Celluloid #29

In Theatres

Rachel Getting Married (2008) Demme - Kym is allowed to leave rehab to attend her sister's wedding. The wedding itself is the most multicultural/postracial gathering you will probably ever see, and in a way rings false. Also, this film is trying so hard to be cool. The lead singer of TV on the Radio is the groom, and random musicians are around to play music all throughout the film. That being said, I actually did enjoy this film. I'm a sucker for family drama that rears its head at special occasions, and the two lead performances by both Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt are quite good. There isn't a ton of plot, and many scenes are just drawn out observations of wedding activities...dancing, eating, awkward toasting, etc., but nonetheless pretty and was worth my $3. 4/5

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Boyle - A young man from the slums appears on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and is one question away from winning the maximum amount. There is controversy over whether he is cheating or not, and the film itself turns a bit gimmicky by showing scenes from his life to demonstrate how he happened to know the answers. Primarily this is a love story. A story about fate and people destined to be together. Not exactly my favorite type of story or portrayal of love, but since you are asked to suspend disbelief fairly early on, I just went with it. The ending gets really sappy, to almost vomit-inducing degree and is salvaged in my mind by the ironic-seeming dance number (I don't think I'm spoiling anything...) I think the praise for this film is a bit extreme, but a fun movie anyway. 3.5/5

Zabriskie Point (1970) Antonioni - Oh man. This out of print film from Antonioni was not very well received upon its release, and its easy to see why. For the most part, it feels like a generic throwaway film from the 1970s...essentially a road movie with bad dialogue. However, there are stand-alone scenes, often that have nothing to do with the plot that remind you that Antonioni is still at the helm. An old cowboy sitting alone at a bar. Sex scenes in the sand. Long takes of alien desert landscapes. Also, this ending is right near the top of this list for most satisfyingly bizarre endings (keeping company with Herzog's Stroszek) 3.5/5

In Home

Encounters at the End of the World (2007) Herzog - Herzog's Antarctica documentary about the scientists who live on that hostile continent. Of the one thousand inhabitants, most seem to come from the United States, and all seem a little off. Herzog is still obsessed with the terror inherent in nature, and still keeps his camera on interviewees for longer than one is comfortable with. It's nothing new in his repertoire. 4/5

4 Little Girls (1997) Lee - A Spike Lee documentary about the civil rights struggle in Birmingham during the early 1960s. The film centers around the events of the 16th Street Baptist Church and a bombing that resulted in the deaths of four girls. 4/5

In a Year with 13 Moons (1978) Fassbinder - A very personal film for Fassbinder about a man who undergoes a sex change to attract the attention of the man he loves. There are some terrifying scenes in a slaughterhouse, one involving auto-erotic asphyxiation, and plenty to emphasize a profound sense of loneliness. 3.5/5

2008 Highlights

Films Released this Year

A Christmas Tale (Desplechin)

Let the Right One In (Alfredson)

Man on Wire (Marsh)

Milk (Van Sant)

My Winnipeg (Maddin)

Synechdoche, New York (Kaufman)

Films New to Me This Year

After the Wedding (Bier/2007)

the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Dominik/2007)

Devils on the Doorstep (Jiang/2002)

Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski/1991)

the Face of Another (Teshigahara/1966)

La Strada (Fellini/1954)

Le Samourai (Melville/1967)

Mean Streets (Scorsese/1973)

Rififi (Dassin/1955)

Shadows (Cassavetes/1959)

the Silence (Bergman/1963)

Woman in the Dunes (Teshigahara/1964)

A Woman is a Woman (Godard/1961)

Art Garfunkel Memorial Reading List (July - December 2008)

With only about a week left in the year, it's time for another summary of the books I have completed in the last six months (which worked out nicely symmetrical: 35 books for each half-year)

1. the Quick and the Dead - Joy Williams (July 4)

2. the Collected Stories - Amy Hempel (July 6)

3. Labyrinths - Jorge Luis Borges (July 16)

4. Other People's Children - Lisa Delpit (July 15)

5. Midnight Movies - Jim Hoberman (July 18)

6. American Pastoral - Philip Roth (July 27)

7. the Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (July 24)

8. Snows of Kilimanjaro - Ernest Hemingway (July 28)

9. the Killer Inside Me - Jim Thompson (Aug 3)

10. the Talented Mr Ripley - Patricia Highsmith (Aug 11)

11. My Sister's Hand in Mine (Collected Works) - Jane Bowles (Aug 12)

12. Pick-Up - Charles Willeford (Aug 16)

13. Down There - David Goodis (Aug 24)

14. the Real Cool Killers - Chester Himes (Aug 27)

15. the Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born - Ayi Kwei Armah (Aug 27)

16. Jakob von Gunten - Robert Walser (Sep 3)

17. Zazie in the Metro - Raymond Queneau (Sep 11)

18. Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin (Sep 17)

19. Hopscotch - Julio Cortazar (Sep 28)

20. the Widow - George Simenon (Sep 28)

21. In Youth is Pleasure - Denton Welch (Oct 5)

22. In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - Delmore Schwartz (Oct 7)

23. Wonderful Wonderful Times - Elfriede Jelinek (Oct 12)

24. Franny and Zooey - JD Salinger (Oct 19)

25. the Ruined Map - Kobo Abe (Oct 23)

26. Amok - Stefan Zweig (Oct 26)
27. Up Above the World - Paul Bowles (Oct 29)
28. Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson (Nov 9)
29. Best African American Essays: 2009 (Nov 15)
30. Tidewater Tales - John Barth (Nov 19)
31. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: an Introduction - JD Salinger (Nov 28)
32. 2666 - Roberto Bolano (Dec 14)
33. Whatever It Takes - Paul Tough (Dec 14)
34. Nine Stories - JD Salinger (Dec 20)
35. the Glass Bees - Ernst Junger (pending)

Highlights for the year: Raise High the Roof Beam... (Salinger), If on a winter's night a traveler (Calvino), Snows in Kilimanjaro (Hemingway), Zazie in the Metro (Queneau), the Sheltering Sky(Bowles), the Killer Inside Me (Thompson)
Favorite Nonfiction: Against Interpretation - Susan Sontag; Women, Race, and Class - Angela Davis
Total Books read in 2008: 70; approx. 216,000 pages

Celluloid #28

In Theater

Boy (Shonen) (1969) Oshima - Oshima films are a little difficult to come by, so I was excited to see that the PFA is showing several of his films this month. Boy is a bizarre film about a family in which the mother and the older son both try to get hit by cars in order to claim insurance money or payoffs. This is the sole means of income for the family, but the father, especially, likes to spend money like he has a lot. Sometimes "Boy" also likes to pretend he is an alien and a few times he tries to run away without success. The film is really beautiful, interspersing black and white scenes and occasional monochromatic shots. The scenes in Hokkaido (in the snow) are really lovely. It's also worth mentioning that the music was composed by a Japanese avant-garde artist and is quite striking. 4.5/5

In Home

Aliens (1986) Cameron - The original was far superior, and Cameron just has to get those one liners in...Ripley is found 57 years later and her company questions whether the aliens really existed. Bill Paxton is a douchebag. Paul Reiser is an even bigger douchebag. Ripley agrees to return to the hostile planet to destroy the aliens and figure out what happened to the colony who had settled there. Lots of rehashed bits from last time, but still a worthwhile sequel. 3.5/5

Eastern Promises (2007) Cronenberg - A young unidentified Russian girl dies giving birth. The midwife comes across the girl's diary and wants to get in translated in order to find clues to locate relatives. The diary is connected to some shady dealings with the Russian mafia leading to a ridiculously violent ending. 3.5/5

Europa Europa (1990) Holland - Solomon is Jewish and has to flee Poland at the outbreak of WW2. He loses his brother and is sent to a youth camp for Stalin communist youth where he becomes indoctrinated. When the Russians are attacked, Solly has to lie to save his life and claims he is a purebred German. All the while, having to keep his circumcised penis hidden...3.5/5

Shock Corridor (1963) Fuller - A reporter on the hunt for a Pulitizer Prize gets himself admitted to a mental institute in order to solve a murder. Unfortunately, the crazies begin to rub off on Johnny and he starts to believe that his girlfriend is really his sister whom he has impure thoughts about. She approves shock treatment therapy. 3.5/5

In News

*John Krasinski (aka Jim from "The Office") has directed and reportedly acts in a film version of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

