Celluloid #123

In Theaters

Partner (1968) Bertolucci - In hindsight, there was probably a good reason why I had never heard of this film. Starts off well with the tension and paranoia that seems commonplace in late '60s Italian features. Jacob meets his doppelganger and together they devise a plan for revolution based on experimental theater. There are some memorable scenes, like the foam party, but overall this plays out like a parody of foreign arthouse and is just too goofy for my taste. 3/5

Terri (2011) Jacobs - Terri plays like the sad Sundance version of Angus. Once again you have a fat kid, his small crude sidekick, and the pretty popular girl that he befriends after she is shamed. However, while Melissa in Angus has her eating disorder, here Heather's problem is that she is caught getting fingered in Home Ec. causing the whole school to demonize her. Except for Terri of course, because he already feels like a monster. The other main story is with the well-meaning Assistant Principal (John C. Reilly), who often acts too much like a dude and ultimately fucks up a lot. Besides having more energy and a great soundtrack, Angus is the better film, or at least character. The two leads both demonstrate that they have heart, but Angus at least has a brain, while it's unclear if Terri is just overly naive or actually a little slow. 3/5

the Trip (2011) Winterbottom - Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden go on a trip through Northern England under the pretense of restaurant reviewing. Each man represents a different path of adulthood. Rob is a family-man; mediocre, but with low-brow popularity due to his knack for impressions. Steve is more of a ladies' man with limited success in art house films, capturing critics' hearts, but not a grander audience. While both men an be funny in their ways, I rarely found myself laughing at anything. 3.5/5

In Home

Marwencol (2010) Malberg - Really incredible documentary about a man with a brain injury that uses art as a form of therapy. Mark was the victim of a brutal attack, and when he could no longer receive traditional therapy, he started constructing an extremely detailed town out of dolls to enact stories. The town is set in war ear Belgium, but many of Mark's friends appear in alternate form as characters. Mark himself has an alter ego (which looks like a Nicolas Cage doll), and often these stories end up being at least influenced by events in his life. He also takes photographs of the dolls posed in different scenarios, and I cannot emphasize enough how strangely moving and good these are. Eventually he gets discovered by a photographer and an art magazine editor, and they set up an art show for him. Highly recommended. 4.5/5

Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) Taviani - During the end of WW2, two groups of Italians fight against one another. Our main character is 6 year-old Cecilia, and we see the war essentially through her eyes. Some incredibly tragic events transpire - pregnant women killed in bombings and children being shot point blank. It's not always easy to know who to root for. 3.5/5

Play it Again, Sam (1972) Ross - Allan's wife Nancy wants a divorce to live a more "swinging" lifestyle. Allan's friends try to ease the blow by setting him up on dates. The most awkward dates in history. Of course he falls for the wife of the couple who are trying to help him. Initially this is because he doesn't recognize her as an option and therefore can just be himself. She's also pretty neglected by her husband, leaving the opportunity for their friendship to turn into something more. 3.5/5

Radio Days (1987) Allen - Plays like short stories from the '40s. Most deal with one particular Jewish family living in Brooklyn, but others focus on more peripheral characters, and include War of the Worlds, commercials, and human interest themes. A glimpse of old timey Brooklyn and nostalgic fun, but pretty fluffy. In some ways, people seemed to be more connected to one another because they were all listening to the same thing. 3.5/5

the River (1951) Renoir - Too much voiceover, too much imperialism, too much emphasis on traditional gender roles, and too much cheesy technicolor melodrama. 2/5

Test Pattern #8

Boardwalk Empire (Season 1) - Exciting drama about Prohibition-era Atlantic City. Corruption and crime abound. Nucky Thompson is played by Steve Buscemi, and he basically runs the town. He starts a romance with a woman involved in the Temperance Club, only after dumping his Ziegfeld Follies dancer, the wonderfully pouty and often naked Paz de la Huerta. Other key characters are Jimmy and his common law wife. Jimmy befriends a youngish Al Capone, but that ultimately cause more trouble than expected.

