by Sam Juliano
With the 2000’s countdown nearing the half-way point, it is projected that the project will conclude sometime in late July, at which point ‘genre’ polls will launch, chaired by Jamie Uhler (with the Olson brothers), Bob Clark and Stephen Russell-Gebbet. Uhler and company will consider the ‘greatest horror films of all-time’, while Clark will tackle science-fiction and Russell-Gebbet will explore the most accomplished animated films. Rules and duration for each of these polls will be determined by each respective chairperson. While ‘yours truly’ will assume the chairmanship of the ‘Best Musicals’ poll, the site is still looking for volunteers to navigate the planned ‘Greatest Westerns’ polling, the ‘Greatest War Films’ balloting, and a few others being considered.
Welcome home Tricia and Troy Olson, and their adorable daughter Madelyn, and Best Wishes to Dan Getahun, who is scheduled to tie the knot this coming week in Minneapolis. And here’s to Marilyn Ferdinand on her upcoming birthday celebration in the Windy City. At Living in Cinema, Craig Kennedy was chosen as a model for an inspiring grammar school teacher in Los Angeles, who assigned her students a film reviewing project. Dave Hicks is almost ready to commence with his new ‘Greatest Directors’ series at Goodfellas, Jeffrey Goodman has some fantastic interview-discussions up at The Last Lullaby on the progress of his new film Peril, and continuing series on Jean-Pierre Melville and William Wellman move forward at The Long Voyage Home and Movie Classics, with Donophon and Judy Gaeter at the helm. And of course, Dee Dee is winding down her interview at Darkness Into Light with Tony d’Ambra on the ’31 Most Essential Noirs.’
Another busy week in and around Manhattan was enhanced by some gorgeous spring weather in the high 70’s and low 80’s that reminded us the dog days of summer are around the corner. Lucille and I managed two theatrical shows (the second one with Broadway Bob, who had seen the first earlier in the year) on Thursday and Saturday nights:
SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, which boasts two Tony Award nominations for Barbara Cooke and Vanessa Williams, is a high tech lovefest of venerated songwriter Stephen Sondheim, that showcases unreleased songs and a survey of his ultra-successful career. Sondheim speaks to the audience on large panel projection, while the talented cast negotiated his timeless compositions (review above the MMD here). The Studio 54 is a grand place for such an extravagent revue.
KING JOHN is unquestionably Shakespeare’s most rarely-performed work, but the well-respected ‘Guerilla Shakespeare Project’ which enjoyed sold-old houses for their previous The Two Noble Kinsmen utilized some creative staging and nine performers to draw some interesting parallels with the greed and corruption in contemporary society with a portrait of the monarch often referred to as the ‘worst’ in British history. While the cramming of history into a two hour time frame makes for a challenging sit, the play contains some beautiful lines, and the acting here by nine performances is quite impressive, as is the hip set design and Jordan Reeves’ direction and choreography. The Medicine Show Theatre, tucked up on the third floor of a delapidated former warehouse, was uncomfortably hot and stuffy, a lamentable fact that completely turned off Lucille and Bob, but I weathered this difficulty myself.
I saw three films theatrically:
Two in the Wave *** 1/2 (Wednesday evening) Film Forum
Please Give **** (Friday evening) Montclair Claridge Cinemas
Shrek Forever After *** (Saturday afternoon) Edgewater multiplex
TWO IN THE WAVE had potential to achieve documentary greatness, what with it’s iconic subjects (Truffaut and Godard) and influential period in cinema (the French New Wave) but the filmmakers seemed more concerned with crafting a homage, rather than an in depth examination at what precipitated (and sustained) the feud between these two masters that inflicted considerable damage on the movement. Everything here is on the surface, but it was great seeing all those great clips and newspaper coverage of the emergence of the Cashiers du Cinema, and some decent interview footage. Still, it’s somewhat of an essential viewing for fans of these two greats.
Nicole Holofcener’s PLEASE GIVE is a surprisingly trenchant examination of social mores and neurosis in an affluent NYC conclave of urbanites, who posess an all-consuming obsession with real estate. Catherine Keener, Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet deliver excellent performances in this insightful examination of relationships between some rather unpleasant people, that reveals an underpinning of morbidity with it’s gently humanist focus. It’s a well-written piece with some acute humor that straddles the line between greed and compassion.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER is tolerable, and in fact it does soar on occasion, but hopefully this will be the final installemt in a series that has now worn out its welcome. Voice work is fine, the story line is somewhat inventive, in stretches, but it’s also flat and comically uninspired, and it runs out of steam. Still, it’s a fair enough supposed conclusion to a “franchise that should never have been” and the lovely credit bookends are marvelous. The kids liked it. Incidentally, we watched the normal 2D version, not the overpriced and senseless 3D version.