*Michael Winterbottom has new film being released very shortly called Genova

Celluloid #27

In Theatres

A Christmas Tale (2008) Desplechin - In a basic summation, this film feels like a cross between The Royal Tenenbaums and the Swedish film, The Celebration. Dysfunctional family drama abounds. Junon is dying from blood cancer and can only prolong her life with a bone marrow transfusion. Her son Henri (estranged, kinda a bastard, and played by the main character in Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and Paul, her bitchy daughter's crazy son are the only two who are eligible to donate. That's the main drama, but side stories involving affairs and fistfights also pop up. Abel, the old man/dad/grandpa is awesome, wearing his pants well above his waist and listening to free jazz. The movie is in French and I would guess that some aspects didn't translate completely, especially Elizabeth's monologues, but overall an enjoyable, if somewhat disturbing film. 4/5

In Home

Black Snake Moan (2006) Brewer - I'm really not sure how you are supposed to view this film, or what you are supposed to take away from it. On one hand I want to treat it like an exploitation film, but there are too many moments that I think are meant to be sincere. Anyway, Rae is a nymphomaniac, supposedly as a result of being molested as a child. Lazarus is a blues guitarist and singer whose wife has left him for his younger brother. He takes Rae in when he finds her beat up and left for dead on the side of the road. Many times she seems almost possessed and has fever visions, so Lazurus chains her to his radiator. Religion plays some unclear role, and Justin Timberlake plays the other half of the fucked up couple. 3/5

Blood In, Blood Out (1993) Hackford - I figured it was time to see this apparently oft-quoted dramatization of Latino life in East Los Angeles. This movie is about as melodramatic as things get and the dialogue is so ridiculous (saying something in Spanish, then directly saying the same exact thing in English) plus it clocks in at 3 hours! Two brothers and their half white cousin grow up together in East L.A. as a part of the Vatos Locos gang. One is an artist, but wastes his talent with heroin; one joins the marines to avoid jail time and later becomes an undercover cop. Miklo, the cousin, goes to San Quentin twice and gets in deep with race wars while incarcerated. 2.5/5

Chungking Express (1994) Wong - A brokenhearted young man, given to excess and obsession meets a woman involved in drug smuggling. He is a cop and unaware of her livelihood, decides to fall in love with her. In the second story, also involving a cop who has been recently dumped, a young deli counter girl who likes to listen to loud music develops a crush on him. The film is simple, but energetic and pretty. The two love stories avoid cliches and the pop music is used well (all though I probably never need to hear "California Dreamin' ever again). 4/5

the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) Jones - A modern day western directed by Tommy Lee Jones. A crooked border patrol agent accidentally kills Melquiades, an illegal immigrant. His young wife is bored and spends her free time hanging out with Mexicans. Pete is Melquiades (the deceased) friend, and in a streak of vigilante justice, captures the border patrol agent and takes him on a journey to Melquiades hometown to bury him. 3/5

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) Solondz - I love this perfectly awkward film. It has to be a cult classic...Dawn Wiener and her outfits, lines that you should feel a little bad for laughing at like "I'm gonna rape you at 3 o'clock" and the "dignity speech." Steve Rodgers is such a tool, middle school sucks, and suburbia is absurd and painful. 5/5

In News

*I think John and I might be the only two people interested in this, but Bruno Heller has been in talks about bringing HBO's Rome to movie theatres in the form of a film to pick up where season two left off

*Scorsese is directing a new film called Falcon's Tale having to do with cops, drugs, the FBI..typical Scorsese fare (especially since the screenwriter of The Departed is also on board for this project)

*Guillermo del Toro is apparently working on a stop-motion animation adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches

Celluloid #26

In Theatres

Milk (2008) van Sant - It's extremely difficult to review this film considering the circumstances under which I saw it. Last night, at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, surrounded by 600 bears and plenty of the rest of the gay community, in the aftermath of Prop. 8, watching Milk felt like a community event in solidarity rather than just a film. Needless to say, I felt a bit like a brat when not only did I not cry, but I found myself finding some faults with the movie (which I kept to myself until my roommate and I were a safe distance from the heart of the Castro). I'll start by saying that I do recommend this film about one of the key heroes in the Gay Movement, Harvey Milk, the first openly gay city politician. This is obviously a subject close to Gus van Sant's heart, which maybe explains why it also feels like van Sant's most mainstream offering (and I'm including Good Will Hunting in that assessment). My main complaint lies in the emotionally manipulative aspects of the film: melodramatic music, voice-over narration, and some gratuitous small character in a wheelchair. I just feel like this story is completely tragic on its own merit, and adding in the things mentioned above just makes the film feel less genuine, and out of step with the way van Sant usually handles his material. Anyway, Sean Penn puts in a great performance, and I encourage people to see this film if they get a chance despite my minor qualms. 4/5

Synecdoche, New York (2008) Kaufman - Caden Cotard is a theater director obsessed with dying. He has various medical ailments (some of which are probably induced by stress and hypochondria). His wife leaves him and a cycle of failed relationships occur. Cotard is awarded a genius grant which he uses to create an incredibly involved and self-reflexive play including characters to play himself, the people in his life, and characters to play those characters playing people in his real life. This feels like a Kaufman film with all of its interconnectedness, complexity, and plain bizarre factor. I enjoyed that as the audience we really can't be sure how much time was supposed to have passed or why that house is on fire. I cannot effectively articulate plot or my feelings watching this film other than the fact that I found myself loving the spectacle, the ambition, and wishing I would have seen it with another person if only to get a fuller perspective on what had just happened. 4.5/5

In Home

American Blackout (2006) Inaba - A documentary centered around Georgia Congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney (who was also the Green Party candidate for president this year). First the film tackles the disenfranchisement of black voters in Florida in 2000 by the state incorrectly identifying 90,000 people as felons. Then again cheating blacks out of the vote in Ohio in 2004. Next we learn about McKinney's questioning of the actions of the Bush administration in the aftermath of 9/11. McKinney is painted as anti-American and as a troublemaker, or derisively as a conspiracy theorist (all though she is somewhat vindicated later). In her own Congressional elections, she appears to be the victim of Republican manipulation of the open primary system in Georgia. 4/5

the Browning Version (1951) Asquith - The British seem really obsessed with their tradition of boarding schools. In this film, the most uptight of teachers has a seductive wife who is having an affair with a more well-liked teacher. She is a plain bitch and he seems to long for his earlier years; together they are a venomous couple. The old teacher is about to be transferred to another school, and is actually totally aware of his wife's affair, but this knowledge paired with the students' general dislike of him has seemed to crush his soul. Michael Redgrave puts in an amazing performance. 4/5

Oedipus Rex (1967) Pasolini - "You will kill your father and make love to your mother." Pasolini follows that summary, but places the characters in the desert where Oedipus becomes king, and his mother really doesn't seem to mind that she's sleeping with her son. At times I was reminded of Jodorowsky's films, although this is less outrageous. 3.5/5

Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) Bergman - Bergman's first film was essentially a lighthearted romantic comedy. A man has a young wife whom he has been married to for two years and has yet to have sex with her. Before marrying his bride, he had been involved with a famous actress who now wants him back and sets up an elaborate plan for a dinner party where everyone is supposed to end up with the person they are really best suited for. 4/5

A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) Greenaway - A relatively experimental film about sex, animals, and death. A woman is part of an accident that kills the wives of twin zoologists, has her leg amputated, and then seduces both twins. The main plot is often interspersed with Discovery Channel-like footage of decomposing animals. Hilariously, the narration is done by Attenborough, famous for his nature documentaries. Super weird. 3.5/5

Celluloid #25

In Home

In the Blood (2007) Petersen - It is John's fault that I have now seen one of the dumbest movies in existence. John was hoping that this would be a silly erotic gay thriller...which I guess it is to a point. Basically a college jock has visions of the future in the midst of sexual experiences. He has to have homosexual sex to save his sister's life...1/5

Mamma Roma (1962) Pasolini - An aging prostitute wants to make life better for herself and her son. He never had a father growing up and didn't go to school or learn a trade, so she has to pull strings to get things for him. Once the son finds out that his mom is a hooker, he quits his job and starts stealing. 3.5/5

Panic in Needle Park (1971) Schatzberg - Everybody looks like a hipster in 1970s New York. Starring a very young Al Pacino, our protagonist starts using heroin with increasing regularity and becomes very co-dependent with his user girlfriend. The doomed couple becomes so desperate for money/drugs that Helen has to work as a prostitute. Pretty average 70s fare. 3.5/5

