Magnificent Danish film ‘A Royal Affair’ examines court intrigue and adultery in 17th Century Europe
by Sam Juliano
The long-running comedy countdown is nearing the end, with the final fifteen films posting over the coming three weeks, with the #1 choice due for Friday, December 21. It has been an remarkable run, and I want to thank all those who have written essays, and have religiously left comments during the weekday project. It’s been quite a bit of work for everyone, including Maurizio Roca, who has managed the weekly tabulations, and the many who have set aside time during their days to check on the latest entries. It is hoped and anticipated the countdown will provide for a lasting reference point in the comedy genre for years to come.
The final weeks of the year are also providing quite a bit of excitement for movie buffs, as critics and buffs are hot to trot to see the likes of Amour, Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty, Tabu, Berberian Sound Studio and The Hobbit among others. It that time of the year when some of us in the list making fraternity ponder endlessly to comprise the best of the best, and invariably engage in e mail flame throwing wars. But it’s all harmless enough. The New York Film Critics Awards will bve announced later today. The Gothams will be the first to check in, with both the National Board of Review and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association due to post their results on Wednesday. The titles that keep getting named in predictions are Lincoln, The Master, Argo, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty.
Then there is the imminent approach of the holiday season, which should keep many of us hopping on a daily basis in one capacity of another. As we move closer we will cover some of the related events as they unfold. The John Garfield petition is still moving forward, and those who haven’t yet affized their John Hancock are encouraged to do so by clicking on the sidebar link under the icon’s photo. Dee Dee, Lori Moore and Barbara LaMotta have been working tirelessly on this project for months.
Lucille and I (with Broadway Bob for two and Sammy for one) saw the following this week:
Hitchcock *** 1/2 (Monday night) Union Square Cinemas
Samsara *** (Friday night) The Picture House Theater (Pelham, NY)
Mea Maxima Culpa **** 1/2 (Tuesday night) Film Forum
A Royal Affair **** 1/2 (Sunday morning) Paris Theater
Killing Them Softly ** 1/2 (Saturday night) Union Square Cinemas
Nikolai Arce’s fascinating period costume drama A ROYAL WEDDING is a Danish film that defly weaves romance, court intrigue and tragedy in a picturesque tapestry that recalls “The Madness of King George.” Set in 17th century Europe during the Age of Enlightenment, it features a batty king who marries his English cousin, but erratic behavior leads to his wife’s affair with his trusted German counsul. This intimete epic is one of the year’s most beautifully lensed films, and a lovely score completes the deal. Mads Mikkelson and Alicia Vikander are superlative as the aduturers. Certainly A ROYAL WEDDING contends for a year-end ‘best of’ list. Lucille and I watched the film on one of Manhattan’s most celebrated screens, that of the ornate movie palace, the Paris Theatre, which has been operating for decades at it’s 58th Street landmark across the street from the Plaza hotel and the famed toy store “FAO Schwarz” on Fifth Avenue. We toured the store and as always were amazed. If any of the kids had been with us we’d end up bankrupt!
HITCHCOCK, a rather entertaining look at the directing icon’s making of “Psycho” isn’t always effective, but it’s better than some out there are saying. For the most part Anthony Hopkins is most amusing as Hitch, and Helen Mirren is classy as Alma Reville, the director’s beloved spouse. The battles with the censors and the audience reaction to the horror classic were funny, and the film included a good number of facts that surrounded the production. It’s chessy at times too, but it trumps “The Girl” and is mostly enjoyable.
Lucille and I traveled 11 miles to Westchester, New York Saturday night to watch SAMSARA in the quaint ‘Picture House Theatre’ in the town of Pelham. The film was not playing in their main auditorium (which was showing “The Intouchables”) but in their 14 seat “screening room”, a new addition that provides blu-ray projection on a 16 ft screen and comfortable reclining sofa chairs. This theater and rustic environs were quite a find, and a nice Italian restaurant to boot! SAMSARA was often captivating and meditative, and I thought the soundtrack contained some sublime and haunting passages including the employment of the harp, organ, chorals and a talented African female. I didn’t find that everything worked throughout, but that’s the risk when the approach though discerning is till somewhat random. The disturbing sequences of conveyor line dismantling of food products from their sources recalls a recent documentary from Denmark about the systematic killing and pachaging of farm animals and “Food Inc”., though the manner in which these sequences are presented in SAMSARA is more in the ‘fast lane’ spirit of the Italian “Mondo Cane”, with it’s off-the-beacon-track visual montages. I thought Fricke’s previous ”Baraka” was more mystical and awe-inspiring, but I like the director’s attention in SAMSARA to visual order and how crowd-filling screnes are united by color, movement and shape. There’s no denying that there is an epic scope to this melting pot, and there are images here that become enveloping, intoxicating and mesmerizing. I am aware that the very best way to see this film would be on the very big screen but the blu-ray projection and the intimacy of the experience at least trumps any home viewing. I wasn’t fully engaged with SAMSARA throughout, but the flashes of brilliance and the still unique presentation is one I don’t regret availing myself of.
Andrew Dominick’s long-awaited follow-up to “The Assassination of Jesse James” is a noirish off-shoot titled KILLING THEM SOFTLY, a Brad Pitt starrer that actually shows the actor impressive against type, and both James Gandolfini and Richard Jenkins quite good in support. The sickening violence committed against Ray Liotta’s character is way over the top, and stylistically over-emphasized, and the economic theme that features opening and closing Obama speeches are as pretentious as hell, with the film’s metaphorical undercurrent never quite jiving with this talky gangster film that offers retaliation a la mode. It is very hard to but Brad Pitt’s killer as a political intellectual or history scholar though!
