Screen cap from moving and pulsating thriller “Argo” one of the best American films of 2012
by Sam Juliano
You know the drill, right? Frost on the car windshields. A big pumpkin sitting on the porch. That scary ghost like figure from Scream hanging out on the railing. World Series fever. Gridiron madness. Movie award discussion, and some exciting new trailers at the multiplexes. There’s some world-class singing to be heard at Lincoln Center, competing with the orchestra playing the classics at Avery Fischer Hall. On top of that is Election fever. ’Smilin’ Joe Biden of vice presidential fame had quite a go at his Wisconsin foe on Thursday, adding to the already turbulent political season when most people can’t be count the times they are being called on the phone by one party or another. Above all it’s a time when Mother Nature wears her prettiest dress, saving her most resplendent appearances in New England and the Pacific northwest.
I’d like to again bring attention to the ongoing project by Dee Dee, Lori Moore and Barbara LaMotta, one focused on gathering online signatures calling on the powers that be to release a blu ray/DVD box set of the most celebrated films of acting icon John Garfield. The results so far are most impressive, and an extension seems imminent. Meanwhile, our Chilean soul-mate Jaimie Grijalba, fresh off his trip south to the Valdivia International Film Festival, is relentlessly continuing his horror countdown at Exodus 8:2. The Major League baseball playoffs continue with the Fall Classic finalists close at hand. Looks like Yankee fans won’t be doing any celebrating this year after dropping the first two ALCS games at the House That Ruth Built in anemic fashion. But Tiger fans are no doubt on cloud nine.
Lucille and I managed some new theatrical releases over the past week, and our weekly Monday appearance at the Harold Lloyd Festival at the Film Forum. The boys attended the Lloyd, the Saturday night horror film, and Ben Affleck’s pulsating thriller, while Lucille and Sammy spent the entire day Saturday and a good part of Sunday at the “Comic Con Convention” at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.
We saw
Argo **** 1/2 (Friday night) Edgewater multiplex
V/H/S * (Saturday night) Landmark cinemas
Creature from the Black Lagoon *** 1/2 (Sunday) Film Forum
The Freshman ***** (Monday) Harold Lloyd at Film Forum
Ben Affleck has connected the emotional dots in a riveting thriller narrative based on a true story about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis that in the end could be seen as a triumph of the human spirit. The film ARGO, features director Affleck, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin in terrific turns in a film that holds you captive throughout. There’s quite a bit of award talk. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON may be silly, but it’s a minor camp classic that has never look better than it did at the week-long 3D presentation at the Film Forum; VHS is perhaps the worst omnibus horror film ever made, with a disjointed arc, headache-inducing cam work and incoherence of a high order. Harold Lloyd’s THE FRESHMAN, with it’s unforgettable football game is one of three features by the comic icon that can rightfully be called a masterpieces (The others- “Safety Last” and “The Kid Brother”)
Harold Lloyd masterpiece “The Freshman”
Here are the links. I managed to update a good number:
At the magical Creativepotager’s blog Terrill Welch has a showcase of visual treasures up in her ravishing new post “New Homes for art and other studio musings”: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/new-homes-for-art-and-other-studio-musings/
Laurie Buchanan’s latest post “Quiche Me Quick” at the soul-stirring Speaking From The Heart broaches incomparable matters of familial love: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/quiche-me-quick/
Jon Warner has authored another superlative review at Films Worth Watching, this time on Jules Dassin’s 1949 “Thieves’ Highway”: http://filmsworthwatching.blogspot.com/2012/10/thieves-highway-1949-directed-by-jules.html
Tony d’Ambra has just posted a tremendous piece at FilmsNoir.net on “Naked Alibi (1954) “bizarre images, strange juxtapositions, and erotic plays”: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/naked-alibi-1954-bizarre-images-strange-juxtapositions-and-erotic-plays.html
Judy Geater also considers Vidor in her splendid essay of the director’s little-seen 1935 film “The Wedding Night” at Movie Classics: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/the-wedding-night-king-vidor-1935/
John Greco has penned a terrific review of 1949′s “On the Town” at Twenty Four Frames: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/on-the-town-1949-gene-kellystanley-donen/
Pat Perry has penned eight splendid capsules of a wide array of films she’s seen recently at Doodad Kind of Town: http://doodadkindoftown.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-catch-up-post-little-bit-about-lot.html
Joel Bocko astutely considers “Halliwell’s Hundred” and “Hellzapoppin” at The Dancing Image: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2012/10/halliwells-hundred-and-hellzapoppin.html
Ed Howard has penned a master-class essay of the neo-realist masterpiece “The Bicycle Thieves” at Only The Cinema: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/10/bicycle-thieves.html
Sachin Gandhi offers up a fabulous report on the Calgary International Film Festival at Scribbles and Ramblings: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2012/10/ciff-2012-wrap-up.html
Samuel Wilson is in the horror mood as we approach Halloween, and he’s offered up a doozer of a piece on “Blood Bath” at Mondo 70: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2012/10/blood-bath-1963-66.html
Weeping Sam has a most interesting Major League Baseball update at The Listening Ear: http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2012/10/very-quick-baseball-post.html
In Tokyo our good friend “Murderous Ink” has posted Part 3 of ‘The Lady of Musashino” in a fantastic essay at Vermillion and One Nights: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2012/10/musashino-landscape-that-never-was-part.html
Dee Dee offers up petition co-founder Lori Moore’s own take on a John Garfield classic over at Darkness Into Light: http://noirishcity.blogspot.com/2012/09/john-garfield-in-nobody-lives-forever.html
Shubhajit Lahiri has penned a typically brilliant capsule review at Cinemascope on Jacques Becker’s “Le Trou”: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2012/10/le-trou-hole-1960.html
Marilyn Ferdinand, as per her annual custom has been writing some excellent essays on the Chicago International Film Festival, and the latest is the Sengalese film “Tey” at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2012/ciff-2012-tey-aujourdhi-today-2012/16149/
David Scheicher has a fascinating update on “Boardwalk Empire” at The Schleicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2012/10/14/boardwalk-empire-youd-be-surprised/
At Exodus 8:2 Jaimie Grijalba continues with his “100 Days of Terror” with a terrific review of the semi-classic “Werewolf of London”: http://exodus8-2.blogspot.com/2012/10/14-werewolf-of-london-1935-n-83.html
R.D. Finch has written a splendid essay on 1965′s “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” at The Movie Projector: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-spy-who-came-in-from-cold-1965.html h