Stalker (1979) Tarkovsky - Casual viewers should know that Tarkovsky's films get less accessible with each release, meaning that this film and Mirror are not the easiest things to watch (I fell asleep during two different attempts). However, that's not to say this film isn't worth watching, but very slow. The story takes place in a pretty incredible, apocalyptic setting. The premise is that in the future, a mystical "Zone" exists, where "stalkers" act as guides to take hopeless people to a mysterious and difficult-to-find room where those who enter will have their deepest longing fulfilled. 4/5

Celluloid #24

In Theatres

Let the Right One In is a Swedish vampire movie, and although there's plenty of blood, it's not scary. An artsy horror film, if one considers it a horror film at all. Primarily, this is a story about loneliness centering around two 12 year-olds. Oskar gets bullied at school and Eli is a vampire whose father has to kill people to refill her blood supply. The two kids become friends and stay friends even after Eli's secret is revealed as they try to protect one another. Stark, cold, and beautiful. 4/5

In Home

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) Gillespie - Lars parents died when he was fairly young and now he's painfully awkward. He orders a sex doll online, and when it arrives he treats it as a real person (although he doesn't actually have sex with it, claiming that "Bianca" is really religious). Lars lives in a really snowy small town. His brother and sister-in-law convince him to take Bianca to the doctor, where he is really getting help from the psychologist to treat his delusions. Contrary to what one would expect from the plot synopsis or the DVD artwork, this film is not especially quirky or silly, but instead actually was quite moving for me. Ultimately I found it to be a really bizarre but great depiction of how compassionate a good church and community can be. 4/5

Short Cuts (1993) Altman - Based on a sampling of Raymond Carver stories, this film features a huge ensemble cast including Frances McDormand, Alex Trebek, Tom Waits, Lily Tomlin, Robert Downey Jr, and many more. The film is a bit scattered but connects by the intersections of a bunch of lives in Southern California. There's a medfly quarantine, a boy gets hit by a car, some fisherman discover a dead body, and an estranged husband destroys his wife's house. Easily compares to P.T. Anderson's Magnolia without as much symbolism. 4/5

We Own the Night (2007) Gray - Slim pickings at the library...A story about two brothers. One is a cop and the other manages a bar and runs with a more wild crowd. After Joe (the cop) gets shot, Bobby decides to become a police informant for drug deals. That also doesn't go so well, and causes Bobby to join the force for real . Many tough guy heart-to-hearts follow. A good looking film, but with a fairly fluffy plot. 3/5

In News

*Will Smith is set to star in an American remake of Oldboy...no chance that will be good...

*Andrew Dominik, the New Zealand director of Assassination of Jesse James...is (slowly?) working on a new film called Cities of the Plain which will be an adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel

Alphabet Meme

So, for whatever reason, a bunch of film blogs have been recently posting their "Alphabet Meme"s. Basically you pick a film (that you at least like) for every letter of the alphabet...pretty simple (except for the letters q, x, y, & z). Anyway, here's my contribution:

After the Wedding
Badlands
Closely Watched Trains
Down By Law
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fargo
George Washington
Harder They Come, the
Ivan's Childhood
Jackie Brown
Killer of Sheep
Lost in Translation
Matador (Almodovar)
No Country for Old Men
Oldboy
Proposition, the
Quiz Show
Rushmore
Seven Beauties
Taxi Driver
Underground
Vanishing Point
Woman in the Dunes
X-Men (seriously, can someone come up with something better?)
Young Adam
Zodiac

-In other news, stoked that Obama trounced McCain in the election. However, as far as Prop. 8 goes, I found myself participating in a protest march in San Francisco last night. What a shameful election result...

Celluloid #23

In Theatres

Tell No One was playing at my local cheapie-theater, and as an after-Halloween respite, I have to say that this film hit the spot. Essentially a French murder mystery about a man who gets wrongly accused of his wife's death. Eight years after her demise he also begins receiving emails that seem that they are from his wife. In typical thriller style, the story takes many twists and turns before its resolution. My roommate appreciated that the pedophile character in the film was a "regular" child molester rather than the usual strictly gay portrayal. In addition, a lesbian relationship in the film is interestingly not even mentioned, much less harped upon...it's amazing (and somewhat embarrassing) that in this present era that this film's handling of homosexual characters and relationships seems positively progressive. I would also like to mention that the wife, played by Marie-Josee Croze is quite lovely once again and basically all of the acting performances were well done. My only minor complaint was the use of popular songs. The regular instrumental score fits well, but the Jeff Buckley song accompanied by a sappy photo montage was nearly cringe-worthy, and the later U2 song just seemed awkward...not usually worth mentioning, but the film did win awards for its music. 4/5

In Home

Alien (1979) Scott - Classic sci-fi film about a crew that lands on a hostile planet with aliens that use humans as hosts for reproduction. I had never seen this film before, but I have to say that 30 years since its release, the story and the special effects hold up very well. It seemed very similar in tone and style to Scott's other classic, Blade Runner. 4.5/5

Belle de Jour (1967) Bunuel - Severine has graphic dream of abuse and sexual transgression, but in real life she is demure and rarely has sex with her attractive husband. That is...until she starts working at a whorehouse out of curiosity. 3.5/5

House if Games (1987) Mamet - A psychologists tries to help one of her patients with a gambling problem by visiting the men he owes money to. They are professional con-men and she almost gets conned, but realizes before it's too late. There is also an obvious chemistry between her and one of the men and the connection that they are both interested in human nature; one studies it in order to help people deal with their issues while the other studies it in order to take advantage. Downward spirals ensue. Acting seems weird and off. 3.5/5

Le Cercle Rouge (1970) Melville - I have the biggest crush on Alain Delon, and even with the weird moustache in this film, the guy is still undeniably attractive. He's a recently released convict who pairs up with an escaped felon and a cracked-out former cop to perform a jewelry heist. Similar to Le Samourai in that both films are of the crime genre and have many scenes in a night club, but this feels much more like a gritty 1970s film with a cool jazzy soundtrack. The only drawback is that the actual heist scene is so dark that it's really hard to tell what is going on. 4/5

In News

Film happenings take a backseat...It's Election Day! Probably the most important election of our generation...and I'm really hoping that I don't cry tonight (or that Oakland begins rioting). Here's hoping that Obama becomes our chief executive and that California doesn't embarrass itself by passing the bigoted, discriminatory Prop. 8

Celluloid #22

In Theatre

On Saturday, I had some free time during the day and had previously discovered that the Parkway Theater has $3 matinees on the weekends. Sukiyaki Western Django was playing and I had seen a preview for it before some other movie. It looked like it would be dumb fun. Miike is pretty great at providing gory, silly entertainment, however, I've either seen too many of his films by now or he really is dialing it in this time around. There are a lot of fight scenes, but nothing very shocking or laughable happens. Basically, this film is lacking in "fun" almost all together. Quentin Tarantino is super obnoxious and every time he was on screen it just made me really angry (not that he is in the film very much). If you are interested, the plot is a retelling of "The War of the Roses" and as the theme of feuding clans comes up very often in Japanese samurai films, so it doesn't seem completely out of left field. 2/5

In Home

All Things Fair (1995) Widerberg - A teacher and her high school student begin an intimate affair. WW2 is raging in other parts of Europe, but this is Sweden and things are relatively calm. The students eventually becomes bored with having sex with his teacher and starts to pursue one of his peers. She reacts very badly...4/5

Away From Her (2007) Polley - A woman has Alzheimer's and forces her husband to place her in a nursing home. While institutionalized, she strikes up an affectionate relationship with another patient, causing deep distress to her husband. A depressing but beautifully shot portrait of enduring suffering. 4/5

the Band's Visit (2007) Kolirin - A simple story of an Egyptian police band getting lost on the way to a show in Israel and being taken in by the kind locals. The film is also a slice of life type of story about small towns, incorporating the universal aspect of music and dying traditions. I found the scenes in the rollerskating rink really enjoyable. 4.5/5

Blood Brothers (2007) Tan - Jon and I wandered around Blockbuster looking for a film to kill some time and saw John Woo's name all over the case of this DVD. However, we were tricked. This is not a Woo film! Instead we were presented with a Disney-feeling, sappy, sentimental story about three friends who leave their small town for Shanghai, where they get mixed up in less than savory business. Everything is super polished and the music is out of control emotionally manipulative, all though I couldn't get over my frustration to even muster up any emotional connection and instead fell asleep. 1/5

