Screen Cap from raw and realistic 'Winter's Bone,' one of the year's best films.
by Sam Juliano
One can only wonder where all the time has gone as we get nearer to the end of the June, with the official half-way point of 2010 just about here. Typically, the real action can be had in the art houses and on the festival circuit, where our friend Craig Kennedy is preparing to embark on his annual coverage of the Los Angeles Film Festival. His findings will appear at his Living in Cinema home over the upcoming weeks.
Congratulations to the USA soccer team for tying England 1-1 over the weekend on Friday, though Allan Fish has reminded me that Italy also tied the USA in the first game of the previous World Cup, before the Italians rallied in subsequent games to gain the World Cup Final (which they won over Brazil). And our friends Jamie and Pat are rightly celebrating the win of the Chicago Black Hawks over the Philadelphia Flyers, the first win for Windy City hockey fans.
Tony Award results are in, and Memphis captured Best Musical, Red Best Play, and La Cage Aux Folles and Fences Best Revivals! More on the thread tomorow!
On the play and movie front, I experienced (largely with Lucille, Broadway Bob and the kids) a torrid week with three theatrical productions and five films. (one of the these was a collection of eight shorts that ran 105 minutes).
Sebastian Barry’s WHITE WOMAN STREET, a relatively obscure play by an esteemed and talented Irish playwright, was recipient to some creative staging and poetic language, but this ‘western’ set in 1916 Ohio is a difficult sit, as there is a marked absence of action and engagement, usually fatal for this genre. (I’ll elaborate in an upcoming review.) I experienced this with Lucille on Wednesday, June 9 at the Irish repetory Theatre.
The English stage work GABRIEL, winding down its run at the Atlantic Theatre playhouse (where Ethan Coen’s OFFICES ran last year) is a peculiar but finally compelling play set on the English Channel Islands, occupied by the Nazis circa 1943. It really concerns memory, identity and imagination, and it’s opening scene after the intermission is truly extraordinary. (Again, a review is planned) I attended the Thursday, June 10 staging with Broadway Bob.
I saw Claudia Shear’s delightful comedy drama RESTORATION at the New York Theatre Workshop on Saturday evening, June 12 with Lucille and Broadway Bob, and it concerns a Brooklyn art conservator, who lands the coveted job of cleaning Michelangelo’s 17 foot statue of David at the Galleria dell’Academia in Florence. (Review is posted above the diary.)
I managed the following films:
Splice *** (Monday evening) Edgewater multiplex
Released *** 1/2 (Friday night) NYGLBT Film Festival; 23rd Street
Winter’s Bone **** 1/2 (Saturday afternoon) Anglika Film Center
Coco Channel and Igor Stravinsky **** (Sat. afternoon) Angelika
Boys Will Be Boys *** 1/2 (Sunday) shorts; NYGLBT Film Fest., 23rd St.
SPLICE has a great premise, and for at least two thirds it’s running time it delivers by way of tension and engagement, but the final third segues into the ridiculous. Still, Brody and Polley are very fine, and are some excellent ideas, making this worrth a visit; RELEASE, a hard-edged prison drama, that broaches issues of pedophilia. With the recent controversy surrounding the hypocrisy of the church, the film takes an unflinching and uncensored look at a man’s quest for faith, redemption and love, and it’s style is often visually expressive. WINTER’S BONE, set in the Ozark’s is a raw, naturalistic and lyrical work, that boasts more than just visual starkness, but a compelling script and great acting, led by Jennifer Lawrence, portraying the 17 year-old daughter looking for her father (or his remains). It is unquestionably one of the best films of the year, and it may yet wind up with five stars, as I ponder. COCO CHANNEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY is the second film this year to deal (at least in part) with the famed clothes mistress, but this time it deals with ideas and perceptions on the long-speculated romance she has with igor Stravinsky in 1920’s Paris. It’s exquisitely shot and superbly acted and it’s opening scene of the savaging of the masterpiece “Rite of Spring” is one of the year’s most arresting scenes in any film. The fimmakers don’t go for cheap sentiment, and as a result it’s persuasively presented. BOYS WILL BE BOYS is a collection of eight shorts running from 3 minutes to 22 minutes (mostly are about 10) in the NYGLBT Film Festival shown on its closing day. It was a mixed collection, though all in all four of the shorts were impressive: the Argeninian “Ray Love,” the Danish “Friday’s Child” and two American titles, “Armoire” and “Play Name.”
