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One Got Fat (1963)
Brutal, But Effective!
I remember this from Elementary School on 16mm. It is kind of brutal, but it makes its point: there are rules, reasons for the rules, and consequences for breaking the rules.
It's kind of cheerfully macabre, but over 40 years later I remember it, and that I should ride with traffic, obey stop signs and not ride two on a bike!
-let's give it some credit: for the sake of a few fictional (and humorous) deaths and injuries, it's entirely possible this saved real lives.
(They just need a 10th monkey who forgot his helmet for the remake!)
The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes (1968)
Now THAT's Education!
This is the way to make an educational film: lighthearted, funny, friendly to the audience. Unlike the thousands of other educational films that the kids may have seen that they forgot even while they were still up on the screen, this one was probably discussed among the kids and certainly remembered.
What a shame that a great many educational materials can't have a little heart and a little showmanship like this. I've always been told that you are supposed to write about things you care about, but from the way many educational films and books are created it doesn't seem that way.
Bill Mason had a talent for talking about important things in an accessible way. Part of it was his failure to ever go to film school so he thought less in filmic terms and more in human ones. This film is a classic example of how that works on screen!
When the North Wind Blows (1974)
I watched it tonight!
I collect films on Super-8, and managed to snag a full length print of this one last week on E-bay. It looks like at least for the moment, this is the only way to see this film in a country having NTSC video. I have seen it available on Region 2 DVD many times, but never Region 1.
I just finished watching it a few minutes ago and I am amazed by it. It's a powerful testament to freedom and finding your own place in the world. The photography and music were wonderful, and I really felt empathy for some of the characters.
I kind of like the idea that I was probably the only one in the USA watching "When the North Wind Blows" tonight!
Long Live Avakum!!
Path of the Paddle: White Water (1996)
An Instructional Film with a Heart, Mind and Soul!
Just an instructional film about how to paddle a canoe, right? This was a great opportunity to produce something dry and clinical that once you've taken in the instruction it offers will never want to see it again. Just like a typical driver's Ed. film or one of those classics we all saw in Health class. However, Bill Mason brings his sense of humor and reverence for nature along and makes it a good watch.
The instructional content is presented using a graphic imposed over the footage, such that what you are being shown is easy to understand, despite the complexity of some of the strokes. The scenery is awesome as well.
Bill Mason very much loved nature as experienced from a canoe, and it really shows here.
It's more than how to paddle a canoe: it's also Why!
Path of the Paddle: Quiet Water (1996)
An Instructional Film with a Brain and a Soul!
Just an instructional film about how to paddle a canoe, right? This was a great opportunity to produce something dry and clinical that once you've taken in the instruction it offers will never want to see it again. Just like a typical driver's Ed. film or one of those classics we all saw in Health class. However, Bill Mason brings his sense humor and reverence for nature along and makes it a good watch.
The instructional content is presented using a graphic imposed over the footage, such that what you are being shown is easy to understand, despite the complexity of some of the strokes. The scenery is awesome as well.
Bill Mason very much loved nature as experienced from a canoe, and it really shows here.
It's more than how to paddle a canoe: it's also Why!
Song of the Paddle (1978)
Captivating
On the surface of it, almost a family's home movie about a canoe trip along the Lake Superior shore, but so much more. It is photographically beautiful and the feelings among the Mason family really come through on the screen.
I saw this one for the first time a few years after Waterwalker. The tone is less serious, but the message is much the same: that being a reverence for nature , however in this case how important it is to convey it to our children.
Excellent family viewing: not as syrupy or artificial as many "family friendly" shows, yet excellent viewing for people in any age range,
Waterwalker (1984)
One Man's Statement
This great film was my introduction to Bill Mason. My wife and I were in the local video store and rented it because we love canoeing. Later on the store went out of business, and we bought the same tape. When we bought it home, we found that it was played about halfway through. Why? Somebody rented it and just didn't get it. This is no criticism of the last renter though, there are a lot of reasons not to get this film.
Waterwalker's great strength and great weakness are both that it is Bill Mason's personal statement. That is great if you admire the man and/or if his outlook really resonates with you. Unfortunately since it is so personal, it meant nothing more to anybody than it did to Bill Mason himself, and the further away from him you are, the more likely it is not to hit the mark.
The result of this is despite the great success of some of his earlier films like Cry of the Wild, Waterwalker had very limited theatrical engagements and very rapidly headed for video. Still the same, how I'd love to see it on the big screen.
For myself, the film sparked a curiosity about who this man was and what he was trying to say, and these days "Waterwalker" is a better watch than ever. It is a favorite for a rainy Saturday afternoon when I'd rather canoe, but can't.