KIDNAPPED: Samantha Koenig, 18

Movie Review: Big Miracle

It only took twenty five years for Hollywood to tell the story that brought Alaska to the forefront - well before Sarah Palin even dreamed of becoming the Vice President. The story is all Alaskan - three tourists get themselves lost and stuck out in the frigid ice of the Northern most part of the state. Instead of leaving the outsiders to their own fate, Alaskans and outsiders alike come together to save them. The most interesting part of the story? They're three whales that are in need of saving.

The movie is very loosely based on the true story of a young family of three California Grey Whales that, for reasons unknown to this day, found themselves a little further north than they should have been and later than they should have been. Grey Whales spend their summer in Alaska feeding in the northerner seas, before returning back to California in the winter to hang ten. When Inupiat whalers found the three fighting for air in the closing ice, they were surprised as they weren't the whales they expected. The Inupiat leaders wanted to do the humane thing of killing the animals - their people could eat for the winter, and the animals wouldn't slowly die. The greenpeacers and outsiders wouldn't hear of it.

The movie takes a few different turns, instead of the whalers it's a local television reporter (played by John Krasinski) spots the whales while filming a segment on snowmachine "stunts" (which is one of the first "jokes" of the film). But all in all, it's a good hollywood retelling of the story. Ted Danson plays a convincing oil tycoon J.W. McGraw who only helps the whales as a PR Stunt, but finds the bigger picture. Drew Barrymore is greenpeace advocate Rachel Kramer - and it's not a stretch of a role for her fighting for "animal rights" and skewing the other side. Most enjoyable are Ahmaogak Sweeney who plays Nathan - the boy who wants to see the world, but comes to realize he has so much more in his little home of Barrow - and John Pingayak playing Malik, Nathan's grandfather and an elder of the Inupiat tribe in Barrow.

Pingayak, a native to Rural Alaska - though not Barrow - seems to be made to play his role. Malik is all about teaching his grandson the ways of Alaskan life, and like many elders is frustrated that all Nathan wants is to move away from tradition and rural life for the "adventure" that the outside boasts. Malik sees Adam Carlson (Krasinski) as a representation of the bastardization of his people. The white man who comes in with his fancy gadgets and woos the youth away from tradition for something "better." Krasinski and Sweeney's chemestry on screen was believable and fun. Carlson is Nathan's mentor of sorts, his key to the outside world. As much as Nathan learns from Carlson, however, Carlson equally learns from Nathan and Malik. Carlson contends heavily for their way of life to the other big wigs surrounding the whale debate, all the while playing a voice of reason to all.

Alaskans will love the jabs to the outsiders - film crews come illprepared for the temperatures, and the natives take advantage. There are many "Where's Waldo" moments where you find local celebrities as extras/small roles. Pretty sure, too, that most - if not all - Alaskans have at least one person in the movie that they know personally. The Alaskan extras are featured mightily. (I saw a former coworker and she was the ONLY ONE in the shot!) To see the Alaskan life featured in such a positive - non stereotypical way - is refreshing in film.

The film is not Oscar material - though I would contend that the CGI whales are some of the best graphics out there - it's your typical February fare, but it's feel good. The audience clapped for the whales, and I'll admit I choked up. My movie buddy of the day - no, not my dad - teared up. Chances are it's a kleenex worthy movie. Be warned. It's not War Horse rip your heart out, but it still has the emotional impact one gets when animals are in trouble and "need our help."

This film will definitely make it into the collection - if for no other reason that it was filmed entirely in Alaska, or that I just love John Krasinski. Is it a must see in theaters? Probably not, but what else are you going to do this month? I'd watch it for no other reason than the end when they show the actual footage next to the movie footage to show you the "real people" of the story. You'll see just how OFF hollywood can be, and then how spot on they are. And, there's a "cameo" by Sarah [would be later in life] Palin. That got the entire audience going!

Congratulations Cim Smyth

Cim won the Tustumena 200 Sunday evening coming in just minutes ahead of Jeff King. The two teams were neck and neck the entire way. It made it exciting for those of us on the trail as well as I'm sure those watching at home via the trackers.

There are three mushers still out on the trail and getting closer to the finish line. It ain't over yet, but I came home after Jodi Bailey made it in due to the fact that my dad needed to get home and get to bed. Which is where I should be, instead of editing photos. I need a new strategy for this sort of job for next year. I'm learning.

So I leave you with a pic of the winner coming into the finish line. Instead of getting them as they crossed - because I knew others with T200 would be there - I decided to shoot them coming up to the finish on a lake they had to cross. Made for some great wilderness shots. There are some good spots that I want to try to get to next year, if I'm not FREEZING like I was this year. As I said it's a learning experience this year!

I would update

but I'm exhausted. the event has been a blast but it is FREEZING. They keep saying tomorrow should be warmer... yeah, right.

anyway, for those posting on my blog asking about DeeDee - she lost her dog about six miles into the race and she scratched to go and look for Ophiela. Thankfully just a few hours ago the dog was recovered! Follow the race on http://www.tustumenta200.com and on their facebook!

Four drop out of T200, slots open for last minute registration.

Organizers for the T200 posted via facebook yesterday that four teams had withdrawn from the race. Since the checkpoints had already been set up to handle twenty teams, they have openned registration for last minute mushers to take the - now unused - spots. Registration remains as a $200 fee and closes Friday when the mandatory vet check and musher's meeting is set to begin.