Movie Man (Joel Bocko) is back with a link to a picture gallery which is attached to the redesigned and reorganized Dancing Image. Great stuff here:
http://movieman0283-testblog.blogspot.com/
Dave Hicks’s ‘Best Directors’ series at Good Fellas has turned into a huge hit, with impassioned comments flooding in daily. Here’s his #25 choice, Woody Allen: http://goodfellamovies.blogspot.com/2010/06/25-woody-allen.html
Judy Geater continues her comprehensive examination of early 1930’s American cinema at Movie Classics with an asture look at a rarely-seen Borzage: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/mans-castle-1933/
Dee Dee’s ‘essential film noir’ collaboration with Tony d’Ambra recently yielded a welcome surprise in the inclusion of Joseph Losey’s The Prowler, which, as always has been given a stellar appraisal by Tony. It’s all there at “Darkness Into Light”: http://noirishcity.blogspot.com/2010/06/counting-down-thirty-one-film-noirs_5777.html
Tony d’Ambra is still headling his superb post on Edgar G. Ulmer’s Moon Over Harlem, a 30’s musical noir gem, that’s attracted some excellent responses at the altar of film noir: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/cinematic-cities-moon-over-harlem.html
Few out there probe the international film scene with such tenacity as Just Another Film Buff, and his latest “find” is the work of Argentinian Lisando Alonso, who directed Liverpool, his most familiar work. Another insightful post headlines at JAFB’s place: http://theseventhart.info/2010/06/05/the-films-of-lisandro-alonso/
At Coffee’s Messiah’s place, Michael’s latest post perfectly showcases the general appeal of his popular blogsite. It’s called ‘this n’ that”: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-n-that-2.html
Despite some tightening job responsibilities and the new member in the household, Troy Olson continues with his horror film coverage, in preparation for WitD’s upcoming horror countdown, and the latest group seems to have split critics and audiences: http://troyolson.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-horror-movies-in-just-one-sentence.html
Filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman is moving forward with his new film Peril, and most of his work is rightly to that end: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2010/05/peril-e-mail-update-53010.html
At the island paradise of the Creative Potager, gifted Terrell Welch turns to beauty when grim reality sets in, and it’s a ravishing point of direction: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/uniquely-common-place/
Shubhajit at Cinemascope continues his remarkably prolific run of superbly-penned capsules, and his piece on Citizen Kane is frank and perceptive, regardless of what one thinks of the film: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2010/06/citizen-kane-1941.html
Craig Kennedy has written a most impressive review on the critically-praised Winter’s Bone at Living in Cinema, and he admits it’s his favorite film of 2010 as we approach the half-way point: http://livingincinema.com/2010/06/10/review-winters-bone-2010-12/
Kaleem Hasan has a fascinating post up on ‘Images from Raavan’ at his definitive site on indian culture and politics: http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/images-from-raavan-and-raavanan-2/
Jon Lanthier’s newest Slant Magazine review is on Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, and as always it’s an essential-read, especially for those who intend on seeing teh film:http://aspiringsellout.com/
John Greco is on a short vacation without internet access, but his work is still flowing at ‘Twenty Four Frames’ with the latest a review of a 1932 John Wayne starrer, Haunted Gold, which was lensed by Nick Musuraca: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/haunted-gold-1932-mack-v-wright/
David Schleicher has a terrific review of Splice heading up at “The Schleicher Spin” that should be read pronto: http://davethenovelist.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/splice-of-american-gothic/
Our friend Pat at Doodad Kind of Town, basking in the glow of a Stanley Cup in Chicago, has returned to blogging with a vengeance, posting a magnificent review of Letters to Juliet, where she manages in grand style, a classic takedown: http://doodadkindoftown.blogspot.com/2010/06/letters-to-juliet.html
Andrew Wyatt’s latest review is on the documentary October Country, and frankly, it’s the best review I’ve read of this film anywhere, though I’m not among the film’s fans: http://gatewaycinephiles.com/2010/06/08/this-american-life/
Roderick Heath has another excellent essay up on Michael The Trojan Woman that’s a must-read at “Ferdy-on-Films”: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=5090
Says Ed Howard at the beginning of his superlative review of Desert by Stan Brakhage: Desert is a phenomenally sensual, evocative film from Stan Brakhage. It is an examination of literal and metaphysical deserts, extracting the essence of the desert and exploring both the physical place and its abstract equivalent — red-hot sun, hazy heat-blurring, hallucinatory mirages, wavery color fields that suggest the horizon line dividing sand from sky: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2010/06/desert.html
Samuel Wilson’s latest review is another terrific one, and it’s on the popular World War 2 resistence work, Flame and Citron. It’s a must-read, and it’s up there at “Mondo 70”: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2010/06/flammen-citronen-2008.html
Longman Oz’s latest theatre review from the ‘Project Arts Center’ in Dublin is a consideration of The Early Bird, which as always provides some insighful writing and a unique work, unavailable in the US: http://noordinaryfool.com/2010/06/11/the-early-bird-project-arts-centre-dublin-a-theatre-review/
Kevin Olson is accelerating his efforts in behalf of the horror poll with some typically excellent and authoritative reviews: http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-of-slash-capsule-reviews.html
Drew McIntosh has penned another gem, this time a catalogue work of Lucrezia Martel, who also helmed the critically-praised The Headless Woman. It’s up at ‘The Blue Vial’: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2010/06/holy-girl-lucrecia-martel-2004.html
Film Doctor has an fascinating review of a Biskind volume which concentrates on 1970’s American cinema: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2010/06/70s-as-last-golden-age-of-filmmaking-10.html
Ric Burke is still headlining with his comprehensive review of Soderbergh’s Che Part 2 at “Films from the Soul”: http://filmforthesoul.blogspot.com/2010/06/che-part-2-guerrilla-review.html
J.D. has penned one of his greatest essays ever on Oliver Stones’ The Doors at “Radiator Heaven”: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2010/06/doors.html
Donophon’s excellent series on Jean-Pierre Melville continues at “The Long Voyage Home” with a review of the celebrated Le Samourai. It’s a must-read: http://thelongvoyagehome.blogspot.com/2010/05/jean-pierre-melville-le-samourai.html
Dave Van Poppel examines the documentary hit Exit Through the Gift Shop with style and authority at his place: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com/2010/06/exit-through-gift-shop.html
Screen Cap from 'Coco Channel and Igor Stravinsky'
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Wonders in the Dark 
Thanks for the shout out, AS USUAL, Sam. Seems like you’ve had a pretty prolific weekend. Allan’s countdown is eating up all the top dogs so fast that I’m wondering what will be left out for the top 20. I sure have a feeling that Allan’s going to do a “Truman Show” all over again!