Kaleem Hasan offers an engaging post at Satyamshot titled “Shahrukh in Conversation with Yash Chopra”: http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/shahrukh-in-conversation-with-yash-chopra/
One of the net’s finest writers, the exceedingly talented Jason Bellamy has written a fantastic essay on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” at The Cooler: http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2012/09/touching-void-master.html
At Patricia’s Wisdom our friendly host has penned a terrific review of a volume on Pope John XXIII: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2012/10/the-good-pope-the-making-of-a-saint-and-the-remaking-of-the-church-greg-tobin/
The comment section under Kevin Olson’s superlative essay on “The Master” at Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies makes this presentation a must read for film fans: http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-master.html
At the Coffee Messiah’s blog the indominable Michael Harford features a collage on cultivation: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2012/09/cultivate.html
Craig Kennedy has penned at terrific review on “Frankenweenie” at Living in Cinema: http://livingincinema.com/2012/10/05/frankenweenie-2012/
Stephen Russell-Gebbett has posted another thought-provoking piece, this time on 2010′s “Burning Bright” at Checking on my Sausages: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2012/09/burning-bright-2010.html
David Lawrence, thjat erudite and personable educator from the U.K. features a poster of a Hammer classic at his new site Musings and Meanderings: http://1mouth2ears.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/movie-posters-1-dracula-has-risen-from-the-grave-1968/
Brandie Ashe happily announces a “Singin in the Rain” giveaway at True Classics: http://trueclassics.net/2012/08/10/singin-again-plus-a-giveaway/
Roderick Heath has posted a terrific new review on “Chronicle” at This Island Rod: http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2012/07/chronicle-2012.html
J. D. LaFrance has penned a terrific piece on Tony Scott’s “The Last Boy Scout” at Radiator Heaven: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-last-boy-scout.html
The esteemed Film Doctor, a professor on Film Studies at a southern university, has written a fascinating piece on P.J. Anderson’s “The Master” at The Film Doctor: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-master-s-whip-lash-8-notes.html
Adam Zanzie has posted a terrific “alternative Sight and Sound list at Icebox Movies: http://www.iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-alternative-sight-sound-list.html
Jason Marshall has continued his superb coverage of 1942 at Movies Over Matter with a wonderful post on his Best Actor choice for that year: Chishu Ryu: http://moviesovermatter.com/2012/08/09/chishu-ryu-in-there-was-a-father-best-actor-of-1942/
Peter Lenihan has written a superlative essay talking about two films: “Dredd” and “Savages” at The Long Voyage Home: http://thelongvoyagehome.blogspot.com/2012/09/double-feature-dredd-savages.html
At The Blue Vial Drew offers up “w/o” and some intriguing Fordian parallels: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2012/10/wo_5.html
At The Last Lullaby, the ever delightful filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman takes a look at part sixteen of his long running quartet series: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-four-part-sixteen.html
Stephen Russell-Gebbett at Checking on my Sausages again offers up a brillinatly-creative feature on ‘Sport as the Perfect Fiction”: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2012/08/sport-is-perfect-fiction.html
Tony Dayoub takes a look at the summer’s Barnes and Noble 50% off sale for Criterion collectots at Cinema Viewfinder: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2012/07/criterion-summer.html
Greg Ferrara at Cinema Styles talks about the Colorado shootings in a moving feature: http://cinemastyles.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-dark-knight-shooting-in-colorado.html
Jeopardy Girl talks about her “least favorite film” at her wonderful new series at “The Continuing Saga of Jeopardy Girl”: http://jeopardygirl.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/2-my-least-favourite-film/
Hokahey takes a fascinating look at “Looper” at Little Worlds: http://hokahey-littleworlds.blogspot.com/2012/09/looper-glossary-of-terms.html
Dave Van Poppel has a tremendous batch of short reviews up at Visions of Non Fiction on the Toronto Film Festival: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com
I saw V/H/S over the weekend also Sam, and was pretty disappointed. I’d been looking forward to it as I’m a big fan of horror anthologies and have really admired previous work from a few of the names involved who’ve done some interesting things in the arena of lo-fi horror, but it wound up being precisely the kind of pedestrian BOO! and schlock show I was hoping it wouldn’t be. I already really dislike the found footage subgenre and can’t wait for it to go away, and I guess was being overly optimistic that this group might wring a few refreshing approaches/ideas from it, but they didn’t really at all, and for me there was only one segment I’d call a success (Joe Swanberg’s), and then a few genuinely eerie moments between everything else and a whole lot of stuff I’ll be happy to never sit through again. At a solid two hours it’d be generous even calling it hit-or-miss.
I did watch three other horror movies over the weekend that were far better: Luigi Bazzoni’s two brilliant giallos La Donna del Lago and Footprints on the Moon, as well as John Carpenter’s The Fog, which is of course awesome.
hahaha Drew, I love what you say here about the “found footage genre” and how you can’t wait to see it “go away.” Oh I agree with you lock, stock and barrel. And you frame the ineptitude and humdrum substance of V/H/S way better than I could. Swanberg’s segment was the last one, I believe? Like you I love horror anthologies and was brought up on the Amicus stuff, though 1945′s DEAD OF NIGHT would seem to be the all-time champion in this department. I appreciate the timing of your terrific contribution Drew! Bazzoni’s giallo shares that title with a fine Rossini opera, but I haven’t yet seen it or the other you name by the director. I must investigate both! As far as Carpenter’s THE FOG, I again am in complete agreement – it’s a horror classic! Thanks very much Drew! Have a great week!
Swanberg’s segment was the second-to-last one, with the Skype conversation. I thought it was a fairly ingenious twist to the Paranormal Activity set-up, pictorially incorporating the image of the spectator alongside the depicted horrors and creating a kind of Mondrian framing that added the element of voyeurism and an interesting dimension to what is at this point a pretty played out approach. For me it reached a very potent level of psychological horror by the end that nothing else in the movie even came close to, all the more impressive as it was arguably working with the most meager means of any of the segments, The last story was done by the horror troupe Radio Silence, and as an f/x showcase I thought it was pretty nifty, and I enjoyed the nods to Cocteau, but otherwise it didn’t do a ton for me.