Some great stuff is out there:
Donophon’s exceptional series on Jean-Pierre Melville at “The Long Voyage Home” continues with one of the French master’s rarely seen films: http://thelongvoyagehome.blogspot.com/2010/05/jean-pierre-melville-laine-des-ferchaux.html
Judy at Movie Classics received a major honor this past week when she revealed that Frank Thompson, the biographer of an upcoming volume on William Wellman, had left a comment at her blog!!! She speaks of that well-deserved acknowledgement as well as other matters connected to her Wellmann series, which she will be taking a brief respite from to focus her attention on some other films: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/william-a-wellman-revisited/
‘Just Another Film Buff’ continues to explore the uncharted regions in the cinematic universe, finding films and directors that have eluded the most ardent cinephiles out there, as as usual his scholarly writing is at the top-rank in the the blogosphere:
http://theseventhart.info/2010/05/16/the-films-of-lav-diaz/
Dee Dee, the tireless big-hearted wonderkind continues her May coverage of Tony d’Ambra’s 31 Most Essential Film Noirs. The latest entry is Anthony Mann’s classic T Men, and it’s posted at “Darkness Into Light.”: http://noirishcity.blogspot.com/2010/05/counting-down-thirty-one-film-noirs_17.html
Troy and Tricia Olson are back stateside after their trip to China to claim Madelyn, their new bundle of joy. Pictures and heart-warming diary entries have been posted at the “Olson Family Blog” all week long: http://olsonfamilymatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/madelyn-in-pictures-7.html
Michael Harford’s latest post at his ‘Coffee Messiah’ blog features an arresting video of an ancient Indian site in New York State circa 200 A.D. http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2010/05/this-n-that.html
John Greco continues to plug away at “Twenty Four Frames” with his typical stellar combination of impressive reviews (Olmi’s Il Posto most recently) and poster ads from yester year. His latest is on Hitch: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/newspaper-ads-of-yesteryear-2-hitchcocks-films-part-1/
Dave Hicks has officially announced the launching of his newest project at Good Fellas on his favorite ‘directors.’ It looks like another big winner for Dave: http://goodfellamovies.blogspot.com/2010/05/june-1-it-begins.html
Joseph Jon Lanthier, writer and critic extraordinaire, has one of his great posts headlining at “Aspiring Sellout” on the new blu-ray of Nicholas Roeg’s Walkabout that’s a must-read:http://aspiringsellout.com/
At The Schleicher Spin, David is posing a ranking of Ridley Scott’s films under his very fine review of Robin Hood, where he seems to have settles on a reasonably favorable assessment: http://davethenovelist.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/ridley-and-russell-sitting-in-a-tree/
Jeffrey Goodman has posted a “Live Peril chat that was recorded this past Tuesday at his blogsite. I found it most fascinating!http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2010/05/live-peril-chat-51810.html
Shubhajit, at “Cinemascope” is one of the blogosphere’s most prolific operators, has a number of new capsules since last week up, the most recent, Femme Fatale by Brian De Palma: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2010/05/femme-fatale-2002.html
Craig Kennedy at Living in Cinema had one of his best all-time greatest posts up this week, involving an inspiring teacher and her ‘Southside Elementary’ students, who used his site for a special project: http://livingincinema.com/2010/05/19/hello-southside-elementary/
Longman Oz continues his prolific pace at his Dublin blogsite with installment #49 is his distinguished music series: http://noordinaryfool.com/2010/05/21/aweekinmusic4-2/
Over at Ferdy-on-Films, where Marilyn Ferdinand and Roderick Heath are as prolific and as accomplished as any duo in the blogosphere, Rod’s popular Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom review still headlines, while under it Marilyn’s superlative treatment of a silent classic also deserves full attention:http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=4698
J.D. at Radiator Heaven is posting a Star Wars blogothon that originated at a sci-fi site. Looks like great stuff here: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2010/05/star-wars-blogathon-episode-iv-new-hope.html
David Van Poppel, a loyal commenter here at WitD dating back into last year, has started his own “documentary blog” titled “Visions of Non-Fiction” and I urge everyone to head over there and wish his well on his first postings! http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com/2010/05/hot-docs-2010-in-photos.html
As the wedding bells are tolling on the horizon for Dan Getahun, he’s rightly promised a short blogging respite, but he’ll be back on the beat in the near future. Best Wishes to you and your lovely bride Dan!: http://getafilm.blogspot.com/2010/05/2010-pov-season-preview.html
Kevin Olson has made quite an impressive case for MacGruber at his place: http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/macgruber.html
Always expressing that individual voice and perception, Stephen at “Checking on My Sausages” has some fascinating “musings” on Scorsese’s Shutter Island that’s a must-read for students of that film: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2010/05/musing-on-shutter-island.html
Kaleem Hasan continues to proctor one of the net’s most successful Indian/American sites, with a marked tilt toward film and culture. “Satyamshot” should be a regular stop!: http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/
Drew Macintosh has a fantastic review up of Robert Altman’s Quintet up at “The Blue Vial”: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2010/05/quintet-robert-altman-1979.html
Samuel Wilson continues to write prolifically andwith amazing passion at his Mondo 70 blogsite. His latest is a curious rarity, (at least to these eyes!): http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2010/05/cop-in-blue-jeans-squadra-antiscippo.html
Ed Howard has a very fine review of a little-seen Pialat film up at “Only the Cinema”: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2010/05/graduate-first.html
Ibetolis” also known as Rick Burke, the tireless British blogger who made the 2000 project sail for so long is back, and it’s time to celebrate in the blogosphere: http://filmforthesoul.blogspot.com/2010/05/now-thats-how-you-open-movie-13.html
Film Doctor aims and fires at MacGruber at his hallowed halls: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2010/05/revulsion-debasement-and-shame-5-notes.html
Of course Tony d’Ambra’s great piece on Call Northside 777, which was featured in a separate post yesterday at WitD, is again linked here: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/call-northside-777-1948-its-a-good-world-outside.html
Thanks, Sam, as usual. I’ll be off the internet probably for a week or so. Been quite busy. I’ll try to begin THAT work which we discussed later this week. Mwhahahaha…(cue: Beethoven’s 5th)
Thanks JAFB. I fully understand the situation, and again I much appreciate your generosity.
Hey Sam. Thanks for the link, even if it is just one of my lazy Friday morning posts!
The “King John” play caught my attention the most above. Have not even read it, much less seen it. Will the correct the former before I correct the latter, I suspect. Definitely interested in the Goadard/Truffaut documentary also, even if the actual film sounds a touch mundane.