Bored to Death (Season 2) - Jonathan (Jason Schwartzmann) is still totally adorable and charming. George gets diagnosed with cancer and starts an affair with his doctor, plus has to deal with the ever-changing media landscape making magazines obsolete. Ray gets dumped, but finds a cult following for his comics. This show is like popcorn...or whatever this hipster equivalent of popcorn is...

Eastbound & Down (Season 1 & 2) - A pretty funny series about Kenny Powers, a has-been professional baseball player trying to get back into the Majors. The first season is much stronger, focusing on Kenny's return home (onto his brother's couch) and trying to win back his high school sweetheart. By season 2, we have ended up in Mexico, battling depression and taking the local team for granted. I also could do with seeing less of Stevie in the future.

Game of Thrones (Season 1) - Love this shit! It has all the nudity and sleaze of Rome, but with much more compelling stories about families, feuds, mythical creatures, impending doom, etc. So far most of the drama deals with the Stark family and their rivals the Lannisters. The families were on friendly turns until an incest secret is discovered by a young Stark and the King of the Seven Kingdoms dies. There is also a crazy storyline with the Targaryen siblings seeking to reclaim the kingdom that the believe rightfully belonged to their father. The sister is married off to a savage leader and becomes the Khaleesi, and is probably my favorite character at the moment. However, Peter Dinklage's Tyrian Lannister is also a treat to watch. Dragons! Cannot believe I have to wait to watch more of this.

the Killing (Season 1) - This adaptation of a Danish show starts off very Twin Peak-ish but without the humor. Rosie Larsen is a seemingly good girl, but perhaps with some dark secrets. Her murder sets off an investigation that goes from the government, a Islamic community, and mob ties. Some complain about the amount of grieving we see the family doing, but I didn't mind that aspect. What's more frustrating is the amount of red herrings, and the notoriously unresolved ending. (Apparently that's being addressed early next season). I'm really into Holder, the former junkie white homeboy sidekick, and hope that his character isn't too simplified in the way that the finale may indicate. Rather than being angry about the ending, I'm looking forward to next season, and kinda hope Rosie's case never gets solved in a gesture towards reality.

Sopranos (Season 1) - A huge blind spot in my television watching, especially considering how many other HBO series I have seen. After season 1, I'm hooked. I like Tony as the sorta sensitive mobster, who maybe often fears for his life, but still commits enough heinous crimes to be interesting. His wife Carmela is amazing at not taking shit from anyone. I also really like Christopher and his girlfriend Adrianna. So much tension about who is going to get offed!

Treme (Season 2) - Why do I keep watching this show? Basically nothing really happens and still too much of each episode is taken up by music. In fact, in this season, so many of the plotlines revolve around individuals starting bands or trying to write songs. Janette is still my favorite, but she's mostly in New York this season. Big Chief is depressed. Sofia is being a huge rebellious brat. Some really terrible shit happens to LaDonna. Toni is still working cases. There's another key death this season, but how I wish more things would happen..

Celluloid #122

In Theaters

Beginners (2011) Mills - Oliver's dad has died. Five years earlier, his mother died, and six months after that Hal (the father) comes out to his son and starts living a pretty active gay life. Oliver naturally has to adjust to this news, but mostly he just appreciates how much his dad is "alive." They have many touching discussions, and I cried repeatedly. The parts that work less for me are Oliver and Anna's relationship and the scenes that are monologues featuring phrases like "this is what the stars looked like in 1955.." The problem with both is that they are just a little too cutesy. It wasn't enough to thoroughly bother me, and I still enjoyed everything else. 3.75/5 [decent +]