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD (translation: “through my own immense fault) is a wrenchingly powerful documentary by Alex Gibney about the abuse of deaf young boys at St. John’s School for the Deaf in Milwaukee from 1950 to 1974. that began over fifty years ago by Father Lawrence Murphy. The director employs uses voiceover and subtitles for the victims’ stories, but accentuates the audio for telling re-enactment. It doesn’t require sign language to translate the pain and humiliating committed at an impressionable age by a serial predator. Some vignettes are deeply disturbing, like one in which a victim says he was chosen by Father Murphy while watching Bambi in a dark theater. He confesses that he felt Father Murphy bumping the back of his head for attention. Many years afterward, he realized that it was Murphy’s erection he felt against the back of his neck. Others tell tales of how Murphy masturbated them in the confessionals. One man remembers Father Murphy telling him that ejaculation relieved him of his sins. Chris Cooper and Ethan Hawke are among the voice cast, and Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine monk and therapist reports the nefarious findings. in the end the film is deeply affecting and a rightful condemnation against Catholic authories who attempted to downsize or overtly cover the crimes. Father Murphy, who died in 1998 was forced into retirement, but was never charged with with what is now estimated as nearly 200 individal cases of sex abuse.
I copied last week’s link scroll, and made some updates:
Samuel Wilson at Mondo 70 has published an exceptional essay on Andrew Domick’s Brad Pitt starrer “Killing Them Softly”: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2012/12/on-big-screen-killing-them-softly-2012.html
Judy Geaters’ “Dickens in December” series is unway at Movie Classics with a fabulous review of Noel Langley’s 1952 “The Pickwick Papers”: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/the-pickwick-papers-noel-langley-1952/
At The Cooler Jason Bellamy has penned a brilliant appreciative essay on Ron Fricke’s “Samsara”: http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2012/11/shiny-and-new-samsara.html
Joel Bocko has posted a fantastic review of Sophia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” at Lost in the Movies, that has attracted a terrific comment thread: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-favorites-lost-in-translation-98.html
At Twenty Four Frames John Greco has posted a great piece on 1933′s steamy pre-coder “The Story of Temple Drake”: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/the-story-of-temple-drake-1933-stephen-roberts/
Pat Perry has posted a superlative trio of capsule reviews at Doodad Kind of Town on “The Loneliest Planet,” “Sound of My Voice” and “Price Check”: http://doodadkindoftown.blogspot.com/2012/11/beat-crowds-three-good-movies-you-can.html
At Ferdy on Films Roderick Heath is now leading up with a master class essay on Suzuki’s 1965 “Story of a Prostitute”: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2012/story-of-a-prostitute-shunpu-den-1965/16711/
Laurie Buchanan’s latest post at Speaking From The Heart asks readers to identify that moments when everything has you stretched to the limit: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/when-women-gather-on-the-rim/
Tony d’Ambra leads the way at Films Noir.net for a terrific piece on the little-exposed Italian noir ‘La Bionda’: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/la-bionda-the-blonde-italy-1992.html
Jaimie Grijalba has officially launched his fantastic new site “Overlook’s Corner” with a buffo piece on Chilean cinema: http://overlookhotelfilm.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/chilean-cinema-2012-12-miguel-san-miguel/
At Cinemascope Shubhajit Laheri has authored a superlative capsule on Ang Lee’s “The Life of Pi”: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2012/12/life-of-pi-2012.html
Murderous Ink at Vermillion and One Nights has written a wholly fascinating essay on anew volume about Japanese acting icon Setsuko Hara, who is still living at age 92 in relative seclusion: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-about-setsuko-hara.html
Dean Treadway’s new post “Cinema Gallery: 30 Scenes of Loneliness” is essential for all passionate film lovers. It’s over at Filmicability: http://filmicability.blogspot.com/2012/11/blog-post_6.html
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/
Jon Warner leads the way at “Films Worth Watching” with his terrific WitD comedy countdown review of Lubitsch’s “To Be or Not to Be”: http://filmsworthwatching.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-be-or-not-to-be-1942-directed-by.html
History teacher Hokahey has written a marvelous, thought-provoking review essay on “Lincoln” at Little Worlds: http://hokahey-littleworlds.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-morning-of-vote-spielbergs-history.html
Ed Howard has penned a fabulous essay on Douglas Fairbanks’s “The Black Pirate” at Only the Cinema: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-black-pirate.html
Sachin Gandhi offers up a fabulous report on the Calgary Latin Wave Festival at Scribbles and Ramblings: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2012/11/calgary-latin-wave-festival.html
David Schleicher has authored a magnificent essay on the new James Bond movie “Skyfall” at The Schleicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2012/11/15/i-fall-you-fall-we-all-fall-for-skyfall/
Weeping Sam offers up some thanks in his latest post Thanksgiving feature “Giving Thanks for Friday Music” at The Listening Ear: http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2012/11/giving-thanks-for-friday-music.html
A treasure trove of priceless reviews and listings can be accessed on the pages of The Last Lullaby, director Jeffrey Goodman’s indispensible site: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/
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
Roderick Heath offers an excellent review of Oliver Stone’s latest film “Savages” at Ferdy on Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2012/savages-2012/16614/
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 book review of “Televenge”: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2012/11/televenge-pamela-king-cable/
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 ‘images inspired by paintings’ at Checking on My Sausages: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2012/11/images-inspired-by-paintings.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 of the reteaming of John Hillcoat and Nick Cave for this year’s “Lawless” at This Island Rod: thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2012/10/lawless-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/
Dave Van Poppel has a tremendous batch of short reviews up at Visions of Non Fiction on the Toronto Film Festival:
So the “e mail flame throwing wars” are about to begin! I’ll try to be polite.
It seems, Sam, that you enjoyed Hitchcock more than I did. I thought Hopkins impishness simply wasn’t the character and that Mirren was given so little to do that she was pretty much wasted.