Magnum Force (1973) Eastwood - As the part 3 installment of "Retarded Movie Night", I think Magnum Force was the least "retarded" film so far. I haven't seen Dirty Harry but this sequel has its moments. A group of rebel cops are taking justice into their own hands by murdering people who have escaped conviction. It watches a lot like a blaxploitation film with hardly any black people, even if it is presenting a conservative agenda. Harry Callahan is a badass, and everything was fine and entertaining until the very last scenes when a lackluster motorcycle chase seemingly derails the film. 3.5/5

Night Porter (1974) Cavani - A former Nazi and a former concentration camp victim meet again after 12 years. The former Nazi works at a hotel and is in the process of having his name cleared at a trial. The woman had previously suffered sexual abuse and torture at his hands, yet she embarks upon a sexually transgressive relationship with her tormentor. While there may be a fine line between terror and eroticism, and this film is purposely ridiculous, I just couldn't go along with it. A portrayal of S & M under different circumstances would have been fine with me, but in this case seems so unbelievable and therefore difficult to find anything to connect with in the film. 3/5

the Ossuary (1964 -1989) Svankmajer - A really cool collection of shorts, mostly of the stop-motion animation variety and some experimental documentaries. The title film, "Darkness Light Darkness", and the first film which has "Trick" in the title were among my favorites. Not everything is great on here (I wasn't too into the "Don Juan" half hour), but the style is still so bizarre and interesting to watch. I love the Czech! 4/5

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Hellman - This film has a lot of potential: released on Criterion, 1970s road exploitation film, starring both musicians James Taylor and one of the Beach Boys. I was pretty disappointed and honestly found the film on the boring side...it's supposed to be a race across country and it's really not, but it's not much of anything else either. 3/5

In News

*A little while back it had been announced that Tim Burton will be working on an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. If Burton wasn't guarantee enough that the film would be pretty weird, he's casted Crispin Glover to play the Mad Hatter...

* Saxon sent me a email today that I don't completely understand, but apparently a musical version of Fellini's 8 1/2 called Nine is being adapted to film...and Daniel Day Lewis will be playing some part in it

Celluloid #21

In Theatres

Last weekend I had the option to see Oliver Stone's new satirical film, W. or Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist...I opted for the former. Many of the complaints about this film focus on the timing of the film (why release this now while Bush is practically a lame duck?) and the intended audience (who is this film for? liberals? Republicans?). I personally didn't have a problem with either of these issues. It makes sense that this would come out now while Bush is still on peoples' radars but on the back burner considering the current election. Also, the film does seem to paint Bush in a somewhat sympathetic light, but mostly he comes off looking like a drunk, manipulated fool with "daddy issues." The family drama, however fictionalized, between Bush Sr. and Jr. was my favorite aspect of the film. Ultimately, however, this film isn't very good on a purely "film"' level. It felt sloppy and uneven and given the topical nature, will be extremely forgettable. W. has its moments, but in the end I cannot really recommend it. 2.5/5

In Home

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Fassbinder - Basically the German 1970s version of Jungle Fever. An old widow meets a much younger Moroccan man at a bar and the two strike up a romance. They are very kind to each other, but in both of their social circles and families, there is a strong feeling of disapproval and sometimes outright racist sentiments. 4/5

Bird People of China (1998) Miike - A surprising entry by Miike. None of the usual absurdity and gore, but instead a touching story about a jewelry gem trader, a yakuza, and their guide who end up in a small Chinese village where a legend about flying "bird people" exists and they even have a "flying school" where young children learn to use man made wings. The young jewelry man also meets a young girl who sings a song in English that seems to have a great spiritual impact on him. 4/5

Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven (1975) Fassbinder - The second Fassbinder film this past week, but definitely the inferior piece. Starring the same old lady actress, but this time her husband kills himself at work, but not before managing to kill his supervisor. Her estranged daughter takes this opportunity to obtain her 15 Minutes of Fame, and a group of Communists, and later Anarchists take advantage of her. Also has two widely different endings, one for the European and one for the US release (I think usually a bad sign). 3/5

Once (2006) Carney - I have resisted seeing this film...it looks like a sappy love story and it's a musical to boot. However, as much as I wanted to not like it, my cynicism began to melt away not too long after the start. It feels like a small digital indie film rather than an obnoxious Hollywood romance and whatever "love story" exists is far less cheesy than expected. The "musical" aspect results from the fact that there is very little dialogue in this film and many scenes center around the songs that the two main actors are writing or performing. Basically just a story of two lonely people...a street musician and a Czech immigrant. 4/5

Solaris (1972) Tarkovsky - This science fiction classic still holds up remarkably well today. It's easy to see its influence on contemporary entries to the genre, such as Sunshine. You really don't see much of "Space" at all in this film, but you do experience the claustrophobia of the ship and the psychological effect that this cramped isolation can have on an individual...in this case physically manifesting itself as persons from one's past. Eerie, stark, and stylish. 4/5

In News

* Ridley Scott has already begun work on his next project, slated to star Leonardo Dicaprio in the well-read Huxley novel Brave New World

* Oliver Stone has started working on his follow-up to the lukewarm W. with a film having something to do with Vietnam called Pinkville

Celluloid #20

In Home

All About Eve (1950) Mankiewicz - Eve is a sweet, modest, humble girl who worships Margo, an aging theatre actress. Margo takes Eve in and gives her a job as a personal assistant. Everyone loves Eve to begin with, but she seems a little too good to be true, and as the story progresses, we see that Eve isn't exactly what we think. A story about women primarily, and the hardships they face as they grow older. Also, plenty of cat-fights...4/5

the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) Dominik - Brad Pitt plays the legendary and beloved criminal Jesse James, while Casey Affleck does a good job at playing his young admirer Robert Ford. This film is actually a lot better than I expected. The pace is deliberate and the style is incredibly beautiful. Even though the title explicitly tells you what's going to happen, the film creates a terrific amount of tension. The debut by this Australian director (generally a good sign), I look forward to Dominik's next project. 4.5/5

Before Sunrise (1995) Linklater - Ethan Hawke is a young American travelling around Europe and happens to meet the lovely Julie Delpy on the train the afternoon before he flies back to the States. They have some sort of connection and end up getting off together in Vienna. They go shopping for records, walk around, eat at cafes, watch street performers, go to a fair, etc. The movie is meant to be a Romance, but with Linklater at the helm, you are sure to have your fair share of pseudo-intellectual conversation...this time having a lot to do with the idea of "love." While the conversations themselves were pretty realistic, they still often crossed over into "cringe" territory. Plus, Ethan Hawke has really ugly mid-nineties facial hair and is just kinda an ass to watch. 3.5/5

Foxy Brown (1974) Hill - Pam Grier is one sexy, stylish, badass. This time around she's a lady out to avenge her dead lover and take down a drug/prostitution ring with a little help from the Panthers. She fucks a lot of people up, including her Uncle Tom brother, and you see her boobs no less than three times. Pretty much exactly what you want to see when watching an exploitation film: great outfits, amazing soundtrack, plenty of fights, titties, and an uplifting black nationalism message. 5/5

Il Posto (1961) Olmi - Domenico has just finished school and needs to find a job to help support his family. In Milan, they are hiring clerks and postal workers, pending one is able to pass an extensive test involving math problems, psychiatric evaluation, general aptitude, and physical health. Domenico meets a young lady who is also taking the test, and they both end up getting hired. However, Domenico ends up having to work in a separate building from her and is disappointed that they won't be able to have lunch together. A plot of small details rather than a lot of action. 4/5

Mirror (1974) Tarkovsky - To be honest, I didn't often know what was going on plotwise in this film. My suspicion is actually that not much was happening, but the scenes rather served to create a mood. Supposedly an autobiographical tale of Tarkovsky's childhood, we know that his father left his mother and they seemed to live in a fair amount of isolation. The film shifts between black & white and color depending on what time period the events take place. 4/5

Paranoid Park (2007) Van Sant - Whether you will enjoy this film, I think is highly dependent on how you feel about the recent period of Van Sant's films. If you liked Gerry and Elephant and could at least deal with Last Days then you'll probably find something to appreciate about this film. I actually happen to like the mentioned films so I had no real problems with Paranoid Park. The teenager dialogue does get a bit grating after a while, but seemed awkwardly accurate, especially for the teenagers I encountered in Portland specifically. (Sidenote: The indoor high school shots were actually filmed at a high school that I worked at in Portland). The basic plot is that Alex likes to skateboard with his friends, and one day accidentally ends up killing a security guard, which he tells absolutely no one, and we witness how he copes with this reality. It's slow-paced and features some pretty shots of Portland, and a song by local rapper Cool Nutz. 4/5

In News

* Darren Aronofsky's new film The Wrestler has been getting a lot of buzz and press lately, mainly due to Mickey Rourke's performance. This film should be released in mid-December

* Russian director Timur Bekmambetov who brought us Night Watch, Day Watch, and Wanted (of that bunch I've only seen Night Watch) is working on the final (?) chapter of the "watch" trilogy set to be called Twilight Watch

* And Ang Lee is filming a comedy about Woodstock...(really?? why?)