P.S: One correction, Italy won the World Cup over France!
Thanks you JAFB as always! Yes, Allan has some surprises for sure! Yes, Italy did beat France, not Brazil. Sorry about that error, but that shows you how my memory is often faulty. Ha! I’ll be responding to your e mail today, as I wanted to wait till I checked these discs on my player.
Also Italy tied USA in their second game. Italy beat Ghana 2-0 in their debut in 2006. Andrea Pirlo and Vincenzo Iaquinta scored the goals. USA lost to the Czech Republic in their opener.
Aye Maurizio. You know your World Cup stats. I am hoping to follow the games more closely this year.
Soccer, film, poker and electronic music are my four passions in life!!!!!!
Experimental electronic music like Wolfgang Voigt (Gas), Vladislav Delay, Marsen Jules, and Christian Fennesz. Not the superficial hedonistic club/dance variation that is highly disposable.
Maurizio, I absolutely love three of the four artists you’ve mentioned here (I’ve never heard of Delay.) I was in fact listening to Marsen Jules’ Herbstlaub not just a couple of hours ago. Weird. You have fine taste though, just wanted to say.
Herbstlaub is Marsen Jules best album!! Get Multila by Vladislav Delay. It sounds like a cross between Diskont 94 by Oval and Basic Channel (white album). Its got the whole ambient glitch sound sprinkled in with some dub influence.
Yes, thank you kindly for the mention, Sam! That’s always much appreciated.
Sounds like you had quite the amazing week! It must have been wonderful to take all of that in. I am particularly piqued by your high praise of Winter’s Bone, I read a few pieces on that film over the weekend, and it sounds like it could really be something special. By all accounts it is a haunting slice of Americana with a star turn by the young woman in the lead, and it’s quickly jumped pretty far up my list of eagerly anticipated films. Always love these Monday Morning Diary entries, Sam!
Thanks so much for that Drew!!!
Well, I must say that WINTER’S BONE is one of the year’s very best films, and it appears the concensus is almost unanimous. Still, I wouldn’t want your expectations to be too high, as that often sets one up for the fall. I agree that Jennifer Lawrence delivers a truly extraordinary performance, and that this raw and chilling film captures setting exceedingly well. I’m already plotting a second viewing, as I saw it alone and others here are clamouring to see it. Thanks so much Drew, on the kind words for the diary, and look forward to what you will say on WINTER’S BONE!
I saw “Splice” last weekend, and really enjoyed it. The last act, though, really rubs me the wrong way, and includes one of the ugliest 180-degree character reversals I’ve ever seen, complete with a very poor-taste stinger. Still, it’s exactly the type of hardcore, intellectual sci-fi that needs to be supported nowadays, so let’s praise it before we bury it.
Aye Bob, I felt precisely the same way. That final third really poses some preposterous ideas. Also I agree that we must focus on the positive aspects, as contemporary sci-fi is a mixed blessing. Thanks as always for the response.
It isn’t that it poses bad ideas that bothers me, Sam, but just that the whole character-reversal thing felt really cheap, manipulative and rather ugly, done purely to play up the horror side of the genre equation. Without going too far into spoiler territory, it’s as though they spent the whole movie building your sympathy for a character, and then twisted that character into something sick, ugly and perverted within the space of a few minutes. Like you started out with Dorothy, and ended up with the Wicked Witch of the West, only worse.
But to be fair, a major reason the ending bothered me is because a couple of parents brought their VERY YOUNG CHILDREN to see the movie. And Jesus, this is a movie no children should see, for any number of reasons.
Thanks a lot Sam for the good words.
Well, you’ve already committed a couple of faux pas with regards to the Football World Cup. Football (or soccer, as you call it) sure doesn’t rank among your favourite sports 😉 Hope you didn’t mind, I was just kidding.
And Allan might not like my saying this, I do not really fancy England’s chances at winning the world cup, unless Gerard & Lampard learn playing with each other. Their nemesis, Diego Maradona will of course be there at the sidelines to ensure that the Argentine team, which has in it the best player in the world at the moment, and managed by the best player ever, goes all the way as soon as they get their coordination right. Moreover I watched Germany’s demolition of the Aussies last night, and they sure look a deadly force to reckon with. Looking forward to seeing the Dutch take on the Danes later today.
You sure had a pretty good time at the movies. Anyway, here’s what I saw over last week (all have been reviewed at my place):
1. Rififi
2. Galpa Holeo Satyi (loosely translated as Stranger than Fiction) – a classic Bengali film
3. Apocalypse Now
4. Citizen Kane
5. Raajneeti (literal translation: politics) – a recent Hindi release
6. Wild Strawberries
7. Killer of Sheep
Shubhajit:
Thanks as always for the kind words. You do indeed have an excellent line-up of capsule reviews at CINEMASCOPE, which is always being updated I have seen all of the films you mention at your place except for the masterpiece KILLER OF SHEEP, which I will check out momentarily. YOUR COMMENTARY on CITIZEN KANE was most interesting, and the reviews of RIFIFI, APOCALYPSE NOW and WILD STRAWBERRIES were exceptional.
Believe or not Shubhajit, Allan has privately admitted to me that the UK team (in his opinion) won’t be going very far in this World Cup. But your own expertise, knowledge and passion will help make this event one to follow. Much appreciated my very good friend!
