave meet some film professors on the sidewalk after seeing 51 Birch Street. They examine the craft of the making of the film. (9/28/06, Spout event)

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Times Tagged: 99
Number of Lists: 12
Number of blog posts: 11
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:50:39 GMT51 Birch Street2005Amy Seplin, Doug BlockDocumentary filmmaker Doug Block had every reason to believe his parent’s 54-year marriage was a good one. So he isn’t prepared when, just a few months after his mothers’ unexpected death, his 83-year old father, Mike, phones to announce that he’s moving to Florida to live with “Kitty”, his secretary from 40 years before. Always close to his mother and equally distant from his father, he’s stunned and suspicious. When Mike and Kitty marry and sell the longtime family home, Doug returns to suburban Long Island with camera in hand for one last visit. And there, among the lifetime of memories being packed away forever, he discovers 3 large boxes filled with his moms’ daily diaries going back 35 years. Realizing he has only a few short weeks before the movers come and his dad will be gone for good, the veteran documentarian sticks around, determined to investigate the mystery of his parents’ marriage. Through increasingly candid conversations with family members and friends, and constantly surprising diary revelations, Doug finally comes to peace with two parents who are far more complex and troubled than he ever imagined. Both unexpectedly funny and heartbreaking, 51 Birch Street is the first-person account of Block’s unpredictable journey through a whirlwind of dramatic life-changing events: the death of his mother, the uncovering of decades of family secrets, and the ensuing reconciliation with his father. What begins as his own intimate, autobiographical story, soon evolves into a broader meditation on the universal themes of love, marriage, fidelity and the mystery of family. 51 Birch Street spans 60 years and 3 generations, and weaves together hundreds of faded snapshots, 8mm home movies and two decades of verité footage. The result is a timeless tale of what can happen when our most fundamental assumptions about family are suddenly called into question. Audience Q&A with Doug Block, dir. Paul moderates an audience Q&A session with Doug Block, director of 51 Birch Street. (9/28/06, Spout event) <embed src="http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf" quality="high" width="145" height="25" name="audio_player_tiny_black" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="audio_id=2126694&audio_duration=1009.84&valid_sample_rate=true&external_url=http://media.odeo.com/3/4/1/Q___A_128.mp3" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> <a style="font-size: 9px; padding-left: 35px; color: #f39; letter-spacing: -1px; text-decoration: none" href="http://odeo.com/audio/2126694/view">powered by ODEO</a> Sidewalk discussion with a couple film professors Kristin and Dave meet some film professors on the sidewalk after seeing 51 Birch Street. They examine the craft of the making of the film. (9/28/06, Spout event) <embed src="http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf" quality="high" width="145" height="25" name="audio_player_tiny_black" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="audio_id=2126104&audio_duration=704.235&valid_sample_rate=true&external_url=http://media.odeo.com/0/7/7/Group_Discussion_128K.mp3" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed> <a style="font-size: 9px; padding-left: 35px; color: #f39; letter-spacing: -1px; text-decoration: none" href="http://odeo.com/audio/2126104/view">powered by ODEO</a>99Tag Target (>10)121123http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u39609f3c8x.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/51_Birch_Street/270118/default.aspxFilm Spout Post: Top Ten Movies I've Seen This Year (Half-way) http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2008/7/4/32105.aspx

Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 7/4/2008 12:50:39 AM
Body: These are the top ten films I’ve seen at the mid-point of the year. I think it is a good idea to post a semi-annual list because instead of complaining about mundane theatre offerings the list confirms that there are enough excellent films out there to watch. In no particular order: Mother of Mine (2005; Finland/Sweden)—A young Finish boy is torn from his family by WWII and later in life comes to terms with both of his mothers and how they treated him. Gone Baby Gone (2007)-- Dennis Lehane, the author of the novel on which the movie is based, says that we as a society have not figured out how to protect our children. The search for a missing little girl dramatizes his concern. 51 Birch Street (2005; documentary)—Doug thought that in his parents’ marriage, his mother was the loving and approachable one and his father was remote and cold, but when Doug’s mother died and his father quickly married his former secretary, everything Doug thought he know about his family started to change. The Italian (2005; Russia) follows a young, plucky Russian boy’s attempt to escape adoption to Italy and instead find his birth mother. Starting Out in the Evening (2007) develops two complex relationships among New York’s intelligentsia. The course of any kind of love never did run smooth. Sharkwater (2006; documentary) examines sharks’ behaviour, their importance to the planet, and our complex rush to exterminate them. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) is a high-spirited look at how US politics works, and our tour leader is the extremely complex and always interesting Senator Wilson. Longford (2006) portrays the public struggle and the personal growth of Lord Longford as he visits in prison a woman involved in the murder of several children. Get Smart (2008) may be the funniest movie in theatres this year, and it improves on the original series by creating more well-rounded characters and more serious action. Elizabeth I (2005) transports you to London in the late 1500s and embroils you in Queen Elizabeth’s loves and politics.
]]>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:50:39 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog7/4/2008 12:50:39 AMThese are the top ten films I’ve seen at the mid-point of the year. I think it is a good idea to post a semi-annual list because instead of complaining about mundane theatre offerings the list confirms that there are enough excellent films out there to watch. In no particular order: Mother of Mine (2005; Finland/Sweden)—A young Finish boy is torn from his family by WWII and later in life comes to terms with both of his mothers and how they treated him. Gone Baby Gone (2007)-- Dennis Lehane, the author of the novel on which the movie is based, says that we as a society have not figured out how to protect our children. The search for a missing little girl dramatizes his concern. 51 Birch Street (2005; documentary)—Doug thought that in his parents’ marriage, his mother was the loving and approachable one and his father was remote and cold, but when Doug’s mother died and his father quickly married his former secretary, everything Doug thought he know about his family started to change. The Italian (2005; Russia) follows a young, plucky Russian boy’s attempt to escape adoption to Italy and instead find his birth mother. Starting Out in the Evening (2007) develops two complex relationships among New York’s intelligentsia. The course of any kind of love never did run smooth. Sharkwater (2006; documentary) examines sharks’ behaviour, their importance to the planet, and our complex rush to exterminate them. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) is a high-spirited look at how US politics works, and our tour leader is the extremely complex and always interesting Senator Wilson. Longford (2006) portrays the public struggle and the personal growth of Lord Longford as he visits in prison a woman involved in the murder of several children. Get Smart (2008) may be the funniest movie in theatres this year, and it improves on the original series by creating more well-rounded characters and more serious action. Elizabeth I (2005) transports you to London in the late 1500s and embroils you in Queen Elizabeth’s loves and politics. Spout Post: 51 Birch Street http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2008/2/3/24667.aspx

Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 2/3/2008 2:16:02 PM
Body: 51 Birch Street (2005) is an excellent documentary about modern North American marriage and about how adult children relate to their parents, topics which should be of some interest to many of us. Initially, film-maker Doug Block documents how he has a special bond with his mother and almost no connection with his father. We see Mina Block bantering with her son, complaining of being photographed from below instead of from a more flattering angle. Mike Block, in contrast, is distant, withdrawn, unsmiling, and described by one of his daughters as apparently infallible. We see his hide-away in the basement loaded with tools of all kinds, nothing of interest to anyone else in the family including his son. My Gawd, aren’t we tired of these traditional males?! Still, the Blocks had a good and long-lasting marriage. But when Mina suddenly dies, Doug—and us—start to see the marriage anew. According to Doug’s interview on Spout.com, he knew he was shooting more than home movies when he asked his bereaved father if he missed his wife, and Mike said no. Approximately three months after his wife’s death, Mike is living with his former secretary in Florida and planning to remarry and sell 51 Birch Street. And he is one happy fellow. The wedding kiss is timed at 12 seconds, prompting the adult children to try to remember seeing their parents kissing. When packing for the move, they discover 35 years of Mina diaries—three large boxes—and Doug makes the difficult decision to use them. Mike, whose body language has changed from stiff to energetic, talks more and more with his son until, near the end of the film, they switch roles and, for the first time, father interviews son. The film is so powerful, in part, because the overall structure is gripping and the attention to detail enhances the intrigue. The Mike, Mina, and marriage we thought we knew at the start of the film change revelation by revelation, creating an investigative suspense. This is heightened by telling details. For example, early in the film one of the daughters introduces a grace note of discord by saying that if you read her mother’s poetry, it is all self-absorbed and you would not even know she had children or a family. Although this could be an idiosyncratic comment, it turns out to be insightful. Similarly, after Mina’s funeral, we hear Mike mutter, “Oh, well.” What was that? Resignation? A philosophical acceptance? An unguarded moment revealing lack of caring? Ultimately, Doug Block—and us—reflect on marriage in general and our marriage(s) in particular. My favourite scene is Doug asking his wife what matters most to her. She says her work teaching law, her social action, and her children. Doug decides to ask, “What about me?” She says it depends on the day.
]]>Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:16:02 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog2/3/2008 2:16:02 PM51 Birch Street (2005) is an excellent documentary about modern North American marriage and about how adult children relate to their parents, topics which should be of some interest to many of us. Initially, film-maker Doug Block documents how he has a special bond with his mother and almost no connection with his father. We see Mina Block bantering with her son, complaining of being photographed from below instead of from a more flattering angle. Mike Block, in contrast, is distant, withdrawn, unsmiling, and described by one of his daughters as apparently infallible. We see his hide-away in the basement loaded with tools of all kinds, nothing of interest to anyone else in the family including his son. My Gawd, aren’t we tired of these traditional males?! Still, the Blocks had a good and long-lasting marriage. But when Mina suddenly dies, Doug—and us—start to see the marriage anew. According to Doug’s interview on Spout.com, he knew he was shooting more than home movies when he asked his bereaved father if he missed his wife, and Mike said no. Approximately three months after his wife’s death, Mike is living with his former secretary in Florida and planning to remarry and sell 51 Birch Street. And he is one happy fellow. The wedding kiss is timed at 12 seconds, prompting the adult children to try to remember seeing their parents kissing. When packing for the move, they discover 35 years of Mina diaries—three large boxes—and Doug makes the difficult decision to use them. Mike, whose body language has changed from stiff to energetic, talks more and more with his son until, near the end of the film, they switch roles and, for the first time, father interviews son. The film is so powerful, in part, because the overall structure is gripping and the attention to detail enhances the intrigue. The Mike, Mina, and marriage we thought we knew at the start of the film change revelation by revelation, creating an investigative suspense. This is heightened by telling details. For example, early in the film one of the daughters introduces a grace note of discord by saying that if you read her mother’s poetry, it is all self-absorbed and you would not even know she had children or a family. Although this could be an idiosyncratic comment, it turns out to be insightful. Similarly, after Mina’s funeral, we hear Mike mutter, “Oh, well.” What was that? Resignation? A philosophical acceptance? An unguarded moment revealing lack of caring? Ultimately, Doug Block—and us—reflect on marriage in general and our marriage(s) in particular. My favourite scene is Doug asking his wife what matters most to her. She says her work teaching law, her social action, and her children. Doug decides to ask, “What about me?” She says it depends on the day. Spout Post: my 2007 movie lists http://www.spout.com/blogs/wonga/archive/2008/1/10/23719.aspx