Quiet week for me, as we so rarely get truly good weather here it is a shame to spend it indoors. So, I only saw Chris Morris’ deeply satirical take on domestic suicide bombers that is “Four Lions” (for me, a mixed bag with some highly provocative / outrageously silly moments) and the re-release of “Pandora & the Flying Dutchman” (I would gladly condemn the narrator here to sail the seven seas for all eternity, but it felt like a long-lost camp classic on the whole!).
In other news, looks like an interesting set of films being showcased at Cannes this year, despite some journalistic mutterings that the quality is down on recent years. However, a good swathe of them still give me hope for the coming year!
Ha! Love that quip on PANDORA Longman! Yes, this was indeed a slow week for you, but you’re entitled a brief respite to re-charge those batteries! Ha!
Yeah, I went out of my way to check out KING JOHN, as it’s almost never done, and now I’m motivated to watch the BBC production of the play (THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KING JOHN) with Leonard Rossitter, which I have in my possession as part of the massive BBC Shakesperae box on Region 2. The production I saw wasn’t perfect (as I hope to note in my upcoming review) but it mostly a pleasant surprise, especially as it was managed by a small off-off Broadway Shakespeare company.
FOUR LIONS sounds interesting, and I hope it opens stateside. I will definitely check out that Cannes lineup!
Thanks as always for the inspired wrap!
Thanks again for the nod, although the mounds are actually in Illinois. If they were in NY, we would have dropped in, if ya had air conditioning ; )
The theater for King John sounds lie an interesting venue, although having only been in NY while a kid, I do remember how hot and stuffy it was, everywhere.
Will have to keep an eye out for Two In The Wave.
You’re a real trooper and I’m always worn out just reading what you’ve seen.
Cheers!
“Thanks again for the nod, although the mounds are actually in Illinois.”
hahahaha Michael! I am definitely losing it, as I’ve stated a number of times on these threads! The air conditioning is in place though, should you venture east!
The building where KING JOHN was staged was indeed a curiosity, though I do wish they had better ventilation! Ha!
My travails can also be seen as rather foolhardy, but for now the beat goes on!
TWO IN THE WAVE should make it’s way to DVD real soon, the way I figure it.
Thanks again for your wonderful submission here!
Sam, looks like you had another great week. I am interesting seeing both “Two In The Wave” and “Please Give” (AMC has been showing previews of the latter so I guess it will make its way here). I too saw “Shrek Forever After” and like yourself think it is about time to hang up the franchise. It was decent enough but getting a bit old.
On the home front I watched the following:
Murder at the Vanities – Mitchell Leisen (***) – The highlights include Duke Ellington and his band doing the “Rape of the Rhapsody” number so well that even Mitchell Leisen’s dull direction sparks a bit. Other highlights include Gertrude Mitchell’s performance as a nasty diva as well as her musical performance in “Sweet Marijuana.” On the downside are a bland Kitty Carlisle and Carl Brisson (he introduces the standard “Cocktails for Two” and the overdone frivolous humor between Jack Oakie and Victor McLaughlin gets a bit thick at times. l
Georgia O’Keefe (Bob Balaban) ***1/2 – a made for television movie (Lifetime channel, now don’t laugh) an admirable tribute to the talented artist. The film shines with wonderful performances from Joan Allen as O’Keefe and Jeremy Irons as Alfred Stieglitz along with many of O’Keefe’s paintings.
Picture Snatcher – Lloyd Bacon (***1/2) Pre-code James Cagney. Gangsters, dames and more in this entertaining 1993 film. Full review coming up at 24 frames.
The House Across the Bay – Archie Mayo (**1/2) Fair crime drama with George Raft doubled crossed by slimy lawyer Lloyd Nolan and sent to Alcatraz for a ten year stretch.
Sunset Blvd – Billy Wilder ***** Needless to say, one of Wilder’s many masterpieces, a brilliant darkly funny bitter tale of the underbelly of Hollywood. One of my favorite films of all time. Most likely will do a full review of this at 24frames.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Werner Herzog (****) Abel Ferrara’s cop in the original “Bad Lieutenant” is minor league and Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” is a pussy cat compared to the crazed druggie, corrupt officer of the law portrayed by Nicolas Cage in this wild darkly obsessive black comedy.
The Wild One – Laslo Benedek (***1/2) Though it is somewhat dated, that is mostly because it has been copied so much over the years, there is a great deal in this film that is iconic, most obviously Brando’s performance that makes this film required viewing. James Dean, Elvis, Wyatt and Billy all owe a debt to Brando’s motorcycle rebel. Full review coming soon at 24frames.
I also starting reading “Bloody Sam: The Life and Times of Sam Peckinpah” by Marshall Fine.
Hey John!
As always your submission on this thread is always of the top rank in every sense. Yeah, I think they do need to hang up the SHREK franchise, and should be grateful it exited on passable terms. My kids liked it, but they were raised with this character! Ha!
With the exception of one blogger friend I greatly respect (see Craig Kennedy at LIVING IN CINEMA) I have heard nothing but praise for Ms. Holofcener’s film, and to be honest I was skeptical, as her previous works (though fair enough) didn’t really float my boat. But Ms. Keener has always been excellent, and there’s much more with this one, including some fascinating characters, and the Woody Allenish premise and setting. I think you’ll like it.
Thanks by the way, John for alerting me on Wednesday morning about the French New Wave documentary opening at the Film Forum. I made good on that heads up that very same night! Ha! As you anticipate, there is much to revel in this one, warts and all.
Once again you have staged an extraordinary domestic film marathon, that typically is incomparable. I have not seen three of these films, I’m sorry to say (THE HOUSE ACROSS THE BAY, PICTURE SNATCHER and GEORGIA O’KEEFE) but I am fascinated to read your appraisals which seem to make a lot of sense. That latter film is quite a curiosity, I must say!