Have tried to watch the World Cup and it is boring me rigid within minutes each time. I may try again when the games reach a “knock out” stage, but it will not be a priority. I once went to 30-40 club games a season for the best part of a decade when I was younger, so I am not a casual fan. However, I got sick of football on the television some years ago and have not really watched any tournament since the appallingly dodgy 2002 World Cup.
Anyway, on the film front, I saw “The Happiest Girl in the World” (a decent, but unexceptional, Romanian family-based drama), “Black Death” (an awfully scripted supernatural horror set in 14th century England), and “Eyes Wide Open” (one that I know that you like, but its austere tone and its (relatively speaking) style-over-substance approach was not what I was really after that day).
On a chirpier note, I saw my first trailer for the new Claire Denis film at the weekend and it looks very dramatic! Isabelle Huppert stars and an actor who came to my attention last year in “The Girl on the Train”, Nicolas Duvauchelle, plays her son in what looks – from these glimpses, at any rate – like another promising turn. I am normally fairly cautious when it comes to “white people in Africa/Asia” style films, but I trust this director a lot!
Thanks for the plug. Irrespective of your reservations, I await your detailed thoughts on Mr. Barry’s early play with interest.
2002 WC was memorable for me though cos Ronaldo, one of my favourite players (and arguably the best of his generation), proved his detractors wrong by scoring 8 goals including 2 in the final. I also distinctly remember the audacious free-kick by Ronaldinho against England.
And I’ll forever remember 2006 WC for the 25-pass goal by Argentina against Serbia – that goal left me speechless. So I was really disappointed when they got knocked out by Germany.
You’re right though, this edition of the WC is turning out to be a damp squib and pretty drab. The FIFA committee introduced the Jaboolaani ball (or whatever is its name) so that more goals are scored. Unfortunately the move has backfired with most matched being decided by a solitary goal. Most of the teams, too, are looking quite lackluster – Holland was really lackluster in today’s match though they managed to win against the pathetic Danes. Hope the situation changes soon, otherwise this WC will overtake 1990 WC by some distance in terms of least goals per match.
Shub–It seems like the Jabulani is messing with the trajectory during set pieces and well struck balls. Every free kick seems to rise comfortably over the keeper’s net when struck. The fumbling every goalie is exhibiting cannot be a coincidence. I wholly agree with you that its hurting goal scoring opportunities. The long club season which has every player drained and tired does not help either. You can tell the athletes are sucking wind on the pitch due to long domestic campaigns. I’m with Oz on 2002 being a dodgy World Cup. Spain and Italy were robbed by bad refs that seemed to want S. Korea to advance as far as possible. It seemed like politics were deciding certain games that year. Ronaldo was great though I admire Zidane and Maldini more from his generation.
Maurizo,
I remember the controversy that resulted in the Span-S.Korea match, with 2 Spanish goals being disallowed, though the Koreans were deserving winners over the Azzurris. However, i don’t think its fair to think that the refs deliberately helped them cos then they would have reached the final instead of coming 4th. In fact Italians themselves got help from the refs against Australia in the last WC. Bad or dicey refereeing happens all the time. But yes, whenever the WC is held in Europe the games tend to get more attacking and hence more entertaining. Too much of quotas is taking the flavour out of the WC with a lot of good teams missing out.
I do admire Maldini, though my fav defender would be Roberto Carlos, of course if you can call him a defender in the first place. He was fantastic for Real. I really like Zidane a lot – esp the way he could build moves and create astounding passes out of nowhere. He was worth the then phenomenal price Real payed for him, and can’t forget his goal in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
But Ronaldo, during his peak during the mid/late 90’s, was a player belonging to a different league altogether – a deadly combination of breathtaking speed, acceleration, jawdropping dribbling skills & finishing prowess like few else in the history of the game.
Anyway, its been fun having this discussion, and surely wouldn’t mind keep fighting as I absolutely love this beautiful game called football 🙂 O Jogo Bonito!!!
Lol being Italian I may need an excuse why the Azzurri lost in 2002. There is some evidence though that suggests that S. Korea paid some refs off with gifts before certain games. I think the official that presided over S. Korea vs Spain was banned from FIFA for life. It is a conspiracy theory that has some basis in fact.
I like watching some World Cup games Longman, but I have never gotten into the routine of closely following the standings.
I do like EYES WIDE OPEN indeed, but your discussion here of not looking for something on that particular day is understandable. I’ve felt that way myself on occasion. I wonder of our horror experts here are familiar with BLACK DEATH? I haven’t seen it, but your bluntness doesn’t move me to rectify the situation! Ha! Most of the Romanian films that arrive stateside these days are excellent (but we get the creme of the crop of course) but that’s probably not the case by you. Still, it appears you are recommending the film, without deliriously singing it’s praises! I’ll check out your review very soon.
Huppert and that promising young actor in a Claire Denis film? Well, it is difficult not to get excited with this prospect, Longman, as Denis is quite good with that sociological perspective. The release an any new Denis film is always reason for excitement.
I will be posting a full review of WHITE WOMAN STREET in a few days, and I thank you so much for your interest. It’s a fair enough production with some beautiful poetry, but there are some flow issues. I am a great fan of the Irish repetory Theatre, though.
Thanks for the excellent wrap my friend!
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan and WitD readers,
Sam, I’am glad to see that you, Mrs. Juliano, Broadway Bob, and the children…enjoyed some live performances onstage…such as… Claudia Shear’s comedy-drama Restoration, The English stage play Gabriel, and Sebastian Barry’s White Woman Street.