In Home

Angus (1995) Johnson - I went on a bit of a nostalgia kick this past Friday, inspired to watch this film probably for the first time in 15 years. The soundtrack is admittedly better than the movie, but I still have a soft spot for the the science-loving fat kid who finally gets to have a moment with his long-desired crush. A young James Van Der Beek plays the dick who makes fun of Angus, and attempts to humiliate him by getting him elected as Winter Ball King. Angus has trouble dancing and has to wear a plum-colored suit because it's the only thing that will fit. All in all, still a really likable teen film. 4/5 [good]

Heathers (1989) Lehman - Continuing the nostalgia kick, and filling in the gaps in my roommate's film-viewing, we sat down to watch Heathers. The most popular girls in school - 3 Heathers and Veronica Sawyer wreak havoc on the school population's self-esteem. Veronica is not totally comfortable with the Heathers' bitchiness, and when she starts dating the loner JD, they jokingly devise a plan to murder the lead Heather. JD is crazed so this joke quickly turns into reality. A string of murders happen, and are all made to look like suicides. This film is so witty, funny, and mean-spirited..but in the best way. Also, it is so clear that this film, no matter how satirical could be made today in this post-Columbine era. 4.5/5 [great]

the Omega Man (1971) Sagal - A plague has descended upon humans, that causes them to turn into zombies in stages. Charlton Heston plays a scientist who has been trying to devise cures for non-existant diseases. He is immune to the plague and eventually meets up with other humans after believing he was the last man on Earth. He hooks up with one and saves another. A fun 70s sci-fi time. 3.5/5 [decent]

Trees Lounge (1996) Buscemi - Tommy is kinda a loser. He spends his afternoons and evenings at the local bar. In fact, his apartment is right above the bar. He tries to get work as a mechanic, but when everyone denies him, the ice cream man dies and Tommy takes over his route. One drunk night, he takes home the teenage daughter of a friend. (A young Chloe Sevigny...so good in this role). Nothing much happens, but an accurate depiction of a life stuck. 4/5 [good]

Art Garfunkel Memorial Reading List (January - June 2011)

1.) I'm Not Stiller - Frisch (1/4)

2.) Freedom - Franzen (1/10)

3.) the Voice Imitator - Bernhard (1/13)

4.) Super Sad True Love Story - Shteyngart (1/21)

5.) Jesus' Son - Johnson (1/24)

6.) Flowers in the Attic - Andrews (1/30)

7.) Girls to the Front: the True Story of the Riot Grrl Revolution - Marcus (2/2)

8.) the Lover's Dictionary - Levithan (2/4)

9.) the Stories of Breece DJ Pancake - Pancake (2/4)

10.) Ghostwritten - Mitchell (2/11)

11.) We Need to Talk About Kevin - Shriver (2/26)

12.) Our Circus Presents - Teodorovici (3/9)

13.) Moby Dick - Melville (3/11)

14.) Scorch Atlas - Butler (3/15)

15.) the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Skloot (3/22)

16.) Correction - Bernhard (4/3)

17.) Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things - Sorrentino (4/9)

18.) Heart of a Dog - Bulgakov (4/12)

19.) Fugue State - Evenson (4/14)

20.) the End of Vandalism - Drury (4/19)

21.) Sixty Stories - Barthelme (4/20)

22.) the Cannibal - Hawkes (5/3)

23.) Bonsai - Zambra (5/4)

24.) Negative Space - Farber (5/11)

25.) the Film That Changed My Life - Elder (5/17)

26.) the Stain - Ducornet (5/17)

27.) Nobody Move - Johnson (5/18)

28.) Ablutions - DeWitt (5/19)

29.) Teen Movies: American Youth on Screen - Shary (5/22)

30.) the Shell Collector - Doerr (5/24)

31.) the Vagrants - Li (5/25)

32.) Interpreter of Maladies - Lahiri (5/26)

33.) Bossypants - Fey (5/28)

34.) the Empty Family - Toibin (6/2)

35.) the Other City - Ajvaz (6/6)

36.) War Trash - Jin (6/16)

37.) St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves - Russell (6/23)

38.) We - Zamyatin (6/29)