I haven’t seen anything new this week — choosing instead to see both Skyfall and Lincoln a second time. Both hold up, but Lincoln — a more substantial film, of course — holds up better though the Bond piece is still quite entertaining.
I’m hoping to see A Royal Wedding and Holy Motors within a week, the latter, in part, because a dear friend of mine became acquainted with on of its actors (Edith Scob) earlier this year — yes, I’m dropping names.
Ha Pierre! I suspect there will be the usual rows, but nothing we can’t return from unscathed. As soon as THE HOBBIT opens, I’m figuring the anti-Jackson, anti-Tolkien or just anti-fantasy contingent will voice their displeasure, and those who steadfastly dislike musicals will make sure to offer a bad word about LES MIZ. Mind you this is usually not any kind of a meaningful analysis of the quality or lack thereof, but rather a proclamation of divergence in taste. I can also assume that the style employed in ZERO DARK THIRTY won’t jive with everyone, but the proof will be in the pudding. I see you are playing the “repeat” game at this time of the year as well! Ha! I have seen PI twice and LINCOLN three times, but I have kept this a secret from some! But I agree with you when you assert that both hold up quite well especially Spielberg’s highly-praised film. Still, I think you make a great point in what you suggested at LIC about the beating of a dead horse of the concept of “restraint.” Most interesting to hear that connection with Ms. Scob, and that’s yet another reasons to check that one out pronto. I am also figuring you’ll love A ROYAL WEDDING. I see your point about HITCHCOCK, at the end of the day it’s not too much more than a pleasant diversion. Definitely nothing deep there. Thanks as always my friend! Have a great week!
To expand on my issues with Hitchcock, first: Although I thought Hopkins did a great job portraying the essence of Nixon, without looking much like him, I don’t feel he got the essence of Hitchcock. While some may find interesting the tidbits of info presented in the film, I felt it was little more than a dramatization of some of the bullet points we know – or think we know – about him. From the start I thought that making a film about him would be difficult if not impossible to tackle. There seems to be no question that the man had some neuroses, but the film leaves both a nasty and a saccharine taste in my mouth.
Pierre: You are certainly not alone, and I do agree that Hopkins was only partially convincing. There were times he even lost the accent. I enjoyed some of the more campt aspects of the film, but I will admit that it is rather lightweight, and I probably should have gone with a half star less. I thinjk the only thing I really dislike Hitch for was what he did in forcing NBC to cancel the rival “Boris Karloff’s Thriller” in 1962 out of jealousy for daring to better his “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” series. But I agree he obviously was neurotic.
Thank you as always Sam for the shout-out on your personally curated blog list. I have no gem to add to the discussion this week as I have been painting and painting some more. Rain has meant less than usual photo hikes and may mean taking time to light the outdoor wood cook stove just to be outside undercover for a few hours. The best of the week to you and everyone here as well.
Terrill, great to hear you have been doing your thing this week! I greatly anticipate some of the results at your blog in an upcoming post. I love your description there of the outdoor maneuverings! Have a great week my friend. Many thanks as always!
Sam!
I’m on the road again. Left yesterday and hopefully this will be the last trip of the year. My family is starting not to recognize me when I come home now!
I’m up early this morning at the bakery sipping my coffee as I write this. Well A Royal Affair looks great and I think I will really like that one when I get a chance to see it. I spent last evening down here in Kentucky at a theatre that amazingly had no stadium seating, nor digital projection! I didn’t know that they still showed new films on traditional film! I saw Killing Them Softly and was also underwhelmed a bit by it. The political angle is not interwoven well and too often we’re interrupted by those speeches on tv and radio. It just seems like a stretch and it doesn’t resonate well. I did like the second half of the film, but that was mainly due to Gandolfini’s fine supporting turn. It will ultimately be a forgotten film. It’s a shame that Dominick’s film isn’t better. There also were only 2 other people in the theatre with me.
On another sad note, the best theatre in Kalamazoo recently closed and it was the only one that even remotely showed anything close to “art house”. My chances of seeing some of the better and more important films in the theatre is now surely diminished. That place had the nicest facilities and projection in the area. Very disappointing. Heck we don’t even have Silver Linings Playbook in our area! Isn’t that crazy?
On DVD, I saw Elena. I liked it somewhat but didn’t love it. Ultimately the motivations of the Elena character were a bit muddled and I’m not sure I completely believed the final half-hour. I also just didn’t care much.
I’ve also picked up Monsieur Lazhar and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, which I will see this week.
Hope you have a great week Sam!
Jon—
I like that statement “hopefully this will be the last trip of the year” when after you return there will only be about three weeks left in 2012!!! Ha! But I could well understand your family being disappointed, even if this is manadatory with the job. Ah, another cafe guy after my own heart! A ROYAL AFFAIR is due out in early January on Region 2 blu-ray, but hopefully there will be a chance in a theatre soon enough. The film did from the very start attract excellent reviews, and I was determined to see it at the Paris. As it turns out I really can’t agree with you more on KILLING THEM SOFTLY, though I understand what Maurizio likes about it. I also liked Gandolfini’s work, but agree it may not be one to remeber all that well down the line. We will see. The political angle didn’t work. I also agree that ELENA is very good, but not quite great. It was hard to believe that anyone could have pulled that off, even with the flexible changeover. And sympathy soon turned to intense dislike. Stroing acting for sure. I do expect you will like LAZHAR and ANATOLIA a real lot! I know it’s tough, but have a nice week my friend!
Sam – Thanks again for the shout out. Not much of a movie week. Saturday, Dorothy and I helped with a fund raiser for the cats and it’s also been a busy week with my photography and other things like putting up the Christmas lights and decorations. I did watch two films, neither of which are anything to write home about. Hope all have a great week.