I like Dead of Night a lot, Sam, though I’m not sure it’d quite be in my personal top tier; it’s high points are really great and justifiably celebrated, but a couple of the segments have always struck me as complete throwaways. I love pretty much everything I’ve seen from Amicus, and Asylum in particular is right up there alongside my very favorite horror films. Have you seen Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat from a few years back, Sam? I think it’s probably the last great horror anthology – it doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and is constructed with a lot of wit and atmosphere and just overall has a great sense of what makes these kinds of movies so entertaining. It’s quickly become a Halloween staple for me.
Drew, I haven’t seen Trick r Treat, but I will do so ASAP, with Halloween upon us, and Yours Truly in horror mode (even with comedies now taking center stage at the site) Great to hear what you say about ASYLUM, which had the terrific bookends with “Dr. Star” and the buffo segment “The Weird Tailor” based on a Robert Bloch story that provided BORIS KARLOFF’S THRILLER with one of it’s best and scariest episodes. Also love DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS and VAULT OF HORROR from Amicus (TALES OF THE CRYPT is good too) and the three film omnibus by Mario Bava BLACK SABBATH, which contains two terrifying segments, one based on Chekov. I agree that DEAD OF NIGHT does indeed have a few throwaways to go with the unforgettable segments. But I will definitely get hold of Trick r Treat! Thanks again my friend!
Man, I’ve heard others commend Trick or Treat too. I thought it was just fucking awful.
Out of curiosity, what is the “found footage” genre? I don’t know it, but I quite like the sound of it, and can’t imagine I’d want it to go away…
So the Yankees’ gooses are cooked. Sad, that they couldn’t even get to enjoy their win over Baltimore, taking the field the very next day.
I’ve read nothing but high praise for ‘Argo’. Hope to see it with Sue this weekend.
Their bats are dormant Peter. Robinson Cano’s deplorable performance speaks for itself.
Poor Yankees (hee heh heh… I have to find some comfort, after the atrocity the sox laid on us this season…). It does seem to be a very evenly matched post-season, anyway… given the way it’s gone, I suppose the Yanks aren’t out of it yet – plenty of come backs and whatnot so far. I admit – though I want to see the Tigers win one, it would be very interesting if either the Cards or Giants won – back to back, or 2 out of 3 – and if the Cards won, it would be their third in 6 years, which is pretty impressive. Those two organizations have done a rather spectacular job of staying around the top of the game, without the drama and hype you get from NY and Boston and the recent Phillies…
WS—-
Looks like tonight could be the death knell for the Yanks, though the great Sabathia could give them a temporary reprieve. I have opted to see a late screening of Carax’s HOLY MOTORS at the Film Forum at 9:40 P.M., as the director will be present. If you are a huge Red Sox fan, I well know the situation with the Bronx Bombers and I can’t say I blame you. That is a rivalry for the ages. Down 0-3 now, the Yanks are pretty much done. Only your Bosox came back from such a deficit and that was against the 2004 Yanks in Beantown’s year of baseball glory. Geez how are the Cards doing it? With mirrors? I do think the Giants will take them out, but I’ve said this before. Thanks my friend!
and thanks Peter, what you say there is irrefutable. Do seek out ARGO my friend!
Sam, I had a ticket to see the midnight screening V/H/S at our festival but I couldn’t make it. I had hoped that I didn’t make a mistake so your words are reassuring
I hope to see ARGO this week so good to see your positive rating.
Thanks for the mention & hope you have a good week ahead. And 2 more sleeps until you see HOLY MOTORS
Sachin, I really can’t imagine you likely V/H/S, though there are some fans out there. In any case you have far greater reports to make after that fabulous festival attendance. ARGO is a tough movie not to like methinks, so I am anticipating a strong response, but we’ll see. Two more sleeps indeed, as I have concrete plans to see HOLY MOTORS Wednesday night as the first half of a Film Forum double-feature that will conclude with the Lean classic BRIEF ENCOUNTER. Be rest assured you’ll be getting an e mail my friend. Have a great week and many thanks as always!
Sam –
I love the tantalizing word picture you painted of autumn’s splendor. Yes, indeed. She’s arrived — like a queen — in all her glory!
It sounds like Lucille and Sammy had a wonderful adventure at the Comic Con Convention — good for them!
I’ve been anxiously waiting for you write about ARGO. Through “Klout,” Len and I were the lucky recipients of a pretty cool “perk.” On Thursday, October 11 (which numerically was 10-11-12, pretty darned cool!), we went to a screening of ARGO at the AMC Loews on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. We dressed up all fancy-schmancy, took the train to the city, and arrived at 6pm for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The screening was at 7pm.
Not being a huge fan of thrillers, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the film was well beyond interesting and compelling. To know that it was based on a true story made it gripping, engrossing — spellbinding. I was glued to my seat, white-knuckling the armrests, eyes saucer-wide. I’m fairly certain my heartbeat was audible in the next zip code over!
Laurie—
Autumn is a season that invites the sensory approach. For so many reasons it’s my favorite time of the year. And I know Crystal Lake and seasonal beauty go hand in hand! Yes Lucille and Sammy did have a fabulous time, highlighted by their chat with and autograph from Christopher Lloyd and Lou Ferigno. Danny got his chance on Sunday, spelling Sammy for a while. Thrilled to hear you got to see ARGO in Chicago, and that you and Len have come in with a buffo response! You do a terrific job framing it -it is certainly a thriller in the truest sense of the word- and the emotional and inspiring underpinning really seals the deal. I am hearing that this may be the Oscar frontrunner. Whether that is a good thing (depending on one’s awards’ tolerance) it signals Affleck as a major filmmaker. And yes, 10-11-12!! Love it!!! Have a great week my friend!!
Thanks for the link, Sam.
I would love to hear about Lucille and Sammy’s experiences at Comic Con – that is SO not my world, but I’m still curious to know what it’s like. Sounds like you got some good viewing in.
I am dying to see ARGO, had planned to see it this weekend, but was a bit “under the weather” on Saturday – and there was a lot of weather to contend with! Lots of dreary, drenching rain here all weekend long with a brief tornado warning in effect yesterday, so was a perfect time to snuggle under a blanket and stage a litte Rainy Weekend Film Festival of my own. From OnDeamand, I ordered SLEEPWALK WITH ME ( an amiable, low-key comedy which I very much enjoyed) and DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (not so enjoyable, its whimsical absurdity wore thin for me at about the mid-way point). I went into my DVR queue for Gregrory LaCava’s 1940 PRIMROSE PATH and Godard’s VIVRE SA VIE. – ironically both about women drifting into prostitution (or trying not to), from obviously VERY different points of view! Wrapped up Saturday late watching CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY on TCM, with a startlingly young Sidney Potier in a small role. Attempted to watch Visconti’s THE LEOPARD on Sunday afternoon, but was repeatedly interrupted – first by breaking emergency weather alers and tornado sirens necessitating a retreat to the basement (fortunately whatever it was blew past pretty quickly), then by phone calls – finally I gave up and shelved it for another day. Someday I may actually WRITE about some of this, but remain lazy on the blogging front! Next weekend, I am determined to get into the city for one or two films at the Chicago International Film Festival. Have a great week!