And On the Theatre Front…
The following films all received what appears to be the thumbs-up…Splice, Released, Winter’s Bone, Coco Channel and Igor Stravinsky
(Sam Juliano said,”COCO CHANNEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY is the second film this year to deal (at least in part) with the famed clothes mistress, but this time it deals with ideas and perceptions on the long-speculated romance she has with igor Stravinsky in 1920′s Paris…”
It appears as if this film dealing with COCO Chanel’s personal life will probably receive more positive feedback than the earlier film COCO Before Chanel, that received some mixed reviews out there in the blogosphere…) and Boys Will Be Boys.
What a very nice round-up of film watching and theatre trekking!
Films that I watched: Gilchrist Anderson’s Metropolis Redux…
(Sam Juliano, and C.M., what do you, both think is going to happen next?) 🙂
Coming up:Solaris is next on my to watch list… (I plan to watch Solaris, later this week sent to me by you-know-who…Thanks,)
Films that I plan to purchase and watch for the first time…The Hidden Room aka Obsession(1949), Journey into Fear (1943), and I also plan to ask my Canadian film noir seller, to record The Prowler and coming on DVD on July 26th 2010 is director Fritz Lang’s 1956 film While the City Sleep. (Available through Amazon.com/UK…It’s also available in the vhs format, but cost about $46.00 over there at Amazon.com (I just checked…I’am quite sure that it will be much “cheaper” once it’s released in the DVD format.)
Literature: That I Added To The Bookshelf : No comment…
Music… No comment…
Food … Hmmm…a very light touch…as usual.
Sports… No Comment…
Politics… No Comment…
Sam Juliano, I guess that about wrap up my week in review for this week. Thank-you, as usual for the mention.
DeeDee 😉 🙂
Thanks as always Dee Dee!
Yes, this was indeed a busy week, and this coming week (with a stage play of Emily Dickinson on Wednesday and the Broadway musical HAIR on Thursday) will also be a busy one. But I look forward to a pull back over the summer. My stamina and my wallet are taking quite a hit over the past few months! Ha! Two of the boys came along for SPLICE, but this was one week where the kids were largely uninvolved in the week’s activities. The three plays for example, were seen by just the two or three of us. WINTER’S BONE was the week’s strongest film (it’s one of the best films of the year in fact) and it’s between GABRIEL and RESTORATION as the best play of the three we saw. WHITE WOMAN STREET was written by a great Irish playwright, but the “western” had some problems, which I hop to elaborate on this week with a review.
I hope you get to SOLARIS, and can’t wait to hear what you say abour Gilcrest Anderson’s METROPOLIS.
Yes, I would agree it would be better to wait for that Lang film to come down in price, but acquiring THE PROWLER, OBSESSION and JOURNEY INTO FEAR is wise.
As always thank for all your loyalty, kindness and friendship my dear friend.
I’ve read nothing but raves for ‘Winter’s Bone’ and I may have to make a trip across the river if it doesn’t land over here this weekend.
‘Coco Chanel’ sounds fascinating, even with the split concensus.
Go Team USA!
Thanks Frank! I would wait on WINTER’S BONE. It should be on this side two weeks max. COCO is solid, but not a truly great film by any means.
Sam, thanks so much for the kind words! It sounds like you had an excellent week of viewing. I’m real interested in seeing WINTER’S BONE and look forward to the opportunity.
This week I took in two films, Boleslawski’s LES MISERABLES and THE SCARLET EMPRESS. It was my first time seeing both of them, and I was particularly impressed by March and Laughton’s performances and von Sternberg’s incredible style.
Here’s to another great week. Thanks for the infectious and tireless cinephilia!
Jeffrey: Again I thank you for saying all these nice things. (and I love that last sentence!) You did see two great films there (no doubt about that) and LES MIS does contain those two fabulous lead performances! The viewing of THE SCARLET EMPRESS does remind me of the upcoming Criterion Von Sternberg set, which will include UNDERWORLD, THE LAST COMMAND and THE DOCKS OF NEW YORK, due to be with us in August. I can see why you were so impressed! Yes, WINTER’S BONE will probably greatly impress you for all sorts of reasons, and I’d love to hear your reaction.
Best Wishes with PERIL!
Thanks for the shout-out, as usual, Sam, but that link appears to lead somewhere else. 🙂
It was a DVD weekend for me, mostly re-visiting recent films with friends: Shutter Island, Bright Star, and Paranormal Activity. Endured Orphan last night. Will brave the Director’s Cut of The Wolfman tonight.
Andrew, my apologies. I just corrected that link. I am losing it as of late.
You “endured” ORPHAN? Looks like you and I are on the same page with that one, though surprisingly the film does have some fans in the blogging ranks. (and peopel I respect, too) And I do hope your survive that WOLFMAN director’s cut! Please come back and let me know that you are still with us! Ha!
Divine stuff there with BRIGHT STAR and SHUTTER ISLAND (you penned great reviews of both as I recall) and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is fine enough too, on the strength of that final jolt!
Thanks for the great wrap, my friend!
Sam
Good morning, and thanks for the shout out. As of last night, I’ve also posted my thoughts on the two films I saw this weekend: “Please Give” (which I liked very much) and Peter Medak’s 1972 satire “The Ruling Class” (not so much.) The latter is at least 45 minutes too long; with judicious trimming, it could have been a sharp, deveastating comedy, but in its 165-minute form, I found it bloated and wearying.