As far as SUNSET BOULEVARD, well yes I quite agree it’s a five-star masterpiece and one of the greatest of all American films. I know you once penned an excellent review of it at that other site you used to write for, but a revised review would be most welcome! And *** 1/2 stars perfectly fits THE WILD ONE, a film that has dated for sure, a result of (again) what you rightly note – rampant emulation. The 4/5 rating for BAD LIETENANT is precisely how I assessed it, and yes Cage is fabulous in his bizarre role, which perfectly compliments Herzog’s own sensibilities. Loved the surrealist touches!
This is a spectacular wrap, much appreciated!
John’s movie watching on a weekly basis is always amazing.
Hey Sam, thanks so much for the incredibly kind words. I wasn’t even aware of that Godard/Truffaut documentary so thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. It sounds right up my alley.
This week, I only caught a few things: ARSENAL, LOVE ME TONIGHT, I WAS BORN, BUT…, and THE OLD DARK HOUSE. I enjoyed all of them, but the Ozu particularly impressed me. I found the way that it treats its theme, young boys’ disappointment at the social standing of their father, to be absolutely heart-wrenching.
To a great week, Sam. Thanks for all that you do.
Jeffrey: You are absolutely one of the nicest people online, and your words are always a booster when some of us approach the ‘burn out’ syndrome that sadly has closed down some of our favorite blogsites over the past months. Likewise your humility and down to earth demeanor for a man of your stature is a real ‘thing of beauty’ as Keats would say. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
Oh yes, the Godard/Truffaut documentary is something you would greatly appreciate and respond to, and I do believe a DVD release is imminent soon enough, if it doesn’t get down by you in theatres.
I love every one of those fours films you’ve seen, especially the Ozu (as you do). It’s his earliest masterpiece, a work of sublime humanism. I must say that Mamoulian’s musical gem LOVE ME TONIGHT is one of the greatest films of all-time in that genre.
Thanks again for bringing a smile to my face, and I trust everything is moving ahead as planned on PERIL.
I think I’d probably side with Lucille and Broadway Bob with King John. Discomfort while attempting to concentrate on a stage play is too much to manage as far as I’m concerned. But I do see your point with the rarity of the staging.
I’ll probably wait for Shrek to come on DVD.
Not happy about the Yanks losing 2 out of 3 to the Mets. Looks like they’ve hit a bad skid.
KING JOHN is NOT for everyone Joe. Even the Bard’s greatest works cause indifference with many. But yeah, the discomfort did at least partially mitigate against the show’s effectiveness, though overall I was pleased.
SHREK was decent enough for what it was, but yeah a wait for the DVD is fair enough.
The Yankees are going though a rough stretch here, no doubt.
Thanks as always for the most interesting submission, my friend!
Hi Sam and thanks for the birthday wishes and shout-out of our reviews. As you know, to continue to highlight the ill treatment of Jafar Panahi, I watched and reviewed his wonderful film Offside on Sunday.
We didn’t get out this week, but watched some nice films at home, including All the Mornings of the World with Depardieu pere et fils and The Rising of the Moon, which TCM premiered last night. I took in a documentary on Snag Films about the evils of current copyright law, Rip: A Remix Manifesto, that is must-viewing for anyone making or consuming films, music, etc.
You are most welcome Marilyn, and yes I salute you for your impassioned coverage of Jafar Panahi, a world class director, whose recent jailing in Iran has resulted in international outrage. Your OFFSIDE review, presently heading up at Ferdy-on-Films is one review that every blogger really should read, as it not only provies a stellar review of agreat film, but also informs of this blasphemy of human rights.
Marilyn, I must say I absolutely adore Alain Corneu’s ALL THE MORNINGS OF THE WORLD..a.k.a. TOUS LE MATINS DU MONDE, which is a ravishing feast for the eyes and ears. That musical score negotiated in large measure by Jordi Savall is absolutely sublime, and I distinctly remembering years ago listening to that score CD over and over for many weeks, much to the chagrin of those around me. Ha!
I regret missing the TCM unveiling of THE RISING OF THE MOON, but hope you have a review planned. RIP is something I most definitely would be interested in!
Thanks as always for the magnificent wrap!
I, too, was knocked out by the fantastic French Baroque music of Tous Les Matins…, full of passion and sadness. I may use your generous birthday gift to pick up the soundtrack or some other recording of these works.
I’ll have to think about writing up The Rising of the Moon. So much of its pleasures are in the word banter, as so much of Irish film and literature is, and that’s not as easy to convey in a written review without resort to extensive quoting. But Ford’s direction of the last story of the trilogy was really unusual, using a skewed camera angle for most of the proceedings, and I must say that as a realization of a work by Lady Gregory, it did capture my heart and mind.
Ha Marilyn! I always allowed myself to be overwhelmed by emotion while hearing that score, and I suspected you would have a taste for it as well. I completely understand what you are saying about writing something on THE RISING OF THE MOON, and appreciaste that comparison/parallel with the word banter in Irish literature! Excellnt insights throughout your response too, as usual. I will seek this out!
Sam –
Long time, no see (or no post, in my case).
I am “coming up for air” and rushing to catch up with the latest releases. “Please Give” has just arrived in selected arthouse theatres in my area and is on my “to see” list for the upcoming holiday weekend.
My only cultural venture for the weekend past was a magnificent local production of “Ragtime,” a musical I dearly love and one that I think does not get its proper due. For my money, it succeeds in capturing the diverse threads and panoramic sweep of the E. L. Doctorow novel far better than does the film verison. I like the film on its own terms, but it doesn’t piere my heart the way the stage musical does.