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (*1/2) – What can I say, bland, tiresome, trivial, an idea that has been done at least twice before, and better both times, in films like “Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House” and “George Washington Slept Here.” David Niven’s character is thoroughly grating and Doris Day is the epitome of the homespun housewife with a houseful of bratty kids and an unlikeable husband. Based on Jean Kerr’s bestselling book which I can only assume was much more humorous than this.
Comanche(**1/2) 1n 1956, the same year Dana Andrews did WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS and BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT he made this small B film allegedly telling the true tale of the Comanche warrior Quannah Parker. Sadly, the tale is wrapped up in a hackneyed script, a really annoying theme song and bad acting by some of the cast members (Kent Smith and Lind Cristal in her screen debut). Andrews is fine and I can only imagine he was contractually bound to do this film. To the film’s credit it does portray a positive POV of Native American Indians.
John—
Your efforts in behalf of cat rescue remains most remarkable. As fellow cat lovers Lucille and I applaud you, especially with all the Christmas decorating that has to be worked in at this time of the year. Agreed on DAISIES, whicj si absolutely trivial and tiring. Both Niven and Day have done far greater work, and Kerr’s novel HAD to be better! Ha! I don’t think I have seen COMANCHE, but those statements have me sitting far away from that presentation!!! Heck it was one of those movie weeks John, but she did some great things far more importantly! Thank you my friend!
Like I told Sam in emails, I think Liotta’s beating was impressively staged. Stylized but letting the viewer know that real violence doesn’t sound pretty. Great use of sound mixing also. I did find the heroin scene where the conversation gets interrupted by visual tricks as rather awful. It simply didn’t work and can’t figure out why Dominik included it. I also found the constant Bush/Obama sound bites as heavy-handed until the conclusion (where Pitt’s speech proved powerful food for thought). I think a one time speech employed at the end would of been more effective. Pitt’s monologue about Jefferson being a hypocrite (and to some extent the US itself) is quite accurate. I just think the film lacks subtleness and goes overboard inserting subtext without any measure of restraint or guile. It’s certainly a love/hate film overall. Killing Them Softly has definite flaws with it’s cartoonish heavy-handed approach but I found it worthwhile overall. What I saw these past two weeks…
Killing Them Softly ****
Elena ****1/2
Monsieur Lazhar ****1/2
Lincoln ****
Skyfall ***1/2
Maurizio—
As always you have done a fantastic job in qualifying a film you have generally good feelings about, but also one with some glaring issues. I never really “felt” this film, and Pitt’s character rather than the acting, was fraudulent. I agree the rub out was viscerally stunning, but it was tough to take. Dominick is obviously a talented guy, and we will hear much more from him in the future. I am in agreement with much of what you express here for sure. Delighted to see that dazzling 4.5 rating for MONSIEUR LAZHAR, and also think ELENA is a riveting, resonating film that does leave one in shock. The 3.5 rating for SKYFALL is fair enough, but I liked it a bit more, in good measure because Dench, Bardem and Finny was so impressive, and because of the opening train chase and stunning atmospheric conclusion at the Scottish mansion. Then there is Deakins. Your LINCOLN rating is solid, and there’s no reason to even mildly clash with you. Thanks as always for the great submission my friend. Next up we have AMOUR, TABU, LES MISERABLES, ZERO DARK THIRTY, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, CHASING ICE, THE HOBBIT (I know, I know, ha!), and a sweet little Tribeca film I saw months back that is opening on the 14th titled ANY DAY NOW. have a great week!
Sam – You had me laughing this morning with your comment about touring FAO Schwarz, “If any of the kids had been with us we’d be bankrupt.”
The word picture you painted of A ROYAL AFFAIR has my curiosity more than piqued – we’ve added it to our must-see list. On the flip side, there’s oh-so-no-way that I could possibly see MEA MAXIMA CULPA. Especially knowing that it’s based on true events.
I thoroughly enjoyed the photos of you and Lucille!
Laurie—
As soon as Lucille told me the prices of some of the items as we tried making our way through a mass of people the likes we haven’t seen in a long time, I realized then and there we earned a finatial repreive! Ha! I joke, but my kids are not really tough to negotiate in that sense. Oh I would wager the house on you loving A ROYAL AFFAIR which offers all kinds of rhetorical, dramatic and sensory ravishments! Similarly, I agree the sex abuse documentary is extremely disturbing and only those with strong stomachs would need to take that plunge. Very well done, but not a gratifying film for sure. Thanks for the kind words! We had a good time. Have a great week my very good friend!
Sam -
I am intrigued by A ROYAL AFFAIR – sounds like my kind of movie! I will be looking out for it. Per the promos for the upcoming year, it looks like HBO will be broadcasting MEA MAXIMA CULAP sometime early in 2013, and as a conflicted Catholic myself, I know I’ll be wathcing it. (Did you see the documentary DELIVER US FROM EVIL, which covered the same topic and was released a few years back? I’m wondering how they compare.) HITCHCOCK interests me only for the pleasures of wathcing Hopkins and Mirren play off each other.
Had an interesting weekend of film-wathcing here. I got around to CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER, a bittersweet romantic tale with a very young John Heard and Mary Beth Hurt giving heartfelt performances (and Gloria Grahame touching and funny in a small role as Heard’s loony mother.) Apparently this was originaly released under the title HEAD OVER HEELS in 1979, but re-edited, given a not-so-happy (but far more believable) ending and re-released three years later. I saw the later verison; it was a bit dated in places, but generally effective.