Celluloid #19

In Home

Devils on the Doorstep (2002) Jiang - A pretty impressive film about a Chinese village during the Japanese occupation of World War II. A mysterious man drops off two POWs (a Japanese soldier and his Chinese translator) to a Chinese man, Dasan Ma, and threatens to kill Ma if anything happens to the POWs. The mysterious man claims he will be back to pick them up at the New Year, however, that deadline passes and after an additional 6 months, the villagers start arguing about what to do with the prisoners. Beautifully shot, compelling, and even funny a times. 4.5/5

Hawks and the Sparrows (1964) Pasolini - Starting with the opening credits actually being sung and the first actual scene involving a dance routine, this movie has one of the best beginnings I have seen for a while. After the dancing ceases (although the awesome Italian rock song continues throughout) we are left with a father and son who wander around and are given the task of converting the hawks to Catholicism (which takes a year) and then converting the sparrows as well. This task is of course assigned by St. Francis of Assisi. They also walk around with a talking crow. Just the right amount of stylishness, satire, and absurdity. 4.5/5

Peeping Tom (1960) Powell - Lauded as the British "Psycho", about a socially awkward man who works as a photographer, but sometimes kills people with his camera. I personally would have preferred this film to go a bit more campy, as I got a little bored with this at times. 3.5/5

Red Beard (1965) Kurosawa - A story about a young cocky doctor who believes that he is going to become the shogun's personal doctor, but instead is sent to work under Dr. Niije in a clinic for the poor. Initially he is resistant and upset that he has been sent to work for the clinic, but gradually becomes more compassionate and decides that life working to help those who need it most will provide him with a more satisfying life. 4.5/5

12 Monkeys (1995) Gilliam - Surprisingly I had never seen this film until now, but I had seen the short movie that inspired it ("La Jetee" by Chris Marker). James Cole (Bruce Willis) has the ability to time travel a bit in order to collect data about deadly virus that will kill off much of humankind in the future. He is sent to a mental institute the first time around on his time travel quests, but on his second trip, his psychiatrist suspects that Cole may not be crazy after all. Brad Pitt also plays a loony. Lots of Gilliam weirdness and fish-eye lens shots. 4/5

Zizek! (2005) Taylor - A documentary about everyone's favorite contemporary Eastern European philosopher, Slavoj Zizek. Zizek looks a lot like a bear and is pretty into Lacanian theory, the nature of belief, and general questioning of reality. I don't get a lot of what he talks about, but the documentary basically follows him around (the scene of him buying DVDs and another of him sitting up in his bed shirtless are pretty priceless) and creates an interesting portrayal of an undeniably interesting man.

Special Feature

So, instead of the usual random updates this week, I'm just going to be super lazy and post a list of films that I am potentially interested in seeing in the upcoming months...

Let the Right One In - Alfredson (Swedish vampire/coming of age/story about loneliness/ getting good reviews) October 24

Synecdoche, New York - Kaufman, Charlie (Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut/could be terrible) October 24

Slumdog Millionaire - Boyle (it's Danny Boyle/decent reviews/Indian gameshow teenage romance) November 14

The Road - Hillcoat (John Hillcoat of The Proposition/ apocalypse/ Cormac McCarthy adaptation) November 26

Milk - Van Sant (Harvey Milk film starring Sean Penn) December 5

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Fincher (David Fincher/Brad Pitt ages backwards/ Tilda Swinton) December 25

The Brothers Bloom - Johnson, Rian (dude who did Brick/ con-man/one-last job) January 16

Celluloid #18

In Home

Black Orpheus (1959) Camus - A retelling of the myth of Orpheus set in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Very lively with lots of dancing and parades and bright colors. The character representing "Death" has a pretty cool geometrical one-piece. The film is a pretty liberal interpretation of the Greek myth, but well done. 4/5

F for Fake (1976) Welles - Orson Welles last film was a documentary about fakery, charlatans, and the art world. He focuses mainly on a man named Elmyr who became famous for producing fake Picassos and Matisses. However, attention is paid to Howard Hughes, Clifford Irving, and Welles himself. More of a visual essay than a documentary, a trend that Welles had hoped to continue if he had lived longer, and surprisingly a genre which hasn't really been revisited since. 4/5

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) Lumet - A dysfunctional family drama full of drunks, heroin users, and regrets. Unfortunately, clocking in at three hours, the dialogue just couldn't keep my attention, especially for a theme seen many times before. 3/5

Over the Edge (1979) Kaplan - Matt Dillon's debut is a film about what happens in suburban towns when the teenagers have nothing to do. Reminded me a lot of the Central Coast as told mainly through the tales of a few friends that grew up there. The teens and cops have plenty of run-ins. The parents seem to be clueless, and the only outlets for recreation are often under scrutiny. Eventually violence becomes the inevitable outcome. 4/5

Snow Angels (2007) Green - Perhaps David Gordon Green's last "serious" film (see "In News"), Snow Angels takes place in 1970s small town Pennsylvania. A teenage boy reconnects with a former babysitter as co-workers in a restaurant. Arthur's parents are in the midst of a separation, and Arthur himself just seems to try to live a normal teenage existence. Annie (the former babysitter) has a slew of her own problems, mainly centering around a suicidal estranged husband and their daughter. 4.5/5

In News

*David Gordon Green appears to be continuing down the path of comedy that he has forged by directing the debacle that was Pineapple Express. According to New York Magazine, Fox has picked up a comedy TV show by Green called Good Vibes, about surfer guys in SoCal. Disappointment.

*Italian horror aficionados will be pleased to hear that Dario Argento is finishing up a new film titled Giallo starring Adrien Brody and slated to come out sometime next year

*Last summer I read a book called Revolutionary Road, which I thought was okay, but a bit cliched, but seemed to be aiming for scandalousness. Anyway, Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet will be reunited to play the unlikable husband and wife character. (Thanks to Saxon for the reminder.)

*And finally, I was listening to the Mondo Movie podcast (two British dudes that talk about mainly horror and cult films) and was intrigued by the rave reviews they were giving to a new Swedish film making the festival circuit called Let the Right One In. On one level, the film involves a young girl who happens to be a vampire, and her neighbor who become friends. Supposedly more of a film about loneliness and alienation than anything else, and described at times as "touching."

Celluloid #17

In Home

After the Wedding (2007) Bier - A Celebration-like film about a family headed by a very wealthy and successful businessman, a melancholy man trying to get money to sustain an orphanage in India, and the strange ways that their lives have intersected in the past. Emotional, tense, but never cheesy. Highly recommended. 5/5

Better Luck Tomorrow (2003) Lin - Playing up a lot of stereotypes about Asians, this movie centers around a group of over-achieving, but bored high school students. Their boredom leads to petty theft, collusion, partying at first but later escalates to more violent events. 3.5/5

Face of Another (1966) Teshigahara - This film and the other film I have seen by Teshigahara (Woman in the Dunes) pretty much makes me want to watch everything this director has made. This film is about a man who has been in an accident that has scarred his face and left him in bandages, but is presented with an experimental opportunity to have a new face in the form of a realistic mask. Tons of interesting commentary on identity. 5/5

Mahanagar (1963) Ray - A Bengali family is struggling to make ends meet, so the wife decides to take a job as a saleswoman. Her decision is controversial because her family is pretty conservative and thinks she is responsible for many of the household duties. On top of that, she is really good at her job, and her husband ends up losing his job causing the traditional roles to shift somewhat. 4.5/5

Walkabout (1971) Roeg - Another weirdo film from Roeg. This time a family appears to be going on a picnic in the Australian outback when the father starts shooting at his two children and after missing them, lights himself and his car on fire. All of the sudden the kids are left alone in the middle of nowhere and have to find their way to civilization somehow. 4/5