Pat–
As I stated under your comment of the Sondheim review, I am really thrilled to see you coming up for air, and hope that everything is coming along blissfully in your life. I know you’ll eventually post, and I’ll be there to add my two cents! Ha!
Ah, RAGTIME is a winner, and I have no doubt the film version (mediocre) is nowhere in its league. Sadly, I have never seen any production of this, and lukily for you a local company picked up the baton.
I would wager even money that you will LOVE Nicole Holofcener’s newest offering, and I do look forward to your actual reaction when you get to it.
I’ll definitely keep in touch my good friend!
Hey Sam!
Thanks again for the plug!
I saw a couple films this weekend – Les Parents – a documentary I’ll be posting about on my blog, and Please Give, which I also thought was excellent. It was really hilarious and touching at times, with Amanda Peet surprising me with an uncharacteristic knack for humour.
Thank you David!
So thrilled to hear of your estimation of PLEASE GIVE, a perceptive little film that really sneaks up on you. And I agree it’s a kind of dramady, with some impressive turns by Peet and company.
I’ll be checking out your upcoming review of LES PARENTS!
Thanks as always for the recognition, Sam. Since you visited, I’ve seen LOLA MONTES, which jogged some “flashbacks” which I’ve recounted on my blog, and SUMMER HOURS, which was novel (to me) for featuring Jeremie Renier as a competent, responsible person. Assayas’s film was decent for what it was, a piece of humanist observation with underlying social commentary, but the Ophuls is more of my kind of movie; not necessarily successful on every level but heroically ambitious in the director’s determination to master the modern technology (color, Cinemascope) that his producers had foisted upon him. I also watched the 1970 Spanish horror film El Vampiro de la Utopista, known in America as The Horrible Sexy Vampire, but that’s another story.
You’ve reviewed LOLA MONTES and SUMMER HOURS Samuel???
Count me IN and today for certain! I still need to comment on your great MOOLAADE review. This Sembene film is one of the decade’s greatest, and there are too few reviews up on it.
I am sure Jamie and the Olsons will take note of that vampire film as they prepare the upcoming horror poll, but it’s a curiosoity in any sense.
I appreciate the ‘heroically ambitious’ estimation of Ophuls’s masterwork!
Thanks as always for the terrific wrap, Samuel!
Nothing up on Summer Hours yet. I may get to it later this week. And I must warn any horror pollsters in advance of my full review that The Horrible Sexy Vampire is neither.
This ties into what I was saying on the other board about works of grand, ambitious vision vs. very well-made but quieter filmmaking. It seems the proportion of the former to the latter has diminished over the years, but maybe that’s only the view from the trenches (others have raised pertinent points of protest).
Ironically, of course, Summer Hours was one of my favorites of recent years. While I’d agree that it fits the trend I’m describing, a quieter, more subtle film eschewing grand gestures or ambition, I connected to it due to the generational saga and the use of place, two themes/approaches which I always love to see onscreen.
I liked Hohofcener’s “Friends with Money” and she’s done some very fine work with the television shows “Six Feet Under” and “Sex and the City”. So I will be seeing this, and appreciate the blessing. “Shrek Forever After” is a DVD rental, and the Godard/Truffaut documentary ias one I’ll hope comes over to Montclair.
I see from the sidebar, Fred, that the restored ‘Breathless’ is having a run at the Film Forum. This is one I won’t miss! A great companion piece with ‘Two in the Wave.’
Thanks for the mention Sam. You’re too kind. Great to know so much stuff is happening and/or scheduled to happen on the blogosphere. The net sure is buzzing with a whole lotta activity.
Here’s what I watched meanwhile… not much though.
1) In Cold Blood: I decided to take John & your advices and watch the adaptation of Capote’s famous non-fiction novel, and I must say I agree with the high ratings bestowed on it by both of you. Its review is already up at my blog.
2) Dead Reckoning: Yeah, a pretty good noir alright. Bogart terrific as a Rick Blaine/Phillip Marlowe prototype as usual.
3) Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People): Satyajit Ray’s adaptation of the legendary play by Henrik Ibsen. Though ranked among Ray’s lesser works, but a very competent film nonetheless.
In the meantime I’m now at the final leg of Catch-22, and I’m loving every page of the book that I’m reading. I’m also watching the 8th season of the TV series 24, just finished watching the 5th episode.
By the way, this is also going to be the last week of my first job. I’ve already resigned, and am now serving my 1-month notice period. Reason – higher studies (MBA). I’ll be home for the entire month of June, though. So planning to eat, sleep & drink movies before I’m shipped off to the university. Its a standard 2 year course & a major career decision for me, and I’ve a feeling both my movie viewing & blogging will get severely hit for the coming 2 years.
Anyway, something I wanted to ask you, read somewhere you’re a teacher… so what is it that you teach & where? Hope I’m not prying.
You are not prying at all Shubhajit, especially for one as open as myself. I’ve taught since I was 27, and have about 26 years in. Presently I teach in my hometown of Fairview, New Jersey, and this year I am the creative writing and literature instructor for grades 4 through 6, as well as the Gifted and Talented coordinator. But previously I’ve taught seventh and eighth grade English, literature and World history in the same school system for a number of years, and I taught English to 10th and 11th graders in the county vocational high school when I started my career. I’ve even spent a year teaching third grade in another school in Fairview in the early 90’s, but what a blessing that was, as I met my wife Lucille while we co-directed a production of Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. We married in 1995 and now have five children.
I am thrilled to hear your reaction to IN COLD BLOOD, and I’ll be over to Cinemascope momentarily to say as much!