I also watched a documentary AYN RAND AND THE PROPHECY OF ATLAS SHRUGGED, which I had hoped would be a balanced and critical look at the woman and her magnum opus, but turned out to have been produced (apparently) by the Ayn Rand fan club. However, I was sufficiently curious that I decided to read the book myself to make up own mind, so I checked that weighty tome out of the library on Saturday morning and am slowly making my way through it. Ironically, I watched IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE on in its annaul network showing that night – if George Bailey isn’t the polar opposite of a Rand hero, I don’t know who would be!
Finally capped off the weekend by seeing the national touring produciton of SISTER ACT – a fun show nothing earth-shattering, but I liked that they set it in the late 70′s, with an R&B-heavy score that was perfectly evocative of that time period. When this show comes to community theatre, I definitely want to be in it, playing one of the nuns!
Have a good week!
Pat—
You can be rest assured A ROYAL WEDDING is absolutely your kind of movie. It’s filled with tension, intrique, danger, and historical fascination. And it’s one of the year’s most beautiful looking films. I can’t wait to read your report. Yes I did see DELIVER US FROM EVIL, and also liked it, but it didn’t match MEA MAXIMA CULPA, which seems even more acutely harrowing when the savaging of the disabled is factored in. HITCHCOCK does have issues, can’t argue that, but it’s a case of how much viewers will dismiss. But I hear ya on that! I haven’t yet seen that Ayn Rand documentary, nor CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER, Great to see you were spurred on to checdk out the book of the latter. Good point about George Bailey being the polar opposite of a Rand hero! If you land that part in SISTER ACT I will plane out there!!!! But my friend Broadway Bob particularly, is a big fan of that show! You had quite week there my friend! Many thanks as always. Just learned that NYFCC announced their 2012 choices today:
•Best Film: Zero Dark Thirty
•Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
•Best Actress: Rachel Weisz, Deep Blue Sea
•Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
•Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field, Lincoln
•Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Bernie and Magic Mike
•Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner, Lincoln
•Best Cinematography: Greig Fraser, Zero Dark Thirty
•Best Foreign Language Film: Michael Haneke, Amour
•Best First Film: David France, How To Survive a Plague
•Best Nonfiction Film: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon, The Central Park Five
•Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie
As I recall you are a big fan of THE DEEP BLUE SEA as Jon Warner and I are, so you must be impressed with the upset Weisz choice!
Oh Wow! I am very pleased to see Weisz take that award in NY. As it stands now, The Deep Blue Sea is still my favorite film of 2012….even though it was a 2011 release in the UK.
Jon, I was thrilled to see here win as well. THE DEEP BLUE SEA is on my own 2012 shortlist too!
Add me to the group that is thrilled to see Rachel Weisz on this list of honorees. As of now, she’d be my choice for Best Actress of 2012, and I’m more optimistic now that she’ll make the list of Oscar nominees.
Pat I am in complete agreement with you. Her win came out of left field, but it was truly one of the NYFCC’s finest hours in recent years. J. Hoberman has revealed that after the third ballot, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain were tied for the top spot, and only when the fourth and final ballot was conducted, was weisz able to come from behind and win by a whisker. Critics of the awards (Translation: I am a critic too and am jealous I am not a member of the group) will always criticize this compromise system, but here’s a clear example where the right person won. I understand the vote between Sally Field and Anne Hathaway was decided by an even narrower margin, as the LES MIZ actress led on every ballot till the end of the fourth when Field overtook her by a single point or two. I’m figuring Hathaway will end up winning from most of the other groups and will win that (dreaded word?) Oscar over Sally you really like me Field.
Pat brings up a good question as far as Oscar goes. If The Deep Blue Sea was a 2011 UK release wouldn’t her performance had to have been nominated for last year’s award ceremony? These are the things that confuse me about year end awards and Oscars.
“Ironically, I watched IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE on in its annaul network showing that night – if George Bailey isn’t the polar opposite of a Rand hero, I don’t know who would be!”
Amen.
Wow Sam, another amazing week. I don’t know how you do it week after week. The trip up to Westchester sounds memorable. That theater seems to have some character. The Paris is an institution, it’s just a place that is tough to finding parking for. Great photos. That toy store is difficult to move around in at this time of year. Great photos of you and Lucille!
Frank–
To be honest it is always November and december as the months that bring the most high-quality works. The reason of course is obvious, A ROYAL WEDDING is admittedly a perfect fit for the Paris Theatre. Yes the theatre is an institution, and I well remember attending there as far back as the early 70′s. Parking in that area is very difficult. I experienced that very scenario you relate at the toy store! Thanks for the nice words my friend!
Hello Sam and everyone!!
Well, you had quite the week with those screenings, ratings from every place and many different films, none of them I’ve actually seen, but maybe some I will in the time that we have until all our top 10 lists are due, remember that the Senses of Cinema magazine asks for the lists to be emailed on the 14th so maybe it’s time to think of it, and then change it for the official posting here on the site.
Well, I’ve been doing some finishing work on the whole script thing and the final day is approaching so that’s what I’m doing right now as we speak. I also attended the B Cinema Film Fest and saw some chilean films, so let’s go into what I saw last week:
- El 10 (2011, Carlos Leiva) ***1/2 A short film about a young boy who plays soccer and the ambience in which he is imbeded in: crime, drugs, alcohol and domestic violence. A bit cringy, but real.
- Al lado de Norma (At Norma’s Bedside) (2012, Camila Luna, Gabriela Maturana) ***1/2 This short was seen at CINE B Festival, and this is directed by two girls that are students, like me, in my same course, this was the resutl of their work in a workshop and they’ve been sending it to festivals and having great reactions, I’m happy for them.
- Bajo la Luna (Under the Moon) (2012, Enrique Ortega) ***1/2 Animated short film inspired by a letter written by H.P. Lovecraft. A creepy dreamlike landscape mixed with ominous voice overs. Nicely edited.