Post By: wonga
Post To: wonga's filmblog
Post Date: 1/10/2008 12:19:35 PM
Body: i have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can’t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year…i know, it’s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here’s my list, for what it’s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn’t see until later. my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordthe diving bell and the butterflythe lives of othersjunothe painted veilonceno country for old menthe darjeeling limitedwaitressstarting out in the eveningsunshinefirst snow zodiacin the shadow of the moonacross the universehonorable mention (alphabetically)2 days in paris 3:10 to yuma51 birch streetdirty dancing (20th anniversary)dreamgirlshairsprayinto the wildthe jane austen book clubkiller of sheepknocked uplars and the real girlletters from iwo jimathe lookouttalk to me wristcutters: a love story2007 movies i still want/need to seeking of kongthe savagessweeney toddthere will be blood 2007 movies I didn’t like so well before the devil knows you’re deadfeast of lovei now pronounce you chuck and larryla vie en rosemartian childold joyratatouillespider-man 3other movies (on video) that I fell in love with this yearthe dead girllonesome jimlook both ways
]]>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:19:35 GMTwongawonga's filmblog1/10/2008 12:19:35 PMi have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can’t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year…i know, it’s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here’s my list, for what it’s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn’t see until later. my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordthe diving bell and the butterflythe lives of othersjunothe painted veilonceno country for old menthe darjeeling limitedwaitressstarting out in the eveningsunshinefirst snow zodiacin the shadow of the moonacross the universehonorable mention (alphabetically)2 days in paris 3:10 to yuma51 birch streetdirty dancing (20th anniversary)dreamgirlshairsprayinto the wildthe jane austen book clubkiller of sheepknocked uplars and the real girlletters from iwo jimathe lookouttalk to me wristcutters: a love story2007 movies i still want/need to seeking of kongthe savagessweeney toddthere will be blood 2007 movies I didn’t like so well before the devil knows you’re deadfeast of lovei now pronounce you chuck and larryla vie en rosemartian childold joyratatouillespider-man 3other movies (on video) that I fell in love with this yearthe dead girllonesome jimlook both ways Spout Post: 51 Birch Street available on DVD http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2007/12/21/23079.aspx

Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 12/21/2007 4:15:49 PM
Body: One of my favorite movies of 2005 is now available on DVD. I became so enamored with 51 Birch Street after I saw it at SXSW 2005, that Spout hosted a grassroots screening to a packed?? theater near my house. 51 Birch Street is a little documentary made by Doug Block about his parents. He’s the kid in the family who makes movies, and–much like me–he’s volunteered to cover all family events. Then his mom dies and he keeps his camera with him as a way to make conversation with his old man. His camera winds up seeing more than he ever expected, capturing what looks like a tea cup filled to the brim with tornado. It’s a small story of your average American family having average problems that quake with cataclysmic force when the truth rises. It’s a pitch perfect telling of how–no matter where you are–family is a black hole always pulling you back to the core. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul
]]>Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:15:49 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com12/21/2007 4:15:49 PMOne of my favorite movies of 2005 is now available on DVD. I became so enamored with 51 Birch Street after I saw it at SXSW 2005, that Spout hosted a grassroots screening to a packed?? theater near my house. 51 Birch Street is a little documentary made by Doug Block about his parents. He’s the kid in the family who makes movies, and–much like me–he’s volunteered to cover all family events. Then his mom dies and he keeps his camera with him as a way to make conversation with his old man. His camera winds up seeing more than he ever expected, capturing what looks like a tea cup filled to the brim with tornado. It’s a small story of your average American family having average problems that quake with cataclysmic force when the truth rises. It’s a pitch perfect telling of how–no matter where you are–family is a black hole always pulling you back to the core. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Spout Post: 51 Birch Street available on DVD http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/8/28/19020.aspx

Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/28/2007 6:00:49 PM
Body: One of my favorite movies of 2005 is now available on DVD. I became so enamored with 51 Birch Street after I saw it at SXSW 2005, that Spout hosted a grassroots screening to a packed theater near my house. 51 Birch Street is a little documentary made by Doug Block about his parents. He’s the kid in the family who makes movies, and–much like me–he’s volunteered to cover all family events. Then his mom dies and he keeps his camera with him as a way to make conversation with his old man. His camera winds up seeing more than he ever expected, capturing what looks like a tea cup filled to the brim with tornado. It’s a small story of your average American family having average problems that quake with cataclysmic force when the truth rises. It’s a pitch perfect telling of how–no matter where you are–family is a black hole always pulling you back to the core. Originally posted on:Spoutblog
]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:00:49 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/28/2007 6:00:49 PMOne of my favorite movies of 2005 is now available on DVD. I became so enamored with 51 Birch Street after I saw it at SXSW 2005, that Spout hosted a grassroots screening to a packed theater near my house. 51 Birch Street is a little documentary made by Doug Block about his parents. He’s the kid in the family who makes movies, and–much like me–he’s volunteered to cover all family events. Then his mom dies and he keeps his camera with him as a way to make conversation with his old man. His camera winds up seeing more than he ever expected, capturing what looks like a tea cup filled to the brim with tornado. It’s a small story of your average American family having average problems that quake with cataclysmic force when the truth rises. It’s a pitch perfect telling of how–no matter where you are–family is a black hole always pulling you back to the core. Originally posted on:Spoutblog Spout Post: 51 Birch Street http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviebabe/archive/2007/7/25/16205.aspx

Post By: MovieBabe
Post To: MovieBabe Blog
Post Date: 7/25/2007 5:12:00 PM
Body: By Tricia Olszewski According to the director of 51 Birch Street, Mike and Mina Block are “hardly people you’d think of making a documentary about.” He should know: Doug Block is their son. And he went ahead and made a film about them anyway. Block first videotaped his parents merely for posterity, but when his mother unexpectedly died in 2002—and his 83-year-old father then just as unexpectedly married his former secretary—he began piecing together a portrait of a marriage, Capturing the Friedmans–style. Dad’s remarriage, while shocking, isn’t the only thing that inspired Block to turn the story of their 54-year partnership into a movie, though—Block’s mother may have no longer been around to talk to her son about her life, but she left behind 35 years’ worth of journals, faithfully kept. 51 Birch Street is engrossing and uncomfortable, often offering stomach-twisting honesty about the true feelings behind the couple’s photographed smiles. Block’s relationship with his still sprightly father was never very close, and Block père doesn’t exactly spill his guts about his marriage to Mina, or what, if anything, went on with his new wife, Kitty, 30 years ago. But Mina’s ruminations are aching, revealing inner turmoil and pretense that are scandalous if only because they occurred in seemingly ordinary lives. (Especially interesting are her insights about being a housewife in the straitjacketed ’50s and turbulent ’60s.) Block, who never suspected any unhappiness growing up, seeks unknowable answers from his sisters, a friend of Mina’s, and even a therapist and rabbi (both useless) as reality sinks in. The project then becomes autobiography, with Block examining his own marriage and feeling of contentment in a new light. The triumph of 51 Birch Street is that, as you’re driving home past fast-food joints and strip malls, you’ll be thinking about your own life as well.
]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:12:00 GMTMovieBabeMovieBabe Blog7/25/2007 5:12:00 PM By Tricia Olszewski According to the director of 51 Birch Street, Mike and Mina Block are “hardly people you’d think of making a documentary about.” He should know: Doug Block is their son. And he went ahead and made a film about them anyway. Block first videotaped his parents merely for posterity, but when his mother unexpectedly died in 2002—and his 83-year-old father then just as unexpectedly married his former secretary—he began piecing together a portrait of a marriage, Capturing the Friedmans–style. Dad’s remarriage, while shocking, isn’t the only thing that inspired Block to turn the story of their 54-year partnership into a movie, though—Block’s mother may have no longer been around to talk to her son about her life, but she left behind 35 years’ worth of journals, faithfully kept. 51 Birch Street is engrossing and uncomfortable, often offering stomach-twisting honesty about the true feelings behind the couple’s photographed smiles. Block’s relationship with his still sprightly father was never very close, and Block père doesn’t exactly spill his guts about his marriage to Mina, or what, if anything, went on with his new wife, Kitty, 30 years ago. But Mina’s ruminations are aching, revealing inner turmoil and pretense that are scandalous if only because they occurred in seemingly ordinary lives. (Especially interesting are her insights about being a housewife in the straitjacketed ’50s and turbulent ’60s.) Block, who never suspected any unhappiness growing up, seeks unknowable answers from his sisters, a friend of Mina’s, and even a therapist and rabbi (both useless) as reality sinks in. The project then becomes autobiography, with Block examining his own marriage and feeling of contentment in a new light. The triumph of 51 Birch Street is that, as you’re driving home past fast-food joints and strip malls, you’ll be thinking about your own life as well. Spout Post: 51 birch street, continued http://www.spout.com/blogs/wonga/archive/2007/4/7/6808.aspx