“Winter’s Bone” arrives in this area on Friday and I’m looking forward to it. But based on your post today, the film I’m really anxious for is “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” – sounds brilliant.
Thanks to you Pat!
Well, you and have shared some very interesting dialogue on both PLEASE GIVE and THE RULING CLASS. While I’ll admit I’ve had a lifelong fondness for the latter (as I was about 18 when it was first released in theatres) I can understand the excessive length and testing of one’s patience, not to mention some others issues you broached in your excellent review. On PLEASE GIVE we are exactly in the same place. I am pretty sure you will for COCO, and am 100% certain on WINTER’S BONE. Let’s see if I’m right or not! Ha!
Thanks as always for the great wrap my very good friend!
Thanks for the link, Sam! I was curious to read your thoughts on SPLICE. The trailers look good and I enjoyed CUBE, a low-budget horror film made by the same director so this new film looks like it might be worth a look.
Yeah, the US looked very good against England in the World Cup but I think that Spain’s gonna win it all anyways. Altho, Argentina might be the wild card that makes it interesting!
J.D., I had reservations, but I’d still recommend SPLICE on balance. Bob Clark is an even bigger fan, but th ereviews were actually surprisingly good. Polley and brody did impress, I must say.
You are the third one or so on this thread J.D., that is mentioning Spain as the final winner. I hope to watch some of the games. Thanks as always my friend!
Thanks again Sam!
You are most welcome David, but I must get over by you to read that review pronto. (especially since I just saw the film last week).
Thanks as usual for the recognition, Sam. I’ve put up a few things since Flame & Citron, but my most ambitious viewing on the weekend was probably Ulrich Seidl’s Import/Export. It was interesting to compare it with Andersson’s You The Living. Tartan Video invites us to regard the two as companion pieces, each having the default trailer on the other’s DVD and both sharing at least superficially a neoclassical pictorial approach. Alan has the Andersson well ahead of the Seidl in his survey, but I found myself slightly preferring Import/Export, probably precisely for the bleakness Alan very rightly describes. You The Living really is a very different type of film in its aspirations, and it achieves those aspirations brilliantly, but the Seidl has subject matter and an approach that simply interests me more. I can understand perfectly if others respond more strongly to the Andersson film; in each case, subjectivity prevails.
I don’t really have anything to say about the World Cup except to note the diversity of cultural responses to soccer/football and how they arguably echo different national or regional tastes in popular culture. The usual US objection to soccer as a spectator sport is that nothing happens because points aren’t scored every minute, but true fans obviously see a perpetual drama that outsiders miss. There’s a temptation to dismiss unbelievers as philistines, but meanwhile the most score-mad of sports, basketball, gains popularity everywhere. What do we make of that?…
I don’t mind watching the World Cup, but I can’t listen to it when it has been totally ruined by the idiots who allowed those cretins to bring in those damned horns into stadiums. We can’t hear shit, the players can’t hear shit, the managers need loudhailers to give instructions from theirtouchline areas and it sounds liek a neverending locust storm descending from on high. No wonder it’s been such a piss poor first few days. How o you play free-flowing football through that. It’s like subjecting Garry Kasparov to play chess through a Van Halen concert.
They say it’s South African culture. Well, for the two sports Saffers REALLY care about, rugby and cricket, do you hear those blasted horns there? NOOOO! Because it’s fucking annoying. Get rid of the damned things and torch them all en masse.
“It’s like subjecting Garry Kasparov to play chess through a Van Halen concert. ”
I happen to love Van Halen, Allan… but this line literally made me laugh out loud, so points for you on that one!
And I’ve never been much of a fan of soccer, be it as a spectator sport, participant, or any other role. But I will admit that I watched the US-England match and was at least interested/entertained, so I’m sure that I will at least watch future US matches.
But Allan is right concerning the horns. Annoying doesn’t even begin to describe those horns.
Well Samuel, as the others have handled the soccer end admirably, I’ll add that you discussion of IMPORT/EXPORT and WE THE LIVING is fascinating, though I still haven’t seen the former, to pose an approximate placement. But I hear you on that bleakness that you are in agreement with Allan on. I’ll remember that aspect when I watch the recently-purchased (and already arrived) DVD.
I know you have further reviews at MONDO 70, as you are amazingly prolific!
Thanks as always my friend!
I think those horns may get banned before the group stage ends. Many people have complained already. It sounds eerily familiar to a Tony Conrad or Giacinto Scelsi drone piece without the musical theory attached!! If the horns were made of wood as opposed to plastic the sound might have a nicer tonal quality. It really does sound like a bunch of pre-teens run amuck!
Maurizio, I am really enjoying the soccer discussion and all your authoritative and passionate comments.
Thanks for the link, Sam. The directors series really has touched off some wonderful comments, debates, arguments… nothing to the Bob Clark-Allan level, but interesting nonetheless.
My movie watching continues to center around filling in holes in director’s filmographies that will be featured in the series, so I won’t point out any specifics. I do want to put in a good word for the Blu Ray release of SHUTTER ISLAND, though, as it looks wonderful in HD. Anyone who enjoyed the movie at all, or is still interested in seeing it, should definitely check it out on Blu Ray. A wonderful release and I had a blast watching it again. It holds up remarkably well for me… in fact, I think the film actually works better when the mystery isn’t the focus and you just watch Teddy’s descent through the hellish nightmare that has become his life.
I also finally bought an all-region DVD player and made quick use of it to order some Claude Chabrol films for cheap from Amazon UK. He is a director that I have been wanting to delve into, so I look forward to it.