- El circuito de Román (Román’s circuit) (2011, Sebastián Brahm) ***1/2 Seen at the Festival CINE B, this is some kind of mental science fiction film, light and with some great editing choices, but at the end it feels more and more like a mess than a meditative film, nevertheless there are some interesting shots, great cinematography and acting, but at the end a bit lacking on explanations, that I think were needed for something like this.
- Como un avión estrellado (Like a Crashed Plane) (2005, Ezequiel Acuña) **** A great movie from Argentina about the youth of a man who is confused and between three worlds: his work, his love life and his friend, a criminal. It is acted nicely and has some great artistic choices, as well as a plot that leaves you satisfied in the sense that it feels real and compelling at the end, no matter if its sad or happy.
- Las Cosas Como Son (Things as they are) (2012, Fernando Lavanderos Montero) ****1/2 Simply amazing and a full recommendation from my end, I wish that this got some kind of distribution in US, since it’s just beautiful and made with such a passion that it feels just great. A story of a weird guy who rents rooms of a house to people from abroad, and then he knows a girl from Norway that starts to interest him, and things go a bit wrong here and there, but it’s a portrait of someone we all are in one way or another. Chilean cinema is giving us some great examples.
- El Espanto (2011, J.J. Marcos) **** A horror/comedy short film about a man being teased and hit by a little goblin that no one else can see, that makes him think that he is crazy, but is he?
- Feliz cumpleaños Emily (Happy Birthday Emily) (2012, Marcelo Kiwi Beiger) ***1/2 A short documentary in black and white about a dog named Emily that has a big birthday party thrown by her owners. Bizarre.
- Foto (Picture) (2011, Ismael Ferrer) ***1/2 Simple horror short film about a woman and a presence that is only made visible through photographs. Interesting experiment.
- Hija (Daughter) (2011, María Paz González) **** A documentary on identity and family, the daughter (director) and her mom go on a trip to find her aunt and roots, as well as his father, whom she doesn’t know entirely. The whole film is played in two angles: one is the trip to the north they both make to find something, and the other one is the behind the scenes stuff about how to contact her father and how to make the documentary itself. The trip itself is way more powerful at the end.
- Juan in a Million (2012, Sergio Allard, Denis Arqueros, Nicolás Klein) **1/2 A mess, a complete and undescribable mess, just to think about this movie I was thinking how could I loose time watching it, but at the end it was worth it due to the fact of how strange the whole thing is. A man wakes up and Santiago is empty, so he does what he wants, and all seems so forced and ugly, this is a tight-budgeted film and it shows how there was no thought and no time to think of a better story.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, Milos Forman) ****1/2 A classic, entertaining and at the same time emotional film that gripped me from start to almost the finish, the ending left me a bit hanging, but then I understood it. Anyway, this is a film filled with great performances, amazing in every aspect, with so many classic and great scenes and lines, I can’t argue with this getting so much love from the Academy the year it was nominated, this is just great.
- Pieta (2012, Kim-ki Duk) ****1/2 A powerful film, I’ll have to say more about this one soon enough.
- Report (1967, Bruce Conner) **** A short film I saw to have a vote on the yearly poll, and this was so powerful and great, and I like the found footage experiment. It was good seeing this after reading the great book that was Stephen King’s 22/11/63.
- Room to Dream: Tools for the Independent Filmmaker (2005) ***1/2 A featurette by Avid featuring David Lynch talking about how he works within the classic process of filmmaking. Interesting.
- The Terror (1963, Roger Corman, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Jack Nicholson) ** I never thought I’d see this again, but I listened to a fan commentary that made it so much good and funny at the same time, as well as having it playing in the background while I was doing something else. It is atmospheric and it has Karloff, it’s all I can say about it.
- Verano (Summer) (2011, José Luis Torres Leiva) **** A pretty picture about the relationship between people during summer, different vignettes of people on vacation at some hot springs in Chile. The film has some interesting cinematography and natural acting, it is quite impressive in that regard.
- Visceral (2012, Felipe Eluti) *** A gore horror film independently made in Chile, and what an achievement this is, no matter how repetitive, boring, gruesome and sometimes difficult to watch is, it’s just impressive how this one was actually made at the end. I admire it more than like it.
That’s all Sam, have a good week!
Thanks for the reminder, re: top 10s. Though I’ll probably need another…
As Joel said Jaimie, I appreciate the reminder on the Senses of Cinema lists. I did submit one last year, and attempted to change it at the end of the month to no avail. There are three major films that won’t release until after the cut-off date: AMOUR, LES MISERABLES, TABU and ZERO DARK THIRTY. Best of luck with the completion of the script! I know well you have worked long and hard on this project. Thanks for the incredible round-up of films seen over the past week. I think you may well have broken a record this time! Wow! Looks like COMO UN AVION ESTRELLADO, LAS COSAS COMO SON and EL ESPANTO are the ones among the Chilean lot that are probably the most essential, while ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST would rate as the classic of the American films her. I will certainly be looking forward to your review of PIETA. I do agree that THE TERROR is lesser Corman. I’m sure you will see the lot I managed soon enough, one way or the other. As always many thanks my friend! Have a graet week!
Aren’t these top 10s for all time though?
Joel, these are only Top 10s for this calendar year.
Oh never mind then – I haven’t even seen ten new releases this year!