Post By: wonga
Post To: wonga's filmblog
Post Date: 4/7/2007 10:10:08 PM
Body: loved it! it's amazing how such a personal story can be so universal. you can't help but think about your own parents (mine were this same era) as well as your own marriage. one interesting note: Mr. Block said his movie would premiere on Cinemax next month, i think he said 05/08, and the DVD should be coming out soon - with extras!
]]>Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:10:08 GMTwongawonga's filmblog4/7/2007 10:10:08 PMloved it! it's amazing how such a personal story can be so universal. you can't help but think about your own parents (mine were this same era) as well as your own marriage. one interesting note: Mr. Block said his movie would premiere on Cinemax next month, i think he said 05/08, and the DVD should be coming out soon - with extras! Spout Post: 51 birch street http://www.spout.com/blogs/wonga/archive/2007/3/29/6564.aspx

Post By: wonga
Post To: wonga's filmblog
Post Date: 3/29/2007 2:54:48 PM
Body: finally - i'm going to get to see this! it's playing next week in Denver and Doug Block will be there for questions. i just bought tickets and am REALLY looking forward to it...
]]>Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:54:48 GMTwongawonga's filmblog3/29/2007 2:54:48 PMfinally - i'm going to get to see this! it's playing next week in Denver and Doug Block will be there for questions. i just bought tickets and am REALLY looking forward to it... Spout Post: Doug Block shares his story so we can share ours http://www.spout.com/blogs/ktincu/archive/2006/9/29/3101.aspx