In News

* A new Danny Boyle film should be coming out soon called Slumdog Millionaire about an Indian teenager who goes on a game show to prove his love to a girl

* Ewan McGregor is working on a shitload of stuff including Amelia (about Amelia Earhart), I Love You Phillip Morris (with Richard Gere), Ron Howard/Dan Brown vehicle Angels & Demons, Men Who Stare at Goats (with Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, & Clooney), a film with Ben Kingsley called Number 13, something called The Great Pretender and I, Lucifer all of that, and he just recovered from a bout of (very treatable) cancer

Celluloid #16

In Theatres

So I finally saw a not terrible movie with Chris this week, Jiri Menzel's I Served the King of England. The basic plot revolves around a waiter who dreams of becoming a millionaire while enduring the many changes in Czechoslovakia including Nazi occupation and later communism. The film fell into a cycle of repetition during the first half of the film and switching between the old man and his younger self became somewhat tedious. However, this movie is quite beautiful and full of quirky enjoyable imagery (all though I personally was actually a little tired of exposed boobies by the end) and the story does pick up once the Nazis get into the picture. A good film, but nowhere near the greatness of Menzel's previous work (not that that was really the expectation going into this film anyway). 3.75/5

In Home

Chop Shop (2007) Bahrani - A newish independent film about a young boy and his teenage sister living in Queens. Alejandro doesn't go to school but uses his time working at an auto repair shop and selling candy bars. His sister works at a taco truck and also makes some money on the side. Together they work towards saving up to buy their own taco truck and to hopefully move out of the single room they occupy in the auto repair shop. 4/5

the Kingdom (1995) von Trier - Back in the '90s, Lars von Trier created a television miniseries about a Copenhagen hospital that experiences a variety of supernatural and just plain fucked-up occurences. The storyline itself is fine, but it's really ugly looking and seriously has the worst theme song ever. Plus, von Trier addresses the audience during the credits of each episode and he is so irritating. Anyway, X-Files lite. 3/5

Lord of the Flies (1963) Brooks - So the book that nearly everyone read as a high school freshman was made into a film in the early '60s. Black and white and feels stiff and polite towards the beginning, but as the boys' and their makeshift society start to deteriorate, the scenes and film shots get much more interesting. 4/5

the Seventh Seal (1957) Bergman - Probably the most famous and most parodied of Bergman's films. Death comes to take people away while the plague is running rampant throughout Sweden. Max von Sydow buys himself a little more time by engaging in a game of chess with Death and a circus troupe travels around. Still masterful and interesting, but nowhere near my favorites of Bergman.

In News (Scandinavian edition)

* Susanne Bier, one of the Dogme directors (#28 Open Hearts) is working on a new project supposedly featuring Hugh Grant and Anjelica Huston titled Lost for Words

* Max von Sydow (a tie-in to Seventh Seal) is currently 79 years old and has not one, but 3 films in post-production! A fantasy adventure called Solomon Kane, a french film called Un homme et son chien, and a Scorcese-directed project called Shutter Island.

* Lastly Swedish filmmaker Lukas Moodysson is nearly finished with a film called Mammoth starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams having something to do with a businessman and his Filipino maid...

Celluloid #15

Busy couple weeks in real life makes for very little movie-watching..

In Home

Clean Slate (Coup de tourchon) (1982) Tavernier - Based on Jim Thompson's Pop. 1280 novel but transplanted to French-colonized West Africa. Lucien seems like a bumbling idiot struggling to receive respect from anyone in the small town where he serves as sheriff. His wife openly cheats on him, his superiors literally kick him in the ass, and petty criminals do not fear him...and one day he snaps. Isabelle Huppert also portrays another scandalous lady. 4/5

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000) Jarmusch - This was the first Jarmusch film I ever saw many years ago and I decided to revisit it while John and I were stranded at my old apartment. Forest Whitaker plays "Ghost Dog" a gangster/a-like assassin that lives by a complicated moral code. Very black humor and while I definitely still enjoyed this film a lot the second time around, I think it falls somewhere in the middle of Jarmusch's catalog. 4/5

Scenes From a Marriage (1973) Bergman - I watched the television miniseries version (as opposed to the theatrical version) and really enjoyed this examination of a relationship, even though it is incredibly hard to watch at times. I thought the dialogue and portrayal was honest and fairly realistic. While not a lot happens plotwise (Johann cheats on Marianne, they separate, get divorced, come to some sort of understanding), it's something that pretty much everyone can relate to. Not recommended for Chris Walters, as there is pretty much nothing besides emotionally intimate moments. 5/5

Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) Dixon - A fictional film about the first black man to enter the CIA, and then after obtaining necessary information and training, takes his skills back to southside Chicago and trains a group of young black man in preparation for a revolution. The revolution centers around freedom from white oppressors. An interesting concept in theory, but not the most entertaining film. 3.5/5

Switchblade Sisters (1975) Hill - As far as trashy, campy, culty movies go...this one is pretty great. The Dagger Debs are an all-girl gang that wields knives and generally kicks the shit out of other girls and guys if necessary. Lots of gratuitous boob shots and those shirts seem to rip open all of the time. The main rival gang is a bunch of politically charged artsy kids, and the Debs (and later christened "Jezebels") have to team up with some commie black ladies in order to gain victory. 4.5/5

In News

* The Flaming Lips long awaited film spectacle (originally slated to come out Christmas 2003) Christmas on Mars is finally opening in New York this week

* Guillermo del Toro is expected to film remakes of "Frankenstein", "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", and "Slaughterhouse 5"

* NY Magazine is throwing around a claim that two co-producers from "The Office" are writing a script for Ghostbusters 3...oh boy..

Celluloid #14

In Theatre

Man on Wire: Phillipe Petit is a tightrope walker. Obviously he's a bit crazy, but also likably mischievous, enthusiastic, and infectiously passionate. This documentary about his "adventure" to tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the mid-1970s, is beautiful and moving. My eyes welled up near the beginning just from a shot of a picture of Phillipe walking between two towers of the Notre Dame cathedral. It is remarkable how these images stick in one's head causing reflection and appreciation for being alive. While it is never mentioned, this film also serves as the perfect reclamation of the twin towers from the despair of 9/11. A passion for life replacing the images of death. 5/5

In Home

Atonement (2007) Wright - After reading the novel earlier this year and recalling that this film made its way onto many critics "Top 10 of 2007" lists last year, I felt that I should watch this film. I was surprised at how visually interesting it was. I like that the film and the book examine the power of the written word and the concept of perception, but my problem with both still lies in the ending. I will admit that the film is less tedious or cheesy than the book's version, but I still wasn't totally fine with it. Also, the standard complaint with any book adaptation usually has something to do with lack of detail or character development, and I think that exists here to the point, that I think I was only able to appreciate this movie as much as I did by having the knowledge obtained from the book. 3.5/5

Cria Cuervos (1977) Saura - I find little Ana Torrent's face so compelling to watch that I wish she had made more films in her youth. So sad and androgynous! This film is about three sisters coping with the death of their mother first from cancer, and then their father's death from a likely heart attack. Ana is the middle child and often has dreams or visions of her mother and has the hardest time with their aunt who has come to raise them. More mood than plot, and features a really cool (but sad) song by Jeanette called "Por Que te Vas". 4/5

Sansho the Bailiff (1954) Mizoguchi - A story about a wife and her two kids who are travelling to the husband's new government post, but along the way are kidnapped, separated, and sold into slavery. The children work in the same place for ten years before attempting to escape and reunite with their parents. The father of the story has also instilled a deep moral code in his children regarding the importance of "mercy," which later plays a significant role in the film. 4/5

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) Pollack - During the Depression of the 1930s, dance contests of endurance were a popular form of entertainment and a way for people down on their luck to potentially make a little money. The dance marathon in itself has plenty of emotional and tense moments, but the sense of hopelessness is what really nags at you after viewing. 4/5

In News

* Jiri Menzel, the Czech director of my favorite film of all-time, Closely Watched Trains, actually has a new film being released in the U.S. I guess I just assumed he was dead, but instead he is offering up another adaptation of a Hrabal novel (much like Closely Watched Trains ) called I Served the King of England. This is news that I could pretty much pee my pants over. (Thanks to Saxon for the tip)

* Michael Haneke is filming his follow-up to Funny Games (US), a film being called Das Weisse Band (or "The White Bound" as best as I can figure). The description is about a rural school in 1913 and the ritual punishments enacted there...