Celluloid #121

In Home

Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) Morrissey - Totally campy Warhol/Morrissey film where a mad scientists is trying to create a male and a female zombie that will procreate. He selects a human man that he believes to be a quite a ladies' man (when in fact this individual is thinking about becoming a monk). This guy's best friend is the real casanova, but the scientist's wife finds her own personal use for him. Really bloody and hilarious. 3.5/5 [decent]

I Am Curious: Yellow (1967) Sjoman - Starts off with pseudo-documentary stylings, where Lena interviews Swedish citizens about political issues of the day. Lena is also the director's lover/muse, but he loses interest as her sexual experimentation regarding free love becomes more overt. There are some really campy hippy scenes that I hope are meant to be at least a little ironic, considering Lena is often portrayed in a light typical to early 20-somethings where they want a cause to champion. I like that Lena is a little chubby and seems to flaunt her flesh while simultaneously feeling a little self-conscious. 3.5/5 [decent]

Soylent Green (1973) Fleischer - This movie is just one of those great 1970s sci-fi films, where the future being portrayed is essentially right now, but their version is so of its time with the colors and costuming and so delightfully 70s. In the future, there is no more food so citizens eat processed colorful blocks of nutrition that are carefully rationed. These are called "Soylent Red", "Soylent Yellow", etc. Soylent Green is by far the favorite. An investigator uncovers the secret behind Soylent Green and pays dearly for his knowledge. 3.5/5 [decent]

Twilight (2008) Hardwicke/Twilight: New Moon (2009) Weitz/ Twilight: Eclipse (2010) Slade - Okay, so here's the point where I lose basically all credibility for having good taste in film....I have to say that I have enjoyed watching these movies in rapid succession. This is not a huge surprise to me given my predilection for teenage drama, like to keep up on cultural phenomena, and the fact that I enjoy other shows and movies dealing with monsters. Overall the acting is noticeably bad, everyone mumbles, the music is strange, and I can't really feel that great about the ridiculous portrayal of romance setting an unreasonable example to impressionable adolescents. I don't even understand why this vampire and this werewolf are that into Bella - she's boring and stubborn and really not a very good friend. However, during the third film I found myself gasping and yelling "NO!!" at the television...obviously I have been sucked in. My roommate and I even end up talking about how minus the supernatural elements, this is actually a really accurate portrayal of high school. I would say that the first film is the best, the second really not very good, and the third definitely better than the second. I would not recommend this to anyone...I feel like you know who you are if this would appeal to you. That being said, I am pretty thrilled to watch the next installment in November (vampire baby ripping Bella's stomach open!!)...and Team Edward (even if he is a liar and kinda a creep...) ??/5 [N/A]

Celluloid #120

In Theaters

Super 8 (2011) Abrams - I was really excited to see this film - JJ Abrams doing an homage to ET and Close Encounters + Coach Taylor! For the first 2/3, I was so down. The kids were compelling and actually pretty decent actors, and I liked all of the nostalgic qualities. I easily got sucked into the kids' interpersonal dynamics and their individual family dramas and the film they work on together. Things begin to fall apart for me when the kids have to evacuate town. The plot that ensues goes beyond my ability to suspend disbelief (and I am not referring to anything monster-related, more with discovering and comprehending some secretive research that even the military police couldn't find..). Towards the end, I guess we are supposed to feel sympathetic for this creature and the connection between it and the protagonist kid...I didn't buy it. My heartstrings were untouched for the ending, because I really feel like the film never earns that kind of emotional attachment. Abrams may be channeling Spielberg, but he could have tapped that emotional vein in a much more effective way. 3.5/5 [decent]

X-Men: First Class (2011) Vaughn - I really only saw this film because I was visiting my parents. Not something that I would normally seek out, but I got a little sucked in by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. This movie is fine for summer fare. I always enjoy Michael Fassbender, and without a doubt, he is the most compelling reason to watch this film. There's nothing wrong with this film, but it's just difficult for me to get excited by mutants and their superpowers...even if it is couched in civil rights era rhetoric. 3.5/5 [decent]