As I think I’ve told you before, I am a huge fan of S. RAY, as humanist cinema is my favorite style, and he is one of the towering figures in this regard. My favorite Rays are PATHER PANCHALI, CHARULATA, DAYS AND NIGHTS IN THE FOREST, THE MUSIC ROOM, DEVI and DISTANT THUNDER, but I also respect AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, especially since it’s based on Ibsen, a playwright I also greatly admire. I do believe Ibsen’s play was staged in NYC a few years back. But there are a number of lesser Rays I still need to see.
Well, DEAD RECKONING is definitely a quality noir with Bogart ever-impressive, and I know the television series 24 quite well, which is a rarity for me as I seldom get the cahance to look at the more recent shows for obvious reasons. John is a huge fan of that Heller novel you are smitten with, but I like it well enough myself! The film version is a kind of classic too.
Thanks so much for sharing your upcoming plans Shubhajit, and congrats on the persual of your MBA!!! Fantastic news! Yeah, movie watching and blogging will tail off, and rightfully so. There are far more important things, and your advanced degree is at the top of the list at this stage. You will always have a friend here and with a number of others we mutually revere, and we’ll still communicate my friend!
Thanks for this tremendous comment.
Thanks a lot for the wonderful response, Sam. Means a lot. Well, MBA is for a push to my career, can’t really say I’m doing it solely for the love of it. Life for me, I hope, would still remain pursuing of the arts, esp. cinema & books, and also blogging which has become a strong 3rd passion for me after the 1st two. So I hope they get to remain that way. Maybe they’ll get affected, esp. in the next 2 years, but I’m sure they’ll continue to remain close to my heart, and I’ll continue to push for them whenever I can squeeze in some time.
Looks like the Golden Ticket worked!
LOL Joel!!!! How true!!!!! Many thanks!
Thanks for the nod and kind words Sam, especially since I have pretty much completely neglected blogging and movies this week. The only films I really watched were old favorites like Ride Lonesome and Coup de Torchon. I don’t what it entails, but I’d be glad to help with the greatest westerns polling in whatever way. As a genre I have a great deal of passion for it.
Donophon: It is increasingly difficult to maintain the blogging pace when we have glorious weather. And I know you love fishing too. I’m sure you will still be a major contributor, even while dividing yourself in a number of directions. And God do I know the ‘burn out syndrome’ too as I’ve just suffered from this myself as of late. You watched two irrefutable gems there, and I must say COUP DE TORCHON was for me the best film of it’s release year, and a truly great work of world cinema. It does built up to an unforggetable conclusion, as you well know. And of course LONESOME is another classic.
We will definitely talk on the Western poll, as we move through the other genres. I am grateful to have your prospective interest here, and know how much knowledge and appreciation you have here.
Thanks for the great wrap!
I thought about Doniphon when you mentioned a western pollster – glad to see he’s (maybe) jumped on board.
Indeed Joel. He seems to be leaning that way.
Hey guys, if I expressed any hesitation it was only because I’m not sure what it would exactly entail. But as long as the responsibilities don’t include hitchhiking to Monument Valley, you can count me in.
Boy, Sam, I don’t think I can blame Lucille and Bob on their reactions to ‘King John’. It’s probably the least performed and least respected of all Shakespeare’s works, and watching it in a stuffy old warehouse would push me over the top. Sue would have my head too! But I can also see your point about wanting to catch something that may not come up again in a very long time. The small groups usually inject their productions with commited application, and more often than not the acting is impressive, even if the sets aren’t due to scant funding. I hope you get a chance to write a full review.
Of the films you saw, I’m intrigued with ‘Please Give’ which I see is playing in Montclair.
Peter: I am not sure that any Shakespeare play suffers from a lack of respect, but I’ll admit that in the opinion of audiences and scholars this is the one that’s seen as the weakest for various reasons, not the least of which is a cramming of too much historical time into it’s duration. But “John” as the brother of Richard the Lion Hearted has always been a fascinating figure, and a well-performed staging can still yield some rewards. I do hope to pen a full review, thanks, and I may even get to one on PLEASE GIVE.
Thanks as always for the thoughtful response!
Thanks for the plug Sam… I’m really excited about this series, as it has entailed a lot of movie watching, filling in gaps in filmographies for many of my favorite directors. I won’t say too much about what I watched all week, as it reveal all in regard to the countdown (although, anyone who follows the blog can likely guess a majority of the Top 30 I’ll be doing). I will say, though, that the revelation of my movie-watching this week was Fritz Lang’s DESTINY. He certainly made better films in his German period (M and Metropolis for sure), but this is a movie that I never see/read anything about and I thought it was great. The “stories of the three candles” section was not quite as good as the beginning and end, but the sections involving the woman looking for her fiance are flat-out great. I know this one didn’t make Allan’s Top 100 in the silent countdown, but it was one of the silents that I have seen (which, granted, is not a whole lot) that I loved.
Dave: Excellent defense there of DESTINY, which I’ll admit I was surprised didn’t make Allan’s silent countdown, and nice display of passion there! I must say I do agree. And your latest project may be you best (and most popular yet) as it was preceded by some serious movie watching! I can’t wait!
Thanks for your kind acknowledgment, Sam – the big day is almost upon us. I’ll look forward to hopefully relaxing back in the cinemas this summer as a married man, carefully modeling myself after you in somehow balancing movies and family (no kids yet for me though)!
I’m most flattered by that of course Daniel, and I wish you the most blissful time of your life. I hope you have a nice honeytrip ahead of you too. One of the nicest guys out there, you deserve the very best!
SAM-CALL ME DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK. I GOTTA LET YOU KNOW WHAT TIME TODAY… ALSO-I HAVE PROCURED ANOTHER BIG ONE TO SEND OUT-GREAT QUALITY!!!!!!!