Pat—
I am sorry to hear you were “under the weather.” I am just now experiencing the discomfort that an apparent stomach virus brings. Got back from the Harold Lloyd Festival two hours ago and am feeling nauseous. Ugh. But the real weather in and around the Windy City doesn’t sound like much fun. The tornado threat is downright frightening! Well, watching DAMSELS IN DISTRESS I came up with the same objections as you did. It eventually wore thin. I was frankly surprised with the strong reviews, especially since I forget about it within days. Hope you’ll get a chance to return to THE LEOPARD, a certain masterpiece. But CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY, PRIMROSE PATH and a Godard I rather like there are fine choices! I’m sure you’ll love ARGO and we’ll excitedly be comparing notes! Lucille, Sammy and Danny spent the time at Comic Con, and met some interesting people (Christopher Lloyd and Lou Ferigno among others) and traveled every bit of real estate at Jacob Javits. Look forward to hearing a report from the CIFF Pat! Thanks as always and have a great week!
Hi Sam – Thanks for the shout-out on my CIFF coverage. Sadly, it interfered with the Comedy Countdown, so my Mon Oncle review was shorter than I intended, but hope it still fits the bill. The CIFF films have been a mixed bag – I’ve seen more films than I’ve written about. Perhaps most notably because the NYT saw fit to mention its US premiere at the CIFF is the short documentary Numbered, about the Auschwitz survivors who have number tattoos. Because of its 60-minute length, I assume it will be shown on PBS. I didn’t care for it much, though I enjoyed the people interviewed in it. It’s too superficial for people who know anything about the Holocaust, and seems more than a little voyeuristic. I really hoped to learn whether the numbers mean something to the survivors, but the film didn’t really answer that question. After seeing the searing documentary Jai Bhim Comrade just before Numbered, about the the struggle of untouchables to lift themselves out of their oppressive conditions in India, I really felt we should stop paying so much attention to a tragedy that is largely over and concentrate our efforts on tragedies that are occurring now.
Marilyn–
You wind up your great submission here with a telling concern. While films on the Holocaust have simultaneously fascinated and repulsed me (Like you I have seen an incredible number over the years) I agree that the focus should be on tragedies that are still occurring. Too bad that NUMBERED turned out to be superficial and voyeuristic, but I am excited about JAI BHIM COMRADE. From what you seem to have concluded, last year’s CIFF was generally stronger than 2012, though obviously there are some excellent films. But yes, if you are writing less, that speaks for itself. Your MON ONCLE review is quite excellent, and long enough for sure. Thanks so much my friend. Have a great week!
Ah Marilyn, you attended the other CIFF
There are few film festivals out there with the acronym CIFF but I have to admit, every time I see it mentioned, I naturally think of my local festival. Interestingly, our links above start with the same words ciff-2012…
Although it appears you have seen some completely different films than I did at your festival and I will have to keep my eye for some of the ones you mention.
Sam, I’ll probably get to Argo next weekend. Sounds good, the context intrigues me and I’m curious to see if director Affleck lives up to the hype. I’m still trying different kinds of horror with mixed results. Jean Rollin’s Lips of Blood is a characteristic Seventies Gothic with an apropos emphasis on the temptations and perils of nostalgia and nudity almost as an afterthought. Massimo Dallamano’s What Have You Done to Solange? is no more than competent, lacking the pictorial panache or delirious sensibility I want in a giallo. Andy Milligan’s Guru the Mad Monk is a camp curiosity, utterly failing as a period piece and somehow lacking the vitality of the great Bad Movies; unlike with those, you get the sense that everyone involved could do better, but didn’t bother. Leaving the genre aside, I saw Bresson’s Trial of Joan of Arc, which seemed more preoccupied with what it didn’t want to be (Dreyer, Preminger, etc) than with saying anything interesting about the subject, and Mervyn LeRoy’s Elmer the Great a seasonally-appropriate baseball picture that starts as an interesting study of a spoiled small-town sports star but gets bogged down in plot complications and the utter fantasy of the Cubs defeating the Yankees in a World Series. Here’s to better movies for everyone.
hahahaha Samuel— I love what you say about Le Roy’s wishful ELMER THE GREAT, but you have certainly correctly sized it up! Ha! of the horror lot I’ve only managed to see the Rollins, which is certainly a time capsule as are other films by the cultist, and one-of-a-kind director. The giallo sounds somewhat interesting, though I see you are less than enthused. That’s an interesting statement you make about Bresson’s THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC being “preoccupied with what it didn’t want to be-Dreyer and Preminger, than saying anything interesting about the subject. That’s rather a harsh assessment of a film I highly regard, even if ultimately it’s not in a league with the Dreyer, which does always seem to hold it’s artistry as second-rate Bresson with a good number of people. There is a phisicality and psychological depth into the actual transcripts that make the film unique. I am most interested in what you will think of ARGO, and hope you get chance at it this week. Thanks as always my friend for the great submission!
Thanks again for the shout out . I did get to see five films this week. Hope all is well.
Argo (*****) One of my top films of the year. The opening portion sets the framework for what is about to unfold. The tightly knit editing make for a knuckle biting finale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This despite the fact you know how it is going to end.
Looper (****) Strong visuals and a stimulating inventive narrative make this one of the better SF films of the year. It does turns a bit more conventional toward the end but overall, a well done film.
Mr, Klein (*****) Fascinating study from film director Joseph Losey. This neglected work, a complex study of bigotry and paranoia, is a nightmarish journey with shades of Hitchcockian elements and more.
Smart Woman (***) Sophisticated pre-code film with Mary Astor as a loving wife who returns home from Europe, after taking care of her mother, to find her husband has a new woman in his life. Nice performances from Astor and Edward Everett Horton, as her brother in law. Directed by Gregory LaCava and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.
The Case of the Lucky Legs (**1/2) Warren William is Perry Mason in this light hearted version more in tune with The Thin Man films, only not as good, rather than the Raymond Burr TV show boomers grew up with.