Post By: ktincu
Post To: ktincu Blog
Post Date: 9/29/2006 1:21:00 PM
Body: With 51 Birch Street, Doug Block has created a documentary around his journey to understand his parents as people, not just parents, and to understand their marriage in that light. In addition to many conversations with family members, the film includes insight drawn from years of his mother's journals, which were discovered after her death. (The journals include all kinds of information most adults would rather not know about their mothers). Overall, the film is touching, sometimes funny, often sad, but somehow not depressing. It seems to say, "This is life. This is what it means to be human. We all have variations on the same stories." I think the most moving part of the film, for me, is an interview Doug has with his mother's best friend of many years, Natasha. He asks her if she thinks his mother would have wanted him to read her journals. Natasha goes through a long process of thinking and making a string of "difficult thinking" expressions before she answers emphatically "Yes!" I love how sure she is after taking the time to think about the issue from many different angles. I also love what she says to back up her response: "What a relief for someone to really know us, and still love us." The film held many similar moments for me--moments of articulation that left me feeling that I was understood, not alone. As I talked to both friends and strangers after the screening, it became clear that I was not the only one to be moved in that way. We all have our own, unique stories, yet we are all connected. Films like 51 Birch Street simply bring that connection into the light.
]]>Fri, 29 Sep 2006 17:21:00 GMTktincuktincu Blog9/29/2006 1:21:00 PMWith 51 Birch Street, Doug Block has created a documentary around his journey to understand his parents as people, not just parents, and to understand their marriage in that light. In addition to many conversations with family members, the film includes insight drawn from years of his mother's journals, which were discovered after her death. (The journals include all kinds of information most adults would rather not know about their mothers). Overall, the film is touching, sometimes funny, often sad, but somehow not depressing. It seems to say, "This is life. This is what it means to be human. We all have variations on the same stories." I think the most moving part of the film, for me, is an interview Doug has with his mother's best friend of many years, Natasha. He asks her if she thinks his mother would have wanted him to read her journals. Natasha goes through a long process of thinking and making a string of "difficult thinking" expressions before she answers emphatically "Yes!" I love how sure she is after taking the time to think about the issue from many different angles. I also love what she says to back up her response: "What a relief for someone to really know us, and still love us." The film held many similar moments for me--moments of articulation that left me feeling that I was understood, not alone. As I talked to both friends and strangers after the screening, it became clear that I was not the only one to be moved in that way. We all have our own, unique stories, yet we are all connected. Films like 51 Birch Street simply bring that connection into the light. Spout Post: Q&A with filmmaker Doug Block http://www.spout.com/groups/51_Birch_Street/Q_amp_A_with_filmmaker_Doug_Block/163/3088/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: paul
Post To: 51 Birch Street
Post Date: 9/28/2006 3:04:09 PM
Body: On September 28 Spout's hosting a sneak preview screening of 51 Birch Street. For a few days after the event, filmmaker Doug Block will periodically visit this discussion to answer any questions regarding 51 Birch Street.Also, please visit the discussion, Help Doug promote 51 Birch Street and give Doug advice as to how he can promote online the theatrical release happening later this month.So, if you've seen 51 Birch Street, now's the time to get those lingering questions off your chest.
]]>Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:04:09 GMTpaul51 Birch Street9/28/2006 3:04:09 PMOn September 28 Spout's hosting a sneak preview screening of 51 Birch Street. For a few days after the event, filmmaker Doug Block will periodically visit this discussion to answer any questions regarding 51 Birch Street.Also, please visit the discussion, Help Doug promote 51 Birch Street and give Doug advice as to how he can promote online the theatrical release happening later this month.So, if you've seen 51 Birch Street, now's the time to get those lingering questions off your chest. Spout Tag:love http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12476

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]]>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:38:55 GMT124763361474Tag Spout Tag:family http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6287

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]]>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:39:08 GMT62872261137Tag Spout Tag:friendship http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
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]]>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:10:03 GMT6790154977Tag Spout Tag:death http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeath
Number of films tagged: 4306

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]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:13 GMT4306140526Tag Spout Tag:sad http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sad/MemberTagFilms.aspxsad
Number of films tagged: 170

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]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:35:46 GMT17096226Tag Spout Tag:moving http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/moving/MemberTagFilms.aspxmoving
Number of films tagged: 286

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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:30 GMT28668160Tag Spout Tag:marriage http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspxmarriage
Number of films tagged: 3471

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]]>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:39:11 GMT347167267Tag Spout Tag:deception http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/deception/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeception
Number of films tagged: 1090

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]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:18:11 GMT109055123Tag Spout Tag:mother http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mother/MemberTagFilms.aspxmother
Number of films tagged: 2522

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]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT252253152Tag Spout Tag:life http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/life/MemberTagFilms.aspxlife
Number of films tagged: 1081

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]]>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:09:22 GMT108152223Tag Spout Tag:father http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/father/MemberTagFilms.aspxfather
Number of films tagged: 3580

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]]>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT358051213Tag Spout Tag:memory http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/memory/MemberTagFilms.aspxmemory
Number of films tagged: 452

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]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:02:06 GMT4524969Tag Spout Tag:depressing http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/depressing/MemberTagFilms.aspxdepressing
Number of films tagged: 55

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]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:23:43 GMT554574Tag Spout Tag:powerful http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/powerful/MemberTagFilms.aspxpowerful
Number of films tagged: 48

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]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:29:29 GMT484370Tag Spout Tag:secrets http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/secrets/MemberTagFilms.aspxsecrets
Number of films tagged: 1384

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]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:32:11 GMT138443100Tag