Can’t help but be a little disappointed in Killing Them Softly though I was also determined to find stuff to like. In my review I probably bent backwards not to judge the film against Higgins’s novel, which is a masterpiece of its genre, and I’ll still say the story is compelling enough even after Dominik deprived it of much of its atmospheric proto-Tarantinian dialogue. The big problem with Dominik’s approach is that he clearly thought in terms of “set pieces” and a conventionally iconic style with slo-mo and a portentous soundtrack. The problem with adapting Higgins overall is twofold: directorial flashiness subverts his realistic effects, while faithfully rendering his dialogue will make any director’s work sound if not look like Tarantino — an effect I imagine not many directors actually want. As for Dominik’s politics, the best I can come up with after the weekend is that Pitt’s character could symbolize a Tea Party member in his refusal to bail anyone out, so to speak, but it’s still a crude superimposition on a 1974 story. Still, most of the acting is strong, with the gross exception of Mendelsohn’s Aussie junky, and it’s definitely a “judge for yourselves” kind of picture. Some people may now take that Cinemascore “F” rating as a dare, and I say go ahead.
At home, I watched Barbet Schroeder’s More, which is definitely a document of its time if nothing else; Edgar B. Seitz’s The Vanishing American, a pro-Indian adaptation of Zane Grey with pretensions of epic sweep and authentically primitive tragic power by the end; Yoshida’s Heroic Purgatory, bewildering in a good way and a warm-up for the big one later this week;and Bernard Wiesen’s Fear No More a ponderously and implausibly paranoid “they won’t believe me” thriller that might have been a Lifetime Original Movie fifty years later but is quaintly campy as is. Here’s to better movies in the weeks to come!
Heroic Purgatory…I asked Allan for that one even though he didn’t include it in his Yoshida series (I stumbled across it when doing a cinema-retrospective a few years ago and was fascinated by the images and the 60s-revolutionary content which always gets me hook, line, and sinker). I’ve only seen it once and found it gorgeous if also something of a mess. So many iconic shots though. I really need to see it again.
Samuel—
Thanks very much for posting an enlightening capsulization of your excellent MONDO 70 review of KILLING THEM SOFTLY, a film that just didn’t work at all for me. I know you had your own issues of course, but as you say you were keeping an eye out for some positive things to say. Yes, the emphasis here was indeed on “set pieces” and the slo-motion was excessive. I agree with what Maurizio says about the realism of the beating of Liota, but it did caused you tro look away. Poor Liota. After that horrendous mauling he then gets rubbed out in yet another over-the-top sequence. Yes, the acting was strong for sure, though Pitt’s philosophical genius was rather unbeleievable. The Obama bookends seemed a failed attempt. The F rating is too severe, agreed. Of the diverse round-up of films you saw, I can only make claim to having seen Yoshida’s film, which I recall was a most memorable experience, though not among the best by the director that I have seen. I’ll hold that glass up to for “better movies” my friend! Many thanks as always for the great submission!
‘A Royal Affair’ sounds right up my street – I will watch out for it! Thanks very much for the plug, Sam – I’ve been meaning all year to write postings about films based on Dickens, but have only managed a couple, so I’ve decided to do a lot more on this front all through December. I really enjoyed the Noel Langley ‘Pickwick Papers’, which as you kindly mentioned is the current review on my blog. Have also just watched two lesser-known versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’, a short silent made in 1910 which has some impressive special effects for its time, and a short TV version from 1958 with Basil Rathbone as Scrooge, part of a series of Tales from Dickens hosted by Fredric March – that one was a disappointment, much as I admire both Rathbone and March, as it left such a lot out. Anyway I will be writing something about both of these versions.
Away from Dickens, I saw the remake of ‘Gambit’ with a script by the Coen Brothers (though Michael Hoffman directed) at the cinema… I thought it was a lot of fun despite being extremely silly – and interesting to see Colin Firth playing a hapless character! Has this been released yet in the US? At home I finally saw the Disney animation ‘Tangled’ with my daughter, who was home from her job in London over the weekend and is a fan of this movie – I quite enjoyed it but am not sure how long it will stick in my mind.
I’ve also just watched the surviving half of the silent film ‘The White Shadow’, where Hitchcock was assistant director, which is being streamed at the moment after funds were raised for it in the ‘For the Love of Film’ blogathon – fascinating to see this, though, dare I say, I don’t think it is a very good film.
Here’s wishing everyone a great week, and thanks again, Sam.
Judy—
A ROYAL AFFAIR is positively your kind of movie, and I’m also wagering you’ll be inspired to write up something on it! I am thrilled to see your are reviewing Dickens this month, and I will be checking up on your PICKWICK PAPERS essay! Likewise I look forward to your upcoming pieces on A CHRISTMAS CAROL. My own favorite the 1951 Sim, though Owen’s version the 1930′s was well-done. I’m intrigue by GAMBIT, a film that has not opened in the US yet. Agreed though that a film can be judged to some extent to how long it stays with you. THE WHITE SHADOW is admittedly tainted by the lost footage. I still think it was a significant find, but flawed. I have indeed watched byself just two weeks ago in the method you mention here. Thanks very much Judy as always! Have a great week!
Thanks a lot Sam for the kind mention.
I’m really surprised at your rather unenthusiastic reaction to Killing Them Softly. I’d found it a crackling & brilliantly subversive political satire in the garb of a gangster film, and especially the deliberately non sequitur conversations. In fact I’d go so far as to state that, of all the 2012 movies I’ve seen so far, I’d place it right after Amour, and nearly at par with Holy Motors & Like Someone in Love, and above the likes of Beyond the Hills.
And yes, the ambitious Comedy Countdown has reached its crescendo now that its in its final leg, and is most certainly headed to a memorable conclusion. Yet another feather in the cap of WitD, I must say!
Anyway, here’s what I managed to watch in the meantime:
- Ang Lee’s Life of Pi
- Seijun Suzuki’s delirious gangster film, Youth of the Beast
- The carnivalesque and semi-autobiographical Fellini masterpiece, Amarcord
- An insipid recent Hindi release called Talaash (The Search)
- The iconic Buster Keaton short, Sherlock Jr.