John—
All is well my friend. With Halloween around the corner and the election reaching it’s final stage, there’s a lot of excitement, aside from that which is an outgrowth of the blogging and comedy countdown. You had quite a week of some great films there, and I’m particularly thrilled at your top rating for ARGO and the stellar assessment of LOOPER. Both these films at this point would rate among my favorite films of 2012! Great point about Affleck’s film keeping you riveted even with the knowledge of the history. I thought ARGO was a deeply-moving film as well. I am not quite that high with MR. KLEIN, but fair enough, who can really blame you, and I love Losey’s work in general. You say so much in that two sentence assessment, and it’s all on the money if I might say so. As to SMART WOMEN and THE CASE, haven’t seen either, though you only give a scant recommendation. Thanks as ever my friend, and wish you and Dorothy a great weekend!
My kids are all telling me about Argo and I saw a great interview with Affleck and it made me want to see it too…I actually have seen the Freshman several times – How can that be?
Thank you for the shout out about the book review…I tell you the Books for Holiday sales are coming in now…and there are some amazing reads to review in November – One I am sure would make a great movie and it is already getting a huge buzz on Face Book TELEVANGLE – a real page turner
They are now sending the books PDF for me and that means I can get my words up sooner…
At an auction we won a gourmet Italian dinner at the new restaurant that also makes Gluten Free pasta – I thought of you right away …..
I also won 6 gourmet caramel apples, which is a huge autumn treat here. I started cooking down the pie pumpkins yesterday …oh they are so sweet this year…taste buds revved.
Congrats on winning the Book THE GOOD POPE for making a comment
Patricia—-
First off I had no idea that I had won any book, so your announcement has me deeply grateful!!! As I said I have maintained a lifelong fascination with the machinations of the papacy. And you bet I should come into mind when you partake of an Italian gourmet dinner. They may be my downfall, but I find nothing as delectable! Ha! Congrats on winning the prize! I’ll certainly keep my eyes open for TELEVANGLE!! And another congrats on the caramel apples, which are a treat in any region, but admittedly in tune with the Pacific northwest! I am 100% certain you will love ARGO, and very much look forward to your reaction my friend. Have a great weekend!
Hello Sam and everyone!
Thanks so much for featuring my project with so much praise, it’s been hard to complete every day, but I owe it to myself, since I have fun watching a horror film a day and reviewing it for the month of october, I think it’s a tradition that will continue for me as long as I can do it.
Well, I watched Creature from the Black Lagoon recently and I rated it **** for the same reasons you gave it ***1/2, and seeing it in 3D, wow, as it was intended and the original audience saw it. I can’t wait for Argo myself, it’s gonna open here soon.
Well, I just had a week with me getting accustomed to the machine of working, and I’ve been hard working on a postulation to a government help for developing my screenplay, so that’s that!
My week movie wise:
- The Deadly Spawn (1983, Douglas McKeown) ***1/2 Reviewed at my site.
- Island of Lost Souls (1932, Erle C. Kenton) **** Reviewed at my site.
- Cactus River (2012, Apichatpong Weerasethakul) ***1/2 Short documentary in black and white, experimentation with fast forwading through life, showing the life of an actress or a native in Thailand. Beautiful cinematography and editing.
- Mad Love (1935, Karl Freund) ****1/2 Reviewed at my site.
- The Most Dangerous Game (1932, Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack) ****1/2 Reviewed at my site.
- Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933, Michael Curtiz) **** Reviewed at my site.
- Nadie dijo nada (Nobody Said Anything) (1971, Raul Ruiz) **** Another nice experiment on language, talk and writing from the chilean period of Ruiz, showcasing many acting talents and describing accurately the period of Chile in which it was filmed, showcasing the snobbery and the futility of the act of being a writer in Chile. Filmed mostly with camera on hand.
- Sadako 3D (2012, Tsumotu Hanabusa) *1/2 A reboot and one of the worst asian horror films I’ve ever seen, I’ll have more to say about this one later.
- Saute ma ville (1968, Chantal Akerman) **** Interesting and great short film from this french director, showcasing herself in a haunting role that describes the youth of even today. Great filming techniques here.
- The Stuff (1985, Larry Cohen) ***1/2 Reviewed at my site.
- To Rome with Love (2012, Woody Allen) *** Finally was able to see the latest film from this famed director, and I was greatly dissapointed, specially since I was one of the few people that actually found the trailer to be interesting, and in the end it turns out that everything is done without passion, every character ends up being a despicable being and then it ends. The cinematography is great though.
- Tres Tristes Tigres (Three Sad Tigers) (1968, Raul Ruiz) ****1/2 One of the great Ruiz films from his chilean period, managing to actually tell a narrative that moves and twists around but maintains a core of characters that are interesting and greatly performed as well as characterized under the circumstances in which the country was involved during the 60′s. Political and always funny, this film is like a party that turns serious all of the sudden.
- Werewolf in London (1935, Stuart Walker) *** Reviewed at my site.
Thanks Sam and have a great week!
Jaimie—
Great to hear you have been working, and that developing your screenplay makes it all so exciting. You continue to be a force of nature with all the watching and writing for two sites. I congratulate you on the incredibly successful horror countdown and for doing so much here with the comedy countdown simultaneously. I know you have yet another piece going up here in the morning! And you continue to watch an astounding number of films, that at this pace would beat any other 22 year old out there. You are a bionic man indeed. Yes, CREATURE in 3D was quite a lot of fun. The process really allowed for a stunning pristine transfer, elevating this cheesy minor cult classic. Sorry to hear you weren’t the biggest fan of TO ROME WITH LOVE, as I responded to it with considerable more enthusiasm. The shower singer (bringing the stall on stage) was a hoot, and Woody always enhances the films were he appears in front of the camera. I also loved the beautiful camerwork around the great city, and Benigni’s part, which effectively mocked celebrity status. You are far from the only one who didn’t dig it, but I felt it worked better than a number would contend. 1932′s THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is absolutely a classic, and ut hovers near the 5 star range as you also propose. The short story by Richard Connell that it is based on is also a gem. Agree that MAD LOVE is great, and that MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM is another landmark genre work. I haven’t seen some that you impressively frame, but would very much like to see that Weerasethakul documentary most of all, as he’s a favorite. I do like WEREWOLF OF LONDON since I was much younger, and it’s a minor classic of sorts. Thanks as always for the titanic wrap and best wishes in your new position my very good friend!