* Gael Garcia Bernal and his best friend Diego Luna will be starring in Rudo y Cursi, a soccer comedy/drama slated for release (in Mexico at least) around the end of the year.

Celluloid #13

A day late, but I had an apartment to get and the end of "The Wire" to watch...

In Theatre

Nearly a week ago I saw Pineapple Express. I went in knowing that it would be a dumb comedy and probably typical Judd Apatow fare, but I was still very curious to see how David Gordon Green would influence the project with his directing style. First of all, I will admit that I am tired of Apatow-related films and Seth Rogen's face at this point, but despite those admissions, I think this movie is pretty terrible. I laughed during the first half, but as the story progressed any reason to laugh (at least for me) diminished. The fight scenes were long, boring, and unfunny. The gay shit...not funny. The racist (or more likely pseudo-racist) treatment of Rosie Perez and the Asian drug lords didn't do anything for me or the plot. Also, Green didn't really do anything with the material. In perhaps two scenes (where Saul and Dale are playing around in the woods and when they are running around the neighborhood trying to make it to Dale's girlfriend's house) one can see a glimpse of Green's visual aesthetic, but overall, I hope he just made this film to finance another indie project in the future. So yeah, maybe I'm just a hater of the "dumb comedy", but this film was way too stupid...2/5

In Home

Blood of a Poet (1930) Cocteau - Part of Cocteau's surrealistic "Orphic Trilogy," this film feels very much like Bunuel's L'Age D'Or which came out around the same time. A poet/artist climbs through a mirror into a strange world where statues come to life and anatomy can be rearranged. Beautiful and cool old-school special effects, making a comment on the artist's role in society. 4/5

Double Indemnity (1944) Wilder - Apparently I've been on a bit of a noir kick lately. This film is great. An insurance agent falls for a femme fatale housewife who wants to kill her husband to collect the insurance money. The two conspire since the salesman wants to become closer to the wife and knows enough about the insurance procedures to plan a seemingly flawless murder. A scandalous movie for the time, where the audience roots for the "bad guys," and still holds up today for entertainment value. 4.5/5

Jigoku (1960) Nakagawa - An early Japanese horror film where two men kill another man in a hit and run. The driver feels no remorse, but the passenger insists that they turn themselves in, all though he is worried about the fate of his pregnant girlfriend if he goes to jail. They decide to keep quite and this decision leads to a crazy downward spiral where eventually the setting of the film becomes Hell complete with all of the main characters. Really cool, and looks like something that would have been made much later than 1960. 4/5

Play Misty For Me (1971) Eastwood - The first film directed by Clint Eastwood is about a Carmel, CA disc jockey and the woman who stalks him. A fun film about a crazy woman that gets pretty cheesy at times (eg. weird "romantic" music montage featuring a sometimes nude Eastwood). And...the main actress is a young Jessica Walter who plays Lucille Bluth on "Arrested Development." 3.5/5

Winter Light (1963) Bergman - Similar in theme to Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest, but in my opinion, Bergman's is the more interesting of the films that center on priests struggling with their faith. A really intense movie that involves scenes where the camera does not move for minutes at a time from a close-up of someone's face. This film has plenty regarding the human condition even for those who care little about religious themes. 5/5

In News

* Man On Wire: Saxon likes it. Filmspotting likes it. I want to see it.

* A really outrageous cult film is going to be released this November. REPO! The Genetic Opera is decribed as "Rocky Horror meets Blade Runner," and features none other than Paris Hilton.

* John Hillcoat (director of The Proposition) is nearly finished with his film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, to be released this November as well. The next Nick Cave collaboration Death of a Ladies' Man is still in "pre-production"

* Not a film, but film-related, I just discovered a podcast called "Left Field Cinema." A British man called Mike Dawson releases a 10-20 minute episode every week. Topics range from the standard review of a new in-theatre release to categories such as "world cinema masterpiece", "contemporary obscurity", "asian avant-garde", and "misunderstood modern cinema." Dawson's analysis often gets pretty academic, but his takes are super interesting and the episodes are so brief. Plus, his accent is just pleasant to listen to...

Celluloid #12

In Home

Brick (2005) Johnson - While I liked the premise for this movie, I could easily see how it could be off-putting for other viewers. The concept is basically a old-fashioned detective-mystery story set in a present day high school. The "PI" character is played by a loner kid, Brendan, who is trying to figure out why his ex-girlfriend got murdered. None of the actors look like they could be high school students, and the dialogue is much more sophisticated than any 16 year olds'. In reality, the only aspect that seems to translate from an actual high school is the interplay and exclusivity of cliques. That being said, if one can accept the obvious stylization, I think this is a pretty entertaining film. 4/5

Hoop Dreams (1994) James - Siskel and Ebert could not stop raving about this film when it came out, to the point where Ebert named it as the best film of the 1990s (film...not even documentary) and their outcry over its exclusion from the Oscars that year actually caused the Academy to change some of their policies. While I don't believe Siskel & Ebert (or Roeper) should be trusted, it really is an amazing documentary about two high school students from southside Chicago who dream of making it to the NBA. We meet them in 9th grade when they are chosen to attend a prestigious private school, and follow them until graduation. I'm really not that into basketball, but this film also addresses the intersection of race and class in America as exemplified by the struggles that each of these families have to endure. Fathers that aren't around, welfare, slinging crack, trying to get their own education, living without electricity at times, etc. The documentary is 3 hours long, but I promise by the end, you find yourself wanting to follow them even longer. 5/5

If....(1968) Anderson - Part of the "angry young man" phenomenon in Britain, If... is a satirical story about the private school system. By the end, it's very clear that the film is tackling more than just school, but attacking the whole notion of nationalism and tradition. It was the late 60s and England was experiencing their counterculture too...4/5

Le samourai (1967) Melville - A really cool French gangster film. Jef Costello is hired to murder a nightclub owner and spends the remainder of the film evading police. Costello (played by Alain Delon) is such a great anti-hero with impeccable fashion sense. 4.5/5

O Lucky Man! (1973) Anderson - Another Lindsay Anderson film this week, once again starring Malcolm McDowell. This film begins with a young coffee salesman who is quickly promoted and becomes ever increasingly enamored with power, money, and sexual exploitation. Here, we have another satire, this time beating us over the head with the problems associated with capitalism, which is fine, but 3 hours worth!..not fine. Also, interspersed with cheesy Kinks/Beatlesque songs. 2.5/5

In News

*Shane Meadows, director of This Is England, has a new film coming out soon called Somers Town. The young boy from This is England (Thomas Turgoose) will be starring again

* I don't know how far along this is, but Edward Norton is directing and starring in the film adaptation of Jonathan Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn about a detective with Tourette's

* In the realm of animation, an Israeli film in the vein of Persepolis, is making the festival circuit called Waltz With Bashir

Celluloid #11

In Theatre

So I finally saw The Dark Knight this week while may parents were in town visiting. The second in this particular Batman franchise, Dark Knight picks up where Batman Begins left off. This film seemed to me to contain many more action scenes than the previous film and obviously less character development. Everyone has been raving about Heath Ledger's performance, and I will say that he makes a great Joker...the Oscar buzz is a little far-fetched to me. While crazy action films aren't usually my thing, this film has enough story, darkness, and imagery for me to enjoy and I think the action scenes are well done. My only problems were that the Two-Face transformation didn't seem very believable to me (and the coin flipping thing was a little too similar to No Country For Old Men's gimmick, but better done in that film...I'm sure it's just coincidence) and the whole scene involving cell phone-sonar-multiscreened technology was pretty dumb if not confusing, but these are minor quibbles. Overall, my parents and I were all satisfied. 4/5

In Home

3 Women (1977) Altman - An oddball of a movie, even for Altman. Reportedly based on a dream that Altman had while his wife was in the hospital, this is a loose story about a woman who works at an assisted living center, a new employee who idolizes her and becomes her roommate, and a pregnant woman who paints graphic Egyptian/Greek styled murals depicting lots of genitals. Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall play the main ladies, and this is probably the most attractive either one of them has looked in a film. As far as plot or meaning goes, a lot is open to interpretation. 4/5

the Birds (1963) Hitchcock - Classic film where birds begin to fatally attack the residents of a small coastal town for no apparent reason. I understand that this film was pretty scary back in the day, and while I can't imagine present day audiences being frightened, I personally appreciated the "special" effects used to portray the bird-attack sequences for their style/aesthetic rather than believability. 4.5/5