As for books, I continue to read the Peckinpah bio, which is highly entertaining.
Dave:
As always, thanks for the great wrap! You called it right with the SHUTTER ISLAND blu-ray, which we purchased last week after hearing of your excitement! And congratulations on your purchase of the all-Region DVD player, which will open up a window of opportunity, though your wallet won’t appreciate it. That’s a great point you make about the mystery and its second-rate status after its been negotiated!
Your director’s series has been a great big gigantic hit, in fact the most popular project of them ass in view of the loads of passionate comments. And yes, there’s been a little contentiousness, but you know you are hitting home when that begins! I urge everyone to check out the Eastwood thread at Dave’s place!!!! You won’t be sorry!!!
I’m reading all over that Spain is the heavy favorite to take it all.
Aye David, that is the word!
Thanks for stopping by!
Sam, I figured you would have a report at Wonders on that Joan Rivers documentary. My neighbor saw it and said it was quite good.
Maria, you are a clairvoyant! I will be seeing an 8:15 P.M. showing tonight at the Chelsea Cinemas with Lucille and Bob. I’ll have some kind of comment on these threads tomorrow! Yes, most of the reviews have been quite favorable, despite the indifference on Rivers by many.
Thanks for stopping by!
………..I finally got to the movies this weekend, and you didn’t see the film I saw. Some are calling “The A Team” mindless, but I thought it was harmless fun. One of the better of the “action comedies”. I’m sure your kids would go for this one………….
My kids actually saw THE KARATE KID re-make with my wife, Frank, (on Saturday afternoon while I was in Manhattan seeing WINTER’S BONE and COCO CHANNEL by my lonesome) but a few were definitely interested in A TEAM. I will try to get to this one soon.
Great to hear you finally made it!
SPLICE, which I attended a screening of with Sam and two of the kids (not to mention an overly irratating and completely brain-dead Bob “Oh-shit”) was an effectively creepy little delve into the Frankenstein morality. Crossing the moral implications referred to in Shelly’s classic novel with themes reminiscent of Chrichton’s JURASSIC PARK, the “can we? should we?” questions on scientific advancement are, again on display here. What made this film better than most horror films these days was tight direction and unsettling sense of place (evoking early Cronenberg). The performances were first rate as well with Sarah Polley very effective as a scientist with a dark past who sets her scopes on the maternal. Adrien Brody, who usually phones in his performances (yes, including that God-awful Oscar winning turn in the boring THE PIANIST) was also very good as Polley’s partner whose moral resposibilities become jaded by sexual pleasure. It falls apart in the end with too many false finale’s but, all in all, deliveredm whe
“What made this film better than most horror films these days…”
I never understand comments like this… imagine saying “its a good film, for a period drama”. Why must horror always be relegated to margin status, as if good horror films are the exception? There are many great horror films from all era(s) including this one. I could argue that the 2000’s are the greatest most diverse years for horror since only the 70’s. Many, many great horror films out there. Yes the 15 or so that come to the multiplex a year are awful but imagine if all we had of say the drama genre was related to mainstream multiplex releases? One would believe NO interesting cinema is being made in this genre either, which in reality the opposite is true.
I’m as guilty as anyone at saying “good for modern day horror”, and I even like the genre, but I do have to say you make a good point here 🙂
I’ll be interested to check out SPLICE, though I’ve heard both good and bad about it so far.
Yup, just more horror movies this week (I intend on getting back to watching movies from the 2000’s to complete my list for that poll in the next week or so).
FROM BEYOND **1/2
PIN ***
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ***1/2
SLEEPAWAY CAMP *1/2
WENDIGO ***
NOSFERATU (Herzog) ****
NIGHT OF THE DEMON *****
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN ****1/2
Troy I agree with most of your ratings here, though I liked WENDIGO more then you (I like his first feature HABIT a lot). Another difference is my opinion of FROM BEYOND, as I’ve stated it to be one of my favorite horror-comedies ever made. I say this as a large Gordon fan though, and he’s certainly an acquired taste (that most would say lacks taste). FROM BEYOND is my favorite by him over any of the RE-ANIMATOR(s), with the first of that series being my favorite.
Jamie — I liked HABIT a bit more than WENDIGO, more because the performances were just a bit better. It’s nice to see low-key horror films like these still being made.
I enjoyed FROM BEYOND. Probably more than that rating shows and perhaps I’ll raise it up a bit. But I thought RE-ANIMATOR was simply a better made, more tightly scripted, and more fun film. My major issue with FROM BEYOND was the inability of Gordon to really, truly capture the horrific nature of the horrors being described. The description by Combs of his first seeing “IT” was fantastic, but the silly special effect of some floating worms killed any creepiness that the film was building. Still, there is some good humor, Jeffrey Combs is singularly great, it was nice to see Ken Foree in anything, and Barbara Crampton is truly easy on the eyes 🙂
To add to what Jamie says here Troy, I am happy you are plugging away with the horror titles, and are planning to see some 2000s film for the poll that admittedly is winding down here.
I am THRILLED to see that five-star rating for NIGHT OF THE DEMON, which stands for me as one of the greatest horror films of all time for several reasons. It is an atmospheric, terrifying and intellectual horror film, where studio interferrence for once did not damage the film. You are also right on with the Herzog rating, and BRIDE is good at 5 or 4 1/2, so touche! The others are close too, but I still haven’t seen WENDIGO and PIN.
Outstanding wrap my friend!
Yes, DEMON is amazing. I know Le Tournier didn’t want the demon to be seen, but I found the effect to be pretty awesome, especially the first time you see it at the beginning of the film.