Hey Sam! Thanks for the great mention. Great writing on the turning of the leaves etc. We have hit peak color here in Southwest Michigan. I only saw the colors for a few days though, as I arrived home from travels late on Friday, and left again for distances far and wide this morning. Busy times here for me.
Glad you liked Argo and I’m rather pleased to hear that Affleck is turning out to be quite the director. I really liked The Town a year or so ago, which had a great feel to it. I can well imagine he builds suspense well and directs some solid action setpieces in this new one.
Last week I managed to wade through a few titles of note. My Night at Maud’s, which might be my favorite of the moral tales, To Be or Not To Be, which is one of my favorite comedies (in preparation if you know what I mean) and also Jane Campion’s tremendous initial film Sweetie, which I had never seen before. Wonderful compositions and the use of color was fantastic in that film. Haven’t quite determined if it’s masterpiece status yet, but it is a very idiosyncratic and affecting film.
Up this week for me I’ll be on the road and returning home on Friday it looks like. I’ve brought Claire’s Knee, Blithe Spirit, Alambrista and Onibaba with me. Have a great week Sam!
Jon—
Thanks very much for that Jon. I see you are out on the road yet again, but I know this is the arc of your regular work schedule. How you do what you do is amazing beyond belief. You do have some terrific film lined up though, especially the Rohmer and Shindo. But BLITHE SPIRIT is also a classic and I want to see ALAMBRISTA myself. You saw some formidable films with MY NIGHT AT MAUD’S and TO BE OR NOT TO BE, and with SWEETIE Campion began her cinematic conquests, even if as you rightly note this is not quite a masterpiece. Have a great weekend,and hope you will be back soon.
Thanks Sam for the kind mention.
Yes, its been interesting following the “election fever”, as you put it, in the US. Though I didn’t watch it, the newspapers informed me that Romney had the upper-hand in the 1st debate with Obama, as also the kind of off-the-cuff vitriol that Biden brought onto the table in the vice-presidential debate. It would be interesting to watch the 2nd debate between the 2 presidential candidates as, from what I know, there’s isn’t much to choose from among the two as far as poll predictions go.
Anyway, here’s what I managed to see in the past week (till last night):
- Herzog’s seminal classic on madness of human ambition & greed, Aguirre the Wrath of God – it reminded me a lot of the brilliant Huston classic Treasure of Sierra Madre
- Theo Angelopoulos’ fascinating, hallucinatory political & human odyssey, The Travelling Players – just fell in love with this Greek epic
- The sumptuous sight-and-sound period piece by Kubrick, Barry Lyndon
- Alain Resnais’ avant-garde meditation on time & memory, Je T’Aime Je T’Aime
Shubhajit—-
Yes indeed, it is that time that engages us here stateside once every four years, and it’s always a time I can vent and re-new my utter contempt with the Republican party. No matter what Obama did or didn’t do, he is always a far better choice than the standbearer of the GOP and it’s conservative minions. In my 20′s and 30′s I was super-active in my home town and county, collecting absentee ballots, putting up signs and attending all kinds of meetings. While I have mellowed on that front now with a big family and a predominant focus on what I really like most, I still get all pumped up in mid Octover until Election Day the first week in November. Yes, Romney did win that first debate, but just this past Tuesday (Oct. 17) at Hofstra University in NY the President returned the favor causing the challenger to make some verbal blunders. I am awaiting the new polls to surface over the weekend, which I am think may stall Romney’s momentum, and perhaps even have Obama gaining. I still think with America’s bizarre Electoral College voting system, Obama will prevail. But it’s real close and can still go either way. There is one more debate to go this coming Monday.
Wow, you really did see some great films there this week! CINEMASCOPE should be hopping, and be rest assured I’ll be attending that party.
BARRY LYNDON for me is one of the ten greatest films ever made, and Kubrick’s supreme masterpiece–as visually sumptuous as any film (John Alcott); I adore that Angelopoulous film which your wonderfully frame; AGUIRE is a Herzog masterwork (great comparison there with the Huston!) and as far as that relatively unheralded Resnais, count me as a fan! I thought it utterly delightful and would go to the mat for it!
Have a great weekend my friend! Many thanks as always!
Hi Sam and everyone, hope you all have a good week! I finished reading Ford Madox Ford’s massive novel ‘Parade’s End’ this week and must now catch up with the BBC/Tom Stoppard adaptation – I’ve seen the first couple of episodes but then halted to concentrate on the book. It’s a novel which is quite hard to describe, largely told in stream-of-consciousness, about an upper-crust British family falling apart during the First World War. A lot of it is magnificent, but unfortunately the last of the four volumes is a clunking disappointment – Graham Greene actually cut this whole section out of his edition.
Film-wise, I’ve only seen two this week – the first was Frank Capra pre-Code ‘Forbidden’ (1932), starring Barbara Stanwyck as an unmarried mother in a secret relationship with politician Adolphe Menjou. Stanwyck, Menjou and Ralph Bellamy as a rather seedy journalist are all great, but the script is patchy, to say the least, though it does get better as it goes along. The other was Scorsese’s ‘The King of Comedy’ which I thought was a great satire although I found it quite hard to sit through at times because of the level of embarrassment in its black comedy – have just left a comment under Maurizio’s review on that one, anyway!
Judy—-
You have my attention on the Maddox Ford volume. After I complete this comment I will investigate. I don’t know how you work in all the reading with the theatre and films, but you’ve been doing it right along and I must tip my cap to you. If Greene cut that last volume out, well then you are in good company on that observation. The stream-of-consciousness must make this a challenging though ultimately rewarding read. The subject needless to say is fascinating, and one I always gravitate to. I just haven’t read in the last few years with everything else. But this would be a great way to re-enter. Great that you have found the greatness in the first three. I don’t think I’ve seen that particular pre-coder, and from what you say despite a slow unfolding it’s still worth a look-see. Saw your comment under Maurizio’s review of KING, and fully can understand that headging. Thanks as always my friend, and have a great weekend!
Early voted for Obama this morning in Ohio. Here’s hoping.
If Romney wins you can kiss your ass goodbye.
Ah, Mark that news does my heart good this afternoon, as I am nervous about tonight’s debate at Hofstra. I am thinking our man will be rejuvenated by the intense and pointed preparation, and that when the smoke clears he will regain the momentum he lost in Denver. Your home state is the key to this entire election, and if Obama wins it as expected, he will be re-elected, since he is still expected to edge out Romney in Iowa. The Republican can run the table in all the other battleground states and it won’t matter. This game is all about the Electoral College, a fact we were smugly reminded of in 2004 when Gore won the popular vote, but G.W. Bush won the Sunshine State in the chad debacle. I have all the confidence in Ohioans, who are seeing through Romney’s lying.