530 and its a pristine recent. K. A. are the initials. Just got your text. Remember 530.
Let’s see. It has to be “Kick Ass”. I hope this means that I will get a copy too!
Peter-We don’t deal with illegal bootlegs on this site. However, should you be interested in the catalogue of films we offer for viewing you can, of course, contct Sam via E-Mail to find out the availability of titles we do stock…..
Hey Sam — it’s obviously been an amazing two weeks for my wife and myself, but it’s great to be home. Hopefully our daughter feels the same way soon and decides to start sleeping through the night for us 🙂
I did have some time to watch movies during those two weeks, mostly on the plane flight over, still getting ready for the horror movie countdown that is to come.
THE OMEN **1/2 – Far too earnest and lacking any pathos, which results in a film that’s pretty much stupid. Still, there’s some nice setpieces and camerawork at play.
CARNIVAL OF SOULS **** – A fascinating piece of low-budget filmmaking. Nothing earth-shattering, but still manages to evoke atmosphere without feeling too padded (too often a fault of horror movies).
THE INNOCENTS ****1/2 – Great black and white ghost story. Subtle, eerie, with great performances by Kerr and the two child actors. Love the ambiguous nature of the film whereby we aren’t sure if the kids are actually possessed or not.
WITCHFINDER GENERAL ***1/2 – I initially found this to be closer to a Western in 1600’s British clothing than a horror movie. However, a few axe whacks in the last 5 minutes kind of changed my opinion on that. This was a perfectly fine offshoot of the Hammer and Corman styles prevalent in the 60’s, but I didn’t find it to be quite the horror classic that others have claimed it to be.
THE EXORCIST ****1/2 – This has seemed to fall out of favor as a horror classic in recent years, but I still find it to be a film that has a good build, good story, and good characters, all leading to an ending that evokes emotion. There still feels like some things are missing during the course of the film, which always keeps me from calling it a masterpiece, but it’s one of the top horror films.
MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, both **** – I had always associated Roger Corman with cheaply made junk, but here we see what he was able to do with a good story and talented people working with him. The lush look of MASQUE can definitely be seen as a precursor to such films as SUSPIRIA and Vincent Price is deliciously evil in the lead role. Then in LIGEIA we have a more subdued Price (always a rare occurrence) and great use of the Scottish(?) countryside.
Really loved both of these and am now attempting to seek out the rest of the Poe cycle that Corman produced.
Finally, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT **** – Hammer’s take on a Satanic cult film, this is really Christopher Lee’s show to steal as he plays the good guy for once and absolutely has a blast doing so. There’s something both earnest and playful about the proceedings, like they are taking it completely seriously and yet fully have their tongue in cheek which makes it quite a fun little ride. I’m probably overrating this, but oh well.
Interesting takes here Troy, as I too have watched a few of these and/or seen them in the past for the coming horror countdown.
Oddly enough I don’t find THE INNOCENTS or CARNIVAL OF SOULS to be anywhere near what you do… but I probably like THE OMEN quite a bit more! Strange. THE EXORCIST is fantastic (I like the third one too), as is Corman’s MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH.
I haven’t seen the others you list.
My horror week consisted of BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING, TALE OF TWO SISTERS, RAW MEAT (kind of surprised how boring this one was, but Donald Pleasance was fantastic as the lead cop), TAXIDERMIA (for a second time), PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, THE SADIST, and I have JIGOKU and a VHS copy THEATER OF BLOOD on deck.
I also watched SUPERSTITION which is a cheap 80’s slasher type, but pretty fun.
Yeah — I’m pretty confident when we compare our lists they will be quite different, but that’s what makes it fun. Only 70 movies to go on my must-see list (I’ll be happy to watch 20 of them). The fact that I’ve seen only one of the movies you watched this week makes it clear it will be a diverse list.
Glad to see someone else likes EXORCIST III as I’ve always been a fan of it as well.
Welcome back Troy! I will be responding to your terrific wrap (a number of great films there!) within the hour! Hope you are all settled in to your routine now.
I have my fingers crossed for you Troy, as far as Madelyn’s sleeping habits go. At that age (as Lucille can testify to) nothing is predictable, but a set pattern may well develop to your satisfaction. I bet all the relatives have been heading over since you arrived home! It’s really a fun time.
I have been thinking a lot about the horror countdown too, and I know with you, Jamie and Kevin involved we are sure to get a most versatile blend of everything: Italian slashers, Val Lewton, Bava, Argento, Universal monsters, and some gems of world cinema. But I’m anxious to learn of the final placements!
I don’t think I have to tell you that what you saw these past weeks here are some of the masterpieces in the genre. I guess my absolute favorite of all these is either Corman’s THE MASK OF THE RED DEATH or CARNIVAL OF SOULS, two films I absolutely adore! Certainly the use of color in the former and the spooky atmospherics of the latter are justly famous, but these are low budget gems that still today are models of their kind. I would myself have both on any comprehensive horror countdown. The other Corman you say THE TOMB OF LIGEIA is (as you note) superb as is another one, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER. As you are checking out the Poe cycle now, I strongly recommend that one as well as THE PIT AND THE PENDALUM. So true what you say about the great Vincent Price too.
Yes, I am with you and Jamie on THE EXORCIST, despite it’s modest fall from grace in recent years. It still grips and creaps you out, and all the components are first-rate.
Troy you are NOT at all overrating THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, qwhich makes strong claim as the greatest Hammer film with the likes of THE HORROR OF DRACULA and THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES. Both Allan and our other British horror buff, Marco Tremble are HUGE fans of this film, and as you know Allan is a guy who isn’t easy to please for the most part.