- Possibly Mizoguchi’s greatest masterpiece, Ugetsu Monogatari
- Another memorable Theo, Ulysses’ Gaze
Shubhajit—
Wow! I didn’t realize or I may have somehow forgotten that you were a major fan of Dominick’s film! As you can see here both Samuel and Maurizio had some good things to say about it, even with some disclaimers. Your claim of ‘crackling and brilliantly subversive political satire’ does heighten the film’s potential value. Putting the film with those others does frame your strong regard for it. As is the case with most films I have problems with, I watch them a second time, so at some point I will give it another go. The comedy countdown was quite a sprawling pproject, and I never thought it would be winding down with the 100 pieces that needed to post over many months. In another sense August seems like yesterday! I will check CINEMASCOPE for reviews of all teh films you’ve seen here except for THE LIFE OF PI and YOUTH OF THE BEAST, which I did see, and applauded your terrific work for. Thanks so much for the kind words and great submission my friend!
While on the road I had computer problems and am very happy to be home, in my own bed, and back on my good old computer! I thought your reviews looked so interesting today and of course the A ROYAL WEDDING caught my eye – I do like those Danish flicks very much – even with just Danes in them!
I did not comment on last weeks post because of the computer glitches, but I wanted to share that the memoir I reviewed last week by Joan Cusak Handler is about being 11, growing up swimming in Long Island Sound and being a Catholic Irish child in the 1950s….I think many of your readers would love – Confessions of Joan the Tall. You might want to have Lucille make a comment so the publisher will choose her to win the book?
I have seen LINCOLN twice on your recommendations and I wanted to share something about the film with you. I saw it in San Francisco over Thanksgiving and it was full length and the previews shared Les Miserables – starting on Christmas Day and another film about President Roosevelt called something on the HUDSON…I was sure I wanted to see both of these. Then my friend came to our town for her birthday and I took her to see LINCOLN which she loved. I was appalled. Our theater showed the movie with 4 distinct parts missing ( like the end where they tell about what happened to Robert and Tad and Mary) The scene where they ride the horses through the bloody dead battle scene was half the length – no lie and the scene with Robert at the army hospital ( wheelbarrow) jumped right to the slap….The other scene was just a blur in my head that something was missing. The movie was shorter. There was no preview for LES MIS and the Hudson movie… As a matter of fact there was nothing in the previews that I would be remotely interested in watching except for the live Opera broadcast that is to happen here????
I just do not think we are getting what the big cities are getting – I hate this kind of censorship and it limits me to just going to Seattle to watch movies which my neighbor does or hoping NETFLIX will send the whole version?
Is this kind of censorship common? Do you think it is part of dumbing us down?
I am so happy you are here and all your good writers and contributors – I would really feel left out and isolated without you good posts. Thank you
Patricia, if the theater is inadvertently switching the reels too soon or something – or worse, getting compromised prints from somebody – I would let someone know. I’d imagine the filmmakers would be livid.
I have been thinking I should at least call the theater…our big complex is owned by a very Conservative theological group here in town and the last remaining downtown theater is controlled by the Catholic Church….How does one let filmmakers know? Do I just put it in Google? and see what I get?
Joel…..I’m not sure about this, but I was not aware that cinemas showing digital project have to switch reels at all anymore? I don’t know the technicalities behind digital projection, but can you enlighten me on that? I know some places still show old fashioned film….I in fact saw Killing Them Softly on film projection in a crummy theatre in Kentucky this week, where obviously the reels are changing.
Patricia—
As I have told some other great ladies at the site, A ROYAL WEDDING sports the can’t miss label. I hope you’ll get the opportunity to see it on abig scren, but at least on DVD. The word ‘ravishing’ is fully applicable, and dramatically it holds you riveted! I willk indeed ask Lucille to place a comment athe book review of that great-sounding memoir!! This past week we did receive our copy of “The Good Pope” about John XXIII, a pope who reigned when I was a young child. I actually rememeber (Angelo Roncalli) and his passing when I was a very young child. Thank you for urging me to enter. I am sorry to hear about the computer gliches, and am admittedly perplexed at the situation with what appears to be an incomplete LINCOLN. I agree with you 100% on the censorship situation and in random cuts that could have been engineered for any reason imaginable. The fact that the previews were missing would seem to validate your claim, but what you say by way of specific omissions is telling. I agree that someone should be made aware of this travesty, and am very sorry to hear it. Please keep me abreast my friend. Thanks for sharing all this.
HEY KIDS, DON’T FORGET. TCM’S STAR OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER IS BARBARA STANWYCK, AND TONIGHT BABS KICKS OFF WITH CAPRA’S ‘LADY OF LEISURE’ AT 8 P.M. FOR ALL YOU INSOMNIACS AND DOPE FIENDS, ‘MIRACLE WOMAN’ SCREENS AT 5 A.M., I BELIEVE.
Indeed Mark!!!! Stanwyck is the star of every month and every years as well. Ha! Thanks very much for this information, and hope some tuned in!
Sam, thanks so much for the great mention.
It’s been a quiet week here on the movie-watching front, unfortunately. But I plan to do something about that very, very soon.
Excited like you for the end of the year flood of worthy stuff. Have an awesome week, Sam. Thanks so much for all that you do!
I can never thank YOU enough Jeffrey, for your steadfast loyalty, friendship and good will. I am deeply honored for this, and can list making your acquaintance one of the greatest occurances since I started blogging nearly five years ago. I did see two great documentaries this week Jeffrey (WAGNER AND ME and THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE) with the latter directed by Ken Burns. I suspect these would please you enormously. Yes I can’t wait for LES MISERABLES, ZERO DARK THIRTY, AMOUR and TABU. Thanks again my friend! Have a great week!