Your early vote has put a smile on my face my friend, and your warning is dead-on!
After last night’s prizefight, I think Obama has re-asserted himself. And Romney’s Libya gaffe, not to mention his ‘binderful’ comment on women, may have killed his chances. At some point it’s impossible for a liar to remember his own lies.
On a lighter note, I read that Lena (‘Tiny Furniture’) Dunham is getting 3.6 million for a book deal. Good for her, I say.
If only last night’s Obama showed up last time. Hopefully he’ll keep the crowd energy that he thrived off of even when he’s in the more traditional debate format next time.
It will be on foreign policy at any rate, so he’ll probably be at an advantage.
Mark—
The only thing that continues to scare me is today’s Gallup poll that has Romney up by SIX points, 52% to 46%. That’s a very big lead, considering how close the numbers have been for over a month. Sure there are other polls that have them neck and neck (even the GOP leaning Rasmussen at only 2) and the result does NOT include Tuesday’s debate, but it’s still sticks out. I am still inclined to think that the winning formula (Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Nevada) is still a likely one for Obama, regardless of the national popular vote.
Mark, wouldn’t it be just sweet if Romney were to capture the overall popular vote, but Obama still triumphed in the Electoral College. Poetic justice for what happened to Gore in 2000!
And realistically it could happen!
Yep, Joel, I agree. Foreign policy should play to Obama’s strengths.
Absentee ballot for Obama as well. He can count on at least two votes.
Re: Lena Dunham, if she’s funny as is alleged (I wouldn’t know) then sure, I guess she earned her book deal. I just can’t stand this “voice of her generation” crap. She’s the voice of elite NYC arts/yupsterdom, an awful lot of young people who don’t fall into that category though even in this digital, viral age many in the media seem astounded by the notion that culture extends beyond the confines of the Hudson River and Long Island Sound…
Her show Girls was god awful Joel. A rip-off of Sex And The City with younger brooklyn/village hipster chicks in place of Manhattan middle age uptowners. Really cliched stuff with such a shockingly narrow perspective. Now I know I’m not exactly the target audience for that kind of program (and I only made it through about three episodes due to the insistence of someone else) but it seems very few people actually praised it… especially anyone I know.
Never seen Tiny Furniture.
I haven’t watched that show or any of her stuff purely because she and the cast all seem to benefit from a whole lot of nepotism. I’ve been skeptical of Sofia Coppola as well, but at least she’s shown some kind of ambition with her connections (and good taste in starting out adapting Eugenides). Wake me up when Dunham’s imagination moves out of Brooklyn.
Wow, the WitD fraternity can make claim now to two early votes!!! Fantastic news, and I’m proud!!! Nice work Joel!
I think Lena Dunham lived in Tribeca with her mom, artist Laurie Simmons, and her sister, when she made ‘Tiny Furniture’, which I thought cruelly self-lacerating and an oddly amusing slice of post-college autobiography and anomie (what do grads do in this depressing economy?), and all filmed with a fine compositional eye.
Never seen ‘Girls’. Hated ‘Sex and the City’. Don’t watch much series TV anyhow, but why the hell is the splendid Jessica Lang playing a sadistic nun (shades of ‘The Devils’) on FX’s ‘American Horror Story? I hear Maroon 5′s Adam Levine snagged a part this season. Does anyone watch this gore fest on a regular basis?
Sam there is definitely some fall colours now happening here though I know most of the rest of Canada is already thinking snow. But wherever and whatever the weather here in North America, the day are getting shorter which means more movies in our house. Recently we have seen two worthy of mention:
THE WINTER GUEST (1997) directed by Alan Rickman – with eloquent mother and daughter performances by mother Phyllida Law and daughter Emma Thompson. I think this might be the third time I have seen this film. The films stripped-down raw-to-the-bone emotions about death brings us a delicate visual fragrance within the landscape and each of the paired relationships which can only be life. I know I shall see it again as it is like music that is understood more each time.
GET LOW (2009) directed by Aaron Schneider – having all the trappings of good storytelling and well-acted tall tales the film is saved from being a little on the light side of believability. Yes, I know, tall tales are not meant to be believable. However, a story must still be convincing no matter how far fetched the yarn. This one just barely makes it under my personal wire. And since it was based on a true story I think the story could have come across structurally stronger. Still, I enjoyed it immensely for its human reality of coming to turns with our mistakes that cannot be undone and that we must ask forgiveness and forgive ourselves.
Terrill—
The fall colors on your beautiful island are surely picture-postcard-perfect, and I’m sure you will be transcribing them to their maximum artistic magnificense with paint brush and easel. Your past work during this season has resulted in sye-opening splendor, and some lucky homeowners that will gladly stay indoors and look at their newly-adorned living room walls. But yes, the short days and season means prime time for movies again, and glad you are rearing and ready to go! What you say about mistakes and forgiveness is certainly applicable to GET LOW, a film I did enjoy, but as you note not really a keeper all things considered. On the other hand you really wax lyrical here about THE WINTER GUEST, and I am with you all the way. Rickman is a formidable theatrical talent as well, and recently appeared at BAM. You sue your sensory brush to give us an accurate and moving word picture of a film that handles the delicate theme admirably. You have me wanting to watch it again myself! Thanks so much Terrill, for the wonderful and thoughful submission. Wish you and David a great weekend!
Sam,
Weather forecast says another typhoon will hit Kanto area this weekend. It won’t be as bad as those violent turbulence we have in summer, but a storm this late in autumn makes me uneasy. Besides, it will mess up my commuter train schedules.
Last week, I saw THE INTOUCHABLES, TIFF Grand Prix last year. It took almost entire year to hit theaters here. I must have had a quizzical look on my face when I was leaving the theater. Nice. Too nice. I guess the discussion of underlining racist tone is (was it Variety?) irrelevant. It’s not that. Too nice and too complacent? I think Question was thrown out the window before the first frame hits the screen, and it’s all about Situation. Maybe I am too classic; each character belongs to one’s world and never asks Why anymore – if they did, I didn’t hear it. I felt similar disorienting view of the world without Question when I saw Jean Becker’s DIALOGUE AVEC MON JARDINIER (2007). They both are fun and heart-warming maybe, but it does not cut me deeper.