I fall between you and Jamie on THE OMEN, though perhaps a little closer to Jamie’s position. It’s at atmospheric piece with a great Oscar winning score, but I do see what you mean when you contend it’s a bit too “earnest.”
As far as THE INNOCENTS, that is one of the greatest of all the haunted house films, perhaps stradling the line of masterpiece. It’s a stylish, superbly acted and designed film that never fails to pull you in. WITCHFINDER GENERAL is quite simply one of the greatest British horror films, withing a hair of the original THE WICKER MAN, methinks.
This was one of the most high-quality film marathons I’ve ever read about Troy, and it excites me just to gaze on those titles!
Welcome back!
Oddly enough Sam I’m finding my horror lists/tastes are predominately post 1960.
I guess this is always something I knew just never thought about it (but now seeing my list start to materialize I see I have a developed taste for a certain kind of horror), but the old monster movies and such just aren’t my thing. Of the old stuff I like a few silents and the Lewtons but other then that not really.
There will be much art-horror, at least in my list.
Hmm, my list may lean the same way as Jamie’s in regards to the old Universal films. So far I only see two that will make my list of 50, with the possibility of a third. I do know that this site has many fans of those films, so they should still be well represented in the final polling.
Jamie: I would expect nothing less from you in the sense that there is plenty out there that still needs to be seen by many. I know you have really been pounding the pavement, hence your countdown will no doubt have a number of surprises.
Troy: You are right that this site has fans of teh Universal horrors. I’d say the greatest of them all is THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), but I also have an affinity for THE BLACK CAT (1934), FRANKENSTEIN (1931), and THE MUMMY (1932), while the opening section in the castle in Browning’s DRACULA remains a magnificent set piece. But I would agree with Jamie that Lewton’s work for the most part is more significant.
Thanks very much for the plug, Sam, much appreciated, and I’m intrigued that you saw ‘King John’, as I’m another one who hasn’t even read it, let alone seen it – I’ve just bought tickets to see the RSC doing ‘The Winter’s Tale’ in Stratford upon Avon in a few weeks, though.
This week I finally finished reading ‘Les Miserables’, which has taken me four months and a switch of translations in the middle – I’ll admit that I found it a bit of a struggle, because of all the digressions and sermonising, but I’m sure the greatest passages and characters will stay with me and I’m glad to have read it. Now I’m looking forward to watching some adaptations.
This week I finally saw ‘A Single Man’ at my local independent cinema, which has reopened after being closed since last year – it was great to have it open again and I liked the film, especially Colin Firth’s moving performance. Just wish my daughter could have seen it with me as she is a big Christopher Isherwood fan, but she is away at university at the moment.
I’m also currently watching the mini-series ‘John Adams’, which I think is excellent – Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney are both great, as is Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin, and, apart from all the political history, the scene where Abigail and her children are vaccinated with live smallpox is truly chilling.
I’ve also just seen the John Garfield noir ‘The Fallen Sparrow’ (director Richard Wallace), where he gives a great performance as a Spanish Civil War veteran, though I’ve got to say the plot is completely incomprehensible – even worse than that of ‘The Big Sleep’! Anyway this is one I hope to review this week, though I think I’m going to do shorter reviews for a bit due to lack of time.
Ah Judy, what a veritable basket of goodies here, precisely the kind of report that makes this thread so delightful.
This is truly amazing:
“I’ve just bought tickets to see the RSC doing ‘The Winter’s Tale’ in Stratford upon Avon in a few weeks, though.”
You are in God’s Country, Judy, and when it comes to the Bard, that is truly the place to be. I must visit that place one day, and when I head over to see Allan, that is the one tourist attraction I will not miss under any circumstances. I did see a production of THE WINTER’S TALE last year from the N.J. Shakespeare Society, but again yours is the one to see. Please let me know what you think, or perhaps you’ll be writing it up on your second blog. Enjoy!
Now, LES MISERABLES. As I have stated a number of times in my life, this is the greatest novel I have ever read. It’s the novel that has devastated me, and has moved me deeper than just about anything, certainly on equal footing with Wagner’s PARSIFAL. But I know it’s also a frustrating read as you note, and it digresses endlessly. That opening section with the Bishop of Digne is unforgettable for me even to this day. Hugo’s humanism throughout pretty much rips your heart out. The Thenardiers were a wretched lot, as awful as Dickens’ worst characters, Fantine (selling her teeth) was as pathetic as any character, and young Cosette of course was an inspiration. But Jean Valjean and Javert are two of the greatest characters in literature for better or worse…….now I am preaching to you–my apologies, when I hear of this novel I practically genuflect, as my first of two readings will never be forgotten as I remember where I was and when I read it. It’s THAT important to me, and I gush just to think of it, Judy. The Broadway and London musical of course is masterful, and the beautiful score does the themes of the book justice. The 1932/33 film by Raymond Bernard is the best cinematic transcription; in fact it’s a masterpiece of French cinema. The 1936 version that Dave Hicks loves particularly is admittedly quite good as well. You can skip the most recent version though.
I am a big fan of A SINGLE MAN, and included it in my Top 10 of 2009, and I just knew you would love it too. Firth is extraordinary, and for my money should have won the Oscar. Sorry your daughter couldn’t make it with you, but there’s always teh DVD.
Like you, John and Dave I also liked JOHN ADAMS quite a bit, and the performances were fine. That scene you describe is indeed riveting. I liked the first half, particularly.
I’ll look forward to your review of THE FALLEN SPARROW, which I have not yet seen.
Thanks for this spectacular wrap my good friend!
Thanks very much for all the kind comments, Sam, and especially for the advice about versions of ‘Les Miserables’ to see. Much appreciated.
Ok-Lets go