BRIDE should probably get all five stars, but I’ve seen it twice now and both times the supporting players have all contributed to make me knock off half a star. When Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorious ham it up and do their overacting bits, I love it, but when other, like the maid, do it, it grates on me. I know that comedy styling is part of the era it was made in, so perhaps I’m overly harsh on it.
I love it beyond that, though, with Karloff imbuing wonderful pathos to the monster and Thesiger as Praetorious is so gloriously over the top, I giggle everytime he says a line.
I will get to some of the longer responses like Dee Dee’s and Shubhajit’s when I return home later tonight from a trip into Manhattan. Any others that might post will also be answered.
Ahh Sam I wish they never showed the demon. The movie is great….but no images of the supernatural would of been even more perfect.
Aye Maurizio. Most agree, that the terror of the imagination goes way beyond anything the studio can muster up, though in this one singular case they did come up with a whopper.
Thanks, Sam, & glad I had something to provide after the relative drought! I was a little surprised to see the caption “one of the year’s best films” under the picture above, thinking “isn’t it a little early to say that” till I realized 2010 is almost half-over! Says something about the amount (or lack thereof) of films I’ve seen in theaters this year, save the brief bout in February – March!
It was a great return Joel, but of course we’ve been lucky to have your fantastic Best of the 21st Century series posting at WitD every second week. Responses to that series have been top-rank both in quality and quantity too! Yeah, as I stated on the MMD lead-in, ‘where di dthis year go?’
I’m in total agreement with you on Splice, Sam. That movie was definitely not your average bloodbath and had tons of brilliant ideas–and sequences. I was hoping it would lift on and “fly” the way Dren does (inside reference for everybody who’s seen the movie), but the ending just sells out. Even the “cliffhanger” at the end wasn’t too unique or surprising. Good movie all-around, though. Might have been even better.
Adam, thanks so much for that excellent analysis, and flight simile. Yeah, I’m afraid the ending (Bob Clark agrees too) was damaging to a film that had promise, after the first reels. Ah, “Dren” indeed! I got a kick out of that inverted name! I’ll agree that on balance this one should be seen, as it’s never less than a riveting entertainment.
I’m late to this thread but many thanks for the plug, Sam, and I see you have been busy as ever! Unfortunately I didn’t manage to see ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ at the cinema as I’d hoped because I had to work late. I haven’t had time to watch much at home either but have seen a couple of fine Westerns, ‘Red River’ (I loved this and now want to see all Hawks’ other Westerns) and ‘The Left-handed Gun’, which I’d seen before but now have on DVD.
Also managed to see another pre-Code Wellman, ‘Stingaree’, starring Irene Dunne, which is a really strange mixture between an operetta and a Robin Hood-style outlaw tale set in the Australian bush (aka an RKO backlot) – I quite liked the outlaw bits but must admit I’m not a fan of 1930s operettas and their high-pitched singing.
Judy, you are never late, as this thread is designed to span the week, even though most have gotten into the Monday routine. I would imagine that the summer will slow everybody down, as it’s tough staying indoors in this beautiful weather. (Humid though in the NYC area) RED RIVER is one of my favorite Hawks of all, and there’s a wonderful clip from it in my beloved THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. And THE LEFT-HANDED GUN is a notable psychological western with a fine Newman performance. I’m sure you’ll get another chance for EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT HOUSE.
That is admittedly an unusual Wellman, but something tells me it’s my cup of tea! Ha! I do love Irene Dunne and the operetta essence. I’ll be watching MOVIE CLASSICS for a review!
Thanks so much Judy again for the wonderful wrap!
Hello Sam and everyone.
My week consisted mostly of a vacation in California mainly a few days in Carmel and then finishing up with four days in San Francisco. A great trip and such beautiful scenery. The California Pacific Coast Highway (1) is just a breathtaking vision of beauty. San Francisco is one of the great cities and we did a lot of the tourist stuff. Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, taking a boat ride on the SF Bay. We also spent a day driving through the Napa Valley and other wine country stopping at Francis Ford Coppola’s two winery’s, one is Alexander Valley and the second in Napa which is now called Rubicon Estates (formerly Niebaum-Coppola). The one to see though, at least for film freaks, is Rubicon Estates which houses an exhibit of Coppola memorabilia including one of two Tucker automobiles he owns and used in the filming of the movie.
I only saw one film, before I left for vacation and that was SPLICE (***1/2) which I thought was good though I agree with some of the others who commented on the ending.
Wow John, you had a fabulous week there in places I’ve never been too, but have longed to travel to. The Pacific Coast Highway is indeed a beautiful stretch, though I’ve only seen it in films and pictures. And the Napa Valley and Coppola estates are other great spots. San Francisco is one city I would love to vist at some point. You and your wife had a wonderful week and thanks so much for sharing it here!
Aye, on SPLICE, that rating is about right.
Welcome back John!
Ah Sam here I am wandering by late in the week again. I have left a comment directly on “Restoration” as it seems like one of those experiences I wished I need not miss. As for WINTER’S BONE I have had my eye on this movie for a few weeks. Now it goes on the “must watch” list.
The best of the rest of the week to you Sam and thank you as always for your shout out and coming by to Creative Potager to leave a wee sprout comment.
Thanks so much Terrell. You will adore WINTER’S BONE. I’d place a wager on it in fact! And as I stated under your wonderful comment under my RESTORATION review, you’d adore that one, what with your ceaseless creative slant.