Teams that withdrew are Jessie Hendricks, Zoya Denure - citing health issues, but she also posted on facebook that they were having vehicle trouble, and the Clarkes - who hit a moose earlier this week, totalling their dog truck! General registration closed on Monday with a final entry by Colleen Robertia a local Kasilof musher and veteran of the race (as well as the Quest and Iditarod).

Vet Check begins tomorrow at noon at the Aspen Hotel in Soldotna, with a musher's meeting to follow. The race takes off at 9 am on Saturday with the Junior T followed at 11am by the main event. The race begins at Mile 112 of the Sterling Hwy.


**Please note that while I am going to be shooting as the volunteer photographer for the event nothing I post is an official communication with the race. Follow them via their website, facebook and twitter for official updates during the race. I will tweet and post photos as internet and time allows over the weekend. The organizers will try to post my photos of the start as soon as I get them to them.**

T200 Musher Roster up to twenty names. Deadline today.

2012 winning cover art drawn by local student. So cute!

With the 2012 Tustumena 200 set to begin on Saturday (January 28), fans of mushing and the race itself are eagerly awaiting the release of the official roster. Race coordinators have done an amazing job keeping fans updated via their website and their facebook page. The deadline to sign up for this year's race is today, Monday January 23.

On the list of mushers this year are four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King - who just last year was "retired" from racing - and Alaskan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe. Peninsula musher Paul Gebhardt, and 2011 Iditarod runner up Cim Smyth are also competing. Gebhardt just finished the Kuskokwim 300 yesterday in third place and earlier in the season Jeff King won the Sheep Mountain 150. The Junior T boasts a whopping four entrants, including last year's winner Conway Seavey. Seavey's dad, Mitch, is the 2004 Iditarod Chamion and his older brother Dallas won the 2011 Yukon Quest.

Word from the trail says it is in the best condition it's been in years, and the new checkpoints are getting a lot of positive feedback. The one downside is that Clam Gulch, a mainstay for the race, will not be a check point this year. Originally Clam Gulch was a stop, but an announcement was made late last week that there would be changes to the proposed trail. New to the race this year, and going back to the race's roots, is the check point in Homer. Other check points include Oil Well and Freddie's Roadhouse in Caribou Hills - which will serve as the halfway layover. Homer will also have a mandatory layover during both legs of the race.

Vet checks are Friday afternoon, the junior race begins at 9am in Kasilof, the 200 will follow at 11am.

Movie Review: War Horse

Whenever Steven Spielberg is in the director's chair you're guaranteed a nearly flawless storytelling. War Horse is no exception. The care to the story that movies goers have come to expect, as well as amazing cinematography, is ever present.

If we've learned anything over the course of Spielberg's career, it's that he knows how to tell a story. That he can so easily manipulate an entire theater's emotions is part of his gift. He's warmed our hearts with an alien's love and friendship with a young boy (E.T.), given rebirth to our inner child (Jurassic Park), and brought the horrors of World War 2 to our consciousness.

Based on the novel by the same title, as well as the London Theatre play; War Horse follows the story of Alby, a boy on the cusp of adulthood, and Joey, his horse. In order to save the family farm, the young man sells the horse without warning to a British Cavalry Captain preparing to go off to battle with the Germans in World War 1. In a heart wrenching scene, the young captain promises Alby that he will do his very best to return Joey as soon as the conflict is over. Alby bids Joey farewell promising him that he will find him and they will be together again.

For the next two hours or so the audience is bombarded with emotion packed scenes both beautiful and grotesque. Joey changes hands - and sides - multiple times, and is on the edge of death more times that one can count. For most of the film, the audience sees the story from Joey's perspective. We see him make friends with a fellow war horse, and sacrifice himself for his friend. We see him learn things that no one believes him capable. We see Joey do what many would only describe as "the impossible."

Highlight for spoilers:

I am not a cryer. I know I say that and then two of the last movie reviews I've done have me tearing up or uncontrollable tears. But I've never had raking sobs in a movie theater. I'd heard about them in relation to Schindler's List or Titanic (the first one I get why, second one I still can't take seriously) and always wondered why people couldn't control it. How they could let themselves be so emotional in public.

Let me tell you, I now understand. When your emotions are so manipulated by a master director or story writer, you have no control. The climatic scene of Joey's friend losing his life (not Alby, but a fellow horse) and Joey's running away to the No Man's Land Scene had me in hysterics. I had never felt the need to just cry... at a movie. I couldn't watch, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't sleep after the movie was over and I'd been home for a couple of hours. The last 45 minutes is not for the faint of heart. Bleeding hearts don't stand a chance. My best friend cried through the whole film. As did my mother.

While the war scenes are not as graphic as Saving Private Ryan, the violence towards animals are graphic. The violence towards humans is not near a dramatic as that of Schindler's List, but the horrors that the horses of WW1 faced are. Animal lovers in general, and horse enthusiasts in particular, will have many problems watching this movie for that reason. Horses are brutalized by the German soldiers, and are killed in a faulty ambush by the British.

Overall, this is Spielberg's finest piece to date. He very rarely takes a step backwards, and each serious piece is just a training run for the next big piece. That War Horse did not get the Golden Globe is a travesty. This is a must see for all movie goers.