In Home

Gran Torino (2008) Eastwood - I really don't know why we are supposed to find an old cranky man's racism charming or sympathetic. I'm not opposed to the basic premise of this film: a man is recently widowed and angry at the world. He begrudgingly befriends a Hmong teenage boy who lives next door. He imparts wisdom to the neighbor through the benefit of his years, and in turn learns from the boy due to his foreign culture. The problem is that the dialogue is bad, and the acting is perhaps even worse...not something that normally bothers me in a film until it it is so egregious that it becomes distracting. 2/5 [bad]

the New World (2005) Malick - After watching Tree of Life last week, I was jumping at the chance to watch the remaining Malick film unseen by me. I'm sure that I originally overlooked this film because of the presence of Colin Farrell, but rest assured, he is far from annoying and Malick is clearly running this slow-paced show. This is the lyrical story of the romance of Pocahontas and John Smith. A glimpse at "wild america" and the tension between the old and new cultures. The young woman who plays Pocahontas is stunning and has such an interesting face. Tree of Life seems like a natural next step after this movie (moving from early history and American myth, to even more personal American myths expanded to the mysteries God and the universe). 4/5 [good]

Zombie (1979) Fulci - The special effects are bad, but sorta charming in their badness. This will hit the spot if you want a zombie film, and even features some elements not normally seen in the genre: voodoo, tropical settings, and most notably - a fight between a zombie and a shark. 3/5 [medium+]

Celluloid #119

In Theaters

Blank City (2011) Danhier - Documentary about the No Wave scene in New York during the early 1980s. Somewhat about the music, but primarily focusing on the film scene consisting of Jim Jarmusch, Nick Zedd, Richard Kern, and Amos Poe among others. This film paints a picture of a gritty New York with a strong community of poor kids squatting in abandoned buildings and making art with each other. Interviews with Lydia Lunch and James Chance are particularly entertaining. 4/5 [good]

the Tree of Life (2011) Malick - Scenes of outer space, dinosaurs, and evolution are mixed with slightly less abstract dramatic episodes from 1950s Texas. The Texas scenes are still atypical because they consist of mainly nonlinear moments full of lots of whispering and inner monologues. Several of these scenes affected me in an incredibly emotional way, but could be just as simple as a son hugging his father. Overall, as a viewer, you are witnessing some pretty universal turmoil, mainly dealing with the complexities of relationships and the loss of innocence that accompanies the transition out of childhood. I don't know exactly what to make of the inclusion of the dinosaur scenes except to set a certain type of tone, much like I'm not sure what to do with the surreal religious ending. I really wish that the naturey screen saver parts were much shorter, but I loved the Texas parts and how beauty in this film. It really isn't like anything else I have seen, and want more people to watch it, if only to have someone else to talk to about it. 4/5 [good]

In Home

Before the Rain (1994) Manchevski - A young priest tries to save an Albanian girl. In another scenario, a woman finds out that she is pregnant, but is having an affair and wants a divorce. A man returns to his home in Macedonia after 16 years abroad as a photographer. Each of these narratives are connected by a cycle of violence of particular interest for this part of the world during the mid-90s. 4/5 [good]

les Enfants Terribles (1950) Melville - A brother and sister are a little too close. They don't exactly do anything inappropriate but take every opportunity to undermine each other and destroy the other's chances at love. 3/5 [medium]

Zelig (1983) Allen - Fake documentary about Leo Zelig, a man who can transform into different identities and dubbed the "Human Chameleon." Leo wanted to be liked so much that he would distort his image to fit in. He stops transforming once he falls in love with one the therapists who studies him. Then scandals become unearthed as it seems that his various personalities had previously married other women, committed vandalism, etc. He goes from being a beloved icon to a loathed man - not all that different from the cycle of celebrity today. 3.5/5 [decent]