The art of Harold Lloyd is still imitated by many filmmakers, but his is still the best, of course. Your mention of his three masterpieces refreshed my interest. My favorite is SAFETY LAST, a really zany fare.
Thanks for the mention, as always.
MI
MI—
I can’t believe yet another weather scare is coming your way. You have had enough to last you several lifetimes. I can’t say I blame you for being uneasy, but I syuspect this time you will be spared. I’ll be thinking of you over the weekend. I didn’t see the Becker, but I did see THE INTOUCHABLES. While overall I would say I liked it more than you, though there are some unconvincing aspects in the narrative and it doesn’t leave you as emotionally ravished as some of the reviews would lead you to believe. I think you made quite an asture case to back your own issues. I wonder if you fely that way about THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERLY, a French film that starred Matthew Almaric, which released a few years ago. As far as Lloyd, he is indeed priceless. Yes his art in inimitable, and beyond those three great features there are a number of others in his arsenal that hit the mark, including the delightful DR. JACK, which we say this past Monday, and which I’ll mention on the next diary. Have a ghreat week my friend, and stay confident. It will all pass over I am sure.
Judy, Terrill, Jaimie, Shubhajit, Murderous Ink………….I will get to all of you early tomorrow. I ran out of time here as I must embark on my late night Film Forum trip to take in HOLY MOTORS. Thanks very much my friends!
Koji Wakamatsu, a Japanese filmmaker (THE CATAPILLAR), died early this morning. He was 76. He was hit by a taxi in Shinjuku a week ago. R.I.P.
MI
Ah, I am deeply saddened to hear this tragic news my friend. We have discussed it this morning in an e mail chain, and we lament his untimely passing. It is an inestimible loss to the film community, his family and friends, and those who have attended a number of his films, several of which can rightly be labeled as masterpieces. Allan, Jaimie and I have seen and praised his work, and others and the site and our blogger friends (Samuel Wilson of MONDO 70 is a huge fan) have sung his prraises. The taxi accident is so so sad.
It’s a real loss. Though he was at the age everyone would retire, or at least slow down, he was not planning to. He was energetically moving around, making one film after another (two films this year and another due next year), and … angry. My personal favorite is A POOL WITHOUT WATER.
Yes indeed. Japanese cinema has lost a titan, and for no reason at all, just terrible luck. UNITED RED ARMY might be my favotite by him but yours and several others are great. I bet the cultural community in Japan is still in shock. Awful.
Sad news for soft-core porn lovers. Sylvia Kristel (‘Emmanuelle in Bangkok’ — a nearly unimprovable porn title) dies at 60.
Yep Mark. Just saw this yesterday and sent out an e mail. Very sad.
You can add my name to the list of ARGO admirers. This film truly cements Ben Affleck’s credentials as a nuts-and-bolts filmmaker. Gone Baby Gone and The Town showed mature talent I think many of us didn’t know he had, but this latest effort is simply very good storytelling with great impact yet effective subtlety. There may be limits to what he is capable of, but in this genre he clearly knows what he’s doing. A film like this – political thriller based on true events – could easily look like a made-for-TV movie, but I didn’t get that feeling at all. Mixing documentary footage with production footage doesn’t always work, but here it’s handled quite creatively and seamlessly. To Affleck’s credit, he also turns in an effective portrayal of the central character. Even the lead-up to the more suspenseful sequences were well-handled, keeping my interest throughout. And while there may be no doubt that embellishments were made to enhance the tension, it all seemed to work. I was left with only one question as to a whole in the narrative, but that’s not bad for any film. I don’t know that it has the weight to carry a best-picture race at the Oscars, but with a Hollywood tie-in I’d wager that Academy voters will embrace it come awards time.
Pierre—
I have asked myself the same question as to it’s chances at the big prize. Before the Oscar bashers come in here like bed bugs to a sleeping victim, I emphasize it’s all in the interest of fun and speculation, not that the choices are not tainted by politics. We are just surveying and making ‘predictions’ in the same way we would try and call the results of the upcoming presidential election. (Obama supporters by the way can take heart in some poll reversals over the last few days in the wake of that shocking Gallap poll) ARGO is most definitely not an intellectually weighty piece, and with Affleck and others it has a Hollywood feel. And yes, as you note, there are some clear embellishments here, strictly in trying to increase the emotional quotient. But you have made a fantastic, measued case for why this film works as well as it does, and how it grips you from start to finish. It is certainly Affleck’s finest hour (and yes he double dips most successfully with the very fine portrayal) and it has earned well-deserved critical praise across the board. If you will, this film flies in the face of anyone wanting to write Hollywood’s obituary, but my observations are only restricted to ARGO.
Thanks for the great insights as always my friend!
I don’t see Argo winning the top prize but it’s clear there’s love for it among industry professionals. I’d guess Arkin could grab a nod – deserved or not – as well as Affleck for directing and maybe the screenplay or editing in addition to best picture.
Oscar bashing rolls off my back like water off a duck. It’s similar to hearing, over and over again like a broken record, that 2-party politics in the USA is a ruse to fool people into thinking we actually have choices. I think most of us know that all these things are true to a significant degree, but why point it out like this is news? Bottom line, I figure if people can work themselves into an adrenalin spike over the NFL super bowl, why can’t I indulge myself in the sweet indulgences of Academy Awards fever? I mean sheesh!
Sam, thanks so much for the great mention!
I was really sorry to see the Yankees finish the way they did this season. I’m hoping they’ll regroup and come back stronger next year.
I still need to see ARGO. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
This week I only took in Ice-T’s documentary SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP and SLAP SHOT. I was happy to see them both although neither will end up as top favorites for me.
Here’s to an awesome week, Sam! Thanks for all your incredible work.
Thanks so very much Jeffrey!
Yes, the Yanks went ice cold at the plate, and the relentless NYC press has been calling for their haeds for a few days now, even going as far as to ask readers what players should be heaved for the 2013 season. Ha! Looks like A-Rod is taking the most heat! Certainly no way to end a season where they sported the best record in the American League! But baseball like other sports is all about who is hot, as we all found out last year in these parts when the football Giants went on an unexpected tear to win the super Bowl.
I haven’t seen that Ice-T, but I always get quite a few laughs from SLAP SHOT, having been a big hockey fan though my life. Agreed though, that it’s closer to a guilty pleasure than it is an all-time classic, as much as I like it. Thanks as always for your incredible support and cherished friendship my friend! have a great week!