Blood Simple (1984) Coen - The first Coen brothers film takes place in Texas and features a very young Frances McDormand. Abby is cheating on her husband, Marty, with one of his employees, Ray. Marty has hired a private detective to follow Abby and then later to murder the adulterous couple. As the title implies, there is a fair amount of blood, however, there are also a fair amount of twists. I had seen and loved this film before, and had re-watched it as something to do with my parents, and they also enjoyed it. 5/5

Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) Varda - A young french singer believes that she has cancer and is waiting her hospital results. In the meantime, we see her prance around town, buying hats, feeling sorry for herself, meeting a nice soldier, meeting with her songwriter, etc. In one way it seems like she is questioning the meaning of her life, but on the other, she seems like a spoiled rich girl. 3.5/5

I Vitteloni (1956) Fellini - A group of friends are prolonging their adolescence as long as possible. They are bachelors, enjoy drinking and dancing, flirting with ladies, and some are persuing creative ambitions. Then, one of the friends gets his girlfriend (and sister of one of the other friends) pregnant and is forced into marrying her. He does care for her, but is reluctant to give up his lifestyle and rides the fence between these two worlds for some time. 4/5

the Tenant (1976) Polanski - Polanski actually stars in this film about a man seeking an apartment to rent in Paris and moves into one where the previous tenant had attempted suicide by jumping out of the window. The neighbors are very finicky about noise and company, and the protagonist undergoes a fairly implausible transformation. Also, this film features many scenes with Polanski in drag. 3.5/5

In News

* The Coen Brothers have a new movie coming out in September called, Burn After Reading. Labelled as a crime comedy, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand all act. The story has something to do with information from a CIA agent and some employees at a gym.

* For more upcoming Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Is finishing up. David Fincher (Zodiac, Se7en) is directing and it's a story about a man who ages backward.

* If you need any updates about the upcoming (as in next March) Watchmen film about the "greatest graphic novel of all time", you should check my friend Roman's page..there's a lot of comic nerdery there.

Celluloid #10

In Theatres

This past weekend I finally found a theatre in the East Bay screening My Winnipeg. I've heard about this film for the past year and have been curious about the apparently newly created genre: "docu-fantasy." It's an apt description as this film interperses facts and recreations of Winnipeg's history, with dramatizations of scenes from the director's (Guy Maddin) own childhood.

I have to admit that for the first fifteen minutes or so, I was quite worried about the direction the film was heading in (something along the lines of bad poetry combined with repetitive images). Thankfully, what follows is much more enjoyable. On one hand this is a story that embodies the "myth" and "legend" that one's hometown holds. It's also a nostaglic (but not always loving) look at an era that has passed, signaled by the demolition of buildings that once played roles in Winnipeg's myth. Lastly, I find it pretty ingenious to cast actors to play one's relatives in recreating childhood stories. This film is not perfect, but I did laugh out loud at times, and often found myself thinking or wondering about the stories of my own hometown. 4/5

In Home

Black Narcissus (1947) Powell & Pressburger - A group of nuns go to the Himalayas to start a school/hospital/community center. They find difficulty with the "natives" and with a pompous British soldier stationed there. Oh yeah, and one nun is crazy. This film is a technicolored, dramatic music epic, complete with plenty of racist and sexist lines, scenes, characters, etc. However, it's pretty to look at, though that hardly makes up for the other stuff...3/5

Diary of a Country Priest (1950) Bresson - This film is about a young priest who is not entirely welcome in his village, has tuberculosis, and often seems to have difficulty with his own faith, much less being able to advise those in his congregation. While I found the concept interesting enough and I did like the main character/actor, overall I found the film somewhat boring. 3.5/5

Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1962) Enrico - A short based on story about the Civil War, specifically a confederate supporter sentenced to be hanged from a bridge, and literally we see his life pass before his eyes, and then it seems like he might be lucky after all...A really cool-looking half hour film. 4/5

The Silence (1963) Bergman - Part of Bergman's "trilogy of faith," this is a story about two sisters of very opposite temperaments on a trip, as seen mainly through the eyes of the young son of one of the sisters. While travelling, one sister falls ill, and the other tries to get some ass. Remarkable acting, beautifully shot, sensual and thought-provoking...as the best Bergman is..5/5

the World (2004) Zhang - A take on modern capitalism in a China struggling between communism of its past and capitalism in its (reluctant?) future/present. The story is very lyrical but narrative can be found surrounding the employees of an amusement park that features scaled-down monuments from around the world. Lushly saturated colors and epic in scale. 4/5

In News

*If you need a Steve Coogan fix, you will not have to wait much longer as Hamlet 2, a story about a failed actor who becomes a high school teacher and puts on a politically incorrect musical sequel to Hamlet, will be released on August 27. (All though...it's not getting the best reviews ever)

* Spike Lee is working on a bunch of stuff including a sequel to Inside Man, a documentary about Michael Jordan, and his upcoming release Miracle at St. Anna, a war story about four black american soldiers, etc. (I doubt I will ever watch this) However, did you hear that Clint Eastwood recently told Spike Lee to "shut his face"? Spike called Eastwood out on the lack of black actors in his films, and that was Eastwood's response. (oh shit!)

* And in other Spike news, Spike Jonze is finishing up his version of Where the Wild Things Are, but there have been massive rumors about reshoots and issues with the studio, so who knows when it will actually be released.

Celluloid #9

In Home

All the President's Men (1976) Pakula - Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford play two reporters at the Washington Post trying to figure out who is connected to the Watergate scandal. The film definitely glorifies the role of a journalist and gathers quite a bit of tension for a story that most people know the outcome of beforehand. The ending is a little weird/rushed, but probably necessary since the movie already nearly reaches the 2 1/2 hour mark. 4/5

Baby Doll (1956) Kazan - Tennessee William's story about a desperate man named Archie and his young bride whom everyone calls "Baby Doll." Baby Doll and Archie had an agreement in their marriage that no sex would happen until her 20th birthday (which happens to be tomorrow in the film). Archie is also struggling with his cotton gin business and resorts to burning down a rival gin. The owner of that gin is forced to bring his cotton to Archie and tries his hardest to take Baby Doll's virginity in the process. Such maniacal great expressions...really fun and even made me nervous at times. 5/5

In Cold Blood (1967) Brooks - Based on Truman Capote's nonfiction story, we follow Dick and Perry as they set across Kansas to a farmhouse where they believe a safe with a lot of money can be found. However, they cannot find the safe and end up killing the entire family, only coming away with $43 and a radio. The film goes a little overboard at times in its examination of psychological reasons to commit murder and then later with capital punishment. 3.5/5

Shadows (1959) Cassavetes - Cassavete's debut is a jazzy, New York, black and white film centered around the concept of "passing." Lelia lives with her two brothers, Ben and Hugh. Lelia and Ben are quite light and often pass as white, but Hugh is much darker. Lelia sleeps with this white dude, but when he meets her brother Hugh, visibly becomes uncomfortable with the whole situation. 5/5

Spirit of the Beehive (1973) Erice - Spanish film that takes place post- Spanish civil war. The girls see a screening of "Frankenstein" and the younger sister becomes fascinated with the Frankenstein character. Her older sister says she has seen his spirit in an abandoned building closer to town. Ana (the younger girl) begins hanging out there and eventually mistakens a wounded man as the spirit. A very deliberately paced, beautiful, if slightly vague film. 4/5

Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1977) Fassbinder - The title is a joke, as Herr R.'s life is full of routine...work, parent-teacher meetings, coffee/tea with visitors, etc. His mom is too nosy, his son can't pay attention in school, and his wife is preoccupied with her expensive materialism. Herr R.'s life is starting to get to him...4/5

In News

*Wes Anderson is working on his next project based on a Roald Dahl story, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Anderson is a big fan of Dahl and the film is set to star George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, but one should also expect appearances by Anderson favorites, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman.

* This isn't really film related, except that Alan Ball wrote American Beauty, and perhaps more importantly the beloved tv series "Six Feet Under." Anyway, Ball has written and is expected to start producing a new HBO series entitled "True Blood." I'm interested but very skeptical considering the lead will be played by Anna Paquin and according to the site charlainharris.com:

"Set in small-town Louisiana, series follows the world of vampires, who are able to co-exist with humans by drinking a Japanese-manufactured synthetic blood. While spooky, the show also contains a dose of humor alongside the horror"...we will see...